Lost in Hollywood

The Big Dipper

Demetri's room looked exactly the same as before.

The Marvel posters on the wall, the Star Wars Legos and the comics on the shelves, the school supplies, books, and notebooks scattered all over the desk. The newest issue of the Dungeon Lord lay on the nightstand, on top of a pile of older ones.

This was a nerd cave. And Hawk had missed it more than he could ever have imagined possible.

Everything about this place felt like home. There was the Death Star Lego they had built together during a summer vacation two years ago, there were the comics they had purchased together at the store at the mall, and Demetri's old X-Men action figures they had played with a thousand times were still in a box on top of the shelf, next to the Trivial Pursuit they had played so many times they knew all the answers by heart. That was the same carpet they had laid side by side laughing and talking for hours, for days, escaping the reality that sucked for both of them. In this room, they had tried beer for the first time, after sneaking two cans from the fridge.

The emotion got caught in Hawk's throat.

He had missed Demetri like one misses a torn-off limb. His absence had been a hole in his soul, a constant ache that had turned everything inside of him bitter and wrong. In a way, he had missed Demetri more than he missed Sky. And unlike Sky, Demetri had never given up on him.

Demetri had believed in him, even when he had stopped believing in himself. And in the end, it had been Demetri, who had pulled him out of Cobra Kai.

Not that Hawk blamed Sky for anything. She had every right to hate him. He might have broken Demetri's arm, but Hawk knew who was the one he had wronged the most. Broken bones heal way easier than broken hearts.

"Everything okay?"

Demetri's question dropped Hawk back into the moment. He realized that he still stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the insides of Demetri's room. In his hands, he was holding the can of Dr. Pepper and the plate of sandwiches Demetri's Mom had fixed for them. You must be so hungry! she had said, tears in her dark brown eyes. I'm gonna make you boys some supper.

"Yeah—" He swallowed, then cleared his throat. "Yeah, all good. It's just weird to be here."

"Well, believe me, it's weird to have you here." Demetri replied, walked past him, and climbed onto his bed. He crossed his long legs at the ankles, laid his plate on his knees, and opened his can of Coke. "And don't take me wrong. It is great that you're back. But—"

Hawk was still standing next to the door. Suddenly the plate in his hand felt heavy, his fingers were gripping it too hard.

"Look, it's okay if you want me to go. I get it. I can't just expect that everything's gonna be like before—"

"No— just no. Eli—" For once Demetri seemed to be at a loss of words. He hesitated for a couple of heartbeats but then the resolution set on his face. "You want to watch Dr. Who? The latest season was mind-blowing. We can watch it on my laptop while we eat. You haven't seen it yet, right?"

Something painful twisted in Hawk's chest, taking away his breath. He remembered their last conversation about Dr. Who - at Moon's party when he had told Demetri he didn't watch nerd shit, and had poured a beer on Demetri's head. And then Demetri had given the speech—

Hawk stopped that thought before it could go further.

"Yeah," he rasped and took a seat on the bed. "Dr. Who sounds awesome."

Demetri took his laptop, turned it on, and soon the Dr. Who episode started rolling on the screen. There was a lump of emotion in Hawk's throat - he was only half aware of what was going on in the show, was barely listening to Demetri who had instantly started talking, making comments and remarks about the new season. Hawk picked up a sandwich from his plate and took a bite. It was a grilled cheese sandwich, just like Demetri's mom always made them, and it tasted like home and childhood summers.