𝙅𝙐𝙉𝙀 2018, eli moskowitz/hawk

01

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 / ❛ a rumour ❜

[ episode four, cobra kai never dies ]

Marlee woke up to the sound of her brother's loud music blasting through the house, rattling the walls with every beat. Whenever their parents were at work, Ryder took full advantage and cranked up whatever Travis Scott song was at the top of his playlist, making sure it echoed through the entire house.

Marlee groaned, burying her head in her pillow, already feeling a headache coming on. "Ryder!" she yelled, dragging herself out of bed and walking down the hall to the bathroom.

She swung the door open to see him brushing his teeth in front of the mirror, totally oblivious to the noise.

"What?" he shouted over the music, his toothbrush still going.

"What is this, a concert? Turn it down!" Marlee yelled, her voice barely rising above the thumping bass.

"I need it! It motivates me to get ready!" he called back, flashing her a grin in the mirror.

"Oh shut up," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she marched over to his speaker and yanked the plug from the wall. Without waiting for his protest, she dragged it back to her room, ignoring his dramatic gasp.

"You bitch! I need it!" he called after her, his voice full of exaggerated indignation.

Marlee smirked, tossing the speaker onto her bed and walking out of the room. "It's not that deep, man," she laughed, heading downstairs to scavenge for breakfast.

Marlee shuffled into the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets for something to eat. It was one of those mornings where everything felt a little off—like she hadn't fully woken up, but she needed to do something to get the day started. She settled on cereal, pouring the milk just a little too quickly, splashing it on the counter.

Ryder wandered downstairs a few minutes later, looking half-dressed, still rubbing his eyes. He dramatically plopped down at the kitchen table and pouted. "I can't believe you. You killed my whole vibe."

"You'll survive," Marlee said, spooning up her cereal, smiling to herself at the thought of how easily she could ruin his morning routine with a single move. "I'll make it up to you later."

Ryder didn't say anything, but after a few seconds, he sighed in defeat. "I'm gonna need like three hours of peace now. You've ruined my entire day."

She just smirked. "Tough luck, buddy." She grabbed a juice from the fridge and slid it across the table to him.

"Fine, but I'm telling you," Ryder said, cracking the juice open, "we're doing something fun after school. No staying in your room. It's a rule now."

Marlee raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, and it's gonna happen whether you like it or not." He grinned, clearly proud of himself.

She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway, heading out the door. "I'll see you later."

Her walk to school was the usual. The sun had just started to peek through the clouds, casting a soft glow over everything, and she could hear the faint sounds of people talking as they passed by. Some friends, some strangers. It didn't matter much anymore.