little bird // r.keene

iv. miyagi do.

"Hey!" A voice called out to Wren as she walked down the sidewalk, "Hey, Wren!" The voice called out again. Wren turned her head and spotted Samantha LaRusso pulling over into a small parking space on the side of the road, Wren walked over to her car, clutching the strap of her bag.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sam asked, her face was smooth and gently, "I'm just wanted to let you know how sorry I was about all that, I know you and Hawk were close." She trailed off but Wren just shrugged.

"It's okay. Not your fault. Sorry Sam but I really have to be somewhere." Wren told her, glancing down at her beat up watch which had been a birthday present from Mr James when she was 13.
"Can I give you a lift somewhere, then?" Sam asked and leaned over to open the door for Wren.

Wren thought about this, it was about a 20 minute was to the juvie hall and there was only about 2 hours left of visiting hours. She had meant to go see Will the day after the tournament but Wren just couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Sure, that would be great." Wren got in Sam's car and the two pulled out into the road.

"So..." Sam tried to begin, "spoken to Robby lately?" Wren felt like smacking herself in the head, she already felt really riled up from the argument with Hawk and didn't feel like snapping again since she didn't actually mind Sam.

"Why? Isn't he staying with you?" Wren asked a little bluntly, looking over to Sam.
"Yeah, he spends time with my dad all day but I was more wondering about you... His arm has gotten a lot better but he hasn't really talked about the tournament." Sam explained and Wren thought about this, Sam had said he was spending time at the LaRusso's during the day, which meant he was sleeping at home.

"I haven't seen him since the tournament." Wren told her shortly, in all honesty, the last thing she wanted to be thinking about right now was Robby. Wren knew she had crossed a line but in her mind, it was a line that needed to be crossed but despite this, she kept reminding herself that wasn't her choice to make.

"Oh right..." Sam senses she had made things awkward, "Have you two ever...?" Sam suddenly found herself asking and deep down it annoyed Wren, couldn't a boy and a girl just be friends anymore?
"Oh- No, we were just friends." Wren said flatly and swallowed, finding her throat was dry like sand. It was a lie to her.

Truth be told, Wren wanted to talk about it. Him. She wanted to talk about what had happened between them even if there was nothing at all, without mentioning how much it hurt. There had to be a way. To care for their friendship even if it was from afar, afraid that if she got too close she would make another mistake. Say something wrong. Accidently send him away like she had Hawk. To name the pain without inviting it back into her.

"How are you and Miguel doing?" Wren found herself asking as thoughtlessly, throwing Sam a glance over her shoulder as Sam stared at the road ahead.
"I sort of blocked him last night. I just- I can't forget the look on his face when he was fighting you and how he hurt Robby..." Sam trailed off, losing herself in her thoughts but Wren only nodded.

"It's okay, I understand... I didn't know any of that was going to happen. I thought if you were there it would just... Make things better? Oh I don't know, I'm sorry Sam." Wren apologised in a small ramble which surprisingly made Sam laugh, "I'm sure it will all get worked out and even if it doesn't it's not the end of the world." She added.

"Thanks Wren. Where am I actually dropping you off?" Sam asked suddenly.
"Take a left here, and then the second right." Wren told her and Sam complied, as she took the second right Sam headed down the road and parked. There wasn't much along that street except the Juvenile Detention Center a little further down.

"Thanks for the ride, Sam." Wren told her friend, stepping out of the car, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, where are you heading anyway?" She asked, looking over to Wren who was stood on the sidewalk, looking down at her.

Wren didn't really think twice before answering, she did like Sam... Much more than she did when she first met her. But over the last couple of days Wren had discovered they cared for a lot of the same people and that made Wren feel more secure around her.
"Visiting hours end at 5, I have a friend here." She told Sam before glancing down at her watch again. "Thanks Sam..." Wren said and Sam said goodbye as Wren began to walk away but before Sam could drive away, Wren turned around and called out to her.

"Oh, Sam!" Sam looked at her, "Could you do me another favour, it's a small one, I promise." She asked, resting her hands on the side of her car.
"Sure, what is it?" Sam asked.

"Could you ask Robby to meet me at the shop? He'll know what it means. I just want to talk to him..." Wren asked and Sam swallowed, nodding gently.

"Yeah, sure."
"Great. Thanks." And Wren gave her a warm smile once more before letting go of the car and began to turn when Sam spoke up again, wondering if she should speak at all.

"Wren?" Wren turned back to face the car, Sam was no longer in the drivers seat but had gotten out to face her on the sidewalk, she had her arms tucked neatly under the other in front of her chest. "I just wanted you to know that I heard everything between you and Hawk just now..." Sam began but Wren just gave her a loose chuckle, trying to diffuse the twisting feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah, I feel like a lot of people did." She tried to joke.
"I'm sorry. But I just wanted you to know that there is a place for you at Miyagi- Do." Sam offered and Wren's brows furrowed slightly, "Please, just think about it... My dad, he's told me all about Cobra Kai, there are bullies there and you just, I think you would be happier at Miyagi-Do with me and Robby."

Wren licked her lips and shook her head gently, "I can't Sam, Cobra Kai was there for me when I needed it, I couldn't do that to Johnny..." Wren defended, thinking about how Johnny had comforted and confided in her about his problems with Robby and her problems with her dad.

"Wren you don't understand, do you even know that Johnny is Robby's dad? That he left him?" Sam asked in a calm voice, she had expected Wren to be surprised, to be shocked at this but instead Wren just took a step back.
"Yeah Sam, I do know." She replied, bluntly, remembering exactly what Johnny had told her all those months ago:

"When I was supposed to be at his birth, I was across the street in a bar... trying to get the course to walk across the street. I never got there." He paused, "I failed my kid on his very first day in this world and I've been failing him every day since."

"Johnny's done things wrong in the past, he knows that but he's trying to reconnect with Robby..." Wren sighed, running her hand through her hair, "Is that what this has all been about? Trying to be friends with me just so I'll come to Miyagi-Do but when I say no, you try to tell me bad things about my sensei, hoping that I'll jump ship?" It all came out at once and Wren felt breathless, it was useless. It was all so useless.

"No, Wren. It's not like that at all, you're the champion, kids new to karate will follow you because we all saw how amazing you are. Cobra Kai is toxic dojo, do you really want small kids being taught karate means 'No mercy'?" Sam tried to reason but Wren just scoffed.

"Look, Sam, mind your own business okay? You don't know Cobra Kai and you really don't know me at all if you think I would abandon my team." Wren told her firmly, shaking her head subconsciously, partially out of her disbelief but also out of her disappointment.

"There are things that you just don't understand, Cobra Kai will manipulate you, Miyagi-Do can help you develop your talent." Sam told Wren but it was too late, she had said the wrong thing at the wrong time and just like that- Wren had had enough.

"I've got to go Sam, thanks for the ride." Wren said in a low voice, tugging her bag strap tightly over her shoulder and began to walk away.
"Wren!" Sam called out but Wren didn't stop. "Shit."