Cochlear | A Cobra Kai Fanfiction

45

"What's going on here, bug?"

Jesse watched as Hawk's eyes seemed to glaze over them as if he were looking far, far behind the twins before a small familiar flash of fear appeared for a split second. Her heart raced at the weakness, the cruel smirk behind her unseen.

"This doesn't involve you."

"Man, it's my sister and Kenny is one of us." Kyler clicked his tongue together as he stood next his sister, a dynamic that had Hawk unconsciously taking a step back while Jesse frowned up at her twin. "This definitely involves me."

Kyler always did like the attention. Not that Jesse was any different considering the upbringing.

"Hey, everything okay?" Jesse looked over to see Robby standing next to her, looking down at the kid - Kenny, who still held onto her shirt - and then up at her. As if she were also a victim in this situation.

She was in a whirlwind of thoughts, unable to do more than blink.

Robby looked over from the Park sister to the redhead, taking a step forward just as Hawk took a step back, his gaze catching Jesse's and growing agitated with clenched fists hanging beside him. Even he must know when he was outnumbered... and Jesse wasn't sure when she started thinking of herself on the other side.

"Hawk? What's going on here?" Sam stalked forward, frowning and furrowing her eyebrows at the group in front only a few seconds ahead of Miguel jogging up with an equal amount of concern. "Jesse?"

"Just let her go, man." Miguel said seriously, eyeing the hand belonging to Kyler Park on the girl's shoulder. "Let's just calm down."

"Yeah?" Jesse blinked wordlessly at Tory's appearance, not noticing that the girl had even made herself known as she pulled up on Robby's other side. "So, when you guys pick on others it's okay?"

"Kids a bully." Hawk reiterated to the group, sneering as the boy whipped his head back behind Jesse at his glare. "Pathetic."

"Takes one to know one." Jesse snapped out, taking a step forward. Everyone took a second of surprise at the aggression, words unable to process out at their own being...

"Yeah? You should know, wouldn't you." Hawk taunted following her in her step forward, begging her silently to escalate the situation. "You gonna show everyone the real Jessica Park?"

"You have no idea how much I—" Jesse cut off her whisper with a sharp inhale, closing her eyes and held herself.

"Come on! Say it!" Hawk egged on and Miguel was quick to put a hand on his shoulder, dragging the boy back to the present as a hand on her shirt tugged her lightly backward.

Words were exchanged around her but all Jesse could do was play the staring contest game with Hawk, matching the full intensity with her own. There was a silence between the studios, a tension that had Jesse breathing shakily, on edge, read to burst, chord threatening to snap—

"How does it feel to have Kyler on your side?" Hawk whispered out, repeating her words from all that time ago with narrowed eyes, accusing her of crimes that she could never truly pay for. Her mouth was stuffed with cotton and her stomach lit with a fire that was slowly creeping it's way up, feeding off the cotton to create an upset stomach that begged her to release the flames.

The air was heavy, drowning Jesse into a never-ending spiral of thick air and intense air. She was suffocating as if she was back encased in steel, pinned to her body and unable to feel or hear anything as lights and shapes made up her senses along with a terrifying burning smell that mixed with cologne.

Jesse wanted to run. To escape. To breathe fresh air away from the toxic adventure that never seemed to end in The Valley.

She was sure her heart would explode at any second.