Work it, make it, do it
Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger
N-now th-that that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger
I need you to hurry up now
'Cause I can't wait much longer
Miguel's chest heaved as Kanye West's autotuned words blared out through the speaker. His body was slick with sweat and Johnny's hands on his hips were steadying force and he was happy to have them there. The muscles in his back were tense, the burning pulling feeling in his lower back was draining. But despite how painful it was, despite how much he wanted to quit, he just couldn't.
His feet were flat on the ground, the slender feet attached to a thin legs and a flabby thighs, it was maybe 10 to 15 pounds of weight for the entire leg. But it might as well have been a mountain he was trying to lift. He felt his back tingle with something different and it was like a dam bursting as his right foot lifted off of the ground and all of his weight fell on to his left foot, even if Johnny was acting as a safety net.
Taking a deep breath, Miguel moved his right leg forward, a deep aching sensation filled his right thigh and his leg felt like it was made of rubber. The aching gave way to a deep burning that seemed to start bone deep. But he refused to give in and he planted his right foot back onto the ground in a controlled manner, before lifting his left foot and experiencing an even worse aching in his left thigh.
He was on the verge of giving up when Johnny lifted him by the waist and Miguel felt only the dull phantom aches in his legs as he was placed back into his chair. He felt a flare up of anger build inside of his chest. He had been at this for nearly two months now and still nothing. He was ready to get back up on his feet, ready for more than sitting in his chair. But his body just refused to listen to him.
"Aye man, that was great, it's not going to come back all at once. Baby steps are giant steps for you man" said Johnny as he caught sight of Miguel's defeated look
"I know sensei, but I feel like I'm not making nearly as much progress as I should be" complained Miguel from his wheelchair as he scooped a bottle of water off his cupholder that snapped onto the chair and took a massive gulp.
"What are you looking to do?" asked Johnny, "What are you in such a rush for?"
Miguel didn't answer, but his silence was more of an answer than any amount of words.
"Listen, you have to stop being in a rush to get out there and fight. You to take this slowly" insisted Johnny
"If it were you in the chair, would you be listening to someone telling you to take it slow?" asked Miguel
"If it were me in that chair, I would be moping in a corner somewhere because I would probably be attempting to do more than I am ready for and hurt myself even more" admitted Johnny
Miguel pouted, "I hate when you go extra honest and made good points Sensei"
Johnny chuckled, "I didn't get the title Sensei for no reason
Miguel opened his mouth to say something but Johnny pointed at him and said "Zip it"
There was a knock at the door and Miguel straightened in his chair before Johnny walked over to the door and opened it.
Tory was there, dressed in a nice white button down blouse, a pair of matching black blazer and dress pants combo, and black dress flats, her hair was up in a bun. She looked like a young woman who would be interning for one of those billion dollar companies in San Francisco.
"You look like a million bucks" complimented Miguel
Tory did a little spin and said "Thank you, I have my court hearing today, so I need to look the part"
"What is this one for?" asked Johnny from his spot in the kitchen, he was working on a late breakfast for the two of them but after seeing Tory, added another two eggs to the mix and a trio of bacon to the fry pan. He whipped up the eggs and he saw the young man who was his son in all but blood chitchat with a girl who would have been a stone cold fox back in his time at school.
"I want them to either let me back into school at an alternative school or have them allow me to take my GED" answered Tory
"Do you think things are going to go good today" asked Miguel as he rolled next to the couch, where Tory threw herself down next to him.
"I hope so, I need this to go my way so incase anything happens to mom and I need to take care of my brother" said Tory.
Johnny winced from his spot at the stove, he knew what that was like, it was a bitch to have to deal with the court system, especially if you were already written off as the bad guy. He finished making the scrambled eggs and grabbed some tortillas before breaking up the eggs and bacon into 6 equal parts before making 6 breakfast burritos, sprinkling shredded cheddar down on the hot eggs and bacon before putting two of them on two plates and bringing them to the teenagers.
"Thanks" they said as he handed them the plates before he retreated back to the kitchen.
"I think you can do this, you're mentally tough and you know how to handle adversity" stated Miguel before biting into the burrito.
"Thanks, I appreciate the words, I am a bit nervous" said Tory honestly as she lifted the plate up to her face and softly bit into the food. Careful not to stain her nicest clothes.
"Can I give you some advance as a man with many many many run ins with the police, the court system, and the entire shitty ass system?" asked Johnny
Tory nodded and took another bite of food.
"Lean into whatever they throw at you even if it's bullshit. Just agree, take it on the chin, and explain how you want to be better. Lie if you have to, hit them in the lowest point of whatever they want to bring up. You got a sick mom, use it. You have a brother that might end up in foster care? Use that to make the judge think twice about damning you" said Johnny
Tory looked surprised as she finished the first burrito, chewing on both the food and the advice that Johnny gave her.
"That might actually work" she said
"Trust me, I know for a fact that it does" said Johnny as he chomped down on his food.
Tory couldn't argue that Johnny had a shaky past and probably picked up a bunch of tricks over the years.
She finished her food and gave Miguel a deep kiss before telling him to get out of that chair already.
That was all the motivation that Miguel needed as later after she left, he would save several steps forward, quite literally.
But as Tory drove to the courthouse, parking off on the left side of the building, she felt doubt and something else start to bubble in her stomach. She knew that there was a risk of her getting told off and being tossed to the side.
She entered the courthouse about 25 minutes before her hearing and they made her check in, her ID being given to the security guard before she was pushed into a backroom.
There was nobody there but a small light skinned brown man in a tight suit.
"I'm the public defender, my name is Javi" said the man in a surprisingly thick Spanish accent.
"I'm Tory" said Tory as she shook his hand
"Oh I know, I've been preparing for your case, do you need any advice?" asked Javi
"I was told to lean into the skid and use how shitty life is as a way to attack whatever they throw at me" answered Tory.
"Not the worst advice in the world, it would definitely world with someone like you, youthful offender and all" said Javi, "But don't worry, I have several tricks up my sleeve as well"
Tory wasn't sure what he meant but Javi and her were interrupted by the door opening and they were told to enter the courtroom.
There was a lot of people here and Tory felt rather small stepping into the room, it felt like the room would swallow her whole if given the chance, everyone looked at her with such distaste and she realized something.
They all see me as the bad guy, Johnny was right
She felt shards of ice spread through her chest and she had trouble breathing.
Javi put his hand on her shoulder and the squeeze that he gave her brought her back down to earth.
Tory was asked to give an oath before she took the stand, she provided as much details as she could as honestly as she could. it was a big blur and she was sitting next to Javi before she could realize that she even opened her mouth.
"Not bad, a little too much honesty but you're still young and this is your first time in a hearing like this" commented Javi as she took her seat next to him.
"Samantha LaRusso is being called to the stand" said Javi before he hissed to Tory, "Relax, I got this"
Tory saw Sam enter the room her long hair was flat ironed, not a single strand of hair out of place. She walked with her head held high, a bandage wrapped around her wrist where Tory had gashed her with the spike. She wore a black and white power suit, looking like the privileged spoiled brat that she was.
Their eyes met and the spark of electricity that passed between the two of them nearly lit the entire building aflame. Sam took her seat on the stand and was sworn in the same way that Tory had been.
Javi stood up and walked in front of the table where Tory was seated.
"So, Samantha LaRusso, how are you doing today. I understand that you were hurt in the brawl at the school" stated Javi
"Yes, I was" admitted Sam as she held her wrapped up forearm with her non-injured hand.
"Sorry to hear that" said Javi, a soft frown on his face, "Can you point who hurt you? Are they here today?"
"It was your client" said Sam with a smug look on her face, but Javi just smiled brightly
"Thank you for answering that honestly, Yourself and Ms. Nichols engaged in a fight that you took a serious wound from" said Javi, "It is remarkably brave of you to be here, facing someone who hurt you in a such a manner"
"Thank you" said Sam
"But how do you bring about such courage?" asked Javi as he walked closer and closer to her
"What do you mean?" questioned Sam
"Well you're obviously an accomplished fighter yourself being the daughter of Daniel LaRusso, former All Valley Karate Champ, but is that enough for you?" asked Javi
"I guess so" replied a confused Sam
"I would hope so, you have everything that you could ever really want, two loving parents, a car, a nice house. Yet when you were admitted to the hospital, you had a blood alcohol level of .077. Do you drink Samantha?" asked Javi
Sam looked rather shocked at the question, "Not really"
"Not really" repeated Javi, "Ms. LaRusso, it is a yes or no question, please answer the question"
Sam lip quivered and Javi whirled around from her to the people in the courthouse.
"What Ms. LaRusso fails to mention is that she had been drinking with friends the very day before the fight. The lab results show that she had been as high as a .13, way beyond the legal limit for adults, let alone a minor" tsk'd Javi to the courtroom.
Tory was so confused, this had been going in a manner that she was sure was going to spell certain door for her, but Javi had completely flipped it on it's head and now Sam was being attacked just as harshly as she had been. But however taken back Tory was, Sam was even more. She had never thought that things would be flipped onto her like this, she thought it was an open and shut case.
"While Ms. LaRusso is speechless, I have more evidence to submit to the court" said Javi as he gestured to the TV, which was turned on upon being gestured to.
On the screen was a saved snapchat, the video was crisp and clear for all to see. It was Sam, red solo cup in hand, swaying as she walked up to Miguel and kissed him forcibly. The video ends with Miguel pushing her away. Jeers were heard in the
"So tell me and the rest of us here Ms. LaRusso, do you think it's okay to get intoxicated and force yourself onto other people?" asked Javi
Sam had tears leaking from her eyes and Javi turned at met Tory's eyes and Tory noticed for the first time that he had the eyes of an apex predator. Javi was a lot more dangerous than his small slender form would allow you to think.
Things got chaotic after that, but after Javi's trick with the video and Tory didn't understand most of what occurred after that. There was a lot of legal jargon and the judge gave a long speech at the end.
"Ms. Nichols, please rise to your feet" said the Judge
Tory was quick to stand up
"In light of several new pieces of information, I find myself being a little more sympathetic to you and your plight. I will allow you to return back to school without restriction. However, I have zero tolerance for any future incidents. You and Ms. LaRusso are to leave one another alone. I do not want to hear so much as "She's having a bad hair day" from either of you about the other. Do I make myself clear Ms. Nichols?" finished the Judge
Tory nodded
"Good, now out you go" dismissed the Judge.
Tory turned to Javi and thanked him for his work on her case and he shook her hand before pulling her in close for a hug and whispering "Cobra Kai never dies"
By the time Tory could process what he had said, she was being ushered out of the courtroom and papers about her parking were being pushed into her hand and she was forced outside by security.
She looked up at the afternoon sky and found the world outside was much brighter than she remembered it to be. It had been a long day and she allowed her shoulders to slump. The fatigue of the day catching up with her and as she walked to her car, she found herself pulling out her phone and tapping on Miguel's contact, calling him.
Her phone was on speaker phone and she was just pulling out into traffic when Miguel answered the phone.
"How did it go?" he asked, his voice full of concern. Just hearing the concern in his voice made a warm feeling bubble in her stomach. It was nice to have someone care about you.
"The judge let me back into school, no restraining order or anything" answered Tory
"That's incredible, you wanna go out to celebrate?" asked Miguel
Tory found herself smiling at those words even if he couldn't see that she was smile, "Yeah, are you gonna be up for going out. I can put the wheelchair in the back"
Miguel had a quick response "We can figure that out when you get here"
Tory agreed and she ended the call after saying "I'll be right there"
She drove through the town with a new healthy level of appreciation for how much things had turned around for her. Things tended not to go all that well for her when she needed them to. She was kind of waiting for the next thing to blow up in her face, the better things were right now, the worst the explosion later. It was a simple fact of life, but even she could admit that things had been the best they had been in years.
She pulled up the apartment complex, she was just finishing parking near Johnny and Miguel's apartment when the door to Johnny's apartment opened and out walked Miguel. His steps were shaky, his balance was not the same as it had once been, but he was walking. After 7 weeks of therapy and rehab, he was walking again.
And Tory couldn't believe her eyes as he walked over to the passenger seat, it took nearly 45 seconds for him to do so, but he did it. All by himself, no Johnny hovering, no assistance.
"You didn't say that you were walking again on the phone" said Tory as he opened the door and pulled himself up into the seat next to her.
For his part, Miguel did look a little bit sorry about hiding that fact from her, but his answer made it up to her.
"Sorry, I wanted to surprise you when you came by. Johnny and I were doing more and more of the guided steps and it felt like a dam broke in my back and suddenly I could feel my legs a lot better" explained Miguel as he apologized.
Tory just pulled him into a hungry kiss by the front of his shirt and the argument was forgotten.
A/N: Another short quick chapter. I wanted to set up the next arc which is them returning to school. I have plans for the rest of season 3, but I also want to address somethings.
Some of y'all are calling Miguel a 'Simp' for allowing Tory to be part of Cobra Kai in the last chapter, to which I say you are terrible boyfriends. If you aren't willing to allow the person you like or claim to love to do things that you don't like or agree with, you're a controlling dick who is gonna end up alone. Life is full of disappointment already, don't be the source of it for someone else.
That's all I have to say today. Leave a review, drop a PM, follow my twitter HKM_FF. Join my Discord server with link (Slash) ypqvfkjN.
When we get to 25 people on the server, one of you guys will get a 25 dollar gift card.
Until Next Time, HighKey_Mars Out