Miguel Diaz found his passion in karate that much was obvious he just wished her didn't need to hide it from his family. Hearing a loud knock on his bedroom door as he blared loud rock music from the eighties in order to disguise his shouts ands sharp whales as he shadow boxed. His grandmother spoke sharply in Spanish "diners ready." And gave a fatigued shout back "almost done yaya." Not long later he found himself seated at his kitchen table eating the dinner dinner with his yaya, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence considering his mother worked late shifts in the er.

Speaking of his mother Carmen Diaz opened the door apologizing profusely for her tardiness. "I'm sorry I'm late again. She placed her purse on the floor and closed the door behind her before taking a seat at the table. Miguel swallowed his huge mouthful of food and looked to his mother with a warm smile "it's ok I know your short staffed." He said beaming at her. Carmen sighed "so did you figure out what you want to be for the Halloween dance." And miguel rolled his eyes and hesitatingly said "I wanted to go as Deadpool but the costume is a little pricey." And his loving mother cut him off "you want of go as Deadpool we will make you a Deadpool costume." And yaya cut her off in Spanish "absolutely not this isn't a sweatshop." And In English Carmen looked to miguel concern etched into her beautiful features. "Miggy what happened to your hand"

The matriarch of the family gave her daughter Carmen an intense stare telling her simply "you don't want to know." both miguel and Carmen looked to her with a confused expression before continuing to silently eat their meal.

Miguel brought all the plates to the sink before hearing a knock on the door. Yaya waved him off and answered it allowing Julia. Closing the door behind her yaya smiled warmly at the young woman "oh mi hermosa leona." She said spreading her arms out and embracing the younger girl. Julia hugged the older woman back and pulled away slowly. Yaya looked to her "how are you. You look so much like me when I was your age. Are you thirsty. Miggy get the girl something to drink."

Julia smiled as Miguel's grandmother guided her towards the living room area and from the kitchen miguel answered his grandmother back "of course. I'll bring it right there. I'm almost done with the dishes." He said breaking out into a smile noticing julia.

"Actually I have really good news." Julia said as miguel joined them not long later with a glass of water for her. Miguel sat down across from her her excitement seeming to liven up the room. "My mom had been saving up for awhile and she bought me a car." Julia squealed out excitedly and Miguel couldn't help but laugh "that's awesome I'm so happy for you." He said standing up to hug his best friend Julia. She hugged him back "well I just had to tell someone I was so excited. I also wanted to ask if it would be ok for me to pick up miguel before school and drop him off going forward. I figured it would be easier since we are both in band." She said lying at the end.

Secretly they are both taking karate lessons at cobra Kai but Carmen would absolutely lose her mind if she found out.

Yaya shouted for her daughter in Spanish to come into the living room and after a brief dialogue in their native tongue Carmen looked to Julia "Leona that would be amazing and it would help us out so much. Thank you." Carmen said with a smile.

Loud shouting could be heard from a large expansive mansion like home in Encino hills. Christian shouted as his cousin his blood boiling anger "your such an ass. You knew I liked her that's the only reason your even going out with Samantha LaRusso." And kyler parks shouted back "dude why would she even want to go out with you. Like yo your a loser and are nothing without me besides she obviously has better taste than that." Chris stormed off and out the house snatching up his black hoodies on the way out and pulling it over his head. "Whatever man I'll talk to you at school." He said waving kyler off. Yeah kyler is a jerk but he was still family.

The following morning Julia scooped miguel up in her car and to the dojo before school. Johnny Lawrence stepped out of his office and onto the Matt's as his two students took off their shoes and got ready for class. "You two are five minutes late. I want fifty push-ups on your knuckles." He demanded as both Julia and Miguel arrived on the Matt's. Julia spoke up "I'm sorry sensei I had to stop to get gas." She explained as miguel dropped down and began his pushups without hesitation. Johnny turned away "Mr Diaz you can thank Miss Herlot because now you guys have to do seventy pushups. Come get me when your done and we will start your training for the day."

30 minutes later

Miguel working on his punching combinations on the karate dummy while he worked with Julia off to the side. "Today I will be working on kicks with you. A roundhouse kick starts with chambering the knee and turning your hip over." Johnny grabbed the kick shield and held it up as she executed the technique perfectly.

"Well done miss Herlot." Johnny Lawrence's complimented her after a brief a three minute session. Miguel turned to julia and Sensei Lawrence. "Aw man. Sensei when will I learn how to kick. I saw this video of this guy breaking boards and it was badass." Miguel said envious that Julia was already learning how to kick. Johnny looked to Miguel "don't question my methods. Julia Is smaller and weaker than you. She's also more agile and faster than you so she's learning how to kick before you." Johnny paused with a smirk "I want push-ups for questioning my methods. Then return to hitting the dummy. He told miguel and miguel dropped down to compete the pushups without a word.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have some friends that want to do karate. Do you." He asked his first two students. Julia spoke up "we will ask around." She already had someone in mind but up until recently wasn't sure how to broach the subject. Johnny Lawrence nodded "that will be all for today. Be here at 5pm." He said bowing to his students and the two reciprocated the sign of respect. Miguel spoke up "you've thought about advertising right sensei." He asked and Johnny Lawrence answers back with clear uncertainty "yeah of course."

Miguel and Julia then headed to school and the day went by without much change in routine until lunch. she took her seat next to miguel and noticed that Connor wasn't present. Before she could bring it up Mari looked at Julia barely containing her excitement. In a excited whisper mari asked her "so has Connor asked you to the Halloween dance yet." She asked before instantly shutting up as councilor Blat glare at Marisol and then the Councilor continued to drone on about cyber bullying. Then proceeded to call out Eli without actually stating his name. Julia attempted to hide her blush at Marisols questions.

Julia gave Eli a reassuring smile as the poor kid covered his lip as all eyes turned towards him. "Don't worry about them Eli. People will talk but you a good guy."

Connor Atlas found himself in the school bathroom staring at his reflection in the mirror waging an internal war. "C'mon man up bro and ask her out." He said out loud. "Your the man bro. You go this" he said flashing his reflection a smile before turning to leave running headfirst into kyler and his gang of thugs. He excused himself before shoving his way past them before anything could happen. They followed after him down the hallway throwing insults and threats.

Connor with a hurried walking pace made it to the lunchroom where the councilor was giving a public service announcement. Taking a seat as miguel said "you know my karate dojo is looking for new recruits if your tired of getting bullied." Miguel looked to Eli and and Dimitri merely shut down miguel "yeah you hear that Eli a couple karate lessons and you'll become a real badass. I think we would much rather spend out time playing video games then getting punched in the face."

Connor took a seat next to Julia offering her a warm smile and a simple "hey." Before talking to miguel "do you guys have a class tonight." He had spoke with genuine interest and Miguel was quick to reply. "Yeah sensei told us to be there at five." And Connor nodded simply "I'll be there." He turned to Julia. "He can you hang back after lunch. I wanted to talk to you privately if that's cool." He said unable to force the smile away from his face not that he wanted to. Julia looked back to him meeting his warm eyes and she spoke in s soft tone of voice although not realizing it. "Yeah of course Connor." She said with a matching smile of her own.

After lunch had gone by Connor pulled her aside "hey I wanted to ask you if you would be my date to the Halloween dance." He said with a smile trying to fight back the uncertainty creeping it's way up from the pit of his stomach. His nerves we eased however when she answered back with broad smile that caused Connor's heart to beat faster and turned his body aflame. Julia blushed before replying without hesitation "of course Connor. I'd love to." And Connor grinned back at her "great I'll pick you up an hour before the dance then." He said smiling back at her "hey do you mind if I walk you to your next class miss Herlot." She smirked back at him "it's your class to you know." She  chucked at his antics and walked past him before turning back to Connor. "Well are you coming Mr Atlas." She asked.

Connors was shocked by her answer but it didn't take him long to fall into pace beside her and opening the door for her. gesturing onward her "well let's be in our way then madam." He said holding door while giving a flourishing bow a charismatic smile playing at his lips.

Connor pulled up to the karate dojo and parked his baby blue Camaro. He rolled up the window and saw miguel and Julia both standing there by the door clearly waiting. "I'm sorry I'm a little late." Connor said walking up taking notice of Julia "well I gotta be honest I'm a little surprise to see you hear beautiful." He admitted to the brown hair beauty. Julia perked up seemingly amused by the challenge. "Yeah and why's that cause I'm a girl and girl don't belong in karate." Connor put his hands up in a placating manner and smiled "not at all what I meant. I tell you what how about I shut up." He said imitating digging a hole with a shovel before another car pulled up a faded red 91 Pontiac and a older man with matted blonde hair got out staring at the blue muscle car in clear admiration "Whose car is that. It's absolutely rad." He said and Connor chuckled answering him "that would be mine sir. My father helped me restore it." Connor said and Miguel cut him "I thought you told me to be here at five sensei."and johnny Lawrence Brushed past the small group and unlocked the dojo with his keys. "Yeah but todays training is canceled." He answers back entering the dojo as Miguel darted in before the door could close. Following Johnny to the back office as Johnny cracked open a beer "I'm really not in the mood." And miguel smirked at his mentor "but I really think your gonna love it." He answers back showing the cobra Kai website he created in study hall and Johnny was awestruck at the kid. "Ok meet me at the school at midnight. You wanna learn how to kick as well then you need to learn how to kick." He said with a smirk.

"Now go home your done for the day." He said and as Miguel put his computer back in his backpack Johnny spoke up "your doing good kid." He said and walked out the Matt's to see Julia and Connor already awaiting him with their shoes off. "Miss Herlot warm up Mr..." Johnny paused prompting the boys name and Connor swiftly delivered "Atlas sir...Connor Atlas." And Johnny nodded taking in the boys fit lean appearance he wasn't scrawny and long like Miguel and he wasn't small and agile like Julia.

"Warm up Mr Atlas." He explained before shouting "fighting positions." And Connor squared off with her and Julia did the same. They began circling each other and Connor evaded her punches easily but he narrowly managed to back away from a powerful kick. Johnny could hear the air behind air the kick and raised an eyebrow at how impressive it was considering he'd only just taught her that kick earlier that morning.

Connor continued to parry and evade her strikes before getting her timing down for judo throw and was waiting for the perfect opportunity.  Crashing the distance after she barely missed a kick Connor managed to grab ahold of her and perform the hip toss as landed to the ground with a light thud. Connor followed her to the ground in order to reduce the impact of the landing.

He found his face was mere inches from hers his breathing suddenly grew heavy and erratic despite not having been out of breath moments earlier. Her blue eyes were so magnetizing and he felt like he could get lost in them as the world around hims seemed to blur and he was simply left and her brown hair was splayed on the Matt behind her. Being pulled out of this moment between them by sensei Lawrence's sharp rebuke "you can do better than that Miss Herlot."

Connor pulled away standing up and offering her a hand up Julia took the opportunity to kick his legs out form under him and drop down on him with a strong elbow to his stomach knocking the wind out of him. Connor groaned and rolled around on the floor in pain while Julia looked down on him with a proud smile. "Good job miss Herlot. No mercy." Connor eventually got to his feet and the lesson continued.

Later the night at the school

Miguel was standing outside the school it was very cold out and he'd been here for five minutes already by the time Johnny pulled up in his car. Miguel followed johnny into the pool area of the school where the swim team practices.  "What are we doing here Sensei. You sure it's ok to be here." Miguel asked with uncertainty clearly nervous. Johnny answered back "yeah don't worry about it my buddy is the night janitor. Gimme your hands." And miguel listened to him now reassured by his words. Johnny then produced a piece of twine from his pockets and began to bind his hands together.

"You get into a fight and your first Instinct is to use your hands right. Well you gotta unlearn that." He said and Miguel asked him "so how do I unlearn all and Johnny nodded his "well you umm." He stammered out before shoving miguel into the deep pool.

The kid began to drown and Johnny grabbed his scalp and Miguel shouted out "I'm drowning." "Drowning is for pussies. you have all the power in your legs. Now use it." Johnny said releasing him. Miguel continued to drown and Johnny mumbled to himself that he should've asked if he could swim beforehand. He snatched miguel form out of the water and Miguel gasped out a strained "I'm dying." Johnny cut him off "cobra kai never dies. Say it." And miguel shouted it back at his mentor "cobra kai never dies." Johnny told him "say it like your life depends on it." And miguel shouted back even louder "COBRA KAI NEVER DIES." and johnny calmly told him "I'm not saving you this time. You can do this." And sure enough Miguel rose to the occasion kicking
his way to the surface of the pool.

Several days had passed and Marisol couldn't be more happy and excited for the school dance later tonight as she stood in Julia's room. She was already in her brightly purple colored costume and she stood in front of Julia's full length body mirror on the outside of her closet door inspecting herself and her costume in admiration. She did a twirl and finally faced Julia who sat on the edge of her bed and Marisol asked her friend "what do you think about my outfit." A grin painted on the Hispanic woman's face.

The grin had a contagious effect to it as the seemingly frustrated and simultaneously distracted Julia was pulled from her thoughts and into the current moment with her friend. "I'm so sorry Mari I know I invited you over to hangout before the dance. I'm just a little." Before Julia could finish Mari cut her friend off "distracted...honestly I couldn't tell." She teased her friend before she adopted an understanding smile "look I know your nervous especially considering Connor asked you to the the dance but don't overthink it. Just have fun tonight." Marisol advised her friend in reassurance.

Julia couldn't help but smile around Marisol there was just something about the girls aura that lifted the vibe in every room. "You know what I needed to hear that. Thank you so Mari." She said with a look of genuine appreciation. Mari the ever present bundle of joy and activity squealed in excitement "now let's get you all dressed up for your date with Connor." She teased her friend pulling her towards Julia's dresser/makeup stand.

A few Shine down posters littered the the bland white walls of her room alongside a custom poster with the logo to her cryptids podcast strategically placed behind her desk with her computer and microphone set up and accompanying technology. Mari's gaze finally fell upon Julia after taking in the room for the first time since she's gotten there and said "ok let's make you look like the queen that I know you are. We will make that bitch Yasmin so jealous." Marisol stated with a look of scary determination.