Brutal - Robby Keene

THE TOURNAMENT - PART 3

"Hey Mar?"

Mar looked up, surprised to see Miguel.

"Miguel, hey." She said wide-eyed. "Are you okay? Why didn't you show up? Was it your back? Are you badly injured?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Miguel had said before he sat down on the bench next to Mar. "It's just that.. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, anything." Mar had said, turning to face Miguel.

"Why did you freeze like that when you were about to win the fight with Alyssa?" Miguel had asked the girl.

Mar inhaled deeply, playing with a loose thread on her gi. "I don't know, it just feels like I don't even know why I'm fighting in the first place, if that makes sense. Like I know that if we lose, we have to give up all of this but is it bad that I want us to lose? So that we can finally be normal teens?"

Miguel had frowned with a nod, soaking this in.

"And also before the fight, I talked to Mr. Larusso and he told me to trust my heart and my gut and during my fight with Alyssa, my heart and my gut didn't want me to win. They wanted me to let Alyssa have that moment." Mar had said, blushing a scarlett red in embrassment as she felt like a dumb-ass saying that.

"My heart and my gut is begging me to do something as well." Miguel had told her, causing the girl to look to him again.

"What?" Mar had questioned curiously.

"Meet my dad." Miguel said softly.
"I never met him and you know I thought I never needed to but I need to meet him. I can't try to fill my dad's spot with Johnny, it isn't working out, he has Robby and he'll always be Robby's dad."

"Johnny does care about you, you know." Mar had told Miguel softly, resting a hand on his. "But I also think it's a good idea to meet your dad. It's stupid but you should meet the man who helped brought you to life."

"Thanks for being on my side, Mar." Miguel had told her honestly. "I know it's tough for you to kinda go against your own brother and boyfrie-"

Miguel cut himself off as he remembered Robby and Mar were no long together.

"Sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it." Mar said as she stood up with a clear of her throat. "Want me to order you an Uber to your house?"

"Yeah, I kinda left my phone home." Miguel had admitted, scratching the back of his neck as he also stood up.

Mar pulled out her phone, quickly ordering the uber before tucking it back into her pocket. "It'll be here in five minutes."

"Thanks for everything, Mar." Miguel had said before he pulled the girl into a hug.

Mar hugged back tightly.

"Be safe, alright?" Mar had said as she pulled apart from Miguel. "Sam'll kill me if something happens to you."

"I will." Miguel grinned. "Robby and Eli are about to fight, you should go cheer on Eli."

Mar laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, see ya."

"See ya." Miguel had smiled at her before he walked off.

Mar watched him leave before she sighed, turning back around.

Mar was met with Robby.

"So you and Diaz, huh?" Robby had asked with a clenched jaw.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your fight?" Mar had asked, folding her arms as she walked towards him.

"I am ready." Robby had shrugged.