chapter twenty-four:
❛ not the same ❜

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Sunny pushed open the hospital doors and walked down the corridor, the faint smell of antiseptic and the hum of fluorescent lights enveloping her. The cool air-conditioning brushed against her skin, but her heart raced, a mix of dread and hope weighing on her chest. She adjusted the strap of her bag and tried to focus on her steps, each one echoing louder in her mind as she neared Maritza's room.

When Sunny turned the corner, she paused. There, sitting outside the hospital room on a small bench, was Marisol Sanchez. Her shoulders were hunched, her hands covering her face as her body shook with quiet sobs. Sunny's stomach dropped. She had never seen Marisol cry like this before.

"Ms. Sanchez?" Sunny called softly, her voice tentative as she stepped closer. Marisol startled slightly, looking up at the sound of her name. Her face was red and tear-streaked, her eyes swollen and glassy. She quickly wiped at her cheeks, trying to compose herself, but it was clear the effort cost her.

"Oh, Sunny," Marisol said, her voice wavering as she offered a weak, trembling smile. "Hi, sweetheart. You're such a good girl to come."

Sunny's heart squeezed in her chest. She didn't like seeing Marisol like this-so broken, so vulnerable. She walked closer, her voice filled with concern. "Ms. Sanchez, is everything okay? What's going on?"

Marisol patted the space on the bench beside her. "Come sit, cariño," she said, her voice still trembling. Sunny hesitated but nodded, lowering herself onto the bench. She glanced at the closed hospital room door, a deep unease growing in the pit of her stomach.

Marisol turned to face her, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap. She exhaled deeply, as if trying to gather the strength to speak. "Sunny," she began softly, her voice thick with emotion. "You've been such a sweet girl to Maritza. You've been her best friend since we moved here a few years ago. I've always been so grateful for you-for the way you've stood by her, even through all of this."

Sunny frowned, her worry deepening with every word. Something about Marisol's tone felt off-too final, too heavy. She swallowed hard, her voice barely steady. "Ms. Sanchez... what's going on? Is Maritza okay?"

Marisol took another deep breath, her hands trembling as she reached over to place one on Sunny's knee. "I'm taking Maritza to a specialist in New York," she said slowly, her words deliberate and careful. "They think they can help her get her memories back."

Sunny's eyes widened, the words hitting her like a physical blow. "What?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why? She's... she's getting better here, isn't she?"

Marisol shook her head gently, her lips pressing together as she tried to keep her composure. "Honey," she said softly, "I know I've been teaching you some karate, and I know we stopped after everything that happened with the fight, but Maritza needs this. She doesn't remember anyone, not the way she used to. She remembers you... sort of. But it's not the same. She's not herself anymore, and I just want her to have a chance to be that girl again."

Sunny felt a lump form in her throat, her chest tightening as tears pricked at her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep them from falling, but the ache was too much. "But-" she started, her voice cracking, "what about here? What about everyone? What about... me?"

Marisol's face softened, and she gave Sunny's hand a gentle squeeze. "I know this is hard," she said, her own voice trembling. "I know you care about her so much. That's why this is so painful. But I have to do what's best for her, even if it means leaving for a little while."

Sunny sniffled, her vision blurring as tears began to fall. She quickly wiped at her face, embarrassed to cry in front of Marisol, but she couldn't stop. "How long will you be gone?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"A few months," Marisol said quietly. "We're leaving in a few hours."

Sunny froze, her tears momentarily forgotten as the words sank in. "A few hours?" she repeated, her voice rising slightly in shock.

Marisol nodded, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but there's been so much to figure out. I didn't want to leave without you knowing how much you mean to her... and to me."

Sunny couldn't speak, the weight of Marisol's words pressing down on her like a boulder. She nodded shakily, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "Okay," she whispered after a long moment. "Okay, Ms. Sanchez. If this is what she needs... I understand."

Marisol's face crumpled, and she pulled Sunny into a tight hug. Sunny stiffened at first, the gesture catching her off guard, but then she melted into the embrace, her tears soaking into Marisol's shoulder. "Thank you," Marisol murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to her. I'll never forget it."

When they finally pulled apart, Marisol wiped at her eyes and gave Sunny a small, sad smile. Sunny turned toward the window of Maritza's hospital room, her heart breaking as she looked inside. Maritza was lying on the bed, her face serene and peaceful, completely unaware of the emotions swirling just outside her door.

Sunny pressed her hand against the glass, her fingers trembling slightly. She stared at Maritza for a long moment, memorizing every detail of her friend's face-the curve of her jaw, the slope of her nose, the way her hair fanned out on the pillow. "I'll see you again," she whispered, her voice so soft it was barely audible.

With a deep, shaky breath, she stepped back from the window and turned to leave, the ache in her chest heavier than ever.

Sunny's legs felt like jelly as she walked away from Maritza's hospital room, her head spinning with everything Marisol had just told her. Her hands were still trembling as she tried to take deep breaths, but it didn't help. Her chest felt tight, like she couldn't get enough air. The thought of Maritza leaving-of her being gone for months-was too much.

She hugged her arms around herself and hurried down the hallway, not wanting anyone to see her like this. Her eyes were blurry with unshed tears, and she wasn't paying attention to where she was going when she suddenly bumped into someone.

"Sorry," she mumbled, barely looking up. She tried to sidestep and keep going, but a familiar voice stopped her.

"Sunny?" Hawk's voice was unmistakable.

Sunny froze, her heart sinking. She didn't want to deal with him right now. She didn't want to deal with anyone.

"Sunny, are you okay?" Hawk asked again, his tone softer this time.

Her shoulders tensed, and she spun around to face him, her emotions getting the better of her. "Don't talk to me like you care," she snapped, her voice shaking with anger she didn't even mean to direct at him.

Hawk flinched slightly, his eyebrows shooting up. But instead of backing down, he narrowed his eyes and snapped back, "I do care!"

They glared at each other, the hallway around them feeling suffocating. Sunny's hands clenched into fists, and her lip trembled as she tried to hold back tears. Hawk stared right back, his jaw tight, but after a moment, his expression softened.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

Sunny blinked, caught off guard by the question. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hawk let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his mohawk. "Well, you need to eat," he said firmly. "I don't want you to... fall back into that habit again."

Sunny's stomach churned at his words. She knew exactly what he was referring to, and for once, she didn't have the energy to argue. Instead, she let out a shaky breath and sank onto a bench against the wall. Her legs felt like they might give out if she didn't sit down.

Hawk watched her for a moment, then turned and walked over to the vending machine nearby. Sunny stared down at her lap, feeling hollow and exhausted. She didn't even look up when he came back and handed her a bag of pretzels and a bottle of water.

"Here," he said, sitting down beside her.

She hesitated, then opened the bag and slowly started eating. The salty pretzels reminded her just how empty her stomach was, and she realized she hadn't eaten all day.

"I didn't know you came to visit Maritza," she said after a few moments, her voice quieter now.

Hawk leaned back against the bench, his arms resting on the backrest. "Yeah," he said. "I came to see Miguel first, then Maritza." He hesitated, then added, "Miguel's awake, you know."

Sunny's eyebrows rose slightly. "That's... cool," she said, though her voice was still distant. "I'll go check on him in a bit."

Hawk nodded, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "How's Maritza doing?" he asked.

Sunny's hand froze midway to her mouth, the pretzel forgotten. She swallowed hard and looked away. "Her mom's taking her to New York," she said quietly. "They're gonna see a specialist. They think they can help her get her memories back."

Hawk frowned, his jaw tightening. "Shit," he muttered, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I'm gonna miss her."

Sunny scoffed, bitterness creeping into her tone. "Didn't know you still cared."

Hawk's head snapped up, and he turned to look at her, his expression a mix of frustration and hurt. "Of course I still care," he said firmly. "You two were my best friends."

Sunny blinked, the anger in her chest deflating slightly. She hadn't expected him to say that, and now she felt a pang of guilt for assuming the worst. "Yeah, well... it doesn't feel like it sometimes," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Hawk sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know I've been... different," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about you. Or Maritza."

Sunny looked down at the pretzels in her lap, her throat tightening. She didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded, her eyes stinging with fresh tears.

Hawk sat quietly beside her for a moment before speaking again. "I'm serious, though. You gotta take care of yourself. Maritza wouldn't want you to fall apart over this."

Sunny sniffled and wiped at her face, nodding again. "Thanks," she said softly.

Hawk nodded back, and they sat in silence for a while, the weight of everything hanging between them. For the first time in a long time, though, it felt like they were on the same side again.

Sunny was curled up on her bed, the worn paperback in her hands holding her attention hostage. She had been looking forward to this quiet moment all day, a rare chance to escape into the pages of her favorite novel. Her room was dimly lit by the soft golden glow of her bedside lamp, casting comforting shadows across the familiar space. Everything felt calm.

Until her door slammed open with enough force to make the handle rattle against the wall.

Sunny jumped, the book slipping out of her grasp as her twin sister, Moon, stormed in. She didn't say a word, just let out a frustrated, muffled scream as she dove face-first onto Sunny's bed and buried her face in the nearest pillow.

"Moony?" Sunny asked, wide-eyed. She leaned forward, her confusion evident. "You okay?"

Moon didn't move, just screamed again, though it was quieter this time with the pillow muffling her voice. Finally, she rolled onto her back, her arms flopping dramatically at her sides as she let out a huff. "No, Sunny. I'm not okay."

Sunny frowned, sliding to the edge of her bed to sit beside her twin. "What happened?"

Moon sat up, her cheeks flushed red with frustration as she waved her arms around for emphasis. "Your stupid boyfriend Hawk happened!" she snapped.

Sunny blinked, startled by both the accusation and the venom in Moon's voice. "Wait, what?" she asked, holding up her hands. "Hawk is not my boyfriend-"

"Oh, please," Moon interrupted, glaring. "Tell that to the guy who stole the money Sam and I raised for the car wash fundraiser!"

Sunny's jaw dropped. "What? Hawk stole your fundraiser money?"

"Yes! And you know what's worse?" Moon leaned forward, her voice dropping like she was delivering some terrible secret. "He beat up Nate to get it!"

Sunny's hand flew to her mouth. "What?"

"Oh, I'm not done," Moon said, her voice growing sharper. "Nate-who, by the way, was almost unconscious at the time-said Hawk was mumbling something to Mitch during the whole thing. And you know what Nate did hear? Hawk saying, 'Never talk about Sunny like that.'"

Sunny stared at her sister, utterly baffled. "What?" she repeated, unable to process what she was hearing. "What was Mitch even saying about me?"

Moon threw her hands in the air. "No clue! Nate didn't catch that part-because he was getting his ass handed to him!"

Sunny sighed, running a hand down her face as she tried to piece it all together. "I... I don't even know what to say."

"How about this?" Moon said, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "What the hell is going on with your boyfriend?!"

Sunny groaned. "For the last time, Moony, he's not my boyfriend!"

"Could've fooled me," Moon muttered, rolling her eyes.

Sunny shot her sister a look. "Seriously, I don't know what's gotten into Hawk. He's been..." She trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "Different."

"Different?" Moon repeated, her tone incredulous. "Sunny, he's out of control. And you better figure out what's going on with him, because this isn't just some Cobra Kai rivalry thing anymore. He's crossing lines."

Sunny sighed deeply, leaning back against the headboard and rubbing her temples. "Moony, whatever Hawk is doing, it's not about me. I'm not 'in' this."

Moon wasn't convinced. She narrowed her eyes, studying her sister. "You don't believe that, do you?"

Sunny hesitated, her silence louder than any answer she could have given.

"Exactly," Moon said, her voice softening just a bit. "Look, I'm keeping an eye on him. For Nate, for Sam, for our fundraiser money-and for you."

Sunny looked at her sister, touched despite the chaos of the conversation. "Thanks, Moony," she said quietly.

"Don't thank me yet," Moon muttered, flopping back onto the bed and groaning into the pillow again.

Sunny watched her, her mind spinning with everything Moon had said. Whatever was going on with Hawk, she couldn't ignore it anymore.

ASH SPEAKS!!

awwww hawk still cares <3

season 6 part 2 ending was insaneeee

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