╔.𖥸. .════════════════╗

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬

chapter seventeen
you're acting like the people
that we hated, you're hanging
with the worst and I hate it

╚════════════════. .❀.╝

HEARING THAT MIGUEL had woken up from his coma was the best news Alyssa had received in a while.

She was actually one of the first ones to see him — well, besides his mom and his grandmother — because her mom had called her to tell her the news, and Alyssa had literally ran out of the house in her pajamas and slippers and drove faster than she ever had in her life. She had practically collapsed onto him as gently as she could so she wouldn't hurt him anymore than he already was.

(There were a lot of tears involved.)

Miguel was bedridden, due to the fall injuring his back severely and causing him to not be able to walk. It broke Alyssa's heart to see him like that, unable to move when all he wanted to do was fight. Karate was his passion, and it had gotten him injured.

Sam had asked Alyssa to go to visit Miguel with her. Alyssa agreed — well, she had been seeing Miguel literally every day since he woke up. She could also tell that Sam wasn't exactly ready to see Miguel by herself after everything that had happened.

The two walked into the hospital together, Alyssa holding a container of food and Sam holding a card. Alyssa immediately led them to Miguel's room, the way to it practically engraved in her brain at this point. She didn't see her mom at all, but she did smile at some nurses who she recognized. Finally, they stopped by Miguel's room to see him sitting up straight in his bed, a nurse just leaving his room.

"Hey," Sam greeted.

Miguel looked over at her, his features brightening. "Hey."

Alyssa then appeared behind Sam. "'Sup."

Miguel lost a little bit of the glimmer in his eyes when he looked at her. "Hi, Als."

"Okay, you don't have to look so disappointed that I'm here, too. Damn."

"I'm never disappointed to see you," Miguel reassured her. He then noticed what she was holding. "What's that?"

Alyssa held up the container. "Oh, my mom made you some chicken and dumplings. She said that you shouldn't be eating hospital food because considering she works here she knows how bad it is, and she's kind of well known for this, so here you go."

Miguel grinned at the container as Alyssa set it down on his table. "She's been telling me that she's been meaning to bring me some."

"You'll love it, trust me," Sam told him. She then paused for a second. "I hope it's okay, me just showing up like this. How are you? I — I mean, sorry, I . . . it's a stupid question."

"It's okay. I have a surgery on Friday. Some doctor from out of state who supposedly works miracles."

"That's really good news," Alyssa replied, but then she noticed the look on Miguel's face. "Unless it's not."

"I'm not getting my hopes up," Miguel replied, and Alyssa frowned. "The surgery costs a ton, and my mom's gonna be in debt. And there's no guarantee it'll work, but . . ."

"I think if anyone can beat the odds, it's you," Sam said.

Miguel then nodded towards Sam's hand, which was absentmindedly rubbing at her scars — a new habit of hers. "Is that from Tory?"

"Oh, uh." She lifted her sleeve up a little bit to show them more. "Yeah. It's really not that bad."

"Yeah," Miguel agreed softly.

"Kinda makes me look tough," Sam admitted.

Miguel looked conflicted. "I'm sorry about that, Sam."

"You didn't do anything. She's the one who decided to go crazy."

"Tory's had a rough life. You know, her mom's sick and—"

"Everybody's got a sob story," Sam interrupted. "Doesn't give you the right to be a bully."

Alyssa looked down at the ground. Sam's words dug a hole right through her heart, because it made her think of one specific person. The same person who she thought of as home at one point who had done a complete one-eighty and now turned into something that resembled an arch-nemesis. He had been made fun of for his entire life, and even though he gained confidence, he just became mean.

"I just wanted to give you this." Sam offered the card she had brought out to Miguel. "It's just a card. Really nothing compared to Alyssa's mom's food, but it's something."

Miguel laughed softly at the card. On the front was an octopus hugging a heart, and inside a bigger heart it said You Octopi My Thoughts! Alyssa smiled a little bit. Miguel had told Alyssa all about his and Sam's first date after it had happened, and one of the main things was that he had gotten Sam a giant stuffed octopus.

"Miguel, I'm so sorry," Sam stated. "For all of this."

He shook his head. "It's, uh . . . it's okay."

"El Serpiente!" a familiar voice exclaimed before it died out.

Alyssa shut her eyes for a moment, letting out a deep breath. Oh, of course he would be here at the same time she was. That's just how the universe worked, didn't it? She turned around, locking eyes with Hawk, who was glancing in between her and Sam, but his gaze was mostly on her. Alyssa crossed her arms defensively across her chest, her features settling into a stone-cold look, trying to cover up all the emotions she always felt when she was around him now.

Sam looked back at Miguel. "We're gonna go."

"Okay, yeah," Miguel responded.

She started to walk out of the room. Alyssa went to follow her, but then she spotted the container of food that she had brought.

"Oh," Alyssa voiced, stopping in her tracks and looking back at Miguel as Sam walked through the door. "If my mom comes and checks on you tonight, tell her that I brought you food, would you? She keeps yelling at me for forgetting."

Miguel nodded with a smile. "Will do."

"Thanks. I'll see you later."

Alyssa turned back around and walked away from Miguel. However, just like she knew she would, Hawk had stopped Sam on her way out.

"Pretty sure you've done enough, Princess," Hawk was saying.

"And you've said enough," Alyssa cut in firmly. "Drop it, Eli. I mean it."

"Stay out of it, Lys."

"No." Her gaze hardened at the use of her nickname, one that she hadn't heard for quite some time, and one that sounded condescending, unlike how it used to be. "If you fuck with her, you fuck with me. Understood?"

Hawk scoffed. "Her boyfriend—"

"You should not be blaming Sam for Robby's actions," Alyssa argued. "You're upset, I get it, but Sam wasn't the one who kicked Miguel off of that balcony. She has every right to come see him."

"Miyagi-Do—"

"Leave the dojo out of it right now. I don't care about this whole stupid rivalry when it comes to him. Miguel might still be in Cobra Kai, but he's still my friend. As much as you may hate to admit that because we're not the same way, you know it's true. Sam and I and are here to show our support for Miguel because he is way more important than our dojos. It's called being a decent human being, you should try it some time."

"Then why do you think I'm here, Sweetheart?" Hawk countered in a low tone, taking a step closer to her that might've been portrayed as threatening, but Alyssa was just bored.

(There was also a strange feeling in her stomach when he got close, but she chose to ignore that.)

She raised an eyebrow. "You? A decent human being? Hilarious. This whole thing you've got going on—" Alyssa gestured aimlessly at him "—you're not badass. You're just a bully. So, my suggestion is to get over whatever God complex you have and realize you're not the only one who cares about Miguel. Maybe then you'll understand what a self-centered asshole you are."

Alyssa brushed past him, the anger still raging in her veins. How dare he?

"Hey—" Hawk began, taking the top of her arm in his hand.

Alyssa whirled around and ripped her arm out of his grasp, hitting her hand against his and pushing it away. "Get your hands off of me."

If looks could kill, Hawk would be murdered. The combination of Alyssa and Sam's glares could probably cause a whole group of people to drop dead. He sent one back, but it wasn't nearly as lethal as the two of them.

"I can get you kicked out of this hospital faster than you can even blink," Alyssa threatened. "My mother can even personally escort you out. Do not test me." She then reached over and linked her arm through Sam's. "Let's go."

Her eyes lingered on Hawk's for a moment longer, still as deadly as it was before. She then turned around, spinning Sam to come with her. Alyssa could feel Hawk's gaze burning into the back of her head up until they rounded the corner to go back to the elevators.

Sam glanced back in the direction they came for a moment. "I'm surprised you didn't punch him. You looked pretty damn close."

Alyssa shrugged. "I wasn't going to strike first. Besides, you know what they say. If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

MIGUEL HAD SAID the surgery was expensive and that his mom would be in debt, an Alyssa couldn't just sit there and do nothing.

So, her and Sam came up with an idea to do a car wash to help raise funds for Miguel. The entire Miyagi-Do dojo was there to help out, along with Moon and the cheerleading team, who had immediately agreed upon Alyssa's request. They all wore summery outfits, and Alyssa had on a pink bikini top underneath a white crocheted crop top, a pair of light jean shorts, and an old pair of Converse she didn't mind getting dirty.

Alyssa and Sam walked throughout the car wash, surveying the whole thing. Nate was in charge of collecting the money while everybody else was washing cars. It was honestly a huge hit — there were cars everywhere, all showing up to help Miguel.

"Looks great, guys," Sam said. "Keep it up. We have a line of cars around the block." She stopped by Abe, who was washing a car. "Hey, Stu. It's left circle, and then right circle. You got it."

Alyssa then smiled at Moon, who looked positively radiant. "Moon, hey."

Moon grinned back at her and walked away from the car she was washing. "Hey."

"You're a lifesaver for bringing out the whole cheerleading team." She then let out a small laugh. "They're for sure attracting more customers."

"But I thought you were a feminist?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I'm a sex-positive feminist," Moon revealed. "Our bodies are an expression."

Alyssa nodded and watched as Moon went back to her car. "You know what? Good for her."

"I'm gonna go take more of a look around, see how things are going," Sam told her. "Do you mind starting to help wash some cars?"

"Not at all."

Alyssa walked over to go a grab a sponge so she could help Chris wash one of the cars. However, she suddenly heard the revving of engines. Alyssa's eyebrows knit in confusion and she looked up, only to see two people on motorcycles stop in a part away from where all the car washing was happening. She watched as the two of them opened up the shields on their helmets and immediately rolled her eyes.

Hawk.

And Mitch. But Mitch being here annoyed her significantly less than Hawk.

The same rage she had felt back in the hospital came back. Alyssa clenched her jaw and walked right up to them, leaving the whole car wash behind. She stopped right in front of their motorcycles (also, when did Hawk get a motorcycle?) and watched as they both took off their helmets. How Hawk's stupid mohawk didn't get crushed by it, Alyssa would never know.

"Do you ever go away?" Alyssa questioned. "Everywhere I go, you always seem to show up. Are you, like, stalking me, or something?"

Hawk rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."

Alyssa then noticed how Hawk's eyes flickered up and down her figure. She chewed the inside of her cheek so that her face wouldn't flush as red as his hair, and she crossed her arms across her chest, looking in between him and Mitch.

"Is this about the whole decent human being thing?" Alyssa continued. "Do not tell me you're here to help out with the car wash."

"In your dreams, Sweetheart," Hawk replied.

Her eyes then glanced down to his motorcycle. "And I'm assuming you don't want us to wash that."

He smirked. "Unless you're the one washing it."

Alyssa scoffed. "I would actually rather lay on the highway. So what are you doing here?"

"You know, it's just a little unbelievable how you're using Miguel as your little poster child. He's in Cobra Kai. Miyagi-Do shouldn't be intruding in on this."

She stared at him incredulously. "Is there something wrong with your brain? Like, did you get too much red hair dye in there or something that makes you only see red? Is that why you're acting so psychotic? I thought I told you to leave the dojos out of it when it came to Miguel."

"I'm not acting psychotic, I'm telling the truth," Hawk protested.

Alyssa raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Sure. You're literally bashing us for helping raise money for his surgery, which let me remind you, he can't afford. So, I'm sorry that you're not doing anything to help with that, but that gives you no right to come here and tell us what we're doing is wrong."

Hawk said nothing. All he did was stare at her, his jaw slightly clenched in anger.

"Wow, the one who always has something to say finally has nothing to say. I never thought the day would come. Guess that means you know I'm right." She took a couple of steps backwards, uncrossing her arms and letting them fall back to her sides. "Get lost, we don't need you here bringing us down."

She turned back around and walked away from him, shaking her head as she did so. Unbelievable. He really had some nerve.

"You okay?" Moon inquired when she got closer. She then peered over Alyssa's shoulder and noticed where she had been. "He showed up?"

"Yeah, only to tell me that we shouldn't be doing this," Alyssa admitted. "The dojo rivalry is reaching an all-time high. I haven't known peace for months."

"I think you should try some meditation. Clear your chakras."

Alyssa rubbed at her forehead tiredly. "All seven are so blocked."

"Hey," a familiar voice called from behind her, and Alyssa dropped her hand from her forehead, turning herself around and feeling all tingly inside at who she was met with. "I know better than to ask for a dance this time, but do you mind washing my car?"

"Cam," Alyssa said — she had seen him in the hallways at school, but she hadn't really talked to him since the party. "Oh my God, hey."

He flashed her a brilliant smile. "Hey, Ally. So, uh . . ." Cam patted his drivers side door. "I know it looks clean, but it could use some extra sparkle."

She grinned back at him. "Well, you've come to the right place." Alyssa looked at Chris. "Hey, Chris, help me with this one?"

"Sure thing, Ally," Chris agreed.

Together, him and Alyssa started to clean Cam's car. As she did so, she would often lock eyes with Cam, and the two of them would just smile at each other with flushed cheeks. Alyssa could honestly feel her heart start to soar. No guy had ever been this sweet with her — at least, not in a romantic way. It was a strange sensation, but it was really nice.

When her and Chris were finished, Alyssa stopped by Cam's window instead of Nate. He extended the money towards her, and Alyssa took it. However, when she counted it, he had given her more than what they charged.

Alyssa looked up from the money, her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Cam, this is way more than what you owe."

"I know," Cam responded. "I can see how much you guys want to help Miguel, so it's no biggie." He leaned his head out of the window, lowering his voice. "Also, it might have something to do with how you were the one who washed my car."

Alyssa gave him a small smile, her cheeks dusting a light shade of pink. She pressed up onto her toes and reached inside the car, placing her hand underneath his chin. Alyssa pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, her smile only widening as she lowered back down and watched as his face turned red.

"You're incredible," Alyssa told him. "I'll see you around."

"Maybe one day we'll get that dance," Cam voiced.

She nodded. "Maybe."

Cam winked at her before putting his car in drive and driving away. Alyssa watched him go until his car couldn't be seen anymore, staring with what she only could assume a dazed look.

Nate clapped his hands in front of her face, making her snap out of it. "That was gross."

Alyssa rolled her eyes fondly and pushed his head away from her. "Quiet, you." She handed the money to him so he could put it in his envelope. "There you go."

The car wash continued on until the sun started to set and the amount of cars started to die down. They had raised a lot of money for Miguel, which made Alyssa's heart warm to the max. Sam had gone home a little earlier than the rest of them, but Alyssa stayed back with the others, helping to clean up a little bit. The group of them were walking down the street to where their cars were parked, but suddenly, Alyssa's phone started to ring. She pulled it out and answered it when she saw it was Nate.

"Hey," Alyssa began.

"Help," Nate responded.

Alyssa stopped in her tracks, freezing in concern. "Help? What do you mean help?"

Demetri stopped as well and looked at her. "What's going on?"

"Nate, are you okay?" Alyssa insisted.

"Come back," Nate pleaded.

The phone then hung up. Alyssa's eyes widened and she looked at the others. She turned back around and ran back in the direction they came from, back to where the car wash was held. The others immediately followed her, clearly telling that something was wrong.

When they walked through the gates, they saw a body on the ground. Nate. Alyssa's eyes widened even further and she ran up to him, gazing in horror at how he was laying on the ground in pain, covered in cuts in bruises.

"Nate!" Alyssa shouted, falling to her knees next to him and ignoring how the asphalt dug into her skin. "Nate, oh my God, what happened?"

"Cobra Kai," Nate revealed. "They stole the money and beat me up."

Alyssa looked up at Demetri, her eyes flashing in anger. "Eli."

Demetri instantly nodded.

Alyssa, Demetri, Chris, Frank, Abe, Little Red, and Nate all instantly went to the LaRusso house. She led their group up the familiar pathway and rang the doorbell, staring at the wooden door in front of her. Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if her eyes were glowing red from how mad she felt.

Sam opened her door, her eyebrows knitting in confusion. "Hey, what's up?" She focused on Alyssa. "You look livid."

"I am," Alyssa admitted. "Put me in front of a punching bag, I want to swing."

"Is your dad here?" Chris questioned.

"No, he's at work. Why?"

"Cobra Kai took the money and—" Demetri began.

Nate then pushed his way to the front, showcasing all of his cuts and bruises to Sam. "They kicked the fucking shit out of me."

Alyssa had told Eli to keep the dojos out of it when it came to Miguel, and he hadn't listened. Fine. If he wanted it to be that way, she could make it that way.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

olivia o'brien wrote rip for them it's true she told me

also season six being the final season of cobra kai????? don't talk to me I'm not doing well