chapter three:
❛ standing up for yourself ❜

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Alessia and Robby stood side by side, ladling soup into bowls for the line of homeless people that stretched down the block. It was a warm afternoon, and the scent of the hearty broth filled the air as they worked in unison. Alessia had suggested the community service idea to Robby, knowing it could shave a few weeks off their juvie sentence. The idea of getting out early was enough to motivate them both.

As they served, the atmosphere was relatively calm, until a voice broke through the chatter around them. "Hey, Robby," a man called out, and Alessia noticed the way Robby's entire demeanor changed in an instant. His expression hardened, and his grip on the ladle tightened.

Alessia looked up, her gaze meeting a blonde man who was approaching them. The pieces clicked together quickly—this was Robby's dad.

"You're not supposed to be here," Robby snapped at him, his voice cold and unwelcoming.

Johnny, undeterred, replied, "It's the only way I could see you." Alessia bit her tongue, feeling the urge to tell the man off but choosing to stay quiet for the moment. She knew better than to step into someone else's family drama, but it was hard to hold back.

"Found out you're doing community service to try to get out early. That's good. I respect that," Johnny added, attempting to bridge the gap, but Robby's expression didn't soften.

"Okay, dude, if you're here to chitchat, you could've come the other day. But no, you didn't. So, find another time where we aren't busy trying to serve food to the homeless—obviously you're not," Alessia snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she couldn't hold back any longer.

Robby turned to her, a small smile tugging at his lips, clearly appreciating her support. Johnny, however, seemed less amused. "And you are?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at Alessia.

"Alessia Chavez," she replied with a sarcastic smile of her own, but Johnny barely acknowledged her.

"Okay, Celestia. I'm talking to my son, not you," Johnny said dismissively, getting her name wrong and causing Alessia to falter, her expression darkening as she glanced at Robby.

Robby glared at his dad. "Is that a black eye? Are you fighting in there after everything that's happened?" Johnny questioned, clearly noticing the mark on Robby's face.

Robby's jaw clenched. "You're seriously gonna lecture me about starting fights? Also, Alessia is my friend. I know she won't turn her back on me, unlike everyone else," he emphasized, stressing Alessia's name, and Johnny visibly hesitated, realizing his mistake.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm glad you made a friend in here," Johnny apologized, but the tension remained thick in the air. Alessia, feeling out of place, started to step away, but Robby quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, silently telling her to stay.

"I just wanna say I screw up, and I know—" Johnny began, but Robby cut him off with a sharp, "Save it."

Johnny sighed, trying again, "I'm just trying to say—"

"What? That you're in my corner? That you've got my back?" Robby asked, his tone laced with sarcasm. Johnny nodded, but Robby wasn't buying it.

"Cause let's be honest, that means jack shit. Mr. LaRusso said the same thing. Look where I am now," Robby retorted, his eyebrows raised in challenge, and Alessia couldn't help but smirk, impressed by his confidence.

Johnny attempted to pivot, "Forget about LaRusso—" but before he could finish, an impatient homeless woman in line shouted, "Hey! Quit holdin' up the line! Don't make me throw a shoe at you!"

Alessia stifled a laugh as Johnny turned back to Robby and Alessia, clearly frustrated. "Look at what we got here. You stalkin' me, pretty boy?" the homeless woman quipped, eyeing Johnny with a smirk.

Alessia furrowed her brows in confusion. "How does your dad know this lady?" she whispered to Robby, who shrugged.

"No idea," he whispered back, both of them equally puzzled.

Johnny rolled his eyes, his patience wearing thin. "I'm not leaving until we talk," he insisted, but Alessia groaned in annoyance.

"Well, man, it's gonna be a while. If you haven't noticed, we're very busy," she said with another sarcastic smile, earning a smirk from Robby. This was a side of her he hadn't seen before, and he liked it.

Johnny, undeterred, said, "Well, thanks for the advice, Celestia. Cause I'm hungry," he stated, and Robby sighed, ladling soup into a bowl and handing it to his dad. Johnny took it and walked off to a nearby table, leaving Robby and Alessia to resume their duties.

"Jeez, your dad wouldn't give up," Alessia breathed out, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yeah, he can be a real pain in the ass," Robby agreed, serving the next person in line. Despite the tension, there was an undeniable bond forming between Robby and Alessia—a bond that, in the harsh environment of juvie, meant everything.

As the line of people waiting for soup gradually dwindled, Alessia realized they were running low on the soup. "We're out," she said, glancing at the nearly empty pot. She wiped her hands on a towel, ready to head back to the kitchen area to grab another batch.

"I'll be back in a sec," Alessia told Robby, who nodded, still serving the last few people in line. She made her way through the small community center kitchen, the clatter of pots and pans echoing in the narrow space. As she was about to grab another pot of soup, she heard someone approaching.

"Alessia, right?" a voice purred, and she turned to find Emilia standing in the doorway, blocking her exit. Emilia's smirk was as sharp as ever, and Alessia immediately felt a prickle of unease.

"Emilia," Alessia acknowledged warily, keeping her voice steady. She didn't trust Emilia, not after all the side comments and subtle digs she'd been enduring for the past few weeks.

"Doing your little charity work, huh? So sweet. But tell me," Emilia started, her tone dripping with fake sincerity, "is it because you've got a little crush on Robby?"

Alessia froze, her fingers tightening around the pot handle. "What the hell are you talking about?" she retorted, trying to brush off the accusation, but her voice wavered slightly.

Emilia's grin widened, sensing Alessia's discomfort. "Oh, come on, Celestia—oops, sorry, Alessia. You can't fool me. You've been glued to Robby's side since the day he got here. It's kinda cute, actually. But here's the thing..." Emilia leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Maybe I'll get to him first before you even have a chance."

Something snapped inside Alessia. She'd endured enough of Emilia's taunts, her condescension, and the constant insinuations. The thought of Emilia swooping in and playing mind games with Robby, someone she had genuinely started to care about, made her blood boil.

"Back off, Emilia," Alessia hissed, stepping closer, her heart pounding in her chest. "I'm not playing your stupid games."

Emilia's eyes gleamed with a cruel amusement. "Oh, you're standing up for yourself now? Finally growing a spine, are we?" She laughed softly, mocking Alessia's attempt at bravery. "I'm just trying to help you out. You should know who you're dealing with."

Without thinking, Alessia shoved Emilia back, the pot clanging loudly as she dropped it. The kitchen echoed with the metallic sound, and for a moment, everything seemed to go still.

But Emilia recovered quickly, her smirk fading into a cold, calculating expression. "You're gonna regret that," she muttered darkly before shoving Alessia back even harder, sending her stumbling into the counter.

Alessia's back hit the cold, hard edge, and the pain jolted through her, but it wasn't just physical—it was the realization that she had lost control, that she had let Emilia get under her skin.

Emilia gave Alessia one last disdainful look before turning and walking out of the kitchen, leaving Alessia alone with her racing thoughts and the sinking feeling of regret.

She stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, her hands trembling as she leaned against the counter. The rush of adrenaline was already wearing off, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste of regret and shame.

Alessia hated how easily Emilia had pushed her buttons, how she had let herself get dragged down to that level. She had wanted to stand up for herself, to show that she wasn't someone to be messed with, but it had only made things worse.

After taking a deep breath, Alessia picked up the pot from the floor, the cold metal now matching the cold knot in her stomach. As she returned to the main hall with the refilled soup, she saw Robby glance over at her, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing the tension in her movements and the way she avoided his gaze.

Alessia forced a tight smile. "Yeah, just ran into some trouble in the kitchen," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but she could tell Robby wasn't convinced.

As they continued serving the soup, Alessia couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made everything more complicated. She had tried to stand up for herself, but instead, she had only fed into Emilia's game, and now she was left wondering how much worse things were going to get.

A few hours after the confrontation with Emilia, Alessia and Robby were back at juvie. Robby was temporarily out of their cell, giving Alessia a moment alone. She stood in front of the small, grimy mirror, lifting her shirt just enough to see the bruises marring her lower back. The purple and blue blotches were painful reminders of her attempt to stand up for herself. As she gingerly touched one of the bruises, tears welled up in her eyes.

She quickly wiped them away when she heard the cell door creak open. Robby walked in, stopping short when he saw the expression on her face. His gaze fell to the bruises on her back, his eyes widening in shock.
"What happened?" Robby asked, his voice laced with concern.

Alessia tried to close herself off, turning away from him and pulling her shirt back down. "It's nothing," she mumbled, her voice shaky.

Robby stepped closer and gently reached out to grab her arm. She flinched instinctively, and Robby immediately let go, his worry deepening. "Alessia, please, what happened? Tell me," he urged, his tone softer now.

Alessia hesitated, her throat tightening as she remembered the encounter with Emilia. "It was Emilia... She cornered me when I was getting more soup and started taunting me about... you. I couldn't take it anymore, so I tried to stand up for myself, but..." Her voice trailed off as she bit her lip, trying to hold back more tears. "It didn't go well."

Robby's expression darkened with anger. "I'm gonna kill her," he muttered, clenching his fists.

Alessia shook her head desperately, grabbing his arm. "No, Robby, please. Don't. Things will only get worse if you do."

Robby looked at her, conflicted. "You need to stick up for yourself, Alessia. You can't let her push you around like this."

"I can't," Alessia whispered, her voice breaking.
"When I tried last time..." Her words were cut off by the sound of footsteps approaching their cell.

An officer appeared at the door, interrupting their conversation. "Robby, you have a visitor," he announced.

Robby looked back at Alessia, still torn between his protective instincts and her plea for him to stay out of it. "We'll talk more later, okay?" he said softly, giving her one last worried glance before following the officer out of the cell.

ASH SPEAKS!

a bit short chapter bc we were robbed of robby in s3 and don't know everything that happened in juvie

y'all are GONNA LOVE next chapter🤭