╔.𖥸. .════════════════╗

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬

chapter eleven
and you're tossing out blame,
drunk on this pain, crossing
out the good years

╚════════════════. .❀.╝

ALYSSA, DEMETRI, SAM, and Robby had all gone back to the LaRusso house after the incident at the mall. Sam and Robby had found solace inside at the dining room table, talking excitedly about the fight, but Alyssa and Demetri . . . the two of them were the only ones who felt the deep sting of betrayal and sadness. They could only really find comfort in each other right now. So that's why the two of them were alone, sitting at the table on the patio in complete silence.

She had her knees tucked up to her chest while her head rested against the top of Demetri's arm. The tears hadn't started until they had gotten back to the LaRusso house, and although they were slow, they hadn't stopped. She couldn't really help them. The look in Eli's eyes, the way he was so ready to hurt them . . . it shocked her all the way down to her core. Alyssa sniffled and reached up, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

"I heard you two ran the one-hundred-yard dash in under ten seconds," Sensei LaRusso's voice announced, breaking their silence, and Alyssa looked to the side to see him sitting down in the chair next to Demetri. "Some people learn faster than others. Don't be discouraged."

"Come on," Demetri protested. "Let's face the facts. I — I can't sand the floor. I can't wax on, I can barely wax off." He glanced through the window into the kitchen at Sam and Robby. "Meanwhile, we've got Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in there." He then looked down at Alyssa. "And Arya Stark over here, and I'm just . . . Sam Tarly."

"Sam Tarly did kill a White Walker."

"You watch Game of Thrones?"

"Oh, I am so down with GoT," Sensei LaRusso answered. "And if it's taught us anything, it's that anyone could be the hero. Right?"

Maybe he was right. But Alyssa didn't necessarily want to be the hero if it meant protecting people from the one person she thought she could trust the most.

"Alyssa?" Sensei LaRusso questioned, making her pick her head up from Demetri's arm and look at him. "You okay?"

She gave him a tight, watery smile. "I don't know right now." Alyssa cleared her throat and stood up from the chair. "Sorry, I think I'm just gonna head home. Dem, do you want a ride?"

He shook his head. "It's okay. You go."

Demetri reached up and patted her arm comfortingly. Alyssa squeezed his shoulder in response and turned around, walking back into the house and abandoning her undrunk lemonade on the table.

"Oh, Ally, wait," Sam voiced, and Alyssa stopped, watching as she stood up from the table and approached her. "Do you want to stay? I have some ice cream in the freezer and High School Musical 2."

"I really appreciate the offer, but I think I'm just going to head home and spend some time with my little brother," Alyssa told her. "Thanks anyway."

"Of course." Sam then reached out, pulling Alyssa into a comforting hug. Alyssa hugged Sam back and closed her eyes as she rested her chin on her shoulder, trying her best not to burst into a full-on mental breakdown. "See you tomorrow."

"If you need anything, just let us know," Robby added, putting his hands into his pockets.

Alyssa pulled back from Sam and glanced in between them. "Will do."

She then left the LaRusso house completely, heading to her car that was parked on the street. Her head pounded as she did so — probably from a mixture of stress, heartache, and crying. Alyssa took her phone out of her pocket and immediately called her little brother, Jackson.

"Hi," Jackson's voice echoed from the other side of the phone after a couple rings.

"Hey," Alyssa began. "Do we have any Advil at home? I know we were running low."

"Hold on." About thirty seconds of Jackson standing up, going to the kitchen, and rummaging in the medicine cabinet. "Uh, no. I think mom used the last of it yesterday."

She sighed. "Okay, I'll pick up some. Hey, I'm sorry for being away all day. I'll buy you a candy bar as an apology."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, but a candy bar would be nice," Jackson replied. "Hey, Ally, you okay?"

There was really no use lying to her little brother. He saw through her more than anyone else. However, she didn't want to tell him about Eli just yet. It hurt her to talk about, and she knew it would hurt Jackson because him and Eli were always close.

"Not right now, but I will be," Alyssa admitted, unlocking her car. "I'll see you at home. We can watch a movie, yeah?"

"Yeah," Jackson agreed. "See you."

Alyssa hung up her phone and got into her car. She started it, only having one destination in mind — the convenience store by Cobra Kai. Alyssa didn't necessarily want to anywhere near Cobra Kai, but the convenience store would be the cheapest and it was on the way back to her house.

She didn't even put music on. Alyssa just drove, nothing but her own thoughts clouding her mind. She could feel all the events of the day catch up to her rapidly now that she was alone.

Alyssa just didn't realize that another event would be added on, one that would break her completely.

She parked her car in an empty spot in the strip mall and got out, shutting and locking her door behind her. It was dark out now, stars starting to dot the black sky. They didn't bring her comfort like they usually did. Her eyes then slid from the sky to the sign on the strip mall that read COBRA KAI KARATE with the two snakes.

Alyssa let out a deep breath and locked her car, walking up onto the sidewalk and going to the convenience store. She entered, and the bell on the door chimed. The cashier looked up from the register and gave her a tiny smile. She replied with one, too, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

She went to where the medicine was and grabbed a bottle of Advil before going over to the candy. Alyssa didn't even have to think about the decision before she grabbed two candy bars — a Snickers for her, and a Kit-Kat for Jackson. She walked up to the counter and placed everything on it.

"You okay, cariño?" the cashier inquired, starting to scan her items and put them in a bag. "You look upset."

Alyssa shrugged. "Just had a really long day."

"Family troubles?" he guessed.

She was confused for a moment before she remembered. The last time she had been here, she had pretended to be Eli's wife and Bert's mother. That day seemed like a million years ago now. So much had changed.

"Yeah, you can say that," Alyssa responded.

The cashier looked down at the medicine and chocolate before nodding. "Chocolate always helps." He told her amount, and she paid, taking the bag from him. "Feel better."

"Thank you."

She held onto her bag of things and her car keys as she walked out of the convenience store. Alyssa expected it to be silent and empty like it was when she arrived, but it wasn't."

"You beat up Demetri over a Yelp review? What the hell were you even thinking?"

Moon.

"He joined Miyagi-Do."

Eli.

Alyssa stopped in her tracks right outside of the door, staring straight ahead. Moon and Eli were standing in front of Cobra Kai. The two must've come while she was in the store, because she didn't recall seeing Moon's car when she parked.

"So what?" Moon argued. "He's your friend."

"He's a fucking nerd!" Eli shouted, and Alyssa clenched her jaw, her stomach tightening in knots. "And he'll always be a nerd."

"And Ally?"

Alyssa's breath quietly hitched in her throat when she heard her name. That was true. What about her? Did Eli think that they would be fine?

Eli paused for a second. "What about Lys?"

"She's the one that means the most to you," Moon insisted. "Even while dating you, I can see that."

"I didn't know she was going to be there. And she joined Miyagi-Do, too."

"That really doesn't make this any better." Moon paused for a second. "You know what?" She took a step closer to Eli and reached up, touching his mohawk momentarily. "I like this." Her hands then rested on his face for a moment before going down to his arm muscles. "And I like these. But I'm not dating a bully."

"Where are you going?" Eli demanded when Moon walked towards her car.

"We're done," Moon replied, opening the door.

"No, we're not." Eli tugged his shirt over his head and pointed to something on his chest. "This means forever."

"And I didn't ask you to do that."

See, lately, the universe hadn't been on Alyssa's side. And it definitely wasn't in that moment, because the universe decided it wanted to fuck up her life even more, and the car keys that she had been holding so tightly in her hand fell to the ground. The sound of metal against concrete rang throughout the strip mall, and Alyssa mentally cursed herself.

Eli and Moon's heads snapped over to her. Alyssa stood there, frozen in shock for a moment, before leaning down and picking up her keys. Well, this was awkward. She straightened back up, wanting nothing more than a hole to form in the Earth and swallow her up. Alyssa was hoping that she could just sneak past when it all ended, but that obviously wasn't going to be the case anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Ally," Moon said. She gave a pointed glare to Eli. "You didn't deserve that." Moon then looked back at Alyssa, offering her a small smile. "Call me, let's hang out soon."

Moon then got in her car and shut the door behind her.

"Hey," Eli protested, but Moon ignored him, starting up her car and reversing out of her spot. "Hey!"

The strip mall was stuck in a tense silence. Eli looked back over at Alyssa, and even from so far away, she could see the fire in his eyes. She sighed. Just get in your car, she told herself as she walked up to where her car was parked, right by Cobra Kai. Just get in your car and drive away.

It wasn't that easy.

"Alyssa," Eli stated, and she completely stopped on the sidewalk. "Don't walk away."

He came closer to her, and Alyssa had to resist the urge to step back away from him. Alyssa's eyes then set on his bare chest. Inked onto his skin, right where his heart was, was a crescent shape with the word Moon in it. That, along with the bruise on his face, made her get the overwhelming urge to be sick, but she pushed it away.

"Oh, would you rather me run?" Alyssa countered. "Like I did earlier?"

"Alyssa—" Eli started to say.

"No, Eli. Our entire lives, I have done nothing but run towards you. But today, I ran away. What do you think that says? Because it says a lot."

"You weren't supposed to be there."

"Why are you saying that like it's supposed to miraculously make this whole situation better?" Alyssa argued. "It evidently didn't matter that I was there, anyways. I told you to stop, multiple times, and you didn't listen. You would've gladly pushed me to the side if it meant getting to Demetri. In fact, that's literally what happened, because one of your Cobras yanked me away so you could attack him."

Eli didn't reply. There was no way he could argue with that, anyways, because it was the truth.

Alyssa unlocked her car. "Whatever, Eli. I don't really know in what world you think I would possibly want to talk to you right now after all of this."

She went to walk towards her car, but Eli reached out, grabbing her wrist. Alyssa immediately ripped it out of his grasp. He reached out again, his hand ready to take it once more, but Alyssa finally took a step back away from him. She stood frozen, looking at him in disbelief. Eli stared at her in a mixture of regret and hurt for a second before his facial expression hardened.

"Just tell me why you're here," Eli demanded. "You came here, and you eavesdropped on my conversation, and for what?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "Wow, I am so sorry that I didn't realize that getting Advil from the store was off-limits for me. It's also kind of hard not to eavesdrop when you were yelling in the middle of the strip mall. And that wasn't even intentional. I didn't know you were going to be here."

"You also have some nerve showing up here, considering you're a Miyagi-Do. Which I can't believe." Eli scoffed. "If you wanted to learn karate—"

"I should've come to Cobra Kai?" Alyssa finished. "Yeah, no thanks. In case you haven't noticed, I don't want to strike first, I don't want to strike hard, and I don't want to show no mercy. That's not who I am, and that's not who you used to be like." Her eyes narrowed at him. "Moon's right, you know. You're becoming the one thing that we've hated our entire lives. A bully."

"You don't get to talk about that," Eli argued. "You weren't the one being bullied, you got off perfectly fine—"

"Have you forgotten all of the times I fought off the bullies for you and Demetri?" Alyssa questioned, her voice raising. "Have you forgotten all of the times I was there for you?"

"You haven't been there for me. Not ever since I joined Cobra Kai."

Alyssa froze, her mouth slightly opening in shock and all of her breath leaving her. "I . . . I can't believe you just said that. I have tried so hard to stick by your side. You wanted to flip the switch, and you did. But I helped you dye your hair, I went with you to get that stupid tattoo, I encouraged you to talk to Moon. All I've ever wanted for you was to be more confident in yourself and stand up for yourself, and you have. But you've pushed me away ever since you joined Cobra Kai, not the other way around. And you've pushed Demetri away, too."

"Demetri's a pussy, Lys," Eli responded. "I don't want to be seen with him anymore."

"Then what about me?" Alyssa demanded, staring at him as hurt flashed across her features. "It's quite evident you don't give a shit about Demetri, but what about me? Am I a pussy, Eli? Am I?"

"You weren't, until—"

"Stop!" Alyssa shouted, her voice echoing across the walls of the strip mall. "You and I always got each on a deeper level, you know that. I thought I meant more to you than this." She paused for a second, feeling the sensation of tears burning in her eyes. "What happened to you? I . . . I don't even know who you are anymore."

"You said it yourself," Eli responded. "I got stronger."

"I didn't know that becoming stronger and becoming an asshole were the same. This—" she pointed up at Cobra Kai "—has turned you into this—" she jabbed her finger onto his bare chest "—and I don't like the person who's staring back at me right now."

Eli pushed her hand away from him, and for a second, his eyes turned sad before they went back to angry. "You should really accept reality instead of living in the past. This is me."

Alyssa shook her head. "I see right through you, Eli. You think that after all of our years of friendship, I wouldn't. The old you is still there, deep down inside. But you buried him underneath hair dye, tattoos, and your fists. And the more you repress him, the more you turn into a stranger to me, and the more I don't want to be around you anymore."

"Then go!" Eli ordered, and Alyssa slightly jumped from the tone in his voice. "If you're going to just stand here and tell me how horrible I am, I really don't want to listen. So if you can't fucking accept me, just leave."

Her bottom lip momentarily quivered and her vision went blurry for a second, but she pushed that back for now. "I've tried to accept you. I've let too much slide, which I'm realizing now, because you mean world to me, Eli. It was always us against everything else." She let out a shaky sigh. "But now it's shattered, and I don't know if we can fix it."

"If I meant the world to you, you would've joined Cobra Kai," Eli voiced. "You've shattered this by joining Miyagi-Do."

Alyssa raised her eyebrows at him in disbelief. "I've shattered this? No, Eli, you shattered this by attacking Demetri and I at the mall when you could've just talked to us instead of resorting to violence. And so what I joined Miyagi-Do? Are you forgetting people can make their own choices? You made yours." She clutched onto her car keys a little tighter, her heart sinking when she realized what was going to happen because of this. "And I made mine."

Eli seemed to freeze for a second, eyes trailing across her face. "So that's it, then?"

"Yeah." She hesitated for a moment, but her mouth moved before her mind. "That's it."

His jaw clenched, an angry breath passing through his lips. He then turned around and walked back into the Cobra Kai dojo, letting the door close behind him. Alyssa stood there, the world spinning around her.

She had never felt more alone.

Alyssa let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding in, which was trembling, along with her hands. She walked over to her car, opening the door and sitting herself down in the drivers seat. Alyssa threw the bag from the store in the passenger seat and pulled her phone out of her back pocket.

Her phone momentarily lit up from her touching the screen, and her eyes caught on her lock screen. It had been the same picture for ages, one that Demetri had taken. It was her and Eli — well, back when he actually was Eli, before he transformed into Hawk. Alyssa had her arms thrown around his neck and she was smiling brightly, representing how truly happy she was. Her cheek was squished against Eli's, who was grinning as well, even if it wasn't as big as hers. He had one arm around her waist to hold onto her as well. His body was drowning in one of those sweaters that he always wore, the ones she always thought were cute.

Those days were clearly over. Nothing but a ghost of the past.

She opened up her camera roll and found a new picture. It was of her and Sam. The two of them were sitting on the deck of Miyagi-Do before practice. They were mid-laughter, Alyssa leaning forwards slightly with her hand over her mouth, but her squinted eyes were a telltale sign of how she was giggling. Sam was slumped against Alyssa's arm, her eyes shut and a smile on her face. What they were laughing about, Alyssa wasn't quite sure, but it must've been a joke one of them made.

A pure, candid picture that Robby had taken and sent to the two of them. A new lock screen to look at every day. A new moment of happiness.

Alyssa felt a tear run down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and set the picture to be her lock screen. Alyssa turned on her car, buckled her seatbelt, and reversed out of her spot, leaving behind Cobra Kai and . . . Hawk.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

SAM HAD OFFERED Alyssa a ride to practice that morning. She sat in the passenger seat of Sam's car, staring out the window with her knees tucked into her chest. Sam could obviously tell something was wrong, but she didn't push, which Alyssa was grateful for. She didn't really want to talk about the argument with Eli last night with anyone but Demetri.

She parked her car on the street, and Alyssa got out, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. Her and Sam walked through the fence into the dirt lot. Everything seemed normal at first, but then it wasn't anymore, because on the sign that read MIYAGI-DO KARATE was a large black spray-painted X.

Alyssa straightened tilted her head in thought, her eyebrows knitting in concern. "Sam?"

Sam stopped beside her and followed her gaze, her eyes widening. "Oh my God."

Robby then ran out from the side path. "Guys, you gotta see this."

Alyssa and Sam shared a glance before jogging after Robby into the backyard. They immediately froze in their tracks, and Alyssa's eyes widened in horror. The whole dojo was completely destroyed. Doors were ripped off of the house, toilet paper was everywhere, all of the decorations and potted plants were knocked over, the punching bag was ripped off its stand and spray-painted, and there was spray paint on the fence.

Sam stumbled forwards, heading into the house where her dad was milling around. Alyssa followed after her, but it was even worse inside. All of the furniture was knocked over and broken. And, probably the worst thing, the glass case that once held Mr. Miyagi's — Sensei LaRusso's Sensei — Medal of Honor was shattered, and the Medal was gone.

Furniture and decorations could be replaced. Medals of Honor couldn't.

Alyssa looked around in shock. "What the fuck?"

"Check to see if anything else was stolen," Sam rushed out. "Ally and I will check the front."

Alyssa and Sam went back out front, shutting the doors behind them. However, both of their gazes set on the same exact thing once they did. They had missed it since it was out of their vision when they walked in. Alyssa slowly walked up to the car, her chest feeling tight. Spray painted on the side of the yellow car were the words COBRA KAI NEVER DIES!!

She had never felt such hatred before.

"Dad!" Sam called.

Sensei LaRusso and Robby came outside. Considering how Alyssa and Sam were just standing there in shock, they saw what the girls did right away. Sensei LaRusso placed a hand on the hood of the car before his jaw clenched. Without another word, he walked up to the door and pulled it open, sitting in the drivers seat.

"Mr. LaRusso?" Robby inquired.

"Dad, where are you going?" Sam asked.

He still didn't say anything. All he did was turn on the car and drive away angrily. However, once he did, it revealed something on the fence behind the car that had been a little hidden. She squinted — it was small, and she took a step forwards. It was another message in purple spray paint, and once Alyssa read it, her veins instantly turned to ice.

THAT'S IT.

She suddenly felt like she got punched in the stomach.

"So that's it, then?"

"Yeah. That's it."

Alyssa stumbled backwards away from it like it was hot, her mind spinning impossibly fast. Sam caught onto her shoulders and helped stabilize her. Alyssa started to breath heavily and she felt panic rise up inside of her.

Sam stared at her in concern. "Ally? What is it?"

"I know who did this," Alyssa said, her voice shaking.

"Well, considering the car said Cobra Kai—" Robby began.

"No. I'm talking about who led it." Alyssa turned to the two of them, tears pricking at the back of her eyes. "It was Eli. Or Hawk, or whoever he is."

"Are you sure?" Sam questioned.

"Positive. It was revenge against Demetri." Her vision got blurry with tears. "Revenge against me."

Robby looked down at her. "You think he would get revenge on you?"

"We fought last night in the strip mall where the Cobra Kai dojo is." She sniffled, trying to control her emotions, because she hated that she was crying over this again. "We've fallen out for real this time." Alyssa pointed at the message. "That was the last thing we said to each other, and he fucking did it in my favorite color. He knew what he was doing. I know it was him."

Sam placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Robby moved to stand on her other side, placing his hand on her other shoulder as well. Alyssa felt the tears turn angry instead of sad, and she stared at the message on the fence like her eyes could suddenly make it go away.

One day it'll come around, Alyssa told herself. But fuck him for now.

Alyssa didn't want to stoop to his level. However, she knew that somehow, someway, she was going to make Hawk absolutely regret messing with her dojo.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

currently doing an extensive analysis on why they are so my tears ricochet

anyways making it canon that falling out with alyssa made eli completely lose his mind and really become hawk 🤪

also from this point forwards alyssa is still going to call him eli but I'll be typing hawk to show that she doesn't see him as eli anymore :)

don't worry I will return to type eli probably at the end of part 3 WOOOO