╔.𖥸. .════════════════╗

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬

chapter forty-four
you're better

╚════════════════. .❀.╝

"NO, SAMANTHA, THIS is serious," Alyssa argued, walking into Miyagi-Do with her. "If we don't have a Cheetah Girls moment in Barcelona, I'm going to freak the fuck out."

"I absolutely agree, and I'm now going to be using that as my motivation," Sam responded. She then suddenly stopped, her eyes widening at something in the distance. "Um, Ally."

"What? I—" She suddenly saw what Sam was looking at, and her mouth fell open as she stopped in her tracks fully. "Oh. My. God."

Sitting on top of Eli's head was an absolute monstrosity. He had re-dyed his mohawk. Instead of it being just blue, sticking up in separate spikes, it was now red, white, and blue — an actual, honest to God American flag. How he had managed to do it was beyond her, and he hadn't even told her he was re-dying his hair. She thought he would just continue rocking the blue for a while.

Sam giggled at her. "You didn't know about this?"

Alyssa slowly turned to look at her. "I wouldn't have agreed to it if I knew!" She looked back at his hair. "How did — I don't—" Alyssa then sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "I don't have the brain power for this."

Sam patted her shoulder. "Good luck with that."

She dropped her hand, glaring at Sam as she walked. Alyssa took a deep breath, urging herself forwards. Not that Eli wasn't handsome, because oh dear God he was, but this was . . . something else. She finally reached his side.

"Hey, baby," Alyssa said slowly, her eyes glued to his hair. "Feeling the American spirit, are we?"

"Oh, yeah," Eli replied, sounding extremely proud of it. "Isn't it sick? I did it to represent America for the Sekai Taikai. Cool, right?"

She nodded, putting a convincing smile on her face. "Uh-huh. So, um . . . when'd you do this?"

"Last night. Oh, it was a mess. There was red and blue everywhere . . ."

Alyssa let the rest of the words fade away, continuing to stare at his hair. Eli was probably the only person she knew who could actually pull off a mohawk, even one as ridiculous as this. His mohawk was his own way of expressing himself. So if he wanted to express his pride for Miyagi-Do representing America in the Sekai Taikai . . . so be it. Whatever made him happy. (She was saying this through the pain.)

After a couple of minutes of chatting and stretching, practice began. They got into their usual lines, and Alyssa watched as their Sensei's walked in between them.

"The Sekai Taikai is coming," Sensei Lawrence announced. "It's up to us to pick our seven most badass fighters."

"And there are no easy decisions," Sensei LaRusso continued. "We know you all wanna go to Barcelona."

"Some of you think you're shoo-ins, that you're at the top of your game, that nothing or no one can stop you."

"Some of you think you're the underdogs, and you don't know if you have what it takes, and that you feel left out and left behind."

"But it's a level playing field," Sensei Lawrence told them. "Anything can happen."

"Each and every one of you has a shot," Sensei LaRusso added. "So, as we make our evaluations, do your best."

"Now is not the time to puss out."

"Even though we're competing against each other, we are still one dojo. And it's time to bring out the best in all of us."

Sensei Lawrence addressed all of them. "So, which of you has what it takes to be in our top seven?"

Alyssa raised her chin a bit higher, setting her face in determination. She would be going to Barcelona — she wouldn't ever forgive herself if she didn't.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

THE BELL RANG overhead of them, forcing the five teens to move into the crowded hallways of school from where they had been walking outside. Alyssa trailed behind Sam a little — who she had come to school with today — and held onto her backpack as she brushed against the other students.

"All right, so y'all think there's any chance that we don't make it in the top seven?" Miguel asked to all of them.

"Maybe when hell freezes over," Tory replied.

Sam laughed. "Let's hope there's not a tournament category for humility."

"Oh, come on," Robby stated. "We've got two All Valley champs and two runner-ups, plus the girl who got us into the Sekai Taikai."

Alyssa shook her head. "I mean, thanks, but we'll see." She then spotted her boyfriend with his American flag hair (Jesus fucking Christ) and Demetri hanging out in a corner, and she smiled slightly at them. "And that's my cue." Alyssa stepped out of their little group. "I'll see you guys later."

Eli grinned at her, instantly slipping an arm around her waist when she stood next to him and kissing her quickly. "Morning, Lys."

She indulged in the kiss for a moment, reveling in how it never failed to make her feel like she was floating. "Morning. You guys talking about the Sekai Taikai, too?"

Demetri nodded. "I mean, you two are no-brainers. It's really only that seventh spot that's up for grabs."

"Yeah, and it's yours for the taking," Eli responded as they started to walk down the hallway.

"I appreciate the support, but I ran a statistical analysis. And while there is an eighteen-percent chance you're right, the smart money is on Kenny. I mean, he did beat you in that head-to-head. Uh, cheap shot notwithstanding."

"Kenny may be a good fighter, but so are you," Alyssa voiced. "Don't sell yourself short, Dem."

"Hmm, I prefer to focus on something actually achievable," Demetri admitted. "Getting into MIT." He hit Eli's chest momentarily. "Early action decisions come out any day now, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Eli said.

"Hey, man, come on. Have no fear. I may not have confidence about becoming a world karate champion, but I know that MIT cannot turn down the Binary Bros."

Alyssa shared a quick glance with Eli, raising her eyebrow slightly. See, she was actually the only one who knew that he hadn't applied to MIT at all, going against Demetri's wishes. And despite Alyssa's advice, Demetri was still in the dark.

She decided to move on. "Well, whatever happens, just send me postcards. At least let me know you're still alive when we head off to college."

Demetri put his arm around her shoulders while Eli kept his around her waist, and just like it should've always been, the trio moved through the hallways. "I'll send you a hand-written letter every single day."

"That's what I'm talking about."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"PLEASE WELCOME OUR guest for the weekend, Sensei Barnes," Sensei LaRusso announced.

Alyssa stared at the man in the black and red gi in front of her, raising an eyebrow. She had heard about Mike Barnes before — he was an old opponent of Sensei LaRusso's back in the eighties, turned into the owner of a furniture store that Silver had burned to the ground. Instantly, everybody started to mutter around them, mostly wondering if he was the one who had been with Sensei Lawrence and Sensei Toguchi at Silver's house.

"Silence!" Sensei Barnes ordered, and they all went quiet, straightening up to attention.

"I like this guy," Sensei Lawrence admitted.

"In order to keep things unbiased, we brought in Sensei Barnes to observe then select our top seven," Sensei LaRusso explained.

"During my years as the Tournament Terror, all I wanted was to be in the Sekai Taikai," Sensei Barnes told them, glancing at Sensei LaRusso quickly. "But I blew my chance. I am here to ensure that you maximize yours. Everyone I know who has participated in this has horror stories." He stepped down from the sparring deck and began to walk in between their lines. "This thing is intense. Unpredictable. People have died. Move!" One of the dojo members quickly scurried back into line. "Who's ready for that?"

"Wait, ready for the tournament, or to die?" Demetri asked.

"I will do to you what the Sekai Taikai will do. I will surprise you with events. I will push you to your limits. And if any of you delicate flowers feel like going to your Sensei's and crying, don't. I've been given full authority for these eliminations."

"Selections," Sensei LaRusso corrected. "Let's keep this positive."

Sensei Barnes turned to look at him. "You came to me. The deal was my way or the highway." He looked back at the students. "Get on the sparring deck. Now!"

Alyssa blinked in shock. Well, damn, okay. She climbed up onto the training deck, having no clue what was going to happen today. Alyssa wished she had jewelry on — her rings, her hawk necklace, anything. Fiddling with them always managed to calm her nerves. Yet now, she had nothing, so she was just twisting the belt on her gi.

"To survive the first round, you will need to show me excellence and speed," Sensei Barnes instructed. "Strength. Endurance. And teamwork."

Which meant multiple activities. The first activity for excellence and speed was catching a chicken Sensei Barnes had set loose. Alyssa ran around the chicken, trying to catch it. She unfortunately never did, but she got pretty damn close. The second activity for strength was breaking boards. Alyssa did so with ease, although breaking boards wasn't her favorite thing to do. She was much more confident with the bo staff, something she had discovered when Sensei Toguchi did his egg lesson.

The third activity for endurance was holding a heavy rock while they did wall-sits against the fence. Alyssa already hated wall-sits, but she begrudgingly did it. It was especially hard with the rock, and her whole body shook until she finally let go. The fourth activity for teamwork was duo-fights, fighting against other members of the dojo. This included Miguel and Robby fighting together like their rivalry never existed, and Chris lifting Bert onto his back for some odd reason. Alyssa did well when she was attacking, and her spirits only lifted when she was paired to fight with Sam. The two of them moved together fluidly, and the sun and moon charms on their matching friendship bracelets glinted as they fought with ease. They weren't the original Bonsai Badasses for nothing. Absolute birds of a feather.

By the end of all of it, Alyssa was slightly out of breath, her muscles aching. She stood in her line, her hands locked behind her back. She had thought she had really proved herself in training today, but that would be Sensei Barnes' decision, not hers. Her heart thudded against her chest. She had to go.

"Congratulations," Sensei Barnes said. "You didn't die. Still, half of you wouldn't last one match at the Sekai Taikai. To the thirteen who might, join me up here when I call your name. Hawk."

Alyssa instantly smiled brightly. She clapped, watching him climb up on the sparring deck. Their eyes locked, and her smile only widened. He winked at her subtly, and she forced her face not to get red from it.

"Robby. Miguel. Sam." A pause for a second. "Alyssa."

Relief instantly spread throughout her body. She had made it . . . at least for now. Alyssa's grin widened as she climbed up on the sparring deck and stood next to her best friend. Sam offered her hand out to her, and Alyssa gave her a low-five.

"Tory. Muscles."

At once, all of them looked around in confusion. There was absolutely no one who went by the name of Muscles in their dojo.

Sensei Barnes pointed at Mitch. "Yeah, you."

"I have a new nickname?" Mitch questioned.

"Get up here."

"I have a new nickname!" Mitch ran up to the sparring deck and stood beside Tory, looking at the three of them. "What's up, ladies? Name's Muscles. Nice to meet you." He took his hand back that he had outstretched to them for a handshake. "Okay."

Alyssa shook her head. "I'm never calling you that."

"Kenny," Sensei Barnes continued. "Kenny, good job. No one ever catches the chicken. Nate. Chris. Demetri." He then opened his notebook. "Oh, right. Devon. And the last name . . . Anthony."

Alyssa felt her spirits instantly soar. All of her friends, everyone she cared about, was up here with her right now. This was it. They had a chance.

"Congratulations, top thirteen. Meet me back here tomorrow for round two. The rest of you, you're out. Better luck next time." Sensei Barnes then looked over at Sam, Alyssa, and Tory. "You three. Fierce. Keep it up."

The three of them shared a look. Alyssa smirked slightly and offered her fists out to Sam and Tory. The two of them fist-bumped her back as they climbed down the steps. Once they were far enough away from Sensei Barnes, Alyssa ran up to Eli and threw her arms around his neck. Eli laughed slightly at her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We have a shot!" Alyssa exclaimed, clutching onto him tight. "Oh, we're so going to be in the top seven."

"Hell yeah," Eli replied, pulling back just enough to look at her face. He tucked a stray piece of red hair behind her ear, smirking as she shivered underneath his touch. "You and me in Barcelona, baby."

Her smile widened. She honestly couldn't think of anything better.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"IS IT GOOD?" Alyssa inquired, glancing over her shoulder.

For the next challenge, Sensei Barnes had instructed the top thirteen to tie flags around parts of their body — their arms, their legs, and their backs. The only one she had truly needed help on was the one on her back, which Eli was securing for her while Miguel was fiddling with his own.

"You're good," Eli promised, patting her back. He then nodded to Demetri when he walked up to them. "Ready for the big day?"

"Oh, I was born ready," Demetri replied. "Just like MIT, you're not going to Barcelona without me."

Alyssa gave Eli a look at the expression on his face as Demetri walked off. "E."

Miguel punched Eli's shoulder. "What, bro? Every time he mentions MIT, you go gray."

Eli sighed. "I didn't apply."

"What? Why?"

"That frat party we went to made me realize that I never even looked at any other schools. We picked MIT way before all this karate stuff. I just wanna see if there's a better option for me."

"I — I hear you, but MIT is pretty great," Miguel stated.

Eli rolled his eyes slightly. "I know. It's all Demetri can talk about. It's killing me."

"You should probably tell him."

"Oh, would you look at that," Alyssa said, turning towards him and placing her hands on her hips as Miguel walked off. "It's exactly what I've been telling you for days. Huh."

"I know, I know," Eli muttered. "I'll tell him . . . eventually."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. "How soon is eventually? Because the more you keep prolonging it, the more he's going to be crushed."

"Top Twelve, get ready," Sensei Barnes announced.

Alyssa sighed. "Come on." She grabbed his hand, tugging him along with her. "Let's go."

The thirteen of them made two lines on the sparring deck, facing each other. Alyssa locked her hand behind her back, sharing a small grin with Miguel, who was across from her.

"Today's challenge is a Battle Royale," Sensei Barnes explained. "The rules are simple. Protect your flags, steal the others. Lose your flags, and you're out. The ones with the most flags at the end go to Barcelona. The rest of you will be judged on performance. You have two minutes. Ready?" The two lines bowed to each other before getting in their fighting positions. "And fight!"

Chaos instantly ensued. Alyssa launched herself off of the deck, maneuvering herself into a forward roll. She pushed herself back up, blocking a punch that Nate threw her way. Alyssa then reached out and snatched one of the flags he had off of his arm before running away from him.

She usually hated fighting her friends, but today, she had something to prove. And prove herself, she did. Alyssa moved across the Miyagi-Do backyard like a blazing fire. In a flurry of punches and kicks, she defended her own flags and collected ones off of everybody else. In all honesty, she was a true force to be reckoned with. Alyssa often didn't even glance twice at who she was fighting, just focusing on the task at hand and tucking her flags into her gi.

"Time!" Sensei Barnes called. "That's it!"

Alyssa stopped mid-kick, blinking herself back into focus. She was facing Robby, her fists still raised. She lowered her leg and her fists. Robby nodded at her, clearly impressed. She fist-bumped him quickly, only to hear commotion behind her.

"Anthony!" Sensei LaRusso exclaimed.

She turned, only to frown and for worry to fill her insides. Anthony was laying on the ground, his nose gushing blood, the red stark against the white color of the gi.

Kenny stood over him. "Oh, sh-shit. I'm sorry, LaRusso."

Sensei LaRusso knelt beside Anthony. "Are you okay?"

"If it isn't obvious, LaRusso, you're out," Sensei Barnes voiced. "Nice hit, Kenny."

"Seriously? My son is bleeding here."

"Well, you better get used to it, Daniel. Because the Sekai Taikai is gonna do a hell of a lot worse."

Sensei LaRusso helped Anthony stand up. "What's your deal, man? It's like you're slipping back into Bad Boy Barnes."

"Yeah?" Sensei Barnes countered. "Maybe that's a good thing. If I'd been my old self, maybe Silver wouldn't have burned my business to the ground."

Alyssa blinked, glancing at Robby quickly. "Oh?"

"Let me see those flags! Come on!"

At once, all of them who still had flags on them lined up. Alyssa took her stack of flags out of her gi and held them up, feeling proud of herself. She still had most of her flags on her, as well — during the fight, someone must've tugged off the ones off of her arms, but it didn't matter. Alyssa glanced around, smiling at the fact how she had as many flags as Tory, Sam, Robby, and Miguel. However, her smile instantly fell when she saw how little flags Eli and Demetri had.

"All right, we've clearly got our top five," Sensei Barnes said. "Tory. Robby. Sam. Miguel. Alyssa. You five are going to Barcelona."

Alyssa let out a breath of relief, only momentarily, though. She was in the clear — she had actually done it. Yet, the thought of going to Barcelona without Eli and Demetri was enough to bring her spirits down all the way to the floor.

"You bottom four are tied. I'll go back tonight and review my notes, re-tally the scores. I'll announce the final two in the morning."

Sam squealed, throwing her arms around Alyssa. "We did it! We're going!"

Alyssa laughed slightly and hugged her best friend back. "I know. Look at us." Her eyes then caught on Eli's figure, who was walking away in defeat. "Hey, I'll be right back." She slipped out of Sam's grasp and walked up to Eli, placing a hand on his arm. "Cheer up, baby. There's always tomorrow. You heard him — there's a very high chance you'll be one of the final two."

Eli shrugged. "I don't know, Lys. I should've done better."

"Maybe, but some days, you'll just be off your game." She squeezed his arm and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Don't sell yourself short, All Valley Champ. You and I will be going to Barcelona together. I feel it."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

FOR SOME REASON, Sensei Barnes had told them all to meet in the woods. It was a little confusing, considering he had invited everyone, including the ones who had already lost. Nevertheless, Alyssa obliged. She had her karate bag slung over one shoulder, holding her hand tightly with Eli's as they listened to Sensei Lawrence tell them a story. Alyssa shivered slightly under her sweatshirt, glancing around at the multicolored leaves of fall.

Sensei Barnes stepped up onto one of the picnic tables. "Good morning. At least for now. Gather 'round." They all set their stuff down and moved closer to him. "Is everybody here?"

"Yeah, this is everyone," Sensei LaRusso responded.

"Good. Last night, I reviewed my notes. Made sure the remaining four got a fair shake. I've decided it's too close to call. So . . . you're all gonna get another opportunity to prove yourselves. Two flags wait deep in the forest. Whoever brings them back . . . wins."

Eli blinked at him. "Wait, that's it?"

"What if two of us find a flag at the same time?" Demetri asked.

"You fight for it," Sensei Barnes answered, and instantly, the air between Eli, Demetri, Kenny, and Devon sparked.

"Are there refs out there?" Sensei LaRusso questioned.

"No, they're on their own."

"But how—"

"It can't get any more objective," Sensei Lawrence cut in. "Even Barnes isn't judging this one."

"Winning is everything, plain and simple," Sensei Barnes instructed. "Take ten minutes, stretch. Use the restroom. Call your mothers. When you get back, it's go time."

They all dispersed. Alyssa squeezed Eli's hand as they drifted over to one of the picnic tables, trying to give him some confidence. He squeezed back before entering the bathroom. Alyssa sat herself down on top of the picnic table, trying to calm her nerves. She obviously wanted both Eli and Demetri to get chosen, but since there were no refs, it was anyone's game. Alyssa had a horrible feeling that something wasn't going to go how they planned, and usually, her intuition was right.

"Woah, dude, are you seeing this?" Demetri began as he scrolled through his phone. Alyssa snapped out of her thoughts, and she looked over to see Eli had come out of the bathroom and grabbing his water. "MIT is completely revamping the robotics program. I mean, this is monumental. This is . . ." He then looked Eli up and down. "Wait. Are you not signed up for the RoboTeam email? The race for the RoboCup begins the moment we get on campus, Eli. We have to—"

"I didn't apply," Eli revealed.

Alyssa glanced in between them. She sort of felt like she shouldn't have been there — it was such a private moment that it felt invasive. Yet, as she watched the words sink into Demetri, she couldn't find it in herself to move.

Demetri stared at him in shock and stood up. "Woah, what?"

"Look, I'm really sorry," Eli stated. "I — I wanted to tell you sooner—"

"Sooner? We've wanted MIT ever since we were kids. Babies, practically."

Dreams can change, Demetri, Alyssa wanted to say, but it wasn't her place to speak up right now.

"I just wanted to keep my options open," Eli insisted. "After we went to that frat party, I—"

"Woah!" Demetri exclaimed, holding out a hand to stop him. "You wanna go to school with Kyler?"

"What? No, no. God, no. The party just made me realize there's a whole wide world out there. And I still might apply to MIT. Later."

"Okay, well, you do realize that your chances go down without Early Action, right? You get that?"

Eli stared at him. "Okay, I don't appreciate the condescension."

"And I don't appreciate you turning into a moron," Demetri told him.

And then Alyssa watched, before her very eyes, as Eli transformed. The clenched jaw, the darkness in his eyes . . . she hadn't seen something like that in literal months, and it made all words die from her throat.

"At least I'm not an overbearing control freak," Eli argued. "Your obsession with MIT is so freaking annoying."

Maybe Alyssa had been wrong. For a while now, she had seen that very same sweet side of Eli Moskowitz, truly thinking that Hawk was gone. This proved that he wasn't. Underneath everything, that red-hot anger was still there, lingering, pooling in his stomach. She got flashbacks to a year ago, seeing him walk all high and mighty in the school hallways and being on the receiving end of his terrors. It was enough to make Alyssa feel unsettled.

"Annoying," Demetri repeated incredulously. "I'm . . . okay. All right. Well, I promise not to annoy you anymore. How about that?"

Hawk washed away, and Eli stood there again, but Alyssa didn't forget. "No—"

"No, it's fine. It's great."

A moment of stunned silence. Alyssa watched Demetri go, shoving her slightly shaking hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt. She stood up from the bench.

"Little harsh, E," Alyssa told him. "Or, is it Hawk, given the way you just spoke to him?"

She never called him Hawk, not even when he actually was Hawk. That's how Eli knew it was bad.

Eli rubbed his face with his hand. "That's not fair, Lys."

"Neither was what you said to Demetri," Alyssa countered. "Trust me, I've dealt with my own fair share of ramblings about MIT. But this is something he's passionate about. You can't exactly blame him for being disappointed, even though it's totally your choice." She moved closer to him, so much that she had to look up to meet his eyes. "I'm in your corner, always. But that was a dick move. You're better than that. You know that." Alyssa then pressed up onto her toes and kissed him quickly. "Good luck, Eli."

She then walked away, leaving him to stand there by himself. Alyssa shook her head, trying to get the image of Hawk out of her head. She instantly spotted Sam, Miguel, Robby, and Tory hanging out in a group, and she joined them.

Alyssa linked her arm with Sam's. "Kill me. Kill me now."

Sam laughed slightly at her. "Not before we go to Barcelona, Ally."

"You're so right."

Miguel looked at Hawk over Alyssa's shoulder. "Everything okay?"

She sighed. "I hope it will be."

The ten minutes were up. They all stood around in a crowd as the four stepped up, clapping for them. First it was Devon, who looked a little nervous. Then it was Kenny, who looked confident as always, squirting water from his water bottle into his mouth. Next it was Demetri, who had complete anger written all over his face. And, finally, it was Eli. His eyes caught on Alyssa's as he walked by, and she gave him a small nod. Eli slowed to a stop next to Demetri, looking up at him guiltily.

They got into running positions. Sensei Barnes raised his hand, and went he brought it down, the four of them sprinted off into the woods. Alyssa watched, her heart racing, as they went up the hill and disappeared from sight.

The group dispersed a little once they were gone for a couple of minutes. Alyssa kept her arm linked through Sam's, who could tell something was wrong, so she let Alyssa stay close. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Never in her life had she ever called Eli Hawk out loud, besides that night after the LaRusso house fight where she mentioned Hawk without the hawk and at the All Valley when she told him to bring Hawk out to beat Robby. Yet she couldn't help herself at the thought of Demetri being upset, especially when words made such a deep cut. It was all such a mess.

"Holy shit," Robby then commented after a while. "Hey, Kenny won."

They all started clapping for him. However, something was wrong. Alyssa's claps slowed, and she frowned as she watched Kenny cover his ass with his hand and run up to the bathroom.

Kenny tugged on the door to the bathroom, but it didn't budge. "No, no, no. Hey! Hey!" He pounded on the door. "Hey, open up. Open up, please. Please, I gotta — I gotta go. Please. Please, open up!"

And . . . too late.

Alyssa winced, covering her mouth in shock. She really did feel bad for Kenny. He looked totally embarrassed.

"Somebody just got their brown belt," Sensei Lawrence commented.

"Johnny!" Sensei LaRusso scolded.

Bert then came out of the bathroom. "What's that smell?"

Kenny pushed him aside and went into the bathroom. "Move!"

"Hey, guys, it's Devon!" Sam shouted, shifting the sight from Kenny to the girl racing down the hill holding a flag in her hand. "She won!"

Alyssa clapped for her, but she couldn't stop the feeling of her heart sinking. It was only up to Eli and Demetri now, who evidently for the same flag — figures. She wanted them both to go, not one or the other.

Devon looked around. "Where's Kenny?"

It was a while later, and still no sign of Eli and Demetri. Alyssa could hear her heartbeat in her ears, and she was practically shaking from anxiety. Even Sam's presence, which was always comforting, couldn't calm her down. She kept glancing around, hoping to see any sight of either one. Until, finally, Demetri walked down the hill with his hands in his pocket.

"Demetri," Sensei LaRusso stated.

They all stared at him. Alyssa's breath hitched in her throat, and she felt a pang in her chest when Demetri pulled a flag out in his hand.

"Oh," Alyssa breathed out. "Oh no . . ."

Not that she was disappointed Demetri was going. He had improved so much in his karate. But this meant Eli wouldn't be there, and that was enough to make her heart hurt. Nevertheless, she put a smile on her face, choosing to focus on her happiness for him right now.

"I give you Miyagi-Do's Team Sekai Taikai," Sensei Barnes said. "Miguel." Miguel cheered and joined Demetri up by Sensei Barnes. "Sam." Sam slipped her arm out of Alyssa's and joined Miguel, who put an arm around her. "Alyssa." Alyssa walked up and high-fived Sam. "Robby." He walked up there as well. "Tory." Tory went up and high-fived Robby with both hands. "And now, Devon." Devon smiled excitedly and went in between Robby and Tory. "And Demetri."

Sensei Barnes then turned to Sensei LaRusso, and they bowed to each other. He then shook hands with Sensei Lawrence.

"Good luck."

Alyssa bounded up to Demetri and hugged him tightly. "Congratulations. I'm so proud of you, Dem."

"Thanks, Ally," Demetri responded. "He squeezed her tighter for a moment. "But you're also upset."

She then noticed how tense he was, and she pulled back completely, looking up at him. "Yeah, I mean . . . I wanted him to be there." Her eyes trailed across his face and noticed the sadness in his eyes. "What happened out there?"

Demetri scoffed and nodded to something. "I'm sure he'll tell you."

Alyssa looked over. Walking down the hill, in complete defeat, was Eli. Her heart shattered into pieces as she looked at his face. No matter what she had said to him earlier, her concern for him was greater. Eli didn't care as well — in fact, he deserved to get a reality check like that. As if on instinct, which it probably was, Eli immediately walked over to her. Alyssa frowned. She reached up and took his face in her hands, brushing her thumb against the dirt on his skin.

"I'm sorry," Eli admitted, his voice breaking slightly.

She shook her head, giving him a sad smile. "You did good, baby. I'm proud of you nonetheless." Alyssa pressed a kiss to the top of his lip, right where his scar was. "You wanna go home?"

Eli nodded, not saying another word. Alyssa let him go, and they both grabbed their things before following after the crowd out of the woods. She then reached up, slinging her arms around his neck and pulling him in close. Eli sighed at her touch and put his arm around her waist, letting her rest her temple on his jaw.

Comfort. That's all she could offer right now.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"JACKSON," ALYSSA CALLED, stepping out of the steam-filled bathroom with her pajamas on and her damp hair resting on her shoulders. "You're good to go."

"Thank God," Jackson complained, stepping out of Alyssa's room, where he had been chatting to Eli. "You took forever, Ally."

Alyssa stopped in her tracks, glaring down at her little brother. "Eli took longer than I did, and you're complaining about me?"

"I will never not complain about you." Jackson then stopped, lowering his voice in the hallway. "He seems sad."

She paused for a second, looking into her room, where she could see faintly that Eli was sitting on her bed underneath her covers, his back resting against the headboard. "I know."

"And Ally." He gave her a small smile. "I'm proud of you for going to Barcelona."

Alyssa stared down at her little brother, a rush of love going through her as she reached up and ran her hand over his head affectionately. "Thanks, Jack. Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

Alyssa then slipped into her room, shutting the door behind her. The sight in front of her was enough to make her stomach do a little flip-flop — typical. Eli had showered before her, given the dirt that was everywhere on him. His hair was down, a mess of damp red, white, and blue strands. He was shirtless again, like he almost always was with her. Yet, as she looked closer at him, she frowned. She could already see the bruises from today's fighting blooming against his skin.

"I'll buy you a plane ticket to Barcelona," Alyssa offered, walking up to her bed. She took her usual side, getting under the covers and settling in before looking over at him. "No way I'm going there without you."

Eli shook his head. "I wish I was there to fight, not just to tag along."

"I know." Alyssa watched him carefully. "Do you want to tell me what happened in the woods? Between you and Demetri?"

"We fought," Eli answered.

She blinked. "Well, obviously."

Eli didn't even crack a smile on her joke, which was a telltale sign that he was truly upset. "He told me he didn't want to go to Barcelona with me anyways. I helped him up, but . . . he kicked me down, and he ran away." Eli tugged on a thread from her comforter. "I didn't fight back. I couldn't fight back. I've done too much to him already."

"I see." Alyssa still couldn't help but feel like he wasn't telling her something still. "Did something else happen? I get that whole part, but . . . it feels like something else is bothering you."

"He, um . . . he twisted my arm," Eli admitted, his voice going quiet. "Like I did to him, back when . . ."

Eli didn't have to finish his sentence. Alyssa already knew what he meant. The air inside her room suddenly froze. Alyssa's eyes slightly widened in shock. She wasn't expecting that.

Alyssa remembered that night so vividly. She wished she hadn't, but it was stuck in her mind, plaguing her thoughts and dreams. The blue neon lights of the arcade, the way her muscles ached as she fought, Sam's labored breathing while she cowered in a corner away from Tory, Hawk standing over Demetri with his arm bent all the way back, the feeling of multiple arms holding her back from getting to Demetri, the way Hawk's face contorted in rage, the snap . . . especially the snap.

She remembered crying so hard that she couldn't breathe. She remembered the cold linoleum floor of the hospital against her knees as she emptied out all of her stomach contents in the bathroom. She remembered her mother tying her hair back for her, whispering how she would be okay, even though Alyssa didn't believe her. She remembered that drive back home to her house by herself and how numb she felt, the pieces of hair that hadn't made it into the hair tie sticking to her dried tears. She remembered Hawk being outside and jumping away from him when he tried to touch her in absolute fear that he would hurt her, too, even though he had already broken something much worse than an arm — her heart. She remembered pouring her absolute soul out to him, telling him everything about how he made her feel, before screaming at him to go away. She remembered sobbing relentlessly against her front door to the point where she didn't have the strength to get up again, so she just fell asleep in her doorway, only for her mom to find her the next morning.

That night had been the worst night of her life.

"I'm sorry for calling you Hawk earlier," Alyssa told him.

Eli shook his head. "Don't be. I deserved it."

"No, you didn't. I shouldn't have said it, and I was wrong. A moment of anger does not mean you're Hawk anymore, it means you're human. Hawk wouldn't have let someone else win. Hawk would've done anything, and I mean anything, to get to the top, without thinking about any of the consequences." She then put her hand on Eli's heart, right on his lotus flower tattoo. "But you, Eli . . . you're allowing yourself to accept your mistakes. And that's not an easy thing to do. You are not him anymore. You're better."

He placed his hand over hers, clutching onto him tightly. "God, I do not deserve you, Lys."

"Likewise." Alyssa leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you. A lot."

"I love you more," Eli promised.

And as they fell asleep, Eli's head resting against Alyssa's chest as she ran her fingers through his hair, they knew that no matter what, everything would turn out fine — as long as they were together.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

not the 6000 word chapter . . . um.

bert should've gone to the sekai taikai 😔

also the american flag was . . . an interesting choice

and yk I may write them kissing a lot but I have to write them being sweet every now and again 🤷🏼‍♀️