Mastering the Valley: Completed

Chapter 68: Family

   "Go away." I say.
"Is there any girls in here other than my sister?" Noah says.
   Wait... Noah? What is Noah doing here.
  "I'm taking that pause as a no." he says. I hear his footsteps approaching the stall I'm hiding in.
  "Kate, it's either you come out or I go in." Noah says.
  I step out of the stall, "Noah what are you doing here?"
   "Dad couldn't come and I wanted to come and support you, even if we aren't on the best of terms right now."
   "Noah." I say, starting to tear up. "I'm scared." I say, quietly.
  He pulls me close. "I got you, everything will be okay." he says, hugging me. "Kate if you can't go in there I will testify on your behalf."
   "You can't because it didn't actually happen to you. I completely blew it."
  "No you didn't." he says. "I saw what had happened, and I know what was going through your mind."
  "What?" I say.
"You saw them and it took you back to the day you were abducted. You got overwhelmed and then when Mr Smith touched your arm it scared you and you ran out. You run away when something gets scary." Noah says.
  "Noah I'm so sorry." I say, starting to cry.
"I'm sorry too. I should have taken your feelings into account when I joined Cobra Kai. That's why I need to tell you something." Noah says, with a look of seriousness.
  "What's wrong?" I ask.
"I know the reason Natalie and those girls jumped you." Noah says.
   "Why?" I ask.
  "Because apparently when you chose Miyagi Fang, your Sensei stood up to Silver."
  "Johnny.. what did he say?"
"No, not Johnny. Your other Sensei... Daniel LaRusso. He told Silver something about how you were breaking the family cycle and that once he dies Cobra Kai will diminish into nothing. Yeah, Uncle Terry told the whole class."
  "Oh my god." I say. "He didn't mean it as-"
"That doesn't matter." Noah says, cutting me off.  "What matters is now you have a target on your back. I'm doing the best I can to keep them from hurting you, but I don't know how much longer I can protect you."
  "How are you protecting me when you are all the way in New York?"
  "You know how we get a 500 dollar allowance each week?"
  "Yeah? What does that have to do with anything? ....oh no. Noah you didn't."
   "I have been sending Natalie 300 each week."
  "Noah you shouldn't have." I say, shocked and saddened.
   "I know, but even though you think I'm your enemy. I'm not. I've been trying to save you, but Natalie told me that 300 hasn't been enough to keep you safe. She's coming for you Katelyn."
  "Why haven't you told me before today?"
"Because I've either been gone with dad or I was drunk and mad, curtesy of Natalie."
  "So she's the reason you were drinking." I say.
"She told me one little drink wouldn't hurt and then next thing I knew I woke up to a ton of trouble. I also learned that before I went to Mr and Mrs LaRusso's house I apparently had sex with her."
   "Noah.. my god." I say. "What were you thinking? Does dad know?"
  "He doesn't, but he also doesn't know about how you had sex with your little boyfriend in the middle of the night."
   "How do you know about that?" I ask.
  "You butt dialed me. I heard what you and him were talking about and then when I heard him ask you if you were sure I hung up." he says.
  "Oh my.. Noah I'm-"
"Don't worry about it. I'm just relieved."
   "Why?"
  "He's a good guy. He was making sure that you were ready. That's a respectable man. I'm glad that a person like him is dating you."
   "Noah.. we broke up."
  "What happened?"
    "I realized that in the midst of all of this I never had time to think about myself and how this entire situation has affected me. I broke it off before it became toxic."
   "That's smart. Are you sure you don't still like him?"
  "I do, but I need to focus on-"
  He cuts me off again. "You can focus on yourself and still have a healthy relationship."
  "Either way, I'm sorry that I was ignorant about your situation. You went through, and are going through so much. I shouldn't have made you feel bad about the abortion. I have a lot of my own problems and I'm working on them so I can be a better role model for your sake. Just like mom said."
   Water feels my eyes and a waterfall flows from my face. Mom always said that no matter how hard our fights were and how mad we were at each other, we should always talk it out then hug it out, because we are never promised tomorrow.
   "She really was the glue that held our family together." I say.
   "She was. She will always be the most wise person I will ever meet in my life."
   Noah hugs me, except this hug isn't like the usual ones he gave me. This one is different.. the start of a new beginning.
   "My makeups ruined isn't it?" I ask.
  "It will be okay." he says.
    "So.. I'm assuming you are going to stay in Cobra Kai." I say.
   "Yes, I am. I like their fighting style, but I'm not going to let it get between us."
   "Noah.. what has gotten into you?" I ask.
  "Dad has. He caught me smoking on the terrace at our penthouse in New York."
   "We have a penthouse?" I ask.
  "He's going to be in New York a lot for now on, so he made a smart investment." Noah says. "Not the point, anyways,  he caught me smoking and then once I sobered up we had a talk. Some of the things he told me really got into my head. I realized that if I didn't quit I would live a hard life, and I would also be disowned from our family."
   "Disowned? Dad really said that?"
  "Dad has been a lot harder on me lately, but after that talk he gave me mom's journal."
   Wait.. mom's journal? I have been looking everywhere for her journal.
  "Where was the journal?"
"Dad never told us, but he has it hidden in his blazer. He takes it everywhere with him."
  "Wow." I say. I'm completely shocked.
   "Yeah, I figured out a lot of stuff about our family. Kate." he says.
   His eyebrows are turned in. He's staring into my eyes.
  "Kate. You aren't my biological sister. I was adopted before you were born."
"Wait.. what?"
   Mrs LaRusso walks into the bathroom.
  "What are you doing in here Noah?" she asks.
"I came to calm Kate down. I'm leaving." he says, looking at her.
   He leans down and whispers to me. "Talk to me later and I will explain everything."
   Noah leaves the room, giving me one last glance before closing the door.
   "We talked to the judge and you can have a half of an hour before you go back to the stand to calm down. Now what was that about?"
  "Noah came to support me."
   "I told you that you needed to give him another chance. He doesn't look like how he usually does though. He looks..."
   "...nicer? Yeah, my dad talked to him about some of the things he has been doing and helped him."
  "Okay, well let's go into the lobby and have a little break."
   "Okay." I respond, we leave the bathroom and enter the lobby.