Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

53- Step Up

I don't think I've ever clutched a tupperware container or an envelope tighter in my life. After what happened to Nathaniel... I don't want it to happen again. I'm too tired for a fight. I stayed up late last night working on my letter, and my side- where Hawk kicked me- hurts like hell. I just have to ice it and pray that it didn't worsen my already cracked rib. I don't need that. I don't need that.

I shouldn't have fought. I'm not a fighter. Maybe that was starting to become kinda my thing, what with the All Valley and the tae kwon do tournaments... and maybe it felt tremendously good to finally feel genuinely good at something that I've always felt I was so bad at... but after the fight at the school and what happened yesterday... I know it should motivate me to want to train harder, to push myself harder than ever so it never happens ever again, and part of my brain is pleading with me to do just that. To train, to spar, to do anything I can to get back to a point where I can feel safe and confident in my own abilities to protect myself and the people around me. But the other part is so tired. The other part just wants to rest for once. Getting back into sparring in tae kwon do will be hard enough as is but karate..? I can't even think about it without thinking of Robby which either makes me think about what we are now after... what happened, or what he did to Miguel, and both can send me spiraling downwards into a place that I don't want to go back to.

I shake the thought away and head into the wing where Miguel is. Luckily for me, I'm a registered regular visitor, so getting in is a lot easier. I've spent the better part of this morning thinking up what the hell I'm supposed to say to whoever I give the money to. Improvisation in social situations is very much not my thing. Nevertheless, I manage to spot a nurse coming out of Miguel's hospital room and walk up to her with shaking legs... and arms.

"How can I help you sweetie?" the nurse says with a kind smile. Okay, okay, it's okay, I am calm, I am calm... I am the opposite of calm at every given moment of the day, but right now I am less not calm, okay, I can do this.

"I just came to make a donation for Miguel Diaz's surgery," I say, smiling back as I extend the envelope out to her. Her smile widens considerably. Yay! I love it when people smile at me. I never know I need validation until somebody smiles bigger at something I say or do.

"You're so kind! This is quite the generous donation. Is there a name you'd like to register it under?" she asks.

"Miyagi-Do," I respond. Yesterday I contemplated saying Cobra Kai too, even though I literally hate them, but after what they did to Nathaniel and I... out of the question. It's not our fault that Miguel is their teammate and yet they're doing nothing to help.

"Alright! Thank you again, young lady. I'm sure the family will be very grateful," she says. With one last smile, she walks off to do whatever needs to be done with the money, leaving me to make my leave. I have another errand to run, although I was hoping to spot Ms Diaz around here somewhere so I could give her something. I guess it doesn't matter which Diaz I give it to, I just figured she would be the first I would see.

"Parker?" Somebody calls, interrupting my train of thought. I shake myself back to reality. Was that Miguel? I look towards his room and we make direct eye contact. Yep.. he's definitely spotted me. It's not that I was trying to avoid him or anything, I was just hoping to slip in and out because I figured that he wouldn't want to see me. Now all of that is thrown out the window because I can't just leave now that he knows I'm here and we've made direct eye contact.

I sigh a little, then walk into the room. Surprise! It's the best friend of the person who might've put your family in medical debt! My heart pounds harder and faster than it usually does when I come to see him.

"Hey," he says, a slightly confused and shocked, but still happy grin spreading across his face. I feel so guilty... I know I shouldn't because I didn't actually do anything... but if his family goes into medical debt... I don't know... I know exactly what that's like and I just can't shake the feeling that a part of him hates me for what Robby did to him, like the transitive property or something.