Chapter Two: The Heat is On
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OST: The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey
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At the most popular water park in Los Angeles, several students, and new students of West Valley High School attended.
Under the scorching mid June sun in the strongest heat wave of the year, the water park was bursting with people.
"Set it up Payne set it up!"
Kenny watched his older brother, Lucas, Rickenberger and Hawk play volleyball in the shallow water of the pool.
They splashed about playing against Big Red, Dieter, Edwin, and Rob.
Lucas' group was down on points and Big Red and Edwin high fived.
"Match point!" called out Edwin.
"Fuck!" Hawk hissed under his breath. "Best outta three?"
They bounced the ball around in the air, and the Cobra Kai boys kept playing.
"Tied up. Let's gooo!"
The water was so shallow that Lucas was able to get a boost from Hawk to jump off the edge of the pool to nail a spinning roundhouse kick on the ball and sink it into the opposing team's water to land safely in the water.
The lifeguard didn't even bat an eye at this and Lucas and Hawk high fived loudly.
"That's it my guyyy!" Hawk roared. "Whoo!"
They passed the ball back and forth with so much water splashing about they might as well have torn up a tsunami.
Eventually, Lucas got the winning score.
He bumped it up with his hands. Hawk set it up and then Rickenberger nailed the ball right in front of Edwin, splashing water right into his face.
"That's right!"
Edwin smacked the water in frustration as Shawn, Doug, Lucas and Hawk all roared, nodding to each other.
"Let's gooo!"
Lucas crawled out of the pool and a towel was wrapped over him.
"Liked what you saw?"
Tory smirked, holding him tightly. "Definitely." placing a hand on the wet skin of his chest through his towel, and they kissed as her boyfriend dried off.
Chris, Demetri, Little Red, Abe, and Bert all walked past slowly around the edge of the pool.
Lucas looked at them slowly, Dieter and Edwin smirked sitting on their plastic pool chairs smacking Shawn's knee.
"That's right," Hawk muttered.
"Keep walking bitch." Shawn nodded slowly.
Chris turned around slowly as Mitch chuckled.
The boys did nothing more than exchange very angry glances before they kept walking.
Miguel rubbed sunscreen on Samantha's back as Anthony appeared next to their shared lawn chair. "Do you guys have to do that here?"
"You'll get it when you're older Anth." Sam teased, leaning back to peck Miguel on the lips.
Anthony rolled his eyes after Miguel chuckled, fixing his yellow shirt.
Near a giant crowd of girls by some tables next to the pool, Anthony saw a new side of a classmate of his. Physically only.
The entire West Valley High School cheerleading team was there at the water park.
Moon, Yasmine, and Mackenzie Chu all stood in mostly bikinis talking to Ava Mills-Schwarber cheerfully. From what Anthony understood, Ava appeared to be interested in joining cheer.
Anthony blinked rapidly.
"Is that really Ava?" he asked aloud.
"You alright there Anth?" Sam teased again.
Anthony shook his head. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."
Lucas and Kenny danced calmly to the music the water park played. The other Cobra Kais cheered them on and they just free styled.
"You can't dance for shit Luke." Kenny chuckled arrogantly.
The Cobra Kais all laughed and howled and Lucas nodded. "Fine. Then let's see how well you can swim Ken."
With ease, Lucas lifted Kenny over his shoulder like he was a bag of potatoes. "Hey!"
"Don't worry it'll be fun!"
The Cobra Kais all laughed and got in on it.
Hawk, Rickenberger, and even Shawn despite the joke being on his younger brother helped toss Kenny into the pool.
"One. Two. Three!"
Kenny went flying wildly into the pool.
He gasped, rubbing the water off his face bouncing around.
The female lifeguard on duty saw this and just gave up, leaving her chair to walk elsewhere.
…
The music a bit softer behind him, Kenny walked up to his classmate.
"So you want to join cheer?" Kenny asked.
Ava nodded, light blonde curls bouncing. "Uh huh! Mom said she might even coach or something if work gives her enough time."
"Hey!"
Lia, another classmate of theirs appeared. "Can't wait till we register. I hope we get a few classes in the same period."
Kenny smiled. "I know how great you are at just about every subject so. I'll try to sign up with you."
"Thanks Kenny! I know how much help you need with Chem and stuff so, I'll be there."
The moment Lia seemed to reach out and playfully pat Kenny's shoulder, Ava froze.
Kenny and Lia laughed together and Ava seemed to shift uncomfortably under the shady gazebo next to the pool where the cheerleaders were all talking.
"Uh, just one sec guys. Family friend over there." Ava walked away backward, throwing a thumb over her shoulder.
Kenny squinted, focusing on Anthony as Ava began to speak to him.
He didn't seem to like at all how friendly Anthony and Ava were with each other.
Not far from where they were, Lucas was laying out on a lawn chair, shirtless, and wearing sunglasses.
Everyone in the Cobra Kai dojo was there, most of them listening to him.
"How was Egypt? Did you see the pyramids?" asked Hawk.
Lucas chuckled. "Didn't have time, are you kiddin'?"
"Not even after you won first place?" asked Shawn.
"Nah bruh. Do I have to tell you all everything?" Lucas yawned.
Tory nodded, drying her wet hair off after leaving the pool. "Yeah." she said, sitting next to him wearing a tight orange two piece bikini.
"Dude. You literally made the front page of almost every sports paper in the country. They want you to join the US National karate team the second you turn eighteen. Why wouldn't you tell us everything?" asked Hawk.
"I'm still too jet lagged to even think right now. Any more tired and I'm just like. Dead." Lucas muttered.
"Luke can we just. Luke!" Hawk said.
Edwin threw a slushie at Lucas, and the cold sugared ice splattered on the bare skin of his chest and he was too tired to even react.
"Just give him a bit guys." Tory wiped the slushie off her boyfriend's chest with her towel while letting him rest his head on her shoulder, as she checked her phone.
Moon walked past with Yasmine, Mackenzie and another cheerleader right next to the pool.
Moon saw Tory pressing her chin right on top of Lucas' head as he napped on her shoulder on his lawn chair.
Moon seemed to turn pale for a second before she kept walking with the other girls on West Valley High School's cheer squad.
Tory smirked for a moment watching the four girls keep walking.
…
I woke up horny.
It was a strange thing that happened, but my body naturally reacted that way when sleeping next to Tory for so long like always.
I took my sunglasses off and looked over.
Tory had been checking her phone, snacking, and sun bathing the whole time apparently.
"How long was I out?"
"About an hour."
"Where is everyone?" I asked.
"They came and went, everyone's still here though," Tory muttered. "Piper and everyone else just got done going down the slides."
I sighed. "Hey. Wanna go on a walk with me?"
"Sure. Where?"
I showed her.
"Luke where are we going?" we walked around the water park for a bit while I led her by the wrist.
"You'll see."
She saw the house holding all the pumps and equipment to maintain the pools of the water park. "We're not allowed back here Lu."
I smiled. "That ever bother you?"
She knew I was right as I jimmied the lock open and walked into the maintenance room.
"Luke what are you-"
I crashed my lips onto hers. She gasped in surprise for a second before wrapping her hands around my arms.
"Luke all our friends are around. Your freaking sister is nearby we can't just-"
I cut her off when I slipped my hands into her hair, kissing her again.
She still had chlorine in her hair.
"Fuck." she hissed, raising a bare leg by my hip.
"Wanted this the whole day didn't you?" I muttered, holding her tighter.
"Yeah."
"Didn't you?"
"Fuckin' hell Lu just shut up!" she said, and gripped my shoulders rather forcefully and hissed.
Tory was right, this orange bikini was just making my brain go haywire.
I slipped her top off her and with her help got her bottom off as well, sliding her swim suit off her legs.
Tory gasped suddenly and I pressed my lips against her left shoulder and her neck.
She mixed her hand into my hair, panting.
…
Moon had seen something out of the corner of her eye, and walked to see if she had seen correctly.
Apparently she had. And saw Tory and Lucas completely naked and entwined together except for Lucas' swim trunks he still wore.
Tory and Lucas were gasping quietly as they kissed and then Lucas hissed.
"Love ya Tor."
"Love you too." Tory whispered, then visibly shoving her tongue into Lucas' mouth.
Moon's right half could be seen from the interior of the pool maintenance room, and Tory certainly did for a moment.
She held Lucas tighter to her, dug his head directly into her neck and smirked at Moon widely.
Tory bit Lucas' earlobe lightly, and Moon felt a tear slip out before she looked away and ran off.
Moon didn't say a word of what happened to anyone, and from what she understood neither would Tory.
…
After we were finished, I laid against Tory on the wall of the pool maintenance room.
"Mm." Tory kissed me tightly.
I kissed her back, massaging the bare skin of her back when I heard some commotion outside.
"The hell?" I muttered.
I drew my swim trunks up from my thighs and ran outside in flip flops.
Anthony was being attacked with inflatable pool donuts and round kicks.
"What the hell are you all doing?" I asked.
Kenny smiled before hitting Anthony in the chest and he collapsed into the pool.
I ran up to them and spoke. "This shit is getting out of hand, we're gonna get kicked out of here!"
Seriously, Miyagi-Do and Steel Eagle had taken such a massive L that at this point there was nothing more to prove. We had won a million times over.
Someone had shoved me forward from behind.
Kenny looked shocked as Miguel had suddenly ran forward and pushed me.
I turned around and glared at him. "Problem?"
"Yeah you're my problem."
"You want to throw down dude? It's up to you. I'm right here."
Everyone in Cobra Kai refused to intervene.
Sam ran up to Miguel. "Hey wait-"
"Right here."
Miguel spoke calmly. "There isn't a ref here and this won't be for points. Come on."
"Miguel!" Sam completely failed to pull Miguel away from our staring contest.
"Come on!" Miguel repeated.
Neither of us were going to make the first move until suddenly my girlfriend appeared.
"Wow you can't even let your man handle a proper fight. You guys are pathetic." Tory said.
Sam's expression changed. "Huh?"
"You heard me."
"You guys have got such an attitude problem." Chris said as Abe nodded and Sam's dojo approached. "No wonder everyone thinks you all are so messed up."
"Then fix it bro. Let's go!" Mitch stupidly picked up some mostly eaten nachos and flung them at Chris' face.
Kenny shoved Bert back as everyone got into a massive shove and yell fest. Every single guy in Cobra Kai got into a shoving and yelling match against both Steel Eagle and Miyagi-Do.
Dieter, Big Red, Shawn, and Edwin helped shove and yell too. It was a miracle no punches were being thrown.
Someone bumped me hard and I accidentally shoulder slammed Miguel into the pool.
I tried to explain as Miguel helped Anthony out of the pool from being in the pool now too. "Hey man I-"
That was basically enough for the lifeguards and we all had to book it before we'd be banned for so long that our grandkids would not be able to go here.
…
Wearing a towel over her shoulders, Sam muttered to me as I walked out of the water park.
"I thought you wanted to apologize."
"Your boyfriend had other plans." I muttered back in the same dry and calm tone before I walked past her.
Johnny was standing there with his hands on his hips. Miguel and Robby were standing on either side of him.
"Little immature don't you think?" asked Johnny.
"I did nothing. They were the ones who wanted a fight."
"You kicked Anthony into a pool," said Miguel.
"That was Kenny. And there was no reason for him to do that."
I turned around, seeing Ava speak quietly but angrily to Kenny before she stormed off and joined my side.
Apparently, there was a reason now.
"You want to be a father to all three of us?" I looked between Robby, Miguel, and I. "Good luck." I said quietly before I helped Ava into my car.
…
During the drive home, I listened to Ava speak.
"What on Earth happened?"
"I'm guessing Kenny didn't like how well you were getting along with Anth."
"We're just friends."
"Kenny has a chip on his shoulder. Whatever ground I break in USA karate Kenny knows he has to follow it up. Honestly him and I are the only ones with a shot at being on the national team and competing at the next level."
Ava scoffed in the passenger seat next to me. "That gives him the right to act like a complete jerk?"
"Cobra Kais are just like that."
"You're not like that."
"I have something to tell you Aves. And you have to listen carefully."
She nodded.
"The summer I got here I'm sure Anthony told you his family were the first friends I made." I braked before a stop light. "That I trained with his dad learning his karate."
Ava nodded again. "Yeah."
"What Anthony didn't tell you was that the entire time I trained with him I trained with the same guy responsible for him even needing to learn karate in the first place. My current Sensei, John Kreese. They're both flawed people, but I knew I needed both. They believed otherwise, and I went with Sensei Kreese. He accepted."
Ava looked at me. "How could you lie to them like that?"
"It was three years ago. I mostly can't forgive myself for what happened back then. The important thing to realize is that after everything that happened, Anthony was still the only person in his family who not only forgave me, but basically pretended the whole thing never happened."
Ava frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
"Kenny and Anthony have nothing better to do but hate each other. Kenny struck first, and from what I saw he was completely in the wrong for just attacking Anthony for no reason."
"But Kenny's your friend."
"He's more than that now. He's part of the team that helped me become world champ. He's family at this point. What you have to realize, is that you have to take decisive action. Don't let history repeat itself, it's pointless and dumb. You pick one of them, or you pick neither. And you do it fast."
Ava didn't know how to react, and she froze.
"How has something like this not happened when you started karate?"
"It did. Sort of. Hawk was jealous about Sam getting with Miguel so he beat him up regularly."
"And what did you do about it? Didn't you start karate before any of them?"
I shrugged. "It was complicated. Hawk was my friend and Miguel just wasn't."
"So you could have prevented all of it and the worst that could've happened was your friend being mad at you for a few weeks?"
"There were other things that could've happened too. At that point I'd have to physically stop Hawk from messing with Miguel. And jobs of discipline are only reserved for Senseis, it wouldn't have been my place. Sensei Kreese would've had every right as a Sensei to be mad at me."
"And your Sensei would've been cool with what Hawk was doing?"
"Well no because it would've meant I had to fight Hawk. In a way I wanted all that to happen. It was a shame what happened to Miguel but I wanted a true rival to make my All Valleys mean anything at all, history might've seen them as jokes of a win instead. But even if Hawk never did what he did, it wouldn't have changed what happened between Miyagi-Do and I anyway. For all I knew, Miguel would've joined them regardless, and probably would have after the beach party."
Ava frowned. "Which one should I pick? Kenny or Anthony then?"
"Neither honestly," I said curling my nose slightly. "At fourteen I wasn't the most mature person on Earth. Far from it. But being mad someone you like might like someone else and then because you're from rival karate dojos you have to go beat him up is pathetic. I never would have done that and never will."
"So I should go with Anthony?"
I sighed. "I like him but Anth's no angel either. Despite him being the only LaRusso on Earth who likes me at all. I think the only reason he didn't haze Kenny for being the new kid at school was because he joined with you."
"That's unlike Anthony."
"It is. But his friends wouldn't have felt the same way, pressured him to have done it. The only reason my friends didn't want me to haze Miguel despite being older was because they knew I had the ability to kick their asses whenever I felt like it."
"So they're both fine. But they still suck?"
"Just about. Ava you shouldn't have to be in this position at all, Mom was in the same one and she did jackshit, if anything she made it worse. The second you dip out, Kenny will lose interest in messing with Anthony. And if he doesn't, I'll have a word with him."
"Why?"
I shrugged. "I hate how much of an ego he has. Until he wins his first championship he needs to remember his spot."
"Thanks."
I smiled at my little sister. I could tell Ava was glad with my decision, and I would be with hers.
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