FOURTEEN
back to black

❪ tw: strong language, mentions of sexual thoughts, mentions of depression, mentions of suicide, mentions of cancer, and mentions of death ❫

COBRA KAI
original chapter

"SO, WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE TODAY?" The therapist, Nova asked. Scarlett didn't expect her to be this young. She was only 24. Her hair was black. She was pale and had blue-green eyes. Scarlett went home, the night she broke down at Doni's house and told her mother that she might need therapy. Her mother looked into and found one nearby. It was a nice setting. It smelt like lavender, it was clean.

     "One of my friends brought it to my attention that I might have depression. And he's scared that if I don't get help it could get really bad." Scarlett explained as she ran her fingers along her sleeve. "And what makes him think that you have depression?" Nova crossed her right leg over her left one. "His mom has it and he noticed that I have some of the signs."

"Do you know why he's scared?" Nova asked. "He doesn't want me to resort to suicide because his mom tried to." "Do you have suicidal thoughts?" "No. Never. But, I tried to cope with my sadness in other ways." Scarlett twirled the ends of her hair. "What ways?"

"I had a bit of an alcohol problem. But, I went to rehab and went to AA and I've only drank two drinks at a party after that." Scarlett looked up from the floor. "Well, it's very common for people with depression to find a way to distract themselves so they don't have to think about what's making them depressed. Do you just get depressed out of no where or is there something making you that way?"

     "Sometimes it's out of no where but a lot of the time it happens when I lose something." Nova nodded at Scarlett's response. "Can you expand on that?"

     "When I resorted to alcohol it was because I almost loss my virginity in a way that I didn't want it to happen. I was almost raped but it was actually stopped by someone pushing him off of me. Doni actually. Um, the guy that suggested that I should get help. And most recently I lost someone who was kind of more than a friend to me and that's why I started to get depressed."

"It seems like you might have abandonment issues or loss issues. Do you think that just stemmed from your experience with the guy that tried to rape you." Nova started to write things down. "Do you like write everything that I say?" Scarlett asked anxiously. "I write what I need to." Nova gave her a reassuring smile. "No...um, no. I don't think it stemmed from that."

     "Then what?" "My dad." Scarlett stated."What happened with him?" "He died when I was 5. He had cancer."

"I'm sorry." Nova's face kind of fell. "It's okay." It was silent for a few seconds. "Your mother mentioned that you went through something kind of traumatic a month ago." Nova changed the subject.

     "I was in the school fight I'm sure you heard about it." "I have. Did you know that boy who was in a coma?" "Yes. We were a part of the same dojo and we were becoming close. I was only a few feet away from him when he fell and I had nightmares for weeks." Scarlett sighed, remembering it.

"How did you feel after experiencing that?" "Guilty but also really mad." Scarlett crisscrossed her legs. "You thought it was your fault?" Nova raised her eyebrows. "I was trying to stop the fight but I was too late and I thought that if I just ran faster none of this would have happened. And then I felt mad because karate was the one thing that made me happy for a long time and then it ruined my life. I lost friends. I lost motivation for my passion. And that's all that I had."

     "But isn't your friend recovering?" "Yeah, he can tap his foot now. He's getting better every day." Scarlett laid back into the couch. "Is that the only good thing that's happened since then?" "I've grown closer to some people and made a new friend." Scarlett responded. "How did you feel when you were doing karate?"

     "Confident. Like I could finally be the real me." "Then why give it up?" Nova's words made Scarlett start to think. She knew she didn't want to go back to Cobra Kai because of Kreese but that didn't mean she couldn't train at all. "I can't diagnose you with any mental illness yet but you are definitely showing signs of depression. And if everything checks out after a few more sessions I can prescribe you antidepressants. But, I really think you should try karate again."

     SCARLETT WALKED into her English class, immediately going to the back where Doni and Demetri were—avoiding Rory's stares as she walked by her. "Aw, how cute you guys are matching." Scarlett joked, referring to the fact that Doni and Demetri both had casts on their arms. "At least Doni's getting his off today." Demetri sighed.

     "Really? I thought it was next week." Scarlett took the empty seat behind Doni. "My doctor said it's healing faster than he predicted. And I was wondering if someone with a car and two working arms could drive me there after school..." Doni turned in his chair to look at her. "Wow, I really hope you find someone." Scarlett teased, a small smirk growing on her glossed lips. Doni gave her a look. "Fine." Scarlett agreed. "Thank you."

     "How was the therapy session yesterday?" Doni asked. "I finally realize how bad my life has been but, I feel good knowing that it's going to get better. And I know I already thanked you for pushing that guy off of me at that party but, thank you. Again." Doni nodded at her and they smiled at each other before he turned back around.

Doni felt eyes on him and looked over seeing Demetri with a smirk on his face. "What?" Doni had confusion written across his face. "What's going on there?" Demetri leaned over in his seat. "Going on where..." Doni trailed off. "You and Scarlett, bozo." Demetri whispered so Scarlett couldn't hear them. "Who even says that anymore?" Doni whispered yelled at him. "Dude," Demetri said in a scolding tone.

     "Nothing." Doni breathed out, wanting the conversation to be over. To be completely truthful Doni did like Scarlett. He kind of avoided his feelings for her because he knew she liked Hawk and he didn't want to get in the middle of it. When it came to Scarlett she did always find Doni attractive but she was too busy thinking about Hawk to even look at Doni twice. But maybe now that she wasn't looking at Hawk at all things would change. But, you'll see.

     "You were undressing her with your eyes when she walked in. I know when someone's having impure thoughts when I see it." Demetri nudged him with his good arm. "I was not. And I'm not." "Okay..." Demetri didn't believe it. (Coming to you as the writer, no one should believe it).

     The bell rang and Scarlett was looking up to the front, waiting for class to start. Doni looked at her over his shoulder, taking in the way she looked. The way her hair curled and laid perfectly. The way her lips had a soft and natural pout. He didn't understand how someone could look so pretty while doing absolutely nothing. He smiled slightly and turned back around but, what he didn't know was that Scarlett did see him. And she wasn't mad that he was looking.

     "Okay. We're going to do a project on The Great Gatsby. The papers on your desks list your options and if you choose the group project pick who you want to work with and let me know ASAP." Their teacher explained and Scarlett immediately looked up at the two boys in front of her. "You guys wanna do the group option?" Scarlett asked, leaning forward. She was kind of closer to Doni and he could smell the perfume on her clothes. "Yeah, of course." Doni responded.

DONI HAD A FREE study period so, he was hanging out in the library—waiting for Scarlett to get out of class and take him to his appointment. He was bored so he was looking in the horror section and felt someone walk next to him. He turned his head to the right and Hawk came into his view. "What's up?" Doni raised his eyebrows at him. Hawk had noticed the way Doni has been looking at Scarlett and hanging out alone with her more. And he didn't like it.

"I'm just going to get straight to the point. Do you like Scarlett?" Hawk crossed his arms over his chest. "It's none of your business." Doni rolled his eye and started to look through the books in front of him. "Yeah, it kind of is because if you try something with her I'll fucking kill you." "Dude, I know you guys had like a thing but for one—you were never dating," Doni said defensively.

"We basically were." Hawk snapped back. "No, you weren't." Doni scoffed. "Look. Scarlett is beautiful and guys are going to like her I'm pretty sure a lot of guys like her. You can't beat up everyone who tries to get with her because if you basically ruin her love life do you think she'll want you after that?" Doni looked straight at him.

"Just don't lay a finger on her." Hawk got in his face. "Are you threatening me?" Doni's face scrunched up in anger. "You're not stupid, Doni. You should know that I'm definitely threatening you." Hawk's voice was dark and cold. "Fuck off, Hawk." Hawk stared at him. Scarlett knew where Doni was and the bell had just rung. She walked into the library and started to look around but, she stopped dead in her tracks once her eyes landed on the familiar spikey hair. Hawk's eyes shifted over to her and his face fell. Doni looked back and saw Scarlett looking at them behind him.

"Your appointment." Scarlett's face was blank. "Yeah, right." Doni walked away from Hawk. Once they were out of the library Scarlett stopped him. "Why the hell were you talking to him?" Scarlett questioned. "He came up to me, okay. It's nothing." She was suspicious but she knew if she kept shoving questions down his throat that he would keep giving her the same answers.

     IT'S BEEN A FEW HOURS and Demetri, Scarlett—and Doni had already started to work on their project, and Doni was cast free. It was almost 8 and Demetri had already left Scarlett's house and she and Doni were just hanging out in her room. "It feels weird doesn't it?" Scarlett asked as she noticed Doni moving his arm around. "Yeah." Doni looked down at his arm "You'll get used to it again in a couple of days."

     Scarlett laid back into her pillows and kind of stared at the wall to her left. She couldn't stop thinking about what her therapist said about karate and also what Hawk said to Doni in the library. She still wanted to know. "You okay?" Doni moved over to the bed, sitting across from her. "Yeah, just...can't stop thinking about what my therapist said yesterday."

     "What is it?" "She asked me how karate made me feel and I said that it made me feel confident and it made me feel like me. Like the me that I never really let other people see. And, she asked me if it made me feel so good then why did I give it up and I don't know why." Scarlett shrugged.

     "Well, a guy that you despise is running the dojo you used to train at. And he kind of ruined your Sensei's life and almost ruined ours. So yeah, I don't know either." Doni joked, causing Scarlett to laugh. Scarlett's laugh was always like music to people. It was soft and just sounded pretty so it made Doni smile. "It's not just that. I think it's just because I couldn't bring myself to do it after what happened to Miguel." "So do you wanna do it?" "Yeah." Scarlett nodded.

     "You should you're like one of the best fighters I've seen?" Doni laid down on his stomach."Really?" Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows. "I mean you haven't been training for that long but you literally did a kick the no one else in the class could even master on your first day. I was like wow, that girl is gonna beat the shit out of me one day." Their laughter filled the room. "That day has yet to come. So, watch your back—Perez."

     "I wanna show you something." Scarlett gently grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the room with her. She guided him down the stairs and they walked across the kitchen into the hallway next to it. Scarlett stopped in front of the door leading to the garage and smiled. "Nice door." Doni looked down at her. "It's what's behind the door."

     The garage was where they stored all of her dad's stuff but they also kept it basically the same way he left it. He turned it into a place where he trained and there was karate equipment everywhere. There were bins in the corners filled with his clothes and there was a console table with his picture and candles surrounding it. Scarlett opened the door and turned on the light revealing it all.

     Doni's eyes widened at the view and he walked in before her. "My dad turned it into like a training room and I used to come in here and practice when I wasn't in the dojo. I haven't been in here since the week before the fight." Scarlett explained while she walked over to the table where her father's picture sat. It was just a normal picture of him hugging her mom, smiles across both of their faces.

     Scarlett took the lids off the candles and picked up the lighter. "Is that him?" Doni came up behind her. "Yeah." Scarlett started to light the candles. "He looks like you." "More like I look like him. Everyone always says that." Scarlett looked over at him. They stared at each other for a second but, Scarlett blinked and looked back over at the picture. "I definitely want to do this. Once we were at an All-Valley and he said that the second they allow girls on that mat I want to see you out there. If I don't try I feel like I'm letting him down and I want to do this for him."

     "He's proud of you either way." Scarlett looked up at him with a smile and wiped the tear that ran down her cheek. She looked over at the punching bag behind them and walked behind Doni. He watched as she stood a few feet away from it and took a second to breathe. She got a running start and jumped up, tucking in her left leg and sticking out the right one—landing and sidekick on the punching bag. Once she landed she looked over at Doni who was already looking at her with a smirk on his face. She smiled at him and looked back at the punching bag, getting into her fighting position.

a/n: a lot of my tiktok followers are shipping doni and scarlett so y'all are about to be happy. this was kind of rushed so i hope it's still good.