I move the dresser back in front of the door, falling on the bed. I'm exhausted. I managed to get home in time to make quesadillas before my dad got home, so I'm eating them in here. I pull out my phone, knowing what waits for me. It was hard to ignore while I was working, though it was easier when Robby and I were working together. I know I have to say something... so I take a deep breath, and open the DM.
miguel_diaz818
2:17 p.m.
-So uhh... do u have a time yet??
-No pressure or anything
4:32 p.m.
-Are you busy right now?
-Is everything okay?
(now)
I've been working all day, I couldn't-
respond
-Oh okay
-What's the project?
Just helping out Mr LaRusso at his place-
-Was... Sam there by any chance?
🤦🏽♀️-
No, it was just me and Robby-
-Oh
yeah...-
Anyway, I don't have much going on-
after 6 on Tuesday, Wednesday, or
Friday next week
-Can we meet up on Tuesday evening?
-I have karate but after that I'm free too
Uhh yeah, ig that works-
-Great!
-Oh yeah, how's your knee?
Okay, you do realize how bad that-
sounds right?
You say you're free right after karate-
then ask how my knee is? Your
karate is the reason I'm in this
situation, and I hate it
-I'm not gonna attack you while your
leg is hurt..
Really? Bc it wouldn't be the first-
time you took advantage of my injury.
-I know, I know, but I promise I'm being
legit. I don't want to hurt you, I just
want to talk
Okay... but if my knee is in a condition-
where I feel as if I couldn't protect
myself, I'm gonna have to rain check
-I understand...
-My moms an x-ray technician, I can ask her if she knows of anything that would help
-I'll be right back
Huh... it seems like he really wants to right this wrong. But I'm not going with a completely bummed leg. I'm not stupid. I can't afford to be stupid. I'm flying under the radar of the people who have vowed to stick up for me. If I get into a fight, I don't want to feel defenseless. I don't want to have to rely on adrenaline or hurting my leg more to do a technique. I don't trust Miguel. I don't trust Cobra Kai. After what happened at school on Tuesday, it's gonna take a lot to change that fact. A new notification shows up? What? I open it, confused.
DMan2002
-Would this be the Parker Reyes
that attends West Valley High School
and won second place in the All Valley
karate tournament?
Depends. Who is this?-
-Demetri Alexopoulos
-You probably don't know who I am
We had like three classes and lunch-
together
-Oh
-Really?
Who's the nobody now?-
-Still me. At least you can defend yourself
True. It's proved useful-
-About that and what happened on
Tuesday in the cafeteria
What about it? Aren't you friends with him?-
-That's exactly why I contacted you
-I just wanted you to know that I would
never do something like that to you
or anybody
Thanks...?-
I mean this in the nicest way possible,-
but I wasn't really worried about you
doing anything like that?
-Oh
-Wait that's a good thing, why the 'I
mean this is the nicest way possible'?
Bc I severely doubt you have the-
capability to do something like
what he did. Like on a physical
level
I'm sorry that's so mean ay caramba 🤦🏽♀️-
-No, you're right
-After the tournament, I think I'd
have to be the biggest idiot in the
world to fight you
Yeah... probably wouldn't be a good idea-
Uhmm.. I gotta go-
I'll probably see you around somewhere?-
That was strange. I mean, I appreciate the gesture and the reassurance, but he was the last person I was worried about. We've had gym together in the past, and let me say, he was not a force to be reckoned with.
miguel_diaz818
-She said she would need to see it
but KT tape would probably help
-She said if you came by she could
help you
-If it's okay with u
Give me a second to think it over..-
Pros and cons time. Pro: help with my knee. Con: Miguel. Pro: he said she was an x-ray technician so it would be legit help. Con: I would be at his house, on his playing field. Pro: the sooner my knee can get better, the better I'll feel in general. Con: Miguel is a contributing factor to my injured knee. Rebuttal to the con: since that's the case, he should theoretically feel like he has to help. Rebuttal to the rebuttal of the con: he didn't seem to care too much about the condition of my knee when he drove his elbow into it... my phone buzzes and I jump. Who- oh thank goodness.
Robby
-Hey
hey-
-What are you up to?
Not a lot lol, just finished my dinner-
-Wanna run away with me?
-Get some fresh summer air?
Normally I'd love to, but I'm literally so-
tired how do you still have energy to
do anything
And we got summer air all day. I'm-
vibing just fine w/ the air conditioning
Perhaps we could FaceTime instead?-
-Deal
The call pops up on my screen and I answer it quickly. Robby's face appears moments later.
"Too tired huh?" He asks with his stupid grin. Too much audacity.
"Shut up, we worked all day in the sun and I've gotten like maybe six hours of sleep between last night and Tuesday night," I reply. His face falls a little.
miguel_diaz818
-Are u still there?
No, I'm asleep-
-😑
"Are you okay? That's not good," he asks.
"Yeah, it's okay, I'm used it," I respond. I've been getting little amounts of sleep for years now. It's just how it is with me.
-Are you coming or not?
-If you don't, my mom won't stop
asking me about you
I don't want to be a pain or a burden-
or anything...
"Do you need anything? I can skate over if you need someone," he says. I appreciate his concern, but I really will be fine.
"I'm fine Robby, really. I'll probably get to sleep before one tonight and I always get up before 8 or 9,"
-My mom is asking more questions
now
-She's telling me to convince you
because I hurt your leg more
-Please
Okay fine, but only bc your mom seems-
like such a nice lady
Robby nods.
"I can pick you up tomorrow if you want me to so you don't have to skate all the way there," I say.
"You're the best, thanks. My legs are sore after standing all day,"
"Ooo sore legs? I have no idea what that's like. My arms are pretty sore from sanding the floor and painting the house and waxing the cars and staining the fence all day though,"
"Ooo sore arms? I have no idea what that's like," he says back, causing us both to laugh.
-Great!
-Tuesday at 6:15?? My place??
That works-
"You keep disappearing from the screen. Who are you texting?" Robby asks. Is this an interrogation?
"Nobody," I wave away.
"Same nobody from earlier?"
"Maybe,"
"Why so secretive? Anything I should be worried about?"
"I don't like anybody. I told you earlier that guys avoid me like the plague," I say. Though my closest friends for the past few years have been guys... okay, so maybe not the plague-
-Pwrfext
-*Perfect, wtf
lol-
-lol
If you try anything while my leg is-
injured, I will not hesitate to fight
back, and if push comes to shove,
I will get someone else involved
-What, like Robby Keene?
-Maybe not the best choice
Maybe. Maybe I'll get Mr LaRusso-
involved. Probably best not to find out.
-Oh you're mad mad
-You use periods when you're mad
Ofc I'm mad Diaz! You cheap-
shotted my knee to score points!
And it's not even about the points-
at this point! I've lost point
sparring matches a hundred
times. You hurt me and you hurt
Robby and you didn't care at all.
"Park? Are.. you okay? You look a little panicked," he says, eyebrows furrowing with concern as I appear back on the screen. I shake it off.
"Yeah! Yeah... I'm okay..."
I have to go-
Thank your mom for me...-
I close out Instagram and finally return to the FaceTime call for good.
"Just a... just feels like a lot is going on right now. I feel like my brain has been kicked into overdrive since the tournament," I say, rubbing my eyes. I've been trying to quiet it down since then, but then it didn't stop. And when I finally thought it did, Tuesday happens. I think I can get away from it, then two panic attacks. I try to stay distracted by going on a girls night with Sam, and Miguel DMs me. Distracted all day with Robby? Miguel just has to DM me again. I just need a break. I want to pass out for a week.
"Okay.. but if you need anything-"
A knocking at my door cuts him off. My heart drops.
"Parker? Are you home?" my dad asks from the other side. I press a finger to my lips to signal for Robby to be quiet, put myself on mute, then get up.
"Yeah..? ¿Qué pasa (what's up)?" I call in response.
"I just want to talk to you," he says back. I feel frozen. I don't know what to do... if I open the door he might yell at me... but if I don't open the door, it's much more likely that he'll yell at me... I hastily push the dresser out of the way of the door, which makes my leg ache, then open the door, finding my dad standing there. His eyes fall on my knee, and confusion floods his face.
"What happened to your knee?" he asks. I know I've told him at least once before.
"I told you, Pá, I fell during a sparring match at tae kwon do and landed wrong on it. It won't happen again, it's fine," I say. It's not far from the truth... I haven't told him I take karate, especially not that Mr LaRusso is the one teaching it to me. He thinks I spend too much time working and complains on occasion that he never sees me. It's a load of shit, because when he does see me, he's usually shouting at me.
"Right, right... where were you today? You're on summer break, you should be at home relaxing,"
"I had some errands to run,"
"With a hurt knee?"
"It's getting better, y no sé por qué de repente parece que te importa tanto (and I don't know why you suddenly seem to care so much)," I say, starting to get a little defensive. I just want to get back on my FaceTime call with Robby. His expression softens.
"You're right, you're right... I feel like I never see you anymore... and I know that part of it is my fault. You're so smart, and you work so hard to try to keep us safe. Tu madre estaría orgullosa de ti (your mother would be proud of you)..." he says, causing my heart to pang. No... no, no... my dad pulls me into a hug, holding me tight.
"I'm lucky to have you, mija..."
All I can do is nod as I step out of the hug. And when he doesn't say another word, I back into my room, closing and locking the door behind me before falling back on the bed, picking up the phone with shaking hands. Robby still remains on the call. Mierda...
"Park, what happened? Are you okay? What did he do? Do you need-"
"I'm fine, it's fine, everything is fine, Keene, don't worry about me," I say, voice tight and on the verge of breaking with tears. He doesn't say anything for a while.
"I know you're not fine..." he says quietly.
"No, no, I'm fine, please don't worry about me, I'm gonna be okay. Things are weird right now, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow at training, okay? Ciao, Robby..." I say quickly, "I wish I could run away with you..."
With that, I hang up, move the dresser back in front of the door, then fall back on the bed, tears pouring down my face. My phone buzzes with texts and calls, but I ignore all of them.
Tu madre estaría orgullosa de ti (your mother would be proud of you)...
I'm lucky to have you, mija...
I back myself into the corner of my room, feeling everything but fine.
——
A tapping at my window grabs my attention. ¿Qué- Robby?
I watch as he takes out the screen, then tries to open the window from the outside. He struggles for a few seconds, yet the window doesn't budge. Obviously- it's locked. I lock it whenever I'm actually in the room.
"Can you- yeah, thanks," he says as I cross over to the window, unlocking it. He opens it, then immediately takes my hand in his, leading me back out.
"What-"
"Come on," he says, "we're running away."
"What-"
"Just for a little bit, don't worry," he says.
"I can't really- you know- run?" I say, laughing a little in confusion.
"We'll figure it out, come on," he says, taking my other hand. Ay de-