The Girl Who Was a Cobra Kai (Johnny Lawrence X Reader Fanfic)

CHAPTER 8: THAT DOJO BELONGS TO YOU TOO

I SAT ON the forest floor for quite some time. I could see the sun between the trees, slowly making it's descent and casting shadows over the leaf covered ground. My eyes squeezed shut as another wave of memories from my mom's accident came into focus. I wanted to shove those thoughts away forever or burn them so I'd never have to feel so terrible again.

I couldn't help but look at my hands. Seeing the leftover splattered blood from Johnny's nose only made me remember how they had been covered in my mother's as I tried to hold her wounds closed. It was no use though since she was already gone by the time I got there.

With desperation, I threw myself to my feet. My limbs were unstable but I pushed onward, listening to the sounds of the creek and following it. When I came upon the gurgling water I plunged my hands under it. The water was frigid for it being warm weather still but I didn't let it stop me as I scrubbed my skin, washing away the blood but never the memories.

"Is that my blood?"

I snapped my head up and faced Johnny who was standing at the edge of the creek only a few feet away from me.

I turned back down to scrubbing my hands again, "Have you come to gloat about your win?"

Johnny took a step closer, his blonde hair trembling in the slight breeze. "No," He said. "I haven't."

"Then what have you come here for?"

"To see if you're alright."

I scoffed and flicked my fingers to get the access water off of them before flopping onto a nearby rock in a crisscross sitting position. "Well, I'm fine so you can go now."

My irritated tone didn't sway Johnny from leaving though. In fact, he walked up closer and then sat beside me. Not too close, but close enough for me. I refused to look at him and instead studied the ripples in the creek's surface, watching them change and reform. I felt a flutter of exhaustion flowed through my body.

"How is your nose?" I asked him.

Johnny shrugged, "It's seen worse in a fight." When I did not reply Johnny angled to face me more as if that would make me pay more attention to him. "I know you could have beaten me back there. Honestly I wasn't sure about you but you definitely give someone one hell of a fight." Johnny hesitated for a second before speaking again, " You should have ended the match when you had the chance. Why did you stop?"

"I wasn't trained to fight like that."

Johnny nodded, "You already said that earlier. But why? You had the look of absolute fury on your face one moment and then the next it was gone. What happened?"

"It isn't your story to know," I snapped.

Johnny softly sighed, "You know for all your talk of me being a bully and unpleasant, you sure can be cold too."

I released a caged breath, and turned my head to look at him for the first time since he sat down, "I know. I'm sorry. I just have had a lot happen in only a short amount of time and I can't seem to balance it all."

Johnny nodded distantly as if thinking of something else, "I know how that feels." He turned to look at me again and said, "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're strong and a badass at karate. You'll be fine." Johnny stood and then held out his hand to me, "For now how about a pizza?"

I looked up at Johnny and his outstretched hand. A part of me wanted to take it and be carefree with him like he seemed to be most of the time but another part of me was afraid I'd be the girl he didn't know. The girl who lost her mother and who now had the impulse of running away because the fear of losing someone else was extremely hard to handle.