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CHARLIE WATCHED THE CHAOS UNFOLD IN THE DOJO. Her gaze drifted, searching for Daniel, fully aware that his face would be a picture of anger if he saw what they were doing.
"What is going on?" she asked, walking up beside Demetri.
He kept his focus straight ahead but replied, "We're building an Okinawan sparring deck. Eli's idea."
"Really?" A surprised chuckle escaped her lips. She knew Eli had a good imagination, but this? It didn't seem like someone who only left their old dojo a few weeks ago's idea.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Daniel's voice bellowed as he stormed in, followed closely by Johnny.
Charlie pivoted on her heel, "I'll just . . . uh, let you handle this," she muttered, taking a step back as Demetri and Hawk prepared to explain.
She made her way over to Sam, who was wrestling with a stubborn fence post. "Hey, how'd it go with Robby?"
"Not great," Sam sighed, her frustration evident as she pushed down with all her might. The post didn't budge. "I just can't seem to get through to him."
Charlie raised an eyebrow and joined her in knocking down the fence, "I think I've left him about a hundred missed calls and texts. I'm surprised he hasn't blocked me yet."
"Right? He's completely wiped me off every social. I can't believe he let Kreese brainwash him," Sam huffed, finally managing to yank the post free.
Charlie didn't think it was robby's fault, nor did she blame him for it. She had seen Kreese's manipulative nature firsthand and she was lucky to have just escaped it.
But now, Robby was in that position. The same position most of her friends were in, including hawk. And god knows it was difficult to get him out of it, so the thought of trying to pull Robby out felt daunting.
She glanced down at the fence post, now finally knocked over, before offering Sam a reassuring smile. "We'll get him out, soon enough. Just can't give up on him."
【☆】★【☆】
"YOU GOT IT?" Charlie asked, glancing back as her mother grabbed the last box from the boot of the car.
"Yep! Oh, I think there might be some charger leads in the front. Could you grab those for me, please?" Monique replied as she made her way toward Johnny's house.
Charlie nodded and swung the door open before snagging the leads and locking the car behind her. She hurried after her mom, pulling out her keys to unlock the front door.
As they stepped inside, the house greeted them with darkness. Charlie quickly set her box down, her eyes darting behind the door where she had placed the confetti popper earlier. With a flick of the switch, the lights turned on and she launched the confetti into the air, just as Monique caught sight of the 'welcome home' sign dangling from the ceiling.
