chapter sixteen:
❛ mall fights ❜

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

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sunny stood up from the chair as eli pushed himself up from the tattoo table, slowly rising after laying on his stomach. he had just finished getting a tattoo fixed-something he wanted to adjust since he dyed his hair from blue to red. sunny watched him closely, her eyes catching on the new tattoo on his chest. it was a sun, with the name "summer" engraved around it, and her heart practically melted at the sight. though her real name was summer, she'd always gone by sunny, to keep the connection to her twin sister, moon, alive. seeing that tattoo made her feel something deep, something soft.

eli turned to thank the tattoo artist. "thanks, rico," he said with a nod, his voice casual but full of gratitude. then he shifted his attention to sunny, his eyes locking onto hers.

sunny stepped forward, her heart racing as she smiled up at him. "did you get that for me?" she asked, her voice small, barely above a whisper.

eli smirked, a playful but affectionate look on his face. "of course, sunshine," he replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

sunny's face flushed pink, the warmth spreading across her cheeks as eli wrapped an arm around her shoulders. the two of them left the tattoo parlor together, walking side by side, his arm never leaving her. she leaned into him slightly, feeling the familiar comfort of his presence. her heart fluttered, still processing the fact that he had gotten something so meaningful inked on his body just for her.

as they made their way outside, sunny's phone buzzed in her pocket. she pulled it out, her eyes scanning the screen. it was a message from martiza: "hey, going to the mall with demetri, l8tr. wanna come?"

sunny grinned and quickly typed back: "ofc!!!"

eli, walking beside her, glanced over her shoulder at the phone screen. his expression changed instantly, his playful smirk fading into something more serious. he scoffed under his breath, clearly annoyed.

"seriously? demetri?" he muttered, shaking his head slightly.

sunny stopped in her tracks, turning to face him with a raised eyebrow. "i don't know what your problem is with demetri lately, but he's still mart and i's friend," she said, her voice firm but gentle. she wasn't about to let him get away with the snarky comment without calling him out.

eli rolled his eyes, his jaw clenching slightly. "yeah, well, that doesn't mean i have to like him," he grumbled, his arm still wrapped around her, though now with a slight tension in his grip.

sunny sighed, clearly frustrated but trying to stay calm. she knew something had been bothering eli about demetri lately, but she didn't understand why. "you don't have to like him, but that doesn't mean you get to be rude about it," she replied, her voice softening a bit. "he's important to me, and martiza. he's still your best friend too."

eli's shoulders sagged slightly, and he let out a small sigh, clearly not wanting to argue but still not fully letting it go. "fine. but just... don't expect me to hang out with him," he muttered, sounding more resigned than anything.

sunny rolled her eyes but smiled at him, giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder. "wouldn't dream of it," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. but deep down, she didn't understand why eli was acting like this.

eli smirked, the tension between them easing just a bit as they continued walking. sunny glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering when he'd finally open up about what was really bothering him. she didn't want to push him, but she also didn't want this weird tension with demetri to get worse.

still, for now, she decided to let it go. she had plans to meet up with martiza later, and she wasn't going to let eli's attitude ruin her mood. wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked, she leaned into him, trying to focus on the good.

"i still can't believe you got that tattoo for me," she said quietly, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of the sun inked on his chest.

eli grinned, glancing down at her. "told you, sunshine. you're stuck with me now," he said, his voice low and teasing.

sunny's heart skipped a beat, her blush deepening as she smiled. "wouldn't have it any other way," she whispered, the warmth between them overpowering any lingering frustrations.

sunny sat at the small table in the bustling food court with martiza, robby, and sam, the faint hum of chatter filling the air. demetri was off getting himself some food, and sunny had no idea that robby and sam would tag along today. as it turned out, demetri had recently joined miyagi-do, and sunny, along with martiza, fully supported his decision. miyagi-do had a more calming atmosphere, and it was safer-demetri wouldn't be at risk of getting hurt like he could have been in cobra kai.

sunny and martiza leaned over sam's shoulder, peering at robby's driver's license. the small, grainy picture of him with a man-bun was almost too good to be true.

"oh-ho-ho! sweet man bun," sam teased, a playful glint in her eye.

sunny chuckled, her laughter infectious. "what made you think to wear your hair like that?" she asked between giggles, glancing at robby with raised eyebrows.

martiza smirked, leaning in with a mischievous look. "seriously. want me to cut your hair?" she offered, only half-joking.

robby rolled his eyes in a playful manner, clearly not too bothered by their teasing. "i told you three, it was a horrible picture," he said with a chuckle, leaning back in his chair.

sam grinned and shook her head. "if we were friends at the time, i could've warned you it was a fad," she said, her tone light and teasing.

martiza scoffed, nodding in agreement. "you got that right. if you ever need me to cut your hair, just let me know, please," she emphasized, glancing at sunny, who playfully smacked her arm.

robby laughed along with them, leaning on his hand as he looked at his driver's license again. "yeah, well, i'm stuck with it for five years, so no biggie, right?"

sunny squinted as she looked closer at the license, her gaze zeroing in on his full name. "hold on. robert swayze keene?" she read aloud, a grin spreading across her face.

robby sighed, nodding sheepishly. "yeah, my mom was a huge fan of patrick swayze. he was an actor in the 80s."

sunny and martiza exchanged a glance before scoffing in unison. "yeah, like martiza and i haven't seen dirty dancing a hundred times," sunny exclaimed, the grin still plastered on her face.

"my mom made me watch it all the time," robby added with a sigh.

sam, martiza, and sunny shared a knowing look. "made you?" they asked in perfect unison, all grinning.

robby sighed again, shaking his head in defeat. "okay, maybe i liked it," he admitted, his tone begrudging but playful.

the girls burst out laughing, their giggles echoing through the food court. the laughter continued until martiza suddenly stopped, her expression falling as demetri approached, slamming his tray of food onto the table with a dramatic flair.

"ugh, please go away," martiza groaned, clearly not in the mood for demetri's theatrics.

demetri sighed heavily, clearly just as exasperated. "cry me a river, martiza," he muttered before turning his attention to robby. "i'm more partial to swayze's performance in donnie darko. interesting movie. the time travel logic left a lot to be desired, though," he said matter-of-factly.

sunny and sam exchanged amused smiles, while martiza rolled her eyes so hard it looked like they might stay that way. "could you stop speaking dork for one minute?" martiza shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.

demetri pouted, a mock-offended look on his face. "aw, do i need to dumb it down for you?" he retorted with a smirk, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth.

sunny tried to stifle her laughter, but the way martiza's jaw dropped made it almost impossible to hold back. martiza looked absolutely scandalized.

before martiza could fire back, demetri's face suddenly lit up as if he remembered something important. "wait! is today wednesday?" he asked, sitting up straighter.

"no shit," martiza replied dryly, still recovering from his earlier comment.

demetri shot to his feet. "the new issue of dungeon lord came out today!" he exclaimed, his excitement barely contained. "um, do you guys want anything from the comic book store?"

sunny and sam both shook their heads with smiles. "i'm good," sunny said.

"no thanks," robby added, leaning back in his chair.

martiza crossed her arms, watching demetri with narrowed eyes. "i'll come with you, metri," she said, standing up as well.

demetri raised his eyebrows, looking at her with a teasing grin. "oh, so you can flirt with the cashier again?" he asked, and martiza smirked.

"you know me so well," she quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

demetri turned back to the group, giving them all a quick nod. "okay, we'll be back. make sure no one throws away my chicken," he said before sprinting off toward the comic book store.

martiza groaned in exasperation as she chased after him. "demetri!" she called, her voice echoing through the food court as she ran to catch up.

the remaining trio at the table-sunny, robby, and sam-watched them disappear into the crowd. sunny shook her head, still smiling. "those two," she muttered, leaning back in her chair.

martiza looked over demetri's shoulder, her curiosity piqued as he clutched the latest dungeon lord comic with excitement. "the warlock of narfoor's back? he just died. have some continuity!" he exclaimed, his voice a mixture of frustration and disbelief. demetri's eyes sparkled with passion as he flipped through the pages, pointing out inconsistencies in the plot. martiza rolled her eyes, letting out an exaggerated groan. "ugh, you're such a dork," she said, unable to suppress a smile.

just then, a laugh cut through the air from behind them, making martiza turn around. "you got that right, mars," hawk said, leaning casually against a shelf with his signature smug expression. his goons flanked him, their eyes glinting with mischief. a knot of tension formed in martiza's stomach as she felt the atmosphere shift, turning from playful to confrontational.

"still can't wait to read that new issue, huh?" hawk scoffed, glancing at demetri with an air of superiority. he looked down his nose at demetri, as if he were the ultimate judge of worthiness.

"nice hair. what is this, your red hulk phase?" demetri shot back, an eyebrow raised as he pointed at hawk's newly dyed hair, which was a stark contrast to the previous blue. the jab elicited a chuckle from martiza, who couldn't help but appreciate demetri's boldness in the face of adversity.

"hulk is gonna hurt us," martiza added sarcastically, her voice dripping with humor, but hawk's glare darkened at their banter. he stepped closer, his demeanor shifting to something more threatening.

"i saw your yelp review. take it down," hawk demanded, his voice low and intimidating as he fixed his piercing gaze on demetri. the tension escalated, and martiza felt her heart race.

"what is this? a party to attack demetri? if so, the dye has finally got to your brain. sunny's gonna be so disappointed in you, eli," she retorted, her tone fierce as she moved to stand protectively in front of demetri, unwilling to let hawk intimidate him.

hawk looked down at her, his expression hardening. for a fleeting moment, martiza noticed a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes at the mention of sunny, but it vanished quickly, replaced by a mask of aggression. "get out of here, martiza. you shouldn't be here for this," he said dismissively, shoving her aside gently but firmly.

"i'm not taking it down. it'll ruin my journalistic integrity," demetri scoffed, crossing his arms defiantly. martiza sighed, her frustration bubbling over.

"demetri, just take it down. do we really want him to beat you up right now? i seriously don't think either of us want to deal with a sobbing sunny because of hawk's stupid actions. she needs to find out another way that he changed," martiza insisted, her voice rising slightly as she turned her attention back to hawk, who was now glaring at her with increasing hostility.

"stay out of this!" hawk shouted, his voice booming through the comic book store, causing martiza to jump slightly in surprise. she stared at him in disbelief, trying to comprehend the change in his demeanor.

"what the hell happened to you?" she exclaimed, exasperated. she couldn't recognize the person hawk had become, and it frustrated her that someone she once knew had succumbed to this aggression.

"look, i'm sorry, but someone had to say something," demetri piped in, attempting to defend himself. "and besides, taking it down could hurt my yelp elite status." his cocky attitude was starting to crack under pressure, but he still tried to hold on to a semblance of bravado.

martiza shot him a warning look, wanting him to realize the severity of the situation, but before she could respond, hawk shoved demetri into a nearby rack of comic books, sending several issues cascading to the floor with a loud thud.

"hawk, enough!" martiza yelled, stepping in front of demetri protectively as she adopted a fighting stance, her heart racing with adrenaline. she could feel the heat of the confrontation rising around them.

"stop protecting demetri! he's a pussy, and just because you secretly like him and want to protect him isn't gonna save his ass," hawk spat, his voice laced with venom. martiza's fists tightened instinctively as she glared at him, her resolve hardening.

hawk shifted his gaze back to demetri, his expression full of contempt. "i said take it down," he threatened, his voice dripping with menace.

"you think i'm afraid of you? martiza, sunny and i know who you really are... eli," demetri shot back defiantly, his voice steady yet laced with an underlying tremor of fear. he seemed to be drawing strength from martiza's presence.

hawk clenched his jaw, visibly angered by the confrontation. "so, why don't you, rocksteady and bebop, just leave us alone, okay?" demetri added, his tone challenging as he glanced at hawk with defiance.

martiza dropped her fists, realizing they were surrounded. she and demetri turned to see two more guys behind them, their expressions incredulous as they took in the scene. "great. so, this is what it's come to-gang assault," demetri muttered, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"take it down, or we take you... both down," hawk warned, stepping even closer, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he loomed over them.

martiza tightened her fists again, stepping protectively in front of demetri. "you'd actually hurt us?" demetri asked, disbelief evident in his voice as he took a small step back, glancing around for an escape.

"guess what, eli. demetri joined miyagi-do... and," martiza paused, seizing the moment of distraction. she quickly got low, executing a swift kick against hawk's legs, sweeping him off his feet. he stumbled backward, hitting the ground with a thud, momentarily stunned by her unexpected move.

"...i've been doing karate since i was eight," she declared confidently, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she straightened up. "demetri, run!" she yelled, urgency lacing her voice as she grabbed his arm.

the two scrambled out of the comic book store, adrenaline pushing them forward as they raced toward the food court. hawk and his cobra kai gang were hot on their heels, the sound of footsteps echoing behind them. as they dashed through the store, demetri tripped, falling into a shelf filled with comic books. martiza groaned, quickly turning back to help him up.

"sorry!" she called out to the startled workers as they rushed past, her heart pounding in her chest. she pulled demetri up and glanced back at the chaos behind them, her mind racing as they sprinted toward safety, determined to escape the danger lurking just behind them.

when they arrived at the food court, the bustling atmosphere felt like a cruel contrast to the panic swirling in martiza's mind. sunny, sam, and robby were nowhere to be found. "shit! sunny probably went to look at the cat cafe!" martiza cursed, her heart racing with anxiety. demetri groaned beside her, frustration etched on his face. "of course they left!" he exclaimed, glancing around wildly for any sign of their friends.

the food court stretched out before them, crowded with shoppers and families enjoying their meals. martiza and demetri exchanged worried glances as they scanned the area, looking for a way to escape since they were trapped on the third floor of the mall. their hopes quickly faded when they spotted hawk and a group of cobra kai members striding toward them, a menacing look in their eyes.

"back up," martiza whispered urgently, stepping instinctively closer to demetri. she felt a surge of protectiveness and knew they were in deep trouble. as they turned to look for another exit, more cobra kais appeared from the other direction, effectively boxing them in.

"demetri, get behind me," martiza ordered, her voice firm as she pushed him behind her and raised her fists in a defensive stance. "you're outnumbered, martiza," demetri breathed out, fear evident in his voice.

"i know!" martiza exclaimed, her determination shining through despite the odds stacked against them. she glared at hawk, who smirked at them with confidence. "it didn't have to be this way. you both could've joined cobra kai if you and miguel didn't break up, and if demetri wasn't such a pussy," hawk taunted, his voice dripping with disdain.

"shut your mouth!" martiza shot back, her anger flaring. "at least i'm not an asshole!" demetri yelled, his voice trembling with emotion as he took a step back. just then, mitch lunged forward and grabbed demetri by the arm.

"hey!" martiza yelled, her protective instincts kicking in as she prepared to swing her fist at mitch. but before she could reach him, hawk seized her by the waist and hurled her across the room with a brutal force. martiza flew through the air, her body crashing into a table with a sickening thud. the sound echoed through the food court, and she hit her head hard against the surface before slumping to the floor, unconscious.

just outside the cat cafe, sunny, sam, and robby were stepping out, the delightful chatter from the cafe contrasting sharply with the chaos that unfolded before them. sunny's heart dropped as she witnessed hawk's brutal attack. "martiza!" she screamed, breaking free from sam and robby's side and rushing toward her friend.

she knelt beside martiza, panic coursing through her veins. "martiza, wake up!" sunny pleaded, shaking her gently. after a few agonizing moments, martiza stirred, her eyes fluttering open, but they were unfocused, and she appeared disoriented. "sunny?" she mumbled, her voice slurred and dazed. sunny felt a wave of relief wash over her, but it was short-lived as she glanced up to see sam and robby engaged in a fierce fight against hawk and the cobra kais.

the sight of robby swinging at hawk, his fist colliding with hawk's jaw, made sunny's heart ache. how could this be happening? her boyfriend was fighting her friends. hawk's actions replayed in her mind-how he had hurt martiza so cruelly. overwhelmed by the chaos and betrayal, tears began to stream down sunny's face. she pulled out her phone, her hands shaking as she dialed 9-1-1. "please, we need help. my friend's been hurt, and I think she has a concussion!" her voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes never leaving martiza, who lay groaning on the ground.

after hanging up, sunny turned back toward the chaos just in time to see robby land a solid kick to hawk's face. hawk slid across the floor, and the sight filled sunny with a mix of pride and horror. she sobbed quietly, knowing that their world was unraveling around them.

within moments, robby, demetri, and sam rushed over to her side, concern etched on their faces. "sunny, what happened?" robby asked, worry evident in his voice. sunny looked at him, her heart breaking at the sight of him, and pointed to martiza. "i think mars has a concussion," she choked out, her voice cracking as she fought back sobs.

her gaze shifted to demetri, whose expression was filled with confusion and hurt. "i'm so sorry, demetri," she whispered, the weight of her words heavy with regret. seeing his pain made her heart ache even more. in that moment, all she could feel was the unbearable weight of the situation.

without thinking, sunny stepped forward and wrapped her arms around demetri, tears spilling down her cheeks as she cried into his shoulder. "eli changed," she murmured between sobs, the reality of their circumstances crashing down on her. she felt demetri's arms encircle her, providing a small measure of comfort amidst the chaos, but the heartbreak remained, knowing that their lives had forever shifted in an instant.

sunny picked at her lips, anxiety gnawing at her as the paramedics rolled martiza's stretcher toward the waiting ambulance. the sight of her friend, still and pale, made her stomach churn. "i'm okay, sunny," martiza said softly, though the tremor in her voice told a different story. sunny clutched her friend's hand, unwilling to let go as the paramedics closed the doors, sealing away her worries. tears threatened to spill from sunny's eyes as she felt the reality of the situation crash over her like a tidal wave.

"sunny!" a voice rang out, sharp and insistent. hawk, striding forward, grabbed her arm with a grip that felt both familiar and foreign. she flinched at the contact, instinctively recoiling from his touch. "don't t-touch me," she stammered, her heart racing as she stepped back, the distance between them feeling monumental. hawk's expression shifted from confusion to hurt, and sunny could see the internal struggle etched on his face.

"y-you think i would hurt you?" hawk asked, his voice low and laced with a genuine sadness that was hard to ignore. but sunny couldn't muster any empathy, not after what had just happened.

"e-eli... you just gave martiza a concussion! and luckily, demetri's fine!" her voice rose, fueled by a mix of anger and despair. hawk's gaze fell to the ground, guilt creeping into his features, but sunny wasn't ready to soften her stance.

"what is wrong with you!? beating demetri up over a yelp review? and hurting martiza just because she was trying to protect her friend? of course I think you would hurt me! you've changed!" sunny yelled, tears now welling in her eyes, threatening to spill over. she was taken aback by her own intensity; it was rare for her to raise her voice, yet here she was, full of fury and heartbreak.

"demetri joined miyagi-do, and martiza won't join cobra kai, where she should be. and where you should be too," hawk countered, his voice defensive and firm, as if trying to convince himself of the validity of his claims. sunny frowned deeply, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

"what are you even saying? i'm not a karate person! and martiza doesn't need more classes! her mom can teach her anytime since she's a sensei!" sunny exclaimed, her words spilling out in a rush. "a-and demetri has every right to join a different dojo after your old-ass sensei punched him and gave him stitches!" she pointed out, her anger igniting a spark of rebellion within her. hawk looked momentarily taken aback, shocked by the ferocity of her response.

"demetri and martiza were your friends," sunny said softly, her voice quaking with emotion as a tear slipped down her cheek, highlighting the stark contrast between her pain and hawk's hardened demeanor.

"demetri's a fucking nerd! and he'll always be a nerd!" hawk shot back, his words dripping with disdain, and sunny flinched, hurt by the casual cruelty behind his tone.

"you know what? i'm done," she declared, feeling a surge of defiance coursing through her. "ever since you joined cobra kai, you've become a whole different person. i liked the confidence at first, but martiza's right... the hair dye has gotten to your brain. i miss eli. i loved him... hawk, i don't like you at all." her voice trembled as she began to walk away, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air between them.

"where are you going!?" hawk shouted, desperation creeping into his voice. as sunny turned back, she noticed him yanking his shirt off, revealing the tattoo on his chest. the ink glinted under the fluorescent lights, a painful reminder of their past.

"this means forever!" he declared, pointing to the tattoo as if it held some undeniable truth, some promise that had long since faded in the wake of his transformation. sunny's heart shattered a little more with each word, nostalgia washing over her in waves.

"not anymore," she croaked, her voice barely audible above the chaos around them. she turned her back on him, each step away feeling like an act of defiance, a necessary escape from the person he had become. her heart ached with the finality of it all, the loss of the boy she had loved buried beneath layers of anger and disappointment. the distance between them widened with each step, leaving hawk standing there, alone and bewildered, a hollow shell of the boy she once knew.

ASH SPEAKS!

i feel so bad for sunny:(

we won't officially have them back together until season 4🤧🤧

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)