𝖫𝗈𝗏౿ᑲ𝗈ოᑲ -𝖤ᥣꪱᜒ 𝖬𝗈ડƙ𝗈⍵ꪱᜒ𝗍ʑ

3.8

At the school entrance, Miguel and Hazel strolled in, a grin lighting up Miguel's face. A cluster of girls caught sight of him and broke into excited chatter. "There he is," one exclaimed. "No way!" another girl gushed.

As they entered the building, applause erupted from the students, and a banner reading 'Welcome back Miguel' hung proudly over the staircase. Hazel stood by her brother's side, watching as he basked in the warm welcome. He looked genuinely happy, and for a moment, everything felt alright.

Then, Eli approached, a grin spread across his face. Miguel greeted him warmly, oblivious to the tension brewing within Hazel. She felt a pang of guilt knowing that Eli was unaware of what had transpired.

"What's up?" Miguel beamed, exchanging a friendly embrace with Eli. Hazel kept her gaze averted, avoiding Eli's eyes, which seemed to bore into her with unwavering intensity.

"Welcome back, man," Eli said, patting Miguel on the back. "Feels good to be back," Miguel replied, his smile faltering slightly. Eli's gaze shifted to Miguel's legs, prompting a chuckle from him. "They give you bionic legs or some shit?" Eli joked.

Miguel laughed, shaking his head. "No, same old boring human legs."

Eli grinned mischievously. "Oh, yeah? Can you still throw down? Gotta defend that title," he teased, throwing light punches at Miguel before turning his attention to Hazel, whose discomfort was palpable.

"Gotta get through me first. Dude, Cobra Kai is crushing it right now," Eli continued, returning his focus to Miguel.

Miguel's smile faded as he glanced at Hazel. "I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that," he said, the school bell interrupting their conversation. "I'll catch you at lunch."

Eli nodded in agreement, and they parted ways. Hazel followed Miguel as they walked down the hall, exchanging greetings with fellow students along the way.

"What's up, Miguel?" a random guy greeted, high-fiving him before shooting a flirtatious glance at Hazel, who ignored it.

"Hey, what's up?" Miguel replied, spotting Demetri with a cast on his arm. "Hey, the Comeback Kid! Welcome back," Demetri greeted Miguel enthusiastically. "Hazel, it's always great to see ya," he added, nodding to her.

Hazel smiled in return, appreciating the friendly gesture. "I hope to make a similar triumphant return to the land of the mobile appendage masses," Demetri joked, holding up his cast.

"What's up with the cast? You and Hazel decided to match?" Miguel inquired curiously.

Hazel's heart skipped a beat as she braced herself for Demetri's response. "Proximal radius fracture," he explained. Yasmine walked over, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "It smells," she remarked bluntly.

Demetri rolled his eyes, offering Miguel a sharpie. "The invitation for you to sign it still stands."

Yasmine declined with a dismissive wave. "Hard pass," she said, shooting a sassy remark at Demetri before sauntering off, leaving Hazel and Miguel to exchange farewells with Demetri before continuing on their way.

"So, uh...how'd you break your arm?" Miguel inquired, casting a curious glance at Dimitri. Hazel shot him a warning look, subtly gesturing for him to drop the subject. However, it seemed Miguel didn't catch on, as he awaited Dimitri's response with genuine curiosity.

Dimitri furrowed his brow, glancing between Miguel and Hazel, puzzled by their exchange. Eventually, he looked back at Miguel, pondering how to answer. After a moment's hesitation, he simply replied, "Just like Haze did. Cobra Kai."

Miguel's expression shifted from concern to disbelief as he processed Demetri's words. He glanced at Hazel, his eyes searching hers for an explanation. "You didn't tell me Cobra Kai did this to you," he said, his voice tinged with hurt and anger.