It's hard to believe it's almost been a week since the big fight. I haven't really talked to any of my friends... I haven't talked to Mr LaRusso since the hospital. I know all of us are rattled by everything that happened... I think right now it's easiest to give ourselves time to recollect before we all have to go back after the suspension.
I finally exit my car, and walk up to the door, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. It's okay, it's just the LaRussos, and I know all of them... It's okay. Calm, I am calm. Okay. Okay. I got this. I take a final deep breath, then knock on the door. The time between knocking on the door and someone answering it is always pure agony. As if reading my thoughts, Mr LaRusso appears in the doorway. He looks a little taken aback.
"Parker? It's been days, is everything okay?" He asks. My heart pangs.
"Yeah, everything is fine. I just came to pick up my things," I say, tone neither sad nor happy, just there. Like the color grey, which happens to be the current state of the sky.
"You're not staying?" He asks. Where has he assumed I've been? In my car? I shake my head, looking down at the ground to avoid making eye contact with him. I feel awful...
"My house got seized... and my dad started rehab... but my abuela is here to take care of me and we found an apartment that's not too far from I lived. It's not much, but it's okay. We're still in Reseda... it's a familiar area... I guess I can't complain," I say, my voice kinda quiet. I watch his expression soften.
"Parker... why didn't you tell us?" He asks. I blink back tears.
"I just found out the day before school started... I didn't tell anyone because-because I didn't want anyone to worry. And Demetri and Sam both kinda said stuff at the party that I know they've tried to apologize for but I just... need some space... please don't tell her I said that... I don't want her to get in any trouble. I just came to get my things..." I say. I just want to get back home and put some ice on my back and ribs. Both still hurt like hell, and the stitches feel kinda weird but they don't necessarily hurt or sting or anything. The area aches though.
"Okay. Mind if I accompany you?" He asks. I shake my head no, then the two of us walk off to the home dojo. I want to cry as I step in to the room. This was my home for basically two months... Robby and I had so many good conversations here... we spilled our guts out to each other here... every triumph and loss and seemingly mundane moment... we would play our favorite songs for each other and sing and bop along... we friendly sparred probably a dozen times... I felt safe here knowing that my best friend was sleeping right across from me and that he would protect me no matter what...
I shake my head a little to try and clear my thoughts, almost as if my brain is an etch-a-sketch, then cross over to the cot, gathering my things out from under it. Luckily, I like to keep my belongings condensed to one area, so it's not hard to get everything collected. My favorite clothes, my All Valley and most recent tae kwon do trophies and medals, valuable things... Mr LaRusso helps me carry everything out to my car.
"Is that everything?" He asks. I think so... I tried to get everything in one trip because two trips are for the weak.
"Yeah I think s- actually... can I take Robby's stuff too?" I ask, almost hesitant to do so. He looks at me for a moment. Did I do something wrong?
"Fine by me," he says, and we start to walk back to the dojo, "have you heard anything from him?"
"No... I think he might've ditched his phone.. he's smart. He wouldn't keep a device that doubles as a tracker on him," I say. I know I wouldn't if I was on the run.
"Good point... how are you holding up? I know the two of you are really close," he asks. I nod a little.
"I'm... okay I guess. I can't stop thinking about it... I just don't understand how he could do something like that..." I say. I never want to see that look of pure rage that was on his face when he stood up and started fighting Miguel ever again...
"He was a different person before he was with us... and even then, he lied about who his dad was..." Mr LaRusso trails off. My heart pangs again.
"He changed, Mr LaRusso. Maybe his motives were astray at first, but by the time the tournament rolled around, it wasn't just to get back at his dad. It was truly for karate, for us... and I lied to you too. If he hasn't changed then who's to say that I haven't either?" I defend. What Robby did was absolutely awful, but he's still my friend and I still believe that maybe he didn't do it on purpose. That he's not the awful person that everybody thinks he is...
"You're right..." he replies, "you got everything there?"
"Yeah," I say, adjusting something off my bad rib, "I got it."
We walk back to my car in silence, am I put everything into the back seat.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? You're always welcome here," Mr LaRusso asks. I shouldn't... I promised my abuela I'd be home soon.
"Thank you for offering. But I should really get home. my abuela is making arroz con habichuelas," I say, "and I think it's for the best that we all have some space... thank you Mr LaRusso... for everything you've done for me. It means more than you could ever know and I know I'm awful at expressing it, especially now.. I'm sorry."
"Non c'è niente da scusarsi perr, Parker (there's nothing to apologize for)," Mr LaRusso says, pulling me into a light hug, as not to disturb the various injuries I currently have, "you were the best student I could ever ask for... things are gonna be okay. They're gonna get better for all of us.. I promise."
He releases me, and with one last tear-filled look from him, we say our goodbyes and I get in my car, and drive back to my new home.
—
It still feels weird pulling into this apartment complex. It was weird before, but now..? Now it's really weird. When Abuelita pulled up to actually move in after we retrieved the last things from my old house, I was shocked, to say the least. I mean, neighbor wise, this might be the worst apartment in the whole valley. And obviously they're not awful people, but the situation that we're all in makes it a million times more awkward and a million times worse in general. I just feel awful...
I guess I can't expect anything to be expected these days... I just wasn't prepared for the the jarring and unchangeable fact that I'm neighbors with Johnny Lawrence and the Diaz family...
Everything that was going good for me feels ruined. I was kicking ass in both karate and tae kwon do, but Miyagi-Do is shut down and I sustained injuries that leave me the martial arts version of benched. Robby and Sam... I don't even know what they are anymore, but I haven't really actually talked to Sam since the party and Robby... I lost him... I quit my job at the dealership because of everything that's been going on, just as I thought Cobra Kai was finally leaving us alone, a huge fight breaks out at the school, I told Sam that I didn't want to be roped into her telenovela with Robby and Miguel, and Robby had to go and kiss me on the cheek and almost kiss me on the lips... I've lost everything that was normal and close to me... and even though I have my Abuelita, I've never felt more alone...
As soon as I found balance, I've fallen the furthest I've ever been from it... and the truth of the matter is... I don't even know where to begin to find balance in this new normal...
• • •
A/N: sorry for the later than usual update
anyways, stay safe and take care of yourselves