WILDFIRE ► COBRA KAI

Chapter 7

"Hey, are you even listening?"

Kaia's snapping fingers shuttled Flynn back into the real world. Her vision focused on the displeased expression that painted the dark redhead's face. They sat on the volleyball court, posters surrounding them.

"Yeah, no," the Wilder answered, fingers scratching at the nape of her neck made tight by her ponytail. "What was it?"

"Jesus," Jamie, who had been self-passing a volleyball nearby, chuckled half to himself. "You've been out of it, Flynn."

His tone, rendered as friendly, sent only waves of anger shooting down her spine. "Yeah, well," she huffed in a hostile tone.

"I was asking about practice tomorrow afternoon," Kaia continued, pretending not to notice her attitude. "I can't be there, for once. Are you good to take the reins?"

Anxiety sweltered in her chest at the thought of managing practice alone. The very reason for her fears stood only a few feet away, playing volleyball with a cement wall. "Um, maybe. I'll have to check in with my coach."

Kaia snorted, her gaze growing cold. "Seriously? You've skipped skating practice, what? Like ten times without 'checking in with your coach'? What's so different now?"

Flynn felt her fingernails prickle the fleshy skin of her palm. "What's different is I have a competition coming up," she glowered. "And I've already spent enough time fucking around with you guys, smoking weed and partying and shit. I gotta get back on track."

Now it was Jamie's turn to snort, the lean boy shaking his dark curls. "Wow."

"What?" She snapped even harsher this time. "Please, do share with the class."

"I just can't figure you out," he laughed, the volleyball falling from his hands and rolling away to the bleachers. "Last week you were having fun doing all that stuff. Now you're trying to blow off practice and act like you hate everyone or something?"

Flynn could feel the burning in her chest bottling up, rising past her throat and coating every word she spat from her tongue. "I don't hate everyone, I just hate you."

She watched his face fall, his features turning a ghostly white before melting into red fury. "What the fuck did I do?"

Kaia collected herself off the ground. "Okay, I'm gonna give y'all a minute. Seems like you two need to sort something out."

Flynn gathered herself onto her feet as well, trying to swallow the nerves and allow rage steer herself instead. She waited until the door clicked shut before speaking again. "We need to talk."

Another snort. "Yeah, no shit."

"About that shit you did last week at the party. Remember that?"

One of Jamie's eyebrows rose into an arch, the corners of his lips curving upwards. "I was pretty fucked up that night. Might have to jog my memory."

"When we were dancing," she clarified, voice slick with disgust and hatred. This boy was not at all who she thought he was. Seeing the prideful haze printed on his face was enough to know that, and she ached to wipe that expression off.

He drew a few steps closer, smiling hard enough to expose his too-perfect teeth. "Yeah? That was fun, right?"

A giant wad of bile became lodged in her throat, her gaze lowering to his feet. "No," she managed, attempting to swallow the lump caught in her vocal cords.