WHAT DO YOU WEAR to a party where you know only one person? Sure, Charlie has been to plenty of parties before. Actually, they were birthday parties where there was always adult supervision which she is sure that this type of party wouldn't have. It's a high school party, where she doesn't know anyone, and knowing high schoolers, there was bound to be drama, a mess, and chaos. Just to be sure, she decided to wear a long-sleeved shirt and tights underneath her clothes.

  Why did she say yes to Robby? Especially a day before starting school, she should be resting, and preparing to be the new student coming into a high school where everyone already knows who's who, and cliques were already formed.

God the things that happen when using one brain cell.

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  While Robby had told Sam about his old friend Charlie. He hadn't exactly told her that Charlie was a girl, whenever he had talked about Charlie, he never specifically used gender terms, always Charlie this, Charlie that.

  She was happy that he was having more people in his life and in his corner even though she hadn't exactly told that to him. He could see it on her face.

  "Would Charlie like to join Miyagi-do?" After telling Sam that he had invited Charlie, Sam asked.

  Robby told her that from what he remembered, Charlie had no interest in karate. That Charlie didn't like violence, that whenever they had watched movies, Charlie had always hid behind him when a character was getting hurt. He never knew then but it made him feel more protective of Charlie. So Robby told that to Sam. She looked like she wanted to say something but decided not to.

  "Mhm." What does that mean? Why can't girls say what they are thinking? They had always confused Robby, well, Charlie never had. He could always read her well. Especially when she was hungry.

۪۪۫۫

  Sam looped her arm through his while they walked to her car to drive to Robby's old friend, Charlie's house. They were going to meet the rest of Miyagi-do at the front yard of Moon's. Sam was excited to get out after the day she had and she was excited to meet Charlie. Robby talked about him a lot at the beginning of their relationship. How Charlie was his best friend, how they were attached at the hip and how they always had so many sleepovers, that Charlie's mom had officially had a set of pj's ready for Robby, which Sam found cute.

  As she was driving, Sam wonder how Charlie looked. Did he have curly or straight hair, was it long or short? Was he tall? She knows that he didn't like violence like Moon, that was probably the only thing she remembered about him.

  It's funny, most of the men in her life, defense or not, used violence. Her dad was her sensei, her brother played games with it, and Robby and Miguel used karate which was obviously, violent. Maybe having a male friend who wasn't involved in this 'karate war' would be good for her.

  Robby continued to talk about his childhood with Charlie while she drove. She can't wait to meet him.

۪۪۫۫

  She was so nervous, and anyone could tell by the way she was pacing back and forth in the hallway. Her mom told her to stop because her red converses were making marks on the wood floor.

  No, they aren't. If anything, it was her mom making the marks from her pacing. Yeah, if you can't tell, Charlie got that habit from her mom. Well, can anyone blame her? It was Charlie's, and in her words, my baby's first high school party.

  Which was no big deal, usually Charlie was a very introverted person. She always made friends wherever she went, but the reason she was nervous about this outing was because of Robby. Sure they texted a little bit since last night, catching up even more than when he was at her house, going into details about going back to school, his mom coming back, and Mr. La Russo's dojo. She just didn't want to embarrass him in front of Sam, who she feels she could be friends with. Anyone who was friends, well, in this case, a significant other, with Robby and especially anyone who helped him without wanting anything back, was bound to be a good person.

  Charlie was just a sucker for nice people.

۪۪۫۫

  They had arrived at Charlie's house. Robby was excited for one of his important people to meet his other important people, a little bit nervous but overall excited. He feels like Sam and Charlie could be good friends but then again Charlie could make friends with anybody, especially with her friendly personality.

  He leaned over to kiss Sam on the cheek as thanks and opened the car door. He didn't want to have Charlie waiting.

  "Wait," Sam looked at the house, growing up she had been taught to not come empty-handed when visiting people who she didn't know, "should I have gotten flowers?"

  "Nah, Liza and Charlie have very bad allergies. Though I always found it funny that they sneezed three times in a row. I guess it is like mother, like daughter." Robby shut the door and walked down the stone path.

۪۪۫۫

Like mother, like daughter?

  Like mother, like daughter. Charlie was a girl? Actually, that makes sense, with what Robby told her, Charlie painted her nails bright red, Charlie liked Barbie's and Charlie had a fascination with butterflies, which, a boy could have and do all these things but it was more common for a girl growing up to have and do.

  It all made sense now, Charlie could be a Charlotte, not a Charles, though Robby had called her that which is why she assumed. It was probably a childhood nickname.

  Sam could see Robby talking to an older woman who she assumed was Charlie's mom, though she did look familiar.

  At school, there was a new English teacher for her grade who looked exactly like her. Demetri had told her that he was being transferred into that new class, which he also complained about because it was in the middle of the school year, it was impractical, he had told her.

  After talking for a bit, Sam could see a girl walk out of the house. She had light brown hair that went a little bit past her shoulders and bright red converse on, they stood out more than her light blue outfit, which can she say was cute, but combined, they went well with her. Even from the distance, Sam could see that they were awkward with each other. Obviously, after so many years apart, they needed time to get back to being comfortable with each other. It was sweet, the way Robby took his time to make sure Charlie was comfortable.

  Robby had told Liza that he would have her back before 12:30 if it was alright with her. She had made a joke saying to keep her out all night, that it was fine. Before her mom could say anymore, or anything embarrassing, Charlie said that they had to go or they were going to be late. She didn't actually know what time the party started but she just wanted to go.

  Together they walked to the car, with Robby's hand hovering over her back, not touching her but guiding her. Before leaving, her mom had given her some extra money in case she drank something that she wasn't legally allowed to have, at least until she was twenty-one. Liza didn't want the kids to drink and drive, so the money was just in case they needed an uber or lyft. Charlie loved her mom so much even when she tries to embarrass her.

  "Sam, this is Charlie. Charlie this is Sam." Robby introduced them.

  "Hi," Sam was beautiful. In some other universe, Charlie could see herself having a big crush on her, and from what Robby has told her about Sam, she was just her type. a pretty girl with a heart of gold, she's a goner for girls like that, "Nice to meet you."

Charlie meant it.

  "Hello," Charlie was pretty. Maybe in some other reality, Sam and Charlie would have been girlfriends because Sam could tell that Charlie was her type. a nice girl who, from what Robby told her, helped anyone and didn't expect anything back. Sam loved people like that, that's why she fell for Miguel, then for Robby, "Finally nice to meet you too."

Sam also meant it.

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  On the way to the party, Sam and Charlie got to know each other. Robby could see that they were becoming fast friends, at least faster than Charlie and him, which he wants to state that he is not jealous but Charlie and Robby were friends first, so take that Sam!

  "So we are meeting the rest when we get there, right?" Sam seeing the confusion on Charlie's face continued, "We are meeting our friends at the party, the rest of Miyagi-do."

"Miyagi-do?" 

  "Oh, that's the name of the dojo we train karate at. From what Robby tells me, you used to live here years ago, my dad who teaches us, won the all-valley tournament in 1984. Daniel La Russo." Sam continued to explain who exactly they were meeting. Demetri, Chris, and someone who wasn't involved in the karate mess, Moon who was throwing the party.

  Daniel La Russo? Wasn't that the guy who beat Johnny in the karate competition? From Robby's looks toward her through the rearview mirror, yes it was. Oh my god, Robby was dating his father's so-called 'rivals' daughter. Maybe they, being her mom and herself, shouldn't have left Robby on his own.

At last, they arrived.

  Sam introduced Charlie to the others when they started to walk up the driveway after Demetri asked who was she.

  "You sure you're up for this?" Sam asked Robby. Yesterday his mom had shown up after leaving him for Cabo and said that she was going to rehab, "With your mom and everything?"

  Charlie walked by the tall lanky boy named Demetri, who had a box labeled Trivial Pursuit while listening to Sam and Robby. Charlie had texted him back after he told her, trying to comfort him. Apparently, he had been living with no electricity for a while before staying with the La Russo's. Even more, reason to like Sam.

  "Definity. I could use a distraction." Robby's smile didn't reach his eyes as he looked at Sam. Over the loud voices of the other people, Charlie couldn't hear what Chris said.

  "Yeah, I guess Moon must have invited other kids from school." Was this supposed to be a small get-together? Sam was leading the group of boys and Charlie up when she heard a little rumple from the boy next to her.

  "I only brought Trivial Pursuit! If I had known there would be this many people, I would have brought Balderdash." Huh? Charlie wasn't the only one who thought that as most of the group had turned to look at Demetri.

  "I don't think this is the type of party where you bring those games," Charlie spoke up for the first time since introducing herself.

  "It's a party, what else are you supposed to do? Sleep?" Demetri was very intimidating and sarcastic.

۪۪۫۫

  They didn't even make it twenty feet into the big house when the group she was with stopped, though Charlie wasn't paying attention and continued to walk and ended up in the front of the group. She could see most of the group glaring at another group of teens. It was like a standoff, the kid with a scar on his lip tried to glare everyone in their group down. When he tried to do that to her, she averted her gaze and body, suddenly finding the stone wall interesting. The atmosphere was broken by a couple walking in.

  "Let's go." The girl with a back and red top dragged the boy she came in with, back outside.

Sam, once again had introduced Charlie to Moon. Charlie liked Moon. She was friendly, at least more friendly than the others. While everyone when their separate ways, Charlie stuck to Moon.

  "It's funny, you are like the one person who I've met who doesn't have an ounce of negative energy." Moon was big on chakras, energy, and surprisingly crystals.

  "Really? Cause I feel like I'm full of it sometimes." Not really but it was fun to talk about this stuff, she joked.

  "Yeah, we are friends now. I could also tell that you are just like me. This karate stuff is too much, they all need to let it go before school starts or I feel something bad will happen." She could tell that Moon was tired of her friends fighting.

  "Hey, don't touch th--" and Moon had left her, there was a kid trying to fill a vase with vodka.

  She stood there with a red solo cup, no one to talk to, and the mohawk kid looking at her like he wanted to kick her.

۪۪۫۫

  Turns out the real party was outside. Sam and Tory, who she learned was Sam's ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend, were playing a drinking game. Whoever fell first lost, and it seemed like Tory was winning.

  "Are you sure she should be drinking this much?" Charlie leaned over to Robby who was watching in worry.

  "She shouldn't but I've learned that you can't tell her what to do." Robby observed the way Sam balanced herself using what she's been taught. It seemed to work because, in the end, Sam won. Robby helped Sam down and Charlie caught her she stumbled.

  Tory's boyfriend was staring at them. Staring at the way Sam had her hands on Charlie's shoulders, the way Charlie had her hands on Sam's arms, and the way Robby had his hands on both of the girls' backs to make sure they don't fall.

"Hey dude, why are you touching someone else when Sam is right there?" Tory's boyfriend seemed like he was itching to fight.

  "Dude, shut up. Can't you see we are helping her?" Charlie doesn't like to tell that to people but she knew that if Robby talked back, it wouldn't be good. He probably wasn't expecting her to say anything from the look on his face.

  Sam had balanced herself, shook off their hands, and walked inside.

۪۪۫۫

  A few hours later, a couple of drinks later, Charlie was hanging out by the pool area. It was a little space hidden from everyone but she could see everything.  She could see a kid was glasses passed out on the grass, a couple looking into each other eyes in the pool, and Sam who was staring in the distance. Charlie had tried to get up to join her when Tory's boyfriend, Miguel walked out and toward Sam. She ducked back down.

  "Hey, Sam. Is—" He stopped, "—everything OK?" He seemed hesitant to even talk to Sam as she stared into the distance. Probably because she was his ex and his girlfriend's rival. Those few hours were very informative, some drunk guy had filled her in with the gossip, about Miyagi-do, Cobra Kai, and the love square(?).

  "I'm fine," She finally said, obviously not fine, and got up, "Miguel, wait." Sam apologized.

  This was not good and Charlie should stop this but she was a couple of drinks in and tipsy. Even if she wanted to help, what could she do, yell NO dramatically? They were now facing each other.

  "I didn't know you returned the metal," What metal? That guy hadn't told her about this or did he, she doesn't remember, "It was really important to my family and me." They were getting closer and closer.

  "Thank you." Sam was a nice girl, thanking him and all.

  "It shouldn't have gotten stolen in the first place. I'm just glad you got it back." What shouldn't have been stolen? Oh, the metal. Right.

  "Me too." Sam had strumbled, also tipsy, into Miguel's arms. They stared into each other's eyes. Sam had her hand on his shoulder and leaned in. If this was a tv show, dramatic music would play in the background as they kissed.

  "We shouldn't have-- I'm with Tory and you have-" You weren't saying that a second ago.

  "I--," have Robby, "I'm sorry." Sam started to realize the big mistake she just made.

  And it seems like Charlie had held onto the big plant pot too long, so when she shifted to get more comfortable in her ducked position, it shifted and made a big noise. Big enough to reach Miguel and Sam. They both turned to her and she could see the horror seep into their features.

"Charlie, I-,"

Charlie passed out.

  "Charlie, I-," Sam saw Charlie collapse, she turned to Miguel, "I have to go help her."

  Not wanting to leave a girl by herself where she was vulnerable, Miguel went to help her out too. She looked like she was light enough to carry but from passing out she became dead weight. 

  "Who even is she?" While Miguel had seen her with Moon, Robby, and Sam at the party, he had not seen her at school with any of them and Robby had seemed very friendly with her.

  "She's Robby's childhood friend, she just moved back." Oh.

  Not wanting to be seen together any more than they already have, Miguel put the girl on the kitchen chair and left, though not before looking back and seeing Sam brush the girl's hair out of her face.

an
this chapter is almost 3k words
and honestly the longest thing
ive written. im happy with how
it turned out.

something to make clear are;
charlie is bi, so is sam and
maybe even robby. idk i haven't
gotten that far with the plot.
also charlie is a bit like moon,
having friends from both dojos.
this chapter ends with the ending
of episodes 2x09, hopefully each
chapter is going to be an episode
mixed with my own plot.

if you want to see some fanfic
edits of roses are red, my tiktok
account is rin.renlu. be aware that
they may contain spoilers.