Chapter One: You Just See Charlotte

…

May 19th, 2018

Encino Hills

…

If Lucas' neighbors were remotely in town, they would've heard music blasting around the entire block.

The Cobra Kais were happier beyond words but were still very loud.

"Let's fucking goooooo!"

Dozens of students from West Valley High and other highschools from around LA cheered and lifted their drinks, strewn randomly around the pool, the lawn, and the entire backyard. There were easily over a hundred there.

On a balcony in the backyard of the house Ali Mill's once lived in during the eighties, Doug Rickenberger was holding the 2018 All Valley high into the air and yelling.

"That's right we're Cobra Kai! Let's hear that shit! Let's hear that shit!" yelled Doug.

The crowd at the party all cheered.

"We're champs! Come on! Let's hear it for the motherfucking Cobraaaas!" Doug shouted into a microphone.

The celebratory pool party to celebrate Lucas' historic second win at the All Valley continued. But he was not in the happiest mood.

Lucas took the trophy back to his bedroom, locked the doors to his room and those of his grandparents, and proceeded to sulk for the remainder of the night.

…

This was not the best morning.

Most people would be ecstatic to wake up and find not one, but two beautiful and curvaceous blonde girls in their bed naked with them.

I just wasn't.

I had to clean up the whole house from top to bottom after the party. A party I couldn't even fully enjoy because I was.

Busy.

So I left Yasmine asleep in my bedroom and then started to clean up the massive mess in my entire house.

Luckily, whoever was left after the party finished was gone. I didn't have to deal with more awkwardness than what I'd gotten.

There were crushed and empty red plastic cups, as as well as not that empty red cups, lying around everywhere. Pizza, pizza boxes, someone even managed to move my couch around.

My entire backyard was mostly the same mess too. And I got to work cleaning.

After an entire hour of cleaning I was only halfway done.

I started working on cleaning up my kitchen when I saw Yasmine yawn and walk down the stairs wearing just a huge Cobra Kai sweatshirt of mine and who knows what underneath.

I was still able to focus entirely on my task.

"Hey there," she said.

I nodded towards her as I continued to stuff garbage into a large black trash bag and organize what was needed.

"Hey," I responded.

"Fun night huh?"

"Unfortunately I wasn't able to eat most of this goddamn pizza people brought for some reason. What a waste." I muttered throwing yet another pizza crust into the trash.

Yasmine held her elbows. "Listen. I don't really remember what happened last night. Do you?"

I remembered the important parts. A certain part that if she didn't remember might eliminate a great deal of confusion later on.

I winced and looked at her. "Do you remember?"

I sighed. A part of me really didn't want to tell her.

"Do you remember Tory interrupting us?"

"No."

I nodded. This would be painful to explain.

"When you and I. Were. Messing around. Tory stumbled into my room. And. She stayed."

"You mean."

"She stayed." I repeated, she got the message. "I didn't want to omit that from last night so. She just left about an hour and a half ago."

Yasmine stood rooted to the spot looking pretty worried. "Does that mean her and I-"

"No clue." I admitted. "At this point I think the only person remotely sober enough to remember the whole thing in detail was Tory. And. Honestly I'd rather get eaten alive by wolves than ask her."

I muttered. "Speaking of wolves."

I rolled aside the sliding glass door to my backyard and called out. "Donnie! Donnie come here boy!"

Barking, the most loyal golden retriever in the world burst from his dog house labeled "Donnie Junior" where he stayed all night and ran up to me.

"I didn't know you had a dog," Yasmine said.

"Yeah well. I didn't want him to get in the way of the party so I left him some treats in his house. Isn't that right boy?" I asked as I rubbed the top of his head.

I looked at Yasmine. "So. Do you need me to drive you home or?"

"You have a license?"

"Well, my sixteenth birthday was a few days ago. The day of, I took and passed my driver's test. I have a car."

"Then." Yasmine nodded. "I'd appreciate that honestly."

"Um. Give me a few minutes to clean up." I laughed. "My whole damn house." Yasmine chuckled too. "And we can go. Will your parents mind you showing up this early wearing. This."

I threw a hand towards her. From the looks of it, it seemed Yasmine only was wearing my sweatshirt.

"They're busy this weekend."

"Cool."

"I'll help," Yasmine said. "Make things faster."

…

Yasmine had changed into the same clothes she had worn last night and I drove her home in mostly silence in a very nice car my grandparents and parents had gifted me for my sixteenth birthday.

"I'm surprised you're so functional. You know, after how much beer we both drank."

Yasmine frowned. "I mean. I got the worst of it after I woke up. Then I walked downstairs to talk to you."

I nodded.

This was painfully awkward. Her house wasn't too far from mine, but I had no idea what to say to her on the drive over.

Yasmine spoke out. "Is this. Hard for you to say anything about too or?"

"Honestly I'm just worried about how Robby's doing right now." I sighed out.

"You were really torn up over that. That I do remember. Almost made it seem like the end of a romance or something." she said jokingly.

"You can call that the end of a bromance is more accurate."

Yasmine laughed as I braked at a stop sign.

"He was a good friend of yours? I saw you at school and stuff, just never assumed."

I frowned.

"He was the best I ever made."

I remembered us on the bus ride towards his dad's, all the time during freshman year we hung out and talked.

How much I related to his ideas on how dumb the argument over which style of karate needs to be which. That it all just worked, no matter what you called it.

Yasmine checked her phone and groaned. "I forgot."

"What?"

"My parents are taking me to visit France this whole summer."

I had forgotten about that too. Strange how that happened sometimes that I could know some stuff before it happened.

Yasmine looked over at me. "Shame we had to cut this early before it happened."

"What are we cutting. Is there a cut? Is there something between us?"

"I'd say so," Yasmine said. "Look. My plane leaves next week. In the meantime, we can spend some time together."

"Don't take this the wrong way but. What exactly do you want from me Yas. Do you want us to uh. Hold hands at school and then share a single milkshake at Smitty's Diner like we're some preppy couple. Or."

Yasmine was quiet as I kept driving toward her house.

"Whatever you're cool with. I'm cool with. As long as it's reasonable."

"Likewise." I smiled and nodded at her.

"Honestly I've never really dated anyone. Let alone. Even. You know. Started it that, messily."

With sex.

"Neither have I," I muttered.

"So there's a dinner at the country club this Friday. I think it might be fun to catch a slow dance, and some nice jazz music. You've been to them."

"I have. Can I kill the awkwardness and be honest with you?"

Yasmine nodded. "Sure."

"I feel like I barely know you. I know we've talked plenty over two years at school. And, there was the spaghetti incident and all that. But I like you. I like the fact that you went to see me at the tournament, I like what little we've shared so far. I want to share more. Whatever that may be."

"I think I feel the same way. I just. I don't know, spending a whole summer away from you. Might be a bad way to start this."

"I know."

"Not going to lie to you. I'm not too thrilled about Tory being involved in last night and then she spends every day with you at Cobra Kai."

I muttered. "I don't know if you have anything to worry about."

"Really?" she asked quietly. "I'm not even into her and even I have to admit she's hot. Especially for a guy. And you're going to see her every day while I'm gone."

"Tory's got. Some issues."

Yasmine was known to gossip so I had to tread carefully here.

"What kind of issues?"

The kind of issues where if after a whole summer of this odd little awkwardness triangle between myself, Tory, and you where I play my cards incorrectly she might try to beat your face in with a spike bracelet.

"The kind everyone has. Her situation is just a little tougher. She took the party poorly."

We reached Yasmine's house.

"How poorly?"

"Poorly enough to blame both of us for it."

Yasmine raised an eyebrow. "Wow. And I thought I could be overdramatic sometimes."

"We'll figure it out. Listen. I'd really like to hear how your trip to France is going when you're overseas."

Yasmine nodded. "Yeah, we'll keep in touch."

"No. I mean it. I like you."

Yasmine smiled brightly and opened the door to my car.

"Yas."

"Yeah?"

I'd miss her. I'd miss her golden hair, her kind smile. How nice she could be.

I held her by the wrist and kissed her. She kissed me back for a bit and respectfully pulled away.

"I have to go."

"Wait can we set something up this week before the dinner? I'm not gonna see you for the whole summer."

"I'm busy. Moon, Sam, and I were going to do something. Also my parents and I are doing stuff too. I promise though we'll keep in touch. Bye Luke."

"Bye."

That little smile she gave me when she was walking away from my car.

I was going to go to hell for this summer even if everything worked out fine.

…

Avoiding eye contact with Tory in the dojo was easy.

She was trying to do the exact same.

We all bowed onto the mat, walked to our spots on the line in order of rank.

I was a brown belt now, technically I could even start class if Sensei Kreese was busy or even hold sparring sessions in the dojo from the rank I had.

I stood on the same corner I did before and walked past the empty spots where Aisha, Robby, and Charlotte used to stand.

"Fall in." Sensei Kreese said.

Everyone who wasn't on their spots walked to where they normally stood. Out of respect for rank like we were always taught, no one moved up one spot as if Aisha, Charlotte, and Robby were just late for class.

Sensei merely spoke when he saw this. "It's fine. Everyone just move ahead one spot."

There were now thirteen students of Cobra Kai. Three empty spaces lied at the left most square of fellow Cobra Kais on the mat.

"Alright. Ait!"

Everyone knelt onto their shins.

"Aits!"

Everyone bowed their heads forward towards the head of the dojo.

"Aits!"

Everyone stood upwards still on their shins.

"Prepare," Sensei ordered quietly. "Ais!"

Everyone leaped up instantly from the mat in Junbi stance.

"First off." Sensei said quietly. "We've taken our first title last Saturday night. The first of many."

Sensei walked past Doug. "Wipe that smirk off your face Mr. Rickenberger I'm not finished here."

Rick shifted uncomfortably where he stood. "Er. Yes Sensei Kreese."

"This win was well deserved. But it has cost us. Sensei Lawrence is no longer a Sensei here, Mr. Keene, Ms. Robinson and Ms. Everston will not be joining us any longer either. They have formed a different dojo according to Mr. Payne. They have walked away from this class."

"But." Sensei continued. "They are not traitors to this dojo, they have merely sought their own path. But they are not our friends. Friends do not abandon friends during their moment of triumph. They have sought a different way from this dojo. While I don't think this dojo will be as big as rivals to us as Miyagi-Do, I do think you should tread carefully."

"There's no reason to strike first against Mr. Lawrence and um." Sensei laughed which couldn't be rarer for him in class or otherwise. "Steel Eagle Karate. But keep your guard up around them. Alright. Mr. Schwarber, perhaps you can show the class that same fire you showed during this weekend's tournament. And warm up the class."

"Yes Sensei." I bowed off my spot on the square and walked to the front of the class.

I bowed to everyone and they bowed back.

"Alright, front stance! Jab punch! Ready. Aiya!"

"Hiya!"

"Aiya!"

"Hiya!

…

I sat down in Sensei Kreese's office after class.

"I thought you'd be more upset," he said quietly. "Robby Keene was closer to you than any of the others here."

"I am. I just leave my problems and emotions at the door whenever we have class."

He nodded. "I appreciate that. But aren't you angry?"

I was furious he left Cobra Kai without so much as a word to me.

"I just refuse to show it."

"We've lost some of our very best fighters. Aisha was our top female student, and Robby our second best male student. What do you think about all that?"

"That Hawk and Shawn really need to step up their game if we're going to be on the same level as Miyagi-Do and Steel Eagle as soon as they start to grow."

"Agreed. Which is why I've wanted you and I to meet with Johnny later next week."

I was surprised. "What?"

"Steel Eagle Karate has just opened in some run down strip mall in Reseda. By my estimates, it won't have much success. Not with people lining up more than ever to join our dojo."

I could see him struggling yes.

"Do you really think Johnny Lawrence will ever stop seeking his own way?"

"I honestly don't. But the truth is that this is about him. And his son. Which is fine. We're just going over there to see what's going on. What kind of students they might have, what the dojo looks like. You're dismissed Schwarber."

I stood up from the desk chair in front of the office and bowed to Sensei Kreese.

He nodded back slightly and I left.

…

Outside, Hawk stopped speaking to Doug and muttered to me when I bowed out of the dojo.

"Hey man. Think you can give me a ride home?"

"Well sure. What happened to your bike?"

"It's in the shop."

I was surprised. "Why not let Rick or Mikey work on it?"

Doug cleared his throat. "I'm not really the best at that." Mikey quietly nodded next to him.

"They had to replace some sort of part in the engine. I don't know. They just couldn't do it unless I left it there. Anyway, can we go?"

I nodded. "Sure."

…

I already knew where Hawk lived so the drive was pretty easy.

"So how'd you like the party?"

Hawk smiled. "It was pretty awesome man. Not gonna lie."

"Glad you enjoyed yourself."

"We threw the party for you man. And you were barely there."

I frowned. "I was busy."

"During a party? You were busy during a party thrown for you. Oh. You mean you were getting busy."

I frowned, looking away from Hawk for a moment as he laughed. "I knew it. Who?"

"I'm not saying."

"You've finally properly piped someone and you don't tell me."

"Not the kind of person to brag about that."

"Wait a minute. Was it Tory?"

I still said nothing.

Hawk cackled. "I knew it! Man there was some really huge thing in the air today between you two. I could tell. How was it?"

"For fuck's sake man I'm not talking about that. You tell anyone. I'm not joking here. No mercy. I will actually kick your ass. Like as badly as I need to to make a point."

Hawk knew how easily I could so he didn't object. "But still. Can you. Give me anything?"

"No."

"Why not!?"

"Because I barely remember it myself alright," I muttered. "I'm not completely proud of it."

"Dude besides that trophy of yours. Two I guess. What else do you have to be that proud of? How could you possibly be guilty about fuckin' the hottest girl in town right now?"

"Because. She might blame me, and someone else for it. Things can get messy this summer."

Considering the events of the second season of a show so far removed from my current life that I somewhat considered fiction by this point from how far I deviated from it. They could get messy indeed.

"Blame someone else?" Hawk was surprised. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Wait a minute. Wait a goddamn minute. Are you saying a third person was there?"

"Yes well. We shouldn't judge or mind too harshly about these things."

Hawk was laughing at the top of his lungs in the seat next to me.

"No fucking way dude. Was it Moon?"

At least she wouldn't have ditched me to go France this summer. Why did I care so much.

"No."

"Was it. Mia? She's still with Sensei Kreese and the rest of us."

"No."

"Was it. Wait a minute. Both Yas and Tory were missing for almost the entire night. Holy shit." Hawk was laughing as loudly as he could. "This is a riot maaaan! Oh my god."

I frowned wanting to properly punch Hawk in the face.

"I will actually beat your ass-"

"No I know I just." Hawk leaned back in his chair making the leather seat crack a little from how hard he was laughing. "You absolute legend, dog. Oh my god. Oh my gooooood."

I kept frowning and Hawk slammed his fists repeatedly into his knees. "How the hell did you pull that off!? I get you're a two time champ but like. Dude. No one could do that."

"The repercussions of that could follow me all summer man."

"How?"

"I don't know what to do next."

Hawk snorted. "Is that even a question? You're an All Valley champion. For the second time! You've clapped the cheeks of the two hottest girls in our school. Any chick in the Valley you can just. You know. You've already proven that to be true the night of."

I sighed.

"Look, my advice-"

"Never asked for it."

"My advice!" Hawk said louder. "Just pick one of them and do the other one regularly. Find more even. At this point, you can just build a sort of schedule you know. One week this one, the next. You know-"

"Fuck's sake, I'm just letting you ride on Rick's bike next time to carpool."

Hawk muttered. "Tell me I'm wrong. You've started doing the right thing. Actually enjoyed chicks for once, and properly had some fun. Char was a good run man. But like, how many more blondes are you gonna pipe?"

"Forget about it man. All of it. All of it. Please." I said honestly.

Hawk calmed down. He understood.

…

I was working on rebuilding an old Lego Millenium Falcon I decided to reassemble when I heard the doorbell ring.

Donnie Junior barking downstairs made me put my Legos down and I ordered. "Outside boy. Outside."

The golden retriever panted and smiled, his tail wagging as he sat on my back patio and I answered the door.

It was Tory, holding her bag for class at Cobra Kai with Sensei Kreese.

"I need your help." she said quickly.

"Come in then." I answered.

She put her bag down next to my couch and spoke. "I need you to train me."

"Slow down. Why?"

"I lost to LaRusso at the All Valley. I'm not letting that happen again. Ever. I will never let myself lose to her."

I chuckled. "Then I'll set up an extra class for sparring with the guys. Mia can even join if you need a sparring partner."

"No. I mean I need to train with you. I want to be a champion, like you are." Tory said. "I'll even pay you."

I shrugged. "Money. You think I need money."

Tory looked around the interior of the Mills Manor. "Honestly. No offense. But it can't hurt to make some of your own for once. All of this belongs to your grandparents right?"

She was right but I still would never take a penny from her. Ever.

"Okay, sure. But I'm not taking money from you."

"I'm not going to pay you any other way. My clothes are staying on, the whole time we do this."

I laughed again. "That's not what I meant. I need to understand exactly what you want to learn from me."

"Whatever your style is. Miyagi-Do. Cobra Kai. Both, neither. Whatever it is. I need to learn it."

"Fine," I said. "In that case. The only way this training is going to work is if you do everything I say without question."

"I already said-"

"Seriously Tory. What do you take me for? Do I come across as a horny imbecile?"

Tory crossed her arms and looked away. "No."

"Then you'll follow whatever I tell you to do. And that has to be a promise. I tell you to do something. You'll do it."

"As long as it's related to my training. I will." Tory said.

"Good," I muttered. "Then let's get started."

…

With Donnie Junior waiting patiently inside, I stood in shorts and a comfortable T-shirt for working out as Tory stood in front of me on our back patio.

She merely wore very similar workout gear to mine.

"I will not call you Sensei. Ever."

"Fine," I said. "That works. But you'll have to listen to what I say."

I paced in front of Tory. "All your life. You've looked at things a certain way. A fight. A test. Anything. Just one way. There's another way. And it's called Miyagi-Do."

Tory turned as I continued to pace in front of her. "At Miyagi-Do. You do not strike first. You do not damage. You do not destroy. You do not attack. You wait."

I lifted my hands upward. "The entire world exists in a very delicate balance. Miyagi-Do only seeks to exist within that balance. Nothing else. There is no disruption with anything at all in Miyagi-Do Karate. If you truly have balance. You can achieve anything. Karate. Is for defense only because of that balance."

I quickly retrieved a paint can and brush from my garage and walked out to Tory.

"Here. I'll teach you the first lesson. Paint the fence."

"So I'm your servant now. What, you want me to put on those old uniforms with the frilly black skirt and the-"

"You said you weren't going to question this. Either walk away with nothing. Or learn my style."

Tory sighed and took the paintbrush as I walked over to the fence circling the entirety of the Mills Manor.

"Brush up. And breathe in. Brush down. And breathe out. And again. Again. And again. Until you've painted the entire board. Then, you paint the entire fence line."

Tory began to do so.

"Make the movement decisive. Strong, as if you're pushing the brush quickly in a flick. There you go, it's all in your breathing and your wrist."

…

OST: Training Hard - Bill Conti

…

For the entire week, Lucas trained Tory as in much detail as he could in Miyagi-Do. He taught her the same lessons Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel, and that Daniel had taught Lucas.

Tory waxed the cars Lucas always did by his house.

"If an image comes from inside you. It's always the right one." Lucas said as Tory waxed his cars on and off.

Tory dipped her sponge into the wax and kept going, Lucas quietly observing as he walked around her.

Lucas paced by Tory sipping some lemonade from a cold bottle as Tory painted the fence around the entire Mills Manor. "You have to make a good fight. Earn respect. Then, nobody will bother you."

Tory sanded the floor on very old wooden lawn chairs Lucas had stored in an old shed.

"All your life. Have balance. Then, everything will be better."

Lucas nodded as Tory used an old pair of sanders to sand the floor. "There you go. Keep going."

Tory was doing the first kata on a wooden beam Lucas had found and placed across his pool. "Always be within balance. Focus on your center. Your breathing Tory."

"Good." She began to move and Lucas smiled. "Keep going. Don't forget to breathe."

"That's it." Tory made a knife hand, the upward part of paint the fence.

"Kata is your fundamentals. If your fundamentals are good, your balance is good. Your karate is good. Everything in your life will be good."

Tory kept doing her kata. She moved sideways, in a circle, and forwards with her hands in blocks and punches.

"Very nice. Always-"

Tory threw a sidekick the wrong way and fell into the pool.

…

I smiled, chuckling as Tory fell right into the water.

Tory glared at me from the pool. "Why can't we put the balance beam on the grass? Besides what are we even doing here? Karate, or gymnastics!?"

"Look I've been trying to tell you. You can lose your balance at any moment. In a fight, or otherwise."

"Really? This is some bullshit!" Tory scoffed and rose out of the pool covered head to toe in pool water. "Is this what you wanted to see? Huh?" she gripped her chest which was covered by skin tight clothes because of the water. "Well guess what? You already saw it!"

"Tory-"

"You know what? I knew you were messing with me this whole time. This isn't how you learned Miyagi-Do. This isn't how you learned anything. This isn't karate, it's torture!"

"It's to change your perspective."

"Yeah. And what a great job you've done. I thought you were a selfish spoiled prick all this time. But guess what, now you're an annoying and patronizing selfish spoiled prick too. I waxed your cars, painted your fence, painted your shed, painted your house, and nailed your fence together. What's next-"

"Look-"

"Mow the lawn? Fix the sink? Sand the pole!? Bet that's kata too!" Tory threw her hands up after her angry innuendo. "Enough of this shit! I'm not asking for your help or for anything from you again."

"Tory." I said firmly. "Come here."

"I'm not being your slave anymore. I'll never humiliate myself in front of you-"

"Tory!" I barked.

She froze. I hadn't ever really raised my voice with her or anyone else really for a while.

"Come here."

"What for."

"Just come here."

"I'm soaked in water. What am I supposed to do?"

"Soaked or not. You can always have balance. Your karate is always inside you."

Tory slowly walked over in front of me next to the floor.

"Show me, sand the floor."

Tory confusedly tried sanding an invisible floor in front of her.

"No," I said. "Strong." I gripped her hand. "Sand the floor hut! Right circle. Sand the floor. Hut. Left circle. Strong. Commit to it."

"Again," I said.

She did so.

"Good. Now paint the fence. Nice. Now, look at my eyes." she always did so. "Perfect. Paint the house. Wax on, wax off."

We stared at each other for a moment and then I tried to strike her. Four punches to the face and body followed by a pair of front kicks.

She blocked each one individually and then I spoke to her with a nod. "Nice! Always focus."

"How did I do that?" asked Tory.

"No one knows. I don't know. Daniel LaRusso probably doesn't. And it's possible Mr. Miyagi didn't either." I nodded to her again. "Come back tomorrow. I'll pick you up by the country club at around seven thirty."

We bowed to each other.

Tory nodded. "Sorry for-"

"You're right. I should've been honest about how all the karate worked. But then it would ruin the point of all of it. I'll get you a towel. Then I'll drive you home."

…

Tory sat in the seat next to me.

I was thinking of Robby.

And his dad, and Charlotte, and Aisha.

"Do you miss them?" I asked.

"Who?" Tory asked in the passenger seat.

"Who do you think?"

Tory looked angry for a second. She looked out the window.

"No."

"Neither do I."

We stayed quiet for a bit.

"Tory I." I sighed. "Robby was like my best friend. So if you want to talk about it. Or anything let me know."

"What do you want from me Luke. Be honest."

I frowned, tapping my thumb on the steering wheel.

"I really don't know," I muttered.

"I'll never let myself be a third wheel. To be second best to anyone. That's not who I am."

"Can't spell victory without Tory." I smiled.

She bit her lip to break her smile and I laughed.

"I would never do that to you."

"It wasn't bad for a first time you know."

"What was?"

Tory shrugged. "The party at your place."

I nodded. "Mine too," I said quietly.

"I'm starting to get it. Why you ever sought both Sensei Kreese and Miyagi-Do so badly. You somehow knew how much it could change you. Improve your life for the better. I feel better. Almost. In a way."

I smiled. "I miss Robby and the others like hell. They were a great part of the dojo. That balance, everything I taught you. It's part of why I know everything will be okay."

Tory nodded slightly. "I get that."

Tory looked towards me as I braked before a stoplight. "Are you trying to get with both me and Yas? Tell me."

"I already said I'm not."

"Okay then. I was just asking," muttered Tory. "So you really believe in all that Miyagi-Do stuff?"

"Besides Sensei Kreese's lessons. More than anything."

"But they're. Polar opposites."

"Opposites attract. Scientifically. It's almost a universal rule that ties together. Everything."

Tory smiled. "Makes some sense."

I smiled too. "It does."

The song on the radio changed. It was Sailing by Christopher Cross.

Basically one of the best slow rock ballads of all time.

Before I could change it, my hand froze reaching for the stereo.

I remembered that night where Miguel was jumped by Hawk and the others during the Halloween Dance. I was dancing with Charlotte in her Cynthia Rothrock police outfit.

I remembered the time we shared together.

I didn't realize it until after I started driving, but I had placed my hand in the glove box between the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

I took it off and kept driving.

I realized that was where I kept the picture Charlotte had taken in the photo booth during our first date at Golf 'n Stuff.

I gripped my steering wheel tighter.

"You okay?" asked Tory.

"I'm fine."

…

Encino Oaks Country Club was easily one of the most boring places in the world to be at right now.

I had to drive Tory from here back to my garage to practice kata.

They played some light jazz music on a piano, saxophone, everything as I danced with my grandmother on the old wooden floor.

Yas was grinning at me from where she said with her parents.

As I expected, our families had gotten along swimmingly, and even knew each other for years.

"Trouble with Yasmine. Are you two having a lover's quarrel of some sort?"

I frowned. "No grandma. We're not in love."

Especially since she had mostly blown me off all week just to spend time with her friends. When we wouldn't see each other all summer. A few days with Moon and Sam, sure. But the whole week?

"Grandma I gotta go," I said to my mom Ali Mills' mother. "Got somewhere to be in a bit."

"Go where? Like a date?"

"Not really. It's. More of a. I don't know."

"Is it that girl from Van Nuys?"

I moved my tongue around the interior of my mouth. "Yeah." I sighed out. "She's not from the richest part of town I guess but she's my friend."

My granddad cut in. "Luke. It's not right to dance with the most beautiful woman here for so long."

"Don't say stuff like that, Frank." Nana wrapped her arms around my grandad's neck and they continued to dance.

I looked outside a nearby window. It was sundown already for about a half hour, Tory was waiting for me.

I began to leave when Yasmine appeared. "Can we?"

She did look really nice but I refused to tell her. "I guess our families are watching."

"Don't be like that Lucas-"

"Cause you haven't hit me up in almost a week and I should just be cool with that."

Yasmine looked genuinely sad. "Stuff got in the way with the trip and everything. I just. Can we just have one dance?"

I looked around at the social hall. "One dance. One."

I spotted Daniel and Armand talking nearby. Even Sam and the rest of the LaRussos were here just to make things extra awkward.

"I've been meaning to tell you that um. I didn't mean to." Yasmine sighed. "Sam's furious at you. Over the tournament and everything."

"Good thing you'll be in Paris the whole time. To stay away from this karate mess."

"I don't care about that," Yasmine said as we danced slowly together.

"Really. So all the drama and fighting. It's cool cause you're apparently into me."

"You know Sam wouldn't be cool with me talking to you."

I looked at her. Right in her pale bluish-gray eyes. "Really. She told you?"

"Okay, she didn't tell me tell me."

"Perfect." I looked away.

Yasmine turned me back towards her. "Why are you making this harder than it has to be?"

"Because goddamnit I can't properly connect to someone for the first time. When they're in Europe for an entire summer. We can text but. Yeah."

"You afraid I'll meet some French guy or something?"

Yes.

No!

"Nah."

"I touched a nerve."

"Don't flatter yourself Yas."

She looked good tonight. Again she looked really good in just about anything but still.

Yasmine fixed her hands on my shoulders. "Again. I'll miss you when I'm there."

I frowned but said the truth. "So will I."

Yasmine tried to kiss me for some reason but I stopped her. "Whoa. Our families are like a few feet away from us."

"I don't care."

When she said it like that. I didn't either.

I realized I had been kissing her for longer than I should've when I opened my eyes to see who was undoubtedly Tory storming away from the hall.

I easily pushed Yasmine away from me. "Why'd you do that?"

"Do what? What are you talking about?"

Tory stumbled directly into a tray of food carried by a country club employee and was soon covered in it.

Yasmine looked surprised but laughed with the vast majority of the rest of the hall.

I didn't know if Yasmine did it on purpose or even saw Tory or not but I was done.

"I'll see when you get back. I'll text you." I said to Yasmine as I walked after her.

…

"Tory! Tory wait."

She unzipped her jacket and flung it directly at my face.

It landed on me and I moved it away gently as Tory spoke. "I should've known."

"She was. Look what's your deal here. I thought we're just friends."

"It's not about that. You wanted me to wait over a half hour outside in the cold while you danced away in there. Not fair. Not cool."

She was completely right.

"It makes sense. She's got as much money as the rest of your family. From your part of town. Go to the same country club. All of it makes sense."

"Tory I-"

"You know what pisses me off?" scoffed Tory, with a quick shrug. "You act like you're this superstar karate master. But you're not. You try to pass on all this wisdom you got from Miyagi-Do but you haven't learned a thing."

"I'm a two time champion. I've proved I know enough."

"Some random dispshit Latino kid from Riverside, no, Reseda. Half your size, half your experience, who never competed before last week, a day in his life. And he came one point away from kicking your ass. He fought you for damn near six minutes, in one of the longest karate matches in history. And he almost beat you."

"My arm was broken-"

"No." Tory shook her head. "No that's not an excuse Luke. You've been training in two styles thoroughly for almost two years. You literally invented your own fighting style. Someone comes along and copies it, and he nearly beats you."

"Then what's your issue with me? Cause I won, and I never let the dojo down. Not once. In my entire life."

"My issue is how you treat people. How you do things. I know that when you look at me you just see Charlotte."

I balled my fists.

"Bullshit."

"Really? Every time they play Sailing on the radio you look like you're gonna cry. Charlotte and Robby ditch the dojo and about an hour later you sulk like never before. Which is saying a lot."

"Is that so wrong? They were great friends of mine. Of yours too. And at least I actually admit how that makes me feel."

Tory shrugged. "But I don't act like I'm anything I'm not. You fool around with Yas, with me. And then a week later you're still playing this game."

"I'm not playing anything at all. You're making this up."

"Fuck it. I got nothing left to prove to you. Nothing left to learn from you. If Miyagi-Do is all about balance. Explain to me how you're telling me you're not trying to two time me with Yas, and then about a day later you're making out with her in front of literally everyone in your country club you know?"

"When was our arrangement ever romantic? When did I ever flirt, or act suggestively in any way to you?"

"So. You don't have feelings for me." deadpanned Tory.

"That's beside the point, you-"

Tory's eyes widened. She looked completely blank yet shocked.

That slipped out faster than I meant it to.

I frowned. Looking away.

She laughed bitterly. "Thanks for finally admitting it."

Tory shook her head and walked away.

I think I might've damn near ruined my entire summer possibly.

...

...

...

A/N: Hey everyone.

Finals are not technically over yet for me. Still gotta couple ahead, soon as I'm done by next week. I'll hit the ground running.

The teen drama will be pretty different from how it's handled in the show. Cause whoo boy it um. Hits differently for some people. They're will be some fun things ahead, plotlines with Steel Eagle (AU Eagle Fang) and Miyagi-Do and such. So yeah leave me your thoughts and feel free to stick around. Peace.