I don't care what you thought before
I'll be there anytime you call
Don't you ever call another
No need to call another – Rescue Me, OneRepublic
Fuck. This. Shit.
Hawk took another long swig of the drink he was holding, draining it, and crumpled the red plastic cup in his fist before launching it at the tall trash can that was tucked away between the fridge and the wall.
He missed, and the smashed cup clattered to the kitchen floor.
Whatever. Hawk was so over this shit, was so over this sorry excuse for a party. When Aisha had invited all of Cobra Kai (except for Sensei of course, who hadn't joined them at the restaurant) back to her house after their victory nachos for celebratory booze and music because her dad and mom were gone on some business trip, it had sounded like a good idea. But now the alcohol was slightly too bitter on his tongue, and the music was slightly too loud, and he couldn't help but think as he stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room where some of his teammates and a few other random kids from school who had shown up were sprawled across the couch, or the couple of armchairs, or the floor (some were gone to the world and some were chatting or laughing or bobbing to the music or kissing) that nothing had really changed.
Sure, they had kicked the absolute crap out of all of those other karate dojos and competitors, but then…why weren't things more epic now, more awesome? Why instead of feeling like a badass winner did he feel nervous, anxious like he was vibrating with a strange energy and trapped inside of his own skin?
Why were they all still the same nerdy, sad-looking kids? Just drunk at the moment, just high off of their win that afternoon, just higher in the pecking order at school now but…
What do you want, dumbass? A freaking parade?
He snorted. It was the buzz, the alcohol at work in his body…it was making him maudlin.
Life was much better than it had been for them all months before. The kids who had bullied them were now afraid of them, just a few nights previous at the Canyon Hawk himself had had the pleasure of making out with the hippy-dippy bombshell that was Moon (something he wouldn't have thought was possible or even worth fantasizing about before Cobra Kai), and (possibly best of all) he now sported a sweet mohawk and a corresponding kickass tattoo on his back.
Life was great.
It was just the now waning party that sucked. And that was only because he wasn't drunk enough, like the other kids who were passed out blissfully. It was only because Moon wasn't at the party with him because she had left for home right after the tournament for some family event, so now he had no one to make out with.
He was happy now. They'd won.
No. He was more than happy. Better than happy. He was Cobra Kai.
Steadfastly ignoring how corny that line sounded, even just inside of his own head, Hawk walked over to where Demetri and Miguel were huddled right outside of the main living room, in the small and brightly lit tiled entryway to the home.
They were on the wicker bench, which was pushed flush against the wall, that guests were supposed to use to take off their dirty shoes. Miguel had a bottle of beer in his hand and appeared to be mumbling to the thin air, in the general direction of the closed front door. Demetri was leaning with his back against the wall, too long legs stretched out in front of him, taking up too much space in the small area. The nerd was staring at his phone screen.
Hawk kicked the tall brunette's shoe, probably a little too hard, to get his attention.
"Hey," came the immediate objection, but the other teen did sit up. He slid his legs back against the bench so he wasn't sprawled so indecently anymore. "What? What do you want? Can we go now?"
Hawk smirked at him. They had been friends for a long time, and like any typical pair of friends, they had occasionally given each other a hard time. Only for fun, not to really hurt. Just little things.
This moment felt like that. Like "old times". Because now whenever Hawk screwed with Demetri, no matter how slightly, he usually got a vulnerable and hurt sort of look in return that he didn't like. A cautious look that made his throat tighten and his back tense, that made him feel angry.
But now, Demetri just looked sleepy. He slipped his phone into his pocket and stretched, scrawny arms above his head.
"Round everyone up. Let's go," said Hawk, because he had been the one to give Demetri and a few of the other teens a lift to the party, and he was so fucking ready to get out of there now.
"Um." Demetri turned his head to look at Miguel. The drunk-off-his-ass teen was now leaning back against the wall, occasionally mumbling what sounded like Sam's name.
Holy shit.
Hawk knew the guy was the actual All Valley champion, but…he could also be a total pussy sometimes.
"I don't know," commented Demetri as he gave Miguel what he probably thought was a comforting pat on the shoulder but that was actually really awkward looking. "I don't think we should take him home like this, right?" He paused. "But I guess we have to."
It occurred to the blue-haired teen then that Demetri had likely been sitting with Miguel not because he enjoyed hanging out in the entryway, but to watch out for him. Maybe to make sure the karate champ didn't bolt out the door in some insane attempt to go find his ex-girlfriend, or something.
Feeling annoyed suddenly, Hawk took in a deep breath and released it slowly as he looked back and took stock of the living room and what he could see of the house beyond it.
Demetri was right. Most of the several teenagers Hawk had given a ride to, who he was supposed to cart home, were out for the count. They looked way too drunk to drop off at their homes without worrying about the strong possibility of alerting their parents and causing a lot of stupid and unnecessary drama.
"Shit," snapped Hawk, but before he could consider what to do next or let out a few more choice words to express his irritation, Demetri stood up.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Who needs a ride home? We're going now."
Mostly everyone ignored the scrawny teen. There was no response other than a few palpable groans, and a couple embracing next to the heavy bookcase in one corner who paused in their kissing to shake their heads in the negative before swiftly getting back to their business.
"Shut up, Demetri," came Aisha's voice and Hawk watched as the girl stood from where she'd been sitting at one end of the puffy couch.
"Excuse me," shot back Demetri and he made that haughty little frown face he always made when he thought someone in his vicinity was being supremely stupid. "I'm trying to get everyone's attention so that we can get them home. You know, home safely? Like not dead?"
Aisha glared, and Hawk tensed. Demetri was really smart in some ways and a complete idiot in others. Aisha had been in Cobra Kai before Hawk had, and she had a generally short fuse, and even he knew to retreat when it looked like she was getting angry. She could be…intimidating.
Before the conversation could escalate into something more serious, the blue-haired teen stepped in front of his taller friend, partially obscuring his glaring teammate's view of the geek, and hopefully also discouraging Demetri from saying anything else.
Aisha rolled her eyes. Hawk wasn't sure why.
"We're leaving," he said simply, dismissing her eye roll as simply due to her general annoyance with his too gangly and too mouthy for his own good friend. "Everything going to be ok here?"
The girl nodded. She still looked frustrated.
"I'm not stupid. I collected keys from everyone who has a car and who looked like they were at risk of getting too smashed to drive hours ago. Most of them already gave cover stories to their families, too."
She gestured in Miguel's direction with the same hand she was gripping a can of Mountain Dew with (evidently, she was being responsible and not drinking at her own party). The dark-haired karate champion had apparently moved as soon as Demetri had stood up, and was now curled up on the bench. He was still loosely gripping the now empty beer bottle in one hand, and he was snoring.
"They can crash here. My parents won't be back for two days." She flashed a smile that was mostly teeth. "And, bonus, they can all help me clean this mess up in the morning."
Hawk was pretty sure most of them were going to be extremely sick and hungover the next morning. They definitely would not be up to helping Aisha scrub any carpet stains that might have appeared overnight, or up to picking up the alarming number of plastic cups and bottles that had accumulated (he didn't think they had bought that much booze when they'd stopped at the mini mart for it after their nachos). But he didn't voice his thoughts.
After all the young woman, being the rather forceful person she was, might very well convince (scare) some of the newer or younger Cobra Kai members to clean her house in the morning.
Hawk didn't care. Right now, all he wanted was to get out of there. He was, unfortunately, not even buzzed enough to feel pleasant and warm and the slightest bit numb. He only felt tired, and sort of sore now in all the places he'd been punched and kicked during the tournament.
"Yeah, ok. Cool." He turned away from the girl and found himself facing a slightly too close Demetri.
"So…" the brunette dragged out the word before trailing off. "They'll be ok then?"
He looked nervous and unsure but Hawk was done. Aisha was taking responsibility. That was good enough for him.
Without answering, the mohawked teen placed one palm flat on Demetri's chest and shoved. It was just enough force to cause the geek to stumble back and away a few steps.
Ignoring the other teenager's angry sputtering, he reached for his hoodie, which was hanging along with a myriad of other thin sweaters and jackets and purses on the coat rack next to the front door, and pulled it on.
He checked the pockets, found the keys to his mom's Sentra. Technically, he wouldn't have his license for another week or so but he'd managed to convince his parents to let him take the car that morning. It hadn't been hard, Hawk had always been a good student and a good kid, so they trusted him.
"Let's go," he said and saluted Aisha before pulling open the door.
It was surprisingly cool outside for a May evening in California. Night had fallen hours ago and it was so late now that even the sound of traffic in the distance was mostly absent, and most of the houses on the obviously wealthy street were dark and quiet. As he started walking, heading for the Sentra that was parked curbside across the street from the large house, the motion light flickered on and flooded the area with brightness.
Beside him, Demetri gasped.
Hawk stopped walking.
Demetri kept going until he was standing right in front of the SUV, which was parked in the crowded driveway along with a number of other cars and trucks that belonged to the partygoers. Hawk wasn't sure who exactly owned the white SUV they were staring at. Scrawled across the side of the vehicle that was facing them in large, messy, bright red letters were the words COBRA KAI SUCKS. The red looked like spray paint.
The motion light had illuminated several vandalized cars and trucks, most with similar messages painted across their sides. Some of the vehicles had what looked like gobs of shaving cream dripping from their side-view mirrors. There was also, in the several trees that decorated the front yard, an alarming amount of toilet paper caught and tangled in the branches. Eggs, possibly rotten judging by the faint unpleasant odor that permeated the yard, had been thrown at car windows and onto the driveway itself and had broken open and left a sticky, disgusting mess that encompassed the entire yard and driveway.
"What the fuck!" Hawk said it so loudly and with so much venom that he noticed Demetri flinch before turning to look back at him with huge eyes.
Aisha came to the door. There was a very inebriated but slightly more aware now Miguel, leaning heavily on her shoulder, at her side.
Seriously, thought Hawk as he spun slowly around to take it all in, to see if he had missed any of the damage.
What. The. Fuck.