Chapter Twenty-Four
PULPO

     It was the day before school started and Moon had told Mara she was throwing a party. Mara was nervous. The last big party she went to she ended up leaving with a broken heart and a drinking problem. She just hoped this one wouldn't end up ending in disaster.

     She was going through all of the clothes in her closet trying to find the perfect outfit. There were clothes scattered all over the floor and clothes piled onto her bed. She didn't like her room being messy, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

     "You know I could help you." Mara turned around to see Ryan sitting at her desk. She looked down at his outfit which was a sweatshirt and jeans.

     "Yeah, no thanks." She continued to throw clothes behind her until she found a shirt she liked. She held up the outfit for her brother to see and he immediately shook his head.

     "Nope, not appropriate."

     "Great that means it's good." She put the clothes over her arm and walked into her bathroom.

     "What? No! Mara, get back here." She giggled and closed the door causing him to groan in defeat. "Little shit." He sat back down on her bed and went on his phone. Mara came back out a few minutes later and Ryan scowled at her outfit.

     She was wearing black jean shorts and a see-through mesh long sleeve top. The top had black stars printed all over it and it stopped right above her belly button. The only thing under the see-through shirt was a black bra. "I like it."

     "I don't."

     Mara pouted at him. "Well, that's just too bad. Come on it's time to go."

     "I don't think it's good for you to be around a bunch of alcohol."

     Mara grabbed her keys from the coffee table and looked back at him. "No, it's fine. I can't even look at a bottle let alone touch one since dad threw a bottle of vodka at my head."

     "He did what? When were you planning on telling me this?"

     She walked out of the house and down the driveway to her car. Opening the door she turned back to him "I'm honestly over it Ryan. I'm not gonna let dad, or anyone for that matter, turn me into a pussy. To be completely honest you should thank him for getting rid of my problem."

    Ryan was never going to thank their dad because it was clear Mara was not completely over it. She was putting on a strong front but he could tell she was close to breaking by pushing all of the emotions away. He was just scared whether she would release those emotions through anger or have a complete breakdown.

     "I'm worried about you Mars."

     "Don't be. I promise you I'm fine. Are you nervous?"

     Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. "What? No. Why would I be nervous?"

     "You just lied to me. Look at your hand."

     Ryan looked down to see his right hand balled into a tight fist. "It's nothing. We're talking about you right now."

     "It's obviously something. I have to wait for Hawk anyway so we have a few minutes."

     Ryan sighed and looked down. "I think I'm going to tell Miguel I love him tonight."

     "Holy shit, Ryan. I'm so happy for you. When did you realize?"

     "After we uh had um--"

     Mara stuck her hand out and stopped him. "That's all I need to know. I really am happy for you though. I can tell he loves you too. You have nothing to be nervous about."

     "Hey, sorry I'm late." The twins turned to see Hawk coming up the driveway. He nodded at Ryan and turned to Mara and his jaw dropped. "Mara wow you look...wow."

     Mara blushed and turned back to her brother. "You're picking up Tory and Miguel right?" Ryan nodded and watched as Hawk walked around Mara's car and got in. "Ok see you there."

    Ryan watched as the two drove off and he made eye contact with Hawk and pointed a finger at him mouthing, "I'm watching you." Hawk's eyes widened and the boy looked down. Ryan just snorted and got into his own car to pick up his boyfriend and best friend.

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     Mara got to Moon's house pretty quickly since the girl didn't live too far from her. She and Hawk got out of the car and started walking up to the house. Mara noticed Hawk's quietness and reached out to gently push his shoulder. "Hey, you ok?"

     He looked at her and nodded. "Ok but come to me if something's wrong." She smiled at him and bounded up the steps to go inside the house. He followed close behind her and was immediately met with the sound of music playing. He watched Mara's smile brighten and he thought she looked beautiful. He sighed realizing he never should have told her he wasn't interested. He just wanted to see her happy, but he had destroyed his own happiness in the process. At least they were still best friends.

     "Mars!" The duo looked over to see Moon coming towards them with a giant smile. Mara smiled at her girlfriend and went to hug her, but was caught off guard when Moon pulled her in for a kiss. She kissed back, but she didn't think it was right to do this right in front of Hawk. Moon pulled away and turned to look at Hawk. "Hey. I'm glad you could make it."

     Hawk just nodded and walked away to socialize. Mara turned to Moon. "Wait one second." Mara walked after Hawk quickly and grabbed his arm. "Hey, you would tell me if something was wrong right? I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I didn't know she would do that in front of you."

    He smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's fine Mars. I'm fine. She's your girlfriend. She's supposed to kiss you. Go have fun ok?" He held her arm for a second before walking off toward Assface who had just arrived.

     Mara turned back to Moon who had a frown on her face, but quickly changed it so she was smiling again. Mara grabbed her hand and let Moon guide her further into the party. Moon pulled her towards a cooler and Mara panicked for a second before Moon opened it to reveal a dozen bottles of apple juice. "This cooler is just for you. I know you're not drinking anymore and I know you love all things apple." Mara smiled at her and pulled her in for a kiss.

     The two kissed for a few more seconds before they pulled away and laughed with each other. Moon laced their fingers together again and pulled her towards the doors that lead outside. "Come on. I want you to meet some people."

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     Gia walked up to Sam and Robby along with the other Miyagi-Do students. She smiled at Robby and he smiled back at her. "What's got you so happy G?"

     "I've never been to a party before." She looked up at the giant house and felt herself get giddy inside.

     Robby looked at her in disbelief. "You've never been to a party?"

     "No my mom never let me. This all seems so surreal."

    Robby chuckled at her. "Well, hopefully, you won't be disappointed."  Robby had surprisingly gotten close with Gia. She was great at giving advice and her bubbly personality made her fun to be around.

     "Well, I'm disappointed." Gia and Robby looked back at a pouting Demetri. "I only brought Trivial Pursuit. If I'd known there'd be this many people, I would've brought Balderdash."

     Gia chuckled at the boy and made her way into the house with the others. It was pretty crowded and Gia assumed Moon had invited everyone from school. They all walked into the living room and were surprised to see Cobra Kai already there. They all looked at the Cobras in shock and a laugh directed their attention towards the door. Miguel, Tory, Mara , and Ryan all walked in and stopped when they noticed them. Sam and Robby were glaring at Tory and Miguel, but Gia was focused on Mara who was glaring daggers at her. Tory scoffed and told them to follow her. Ryan and Miguel both followed her back outside, but Mara stayed right where she was.

     "Sam!" Both the dojos looked over at Moon who was smiling at the newcomers. "I'm so glad you came! The kegs are out back, drinks are in the kitchen, and the vegan pigs in a blanket just got out of the oven."

     Sam leaned into Moon so the rest of the Cobras couldn't hear what she was saying. "Moon, you never said anything about inviting Cobra Kai."

     "Well, first my girlfriend is in Cobra Kai and second, I figured with summer ending and school starting back up,  we could stop all the fighting and be friends again."

     "It's wishful thinking."

     "Sam, trust me. Get rid of all this negative energy. Clear your chakras and have some fun." Moon walked away from her and grabbed Mara's hand who was standing behind her.

     "I'll find you later. I'm going to get a bottle of apple juice." Moon nodded at her and Mara walked over to her cooler and grabbed another apple juice. She had to admit that she was slightly craving, but it wasn't so bad that she couldn't resist it. She opened the bottle and took a sip before turning around and watching the dance battle that was going on.

     "Fancy seeing you here Bobby." Mara froze. She knew that voice and she thought she would never have to hear it again.

     She slowly turned towards the direction the voice came from and her eyes widened when she saw no other than Max Lopez in the flesh. The same kid who liked to put bubble gum in her hair on the bus forcing her to chop it off constantly. He had decided to call her Bobby due to her hair always being cut into a bob because of his tormenting.

     "Max? What are you doing here?"

     He smirked at her and started to pour himself a drink. "I transferred back to West Valley. Private school just wasn't for me." He slightly tipped his head back and drank the liquid in his cup while keeping eye contact with her. He sat the cup down and wiped a drop of alcohol off his lips with his finger. "You'll be seeing a lot more of me."

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     Ryan cheered as he watched Tory win another round of the drinking competition. "Winner and still champion! Tory," Miguel yelled.

     Everyone cheered and Ryan yelled, "That's my best friend!" His eyes widened and he turned to Miguel. "You don't think Moon heard that did you?"

     Miguel just chuckled and pat him on the back. Both boys followed Tory who walked up to Sam and Robby. "Well, look who it is. Maybe you'd like to play a little game? Or are tea parties more your speed, princess?"

     Sam crossed her arms and glared at Tory. "Just give me a cup."

     Tory smirked at her and turned around. "All right. New game." Both girls stepped up on their stools and everyone started to chant for them to drink. Big Red handed both of them a cup and Miguel called out for them to put one leg up.

     "Three, two, one. Drink!" The crowd continued to cheer as Sam and Tory both started to drink from their cups. Tory finished first and crushed her cup, throwing it on the ground. Sam wobbled slightly and Tory looked amused at that.

     "Too much for you to handle?" Sam continued to wobble, but was able to down the rest of her cup and throw it to the ground. More cheers erupted and Tory gestured for another round. As the rounds went on Ryan and Miguel could feel the tension getting stronger between the two girls.

     "How you doin over there, Larusso?"

     "I could do this all night."

     "Yeah? Hey, Big Red, two shots of vodka." Ryan watched nervously as the girls were handed their shots. He reached down and grabbed Miguel's hand and the Hispanic boy just interlaced their fingers and squeezed his hand.

     Tory downed her shot quickly and watched as Sam struggled to keep her balance. Sam stood up straight and brought her arm up and breathed out slowly, centering her balance. She then downed her shot and threw the glass to the floor. Tory looked confused and when someone called her name she slipped and fell off her stool.

     "Guess somebody couldn't hold their liquor, huh?"

     Tory glared at her and pushed Miguel away when he tried to help. "I'm gonna go clean up. Just leave me alone."

     Ryan watched her go and turned to Miguel. "I'll go make sure she's ok. Don't go too far I have something important I want to tell you." He smiled and pecked the boy's lips before rushing off after Tory.

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     Hawk frowned as he watched Mara and Moon makeout. They were sitting together on the same chair and were giggling softly with each other. He wished he wouldn't have lied. Maybe that could've been him.

     Demetri sat down beside him and he just ignored him. "You check out the new Doctor Who trailer?"

     Hawk just rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink. "I don't watch nerd shit."

     Demetri sighed. "You know, uh, Moffat isn't the showrunner anymore."

     Hawk turned to Demetri surprised. "Wait, really? Since when? Is there a new doctor?" Demetri nodded. "What's he like?"

     "Oh," Demetri scoffed. "She's badass."

     "She? No way." Hawk and Demetri heard Moon giggle and they looked over to see her and Mara still kissing.

     "I for sure thought you guys would get together. You know I was rooting for you both since day one, but I would give up now man. She's moved on."

     Hawk shook his head and took another sip of his drink. "Defeat does not exist."

     "I miss you guys I do and I was upset when you both stopped talking to me, but I know you both and this isn't who you are. This winning attitude is probably what pushed her straight into Moon's arms in the first place. I think you need a healthy dose of inner peace." He placed a hand on Hawk's shoulder. "It's worked for me."

     Hawk looked down at the boy's hand and smirked. "Oh yeah?" He stood up and poured his drink over Demetri's head. "That's what I thought." He threw his cup at the now soaked boy. "Still a pussy." Storming away, Hawk made his way outside to the pool.

     Mara pulled away from Moon at the commotion and looked over to see a soaked Demetri and an angry Hawk storming out of the house. "I'll be right back," She told Moon before getting up out of her seat and going after the boy. Moon frowned as she watched her go.

     Mara stormed over to Demetri first. "What the hell did you say to him?"

     "I told him the truth!"

     Mara glared at him. "I told you your words would have consequences, Demetri and you still refuse to understand. You obviously weren't being nice if he reacted like that."

     "What happened to you? You're acting like a total bitch now."

     Mara tilted her head at him and grabbed the color of his shirt. Demetri's eyes widened and he looked into his old friend's eyes. "If you don't shut up for once in your life, Demetri, I'll show you what a real bitch acts like because I promise you you haven't seen it yet."

     She let go of him and walked out of the house to find Hawk. She found him sitting by the side of the pool and she took a seat next to him. She sat down beside him and looked at the water. "You want to tell me what he said?" She looked over at the boy who had his head down. She placed her hand over his and smiled sadly. "Come one. Tell me what's wrong. I don't like seeing you upset."

     Hawk looked up at her and frowned. "That's why I can't tell you what's wrong. If I do it'll make you upset and I don't like seeing you that way either."

     Mara looked at him confused. "I won't be upset. I just want you to know that you can tell me anything. I'm here for you. Always."

     "I know you are, Mars."

     The two stared into each other's eyes and Mara felt her heart start to speed up in her chest. This never happened when she was with Moon and she knew why. She just didn't want to hurt Moon. She loved the girl and couldn't do that to her. She pulled her hand away from Hawk's and stood up. "Let's go back inside. You can have one of my apple juices."

Hawk chuckled shortly and reached out to grab her hand so Mara could pull him up. "I'll take you up on that offer."

   
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Gia stuffed a bunch of chips into her mouth as she stood in the kitchen. The party was fun, but she was enjoying the food party a little bit more. Robby came into the kitchen and started making a plate and Gia noticed the distressed look on his face. She swallowed the food in her mouth. 'What's wrong?"

Robby looked at her and then back at the table. "Sam's really upset right now. That Tory girl is really getting under her skin."

"Oh, well food should help with that. I know it makes me feel better when I'm down."

Robby shook his head at her and a small smile played on his lips. "I guess you're right. She's been drinking a lot tonight and I don't want her to start relying on it to fix her problems. My mom just went to rehab this morning and it's got me kind of on edge."

Gia nodded. "I get that. You came to this party to get distracted from all the drama, but instead, all of the drama came to the party."

"Exactly."

"Well you know you can come to me if anything is bothering you. For now, you should probably get that food to Sam. Oh!" Gia reached over to the opposite end of the table and grabbed a candy bar, handing it to the boy. "Give her a snickers. I saw this commercial once and they were all like 'oh you're not yourself when you're hungry, have a snickers' and then they magically felt better. Hopefully, it does the same for Sam or I will have lost all faith in commercials."

Robby took it from her hand and chuckled before walking out of the kitchen.

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Ryan walked back to the bedroom Tory was in with a new shirt he had borrowed from Moon's closet. When he walked into the room Tory was sitting on the bed with her knees pulled up into her chest. "Cheer up T-money!" He handed her the shirt and the girl took it gratefully. "You're still the baddest bitch in town. Well after my sister. She's scary when she's mad."

Tory chuckled at him and stood up. "I can't disagree with that. I'm happy I'm friends with you guys."

Ryan put his hand over his heart. "Stop. You're gonna make me blush. Just kidding, I don't blush."

Tory snorted and started to head into the bathroom. "See you later R-money."

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. "Oh, I like that! Makes us sound boujee!" He heard Tory laugh from behind the door and he