GOOD HEART, BAD TEMPER - keene, robby

seventeen

Rory's eyes fluttered open as the sun crept into her room. A small groan escaped her lips as she sat up, and then a scream.

"What are you doing here?!" she yelled, covering her body because she only had a bra and shorts on.

"Calm down, Jesus." the boy rolled his eyes. "You weren't answering your phone."

Rory looked at her phone to see the multiple missed calls and texts that went on from 11 P.M. to 3 A.M.

"Probably because I was asleep!" she yelled. "That thing that normal people do."

"Well, can we talk now?" Hawk grabbed her hand.

"Whatever." she rolled her eyes before grabbing her shirt and throwing it on. "You want breakfast?"

He only smiled at the girl before helping her out of bed.

|

Rory let out another yelp as the grease popped on her hand. "I can make the bacon, Rory."

"No. I rather you just tell me what you want to talk about." she says.

"I want to apologize for yesterday." he says.

She scoffs before turning around. "You want to apologize for dragging me out of the mall, yelling at me in the parking lot, and then leaving me?"

"Yeah." he mumbled quietly. "That was really shitty of me, and I'm sorry."

"Do you even hear yourself?!" she shouts, throwing the pan on the stove. "Eli had only apologized to me once in the 6 years we'd known each other and that was for hitting me in a game of dodgeball. Hawk has apologized to me more times than I can count!"

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I don't know why I'm acting like this! I just— You and Robby were literally lying on the floor, staring at each other! What was I supposed to do? Let everyone in the mall see my girl looking at some other guy?" Hawk stands up as anger boils in him.

"It wasn't like that! I was telling him that I was saving you! My boyfriend! I was saving you, not him! I could care less about him!" Rory shouted, and an uncomfortable feeling churned in her stomach when she said that last part.

"You're burning your eggs." Hawk sits back down.

Rory sighs before turning around and taking the eggs off the stove. She puts the eggs and bacon in a plate and hand the plate to her boyfriend.

After fixing her plate she sits beside him. They eat in silence for a bit until Hawk turns to her, resting his hand on her thigh.

"Listen, I'm an asshole. I know. But I want to be better. For you. I'm tired of arguing and hurting you. I promise, I won't hurt you anymore." he says.

Rory sighs before leaning over and kissing him. "I know." she lies.

His hand leaves her thigh and cups her cheek. He pulls her in for a longer, deeper kiss. "I love you, ok?"

"Ok." she nods.

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The whole class was out of breath as they continued to do burpees. Rory felt like she was about to barf up the breakfast she had just eaten.

"This could all be over in an instant. The decision's yours!" Johnny yells. "Who trashed the Miyagi dojo? You all know I'm no fan of the LaRusso's, but that sort of bullshit we don't teach in here. At least not anymore. So, I'm gonna ask you again. Who trashed Miyagi-Do?"

"It was not me, Sensei. I would never disrespect another man's dojo—"

"Shut your cakehole, Chubs." Johnny yells at him.