Forbidden Things || Cobra Kai

110 Demons

Despite throwing up her dinner, Frankie kept telling herself she was fine. The more she repeated it to herself, the more she was willing to believe it. Or perhaps it was just the night air and the crackling of the bonfire behind her. Whatever it was, she was starting to feel better, or she was psyching herself into feeling that way.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling Demetri's eyes on her but she wasn't in the mood to entertain his questions. She was glad he didn't ask them; most people ignored her defiant stances and harsh glares in favor of getting on her last nerve. But he wasn't like other people; Demetri only pried when he thought it was for the best, and even when he did ask the hard hitting questions, he didn't make her answer them or bug her until she bit his head off.

Her weighed down heart appreciated that, but she didn't know how to tell him that. She didn't know if she should even tell him, unsure if that was something that needed to be said. Sometimes the words wanted to spill out, but she kept them trapped behind her sharp teeth and tight lips.

Then there was a small part of her that thought he must know, though she couldn't be sure. She hoped so.

She hoped he knew how much she appreciated him.

~

Hours later, after drinking some water and bone shaped peanut butter crackers, Frankie was ready to go. Almost everyone was drunk and stumbling over themselves or sneaking off to makeout in dark corners. The music had run its cycle and there was a game of truth or dare about to start, which she knew was the signal to get out of there before something bad happened.

Walking through the house, she had Demetri's wrist in hand and dragged him along with her. Their eyes scanned the rooms for the rest of their party and friends, knowing they couldn't have gone far. However, there were people everywhere and it was causing Frankie to grow frustrated fairly quickly, a consequence of her impatience, or so she was told.

"I'm almost ready to leave them here," she grumbled, glaring as they walked into the central party area. The only other place they hadn't checked was upstairs, which was the last place she wanted to look for her cousin or Robby at all. "Where the Hell are they?"

"Calm down, I'm sure we'll-" Demetri stopped mid sentence, his eyes catching something in the room. Then his face morphed into one of uncertainty, his eyebrows scrunching up and his mouth cringing.

Frankie didn't even ask, she just turned to follow his gaze and felt a wave of shock crash into her.

In the middle of the room, among the crowd of dancing and drunk teenagers, Penelope was with a masked figure. They were so close to each other, the term "personal space" seemed to no longer be a part of her vocabulary. Their bodies swayed in motion with the crowd, the music leading them through it, but Frankie's knowing eye caught the way he was grinding against her cousin and she didn't like it.

"Is she drunk?" she asked, but didn't give Demetri a chance to conjure an answer before she started marching up to the pair. Leaving him behind, she called out to her cousin, making sure it was loud enough to be heard over the pounding music.

Upon hearing her name, Penelope turned. Her cheeks were already tinted pink, flushed from the dancing, but likely because of the masked figure with her. His gloved hands stayed on her waist, roaming and gliding over her costume dress as if Frankie and a whole room of people weren't there at all.

Frankie swatted at his wandering hands, unafraid to smack him despite not knowing him. "Get your hands off of her, you creep. Pen, who is this guy?"

Penelope lifted her hands to sign, but a rough, synthesized voice spoke before she could.