Parker POV
I wouldn't say I've been avoiding Miguel since what happened- or almost happened- between us, but I've definitely been... purposefully not spending as much time with him. I obviously still help him with schoolwork, but I've been sending said help in the form of videos, pictures, and text messages. My face goes hot every time I see him and I've taken up more shifts for the purpose of not running into him. Okay, so maybe I am avoiding him. I just... after we almost kissed, I feel like everything is so awkward. Nice going me. Every time something gets good, I ruin it. Good things don't last when it comes to me, for one reason or another, and usually I'm that reason.
It's just... I feel like I made things so incredibly awkward- no, I know I made things incredibly awkward. I fell asleep in the embrace and then woke up to the sound of Ms Diaz getting ready for work. She smiled at me and assured me that she called Abuelita and made sure that she knew that I was okay. Miguel is apparently a heavy sleeper, because I managed to slip out of his arms without waking him up. Thankfully for me, Ms Diaz had to get up super early for work that day, so I was able to get up in time to make it to show choir on time. I apologized to her, Miguel, and Abuelita a million times and all three of them reassured me that it was okay. Still. I fell asleep. In his arms. What the hell. Ay caramba. It's just a lot.
Avoiding people is quite exhausting, especially when the person you're trying to avoid seems very determined to be around you. Luckily, today is a weekend, and I have not left the apartment. It's my rest day, which means the heating pad is on my back, and ice is distributed as needed. Right now it's on my knee, which has been acting up a little ever since I smacked my leg full force into a bag while doing a spin heel kick in tae kwon do and then proceeded to fall on the ground rib cage first, which didn't break anything, but I feel like my ribs just finished healing, so it hurt, hence the ice. Everything should be fine. Ice and Tylenol work wonders and of course, there is the holy grail, the miracle worker, the all powerful... Vicks VapoRub. Abuelita suggests it for every ache and pain that I may have, and she has been for as far back as I can remember. Every time I complain about something hurting she always asks 'have you tried the Vivaporu?' and if the answer is no, she gets the little jar for me and wishes me good health like she would when I was little. We've gone through it much faster now that I've been sustaining so many injuries and she has some muscle pains because she's getting older. I put some on earlier, but then the effects started wearing off, so I wiped it off and opted for ice. Hopefully my garbage body feels better later. I was hoping to go skateboarding later this evening.
My abuelo is having some respiratory problems, so Abuelita went back upstate for the weekend to make sure that everything is okay, so I'm here manning the fort. I can't help but be anxious about his condition. I hope he's okay... I don't know if I can lose another family member... not now... not now... in the meantime, Sam and I talked over FaceTime, I baked cookies, as you do when you're nervous, and then I watched some BuzzFeed Unsolved while working on the last of the work Miguel missed, which I then sent to him, and now it's the pain alleviation attempts while switching between reading and messing around on my phone, as one does. I've been singing off and on too. Right now, it's my favorite Spanish slow song. Minor, dark, and beautiful. It's amazing.
My singing is promptly interrupted by a knock at the door. My heart stops beating. This is it, isn't it? I'm gonna get murdered. I am going to be killed. Hopefully the murderer at least doesn't get caught so I'll end up on BuzzFeed Unsolved or something. At least then it would be interesting and there would be the slightest bit of consolation for Abuelita. She likes Ryan. Not because she thinks ghosts are real, but because she thinks it's hilarious that he does. Swallowing down my fear at both getting murdered and my fear of a potential social interaction, I stand up, kubotan at the ready, and cross over to answer the door, even though it means abandoning my beloved heat pad and ice bags.
I open the door hesitantly, peering around it. Ay Dios mío... it's Miguel... wait... I shove the kubotan in my back pocket as a shocked grin spreads across my face. It's Miguel! Standing! And he has flowers?! That's different, but he's standing!
"¡Ave María, Mig!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around him in an embrace without thinking too much about it. He laughs which makes me laugh partially out of shock at what's going on, but mainly out of excitement.
"Did you make it here all by yourself?!" I ask, still in slight disbelief.
"Yep! No crutches, no handrail, I can walk again," he says. I think I'm gonna start crying. This is insane! With one final squeeze, I back away, covering my mouth with my hands. This is amazing. This is amazing! Why does he have flowers? If they're for me, why? All I've done for the past few days is reject him, avoid him, and make things awkward. They are roses though. They're very pretty.
"That's- holy- this is amazing! Shit! I'm so proud of you!" I say, laughing as I'm unable to contain my excitement. He grins.
"What are the flowers for?"
"They're for you," Miguel says, extending them to me, "I wouldn't be here without you. Red roses- your favorite."
I take the bouquet in my arms, face growing warm as my heart skips a beat. They are my favorite... and these are really pretty. He remembered...?
"Gracias, I- they're beautiful... but I didn't do anything to help you walk again..." I say, confused as to why that would be his reasoning. I didn't really aid in the process of his recovery in terms of him walking. I was just there for moral support and school stuff.
"You've been here for me from when I woke up to now. When I woke up, you were there not long after and when the doctor told my mom I might not walk again, you were there for both of us. When I said that my surgery would cost a fortune, you helped coordinate a way to raise money and helped save my family from medical debt. When I got out of the hospital, you were there when I came home- literally, you were there fixing our lights to help out my mom. When I could first move my foot again, you were there to celebrate with me. You never gave up teaching me all the stuff I've missed at school and because of you, I won't have to repeat this year or even go to summer school..." he says, "I owe a lot to you, Parker... I thought this was the least I could do to say thank you."
I think I'm actually gonna cry. This is so sweet... ay bendito, now I feel even worse for what didn't happen between us... I smile a little at the ground, blushing, though I shake my head a little.
"I was just doing what I could," I say, "but come in, unless of course you have somewhere to be or you'd rather just stand here in the doorway."
"I'd love to come in," he says smiling. I smile back, then step out of the way, closing the door behind both of us. I set the flowers on the counter gently. I'll put them in a vase later. They'll look so nice on the counter. I'm sure Abuelita will love them too. I still can't believe this.
"Shoes off, porfa. You came at a good time. I made cookies. They're in the containers over there," I say as I cross over to the couch, where I was sitting, to turn off the heating pad and put the ice bags in the freezer so I can use them again later, if needed.
"You're the best, thank you," Miguel says, lighting up even more. I smile, shaking my head once more as I put the ice away, then sit down at the kitchen table, motioning him to do the same. He does.
"Are you okay? Like are you hurt or sick or anything?" he asks, tone shifting to sounding very concerned. Wait what? When did this become about me? Did he see the ice? Is that what happened?
"My back hurts like hell but that's normal, and my knee and ribs have been hurting a little, yeah," I say, how did you know?"
"I smelled Vicks," he says, trying- and failing- to repress a smile. Of course he would recognize it.
"You caught me," I say, "don't worry, it's nothing serious."
"Are you sure? I know you pretty well now and you downplay bad things that happen to you a lot," Miguel says, giving me a pointed look. I give him a look of my own in return.
"Yes, I'm sure, and we're not talking about me here. We should be talking about you; I should bust out the good drinks to celebrate,"
"You drink?"
"Ay Dios mío, of course not, I have some apple juice though, if you're into that sort of thing," I say, standing up.
"Just when I thought you couldn't get any cuter,"
"I hate you," I respond, rolling my eyes, though I smile to let him know that it's not hostile or anything as I get two fancy glasses and the apple juice. My whole body is hot right now. He thinks I'm cute? Um... huh. This kind of reminds me of- well- the entirety of the phone call I had with Robby, but especially the part where he said the swimsuit I wore when I did the car wash fundraiser was cute. I almost suffered from a heart attack. This isn't the same feeling, but it is... similar, although slightly to the left.
Trying to move past the fact that Miguel just called me cute, I pour two glasses of apple juice, put away the bottle, then return to the table.
"Cookies and apple juice: the feast of kings," I say, sitting back down. Miguel laughs, taking his glass.
"Obviously. Thanks," he says. I nod a 'you're welcome', then sit back in my chair, absentmindedly swirling it around like I'm some sort of prestigious wine connoisseur. Silence sets over the two of us as I take light sips of the drink. I don't know what to say, so I keep my mouth shut. That's how it usually is, unless I get a burst of anger fueled courage. Then it feels like I can say anything. I mean, I overthink it later, but that's beyond the point.
"Hey Park..." Miguel says after the silence stretches for a long while. My heart pangs and I almost choke on my drink. No... no...
"Parker. I save Park for All Valleys," I say, taking on a playful tone to mask the fact that I really, really don't want him to start calling me by that nickname. Robby is the only one who really consistently calls me by that name, so much so to the point where it's kind of just become like his thing, and after what happened between Miguel and I... I don't know. It was like what happened then. I just... can't... and of course my mom. I offered it to Robby what feels like forever ago to try and get over the past, but it's like the title of they who gets to call me Park just switched.
"I see how it is, you give me a nickname, but I can't give you one?" he asks, though his tone is also playful, so I know he's not upset or anything. Not outwardly, at least.
"Of course you can give me one, you'll just have to come up with something different," I say. Park is the logical and simplest choice, as it's just a shortened version of my name, and I know that, hence why I offered it to Robby when we first met and why my mom used it. My nickname for Miguel, 'Mig', is the same- it's just a shortened version of his name. I would like to see what he comes up with though.
"Okay, okay," he says, seeming amused, "what's your full name? What do I have to work with?"
Good start, good start, although nicknames don't necessarily have to stem from your already existing name. Like how I call Robby 'pretty boy'. That has nothing to do with his actual name. Some of the kids at my tae kwon do school have started calling me 'kata' because of my love for and amount of time I spend doing patterns and forms and one time they caught me doing the first kata Mr LaRusso taught me, and asked what it was so I told them and the nickname was born.
"Parker Ysa Reyes," I respond, intrigued as to where this is going.
"Ysa with an 'i' or a 'y'?"
"A 'y',"
"Got it, got it..." he says, then stares off into the distance, seeming deep in thought. I smile at how much thought he seems to be putting into this.
"I don't have anything right now, but I'm gonna come up with something good," Miguel says. That's alright. I would do the same thing.
"I know you will," I respond. He grins, and we both go quiet again. I utilize the silence to take a few more sips of my apple juice. It's really good. I love apple juice. Call me a child, but I love it.
"Have you.. have you been avoiding me?" Miguel asks after another stretch of silence. My face goes hot, the heat spreading throughout my body as I set the glass down gently on the table. Of course he caught me... it's not like I made a huge effort to make it not obvious or anything. I mean, I went from teaching him almost everything in person, to sending it through text after what almost happened. I took up extra shifts at work and went to the skatepark in between so that by the time I got home, it would be a lot less likely that we would run into each other. It's obvious, perhaps painfully so.
"I wouldn't say avoiding... but.. yeah... avoiding..." I say, my voice growing quiet. I don't dare meet his eyes. I think I might collapse upon seeing the look that might be on his face.
"Is it because of what happened..?" he asks, his tone gentle, with maybe a touch of hurt or sadness. Just a touch, but still present... ay de mí, I feel so awful... I feel almost as if I can't even speak, so I just nod a little, still not meeting his gaze. Unwanted tears prick at my eyes and I have to work hard to keep them from slipping out of my eyes.
"It's okay. We weren't ready. It's nobody's fault. Except mine, I shouldn't have tried to move so fast," he says. I shake my head.
"No, no, it's not your fault. I moved in too. I feel awful, Mig, I feel like I led you on or something. I just- I would never want to do something like that to anyone, but especially not to you and I'm so sorry. I- I'm so sorry..." I say, dropping my head to the table and burying it in my arms to hide my face. A few moments later, I feel a light hand on my forearm.
"Mira, Reina," Miguel says, which causes me to look up little, partially out of confusion at what he just called me, "I don't feel like you were leading me on or anything like that. I know you would never. I just wish you wouldn't avoid me. I mean, I still want to be your friend. After all you did for me, I feel like that's a given, you know? I just... if you don't want to be friends, I'll understand, but for the record, I will be heartbroken. Might even write a whole heartbreak album. Start a painting series where I only use blues to represent my sadness-"
"I still want to be friends, obviously, I just... remember when I said I wasn't good at people?" I ask. I'm shaking. Great. Great. He nods.
"I meant that. I overthink everything I say and basically everything said to me. I know it doesn't have to be awkward or anything. We can just move on... but that's not how it works in my brain... but you're a good person. You're smart and funny and I like being around you. We've been through some shit together, yeah? I had a point to this, I promise... I guess what I'm trying to say is that... even though it's really awkward and a little strange right now, I still want to be friends right now. I hope you know that coming from me, that's kind of a big deal, because normally in this situation, I would avoid you forever, but I don't want that."
He grins once more, which helps me feel like I want to cry less, so that's great. I feel like I've come a long way since what happened with Eli. Things got hard, so I pushed him and everyone else away. This time, I did avoid Miguel for a few days, but now here we are.
"I'm honored. Who needs the All Valley win when you're Parker Reyes approved?" he says. Once again, I roll my eyes, but a smile returns to my face.
"If I remember correctly, we later determined that I was the true champion, and if I also remember correctly, you did target-"
"Come on-"
"My bad knee-"
"We talked about that-"
"Over and over and-"
"I thought we made up-"
"I'm just messing with you," I laugh, "it's alright though. I have my two tae kwon do wins and second place isn't bad considering what happened."
He laughs, which makes the feeling of tears behind my eyes fade away. My heart still pounds and I think I'm still shaking, but it's okay. I know things will be okay. Awkward, for a time, perhaps, but okay. And that's all that matters right now.
"So 'Reina' huh?" I ask in reference to what he called me. I can tell his face is a little hot.
"Yeah! Like 'Reyes', but calling you by your last name seems too formal, and 'Reina' just fits better. Two defining traits of yours- queen and hispanic," Miguel explains. I can't help but laugh a little. I like it. I'm also Italian, but the hispanic part has really shine through both with Abuelita being here and the fact that I haven't been around Mr LaRusso a lot, so I haven't been speaking Italian.
"I like it. You're not the first to play into the royalty aspect of my last name," I say. Abuelita and that side of my family use 'Princesa', Robby would use 'Princess', and he and Demetri have both used 'your majesty', all of which I appreciate. Helps with my self esteem.
"It just fits well," he says. I smile. A small silence falls once more, but this time it's not as heavy; not as tense.
"Abuelita is upstate with my abuelo. He's having some respiratory problems. I think he's okay, but she'll be gone until tomorrow evening and surprisingly, you've caught me on a day where I have basically nothing to do, so if you're up to it, maybe we could do something. Go on a walk maybe? Something like that?" I suggest, miraculously working up the courage to do so. Not entirely sure why I included the part about why Abuelita is gone, but it's whatever. I haven't had a lot of people to tell or talk to about it. I told Sam, because I tell her most things these days. What happened at the laser tag arena really, really rocked her. Something we have in common is the nightmares that followed it, Talking about it has definitely brought us closer. She's really the only one I've opened up about it to... anyway.
"How about a rematch for the rematch? Throwing it down, I'm coming back for my title that I technically still have," he suggests. I snicker.
"I think I have a better idea. Finish your cookie and let's go," I say. He looks excited, which makes me grin. This is gonna be great. He shoves the last of his cookie in his mouth while I put the two glasses in the sink and put the container of cookies back where it goes on the counter.
"Let me go get my shoes right quick," I say, "you can come with if you wanna see my room, not that it's anything impressive."
"Bet," he returns, smiling as he stands up. I can't help but grin. I remember when I went to see him when he had first woken up and the doctor had just informed Ms Diaz that he probably wouldn't walk again and yet... here we are.
"What?" he asks. Shit, was I staring? That's embarrassing.
"Nothing, I was just thinking... I've been kind of... slow all day. I think I've just been nervous about my abuelo. This... although a rollercoaster of emotions, has been the first, like, actually good thing I've felt all day. Kind of reminds me of when your mom took me to see you after you woke up. So thank you. For the flowers and for not letting paralysis stop you. Not then and not now," I admit.
"I'm glad you like the flowers and also the fact that I can walk again. I'm happy about that too. Glad to be the cause of the best thing you've felt all day," he says as we walk to my room. Oh whatever.
"Don't make me retract that, I laughed so hard at something Shane Madej said during a true crime episode that I bent over and made my back hurt," I return. He just laughs. I open the door to my room, leading him in.
"Bienvenidos (welcome)," I say, loosely motioning to the entire room. It's quite small, but I like it. It's my fresh start. No window I routinely had to climb in and out of just to get in without incident, no dresser needed to block the door so I wouldn't get attacked without some line of defense. I feel like I can actually be safe here.
"This is dope," Miguel says, looking around. I grab my athletic shoes from the closet.
"You've won a lot of medals," he says, looking at what I refer to as the Achievement Corner. There's a floating shelf there where I put the smaller trophies and bigger medals, and then some hooks hold the rest of the medals and the other trophies are on the ground. It makes me happy. It's relatively new, actually- some of the additions, that is. After I found the hidden memories box, I brought out the karate stuff and the tae kwon do things that had been previously painful for me to look at, for one reason or another. I guess he's right though. There are a good amount of medals, whether it be for music, martial arts, or academic achievement.
"Yeah, I guess so. Some of them are participation though," I say. Although sometimes I do feel like I deserve a medal just for showing up.
"Still. Not sure what else I expected from someone like you," he says. My face gets a little warm, but I just wave it away. I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that he likes me as more than a friend to one degree or another. We almost kissed, he brought me red roses- my favorite, he called me cute, he's complemented me many times. It's obvious. But still. I don't think I'll ever get over it. Not completely, at least.
"You ready?" I ask, making sure my hair looks decent in the mirror hanging on the door. Gracias a Dios. I was afraid my hair was atrocious this whole time.
"Yeah! What are we doing?"
"You'll see. ¡Vamos (let's go)!"
"I heard you singing earlier," Miguel says as the two of us walk out of the apartment.
"Ay de mí, that's embarrassing," I mumble, my face going hot as I lock the door behind us.
"It was really pretty. I love that song," he says, "I didn't know you could sing like that."
"I- yeah- um- yeah. I love singing,"
"I can tell,"
"Thanks," I smile, then lead him out to the pavilion where there's plenty of space.
"Can you tell me what we're doing now? Is this some sort of elaborate murder scheme?" Miguel asks. I laugh a little.
"Hand me your things. I'm not going to kill you," I say. That does sound sketchy, but it's whatever now. Despite it's shadiness, he hands me his phone and a key to his house, which I set with my own phone and keys off to the side where we won't step on them, but we can still see them, just in case.
"Stand back and watch me. If I make a mistake and you laugh, then I'm changing my mind about not throwing it down," I say. He grins, although he does look confused, and obeys my instruction. Okay, okay, deep breaths, I've done this a million times before. It might as well be as easy as the breathing I was just telling myself to do. I've got this.
With one last look around my surroundings to make sure I won't hit anything, I inhale steadily, take a beginning stance, and start my favorite form. The moves are second nature. It's not long before I slip into a rhythm, of the sorts. The fact that Miguel has his eyes trained on me doesn't matter. The mess that feels like my life right now doesn't matter. And for a second, for one second, I can imagine myself doing this pattern with Robby. It's not the same one we always did together on the board or the one we did at Valley Fest, or even the one I started teaching him that I used to win my tae kwon do tournament. But it's the same principle. It's the same comforting feeling that I felt in having my closest friend training by my side. It's the familiarity of the movements that I've done so many times. And that only makes it all the more disappointing when the moment ends. I take the starting stance once more, waiting a moment or two, then bow to signify the end of the form. Miguel looks amazed.
"Wait wait wait, are you gonna teach me that?" he asks as I cross over to him.
"I don't know, is it badass enough for you?" I tease. I know forms will never look as badass as a sparring match or a board breaking demonstration to the outward eye, but to me, they're special, and I think the later ones especially are quite badass, when performed with knowledge and skill.
"Uh, hell yeah! Where do we start?"
"At the beginning, dumbass,"
"No shit, Sherlock,"
"Come on, let's get started," I say, laughing as we walk back out into the open space of the pavilion. This should be fun.
—-
I've taught him about two thirds of it so far, and he's catching on pretty good. Better than some people I usually train with, anyway, which is nice.
"This move is a little difficult so watch me first, then I'll show you how to do it step by step-" I cut myself off as I catch him simply staring once more, "okay, if this is gonna become a thing, I'm gonna go back to sending videos."
"No! No, sorry, I was just thinking about something and I got distracted, I'm sorry," he says, quickly snapping out of his daze. Alright...
"¿Qué pasa? Is everything okay?" I ask, relaxing a little. Is something wrong? Did I hurt him? Oh gosh...
"Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to say thank you, again, for everything you did for me," Miguel says. Awe.. I mean, it's sweet of him, but..
"I was just doing what anybody would do," I dismiss, though I appreciate his words. Who wouldn't do what I did in this situation?
"But they didn't. Nobody else taught me multiple classes worth of material almost every evening after school and working and training and doing their own homework. Nobody else played chess with me to help keep my mind sharp and help me with strategy in fights when I couldn't even walk. Nobody else came to visit me all the time in the hospital even though they hated being in one. Nobody else would've made me robot braces if they had the resources just so I could walk again. You've been here through it all, and what keeps messing me up over and over again is that like, six months ago, we weren't even friends. I hurt you, and you definitely didn't like me. But even more than that... you were probably the closest to Robby Keene... I almost thought you guys were a thing at the All Valley, you guys trained together all the time, you guys fighting together was crazy insane... during the big fight, you were just trying to get me away from your friend, and I kicked you into a wall... when I had him pinned to the ground, I heard you try to say his name. Then you called out mine... you were just trying to protect your friend... I know you guys were really close... but you've been here for me this entire time... none my other friends have," he says, his voice growing quieter towards the end, "so thank you. I know that you deserve a lot more than words and roses, but thank you."
I give him a weak smile. He's right... Robby and I were, and I'd like to think we still are, really close... and maybe that closeness is part of why I felt the need to be here for Miguel. As if I have to help make up for Robby's mistake. But it's not the entire reason, and hearing him thank me means a lot more than I think he knows. Because it was hard, teaching and being there even through everything that I've been through... but it was worth it, and that's what counts. Though hearing him talk about the big fight causes one little nasty line to bubble up in my mind.
"You're welcome," I say, "you know... after the big fight, they called everybody's parents and had everybody involved wait in the office until they came to pick them up. I didn't want my dad to come while I was so vulnerable, so I pretended to get a text from him, and drove myself to the only place that was clear in my mind at the time, which was the Miyagi-Do dojo... in hindsight, a hospital would've been a much better choice, but I wasn't thinking straight. I bandaged everything that needed to be bandaged, and fell asleep not long after... I had this crazy nightmare... Sam was in it and so was Robby... and Hawk both before and after he.. transformed.. and my dad... and you... you and Robby were fighting- just like at the school... but I think some of it was from the All Valley too... it was just before he... you know... and you called out to me..." I continue, trying to keep my voice steady,
"'why didn't you help me, Parker?'... that's what you said... you were right... I could've gotten up, I could've helped, I could've done... something... but I felt frozen. It was like I couldn't move or speak or- or do anything... my heart could've stopped and I wouldn't have known... now that I think about it, the feeling was kind of similar to when my dad attacked me... I'm sorry... if I had helped you, then you wouldn't have even-"
"Reina!" he says, cutting me off sharply, though his voice isn't loud or scary or anything, "hey... it wasn't your fault... you were hurt and probably scared. Even if you could've done something, it wouldn't be your fault. I wouldn't have been able to do anything in your position. It's like what your abuela said: 'somos más que de donde venimos'. We're more than where we come from, more than our mistakes. Not that you made a mistake! But you know what I mean, right?"
I can't help but smile a little, more genuinely this time, and nod. He remembered... it's really sweet that he remembers so many things I say to him. It makes me feel... noticed. I'm not used to being noticed, so I think it's safe to say that it's nice.
"Thank you, Mig," I say sincerely, "can I hug you?"
Touching people is weird for me when the waters are unsure like this. Earlier, when he first brought me the flowers, it was appropriate and I was really excited, but now, I'm not as sure.
"Please do," he returns with a grin. I wrap my arms around him and he does the same. Just like after we almost kissed, it feels nice to feel smaller. Not too small, but smaller. I'm not used to it. I like it- in this situation anyway. After a few moments, I give him a gentle squeeze, then pull away, smiling.
"Alright. Let's get back to work, shall we?" I say.
"You really are a forms person, aren't you?"
"Yeah, some kids at my tae kwon do school have started calling me 'kata' because of it,"
"Can I call you that?"
"After the shit you said about our performance at Valley Fest, absolutely not," I say, giving him a sweet smile, "come on, this is the best part."
"If you're doing it, it will be,"
"Cállate (shut up),"
——
Miguel POV, Earlier
"What's with the face? You can walk again, you should be out partying or at least doing something other than pouting on the couch," Sensei asks, sitting down on his couch with me. I shake my head.
"It's nothing... you know Parker Reyes, right?" I ask, even though I know for a fact that he knows who she is.
"Yeah," he replies, "did you know that she lives here now?"
Did... he not know that? She's been living here since the school fight, and her apartment is basically right above his, how wouldn't he know?
"...Yeah, she's been living here since just after the big fight at school, did you not know?"
"Of course I knew," he waves away, "you talk about her all the time. I'm starting to think you have a serious thing for her. Are you sure you two aren't dating in secret? She said you weren't but with the eyes you give her whenever she's around-"
"We almost kissed," I say, cutting him off abruptly. He looks shocked.
"Wait, what?! When was this? What happened?" he asks. Yeah, I wondered the same thing.
"Just the other day. We were sitting on the couch in my living room and she was trying to teach me something about science, but I couldn't take my eyes off her... I brought up when we sparred at the Cobra Kai dojo and this sort of moment we had and then next thing I knew we were both moving in," I explain. It's a loose explanation and I didn't bother to mention the stuff in between, but still. I said all the stuff that matters.
"So what happened?" Sensei asks. Right... this part.
"She just sort of... froze. I didn't do anything because it felt like something was wrong. A few moments later, she just kinda rested her forehead against mine and started saying she was sorry. We hugged for a long time and talked it through and everything but she seemed really upset... she fell asleep on the couch with me... when I woke up, she was gone..." I say, "I don't know what happened... I think I moved too fast... it was almost like she was still stuck on someone... but she hasn't dated anyone in years... she and Robby weren't a thing, right?"
"No, just him and the LaRusso girl," he says. I nod a little. Are Robby and Sam broken up? He's in juvie, they can't be together, right?
"Do you think maybe she remember what happened with me and Sam and that party and didn't want to end up in Tory's position?" I ask weakly. It crossed my mind the other day. I don't want to be known as someone who would cheat on their girlfriend. I would never do that again, especially not to Parker... it kills me to think that she might have pulled away because of that.
"Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it,"
"Really?"
"She probably just got nervous or something. What did you say to her? Are you guys still friends?" Sensei asks.
"I told her that it was okay and that if nothing else, we're still friends. And I told her that if she ever changed her mind, that I would be around," I say, "I feel like I haven't seen her since then. She's only sent me videos and texts of the schoolwork, and I feel like the only time I even caught a glimpse of her is when she happened to be coming home while we were training. After that, I only heard her car come late in the evening. I think she's avoiding me..."
"Then go to her apartment. Go find her. You're not a pussy, are you?" he asks.
"No, but-"
"But nothing. She's been around for you since what? The beginning? She's taught you all this shit so you don't fall behind in school and she makes you laugh. You're always happier after you hang out with her. It's not like she doesn't have shit of her own. She gets beat up, Kreese tried to recruit her for Cobra Kai- don't tell her I told you that, you're not supposed to know. You should do something nice for her," he says. Since when did he know how to be sentimental? But... he does have a point. I should do something to say thank you... it's the least I could after all that she's done for me. But wait, she's been getting beat up? I knew about the time after the fundraiser, but was there another time? Is everything okay? And Kreese tried to recruit her?! For Cobra Kai?!
"That's a good idea! What should I do?" I ask, lighting up a little. She already makes baked goods all the time, so something like that might not feel as special...
"I don't know, what do chicks like these days?" he asks. Good question...
"flowers! Those never get old."
"Roses! Red roses are her favorite!" I say, hopping up, "thank you, Sensei, you're a genius!"
I head to the door with a new bounce in my step. I have some roses to get.
————
Parker POV
Ay Dios mío, when is this stupid boy gonna get here? I've been standing on this landing for what feels like forever. I've had this planned for like a week and a half, and now that the air is cleared between the two of us, I feel a lot better about it than I did a few days ago. I made a sign that says 'Welcome Back Miguel!', with the 'Miguel' in calligraphy so it looks really nice and I worked up the courage to ask the principal if I could hang it up today. Thankfully, they said yes, so now here I am, on the first landing of the stairs, waiting for him to get here.
As if on cue, I see Miguel walk through the doors to the school. My heart beat speeds up a little. I lean against the railing, smiling as I wait for him to notice. Come on security, do your job faster. Okay, finally. He turns to face the sign and we make eye contact not long after, which causes my grin to widen. He grins too. People start applauding, myself included, with a light, slower, deliberate clap.
I walk down the stairs to meet him, but Hawk gets to him first, so I hang back a little. They do their own little greeting, complete with a one of those classic Bro Hugs.
"They give you some bionic legs or some shit?" Hawk asks him. It's weird seeing him interact with someone in a way that isn't- you know- breaking their arm or pinning them against a locker or a wall.
"No, same old boring human legs," Miguel responds.
"Oh, yeah? Can you throw down? Gotta defend that title," Hawk laughs, playfully punching Miguel in the shoulder, "dude, Cobra Kai is crushing it right now."
"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that-" he pauses as his eyes finally meet mine and his grin widens, "if it isn't La Reina herself."
I shake my head, but grin, walking up to him as if Hawk isn't right there. To my surprise, Miguel pulls me into a side hug, which I don't mind, but it was certainly unexpected.
"Glad to see you back, Mig. You better stay caught up. I don't want all the stuff I taught you to be for nothing," I say back. He chuckles.
"I learned from the best. I guess we'll see when I ace the science test today,"
"I don't doubt that you will,"
"What the hell is going on here?" Hawk asks, finally speaking up. And there it is.
"Parker helped me stay caught up with schoolwork while I was out," Miguel answers, smiling at me. I smile, even though I want to shove Hawk into another trophy case.
"Since when were you two even friends? She might as well have been Robby Keene's side hoe, and now you're acting like she's your best friend," Hawk says. What's his problem? My face burns at what he called me, though. I hate that... I hate it...
"Don't talk about her like that," Miguel says. He's standing up for me..? I can't help but reminded of what happened in the cafeteria all those months ago.
"It's true. Don't tell me you've gone soft just because she taught you science," Hawk groans.
"You haven't exactly been a ray of sunshine yourself," I chime in. Miguel has to remember that Hawk was the one who beat me up after the fundraiser, right?
"How about you keep your mouth shut, Princess," he sneers, "maybe I could help you with that, if you can't figure it out yourself."
"What the hell, man?!" Miguel exclaims in a low voice so the staff doesn't hear. My heart pounds.
"Why don't you save the dirty talk for the All Valley, just like last time. Remember how well that worked out for you then?" I say to Hawk, also keeping my voice low. He scowls, but says nothing, and the bell rings cuts through anything he might have been about to say.
"We have a lot to talk about at lunch, dude," Miguel says to Hawk.
"Yeah, we do," he replies. Hawk glances over at me one more time, then walks off to get to his class. Miguel turns and starts walking with me towards mine.
"Hey are you okay?" he asks, sounding concerned.
"I'm fine. This has been happening since the All Valley. Don't worry, okay. I can handle him," I assure him.
"Are you sure? Didn't he beat you and Nate up after the fundraiser?" he asks. So he does remember...
"Yeah, but I got the money back,"
"But he fractured your rib,"
"Mig, I promise I'm okay, he's just a thorn in my side," I say, "but you should really get to class. You don't want to be late on your first day back."
"You're right... I'll see you at lunch maybe?" Miguel asks.
"If you need a place to sit, I'll be at the loser table with Demetri," I respond. He laughs, then the two of us go our separate ways, but I can't help but notice that my heart is pounding a lot harder than it should be...
——————
I started working at the LaRusso auto dealership again! Because I really need the money so we don't lose our apartment! Miyagi-Do is back! And Mr LaRusso is our sensei again! He's kind of being a dick to us! I'm used to the hard training again by now, but my peers are not, and he's being hard on them considering this is our first week back. Thank goodness for Mrs LaRusso intervening, otherwise somebody very well might have walked out. Now we're on a short break to get some lemonade. Despite all of that, it feels so surreal to be back again, especially in our gis and everything. I thought I was gonna explode when I pulled it out of the box in my closet. Then I actually did shed a tear when I remembered getting it for my birthday and the near perfect day I spent with Robby and Sam before all hell broke loose, then wearing it at Valley Fest together... but the tear shedding is irrelevant, we don't need to talk about that.
"So, you and Miguel?" Sam asks, a mischievous grin on her face. ¿¡Perdón?!
"¿Qué? What? No, we're just friends, I promise. I just helped him with school work while he was out and we live in the same apartment complex now. There's nothing going on," I say, knowing full well that there almost was, "he's all yours."
Now it's her turn to have her face go red. Karma is a bitch.
"Oh yeah did you hear? Robby's out of juvie. My dad tried to pick him up, but he said that it was rough.." Sam says after a few moments of silence. I almost spit out my lemonade. Robby's out of juvie?! What?! How did I not know? Why didn't Mr LaRusso tell me? Where is he now? Does he have a place to stay? He doesn't know where I live... he doesn't even know moved... which was the point then, but now that he's out... is he okay? I hope he's okay...
"I never figured out when he was being released, so this is all news to me. I- hold on... do you hear that?" I ask as something the adults are talking about outside catches my ear.
"What?"
"Out there... they're talking about the All Valley..." I say. Sam and I move to a place where we can hear better, eavesdropping on their conversation. It's not long before we hear Mr LaRusso say that the cancellation might be for the best. No... they can't do that! If they do that, then all the training we've done, all the shit we've been through will have been for nothing if we can't prove that Kreese and Cobra Kai will not prevail.
"You're not actually going to let them cancel the All Valley, are you?" Sam asks as the two of us rush out to where Mr and Mrs LaRusso are talking.
"I don't know, Sam..." Mr LaRusso says. No... no...
"Miyagi-Do got blamed for what happened to Miguel. The Miyagi name has been dragged through the dirt since what happened. I never knew Mr Miyagi, but based on the teachings that you've passed down to me and all of us, I know he wouldn't want the whole Valley to think that we we're all bad people here. If the All Valley gets canceled, then everyone will think that that's exactly what we are," I say in protest. His expression softens.
"You can't let that happen," Sam agrees. I nod.
I almost feel sick. The All Valley can't be canceled... it just... can't... this can't be happening... with this, and the thought that Robby is somewhere out there, possibly all alone, I can't help but feel like I've fallen through a pit of roses, the thorns cutting deep, deep into my skin.
• • •
A/N- this is the second longest chapter I've ever put out so... crazy. Anyway, stay safe and take care of yourselves :)