Harper made her way through the hallway with slow, yet determined, steps. She didn't rush despite being fifteen minutes late for gym class, a late pass clutched tightly in her hand. Her expression was neutral but, on the inside, she was fuming. The day continued to get worse with every hour, making her worried for what other horrors the day would hold.
Reckless.
Mistakes.
Disruptive.
Trouble.
Four words. That's all they were to an outsider, but to Harper they carried a punch. It was how Mrs. Blatt had described her.
Once lunch ended and the next class had been more than half over, Harper had been summoned to the guidance counselor's office. It was to talk about what happened in the cafeteria. She'd been singled out from the two groups despite her best efforts to de-escalate the situation. But it was her status as an unruly foster kid that made her the perfect scapegoat.
It wasn't uncommon for this to happen — the amount of times Harper had been targeted and blamed for shit that wasn't her problem was infinite, but it was still unfair.
"There's a pattern here, Harper, and it's not a good one," Mrs. Blatt had told her with a heavy sigh when she'd sat down in the closet-sized office.
Harper had listened, because what else could she do? Anything she said would be used against her.
A sigh escaped her lips as she walked across the gym floor, her sneakers squeaking on the polished floor. Her fist tightened around the note, wrinkling it further, but she didn't care. She was still too upset by having her past thrown into her face. Far from perfect, Harper was trying but that didn't seem to matter much to anyone.
She was just a poor foster kid with a troubled past.
"Your record speaks for itself," Mrs. Blatt had said, sitting back in her seat as she'd stared at her. "And, I'm afraid, you're running out of chances."
Harper couldn't change her past — couldn't undo the shitty life she'd been dealt with. She'd worked with what she'd had, and survived through the worst of it. Had she done stuff that had gotten her in trouble? Yes. But she had no choice. Despite that, people were still determined to look past all the progress she'd made and look at her troubled past instead.
Muttering under her breath, she pushed one of the double doors open and stepped outside. The weather was perfect as always, completely oblivious to the storm brewing inside of her.
The coach's whistle blew and she yelled reprimands that carried across the field as Harper slowly approached. A soccer game was already underway, and she couldn't help but notice the tension on the field. She squinted against the sun, spotting her friends playing against Cobra Kai. It was a sight that made her chest tighten with worry and annoyance. The aggression that was put into each play was obvious, even before Sam shoulder checked Logan.
"Take it easy!" The coach yelled, her hands on her hips as she shook her head. Her piercing gaze turned into Harper as she approached, holding out her hand expectantly. "You're late, Cain."
"Sorry," Harper said, handing her the late pass.
The coach looked it over before placing it onto her clipboard. "You're sitting this one out. Take a seat or stand but — dammit," she trailed off, blowing the whistle as two players collided with a sickening thud, their bodies hitting the ground hard enough to make Harper wince. She half expected one of them to throw a punch before they scrambled to their feet. "Easy on the physical contact!"
Harper flinched, the ringing in her ears almost as loud as the whistle. She stepped away, though it was impossible not to be morbidly drawn to the battle on the field. The raised voices – no doubt filled with taunts – floated across the open air, and the brutality of the game made her hold her breath. Every leg sweep and shove was made to look like it was all part of the game, but someone would get hurt. That much was certain. She noted the aggression in the way they played.
This wasn't a game anymore – it was something else entirely, and it made her chest tighten with unease.
A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, her fingers tracing the thin rose gold chain around her wrist as if it would magically make everyone stop acting like idiots.
"They've been playing like this since class started," Moon said quietly, her voice tinged with unease as she stepped up beside Harper. Dressed in her cheerleader uniform, she looked like the epitome of confidence and perfection save for the worried frown that tugged at her lips. Behind her, the rest of the cheer squad continued to practice, their peppy voices floating through the air.
Harper sighed. "Hawk always has to prove something," she said with a sigh, shaking her head as she looked to the field where it seemed like every second someone was lying on the ground. "I don't know why he just can't let this go."
"It actually wasn't him this time," Moon said, her voice quiet as she observed the chaos of the soccer match. "Sam started it. I overheard her talking with Demetri about how they need to prove that they're not doormats or something like that. I mean, I get it. They've been through so much but… this isn't going to fix anything."
"Sam?" Harper asked, her eyebrows shooting up. She looked towards the field, where Sam quickly sidestepped another student before shoving him. Her stomach twisted at the sight, at the aggression that seemed to pulsate around her. This didn't make any sense. Sam wasn't supposed to be the one escalating this – she was supposed to be better than this. Or at least, Harper thought she was. "You're sure?"
"Yeah. I mean, Hawk's not really letting it slide, but he didn't start this," Moon added, her voice quiet as the worry on her face contrasted with her bubbly personality.
Harper sighed, the weight of it all pressing down on her. They were all so caught up in this war that none of them could see how far they'd fallen. And here she was, stuck in the middle again.
Neither of them were in the right here as both teams acted like mindless bullies, trying to prove something to the other while only making matters worse. Harper couldn't – wouldn't – defend any of them. Sam had sunk to Cobra Kai's level of aggression, something she never would've anticipated from the girl who refused to participate in acts of violence. Hawk, for all his faults, was acting out of defence but escalating the tension as well.
Her hands tightened into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she watched the game – if it could even be called that.
Sam scrambled up from the ground, but Hawk intercepted the ball with practiced ease and made her stumble as he ran head first towards one of the players. He body checked one of the boys, resulting in the coach blowing her whistle, but managed to score a goal. As if he knew she was watching, Hawk glanced over at the sidelines and his eyes locked onto hers. For a brief moment, the rest of the world disappeared and it was just the two of them.
The shrill blow of the whistle ended whatever moment they'd shared, bringing reality crashing down on them as the brutality of the match continued. That confident grin of his crossed his face, accompanied by a wink her way made her traitorous heart do that stupid little flip in her chest. But the frustration she felt overpowered all the other feelings, and she crossed her arms before looking away.
"Idiot," Harper said under her breath, letting out a breath.
"What?" Moon asked, noticing the frustrated mutter from her.
Harper sighed, tugging at her bracelet. "Oh, nothing. Just…." She glanced at the field where Hawk had just scored another goal with a tackle, grinning like it was all part of the plan. "This is just so messed up."
Moon raised an eyebrow. "What is?"
"All of it. This whole Miyagi-Do versus Cobra Kai thing. Like, I get that they hate each other, but they just keep pushing each other to the edge. It's like everything between them is just a chance to prove something," Harper said, her tone tense as she watched Sam aggressively shove another player out of the way. "And what the hell is Sam's problem? She's supposed to be the one pulling back, not starting a fight. She always said how karate was about defense, but now it's like she's taken Cobra Kai's playbook without even realizing it."
Moon's frown deepened as she turned to Harper. "Yeah, I noticed that, too."
Harper knew that the rivalry with Cobra Kai ran deep — there was so much messed up history between them all that she was still trying to make sense of it all. But rather than take the high road, like Sam always preached, she was being lured into that darkness.
They all were.
And it made something twist in her chest.
Harper let out a slow breath, unable to keep her eyes off the field. Somewhere in the last few minutes, the game had changed from something resembling soccer to an opportunity to attack one another. Cobra Kai wasn't backing down — not that they ever would — but it was the way Sam, Demetri and the others were acting that made her pulse rise.
Even when they'd fought Cobra Kai — at the mall, the school fight — it had been done with precision. A controlled sort of violence meant to defend themselves. But this? This was just brutality at its finest.
Her fingers tightened on her bracelet, twisting it so hard that it started to protest. She didn't want to snap it — she couldn't. It was the very last thing she had of her moms but if this game didn't fray her nerves. She held her breath when Demetri approached Hawk, his grin a little too smug for the socially awkward kid she knew. Over the noise of the cheerleaders practice and the shouts on the field, Harper couldn't make out what they were talking about. It looked heated, and Demetri was the one pushing it.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Moon asked, her soft voice breaking through her thoughts.
"I have no idea," Harper said with a shake of her head. "Probably something stupid."
But then they both turned to look in her direction and Harper froze. There was something in their expressions that threw her off. A knowing look crossed Demetri's face while Hawk looked like he was trying to figure her out — surprise, confusion and a vulnerability that she wasn't used to seeing on him.
Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant. And perhaps Harper had imagined the whole thing.
She had no more time to process whatever that was because Demetri pushed Hawk from behind, sweeping his leg until he hit the ground. Harper winced as if she could feel the impact of the hard ground before shooting Demetri a disapproving look.
With the help from Trey and Logan, Hawk stood up and brushed the grass and dirt from his clothes. His glare followed after Demetri, and it was Trey who started after him but Hawk stopped him, saying something she couldn't hear.
Her nerves were through the roof, knowing that she was on the sidelines unable to stop this from getting out of hand. More out of hand.
"I hate this so much," she said, earning a sympathetic smile from Moon.
Hawk ran for the ball that was sailing through the air toward Demetri. But instead of head butting the ball, he aimed for Demetri who crumpled to the ground with a loud groan. Ignoring the coach's angry whistle at the penalty, Hawk smirked and kicked the ball midair into another boy's stomach.
This was the Hawk that she hated. Violent, smug and without a care for how much pain he was causing.
Harper started towards the field, unsure of just what she was planning to do. But she had to do something, even if it put her in the middle of this mess. Again.
The soccer game was all but forgotten by this point. A full on Miyagi-Do versus Cobra Kai fight was taking place right on the field. She watched helplessly as Sam kicked someone in the face followed by Demetri landing an unsuccessful punch to Logan's side.
But before she could make it more than a few steps, the coach shouted, "Stop!" Both teams froze though the glares aimed at each other were just as violent. "You know what? That's it! Everyone to the principal's office. Now!"
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
Harper paced outside of Mrs. Blatt's office, her sneakers squeaking against the linoleum every time she turned around. The bracelet around her wrist left a raw mark on her skin from her having twisted it so much. Her heart hammered in her chest — both from worry and anger. All of this was so messed up. This stupid rivalry that she couldn't help but find herself in the middle of.
She wasn't picking sides. She couldn't. Not when her friends had acted worse than Cobra Kai. All summer, they'd avoided the drama as much as possible, but now it felt like they were diving head first into it and causing trouble.
The door creaked open, the sound of protests and raised voices filling the empty hallway. She stopped her pacing, watching as both groups filed out of the office, followed by Mrs. Blatt who's sharp gaze zeroed in on hers.
"Back again, Miss. Cain?" Mrs. Blatt said, her eyebrow raised though her face didn't register any surprise. Shaking her head in what looked like disappointment, she continued. "Seems like this is becoming a bit of a pattern with you. I don't think I need to remind you of our last conversation, do I?"
"I didn't do anything" Harper said quietly, though there was a defensive edge in her tone.
"Yet," Mrs. Blatt pointed out before turning back to the two groups. "Alright, where were we? Oh, right. Trey , Logan and Eli. The three of you are free to go."
Hawk smirked as he stepped away, his friends already disappearing down the hallway.
"Unbelievable," Demetri said, shock coating his words.
"You've got to be kidding me. What about us?" Sam asked, her tone full of disbelief and outrage.
"The rest of you will be receiving rehabilitative, not punitive, Saturday detention," she told them before marching back into her office and closing the door with a definitive click.
"This is just freaking perfect!" Sam yelled. "How is it that we get in trouble and they get to walk away like nothing happened?"
"What did you expect?" Harper asked, turning on Sam as she crossed her arms. The hard edge in her voice surprised even herself as she looked between Sam and Demetri as if seeing them for the first time. They weren't the same two people she'd met this summer — the ones who preached peace and avoided trouble. Instead, they'd provoked a fight they couldn't win and for what? To prove that they could?
"Excuse me?" Sam asked, meeting Harper's glare head on. "You really think we deserve Saturday detentions for—"
"Striking first and hard? Yeah, actually, I do," Harper interrupted. "You got yourself into this so don't act like you're a victim here, Sam. You started that fight. I mean, what did you think would happen? That kicking someone in the face wouldn't get you in trouble just because you were technically playing soccer?"
"You don't get it. We had to do something! They keep walking all over us, and I'm getting sick of their shit," Sam answered. "It's about time we stood up for ourselves."
"But this wasn't just that! It was you pushing back just to prove that you can," Harper argued, quietly wondering how they didn't see it for what it was: pettiness.
"That's the same thing," Sam muttered.
"No, it's not. Because you're taking lessons from them. You're becoming just like them. I mean," Harper paused, her eyes flicking towards Demetri who awkwardly stood behind Sam with his hands shoved into his pockets. "You never would've thrown a punch, Demetri. Not like that. And I'm glad you're defending yourself but you acted like a bully, and that's not who my best friend is."
Demetri shifted on his feet, not meeting her eye. "Yeah, but, they kinda deserved it."
Harper raised an eyebrow, her patience thinning as she looked the hypocrisy of it all in the face. Their quick justification for their actions went against everything they'd learned in Miyagi-Do. It was like this rivalry — this hatred — erased who they were at their core. She understood the tension between both groups, but it was getting out of hand. And she was tired of being stuck in the middle. Tired of being villainized for dating Hawk while her friends acted like this as if it was okay.
"Seriously? You sound just like him," Harper said, gesturing towards Hawk who stood behind her with that infuriating smile.
"No, I'm not!" Demetri said, though his voice wavered.
"Wow, thanks for the insult, foster," Hawk said, stepping up beside her. He leveled at glare at Sam and Demetri, the Cobra Kai mask he wore was perfectly in place but his tone was softer. "But it's about time you see that they're not perfect. Their whole Miyagi-Don't shit is just an act."
Harper closed her eyes and took a breath before blowing it out. Her hands tightened into fists while her nails dug into the imprints they'd left just a few short minutes ago. She looked up at him, briefly startled by the way he was looking at her. It wasn't like the other times — this time, it was almost gentle, like he was seeing her in a different light. She shook off the way it made her chest tighten, refusing to let go of her anger.
"Oh, like you're any better," she said, crossing her arms.
Hawk's eyes widened in disbelief. "They started it! We weren't just gonna let them get away with messing with us."
"Of course, you weren't," Harper muttered, shaking her head as the disappointment rolled off of her in waves. "But you didn't have to hit Demetri."
"I kinda did." Hawk shrugged, refusing to look at her as he shifted his weight.
"Really?" Harper asked, exasperation coating her words as she tilted her head. She searched his face, hoping to find something to tell her that it was justified, that there was a valid reason for his actions even though it was inexcusable. "So, what did he say to piss you off? Something had to have happened, so just tell me. I mean, I saw you two talking in the field before both of you started acting like mindless bullies."
Hawk flinched — it was small, barely noticeable but she noticed. He looked away from her as he stared at Demetri, a seemingly unspoken conversation taking hold between them. He shook his head once as his jaw tightened before he looked back at her.
And there was that look again. The one that contrasted all the other times he'd looked at her. It was unsettling but weirdly in the best way possible.
"Nothing," Hawk answered with a shrug that seemed too casual.
His expression gave nothing away, and it frustrated her. Something told her it wasn't just 'nothing'.
"Nothing," Harper echoed, hoping to get a little bit more out of him but she was left in the dark. She looked to Demetri, hoping that he would be a little more open. "What did you tell him? Because it had to be something bad. I mean, you don't exactly go looking for trouble, Demetri. So what was it?"
Demetri looked uncomfortable as the attention turned on him. "Oh, uhm, I just told him that you're…," he trailed off at the murderous look on Hawk's face. His hand went to the back of his neck as he cleared his neck. "I just… I-I told him that you deserve better than some Cobra Kai jerk."
Harper tilted her head, processing not just what he said but the unspoken words that passed between the two boys. Something was missing. This wasn't the whole truth — or perhaps this wasn't even the truth. The fact that they were both keeping it secret peaked her curiosity, though a part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know.
"And that's why you hit him?" Harper asked, glancing over at Hawk who looked slightly uneasy.
Hawk shrugged. "Eh, I felt like it."
Harper shot him a sideways glare. "Seriously? You felt like it? That's your big excuse?"
"He doesn't need a reason to throw a punch. That's just who he is, Harper," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "It's all that stupid no mercy shit, right?"
"Will you guys just stop!" Harper said, her voice rising as she felt as if she was being pulled in two separate directions. "This is — I'm so tired of this."
Sam blinked, surprised by her outburst. "Harper —"
"No, I'm done listening to this. I'm done being in the middle of this, Sam," Harper said. "I'm not agreeing with Hawk, but you seriously expect me to take your side after you just sunk to Cobra Kai's level? You stopped being friends with me just because of Hawk. After I stood by you through everything, you still made me out to be the bad guy, and for what? Because I did something you didn't like? I mean, were we ever even friends or was I just some summer project you guys could fix up while you were bored?"
"Of course not! We were friends," Sam said.
"We are friends," Demetri corrected, throwing a look at Sam. "Things just got complicated, you know that."
"Things were always complicated." Harper's voice was tight as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "But you made me feel like I was part of the group. I mean, I actually had friends for the first time, but then you just threw me aside when I didn't fit your narrative anymore."
"That's not what happened!" Sam argued.
"Really? Because you kinda said it yourself, remember? That I'm just a poor foster kid who has no idea how to be loyal," Harper said.
Sam winced at the mention of their last conversation. "I didn't mean it like that."
"But you said it," Harper said l, her voice softer.
"I never meant to hurt you," Sam said quietly, her gaze softening.
Harper smiled softly, but it was faint — too little, too late. Sam's apology wasn't enough to bridge the distance that had been growing between them for weeks. That space, once filled with trust, was now a chasm that neither of them could figure out how to close.
Hawk looked between them for a moment, trying to piece together the weight of their exchange. When his gaze returned to Sam, his glare was sharp, unyielding . He took a step forward, his presence towering. "What the hell? Did you actually say that to her, LaRusso?"
Sam crossed her arms, eyes flicking toward Demetri for some kind of backup only to find him silent — his gaze not offering the support she needed. She turned back to Hawk, her posture defensive. "Stay out of this, Hawk. This isn't about you, okay?"
"It's not about… are you kidding me?" Hawk asked with a humorless laugh as he took another step closer, towering over Sam. "You say shit like that about my girlfriend, you use her past against her, and it's not my problem? You're wrong, princess. It is my problem. I mean, you're one to talk about loyalty. Where the hell were you when her life was falling apart? When Kyler spread those messed up rumors about her and then when Jake –" He stopped abruptly, catching the flicker of worry on Harper's face at the mention of Jake. The room fell still for a moment, the weight of that unspoken moment hanging in the air. He shook his head, frustrated. "You walked away while she fought for your friendship. I mean, shit, she still defends you! And you're telling me she's not loyal?"
Sam stayed quiet though her face betrayed her emotions — a flicker of hesitation, or perhaps it was fear, appeared. It was replaced by a glare, though when she glanced at Harper, her expression softened and became something that was almost apologetic. For a moment, Harper saw the flicker of the old Sam, and she hoped that she was still in there amongst this anger of hers.
"I get it, okay?" Sam's voice wavered, but her arms remained crossed. "I shouldn't have said what I said, but I'm still pissed off. I'm mad at all of this – at you, at everything that's happened. Maybe I did walk away, but you're the one who's turned your back on everything we stood for. You went from being my best friend to being with him. So yeah, I'm still mad. But I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"Sorry doesn't mean shit. Say something like that again and I'll —" Hawk began, his voice low and threatening, but Harper stepped in before he could finish.
"You'll what?" Harper cut in, her voice sharp. "Throw punches? Play the intimidating badass to get people to back off?"
She knew he meant well – he always did. This protective streak he had towards her was something she'd never had before. All her life, it had been her battling against the cruel world. Having someone who stood up for her without hesitating was still something she was learning to trust.
But his anger? His need to always fight first? That was different. And right now, he was only proving her point.
"Well, yeah," Hawk answered with a shrug as if it was the most obvious answer. "I'm not gonna let her treat you like that and then let her call herself your friend. I mean, seriously, who does that?"
Harper raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "So now you're, what, my personal bodyguard?"
Hawk smirked. "I have been since day one. And I don't even charge since, you know, we're obviously together."
"Well your 'protection' comes with a lot of unnecessary fights," she said.
"You knew what you were signing up for," he said as he leaned in slightly. "If anyone messes with you, I've got your back."
Harper rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. And what about when you're the one causing the mess?"
He hesitated just for a second. Not long, but long enough. Then, the smirk was back. "That's different."
Harper's smile faded as she shook her head. "No, it's not. And that just proves my point! You're letting all this aggression — all this strike first, strike hard bullshit — do the talking," Harper said. "You're just letting Kreese and your friends control you, but you don't even see it, do you? It's like you're forgetting who you really are. Because the guy I knew? He didn't need to tear people down to feel like he mattered."
"Oh, come on, foster. You know that's not what's happening," Hawk argued, glaring in Demetri's direction when he laughed.
"No, but it kinda is," Harper shot back, crossing her arms. "Because I don't recognize you anymore. It's not just the way you talk, Hawk. It's how you react. You snap, and you lash out, and it's like… it feels like I'm losing you to them."
"You're not losing me. I'm right here, foster," he said. "I'm still that same guy."
For a second, she hesitated. The anger simmering beneath the surface flickered with doubt because she could see it in his eyes that he was still in there. The guy that she fell for was still there, but for how long? Harper wanted to believe that Hawk was stronger than this, stronger than the influence of Cobra Kai. And maybe he was fighting Kreese's control, but she couldn't deny that he was changing. It was small, barely imperceptible, but she saw it whenever he got mad or when he interacted with his friends. That Cobra Kai mask was starting to become a permanent fixture, and it terrified her for who he could be if he let them dig their claws in further.
Hawk's hand brushed hers, but she didn't pull away even though she was still upset with him. That quiet connection between them – silent but constant – was the only thing that made her feel like everything would be okay.
"So prove it," Harper challenged, her voice barely above a whisper. The anger she'd been holding onto for so long began to crack, and something softer, more uncertain, slipped through. She was scared for them – for him. "Because the moment you let them define you, you're letting them win. I can't keep waiting for you to snap out of it, Hawk. I'm not gonna stand by and watch you lose yourself. Because if you keep going down this path, you'll lose everything – you'll lose me."
Frowning, Hawk looked down at her. The confidence he normally wore like armor faltered for a moment, replaced by something more raw. She could see the frustration — the worry — in his eyes as he registered her words. He was still looking at her differently, but it didn't stop the grin from crossing good face.
"You keep saying that but you always come back," he told her, his tone laced with a strange mix of hope and conviction. He grinned, giving the bracelet she always wore a gentle tug. "You always say that you won't, but then you do. No matter how much I screw up, you're always there. I mean, you give me hell for it every time but I just… I don't know. I don't think you'll walk away. Not really."
"I don't want to," Harper admitted quietly, letting out a sigh. "But I will, because I can't keep watching you change into their version of you. If that's really what you're becoming… I won't stick around for that."
The idea of losing him — of walking away from the one real thing in her life — terrified her. She'd already lost so much in her life. Her family life was hanging in the balance, and she was torn between two worlds that both felt like home. Her friendship with Sam was broken, possibly forever, and now it felt as if Robby hated her, too. Demetri was still there, but even he was changing. And Hawk was the one person in her life who remained by her side. They'd broken up, fought and yet he still stood by her side through it all. So to let that go was unimaginably painful.
Hawk's grin faltered as he looked at her, the usual arrogance in his eyes replaced by something softer, almost vulnerable. "I won't let that happen. I promise," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Harper nodded, though words were just empty promises tied with a nice little bow on top. She wanted to believe that maybe he could change, but the doubt lingered. Her heart was pulled in two directions – one toward the person she thought he could be and the one toward the person he was becoming.
"Just… do better, okay?" She asked, her voice almost pleading.
Hawk hesitated as his eyes searched hers for any sign of doubt or fear. For the moment, his usual bravado was gone. He didn't answer immediately, but instead just gave her a nod – small, but sincere. The kind of nod that said more than anything else. "Yeah, I'll do better," he finally said, as a small crooked grin crossed his face. "But I'm gonna need you to stop glaring at me like I'm a villain, okay?"
Harper shot him an unimpressed look, rolling her eyes. "I don't know. You kinda make it really easy for me to hate you."
"But you know you secretly love it," Hawk said, nudging her playfully with his shoulder.
Harper let out a shaky breath as she tried to steady herself. She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she had to at least try. She slightly leaned into his side, and he draped his arm around her shoulders. The small contact – so simple but so loaded with everything unspoken – was enough to ground her in that moment.
She turned back to Sam, who had been watching the exchange with her arms crossed. "I really want us to be friends again, but…." Harper paused, the words lodging in her throat. "I'm not gonna keep chasing you, you know? And I can't keep apologizing over and over again while you pick and choose when it's convenient for you to be my friend. I had your back this entire summer, and I'm still on your side but… it's up to you whether you want us to be friends or not."
"Stop being so stubborn, Sam," Demetri muttered, his voice quiet but carrying across the four of them. "I mean, this is dumb. We've been friends all summer, and you're really gonna throw that away just because you can't stop being mad?"
"She's the one who threw it away," Sam argued, turning on Demetri in the blink of an eye. "Did you really forget that she lied to us for like half l the summer? She never wanted to join Miyagi-Do but the second he suggests training her, she's all for it. And after everything he's put us through, I'm supposed to be happy that she's with him? I mean, how messed up is that?"
"I'm not saying it's not messed up," Demetri said slowly, running a hand through his hair. A look of frustration and weariness crossed his face as he looked between the three of them. He looked as exhausted about this whole thing as Harper felt. "But, come on, you can't tell me they don't actually work together. I mean, it's weird. Like really, really weird. But, you know, somehow it just clicks. It's like watching a disaster but with some weird kind of chemistry."
Sam's lethal gaze fell on Harper and Hawk, and it felt as if the temperature dropped twenty degrees.
"So what if she's with him? I'm not exactly happy about it either, but she's my friend. And she deserves for us to try. So I'm learning to live with it," Demetri continued. "So, maybe, I don't know, stop holding a grudge just because you're pissed that Harper made a choice you don't like and just figure your shit out. This is getting old, and honestly, it's annoying."
"Shit, Demetri. You actually have a backbone," Hawk muttered with a smirk, an almost impressed look crossing his face. "Maybe you still have some Cobra Kai in you."
"Yeah, well, I didn't really have a choice, did I? You know, since my best friend turned on me," Demetri replied, not looking at Hawk as he retreated back into his awkward shell. A laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head and looked at them. "Guess we're not as different as we think." Throwing one last look their way, Demetri walked away, muttering under his breath.
There was a long pause as Sam looked away, but Harper could tell the anger was no longer the only thing there. She could see the doubt in her eyes, and for the first time in a while, it felt like a sliver of the friendship they had was still intact – buried beneath everything that had gone wrong. Sam didn't say anything, but her eyes flicked over to Hawk before settling back on Harper.
"I don't know if I can just pretend like none of this happened," Sam said.
"I'm not asking you to," Harper said, her hope deflating. "But I can't keep fighting with you. Because no matter what I do or say, it's never enough. So if you want to fix things, it's up to you. But I can't keep waiting around for something that might never happen."
Sam blinked, her face unreadable for a moment before a flicker of something – regret, maybe – passed through her expression. But it didn't last long. The anger was still there as she pressed her lips into a line. Without a word, she walked past them. Her steps were heavy, her silence almost saying more than words could.
When Sam disappeared down the hallway, Harper let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Nothing was fixed, and everything was still a mess.
"You okay?" Hawk asked, breaking through her thoughts.
Harper shrugged, trying to fight off the lump that had formed in her throat. "I don't know."
"She'll come around," he said quietly.
Harper nodded, but the doubt was still there. As much as she wanted to believe that things would work out, it was impossible when everything felt like it was shifting around her.
For now, though, all she could do was take a step back, wait, and hope that things would get better.
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Thanks so much for reading! I hope you guys liked this chapter. Let me know what you think!
But I honestly can't really blame Harper for having enough of all the drama.