ELAPID ✪ COBRA KAI

X. The Last Appearance of Eli Moskowitz

"I wish that I could be like the cool kids,
'Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in."

Cool Kids by Echosmith

☆━━━━━━☆━━━━━━☆

Disclaimer: Mature themes, talk of abuse, harassment, bullying, and suicide. Read at your own discretion. 

Eli looked up from his huddled position to see Andi approaching him. 

His face suddenly turned frightened- as if Andi were the last person he wanted to see at that moment- which she was. 

Andi saw Eli's contorted face and hesitated for a moment. Maybe she wasn't the right person to come comfort him. After all, things hadn't been truly the same since she'd defend him from Kyler. 

You didn't defend him Andi reminded herself, You kissed him. 

"Andi" Eli's hoarse voice croaked, " I'm fine. Y- you should just go."

Andi ignored the boy's plea and made her way to the wall where he was sitting. She lowered herself down the wall and sat next to the crying boy, propping her hands on her knees as she turned to look at him shyly. 

This was her chance to comfort him correctly, make up for the last time. 

"Eli, I know you're not fine," she said, as he looked down at his shoes. 

"I know this" she continued, "cause I was you- less than a year ago. Well, I mean I still am- but...what I mean is... you didn't know me when I was at my worst." 

"You mean, you walked out of the only opportunity you ever had for a better life, crying like a pussy?" Eli croaked, still looking down.

Andi sighed, this was way worse than just a little comment made by Johnny. This was everything Eli had faced and was insecure about arriving at its boiling point. 

She thought for a second, thinking of the best way to approach the situation.

"In a way," Andi answered truthfully. " It wasn't in a dojo or anything, but- I, I had the chance to be something else. Like, not an a-a nerd." 

Eli lifted his head- "You don't understand Andi- you'll never understand. I'm never going to be fine. Because I wasn't born like a person that could ever be fine." He choked out, pointing to his lip.

Now looking straight at her, Andi saw his red, tear-stained cheeks and sunken eyes engraved on his face. Unfortunately, she was reminded of herself so many months ago.

"Eli, that's not true. Your lip-" She began, only to be interrupted by his maniacal laugh. 

"Oh yeah- my lip, let's talk about it as if I never notice it." 

"no- Eli, it's not as bad as you think- it makes you look badass" she tried to reason, only to be shrugged off by the upset boy. 

"Don't lie to me" He murmured, covering himself in his arms and crumbling his head into his knees. 

"I'm not. Eli, I- I understand how you're feeling" She tried explaining, only to be cut off yet again. 

"No, you don't. No one does." Eli remarked sadly, head still headed within his knees. 

Andi so badly wanted to take this pain away from him- and she concluded that sharing one of her worst experiences was the only way. 

There were a million to choose from, some more personal than others. Some she wasn't ready to talk about yet... and then the perfect one for this occasion presented itself in the front of her mind.