RORY WAS set to return to school. She had been cleared by the doctors and was getting ready to set foot out of her house.

But, she knew people would talk. That she lost her fight, that she got her ass kicked, that she now had a huge face scar to prove that she was nothing more than a joke.

Everyone in the Brewer household would catch Rory just staring at herself in the mirror since leaving the hospital. She would tilt her head from side to side, up and down, all around, just to get different angles of her scar.

Jack called it badass, Layla called it a memory. Truly, it was something Rory was shamed of.

She couldn't believe that she had just... passed out from a fight. A fight that shouldn't had happened.

She didn't know that Miguel and Sam were smacking lips in the backyard and even if she had, it was none of her fucking business.

Tory was angry and took her anger out and any and everyone and Rory just so happened to be there at the wrong place and wrong time.

Rory sighed, brushing her fingers against the large scar across her cheek. Tory had gotten her pretty damn good. No makeup could cover it up.

She straighten her hair that day in order to cover some of the scar, but it would still be visible to anyone who looked at her.

There was a gently knock on her door and as she turned, Jack poked his head inside, "Hey." He softly smiled, "Milton's taking you and Belle to school today. Are you sure you're ready to go back?"

Rory sighed, grabbing her backpack from the ground and her phone from the bedside table.

"I'll have to go back eventually."

Rory tried pushing past her father, but he grabbed her upper arm and gently pushed her back into the room.

He cupped her cheeks which caused her hair to fall back and show her scar.

"You're beautiful, Aurora." He softly smiled, "Don't forget that."

She only nodded as Jack placed a kiss against her forehead. Jack watched as Rory pushed past him, making her way downstairs and out the door to Milton's car.

He would be staying in one of the guest rooms until Rory showed any sign of being herself again... and who knows how long that may take.

But, Rory sat in the front seat and Belle in the back as Milton drove them to the school.

They arrived and Belle waved Milton goodbye and exited the vehicle. Rory doing the same until Milton called her name.

"What's captivated your attention?"

Rory furrowed her brows, "What are you talking about?"

"You've been looking down at your phone for the whole ride. Who are you waiting for?"

"A friend."

Rory hadn't told Jack and Layla about her relationship with Robby because she didn't know if it would stick. She just wanted to make sure that he wanted to be with her because she was Rory, not because he was dating a girl who had famous parents.

Milton only nodded, tapping against the stirring wheel and looking over at Rory.

"Call me if you want to leave." Milton said, "Your parents don't have to know."

Rory gave Milton a small smile, quickly enveloping him to a hug.

Milton returned the act, Rory relaxing into his hug.

Rory gave him one last smile before getting out of the car and making her way into the school.

She pushed the door opened, seeing two officers and a metal detector in front of her. She handed her bag over to the officer and was quickly searched before being let go.

She grabbed her bag, making her way towards her locker when she was suddenly ambushed.

Maybe that was too strong of a word for what happened. It just so happened to be Demetri bringing the girl into a hug.

She shut her eyes gently and patted the boy on the back.

Demetri stepped back, his hands resting on Rory's arms to get a look at her.

"Thank God you lived." He spoke, "I would've come to visit but with school and—"

"I'm fine." She muttered, "Thanks."

Rory gave Demetri a tight lipped smile and continued her walk to her locker with Demetri following behind.

"You had a pretty nasty blow." He said, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure I'm able to walk on my own two feet without tumbling forward now." She joked, "I'm here and I'm present, more alert. I'm on my toes. I'm fine."

Demetri sighed with content, "Oh good. You've already missed so much. I swear if you were awake for the fight you totally would've kicked ass."

Rory looked up at Demetri, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Listen, Aurora, you're a pain in my ass, truly, but what kind of friends would we be if you weren't."

This was the second time the two of them had confirmed their friendship with each other. In ways, Demetri reminded Rory a lot of Milton... expect Milton was such a pain in Rory's ass, but I guess that what's makes Demetri and Rory frenemies.

He was also the only person her age who called her Aurora. He never called the girl the nickname that she had preferred. Most times, when people called the girl Aurora, they meant serious business and there was no escaping it.

The two of them shared a small laugh.

This was nice.

But that wouldn't last.

RORY HAD been home for a while, sitting on her bed when she had received a text.

She hoped that it Robby, hearing nothing from him or about him since the fight at school. No one had really told Rory what had happened.

The text was from Mr. LaRusso, asking to meet.

Now, Rory wasn't really allowed to go anywhere, not because she was in trouble or anything. They just wanted to be sure that she was 100 percent okay before going out on her own.

But Rory, for real this time, felt okay. She felt like she was capable of being left on her own.

So, she snuck downstairs and into the garage.

They would obviously know if the girl had snuck out if she had taken one of their cars, so she would grab her beat up bike from the garage and pray that it wouldn't be that long of a ride.

She finally made it to her destination and tossed her bike onto the ground. She pulled her phone out from her pocket and and looked down at the address Mr. LaRusso had sent her to make sure she was at the right place.

And sure enough she was.

She eventually saw Mr. LaRusso by his car and made her way towards him.

He spotted the girl and when she finally stood in front of him, he pulled her into a hug. She returned it graciously and stepped back.

"Is there any reason we're at a rehab center?" She asked.

Mr. LaRusso sighed, rubbing his hands down the sides of his pants before looking down at the girl.

"I'll get to that." He softly spoke, "First, how are you?"

"I'm fine. I've definitely been better though."

Daniel nodded, "There's a lot that's happened. Do you know anything at all?"

"I know that I was hurt. Nothing else really."

Well damn, this would be worse than what Daniel had expected. He would've though that Rory would have some knowledge of what happened at the school, but nothing whatsoever but her own mishaps? Jesus Christ.

Daniel sighed. He had to explain what happened for this plan of his to even work. He would have to explain how Robby had kicked Miguel down and over the staircase causing him to be in a coma and that Robby had made a run for it... stolen one of his company's cars and that he hadn't spoken to anyone but his mother, which is why they were there in the first place.

And so he did.

Rory sighed, biting her tongue and looking up at Mr. LaRusso, "So, he's here."

He nodded, "I know that you and Robby are close, maybe it's best if you talked to him about what's next."

"And what's next?"

Mr. LaRusso sighed, gesturing behind Rory. She turned and saw a couple of police officers standing nearby.

"It will be better for him this way."

Rory sighed as Mr. LaRusso guided her towards the entrance of the rehab center. They stood by the grassy fence and soon, Robby's mother, Shannon, came forward.

"You must be Aurora." She smiled, "He speaks so highly of you."

Mr. LaRusso reassured Shannon that he had this whole situation under control and gestured for Rory to make her way towards Robby whenever she felt comfortable to do so.

She shut her eyes for a moment, shaking her head, and made her way towards him.

He'd had cut his hair and seemed sluggish.

Rory stood in front of him, her hair covering her face, mainly her scar as she looked down at him.

He stood to his feet slowly and pulled Rory into a hug, her chin resting against his shoulder. She shut her eyes, basking in the thought that this would most likely be the last time she would see if... if she doesn't get grounded that is.

Rory stepped back first, giving Robby a small smile, before brushing her fingers gently through his hair.

"I like this." She softly spoke, "I think it's better suit for you."

Robby didn't say much, just sitting down as he held Rory's hand. She sat down in the chair in front of him.

Robby leaned forward slightly, gently moving his free hand forward and brushing Rory's hair to the side to reveal the scar.

It started at the apple of her cheek to the edge of her lip.

Rory held her head down, to hid it once more. Robby removed his hand with a sigh before finally speaking.

"I'm really sorry, Rory." He spoke softly, "You were never met to get hurt."

"There was nothing you could've done about that." She reassured, "Are you okay? Heard you've been everywhere lately?"

Robby didn't answer her question, "Are you okay?"

Rory sighed, "I've been better. I'm getting better I guess." Rory paused, "All of this is just some petty bullshit, okay? And somehow... we've ended up in it. But what happened to you and to me... and to everyone isn't going who we really are. I know you and you know me. And I only want what's best for you. Because that's what you deserve."

Rory glanced back a Mr. LaRusso and gave Robby's hand a small squeeze.

"You are one of the few people who seemed to really care about me for me." She said, "You're with me, because you like who I am, not parents."

Robby watched as Rory's eyes glossed over and he once again reached his hand out to hold her cheek.

"I really want you to know that I care you and what's. Because you're really important to me. And I have never cared so much a boy like I have you."

"Rory—"

Mr. LaRusso stepped forward, resting his hand against Robby's shoulder.

She let her hand fall out of Robby's and his hand fell and he looked up at the man.

Daniel sighed, "I spoke to a lawyer and he explained to me that it's—"

Robby quickly stood to his feet when he saw the cops entering the area. He looked down at Rory and over at Mr. LaRusso.

"What did you do?" He asked.

"I told them you'd turn yourself in." Mr. LaRusso answered, "Trust me, the sentence will be much lighter."

"No, no, no, I can't!"

"You can. You have to."

Robby looked over at Rory, "You kept me taking so I wouldn't leave."

Rory stood to her feet, "That's not true. Everything I told you, I meant that."

Robby didn't wait a second longer as he quickly ran, but he didn't get far as the cop close by grabbed him and handcuffed him.

"Robby, this is only temporary." Mr. LaRusso reassured, "I will get you through this, okay? I will visit you when I can."

Robby finally looked up, "Don't bother."

The officer held Robby's shoulder, guiding him out of the rehab center. The boy didn't bother looking Rory's way.

Daniel sighed and turned, but they time he'd done that, Rory was gone.

RORY FINALLY returned home. She put her bike back in the barn and opened the front door to see Jack standing there.

"Where were you?"

"I went for a walk." She answered. She tried to brush by him but he only towered over her.

"Where were you, Aurora?"

Rory sighed, "I met up with Mr. LaRusso so I could speak with Robby."

Jack chuckled, rolling his eyes, and running his hand down his face, "We told you not to leave this house by yourself."

"This was important."

"More important than your own wellbeing? Enlighten me, Aurora?"

Jack and Rory never really argued. Of course, a parent or guardian would have disagreements with their child or the person they were caring for, but Rory and Jack never really done that.

"I hadn't seen my boyfriend in days and I was worried. I just wanted to make sure he was okay?"

Jack furrowed his brows, "Boyfriend? That boy we let stay over? That boy who kicked that boy over the banister is your boyfriend?"

"I was going to tell you—"

"When Aurora? Before or after he could've that boy? Before or after this fucked up scar on your face? Before or after all this karate shit?" Jack asked, "This... all of this... isn't karate. This isn't what the Wasabi Warriors do. I didn't teach you any of that."

Rory only looked up at Jack as his words hit her like bricks. Punch after punch to her face as he spoke to her. This, to Rory, was way worse than what Tory had done to her.

She held a tight lip and once again tried to make her way past her father. She made it... two or three steps away from him before he spoke again.

"I'm taking to you, Aurora."

It wasn't until she turned that Jack had even realized that she was trying her best not to cry in front of him.

She sighed, dropping her shoulders, "What do you want from me? All my life I've tried to impress you. To show you that I'm just as good as you are. But you're Jack Brewer and impressing you is like a job that I'll never get out of. You and mom... you expect so much from me. To live up to the Brewer name. Everything that I've done was for you. And it's never good enough. I'll never be good enough for you."

"You're naïve, Rory." Jack softly spoke, "Until further notice you're done with karate and you're breaking up with that boy."

"Did you even... take in anything that I've said to you?" She asked, "Or is this something that Jack Brewer puts to the side until it's important?"

The tension in the room grew thicker as their words echoed between them.

Without another word, Rory turned away, her heart heavy She walked out of the room and into her own, leaving Jack to grapple with his own conflicting emotions.

It would take time, perhaps even a small miracle, for them to bridge the gap that now strained relationship.

— lucy has something to say !!

damn jack wtf 😞

bye :))))