Heartstrings | Miguel Diaz

𝟬𝟵. the harsh reality

CHAPTER NINE
all the crossed wires just making us tired

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

     𝐓he trio; Miguel Diaz, Aisha Robinsons, and Eli Moskowitz or Hawk, all sat together in the cinema, watching some new movie that was out in the afternoon. The ambiance around them was dark, and it was quiet except for the sound coming from the speakers of the film. Each of them had popcorn in their hands, constantly munching them without a word. Well, until Aisha noticed the expression on her friend's face.

     "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked the boy next to her.

     "I can't stop thinking about what Sensei told me about Sam and Rae's dad," Miguel said in a quiet voice since they were in the cinema.

     "So, Sensei and Sam's dad had some beef," Aisha said nonchalantly. "What that have to do with you?"

     "Do I have to spell it out for you?" Miguel said exasperatedly. "Their dad hates Cobra Kai, I'm a part of Cobra Kai. So by the transitive property, their dad is gonna hate me."

     "Jesus Christ, you're such a nerd," Hawk scoffed as he continued to bother the girl in front of him by throwing popcorn at her.

     "I'm telling you, it's not just on my mind. Sam was acting weird the other day when her dad walked by."

     "Hmm, listen." Aisha turned to him, nodding assuringly. "I've known Mr. LaRusso since third grade. He's a really nice guy, you just have to talk to him."

     "I haven't even been invited over yet, and Raegan's at my house almost all the time," He sighed disappointedly. "Sam's probably too afraid to introduce me."

     "Dude, just go over there. It's an alpha move," Hawk shrugged. "And you can only have one by the way."

     "Shut up," Miguel sent a small glare at the boy with the crazy red mohawk and leaned back in his seat. "And stop throwing your popcorn. You're wasting food."

     Raegan almost laughed when she saw the look on Robby and her father's faces when they arrived back at the car. The last hard thing to do was always finding your way back to wherever they came. She knew that that's why she didn't come with them in the first place. Besides, she always liked it better when it was only her, nature, and the animals.

     As they arrived back in the house that seemed more like a mansion, she found that the table had already been set with food for dinner. She parted with her dad and Robby, running upstairs to her room. She quickly got changed into some sweatpants and a Star Wars t-shirt that she got from Miguel. It was a gift from him. She went down with a smile on her face, walking over to Samantha, and slinging an arm around her shoulders.

     "What's up with you?" Samantha laughed.

     Raegan ruffled her brown hair. "Nothing."

     She didn't notice Robby watching them with an amazed expression on his face. Like he'd seen someone interact like them. He took notice that Raegan looked different than the rest of the family, but it never changed the fact that she was pretty. The blonde girl grabbed a seat, plopping down on it as she waited for dinner to start with her sister by her side.

     On the other end, Miguel just arrived in front of their house in his trusty bike, repeatedly rehearsing everything he was going to say under his breath. He was completely and utterly nervous about what he was about to do. He was preparing to face the Larussos no matter what it takes. He was tired of being in the shadows all the time.

     "Hi, Mr. LaRusso, I'm Miguel, and I'm Sam's boyfriend."

     Miguel suddenly stopped muttering to himself like an idiot and furrowed his brows in confusion when he heard something coming from the side of the gigantic house in front of him. He snuck into the side of the front porch until he was near the sound of voices. Stopping in his tracks, he saw familiar faces sitting around a table, a family was eating dinner by the pool. The LaRussos.

     He noticed Raegan, sitting beside a boy with dirty-blonde hair, Samantha on his left side. He stood in the dark, watching them in confusion, his heart aching at the sight of his girlfriend laughing happily with the boy beside her as they talked so comfortably with each other. Then his eyes landed on Raegan once more, who was awfully quiet and just casually eating or picking on her food.

     Miguel didn't want to say that he knew her like the back of his hand, but seeing her face and the way she was acting━he just knew something was bothering her. But right now, all he could feel was betrayal and pain. Totally bewildered, and wondering why he wasn't the one there instead of that unfamiliar long-haired boy he hadn't seen before.

     A deep frown plastered on his face, he shook his head in disbelief and turned around to leave the place. Raegan's eyes briefly widened when she spotted a familiar person leaving their backyard. It was Miguel. She tried to mask her worry in front of everyone, but all she wanted to do was go after her best friend to see if he was okay. But she suddenly couldn't move in her seat as her family's laughter entered her ears.

     After dinner, she immediately went up to her room and locked herself inside. Running her fingers through her hair seemed like a thing to do when she felt so frustrated. Raegan gripped her phone in her hand, hesitating for a minute if she should call or message the boy she called her best friend.

     Raegan was done pretending. Pretending that she doesn't like him. Because she does. More than she ever planned. It wasn't even supposed to be this way. But what can she do? Samantha already had him under her charm. The least she could do was be supportive and respect their relationship because she was Raegan LaRusso.

     Life may seem pretty unfair most of the time. At least to her. But she'd take it any day than watch her loved ones wallow in sadness they may or may have not deserved.