─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"you know, you could've just said you didn't know how to skate." tory said, laughing at the girl who struggled to move.

it was finally friday evening and the two had made their way to cascade— tory's place of work. the second tabitha had pulled the shoes on, she began to slip.

"i do know how to." tabby groaned as she tried to use the wall to hold herself up. "it's just been a while." the girl was sporting a neon pink leotard, jersey shorts with matching leg warmers. her hair was tied up into space buns with scrunchies. she knew she looked ridiculous but it was oddly fun.

miguel gracefully glided over to the two and secured his arm around tabby's waist, helping her with her balance. "here." he muttered as he helped her up. tory sighed, turning away from the two. "i think someone's calling me over. i'll see you guys in a second." she mumbled.

"see ya." tabby waved. she waited until the blonde girl was out of her eye-line and began to squirm around. "okay, get off of me now."

"if i let go, you're gonna fall." miguel pointed out.

"yes and i'd rather that." tabby told him.

"okay." miguel shrugged, pulling his arm away. tabby stumbled a little but she remained on her two feet. she stuck her tongue out at him with pride, making him chuckle. "you hungry?"

"starving." tabby groaned. "you know what i would die for? some crispy fries."

"now you're speaking my language." miguel grinned. "come on, let's go ask tory."

"i thought your language was spanish?" tabby joked as she unsteadily skated behind him.

"yeah, very funny." miguel shook his head. he disregarded the people tory was speaking to and stood by her side. "hey, what time are you on break? tabby wanted fries so i wanted to time it out so they were extra crispy."

by the time he noticed robby and sam's presence, tabby had made her way over. she scoffed at the sight of them together, placing her hands on her hips. "well, well, well."

"hey, i didn't recognise you." miguel spoke, pulling off his sunglasses. "i dig the costumes." tabby reached over to him and took the accessory, resting it on her head.

"thanks." sam muttered.

"uh, tory, this is sam and robby." miguel introduced them. "tabby, this is robby."

"yeah... we met already, we girls had a little run in at the beach club." tory stated.

"oh yeah, i forgot you were there" miguel shook his head.

"so, how do you three know each other?" sam asked her ex-boyfriend. tabby found her bewilderment amusing, she was surprised that robby hadn't told her something by now.

"they're in cobra kai." miguel explained.

"figures." samantha muttered under her breath.

"what was that?" tory challenged.

sam shook her head. "nothing."

"alright, i've got to get back to work." tory told them. "i'll see you two lovebirds later."

"come on, babe." tabby gave him a loving smile before taking his hand. as the duo skated away, tabby turned her head around and sent robby a wink. the two of them watched them skate away, a perplexed look on samantha face.

"we should scan some menus." miguel suggested. tabitha was surprised he didn't say anything about seeing sam. "i kinda wanna try their hotdogs and you could check to see—" he stopped for a second. "i mean—"

"yeah, about that." she sighed as they approached their booth. "you know?"

"i figured when you spelt a couple of the rules wrong." miguel explained.

"you tell anyone and i'll seriously hurt you." she immediately threatened.

miguel just laughed, pulling out one of the menus from the stand. "i wouldn't put it past you." he joked. "you want me to tell you what they've got?"

tabby's expression softened from a threatening look to a grateful one. "uh yeah, sure. but before we do that, how are we paying? split the bill in half, pay for ourselves or one person pays for roller skating other pays for food?"

"isn't the guy supposed to pay on the first date?" miguel asked.

"you're right." tabby nodded. "so i'll pay."

"i know that's supposed to be an insult to me, but you do realise you're also calling yourself a guy?" miguel questioned.

"that's fine by me." she shrugged. "as long as it makes you less of one."

"we can split the bill." miguel finalised, "is that okay?"

"yeah, that's okay."

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"date left you stranded?" tabby teased, skating her way over to the long-haired boy in a spader's costume. robby shifted around, not expecting to see her. "could say the same to you."

"nah, he's just getting me a drink." tabitha smiled. "you know, i would not have expected you two together. i mean it's super convenient, isn't it? you living at her house and all."

"it's none of your business, tabitha. like you said— it's not like i owe you anything, we just hooked up once."

tabitha winced. "now that stings." she shrugged. "but you're right. and speaking of the larusso's house, could you ask samantha when she's going to have me over again? i really miss our old play dates."

robby's face turned into a look of confusion. "what are you talking about?"

"oh right. she still doesn't recognise me." tabby frowned. "well, tell her my last name is brooks. maybe that'll ring a bell. or two. i mean two because remember i have a twin, so like we're like two—" she saw the uninterested look on his face. "let me know what she says, okay? you've still got my number right?"

"you know, you're not the person i thought you were." robby shook his head.

"am i better?" she grinned. the boy just scoffed and began to skate away from her. "you know you were much more interesting when i knew nothing about you!" she called out after him, but he was quickening his pace. tabby frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

she made her way to the edge of the skating rink and leaned against it as miguel approached her. "what was that about?" she questioned, accepting the drink from his hand.

miguel shook his head. "nothing."

"this is eating her alive." tabby smirked. "i can tell."

"how do you know for sure?" miguel questioned. "because it seems like she's too occupied with robby to even care."

"okay, yes robby is adding some problems in our plan." tabby sighed. "but trust me, i can either get rid of him or we can up our game and made sam even more jealous."

"get rid of him?" miguel chuckled. "we're not spies on a mission."

"we might as well be." tabby shrugged. "could be like bonnie and clyde."

"they weren't spies." miguel corrected her. "but i'm guessing that would make you clyde, right?"

"i love how your catching onto this, bonnie." tabby tapped his cheek with a smile.

suddenly there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of gasping. miguel and tabby glanced to the side to see tory sprawled on the ground and sam standing above her. they didn't hesitate to rush over and help their blonde friend. "what the hell, sam?!" miguel exclaimed as tabitha crouched down to help her friend up.

"what? me? i—she's the one—" sam began to stutter.

tory's manager rushed over to the scene. "are you okay, tory?" the girl sat up, her hand pressed against the back of her head. she had her eyes on tabitha. "thanks."

"you need an ice pack or something?" tabitha questioned.

"i'm okay."

"all right, you're done." the manager said to robby and sam. "you're out!"

"she's the one who started it!" robby tried to defend themselves.

"you're out!" he demanded.

"what a psycho." tabby muttered, staring right back at sam before the couple turned around and skated away.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"samantha seriously did that to tory?" theo questioned, momentarily glancing at the girl in his passenger seat.

"i'm so stupid, i forgot you would've known her too." miguel spoke up from the back seat. he was grateful that tabby could convince her brother to drop him off at home.

"oh he didn't just know her, he had the biggest crush on her." tabby chuckled.

"tabby!" theo groaned. "you can't say that when her ex is here." he whispered.

"you were her ex first."

"wait, you and sam dated?" miguel questioned.

"no, i just had a crush on her when we were kids." theo explained. "i mean—i haven't see her since we moved away. and that was like ten years ago."

"ohhh." miguel nodded in understanding. "thanks man for the ride, i really appreciate it."

"no problem of course." theo nodded. "any friend— i mean boyfriend of tabby's, is a boyfriend of mine."

tabby turned around to see miguel smiling. she sighed before glancing back at her brother. back in silver lake people would think that the silver twins' dynamic was stereotypically dumb jock and mean, popular sister. but they had them all wrong.

as well as the captain of the football team, theodore was nearly always at the top of his class — he was even more intelligent than his sister. and tabitha was mean, but that was mainly because she struggled to make proper friendships. and due to her learning disability, she would find herself falling behind in class.

but theo frequently lacked common sense. "yeah, think about what you've just said." tabby spoke.

"oh! no, i meant... any boyfriend's of tabby's is a friend of mine." theo corrected himself.

"atta boy." tabby tapped his back with pride.

"you know, i predicted that you two would get together." theo spoke with pride. "i could tell by the first time you saw each other. "despite her saying how much she hated you the next day."

"wait, you hated me?" miguel questioned.

"oh yeah." tabitha nodded without hesitation. "you were acting like you were so much better than everyone else because you won the all valley."

"don't people usually win because they're better than everyone else?" theo questioned.

"exactly!"

"you're supposed to automatically be on my side, dude! what's the point of having a twin if you're not going to defend me?" tabitha complained. "i cannot wait to get my licence back."

"well you're stuck with me for another month." theo grinned.

"why was it taken?" miguel questioned.

"i'm sorry you had to find out this way, miguel." theo sighed. "but your girlfriend is a criminal."

"no, he's lying." tabitha shook her head.

"no i'm not."

⎯ ❃ jania speaks!
i'm very nearly finished with school, so expect more frequent updates from here and my other books!!

alsoooo i made a tabby playlist!