۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗ 𓏲˖ 𑁍 ࣪ ִ ۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗
࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ  ✩◿𝓞𝓖◸ 🂱 ࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE—
the friend thing.

"Oh, hey." Johnny opened the door with an odd look on his face, staring at Alexa. "You here for Robby?"

"Why else would I be here?" she walked in and looked around. "Did you hire a cleaning lady?"

"You're looking at her." he announced, pointing at himself before nodding to the hallway. "You know where the guest bedroom is."

Alexa headed that way, Johnny then gave a sudden shutter when he remembered he was a parent. "Leave the door open!"

Alexa opened up the door. Robby hadn't heard a single thing with his headphone on, laying on his stomach with his back go the door. Alexa grinned as she shut the door anyways, kicking her shoes off and running to jump on him. Robby gave a huff at the impact, but knew it was her by the way her arms wrapped securely around his neck. "Hello, Robby Swazzy."

"Oh no." he yanked the headphones off. "What could possibly have brought you here?"

He rolled over so she dropped on the bed next to him, pushing up on her elbow as he did the same. "I heard through the grape vine that you get to stay in the Valley for the summer."

"That grape vine is corrected." he exhaled with a nod of his head. "So, what'd you find out?"

"I found out that my gentleman caller, that left me a dead animal rather then money, had no license plate." Alexa spoke, Robby gave an odd look as he sat up to grab the water bottle by his bed. "Yeah, exactly. That's sketchy shit, you know?"

"I do know." he nodded his head, taking a sip before she took it from him. "So, what do you think our next step it?"

Alexa hummed as she took a gulp of the water. "Well, I was thinking we try to follow every black van we see. But, that gives us half the valley. So, scratch that off the list."

"Sure, naturally." he nodded his head with a shrug. "Then what was next?"

"Well, the next thing on my list was to come see you." Alexa admitted with a little grin. "So, what are your ideas?"

"I say-" Robby grabbed the under side of her knees to pull her in closer, one leg on either side of his body. "-you just stay here with me forever so you don't get bothered."

"Oh?" Alexa rose her eyebrows as Robby gave her two peaks on the lips. "Would that solve all my problems?"

"It would solve all my problems." he said back, pushing as close as possible and leaving his lips on hers this time. Alexa cupped his face and pushed her hips upwards. Robby moved with her, keeping her in his lap and falling backwards on the bed as she followed. Luckily, Alexa was a lot more skilled then he'd been because she managed not to break the kiss the entire time. He pushed on her lower back for her to lean down more.

"Hey, Robby, we-" Miguel opened up the bedroom door. "Oh my god!"

"Oh my god!" the couple said on sync, yanking away from each other and backing off.

"I didn't see anything!" Miguel clasped his hand over his eyes.

"What's going on in there?" Johnny called from the kitchen.

"Nothing!" the trio shouted back. Alexa sat on the edge of the bed and tossed a pillow at Robby. She cleared her throat and rose her eyebrows, playing it off like that didn't just happen. "Miguel, what's up?"

"Well, I didn't know you were gonna be here." he cleared her throat with a shrug. "But, I guess this could potentially apply to you too."

"What's going on?" Robby asked him.

Alexa rose her eyebrows. "Both of you owe me money."

"What?" they asked on sync.

"I said you'd get along if you'd give each other a chance and neither of you believed me." she held her hand out and cleared her throat. "Come on. Pay up."

"Okay." Miguel dig in his pocket and placed a quarter in her hand. "That's all I got."

"Yeah, and all I have is-" Robby leaned back to push his hands into his pockets, retrieving after. "Your favorite type of gum."

"I sometimes forget we make a poor people triangle." Alexa made a triangle between the trio.

"So, what did you need to ask?" Robby cleared his throat as he looked at Miguel.

"It's about the lesson tomorrow. It's your first day back, right?" Miguel asked Robby, his eyes widened a little. Alexa knew nothing about this. "I was- "

"First day back?" the Castillo girl cut in as she looked at Robby in questioning. "You going to some summer school i'm not aware of?"

Migeul had a guilty look on his face. Robby gave her a hesitant look. "I'm not in sum-"

"Yeah, I know that." she cut him off, hinting at her words being nothing but sarcasm. "What are you going back to?"

"Miyagi-Do." he ripped the bandaid off and just told her, what he should have done already. "Mr.LaRusso said I can come back, so I want to. My Dad and Miguel think it's a good idea."

Alexa titled her head and had to laugh. "And you hid that from me because..."

"I didn't hide it from you, it just didn't come up." Robby tried to defend himself.

"Holy shit, that's the same thing!" she stood up off the bed. "What? Do you think i'd care? Because I don't!"

"If you don't care why are you yelling at me?" he shot back at her.

"I'm not yelling!" she indeed yelled.

"Is this your first fight?" Miguel asked, sensing so.

"Lex, I just didn't want you to feel...betrayed or something." Robby shook his head as he got off the bed too. "It's not because I don't trust you."

Miguel shut his eyes, he knew he absolutely messed up with that last line.

"Well, I didn't think it was because you didn't trust me until now." Alexa laughed in his face. "Clearly it has to do with not trusting me just a little bit since you brought it up."

"I just said thats not why!" Robby gapped, he felt like he was talking to the Alexa he knew before he knew her personally.

"Without me even bringing it up!" she rolled her eyes and went to the door.

"Alexa." Robby frowned as he went to follow but stopped in his doorway. "I'm sorry!"

She ignored him and left the apartment, Miguel came running after her. "Hey, Lexi! Yo! Wait, I didn't get to say how you played a part into my announcement!"

Alexa huffed as she stopped, turning around to face him. "Say whatever you need to, Miguel."

"Okay. Well, you're invited." he took a deep breath from the quick sprint he made. "Me, Hawk, and Demetri all agreed that you should come since you're not in Cobra Kai anymore. Well , me and Hawk agreed since we're all friends again. And Demetri kinda nodded from a distance. But, it still counts. Mr.LaRusso isn't gonna be there tomorrow, so it's a perfect opportunity to get to know everyone."

Alexa exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, thanks for that offer, Miguel. But, I won't be there."

Then, she left, and they both let her go this time.

"You see anything?" Tory asked Alexa as they looked out her apartment window from her bedroom.

"I'm not seeing anything." Alexa clutched her binoculars. "You see anything?"

"Noth-" Tory began before Alexas bedroom door flew open, making them both scream and fall back on the bed.

Ty started at the two in disbelief. "What the fuck are you screaming for, tough guys?"

"God, I didn't hear you come in." Alexa clutched her chest as she stared at him. "Why are you home so early?"

"Zane let me out a little early because I lied and said you were sick." he said in return. "Why are you in the house?"

"Robby and I had a fight and i'm in my retired era." she frowned with a shrug.

"Ah, appreciate it." he said and was clutched a box.

"What's that?" Tory eyed the box in his hand.

"It was by the door." Ty shrugged, walking away. Tory and Alexa shared a look as they both jumped off the bed and ran after him. "What's wrong with the two of you?"

"We're just really into unboxing videos currently." Alexa laughed awkwardly. "So....live action for free. What better deal?"

"No better deal." Tory shook her head. "Not even buy one get one free."

"Not even no tax." Alexa gave a knowing point.

Ty looked between the pair oddly as he laid it on the counter. "Okay?"

The girls leaned in close as Ty cut the box down the middle, opening it up. It felt like they were witnessing the slowest unboxing of their lives.

"Finally." Ty huffed. "Order these water shoes a week ago."

Alexa sighed in relief as she clutched the counter. Tory did the same. "Why do you have water shoes?"

"Josh is taking me to his parents beach house this weekend and I don't wanna step on any shells again." he shut the box up. "Lex, you and Mom are on your own this weekend."

"Where is Mom?" Alexa followed him toward his room. "She didn't come home last night."

"Don't know. Probably trying to get a better fake ID." he shrugged, looking back at her and dropping his tone so Tory couldn't hear from the kitchen. "You haven't told anyone, have you?"

"No." Alexa gave an odd look. "The police aren't looking for her anymore though. That's what you said."

"They aren't, but if anyone gets wind that Bethany Ruiz is actually Deena Castillo, i'm sure they're gonna poke around again." he whispered back with a nod. "Just incase."

"No, of course." Alexa nodded her head. "No, I haven't said anything."

"Hey, Lex!" Tory yelled. "I'm heading to practice!"

"Okay, i'll call you tonight!" Alexa yelled back, hearing the door slam as Ty started to get a bag together. "Where are you going? I thought you were suppose to take care of me while i'm sick?"

"Well, Mom isn't the only one that's good at hiding." he flashed her a grin. "I'm gonna go gamble on some bingo."

"And i'm left all alone?" she follow him down the hallway again. "What am I suppose to do?"

"I don't know. Do whatever teenage girls do alone." he shrugged and headed for the door. "I'll be home in a few hours!"

Alexa rolled her eyes as he slammed the door, she locked it behind him. There went Ty and Tory, crossing two people off her list. Her Mom wasn't around, and her and Robby were fighting. Eli and Miguel were at karate, leaving her with no one else. Alexa laid back on the couch and tapped her stomach. No new seasons of any shows she watched came on, and she hadn't found anything worth watching. She was broke so couldn't go anywhere, plus going somewhere alone wasn't ideal.

She dug her phone out and looked through her camera roll. Not swiping far until coming across a few pictures from the water park just a couple days ago. Alexa rose an eyebrow at the photo she had of Robby . Theoretically, it was a photo of the both of them, but he was clearly the star. Laid back in the chair, tanning oil glowing in the slightest, sunglasses rested on his face. Everything Alexa loved. She smirked to herself, looking around as if anyone was actually here before pushing her hand into her shorts.

Then, she remembered they were fighting, and it put her out of the mood. She huffed, throwing her phone across the room and retreating
her hand. "Damn it!"

She missed Karate. That's where'd she'd be right now if Terry hadn't kicked her out. She missed it so so much. So much that it made her do things she never thought she would.

Sam was talking to Robby and Anthony as the sight of dark hair caught her attention, looking at the fence as her eyebrows frowned together. "Is that-"

Robby turned around and gapped just as she had. "Alexa?"

His question made the entire dojo fall silent, stopping their warm ups as she stood there. Eli immediately looked at Demetri to see what his face was like, but it was unreadable. Maybe a lot of hope, maybe disappointment. It was hard to tell, but the three of them seemed to be the only ones on borad with her here. Miyagi-Fang immediately resulted is yelling and shouting, not having a clue why she was here and fearing the worst.

"Woah! Woah! Hey! Hey!" Miguel yelled to try and calm everyone down, Robby pulled Alexa into his side as she glared. "Let's not crowd her, okay? Be respectful."

"Respectful?" Chris gave him a look of disbelief. "Did you forget who she was?"

"No, I remember exactly who she is." Miguel defended Alexas honor. "And so does she."

"She's Cobra Kai." Bert gapped.

"Sh-" Alexa started, Robby clasped his hand over her mouth. If she wanted any chance in staying, she needed to be quiet because they all knew her mouth was what was gonna get her in trouble.

"She's not Cobra Kai anymore." Eli cut in so it didn't look like Miguel was the only one defending Alexa.

"You left?" Anthony looked over at her. Shockingly, he'd been the only one without a glare on his face. Likely because Robby talked her up so good before she arrived, but still, it didn't stop Alexa from narrowing her eyes toward Kenny's bully. She missed that kid, but he hadn't wanted much to do with her since Silver banned her. Tory was the only one that snuck around enough to see her and Robby.

"No." Alexa pulled Robbys hand from her mouth. "I got kicked out."

That didn't go over well, but she was trying to be honest. Everyone yelled and chattered again.

"Enough!" Hawk stepped in again to silence everyone. "Jesus christ, you all learned to let me in."

"That was different." Nathan shook his head. "You left on your own. She'd still be there if he hadn't kicked her to the curb."

"Watch it." Robby warned him.

"Is that true?" Sam finally spoke up as she looked at Alexa. "Would you still be there if Silver didn't kick you out?"

Alexa hesitated. Robby nodded. "Just be honest."

"I don't think so." Alexa admitted honestly. "I don't know."

"How are you just forgetting about everything she's done?" Mitch looked at Miguel and Hawk in disbelief. "She's insane!"

"Says the one that goes by Penis-Breath!" Alexa shouted back at him.

"What's so wrong with her just training with us today?" Robby gapped at everyone. "There's no competition, no All Valley. All this is just class, normal class. There's nothing she can run off and tell."

There it was again, that feeling like he wouldn't trust her if there was an All Valley or some type of competition around the corner. Alexa couldn't necessarily blame him, it still hurt though.

"Robby's right." Miguel spoke up. "Non of you will even know she's here."

"It's not about the training." Sam shook her head. "It's about earning trust back after being with Cobra Kai so long. Like Eli did. Non of us were okay with that at first, right?"

Alexa and Sam were never friends, they never got along. They weren't necessarily rivals, but they were far from friendly. Alexa was Torys best friend, Sam knew that. And her and Sam fought a few times, but it was just as her and Hawk originally were. Sam never liked the idea of Hawk being here until he proved himself, but she didn't rob him of the opportunity either. And, despite Alexa always being close to Tory, what she did at the All Valley was something Hawk would have never done. Sam saw change in Alexa, she saw want. Didn't mean she liked her, and it definitely didn't mean she trusted her and wanted to be friends, but she saw potential.

"Okay, what if we make a deal?" Miguel suggested when Sams words got to everyone, but not fully convinced. "If Alexa fails todays lesson, she walks away from practice and doesn't come back unless we all agree to it. If she succeeds, she stays."

"We don't even know what the lesson is." Mitch huffed. "It might be easy."

"So?" Miguel shrugged. "She was Cobra Kai. She's never learned our ways, it'll be harder for her."

Robby rubbed Alexa's back as Chozen walked out, calling them all to line up. "You okay?"

"It sucks not being able to defend myself." Alexa admitted as they walked over. "But, I get it, I guess."

"What made you change your mind?" he dropped his hand from her back as they stopped together.

Alexa shrugged as she met his eye. "I didn't want us to fight anymore."

Robby nodded, giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry about yesterday. Let's talk after practice. Really talk."

Alexa nodded her head in agreement.

"So, where are my Dad and Johnny?" Sam looked up to Chozen.

"Not here." he said back. "Today, you train with me. Attention!"

He gave a disappointing look when they hadn't understood his Japanese sentence. "Bow."

"Cobra Kai gaining ground. We must prepare. Come." Chozen spoke, nodding to Alexa after Robby had explained to him earlier that she might show up. He didn't really expect her too, but he knew her well enough to know how much she truly loved karate. And she wouldn't waste her time at any other dojo that would treat her any less then one of the best, as Cobra Kai did until Silver came along.

"This is gonna be badass. Check out that throwing knife." Mitch smiled widely toward the table of weapons.

"Better keep those weapons away from her." Alexa heard one of the boys say, glancing back but Robby encouraged her to ignore

"Now, we learn about Yanbaru Kuina." Chozen explained to the group.

"What is that? Like, some top-secret karate move?" Chris smiled widely. "Like a throat rip?"

"No. It is bird." Chozen corrected him. "In English called Okinawa rail. Endangered. Cannot fly."

"Hence, endangered." Demetri spoke for the first time. Alexa looked down the line at him, he looked back, Robby didn't encourage her to stop this time but he didn't like it either.

Chozen pulled out a dozen eggs and removed the cloth from them. Sam got one for her, Robby, and Anthony. Miguel grabbed one for himself, Eli, and Demetri but Eli gave his to Alexa, getting another one. "So these are the rail eggs?"

"No. Trader Joe. 3.29." Chosen shook his head, Alexa fought the urge to grin.

"So, what do we do with them?" Sam held the delicate egg in hand.

"Yanbaru Kuina must protect egg." Chozen went on as an explanation. "From Kume Shima habu. Poison snake. Protect egg like Yanbaru Kuina. You must do same."

He turned the hourglass upside down. "Begin your preparation."

"What are we protecting them from?" Robby gave a questionable look, glancing down at Alexa.

"Me." Chosen yelled as he waved his throwing knives around. "Go! Go!"

"Good luck, new girl." Mitch mocked Alexa, ramming his shoulder into hers. Alexa fought the urge at first, but gave in as she lunged at him. Robby pulled her back.

"Easy." he warned her. "I know it sucks."

"I'm not gonna let these people walk all over me." she rolled her eyes at his words.

"You don't have to. But, they want that reaction out of you. They want to see you snap so they'll have a reason to keep you away." Robby explained as Alexa started to relax in his hold. "You just focus on trying to win this lesson for now. No one else matters."

Alexa nodded as she inhaled. "I just don't know if this was a good idea."

"Well, I want you here." he offered her a smile. "And so do a couple others. If you can make right with them, you'll eventually make right with everyone else."

Alexa inhaled, hoping he was right. "I don't get what hiding eggs has to do with karate?"

"Who knows?" Robby laugh made her feel better, smiling as his lips turned up. "Guess we'll find out."

The pair separated to hide their eggs.

Alexa only slightly knew her way around Miyagi-Do due to when she came and trashed it a while back. But, it was dark then, and it had changed. Her eyes danced around, looking for anyplace that might be a good hiding spot without anyone already there. She walked toward the large rock, circling it and seeing a tiny hole in the bottom. Alexa dropped to her knees and checked to make sure it was big enough for the egg.

"I'm not so sure that'll work." a voice scared her, looking up quickly to see Demetri was sat on the deck a few feet away. "It seems a little small."

Alexa glanced at the hole and then held up her egg. "The egg is small."

He shrugged and nodded for her to go on. Alexa attempted it, but he was right. Only half the egg made it into the opening, she'd break it if she tried anymore. Her fingers latched onto the shell and removed it, glancing at Demetri as he had that smug look on his face. The one that said he'd been right. Alexa offered him an eyeroll. He held up his designed holder. "There's room for another."

She hated that he was so quick to forgive her. Because out of everyone here, he's the one that should have hated her the most. But, he never hated her. He hated what she became and how she reacted, but he never hated Alexa. That wasn't something he'd ever be able to do. Just as he could never hate Eli, it just wasn't in his nature after their past together.

"No." Alexa shook her head. "I don't need help."

"Suit yourself." he shrugged his shoulders, dropping his egg into the compartment and starting to make the rest. It wasn't long until she walked over and sat crossed-legged infront of him. He made the rest with his other shoe lace and tilted the invention her way, letting her set her egg ontop. "It's sorta like the peanut butter and egg thing."

"Mhm." Alexa leaned against her knees as she looked around. "I don't see him anywhere."

"Well, that's a relief." he shook his head. Eli watched the pair hopefully from a distance. "So, how are you liking Miyagi-Do?"

Alexa shrugged her shoulders and leaned head her head against her knees. "I don't know."

"Well, Miguel and Eli are happy you've here." he gave a dramatic shrug and deep exhale. "I am too, if it's for real."

"I don't know if it's for real, but wanting to be better is." Alexa said as she gave him a look. "I'm..."

For some reason, even if she owed him the biggest apology, she struggled with it the most. "I'm sorry for how I treated you when I was with Cobra Kai. And everything I did. It was stupid."

"Yeah." he had to agree with her. "It's okay."

"No." that's what made her mad, how quick he was to forgive her. "I...what I said to you, on the phone, that one time. And what you didn't say back....that was okay. The way I reacted, it was just so toxic. Especially when I literally wanted to chop Deans head off when he did the exact same thing to Rory in season one."

"Well, Dean never threw Rory around a hallway, but I get what you mean." he shrugged as Alexa cracked a smile. "I'm sorry too. For not giving you more of an explanation, and just walking away. And i'm sorry I couldn't say it back."

"No, it's okay." Alexa exhaled, their conversation was no longer just being watched by Eli. "Do you say it to Yasmine?"

"You know about Yasmine?" he winced, Alexa shrugged. "No, I don't say it to Yasmine."

That was a relief. Not that she cared if he was telling other girls he loved them after not being able to say it to her, but because it was freaking Yasmine. She didn't think she was better then a lot of people, but she knew she was a lot better then Yasmine. "Okay."

"Lex?" Demetri hummed as she rose her eyebrows. "I know we never did the friend thing. It was either we were together or we hated each other, but I think it could be good for us. The friend thing."

"Okay." Alexa nodded. "The friend thing is it."

He leaned in and hugged her in a thankful manor. He was glad she was okay, he was glad he didn't have to keep worrying she'd end up hurt or worse. Alexa hugged him in a relived manor, relived he didn't hate her guts, even when he deserved too. Relived that they could at least try to be friends after everything they'd gone through.

The sound of eggs cracking made them pull apart, seeing the egg holder was stabbed. Chozen removed it. "Bird love to hear himself sing."

The paid gapped, Chozen stared at them as he rose the throwing knife and chunked it behind him, stabbing through Robbys egg that he held. They noticed he was watching from afar, his egg not hidden but now destroyed. Miyagi-Do watched Alexa, seeing if she'd keep her promise. "I'm gonna go."

She did.

•

kylie speaks

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