𐙚˙ ༘ ⋆｡ ˚( DECODE ! )
❛ SURPRISE ATTACKS ❜
CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT !

CHARLIE SPLASHED WATER ON HER FACE, refreshing herself after a quick visit to the bathroom. Despite her familiarity with the house, she was always amazed by how nice it was.

Returning to the room, Charlie found everyone seated at the table, a promising sign. She walked over to stand next to Demetri, "We all good then?"

Miguel nodded with pride, giving credit to the boy beside him. "Yep, thanks to Demetri."

Charlie giggled, patting her friend's shoulder in approval before taking her seat at the table.

Demetri, looking down at his notes, began explaining the remaining unresolved matters, "Okay, we're all in agreement that our new combined dojo should train at miyagi-do but deadlocked on a new name, gi design, post-training snacks, and sensei dispute resolution protocol. Okay, not good, but still, it's a start."

"Well, I can convince my da-" Charlie started, but was interrupted by the sound of a cat. She looked around confused because in all the times she stayed over, Sam never once had a cat.

"Aw, I think your cat wants to come in." Bert stood up and walked out of the house, calling for the animal. "Here, kitty, kitty."

"I didn't know you had a cat," Miguel commented to Sam, who shook her head. "We don't."

"Squert . . . " Charlie warned as she stood up and went to walk, only to be startled as the blonde boy suddenly crashed through the window, landing in front of them.

"Bert, what happened?" Miguel yelled in shock.

Bert, still sprawled on the floor, replied, "No cat."

Charlie rushed forward to help him up, looking at all the cuts on his face, "Are you okay?"

He nodded slightly, and she peered through the broken window to see her bike completely destroyed, "My bike!"

Just then, Hawk, Kyler, and a few Cobra Kai students entered the room, wearing smirks on their faces. Charlie quickly positioned herself in front of Bert, using herself as a shield, and glared at the intruders.

But they were not the only ones to arrive. The door swung open, revealing Tory and two boys accompanying her, "Heard you were throwing a party. Hope you don't mind if we crash."

Miguel looked at his ex-girlfriend before pleading with her, "Tory, you don't have to do this."

"It's too late. This ends tonight," Tory declared, raising her voice. "No mercy!"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Charlie muttered, as the room erupted into chaos. She knew she couldn't avoid getting involved; as Johnny's daughter, she was a prime target for the angry Cobra Kai students.

A boy she didn't recognize charged at her, but Charlie grabbed his arm, delivering a knee to his stomach before throwing him to the ground. "That's for my bike."

Looking around, she searched for others she could help, but it just caught her off guard. She felt someone push her, causing her to crash into the wall and hit her head.

The girl turned around and saw Doug standing there, a proud smirk on his face. Charlie instinctively touched her head, wincing at the sight of blood on her fingers.

She used her leg to kick him in the stomach, sending him stumbling backward. He retaliated by grabbing her arm and throwing her to the ground.

His actions only fueled her anger. She rose to her knees, sending a roundhouse kick to his face. Doug collapsed onto the sofa and clutched his injured face in pain.

Despite the throbbing in her head, Charlie refused to let it distract her from defending her friends. She remained on guard, searching for opportunities to help. She noticed Kyler cowardly throwing Miguel onto the sofa, clearly taking advantage of the fact Miguel had only recently gotten out of a wheelchair.

Charlie sprinted forward, leaping into the air and delivering a powerful kick to Kyler's side. He crashed into the wall, a groan escaping his lips.

As Kyler turned his attention to her, he went to strike, but Miguel quickly came over and punched him in the face. The boy fell over once more which brought them some time.

"You okay?" Charlie asked, breathing heavily.

"Yeah," Miguel nodded, gesturing to her bleeding head with concern. "You?"

"I'll be fine," Charlie shook off the pain, determined not to let it show. She could see Miguel was in more pain than she was, so there was no need to complain.

Their attention shifted when they heard Sam's scream. They turned towards her, but before they could go over to help, Kyler sprang back to his feet.

Miguel forcefully pushed both of Kyler's arms before turning to Charlie. "Go, I'll handle him."

Charlie nodded and quickly made her way towards the girl. She jumped onto the boy's back and manoeuvred him to the ground. She then extended a hand to Sam, who gratefully accepted.

"Thank you," Sam expressed her gratitude, a smile gracing her face. Charlie scanned the area, searching for Tory, knowing that she would be on sam's case at any moment.

"Will you be alright with Tory?" Charlie asked.

Sam nodded, "Yeah, you don't have to stay here, you know."

"Come on, I can't leave. I have to make sure all of you are safe," Charlie dramatically declared, making the girl laugh a little despite the mess they were in.

The two girls separated, each taking on their own way into the fight. Charlie walked through the crowd, escaping anyone who tried to come at her. Until she found herself face to face with Hawk.

For a moment, neither of them moved, their gazes locked. Charlie's eyes drifted downward, fixating on his chest.

There it was, the necklace, her necklace. Hawk still wore it, its faint outline visible beneath his shirt. She had assumed he had thrown it or at least took it off, but clearly, he had kept it with him all this time.

Though, the necklace alone was not enough to mend the damage he had caused or erase the pain he had inflicted on her friends.

And despite her longing to hug him and ask him to stop, she turned away, purposefully distancing herself to avoid the embarrassment of pleading with someone who had already let her down.

Charlie continued walking until she saw Tory approaching Sam. She knew Sam was capable of defending herself, but Tory fought dirtier than most, so now Charlie made her way towards them.

Before she could step in, however, a hand firmly grasped her shoulder, spinning her around and delivering a sharp blow to her face.

"Fuck!" Charlie exclaimed, clutching her nose as blood trickled down. The impact numbed her lip, and she glanced up to find another unfamiliar face.

She grabbed his hand before twisting it slightly and confronting him, "What's your problem? I don't even know you."

"Hey, Hawk, free shot!" a voice called out. Rickenburger and another boy restrained Demetri as all eyes turned to Hawk, his expression mirroring the anger he had displayed when he broke Demetri's arm.

Charlie anticipated his next move and released her grip on the boy who had struck her, rushing forward. "Hawk, no!"

The boy who had assaulted her grabbed her by the forearms, holding her elbows behind her back. "No, get off me!" she protested, struggling against his hold.

It felt as if history was repeating itself. Demetri on the ground, Hawk about to break his arm, and Charlie restrained back. Frustration just flew through her, a reminder of the countless times she had hoped for change, only to be disappointed.

Closing her eyes, Charlie prepared for the worst. But suddenly, the sound of shattering glass and grunts came from it. She opened her eyes to see Hawk forcefully throwing the two boys to the ground, saving Demetri.

A breath of disbelief escaped her lips as she watched Hawk apologise to his old friend.

Charlie grinned and threw her head backwards, colliding with his face. Momentarily disoriented, he loosened his grip, allowing Charlie to seize the opportunity. She leaned down and swept her leg, causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the ground.

When she knew that he wouldn't get back up, Charlie made her way towards Sam and Tory, accompanied by Miguel, Demetri, and Hawk.

"Guys stop!" Miguel yelled, as the four of them ran in.

"Tory! The fight is over," Hawk declared. The shock was clear on her face.

"It's not over," Tory proclaimed, her gaze fixed on Sam. "This will never be over, you hear me?"

Sam stood her ground, "You know where to find me."

Charlie observed the exchange with pride in her eyes. Although Tory had once been one of her closest friends, and she wished for that connection again, she couldn't deny the satisfaction of seeing Sam finally stand up to her.

Tory approached the four, positioning herself directly in front of Hawk and Miguel, "traitors! You better watch your back."

"He won't have to. He's got friends watching it for him." Demetri said, blocking her path.

Tory glanced back at Miguel, Hawk, and Charlie, her expression a mixture of disbelief and frustration, before exiting.

When Tory was gone, Charlie exhaled a satisfied breath. She approached Miguel and hugged him carefully, mindful of his injuries.

Sam joined the group, merging into the hug before they separated so Charlie could do the same with Demetri.

As she pulled away from the boy, Hawk's eyes were fixed on her. She wanted to celebrate and hold him in her arms, but his past still lingered on her mind. One small act like that was never going to be enough to make up for what he'd done.

Choosing to just look away, Charlie left with the others. And despite her back turned to him, she sensed Hawk's gaze upon her, disappointed.

✧  •   •  𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚  •  •  ✧ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

HAWK FINALLY BEING GOOD AGAINNNN

but obviously I'm not gonna let him off that easily, charlie is very much going to stay mad at him for a while but they will be good again soonnn

please comment and vote !