"No, no, no!" He instantly said and his eyes nearly widened out of his head. "God, no. Don't ever think that."
Odessa exhaled deeply. "Okay, good. Jesus."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean for that to come off so strong."
"It's okay. I'm just an over thinker."
Eli turned in his head so that he was facing her. The mood suddenly changed. She looked nervous. He looked really nervous. "I know that I've been acting different. My attitude's changed a lot. I can be more harsh,"
She nodded slightly.
"I'm just angry. I've always been angry but I feel like now I can finally express it. I'm angry at all the people who've given me shit my entire life. I don't ever want to go back to being that person I was before Cobra Kai."
When he started to get emotional, Odesa grabbed his hand. "It's okay. It's okay." She softly said.
"But most of all, I'm angry at the people who have treated you badly. Because you're so amazing. You deserve the best. I want to be the best for you." Eli continued. His eyes glazed over. "Because I love you."
Her face softened incredibly.
"And I know you're scared of love because of everything that's happened to you in the past but I'm telling you that I will never treat you the way they did. I'll never hurt you. I'll never put you down. I love you so much, Odessa. It honestly hurts how much."
When she started to cry, he got nervous again. But he knew why. She was vulnerable. She spent her whole life giving her heart to people just for them to break it over and over again. She loved with all of her. He loved everything about her. They were the perfect balance. 
Odessa never thought anybody could love her so much. Her mom, of course, but this was different. She trusted so many boys and they all betrayed her. They took all she had until she was almost completely gone. But Eli brought her back to the surface. He was kind hearted, sensitive, and he was learning to find himself. She loved him. God, she loved him. She knew she was going to love him. "I love you. Of course I do." She finally responded with a teary eyed laugh.
All the nerves in him disappeared and a smile stretched on her lips. Eli grabbed her face and pulled her into him, kissing her like he never had before. 





















Odessa adored Demetri with her whole heart.  He was one of her closest friends but sometimes,  she wanted to knock him out cold. His yelp review was a huge mistake. "I just don't understand why you wrote it?  Are you trying to get killed?" She asked as they stood in the line of the food court in the mall. 
"That was not my intention, no, but people should know what they're getting themselves into, Dessi. The man should be in jail!" Demetri told while waving his hands.
"He's not wrong. I just think you should have thought about it a little bit more before actually doing it." Said Oliver, who joined them for the day because he had nothing better to do. 
"You should know this by now, Oliver. I work up to things." 
Odessa rolled her eyes and paid for her burger and fries. She left the boys in line to go sit with Robby and Sam. Their relationship was on the rocks. They hadn't really spoken since what happened at the beach club. Odessa didn't know what to say. Sam felt guilty. It was all about who was willing to be the bigger person first.
But Sam was Demetri's friend. Odessa wasn't going to argue when he asked if she would come to the mall with them.
Robby pulled out a chair for her and Odessa smiled his way. "I'm really happy you're here, Odessa." Said Sam, it being the first words she had said to the girl.