 ( chapter twenty five )
OFFICIALLY DONE, FOR GOOD.

Charlie had been a mess since she met up with Robby. Less on an emotional level, she was pretty sure she'd exhausted all her feelings and was living far away from how she truly felt. She knew she was just pushing it all down, but she wasn't going to stop.

No, Charlie was a mess because she knew that at some point she had to tell Miguel. And she feared that he'd never forgive her for it.

So, as she sat on the Diaz's couch watching Miguel get his legs moved for physical therapy, Charlie knew she wasn't all the way there.

"Let's go, Speed Racer. I'm gonna work those gimpy legs like a... rented mule." Johnny spoke, suddenly walking through the door. Charlie had forgotten Miguel wanted the man to be apart of his healing process, so she did not expect him to walk through the door. "Sorry. I thought you said 10:00 that you'd be alone." Johnny apologized.

"I'm sorry, my mom gets free physical therapy from work. And this was the only time Brayden was available." Miguel explained. "Mahalo." Brayden spoke, nodding Johnnys way.

"Be done soon if you wanna wait." Miguel offered. Charlie just watched as Johnny looked Carmens way, the woman just looking away. It was obvious she still wasn't one hundred percent on the Johnny train, but also that she'd do what Miguel wanted when it came to his recovery.

Charlie had always thought the man was a bit of an idiot, but he seemed to get results out of Miguel better than anyone.

"Now, if you're feeling any pain, hermano, let me know." Brayden spoke, pointing Miguel's way. "Still no feeling whatsoever." Miguel just shrugged. "No worries. Positive thoughts, remember? You're doing great." Brayden reminded.

"At what? Letting you lift his legs?" Johnny wondered, Charlie instantly hearing a chuckle from Miguel. "Johnny, Brayden is a specialist in this field. He knows what he's doing." Carmen warned, basically letting the man know to stop talking.

"Slow, deep breaths." Brayden instructed, breathing out deeply with Miguel. "Inhale joy and love."

"You gotta be shitting me?" Johnny frowned. "Do you ever keep your thoughts inside your head?" Charlie wondered, sending the man a look. "Wh—What are you even doing here, anyways? Do you live here now or something?" Johnny wondered in return.

"It's called a car, asshole." Charlie shot back, not seeing the amused look in the man's eye as she looked down at her phone. Miguel smiled lightly, finding the whole back and forth entertaining.

Johnny was just seeing how similar the Moreno girl was to the Diaz boy, the way they both seemed to shoot right back at him without fear.

"Johnny... can I talk to you for a minute?" Carmen asked, pulling Johnny away from the group and into the kitchen.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Miguel wondered, looking Charlie's way. She just frowned, feeling all her anxiety well up as he looked her way. And she could tell he noticed how stressed she was too as his own face fell.

Charlie just took in a breath. "Probably just trying to figure out what they're gonna do with all the sexual tension between 'em." Miguel's face just contorted into one of disgust. "Ew, Char. No."

"I'm not talking about it, they are." Charlie replied, looking back down at her phone again as a text from Sam flew in. Hang out?

Sure. You free in 30? Charlie wrote back, noticing Carmen and Johnny walking back over. Sounds great! Sam replied.

Brayden smiled at Miguel. "Okay, hermano, let's breathe again."

———————

Charlie laid on Sam's bed in silence, just staring up at the ceiling as Sam looked at her phone. The longer she didn't tell Miguel the worse she was feeling, worried what keeping a secret like this would do to their relationship.

She didn't regret seeing Robby, knowing that even with how much it hurt that she needed to do it. But she didn't know how to handle telling Miguel, especially so soon after the fall.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam wondered softly, looking toward her quiet friend. She'd noticed that Charlie was a lot quieter than she once was, but this was a whole new level.

Charlie sat up, turning toward Sam as the other girl did the same. "If I show you something do you promise to never tell anyone else, ever?" Sam immediately nodded, though the seriousness in Charlie's voice scared her.

Charlie grabbed her bag, pulling her wallet out before taking the letter out. She was keeping it close, hidden somewhere only she'd look while still having it somewhere she could get to quickly when needed.

Charlie handed Sam the letter, the other girl immediately opening it before scanning each line, mouth only falling wider open as she did so. "No way!" Sam gasped.

Charlie fell back on the bed, throwing a pillow over her face and holding it there. "I might as well just die." Sam smiled lightly, removing the pillow from her friends face. "I think you'll be okay."

"You don't get it. I... I..." Charlie frowned, looking toward Sam anxiously. "Charlie... did you really?" Sam guessed, immediately guessing exactly what Charlie did.

Charlie just took the pillow back, throwing it over her face again. "It's okay!" Sam sighed, looking toward her friend. "How's he doing?"

"I think he's getting into fights. Or at least is on the receiving end. I don't know... he's different. He cut his hair." Charlie listed, though muffled. "The haircut was needed." Sam laughed.

"How can you be so calm about this? Miguel is never going to speak to me again." Charlie frowned, taking the pillow off her face to look at Sam. "Charlie, he would probably go insane if you weren't in his life. I know it's hard for both of you right now, but he isn't going to cut you off because you gave into an impulse. He cares way too much about you." Sam replied.

"I just don't know how I could be such a horrible friend to him. I mean... I literally went to visit the person who might have paralyzed him and haven't even told him yet." Charlie spoke, whipping her eyes slightly. "I just don't know how to tell him."

"Just explain the situation and what happened. Miguel may be upset about his situation right now, but I truly don't think he'd ever hold this against you. But you need to tell him sooner rather than later." Sam advised. "I know... I— I will. Thanks." Charlie spoke, laying her head on her friends shoulder.

"Of course." Sam smiled, smile faltering as her phone lit up with a text from Chris. "No fucking way."

"What?" Charlie wondered, confused as she looked at the now very angry girl. "We need to go, now." Sam just replied. "What? Where?" Charlie frowned. "Golf N Stuff. It's an emergency, please just come with me." Sam pleaded.

Charlie frowned, still not fully sure what it was about. She knew Chris worked at Golf N Stuff, so an emergency frightened her. "O... Okay." Charlie nodded, following Sam to her car.

God she hoped she wasn't just tricked into something to do with karate.

When they got there Charlie immediately realized it was a karate thing as only Miyagi-Do members seemed to group together. She frowned, not knowing how to leave as she looked at the group. "Where are they?" Sam questioned as Chris walked toward everyone.

"They snuck into the old laser tag place next door." Chris explained and Charlie was just liking this situation less and less. She didn't like being tricked into a karate fight, especially when Sam knew why she didn't want to be involved anymore.

"How many?" Sam wondered. "Four of 'em." Chris replied. "Six of us. I like our odds." Sam nodded in return. "Five of you. Sam, I can't do this." Charlie spoke, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Char, we need you. I'm sorry I tricked you, but we can only keep each other safe if we stick together. Just... please help us out here. We need to show that we can't be walked all over." Sam almost begged. "Okay." Charlie nodded slowly, feeling the pressure of everyone staring at her. "But this is the last night I'm apart of this, okay?"

"Okay!" Sam smiled. "Are you sure we should be doing this?" Demetri then wondered, obviously having been waiting to ask since the conversation begun. "We're not in school property. This is our chance to fight back." Sam replied, leading the group.

Charlie found herself walking with Demetri, the boy looking her way with a small awkward glance. "Thanks, by the way. You don't have to be here. We all appreciate it."

"Thanks, Metri." Charlie smiled lightly, following again as the group made it to the old laser tag place.

Upon making it in Sam shut down the lights, hoping to create fear in the Cobra Kai's before revealing herself and the group.

"What do you want?" Hawk questioned, rolling his eyes as he looked at the girl. "Payback." Sam shot back angrily.

Charlie then made eye contact with Hawk, watching as his eyes softened for just a moment before hardening again when he faced Sam. "Oh yeah? And how are you gonna do that, princess?"

Sam's frown just widened, the girl attacking by shoving one boy and then kicking another one across the face while the rest of the group scattered around.

Charlie's eyes widened as a punch was thrown toward her face, ducking quickly before kicking the boy backwards. "Holy shit." Charlie gasped, blocking more attacks as they got sent at her before Demetri ran up and kicked the other boy in the side, knocking him down. "Come on."

Charlie was quick to follow the boy, finding that she was glad Mr. LaRusso worked so much on muscle memory because of how out of practice she was. It helped that while she wasn't as there for it mentally her body could still pull off what it once could.

The boy got back up, going after the two again as they looked to each other, Demetri grabbing Charlie's hand and spinning her past him to confuse the other boy, the girl stopping herself before slamming her foot into the boys side while Demetri punched him across the face.

The two quickly high-fived, impressing themselves at their ability to work together.

"Sam LaRusso... Where are you, bitch?" Torys voice suddenly rung out, stopping Charlie as she looked around for the girl, but more specifically for Sam. She watched as Tory came into the fight, bringing two boys with her as Hawk was sudden in front of her, going after Demetri and Demetri alone.

She moved to go help the boy, suddenly feeling someone pulling her the other way before she was thrown on the ground. "Show yourself, LaRusso!" Tory yelled out.

Charlie tried to block her stomach as the boy before her kicked his leg into her core, obviously trying to bruise him the way she bruised his ego. Charlie then grabbed his foot, stopping it from kicking her again before shoving it back toward him and standing up fast, using her speed to get around him and kick him across the face.

And that was when she saw Demetri, more specifically how Hawk had his arm pulled behind his back. She turned her head fast to also see Chris getting kicked the same way she'd been by two boys, running to try and help them both, but she was just grabbed by two other Cobra Kai boys twice her side.

"Let me go!" Charlie struggled, trying to wiggle out of their grasp and help her friends. Their grip just tightened, forcing the girl to stand and watch as Demetri began to beg Hawk to let him go. "No! Please, stop! Eli, stop! Stop! It—It's me! Don't do it! No! Help me!"

Charlie struggled more as the members of Cobra Kai began shouting for Hawk to break the boys arm, feeling sobs leave her throat as she stared down at her friend while being completely helpless. "Do it!" Tory egged on, the other boys around her continuing to join in to yell for the boy to finish Demetri.

"Don't!" Charlie yelled, thrashing back and forth before feeling the grip around her tighten further, one of the boys kicking the back of her knee and causing the girl to fall. "No, no, no. It's fine. I'll go!" Demetri pleaded, really hoping to walk away from this.

"Sam!" Charlie yelled, begging the girl to appear and help them all. This was why she didn't want to get back into karate, all it was doing was hurting people.

Suddenly Hawks face grew cold, the boy snapping Demetri's arm back. Charlie sobbed out as Demetri screamed in pain, body physically shaking in pain. "Damn it!"

"Damn!" Demetri continued. "Let her go." Hawk snapped to the boys holding Charlie down, both of them immediately listening as the girl tripped over toward Demetri. "Shit." She cursed, blinking away the tears to try and see him properly.

"This isn't over, LaRusso!" Tory shouted as she walked off with her friends. Charlie looked up, catching Hawk still standing there looking down at the two. She just frowned, turning back down to comfort the sobbing boy on the floor the best he could while Hawk walked off.

"I— I called 911." Nate spoke, walking up shakily. Charlie just took Demetri's good hand in her own, letting the boy use her hand to squeeze when the pain became too much. And by the looks of how much he was squeezing her hand, it seemed the pain was consistently too much.

When they got to the hospital Charlie sat off alone, as did Sam. She just couldn't be near anyone from Miyagi-Do, finding that it was all becoming too much. This war that was occurring was only getting worse and Charlie just wanted out. She wanted to go back to when karate wasn't on anyone's mind.

"Charlie? Are you okay?" Ana wondered, suddenly rushing in. Charlie looked up to her mom, lip trembling as her eyes grew glossy again. "Oh, baby." Ana frowned, sweeping the girl into her arms.

Charlie just let a sob out, seemingly not the only one as she heard Sam begin to cry to her own mom. "Th— They broke Demetri's arm. I just want this all to go away." Charlie sobbed, holding her mom even closer. "They held me back and wouldn't let me help him. I— I watched the whole thing." She continued, feeling her mom begin to try and stroke her hair to calm her down.

"We're going to fix this, okay baby? We're going to help." Ana spoke, meeting the eyes of Amanda LaRusso with a quick nod.

There truly was nothing more powerful than a mother who was ready to go to war for her kid

AUTHORS NOTE!
lol hey... so I did mess up my updating schedule that's my bad I was on a quick vacation but I'm back now and hopefully will be able to keep a semi consistent updating schedule with school starting back up.

this season is really the worst when it comes to charlie getting trauma lol my b