CHAPTER 15
"No way! Miguel really said that?!" Daniel exclaimed later that night. Right after Miguel's conversation with Johnny, Johnny had briefly spoken to Carmen, before heading over to the Larusso house to talk to him and Sam.
"He wants to join Cobra Kai?" Sam murmured, horrified. Johnny nodded.
"Yeah, and he meant it." Johnny replied. "He's… he's terrified.."
"I'm not surprised. This Robby thing is hitting him harder than he's letting on, huh?" Daniel remarked. "He could've broken Robby's arm in the school fight and put Robby out of commission. Instead, he showed mercy, broke his back and is now being tormented and put through hell by him."
"No, I don't think it's Robby." Sam murmured, quietly. Daniel and Johnny looked at her, confused.
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.
"Him and I talk a lot about the emotional aftermath of the school fight, and all of the fighting that has been going on since. He would've told me if something was up with him and Robby. This is something recent." Sam stated. Johnny shrugged.
"I don't know what it's about. All I know is that he's not been sleeping lately." Johnny said.
"What?" Sam asked, nervously. Johnny sighed.
"He's been having nightmares. I've been in his house every night for the past couple of days and I heard him wake up like three times every night, screaming in pain and begging someone to stop. His mom and I were going to confront him about it tonight, but after what he told me. I don't want him to feel betrayed and then turn to Kreese like Robby did."
"Yeah, don't confront him. He needs to feel like he has people on his side." Sam said. "The two of us are going out tomorrow night. I'll talk to him about it sometime then, when he's in a good mood."
Daniel and Johnny nodded, and Johnny left shortly after. Just before Sam left the room, she heard her dad call her name.
"Hey, Sam!" Daniel said. Sam turned around and faced him.
"Yeah?" She asked. Daniel sighed.
"Look, I know how much you like Miguel, and I know he's a great kid. But he's clearly going through something and that could lead to him being dangerous, so just…"
"Just what, dad?" Sam snapped, anger creeping into her voice. "Dump him? Leave him out in the cold when he needs me most. He was the one who brought me in from the cold when I had my PTSD from Tory. Not you. Not mom. HIM. HE was the one who convinced me to speak to the therapist. He saved me. The least I can do is return the favor."
Daniel nodded. He knew there was no reasoning with his daughter.
"Look, just… be careful, okay sweetie?" Daniel pleaded. Sam eventually sighed and nodded.
"Yes, dad."
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The next afternoon, Miguel picked Sam up for their date, and he drove them to the surprise location of their date: golf n stuff. Sam beamed widely as he parked and they stepped out of the car.
"Awwww Golf n Stuff! The place we went to on our first date! I can't believe it's been more than a year!" Sam exclaimed. Miguel smiled faintly and nodded. He was extremely distracted, and Sam could tell. It was like Miguel was there, but not really there.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, gently but concerned. Miguel looked at her and shrugged nonchalantly, but Sam could see the pain beneath the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Yeah, fine. I'm going to go pay for some clubs and balls. I'll be right back!" Miguel quickly replied, before scurrying away. Sam sighed. Something was seriously wrong.
Across the park, Tory was sweeping the floor of the Golf n Stuff cafeteria to earn enough money for her mom, when she saw Miguel and Sam pull up to the theme park. Her eyes widened in anger as she saw them holding hands and walking towards the mini golf area. She immediately reached for her phone and dialled a number. He answered almost immediately.
"Hello?" Robby said. Tory smirked evilly as she spoke into the phone…
"Get the Cobras. They're here…"
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Miguel and Sam spent the next hour and a half on the mini golf course. They made a little bit of small talk, but Sam didn't bring up the elephant into the room. It was pretty awkward and there were long silences as they searched desperately for conversation topics while skirting around the massive issue. There were probably more awkward silences during that hour and a half than during all of their first date. Eventually, by the time they made it to the 12th hole on the golf course, Sam couldn't take it anymore. She sighed and put down her golf club, before turning to Miguel.
"Okay, Miguel, what the hell's going on with you?" Sam snapped, harsher than she intended. She made a mental note to calm herself down more. The last thing she wanted was for Miguel to lose trust in her and push her away.
"What? Is this about the thing that happened with Demitri? I went by, I apologised, end of story." Miguel stated, bluntly. Sam shook her head, furiously.
"No, not end of story! What happened, Miguel? You're normally the most composed person I know. I'm scared, with everything that happened with Robby, you finally…"
"I what?" Miguel spat, his voice rising. "I snapped? I lost control? I made a fucking mistake?! I'm sorry! Look, I'm sorry! But that's all it was! End! Of! Fucking! Story!"
Sam's eyes widened. She had never heard Miguel talk like this before, and last year, she probably would've dumped him on the spot. But now, after all that they'd been through together, Sam knew more than ever that Miguel needed her help.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, okay?" Miguel snapped. He started to walk away, but Sam called after him.
"I know you've been having nightmares!" Sam said. Miguel stopped walking, cold, and he slowly turned back around to face her.
"What?" Miguel said, his loud tone suddenly gone and replaced by a quiet one. Sam sighed and took his hands in her own, but Miguel quickly retracted them.
"Sensei Lawrence mentioned that you've been having nightmares, waking up at night in pain." Sam murmured. Miguel's eyes widened as he looked over Sam's shoulder at the other side of the park, but Sam interpreted it as him being embarrassed about what Sensei Lawrence had told her. "Miguel, you helped me so much last year and…"
"Sam, shut up!" Miguel suddenly snapped, his voice suddenly deadly calm. Sam's eyes widened and a scowl etched across her face.
"EXCUSE ME?! I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO…"
"No, Sam, shut up and turn around." Miguel stated. Sam turned around and she almost passed out… Walking towards them were Tory and Robby!
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"Oh, my God!" Sam murmured as she watched them snarl and prowl towards her and Miguel like leopards hunting gazelles. The two of them spun around, ready to sprint away, when they saw Kyler and Shawn making their way towards them. On their left were two more Cobras. On their right were 3 more. They were completely surrounded.
"What do we do?" Sam stammered. Miguel leaned down and picked up two golf balls.
"This." Miguel growled, before throwing the two balls, hitting them in the faces of the two Cobras on their left. The two stumbled back, distracted, and Miguel and Sam took advantage of it. Miguel grabbed her hand and pulled her in that direction, and the two of them sprinted together in the direction of the abandoned laser tag arena. It was a real maze, with plenty of places to hide. As they started running, thoughts started accelerating inside Sam's head. She knew things were going to escalate to a fight, but they didn't have the power to stop the Cobras. Miguel is in an awful mindset, so that just left her to take on everyone. She could barely beat Tory, let alone everyone else! How was she supposed to protect herself and Miguel too?! Sam willed her thoughts to slow so she could breathe but they wouldn't. Her breaths came in gasps and she felt like she would black out. It was an anxiety attack at the worst possible time. Her heart was hammering inside her chest like it belonged to a bass drum in an orchestra.
Her and Miguel finally made it to the abandoned laser tag arena, and they took various arbitrary turns in the maze, trying to get far away from the incoming Cobras. Speaking of whom, led by Tory and Robby, the Cobras just made it to the entrance of the laser tag arena. Tory grinned.
"Round 2. Let's get it." Tory snarled.
"Split up and find them…" Robby ordered, and the Cobras all split up and began to scour the maze for them.
Meanwhile, for Sam, the room started spinning and she eventually collapsed onto the floor, trying to make everything slow to something her brain and body could cope with. She felt so sick. Miguel's eyes widened as Sam slowed to a halt on the floor, and he immediately realised from her hyperventilating that she was having a panic attack. Miguel had witnessed 2 of her panic attacks before, so he knew exactly what to do. Ignoring the Cobras who were definitely nearby, Miguel sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Sweetie. Sweetie. Look at me, okay?" Miguel murmured gently into her ear, their previous argument suddenly forgotten. "Everything's okay. You're okay. You're safe." Miguel whispered reassuringly. He then did what his mom - the nurse in his family - had taught him to do in situations with someone having an anxiety attack. He helped slow her breathing by breathing slowly with her and whispering assurances into her ear. Eventually, Sam's breathing managed to get back to normal and the worst of her panic attack was over, but she was still feeling pretty weak because of it, definitely not strong enough to fight 9 Cobras. Miguel could hear one of the Cobras walking closer and closer to them with every passing second.
"What are we going to do?" Sam murmured, tears threatening to well up in her eyes. Miguel pointed upwards and Sam saw an air vent directly above them. It was too high for either of them to jump, but low enough for Sam to reach if Miguel gave her a boost up.
"You climb up there. Use the vents to discreetly crawl out of the laser tag arena. I'll meet you at the car as soon as I can." Miguel murmured. Sam's eyes widened.
"I can't do that! I can't just leave you here alone!" Sam exclaimed. Miguel shook his head.
"Come on, Sam. You know this is the best and only option we've got. Besides, I won't be alone. I've got Lucille here to help me."
"Lucille?" Sam asked, perplexed. Miguel leaned down and picked up his mini golf club that he had taken with him when they ran away from the golf course and into the laser tag arena. Carved into the handle was the phrase 'Lucille was here'. Miguel held the golf club aloft like a baseball bat, and swung it at the air, acting like how he would hit the Cobras.
"See! With Lucille, the Cobras don't stand a chance!" Miguel said, more encouragingly than he felt. He was only too aware about Sam's recent panic attack and the last thing he wanted was for her to be put in more danger than she had to be. Sam still looked unsure.
"Are you sure, babe?" She asked. Miguel nodded.
"Please." Miguel begged. Sam reluctantly nodded. She kissed her boyfriend quickly and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck like a vice.
"I love you so much." Sam whispered, her tears starting to fall onto her boyfriend's shirt. Miguel kissed her forehead.
"I love you too. And I'll be right back, okay?" He replied. Sam nodded. Miguel then gave her a boost up and she climbed into the air vent and crawled out of sight. When she was gone, Miguel let out a small sigh of relief. With Sam out of harm's way, he could begin to think about picking off the Cobras, one by one…