𝖫𝗈𝗏౿ᑲ𝗈ოᑲ -𝖤ᥣꪱᜒ 𝖬𝗈ડƙ𝗈⍵ꪱᜒ𝗍ʑ

1.5

Their mom, Carmen, approached Miguel with a bag of ice and a glass of orange juice, her voice filled with concern. "Here, put this on your ribs," she instructed gently, handing him the supplies. Hazel observed from the sidelines, feeling a surge of sympathy for her brother as he accepted the offerings.

"Thanks," Miguel murmured, wincing as he shifted on the couch and pressed the ice against his sore ribs. Carmen's tone softened as she urged him to reveal the identity of his assailant. "Miggy, Hazey, why don't you tell me who did this? The school can protect you," she suggested softly.

"Yeah right, if it really worked like this I would've done it a decade ago," Hazel quipped sarcastically, her skepticism evident. Miguel shook his head, his expression grim. "It will only make it worse," he explained, his voice tinged with resignation. Carmen's disbelief was palpable as she regarded her son. "Worse than this?" she exclaimed incredulously.

Miguel nodded slightly. "Yes. If only I had more lessons and Hazel was with me-" he began, but his words were abruptly cut off by Carmen's firm interjection. "No," she insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument. Hazel leaned back, a crestfallen expression on his face as she attempted to reason with his mother. "It's not Sensei Lawrence's fault. Miguel just wasn't ready," Hazel insisted, her voice tinged with regret.

But Carmen remained resolute. "No more karate," she declared firmly, prompting a slightly intense discussion between her and Miguel's grandmother. Hazel observed the exchange with a mixture of concern and curiosity, her heart going out to her brother as he found himself caught in the middle of their disagreement.

When Johnny emerged from his apartment, Hazel watched as Miguel approached him, a hopeful expression on his face. "Hey, Sensei," Miguel greeted him, "Our mom says no more karate but, Hazel thinks we can do it before-" standing up and falling into step beside him. But Johnny's response was not what Miguel had hoped for.

"You don't get it. There is no dojo. We're closing it up, it's over," Johnny announced bluntly, his words hitting Miguel like a blow to the gut. Hazel could see the hurt etched on her brother's face as he struggled to comprehend the news. Hazel was hurt too, but he brother seemed to really live for karate now

"What about Us?... We need you," Miguel implored softly, his voice filled with vulnerability. But Johnny's response was final. "Sorry, kids. I gotta go," he muttered, turning away and walking to his car, leaving Miguel standing there, his heart heavy with disappointment.

Hazel couldn't help but interject with a touch of sarcasm. "Well, that went well, didn't it?" she remarked dryly, her tone laced with irony as she glanced at her brother, who looked utterly defeated. Miguel shot her a pained look, but Hazel simply shrugged, her frustration simmering beneath the surface.

As Hazel and Eli continued walking, Hazel's chatter bounced from one topic to another, ranging from the latest gossip about the school's drama to her musings on the weird cafeteria food. Eli nodded along, occasionally interjecting with a thoughtful comment or a quiet chuckle.

"You know what's the worst part?" Hazel exclaimed, her frustration evident. "I was really getting into karate. Now I'm stuck here, trying to navigate through the jungle of high school drama without my trusty karate moves."

Eli offered a sympathetic smile. "It's tough when something you enjoy gets taken away."

Hazel sighed. "Yeah, it sucks. But enough about me. I feel terrible about what happened with Yasmine and Aisha. I mean, Aisha didn't deserve any of that."

Just then, as they rounded the corner, Hazel spotted Aisha standing alone by her locker, her shoulders hunched as if trying to shrink away from the world. Hazel's heart sank at the sight, a pang of guilt washing over her.