Cochlear | A Cobra Kai Fanfiction

55

Jesse wished she had a family.

Correction, Jesse wished she liked her family.

Her father was an obvious reason for dislike, yet she couldn't help but long for his praise and sometimes she still hung onto the weak hope that one day he'd be happy to have her as a daughter. Mother was gone just as much as their father and tried to fill in the gaps with rich gifts, shopping sprees, and homemade dinners as if they were a normal family.

Her grandparents were traditional, but not always in the bad way. Dad's parents had been poor farmers who moved to California, built a name for themselves and pushed their son to be the best - which he did.

On her mother's side was a little more complicated.

Jesse closed her locker door to see her brother with their mother's nose waiting impatiently judging by the annoyed look on his face as he reached over to tap the side of her head.

"Oi, these things on?" He demanded loudly, allowing his sister to throw his hands away from her face. "I've been talkin' and you ain't listenin'!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her voice was dry. "I thought that was just a mosquito. The noise was quite annoying."

Kyler was her family.

Her best friend, her confident, her defender, her reason. Even as children he was always the brawn of the two, putting himself up for damnation whenever her could while Jesse...

Jesse was a coward. 

"Ha ha, you are so funny." Kyler mocked with a roll of his eyes, slinging an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Look-"

"I'm seeing nothing."

"If only you were mute too..." Kyler mumbled under his breath with pseudo-sadness webbed in between. "Too bad God couldn't gift me with that."

Anyone else and Jesse would have lashed out. Anybody else would have made Jesse feel cornered and offend. Any other person may not have made that comment and lived the next day.

"And I always wanted a dog for a brother, not a bitch."

Before Kyler could get his rebuttal, his eyes hardened. "Hey, watch it!" Kyler snapped as a kid accidentally walked into Jesse's shoulder, sending her stumbling just a little more than usual. "What do you think you're doing walkin' like that? You could have hurt my sister!"

Kyler was the only person allowed to bully his sister.

"Dude, c-chill out. There's no need to be an ass-"

"And there's no reason for squirmy little insects like you to exist and yet here we are." Jesse smiled fakely, gesturing to the teen in front of her with her hand. "Hey, aren't you the kid who got caught in seventh grade watching porn in the computer lab?" She wasn't even sure if it was the kid, but the damage was already done.

"W-what? No!" He sputtered, taking a step back and glancing around them. She couldn't hear the whispers and Jesse could only imagine words passed around and the small chuckles. "I don't even-"

"Whoa, hey you don't have to tell me." Jesse smirked and held up her hands in surrender. "You look like the kind of guy that watched porn in public. I'd say it's a shame, but it's probably the only action you'll ever get."

She knew they were watching. Jesse had seen them out of the corner of her eye - she'd gotten good at paying attention - but she pretended that they weren't staring at her with those damned eyes. They held no fear of her, but she refused to see the-

"It's a pity, but go ahead. Computer labs upstairs."

"Bitch."

Jesse couldn't stop it, no matter how much she tried. It started with a snicker before it levelled up into chuckles and then suddenly she was full out laughing in the middle of the hallway. Her brother even looked down at her with a pinched brow, but Jesse could only laugh harder until tears welled up in her eyes.