Cochlear | A Cobra Kai Fanfiction

36

Karate was back which meant even less time hanging out with her new best friend.

Weekends consisted of Jesse picking Demetri up from the old dojo and bringing him to his house where they'd play a couple of hours until she would be sent off rather prematurely compared to previous times together. Sometimes she'd drive him to the arcade or a restaurant, dropping him off to go be alone at home. As fall left and winter entered, her nose healed and Demetri would be splitting himself between his karate life, best friend, and new girlfriend with a newly healed arm.

It was official.

Or, more they were official.

For a couple of weeks after she had seen them first making out, they had played around in secret before one lunch period the blonde plopped her food on the other side of Demetri, Moon joining, and Jesse had to keep herself quiet. They had a common truce with each other with the boy in-between them and kept their snark at a minimum, indulging each other only when necessary.

Jesse stopped making meals for the two of them, realizing that it wasn't appropriate for her to be doing that to a boy that was taken. Yasmine became a constant once again in her life and even though everyone had mellowed out, Jesse couldn't bring herself to make the rich girl trio once more. So she resigned herself, hiding her anger and lashing out when provoked.

At night when her externals were off and charging, and the world was silent she felt a guilt in her stomach as the words from the day piled up, adding to her list of reasons she hated herself, wishing she could just... talk to someone.

But today was different. Almost worse. Incredibly bad.

"You don't... need me to pick you up?" Jesse asked softly through the headset as her fingers froze over the controls, her character pausing in the virtual world along with her. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Yasmine said she can pick me up." Demetri confirmed from his side sounding none to concern and a little excited. "Give you a break from having to wake up at the crack of dawn."

"I-I really don't mind, it's not a big deal."

"Nah, really. It's okay, plus it's Wednesday tomorrow so we'll be going to the mall anyways."

The next day was unnerving, waking up and having to pause to keep from rushing. Even Kyler was surprised to come down stairs to see the girl making breakfast.

"...I'm gonna beat the shit outta that nerd." Jesse's head snapped up to look at Kyler with wide eyes, who only curled his lip as he connected the dots, jaw locked in thought.

"Kyler—?"

"I don't know what the hell he did, but I'm gonna fuck his shit up today and you ain't gonna stop me." Kyler declared with passion, eyes alight as he went through an old routine of grabbing bowls for their breakfast and preparing the food with her with jerking arms. "You... you're even more of a recluse."

"Kyler, leave it, seriously." Jesse demanded with a forced roll of her eyes, sitting down beside her brother. "He has a girlfriend now and they're hanging out more."  They are a few bites in silence before Kyler snorted with a shake of his head.

"...you know you two would never work."

"Kyler..."

"Dad would never approve."

Jesse set down her fork and tried to count the number of rice grains in her bowl, throwing out the thought of stabbing her brother from her mind. There was a little truth in that statement, but it still made her breathe hitch for a few reasons. One he was right about their dad and two Kyler knew about her crush on the kid he bullied.