Forbidden Things || Cobra Kai

28 House of Conflict

Penelope checked her phone for the sixth or seventh time, but no new text popped up. She chewed on her lip as she stared at the screen, but nothing about it changed. It didn't brighten up suddenly with a new message. It only turned off and she was left with nothing.

She stared at the black screen as she worried about whether or not Hawk saw her text. Had he seen it and became bothered by it? She knew she shouldn't have tried flirting with him. She knew she wasn't a very good flirt.

She was a terrible flirt actually.

She had no idea what she was doing. So she had to ask herself why she thought it was a good idea to send a flirty little text to Hawk. Would he even read it that way? Would he get it and think she was a joke? Would he laugh at her?

She silently cursed herself for falling for a California guy- no, for gaining a crush to begin with.

Then the front door slammed shut and there was loud stomping across the floor. There wasn't enough time to process what that meant before Frankie was pushing open Penelope's bedroom door, their eyes meeting before anything could be said.

"I thought you stopped hanging out with Hawk," she said hotly. Penelope was sure that if words could cause physical harm, someone would have already been burned by Frankie before she even got home. Third degree burns at that. "Why the hell did you tell him about your nightmares?"

Why does it matter? Why are you so mad about it? Penelope signed, which only caused visual frustration to form on Frankie's face. I'm allowed to have friends who aren't you, not that we've been friends at all recently anyway. And I can tell whoever I want about my nightmares.

"I don't know what the fuck you're saying!"

Good. Penelope looked away from her cousin and grabbed her toy raccoon, the one Hawk won for her upon their first meeting and whom she had named Ronan. She hugged him, getting the feeling that they were about to have another fight and she wasn't sure she could handle that well.

At least now she had a good idea as to why Hawk didn't answer her.

What did you do?

"What- what are you saying?" Frankie asked, staring Penelope down. Her anger was only in her voice, as her body and face were frigid with frustration and confusion. "For fuck's sake, Pen!"

Penelope was used to hearing the curses, but never directed at her. If they ever were, from Frankie at least, they had all been in a jovial way. Accompanied by laughter and holding no meaning, she had known they weren't meant to be daggers.

So, as retaliation, she didn't even look at the phone that lay at her side. As much as it could be her weapon, she knew better than to use it. Knowing she wasn't going to wield it seemed like punishment enough.

"What is going on?" Donnie asked from the hall. His footsteps weren't as loud as Frankie's despite him being taller and heavier. They just weren't angry. He entered the doorframe and peered into the room, looking from one girl to the other. "Don't tell me you're having another argument."

"Then I won't tell you that," Frankie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Donnie let out a hefty sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Okay, you know what, family meeting. Be downstairs in five minutes. Frankie, out. Come on."

As he walked away, Frankie rolled her eyes but followed. She gave one last look over her shoulder at Penelope, who still squeezed her raccoon close to her chest.

Once they were gone, Penelope grabbed her phone and stood up. She took her time walking downstairs, making a point to turn off the light and slowly make her way to the stairs.