Psychotic Kids '-' Eli Moskowitz

You're Doing It

I groaned, slowly opening my eyes, recognizing the blinding lights of the hospital trying to make their way through my eyelids. I sighed, as soon as I started breathing my lungs hurt. I didn't even try to move, I just opened my eyes, seeing Demetri, Sam, Dad and Miguel.

“Harley” Dad stood up right away, rushing over to me “Shit kid you’re alive” he quickly wrapped his arms around me

“Ye-” I tried to talk, but instantly started coughing 

Dad pulled away from me, handing me a water bottle, while everyone stared at me sadly. I tried to take deep breaths as I downed sips of water. Back to square one again it seems.

“You’re almost definitely gonna have asthma after this one” Miguel sighed

I sighed, looking over at Demetri, trying to give him a look to ask him if he was okay. 

“He’s okay Harles” Sam answered “He can still talk, so...”

I smiled softly, looking across at everyone. There was only one person I wish was here right now that wasn’t.

“Uh oh” Dad sighed “I know that face”

“What?” Demetri questioned

“That’s the ‘I miss my brother’ look” Dad mumbled

“We do too Harles” Sam nodded “He’ll be out soon”

I nodded, leaning into my dad’s arm, who had found a spot on my bed. I hated this, I didn’t want to be back here. I wanted to be back on my feet, able to say the shit I wanted, back in karate again. But I couldn’t explain that to sayone, hell, I couldn’t even if they'd understand. My face fell into my hands, I felt like I couldn’t breathe again, but I could, just fine… am I having a panic attack?

“Hey, what is it kid? What do you need?” Dad questioned, looking me over

“I uh… Think she just needs a hug Sensei” Miguel mumbled

Dad nodded, slowly wrapping his arms around me. I flung myself around him, letting tears fall off my face and into my lap. I used to hate crying in front of people, now, it seemed like a pointless thing to worry about. Dad held a gentle hand around my head, I had never felt so safe in his arms before, at least not that I could remember.

“Can we?” I heard Sam whisper

Suddenly there were multiple arms around me, one casted one, and one hand on my leg for support. I stayed in that position for… god knows how long. I stayed in that huddle of people, just crying, letting everything go. I just wanted to let everything go.

~~

A few days later, I was skipping school again. I didn’t want to face anyone. I had to keep my shoulder wrapped, because apparently Hawk had bruised it so badly that I needed it, and if I had an asthma attack in school I’d feel like such a pussie. 

“Ya know what’s ironic?” Miguel had told me while he was over at our house “When I started at Cobra Kai, I had asthma… Your dad didn’t ‘believe’ in it”

Well he definitely believed in it now. After not believing in it and having to take me to the hospital, again, because he wouldn’t give me my inhaler. I sat in my bed most days, scrolling on my phone and trying not to think about all the chaos going on outside my bedroom door. As I was scrolling down instagram I got a call from someone- oh you’ve got to be shitting me. I quickly pulled out my laptop, pulling up a text to speech thing on google before answering at the call

“Hey Harley, it’s-”

“What do you want Mitch?” the voice spoke

“Oh- cool uh- voice thing…. I- Listen I didn’t know who else to call. I got kicked out of Cobra Kai” he sighed

That intrigued me. I quickly typed something down on the computer to answer.

“Why?”

“New recruits, kid beat me, Kreese kicked me out” he grumbled

I grunted, showing him I’d heard him. I hated it, but I couldn’t help worrying about him.

“What about Hawk?” I typed

“I dunno, I left right away” Mitch answered “Look- Harley I’m sorry, I- I didn’t know what I was doing-”

“Save it. You aren’t forgiven” I typed quickly “You want my trust back? Earn it”

I ended the call after that. Kreese has got to be out of his ancient senile mind. How much was he willing to sacrifice? How many kids' lives did he have to ruin before he finally felt complete about his sad lonely life?

“Hey” Miguel slowly wheeled in the door “I uh… I heard that” he nodded to my computer “You wanna talk about it?” I raised an eyebrow, Miguel chuckled softly “Okay- poor choice of words… Ya know” Miguel sighed “I can’t forgive Tory for what she did to you, I tried… But she hasn’t even tried to talk to me, and now, there’s no point. But I see the way you are- hell, at this point I’d like to say I know the way you think but-”

“Get on with it” I made the text to speech lady talk

“Right” Miguel smiled softly “.... I know that, you and Hawk are- not together anymore, and I think you’re more than right to be… But you still love him Harley… I can tell- and- god knows why but-”

I stood up, pointing at the door. I didn’t want to think about Hawk, or hear his name, or anything, especially be reminded that I was still in love with the psychopath who put me back in the hospital.

“Halrey wait just-”

I stomped my foot on the floor as loudly as I could, pointing to the door once again. Miguel sighed, slowly wheeling himself out of my room. As soon as he was out I slammed the door shut and collapsed onto my bed. Tears filled my eyes, and my chest started to hurt from sobbing but I couldn’t stop it. God, is this ever gonna end?

~~

“Quiet!”

I was pulled out of my daze by… that wasn’t dad. I jumped up to my feet, getting dizzy from getting up too fast, but when I got out of my room I saw Miguel in his harness thingy, talking to my dad.

“You let Kreese take your dojo! You let Hawk, and Tory, and everyone else think you’re weak!”

“Because it was a mistake to begin with” Dad stopped him “I should’ve never brought back Cobra Kai, look what happened”

“What happened, is you helped a bunch of people, then walked away like a pussy” Miguel spat. Dad backed off, his arms relaxed, and then when I noticed. Holy. Fucking. Shit “You’re a Sensei. It’s who you are, if you can’t see that you’re blind”

“Mmm!” I exclaimed as loudly as possible

Both guys looked over at me. I slowly moved over, pointing at my dad’s relaxed hand. No strain from holding Miguel up with the rope. Relaxed.

“Miguel...” Dad stared in shock

“What?”

Miguel followed my eyeline, until he reached dad’s hand, no longer touching the rope. He was standing on his own. He was standing on his own!

“Am I doing it?” he gasped

“You’re doing it” Dad nodded

“Holy shit! I’m doing it!” Miguel was nearly in tears

“You’re doing it!” Dad exclaimed

Miguel, not literally, fell into my dad’s arms. Dad wrapped his arms tightly around Miguel. Miguel opened his arms more, looking at me.

“Dude get the fuck over here”

I smiled, my eyes were already red from crying but more tears were on their way. I raced over, crashing into my dad’s back and wrapping my arms around both of them. 

“Thank you” Miguel sighed

“No thank you” Dad corrected

I just continued to hug both of them. Maybe it was nuts, but I remembered, just an old phrase. There’s a lot of bad in our lives, especially mine. But there’s good in the bad, you just have to be smart enough, to look back and see it.

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