Tessa Keene was a sweetheart through and through- pure-hearted, kind, and incapable of cruelty. She didn't have much, but she had Robby, and that was all she needed. He was her rock, her safe place, the one person she could always count on. But when...
Tessa woke up to the smell of eggs and something buttery—and the feeling of someone poking her forehead. Repeatedly. She scrunched her face against the couch cushion and swatted blindly at the air. "Stop it."
"Nope," Miguel said, way too awake for this hour. He poked her again, laughing. "You're gonna wanna see this."
Tessa barely cracked one eye open. "What, Miguel?" she mumbled, barely able to fight the sleep still tugging at her.
"Your dad went on a Twitter rant at like, two in the morning." Miguel plopped down next to her and shoved his phone in her face. "Look."
Tessa blinked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes in confusion. "What?" She took the phone from Miguel, her fingers still slow with sleep, and stared at the screen, her eyes widening as she read.
@SenseiJohnnyLaw: IT'S ON: LAWRENCE-LARUSSO REMATCH! hashbrown dead meat @SenseiJohnnyLaw: It's time for the Valley to see what karate is all about! @SenseiJohnnyLaw: Tomorrow night. Eagles reign supreme! @SenseiJohnnyLaw: How does this thing work? @SenseiJohnnyLaw: Hello?
Tessa groaned, dragging the blanket over her head. "I can't even read that," she mumbled, voice muffled. "It's too early for secondhand embarrassment."
Miguel laughed and tugged the blanket down. "It's not that bad."
Tessa slumped sideways against him, faceplanting into his shoulder. "This is my life," she mumbled dramatically. "I'm the daughter of an internet troll."
Miguel patted her head sympathetically. "Makes sense." He shrugged. "Sam always calls you a gremlin."
At that exact moment, Carmen's voice floated in from the kitchen. "Miggy, breakfast is ready! Tessa, you too, cariño!"
Tessa sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I should go check on my dad..." she trailed off, her eyes drifting toward the door.
Carmen paused, a slight frown creasing her brow. "Of course, go ahead," she said, her voice gentle but tinged with concern.
Tessa stood up, hesitating for a moment. "Thanks for everything, Carmen. Breakfast smells amazing."
Carmen offered her a small smile and a nod as the young girl grabbed her things and hurried out the door.
Tessa trudged back to her apartment and opened the door, expecting to hear the usual chaos—maybe Johnny arguing with the TV, or some random mess in the kitchen—but the apartment was silent. Not even the usual smell of stale beer lingered in the air. Her stomach sank a little as she glanced around, the place was empty.
She tossed her bag onto the counter and sighed again, rubbing her forehead. It was probably nothing. He was probably just being Johnny—disappearing into his own little world and forgetting to let anyone know. Still, it nagged at her. She couldn't help it.
Sighing heavily, she grabbed her phone and shot her dad a quick text, not really expecting a response.
Where are you?
She placed the phone down on the counter, wondering over to the kitchen and making herself a bowl of cereal.
Where was her dad? Why did he want to fight Mr. LaRusso? Did they already fight? Was he okay? Was he arrested?
She couldn't stop the thoughts from swirling around her head. She grabbed her phone again, her thoughts racing as she dialed Daniel's number. The familiar sound of his voice on the other end didn't exactly calm her nerves, but she didn't waste time. "Did you fight my dad last night?" she blurted out before he could even greet her.
"No—Tess—no," Daniel quickly denied, his voice a little too fast, like he was already anticipating the question. "Things got out of hand, but I'm going to fix it, I promise."
Tessa leaned against the counter, her fingers gripping the edge as she closed her eyes. "Okay," she said softly, though her voice carried a faint note of concern. "Do you know where he is?"
There was a pause on the other end. Tessa could practically hear Daniel thinking. "He's not home?" he asked, a little surprised, a hint of worry in his voice now.
"No," Tessa replied, frustration edging her tone. "I just got home from the Diaz's and the place is empty. There's no sign of him anywhere." She let out a deep breath, running a hand through her hair. "Look, I gotta get to school. I'll see you at practice?"
Daniel's voice softened. "Yeah, I'll see you later, Tessa. Stay safe, alright?"
"Yeah," she murmured, the knot in her stomach tightening again. "I'll be fine."
She ended the call and glanced at the bowl of cereal she had started to make but didn't feel like eating anymore. Her stomach churned too much with nerves. She sighed, pushing the bowl aside and turning towards her bedroom. She had to get ready for school, even though she didn't feel ready for anything.
She grabbed the first hoodie and jeans she could find, quickly pulling them on, barely registering the fabric against her skin. Her hair went into a messy ponytail, and she didn't even glance in the mirror before grabbing her bag. She was too tired to care about her appearance, her thoughts too tangled up with her dad's sudden absence and the mess that was her life.
Once dressed, she grabbed her phone again, but there was no new message. She shoved it into her pocket and headed for the door. The cool morning air did little to calm the nerves swirling in her stomach. She could barely focus as she walked to school, her mind occupied by a hundred unanswered questions.
When she got to school, she tried to push the thoughts aside, but they lingered like a shadow over her. She shoved a few books into her locker, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness of the morning. She was just about to grab her binder when a voice behind her made her stiffen.
"Hope you're proud of yourself."
She turned and found Kenny standing there, arms crossed, brows drawn tight. His voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp enough to cut through the morning chatter.
"What?" she asked, frowning.
He jerked his chin toward her. "Because of what happened at the drive-in, they banned fighting until the tournament. One screw-up and we're out."
Tessa slammed her locker shut, annoyed. "I wasn't trying to—" she started, but he cut her off.
"Save it." He stared at her for a beat longer, his voice breaking just slightly when he said, "You're not who I thought you were."
Tessa flinched like he'd hit her.
Kenny pulled his backpack higher and started walking away, tossing one last glance over his shoulder. "I'll see you on the mat."
Tessa's heart pounded in her ears. She set her jaw and shouted after him, loud enough for half the hallway to hear. "Yeah! Can't wait!"
Kenny didn't even turn around. He just kept walking, disappearing into the crowd, leaving Tessa standing there, fists clenched, the anger burning hotter than the hurt.
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