─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"rowan torres, talk to me!" tabitha spoke loudly, striding over to the boy. he was searching through his locker when she approached him. hearing her voice, rowan smiled, turning around. "tabitha, what's up?" he asked.

"you missed last session." tabitha pointed out. "why?"  she asked. after all the sessions of group therapy they spent together, tabitha found herself actually liking rowan. he obviously knew about her anger issues, and yet he didn't shy away from them. in fact, it made them closer.

he sighed, seizing his ap calculus textbook and shutting his locker. "remember my dad?"

"yeah, the cafe worker?" she questioned. rowan shook his head, "close. construction worker." he corrected her.

"dora?" tabitha asked, a playful smile on her face. rowan rolled his eyes, "very funny. it's diego."

"i knew that... what about him?" tabby questioned.

"he has a new girlfriend." rowan explained. "i had dinner with her last night, which is why i couldn't come to group."

"how was she?" tabby questioned, leaning against the locker beside his. rowan just shrugged. "she's nice, i guess? i don't know, i wasn't really paying much attention." he told her.

"makes sense." tabitha nodded.

"but he's making me have dinner again in a few days, with her kids." rowan informed her. tabitha chuckled. "sounds like things are getting serious, good luck."

rowan smiled at her. "thanks. how was detention after chemistry?"

"about that, i spoke to counsellor blatt and she says i was actually in the right!" tabby grinned.

"i think jane would disagree." rowan shook his head.

"she wasn't very proud when i told group about it yesterday." tabitha admitted. "but anyways, blatt says i shouldn't have been shouted at by mr thompson for not having my textbook, seeing as he's the one who didn't let me get it from my locker."

"so she justified you basically throwing it at his head?" rowan questioned.

"well, no. that part was entirely on me, i'll admit that." tabitha held her hands up in defence. "but thompson apologised to me, so that's a win, right?"

rowan chuckled, "that is a win." the two shared a high five. "i'm glad i have your support." tabitha grinned, sending him a punch in his arm. she paused, "hey, would you consider—"

"i'm not joining cobra kai." rowan quickly spoke. tabitha pouted, "what? how did you know what i was going to ask?" she questioned.

"every voice message you send me is about cobra kai, and you just punched me and then you did that face you do when you have a terrible idea." rowan explained.

"what face?"

"your eyes go all wide and you have a weird smirk on your face." rowan told her.

"shut up." tabby rolled her eyes. "don't say i didn't offer." she said as she pointed her finger in his face.

"i know you did, and i'm kindly declining." rowan explained. "early start to class?" he suggested.

tabitha nodded, walking forward to lead the way. "you read my mind."

"should we go for froyo after next session?" rowan suggested, "my treat for you getting your way."

"are we going to ride there on your new bike?" tabitha questioned, referring to his motorbike. rowan shook his head. "no, that's not ready yet. even if it was, i wouldn't let you on it for another month. just to be safe."

"awhh, how kind—"

"no, i mean to keep the bike safe. from your recklessness." rowan clarified.

"you know what i like the most about you having like no friends?" she asked with a smile. rowan furrowed his eyebrows with confusion, "what?" he asked.

"is that i have you all to myself." tabitha smiled. the boy chuckled, rolling his eyes at her. "i'm gonna have to start charging you for my services." he joked.

"i'll kill you." she threatened.

"wouldn't put it past you." rowan shrugged while they turned into a corner and out of sight. miguel had been watching them from the other side of the hallway since the moment tabitha excitedly approached the boy.

theo stepped over to him, sam by his side. "you okay, man?" he questioned, gently tapping miguel's shoulder. the boy was quickly snapped out of his trance-like stare. "yeah, i'm good. oh, sam. hey."

"hi." sam nodded. "i'm uh, glad to see that you're back on your feet... literally."

"you know, you three made the exact same joke." miguel pointed out. "firstly, i thought it was a twin thing, but i guess it has something to do with you all growing up together."

the reminder of their childhood made sam frown. she kept forgetting that she did in fact grow up with tabitha, which is exactly why tabitha showed sam mercy. even when she didn't really deserve it.

theo nodded at miguel's words. "yeah well, my mom and her dad would tell the corniest jokes every single day. so maybe we got that from them."

"maybe." miguel hummed. "is tabitha avoiding me?"

theo shrugged. "i'm not too sure. we haven't spoken much since the night demetri's arm was broken. but i did overhear her on the phone to hawk the other night. she didn't seem pleased that you tried to 'indoctrinate' her."

"is that what she said?"

"yeah, i was confused too. but then i remembered that we're learning about world war one propaganda in world history." theo explained.

"right, that's makes more sense." miguel nodded.

"i know it's really hard, miguel. but i was so frustrated with her about the whole situation too. and then i realised if i try to force her to leave cobra kai, it's going to do more harm than good." theo explained.

"there's nothing she hates more than being told what to do." sam remembered.

"exactly." theo agreed. "i know you really care about her, but you've just got to trust she does what's right for herself."

"i do care about her. a lot." miguel admitted. "i just wish i knew what was going on in her head. i don't understand how she could be in cobra kai after everything they did to you."

theo shrugged. "my mom says i have to just remember how manipulative kresse is. and tabby's pretty vulnerable right now, with her group therapy and all." sam's gaze moved back over to him, she didn't know that tabitha was in therapy.

"yeah, you're right." miguel nodded.

"just take any anger you have for her and give it to kresse." theo advised. "that's what i'm doing."

"that's a good idea." he chuckled. when the bell rang and the three began to walk in the direction of their class, conveniently they were close by.

"you know, we saw yasmin and demetri kissing." sam informed the diaz boy. theo laughed at the memory, "demetri claims he's in love." he stated.

"really?" miguel asked with a smile. "well i'm... happy for him?"

"confusion and pride. that's exactly how i felt." theo nodded.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

theo pulled the front door of his home open, "mom i'm home!" he called out as he entered. he saw that at the kitchen island, his mom was sitting with an unfamiliar man. in front of them were bowls of what he just assumed to be spaghetti and meatballs. "hello?" he questioned with confusion, pushing the door shut.

the two adults shared a look, feeling quite awkward that they had been caught. esther quickly stood to her feet and stepped over to her son. "hey, baby. i thought you had practice?" she said.

"i did, but coach felt sick so he cancelled." theo explained, placing his backpack on the ground by the door.

"right." she nodded, gently taking his hand and leading him over to the kitchen. "well... um, this is diego." she gestured to the man at the counter. diego torres waved at him, "great to finally meet you, man. i've heard great things about you and your sister."

"nice to meet you too." theo nodded respectfully. he then turned to his mother with confusion, still hoping for an explanation. esther cleared my throat, "surprise, this is my boyfriend."

"your boyfriend?" theo questioned.

"i wanted to tell you guys i'd been seeing someone, but you two had so much going on. with school, karate, football, group therapy, you know." esther explained.

"mom, it's fine." theo shook his head. "i'm happy for you."

"so, did you get a place on the team?" she questioned, practically brimming with excitement. esther turned to her boyfriend, "teddy was captain of his junior varsity team back in silver lake and now he's tried out for varsity."

diego nodded in acknowledgement. "that's great! i loved football when i was your age. though, i never made it to the team... loved it but wasn't good at it."

esther smiled at him before her gaze shifted back to her son. "so?"

theo couldn't contain his excitement. "i made varsity!" esther squealed, jumping up and down as if she were a child. she squeezed theo's cheeks with glee, "i knew you could do it!"

"mom." he groaned.

"sorry, i am just so happy." esther explained. "we should celebrate! we could go out for dinner like you planned, with your son?" diego nodded, "yeah, that sounds like a good occasion. congratulations, man."

"thanks."

"what do you think, baby?" esther asked her son.

"sounds like a great idea, mom. thanks." theo agreed.

"it would be completely separate from your birthday dinner, okay?" esther reassured him. as it was nearing christmas, it was also nearing the twin's seventeenth birthday.

"okay, mom." he nodded.

"you have any plans for your birthday?" diego questioned. theo shrugged. "ideally i'd like to have a party. but i don't know if my mom's told you already about this karate rivalry, but my friends and tabby's have a lot of... violent tension."

diego glanced at his girlfriend before nodding. "yeah, i've heard. but you shouldn't let that stop you from celebrating your big day."

"he's right." esther nodded. "besides, tabby said she doesn't want to do anything this year." theo frowned, they always did their birthdays together. "she did?" he questioned.

a notiflication sounded from diego's phone, catching their attentions. the man glanced at the message and frowned. "hey, it's my son." diego announced, getting to his feet. "he needs me right now, but we definetly will be up for the celebratory dinner."

"okay." esther smiled as he pecked her on the cheek. "i hope he's okay."

"yeah, me too." diego mumhled. "it was good to finally meet you, theodore." he called out, rushing over to the door.

theo nodded, but he knew diego wouldn't have seen it. "yeah, you too!" he shouted back just as the front door slammed shut.

"so... what do you think?" esther questioned, her hands clasped together with anticipation. theo chuckled at his mom's behaviour. "he's great, mom."

she let out an exagerated sigh of relief. "i'm so glad you think so. now i just have to see what tabby has to say." theo hummed with agreement, "when are you going to tell her?"

"i don't know. i just can't find the right time with her these days." esther frowned. "but it'll be soon. i promise."

⎯ ❃ jania speaks!
okay if the next three chapters seem a little messy it's because i wrote them before this one and then realised things were moving really quick so i wanted a filler chapter