Back Into A Stranger

Chapter 3

"What happened?" Robby called out as I stormed up to Sam's car, tears making their way to my waterline. I ignored him and jumped in the passenger seat, my face was burning at this stage out of anger and embarrassment. I continuously shook my hands and breathed shallowly, trying to force myself to keep the tears back.

My heartbeat was thudding in my ears, blocking out any other noise. Great... Another panic attack. I kept shaking my hands, like I was drying them. They felt fuzzy. My breath got caught in my throat and I started panicking even more.

"Y/N!" Robby called out, knocking on the window frantically. He opened the car door and held my hands still, I didn't notice until now, but I was uncontrollably crying, ugly crying too. "Y/N, what happened?!" Robby asked, ready to kill whoever hurt me. Sam finally caught up to us with a worried expression on her face.

"What happened? Did you see anything?" Robby asked Sam whilst trying to calm me down. "Uh, just Hawk talking to her." Sam answered. He growled, "Goddamn Cobra Kai."

"Hey Y/N, it's okay now, he's not here." Robby combed my hair with his fingers, my throat slowly opening for the air to get through. "I-I'll take her home, I'll come pick you up later." Sam announced, jumping in the car. 

"Robby!" When she called out, he turned and looked at her in response. "Don't do anything stupid." He smirked a little and walked off, making Sam exhale harshly and shake her head.

As Sam reversed out of the parking space, I looked over to my left, there stood Hawk. I didn't notice his expression, but the bonfire lit up a frown on his face as we drove off. 

"I'm so sorry I ruined your night." I apologised halfway home after listening to a song or two on the radio. She chuckled, "Don't be, I needed a reason to get out of there anyway... Miguel kept trying to talk to me."

"Is he in Cobra Kai too?" I asked. She frowned and answered, "Yeah." "What is with them... Why are they all dicks?" I asked. She shrugged and pulled into my driveway, my mum's car wasn't there... Must be working late again. "Are you okay? Do you want to stay with me?" She offered.

I shook my head with a smile. "I'm just... Exhausted right now, some other time." I tried to be polite. She understood. "Text me if you need anything." She smiled as I hopped out of the car. I waved goodbye as she reversed out of my driveway before walking in. 

I collapsed on my bed after taking a long shower. My eyes feel heavier than they have ever been, I haven't had a panic attack like that in months, and all I wanted to do was call my Sensei. But I couldn't. 

I sat up, looking at myself in the floor length mirror, I was in my underwear. I moved my bra strap aside, finally being able to see my whole brand, my lips quivered as I traced my burnt skin with my finger, although the pain isn't there any more I can still remember how it felt...

"Sensei... What are you doing?" I remember asking him, seeing the branding stick in a burning hot furnace. He turned around with a gentle smile on his face, his gi lifted above his elbows in preparation, the veins in his arms were prominent and sweat beaded off his skin. He walked over to me and told me to lay down, strapping my ankles and wrists to the bench. I trusted him with my life, so whatever he was going to do. It was worth it. 

I heard the branding rod being scraped out of the furnace, heavy footsteps walking over to me. I remember my heart beating out of my chest, trying to see what he was going to do to me. Obviously I couldn't move which meant I couldn't fight him. I felt my gi being moved aside, my collarbone exposed to the heat that was radiating off that rod. 

"Sensei-" He put a belt in my mouth, for me to chew down on. Which is when I understood what was going to happen.

"Remember Y/N. Pain is weakness leaving the body."

I winced, a tear leaving my eye as I remembered how I screamed, what it felt like... That type of stuff you can't shut out of your memory. I felt every inch of my skin scalded from the hot iron, the steam emitting from it as it pressed down onto my skin. I've never heard myself scream like that before, it was the most indescribable pain, I felt every layer of my skin being burnt, like I was on fire. My body screamed against the leather straps I was tied down with. But the worst part of it all was looking into my Sensei's eyes... They were filled with glee, like he was insane. 

I snapped out of it, looking away from the mirror. My screams still echoing in my head. I never forgave him for that.

My phone buzzed frantically, and I quickly picked up whoever was calling. "Yeah?" I answered. "Y/N" Sam sounded worried, "Robby-He beat the shit out of Hawk." My eyes widened, "What?!" I exclaimed. "I came back to pick Robby up and had to pull him off of Hawk." she added. I was stunned, Robby hardly knew me and did that for me? "Won't this mean I'm gonna get harassed more at school?! Probably by all of them now!" I cried out. 

"I'm sorry, I should've taken him home with us." She stated. "No, it's fine, I'll have to deal with it." I declared.

-

I walked into school that Monday, bracing myself for what was going to happen and hoping I wouldn't have to fight anyone. Thank god, I luckily made it to first period without anyone harassing me, so that's-

Fuck.

I noticed Hawk sitting next to the only open seat in the class, and as soon as I walked into class, he whipped his head up to look at me. I met his eyes for a moment then avoided them, walking over to the empty seat. A few of the other kids from Cobra Kai eyed me down, watching my every move. 

Hawk's eye was purple and blue, his lip was cut more than it already was, and the bridge of his nose had some gauze on it. Robby was wearing rings that night. He looked at me from the corner of his eye, and I quickly looked away, staring at the blank notebook I had opened on my desk. I was wearing a long shirt again in this hot weather. Somehow I persuaded everyone that I was just used to the weather being hotter than this, which I wasn't.

I heard some giggling behind me before feeling a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a boy with darker skin and brown hair with a big grin on his face. "Hawk says you wear long shirts because you're hiding hickeys." He snickered. I glared over at Hawk, who had slightly sunk down into his chair, knowing I was staring at him angrily. 

"Didn't know the new girl was so easy." Another maliciously chuckled. I clenched my jaw and balled my fists, trying to find a way to calm myself down as I kept hearing them giggle behind me. I swept my notebooks into my hands and stormed out of the classroom, the teacher calling after me as I turned the corner. 

I walked over to the empty hall my locker was at, throwing my books down and lunging my fist into the locker, leaving a dent in the metal. "Fuck" I groaned out, looking down at my knuckles that were all cut up now. I took a few deep breaths before bending over and picking up my books.

I stood up and turned around, ready to go back to class, when I noticed Hawk standing there awkwardly.