Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

51- Everything But the Kitchen Sink

My heart pangs. I understand exactly what he's talking about...people have said the exact same thing to me multiple times. Its kind of hard when your whole world is being turned completely upside down. You know they're coming from a good place, but it's just... hard.

"Sometimes hoping for the best is all you can do... but I guess you just have to push forward no matter what happens. Pick up the pieces. People wish for you to be able to return something to what it was before, but sometimes you have to make something new, and that's okay," I say, thinking back to all the things people have told me in the past, "I've been in an engineering class for a while. Maybe I could make you robot legs like Tony Stark made for Rhodey in Civil War."

A smile starts to slip back onto his face.

"You would do that for me?" he asks, seeming astonished. I mean, I would do it for plenty of people if I wasn't broke and stupid.

"If I had the resources then yeah, of course. Whatever happens, you can count on having at least one friend on your side," I say, standing up. His grin finally returns. Oh yay. It's nice to make other people smile when I just want to curl up on a couch and I guess cry or maybe just be sad. I haven't yet escaped the almost-daily mental breakdowns. Today it was crying. On the way here, no less. I had to stop in the bathroom and make sure my eyes weren't all red and puffy and my face wasn't splotchy and all of the other tells of crying. I don't really know what I was crying about... everything? Nothing? At this point it could take seeing a skateboard to send me spiraling.

I wish I could stay longer and have someone to talk to and laugh with and just generally be there to help take my mind off of the absolute chaos that is my life right now, but the part I need to fix the kitchen sink finally came in and I need to get it working again as soon as possible.

"It was nice to talk to you again," I say, "text me if there's any breaking news or whatnot. Like if Jesus descends from the heavens and says 'Miguel Diaz you are healed' let me know."

"You're leaving already?" he asks after laughing a little. At least somebody actually cares whether I stay or go. Kinda nice.

"Yeah, we've been getting water from the hall bathroom to cook with and I told my abuela that I could fix the sink," I explain. The joys of living in the first apartment you could find for any sort of reasonable price. It's alright. I know what's wrong with it and I know how to fix it, I just have to do it. He nods in understanding. I smile and with one last small wave, I move to exit the room.

"Parker!" Miguel calls after me as I open the door. I turn back around, intrigued as to what he has to say.

"Thank you. For- for being here I mean. Everything is... kinda.. insane right now and so far you're the only thing that's stayed constant at all," he says, "so thank you."

"I'm glad I can be a good constant for someone," I say, and with a true last smile, I leave the room and head home.

——

I take the toolbox and the needed part to the kitchen, setting them down on the counter next to a note. It's from Abuelita..

Went to get groceries, I'll be back soon mi nieta

-Abuelita

Oh okay.. that's good, we were low on granola bars. I hope she gets the ones I like and not the ones that are too peanut heavy. As I move to open the cabinet door that hides the underside of the sink, I hear a knock at the door. What..? Maybe this note was written like half an hour ago and she's back? I get up and answer the door. To my surprise, Mr LaRusso stands in the doorway.

"Mr LaRusso? What are you doing here?" I ask, very confused. He looks... sad.. like someone just died. What's going on? What happened?

"Parker..." he says quietly. My heart starts beating faster. Did I do something? Did he figure out that I snuck in and left the clue to finding Robby? Oh no... I'm such an idiot. I should've never done that. I can't get in trouble, I just got out of it. I-

"We found Robby," Mr LaRusso says. I swear I almost fall to the ground. Why is he saying it like that?

"You found him? ¿Está bien? È ferito (is he hurt)? Where is he now? ¿Qué- how- what happened?" I ask frantically, the questions that have been pent up for so long finally breaking out. They found him. Oh my gosh... oh my gosh..

"He was... different. He cut his hair... I think he was planning on leaving town... asked about you, like always," he says. Of course he got a haircut at a time where I couldn't see it. And wait what?

"What do you mean 'like always'?" I ask. I also don't appreciate how we're talking. Where is he? Mr LaRusso knows that Mr Lawrence lives here, why would he bring Robby here? If he even did have Robby, would he not have taken him and myself to the LaRusso residency? Mr LaRusso finally cracks a small smile.

"Whenever you were gone from work or training the first thing he would ask me is 'where's Parker? Is she okay?'. Every time. I guess some things don't change," he says. My face goes red hot. He would ask about me? I guess some things don't change...

"Where is he now? Is he okay?" I ask again. Now I really need to know. Mr LaRusso's face falls again. Oh no...

"The juvenile detention center... I called the police when I found him. Told them he'd turn himself in. It would make the sentence easier on him... I'm pretty sure he hates me now..." he says. I can't help but cover my mouth with my hand in shock. Tears spring up in my eyes and I have to fight hard to keep them from spilling out. I look to the side to blink them away before turning back to face Mr LaRusso. I can't meet his eyes. I know he's right. What he did was for the best, I know that, but still.. it stings.

"What's the address of the detention center?" I ask quietly after a few seconds of silence. I need to know. I want to be able to keep in contact with him. I want him to know that I haven't given up on him... that I have his back no matter what... that we're still in this together whether we like it or not...

"I don't know Parker.. I can tell you're pretty shaken and I don't want to risk him lashing out at you because of what I did," he says. No. I don't care. Out of all the people that care about me now, Robby was the only who was there through everything from the moment we became close. The thought of truly losing him when he was only a call or a letter away... just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.

"Mr LaRusso please... I- I can't lose him.." I choke out. I'm two seconds away from bawling my eyes out. Again. He sighs, but scribbles down an address on the back of a random receipt from his pocket and hands it to me.

"Just... be prepared, okay? He's not the same Robby that you and I knew," he says. I nod a little even though it hurts my heart to hear him say it.

"Thank you... I- grazie..." I stammer quietly, not really knowing what else to say. He nods a 'you're welcome', then with one last tear filled look, I slip back into my apartment, closing the door between us.

I fall onto the couch, clutching the receipt close to my heart as I finally lose the battle against my tears. They spill down my cheeks in their triumph. I curl up in a tight little ball of anxiety and bad thoughts, and suddenly the broken kitchen sink is the last thing on my mind.

• • •

A/N: new day, new chapter! You guys are seriously the best and seeing that you actually read and enjoy this story gives me that serotonin that I seriously lack lol :)

As per usual, stay safe and take care of yourselves