little bird // r.keene

xxxvi. closed doors.

Miguel, Aisha and Hawk stood outside the tournament as they waited with a few others for Johnny and Wren to arrive. Miguel stood a little further away, hitting the air, practising his motion before the competition.

He hadn't slept that well the night before and in all honestly, neither had Hawk. Their minds had been rolling about what Wren had said and done and what they had said back. But most of all, Miguel couldn't let it go that he had hit her, actually hit her.

He would never forget the look on her face. How startled she had been, how angry. But at the same time, Miguel had seen something on her face that stirred something in him. She hadn't looked surprised. And how, even regarding how drunk he was, how angry he was with Sam at the time and how disappointed he was with himself, Miguel noticed everything about his best friend that night.

Miguel had seen how she didn't show any pain. As if that had happened before. As if it was something Wren was used to.

"Miguel, calm down man. Save some for the tournament." Hawk told his friend, his hands slung in his pockets as they watched Miguel but he just shook his head and continued to punch the air.
"Either of you seen Evans? She's late, sensei will be here any minute." Aisha asked both of them and Hawk looked to his feet, shaking his head and swallowing but his throat was incredibly dry, like sandpaper.

"Nah, she's probably off with Keene somewhere." Hawk told her bitterly and Miguel sighed, taking a few steps towards his friends.
"She's not with Robby, Hawk." Miguel told him.

"Oh yeah, how do you know? You were too drunk to see the way she stood up for the guy, I was the one trying to help her, and she goes and turns on me?" Hawk said, his breaths getting caught in his throat as he pointed a finger at Miguel.

"God, you don't even know... You didn't see what happened because you were too busy flirting with Moon!" Miguel yelled back, taking a step towards him.
"I was not! I was waiting for Wren because Aisha asked her to look after you asshole, and know what? What happened?" Hawk asked, taking a long deep breath as he stood face to face with Miguel.

"After Sam and I argued, Robby tried to step in and I shoved him, Wren stopped him from pushing me back but I was in the mood for a fight with him so I tried to shoved him again but I accidently hit her instead." Miguel told Hawk and Hawk couldn't come up with anything to say. "Robby didn't hurt her, he caught her after she fell onto him, I think he was trying to help her- trying to protect her from me." Miguel paused, letting his eyes skim to his feet, feeling a swell of shame, "Wren was just trying to diffuse the situation and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time." He took a short breath, looking back up to Hawk who had his teeth clenched and eyes steadily trained on Miguel, "anyway, he likes Sam. Not Wren."

"Fuck." Was all Hawk could manage.

Cobra Kai stood inside as Johnny gave then a lengthily pep talk before they all scattered to get changed, "Life shows no mercy, so neither do we. We do whatever it takes to keep our heads above water. We do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. We do whatever it takes to win!" Johnny half shouted and he walked in circles with his students stood around him.

Wren kept her hood up, leaning against a pillar nearby, close enough to hear them but not close enough to be seen. Her cheek housed a bright bruise which would no doubt darken in a few hours and the last thing she wanted was to be asked who did it. And why.

She folded her arms and listened to her sensei. "Remember who you are. You're badass. You don't give a shit. You kick ass! You're Cobra Kai." He finished, standing stationary in the middle of the circle, his students yelled, all accept for Miguel and Hawk, who couldn't help but look at each other and wonder where their friend was.

And wonder if she was safe even though she was only meters away, hiding from their eyes- hiding her face.

Wren kicked off from the wall and was thinking about going over when she accidently bumped into a man in a dark jacket who had been stood right behind her.

"Sorry." She mumbled, keeping her hood on but the man turned to face her.
"Wren? Shouldn't you be over there with Johnny?" Mr LaRusso asked, looking down at her but she couldn't quite meet his eyes, not is she wanted to keep her bloody face hidden.

"Yeah, sorry Mr LaRusso, thanks." She said, too politely for him, he knew she had been at his house that morning to see Sam, who was also around somewhere. But the last time he properly spoke to her had been at the board meeting where they hadn't exactly hit off, she had been feisty and honest and yet now she looked scared and hidden behind her hood.

He reached out as she turned to walk away and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently directing her back towards him, the pair were still half hidden behind the pillar amongst the crowds of people in the room.

"Woah, woah, hold on. What's wrong? Why aren't you with the others?" He asked her, trying to catch a glimpse of her eyes and with that thought she tilted her head up and that's when he saw it. She had crusted blood dusted under her eye, a thick red mark circling a cut on her cheek and small shadows under her eyes.

"I didn't want them to see me." She said in a small voice, pushing her hood back, causing strands of loose hair to fall, framing her face. "I- It doesn't matter. It's a long story. A story they haven't exactly had the introduction to yet." She told him bluntly and Mr LaRusso was taken aback, he didn't really know this kid and yet she showed him above all people.

He couldn't help but be reminded of his youth, hiding behind clothes after a run in with Cobra Kai. How many times he had come home late with black eyes himself before he met Mr Miyagi.

"Wren, what happened?" He asked flatly.
"I really don't want to talk about it Mr LaRusso, just leave it." And with that Wren suddenly felt really, unbelievably tired, maybe it was the run in with her father, maybe it was staying up late with Robby, maybe it was what had happened with Hawk and Miguel which she still pushed away the thought of.

All she knew was how tired she was. Like the world had drained her for everything she had.

"Wren, does Johnny know about this?" Daniel LaRusso asked, "Are you okay?"

"No he doesn't and I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Then stop looking." She snapped, pulling her hood back up, "I have to go Mr LaRusso, enjoy the tournament." She said abruptly and began to turn away again but his voice called out to her.

"Wait Wren, if there's ever anything you need, anything you need to talk about. If you're ever in any trouble, my door is always open." He offered, giving her a small smile of reassurance.

"Yeah, like it was open for Robby?" She retorted, "He needed you and you kicked him out Daniel. You do know that his mom isn't always in the picture right? She just walks in and out of his life as she pleases? And we both know how he and Johnny don't get on, and you kicked him out when he makes one mistake?" Wren shook her head at him, Daniel felt a flush creep up his neck beneath his collar.

"Did you know that he was just using me to get at his father and-" Daniel began but she cut him off, her voice louder, more stern. Angry.
"Yeah, maybe Mr LaRusso. Okay? Maybe you're right but did you ever stop and think that after a while he just needed a father and you were the one he chose. Think about that, he chose you. He stayed with you after everything and he showed up where I live last night because felt safer in our homes than his own." Wren's words cut through Daniel like a blade, he didn't say anything as he processed, he had never thought about it that way.

"Some door you've got there Mr LaRusso." She tucked her hands in her pockets and bit the inside of her mouth, ignoring the slight jolt of pain as she did, "You've done enough."