they were in a car junkyard. the sound of dogs echoed. leaves dancing like the wind. the opening of a bottle can be heard.

royce looked up at her father, who was standing on top of a metal musty box. "you've trained hard. you've gotten stronger, tougher, faster. you've done your best. you're ready for this tournament, am i right?".

"yes sensei!", everybody yelled out.

"wrong!", johnny throws his beer can to the ground. some spilling on royce sweats. she rolled her eyes.

everybody looked down at the spill, then at royce, then sensei.

"your best aint shit! if you wanna win the all valley under-18 karate tournament, you gotta give me better than your best. do you understand?".

"yes, sensei!"

"are you losers?"

"no, sensei!"

"are you nerds?"

"no, sensei!"

"are you sure?"

"no, sensei!".

royce did a double take, she whipped her head around so fast, "fucking bitchballs."

the group ran the tires around until aisha tripped and didn't get up quickly enough before  all the students fell on top of eachother.

royce was walking on a long board of wood that her father set up, that was across a big bin of scrap metal. she almost slipped but hawk was closest to her and caught her.

"thank you", she muttered while he stared into her eyes quickly. he nodded.

after the activities, johnny started passing around out beef jerky bits to all the kids. "you guys hungry?". everybody nodded, making sensei smirk, royce knew this smirk so well, she knew something was going to happen.

"good. 'cause so are they." he blew a high pitched whistle. royce could hear overlapping barks.

"holy nuts!" royce yelled, instantly running. royce looked for something to go on top on, she spotted a rusty pick up truck and jumped on top.

"royce! help me get up faster!" hawk yelled as he ran up to the pick up truck, the dogs close to him. royce rushed her hand towards his hands and pulled him up with all her force. which made her fall, which also made him fall on top of her.

"you're missing a shoe".

"at least i still have my other shoe."

he was still on top of her, "you know, i can just take yours?",

royce made a weird face, "no".
__

the next day, miguel, aisha, hawk, and royce were at the movies. miguel was talking to aisha about his relationship with sam. hawk had his arm around royce, trying to throw popcorn into other peoples popcorn buckets. she leaned her head onto her shoulder, while he retracted his arm, and put his hand on her thigh. which gave her major butterflies.

he winked at the girl before going back to throwing popcorn into others buckets.

royce grabbed some popcorn, throwing it one by one in the air, trying to get some in her mouth.

"what are you doing?" hawk asked.

royce froze in place as her hand was up and her mouth was open. her eyes wide like a golf ball. hawk started laughing, royce started laughing silently as she got this feeling in her stomach.

she noticed miguel and aisha smirking at the pair, she blushed as she looked away. she felt a hand going around hers, she noticed hawk playing with her fingers. she smiled as she laid her head back onto his shoulder.

—

miguel and royce walked back home.

"so, you and hawk?", miguel asked.

"i guess. i mean it only started like last week."

"how long have you had feelings for him?".

"for a while now, i just haven't said anything. i'm scared. you know?".

miguel nodded, "yeah i get that. you gotta tell him soon or it's gonna be to late rory. i don't wanna see you heartbroken and shit you know?".

royce nodded and gave miguel a hug, "love you mig". she mumbled into his chest.

"love you too".

"hey, do you want to come with me to sam's house? i need to do something real quick."

"yeah sure, let me get my bike."
__

the pair got off their bikes and miguel practiced a saying. as royce was observing the larusso's house. it was big, too many trees, flowers, nice.

royce heard laughing, by the looks of it, miguel heard it too. they walked slowly towards the sound of the laughter.

miguel and royce stumbled, stopping once they saw the larusso family talking, and her brother there. sam was laughing.

royce felt a lump grow in her throat. she swallowed to make it go away. royce bit her lip. frowning as miguel walked away bummed. royce knew that robby was happy, with another family. she didn't hate him for that. she knew he needed it, she was happy for him.

"miggy.."

"what, royce?".

"do you want me to stay at your home?".

miguel nodded, "yes please".

she smiled.
—

"hey, do you niños need anything?", miguel's mom, carmen asked.

"no it's okay mama", miguel smiled.

"okay babies, let me know. thanks for staying with my son mija".

"of course mama carmen".

the sound of glass breaking caught the girl's attention, "did you hear that?"

"hear what?"

"i'll be right back,", royce walked out of their home and spotted her dad beating up a man.

"dad?!? dad!" royce yelled running foward but carmen walked out in time and pulled her back as her father go onto the motorcycle and went away.

++
jasmins corner
i didn't know how to end this chapter behe