─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"tabitha, i'd understand if you were upset with me." silver spoke from the bench. it was the day after tobias' appearance and the two were inside of their home's gym, the girl doing push-ups on the red mat.

she sighed, continuing her exercise. "i'm not upset. i don't care that he's here. if you want to see your son, i can't stop you. i just don't want to see my dad." she explained.

tabby hadn't slept well the night before, she hadn't been sleeping too well for a while. her lack of rest manifested in her facial features, the paler skin, the dark circles underneath her eyes and the puffiness in her cheeks.

"thank you for being so understanding." silver nodded, scribbling down on his notepad. tabby paused for a second, taking a seat on the mat. "hey. i don't want to... worry you. but my medication, i can't find it." she said.

silver glanced up at her, a perplexed look on his face. "your medication?" he asked. she nodded, "yeah, it's prozac. i keep it in the cabinet in my bathroom. you haven't seen it, have you?"

the man shook his head. "no, i'm sorry. i didn't—i didn't even know you were on medication."

"it's supposed to go hand in hand with my therapy. but... but i can't remember the last time i went to a session." tabby said, shaking her head. "the medication should help stabilise my emotions, and the sessions are supposed help me understand and manage my anger." she described to him, reciting the words of her therapist.

"well, does it help you?" he questioned. tabby paused for a second. "i mean, i think so. my friend rowan says he's never seen me calmer. but-but, they make me feel... bored? different. they make me feel different." she said.

"do you want to feel different?"

she shook her head. "not all the time. i want to feel good, i wanna feel strong." tabby said.

"sounds to me like the medication is what's stopping you from being strong." silver shrugged, making tabby glance up at him. "stopping you from reaching your full potential."

"you think?" she asked. his words were making her rethink a lot of things. "i mean, i guess i could... take a break from it? people stop taking their medication all the time. after the tournament, i'd go back on them." tabby said, trying to convince herself that it would be a good idea.

"i will personally take you to the pharmacy myself after the tournament." silver offered, making her smile with gratitude.

tabby got to her feet, satisfied with their decision. "this is good. it's like you always say, extreme situations require extreme measures."

"exactly." silver grinned, glad she was soaking up his lessons. "your wooden lesson is starting in ten minutes. your trainer should be out there, waiting for you."

tabby cringed at his words. her 'wooden lessons' happened in the basement. silver hired a trainer for her, who set up a wooden dummy for her to practice with and had multiple wooden boards for her to break. those lessons were a pain in her ass, but she knew what she needed to do to become a champion again.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

the next day, the two made their way to cobra kai dojo. silver went to the back gym, wanting to get some quiet training in while tabby remained in the front room with the rest of her teammates.

"my arms all healed up now." tory said, stepping over to the girl. tabby looked up at her from the bench in the room, underneath their dojo's motto. "that's good. i'm really sorry about that, by the way. i had no idea i did it." tabby spoke.

before, tabby was pretty pissed off at tory and the others who were involved with the attack on hawk at the tattoo shop. but now, as tabby slowly began to feel more detached from herself, she lost interest in what happened to her friend.

tory shook her head. "don't mention it. you don't have that scratch tattoo on your shoulder blade for nothing." she joked.

"yeah, but it'd make more sense if i only scratched my enemies. not you." tabby continued. "i should've been more careful." she said.

tory gave her a look, unsure of where this overly guilty conscience was coming from. "it's all right, i swear. it could be like... your signature move or something." she suggested.

tabby chuckled. "that's pretty badass." she nodded. tory shrugged, "a badass move for a badass girl." she teased. tabby scoffed at her words, "you flirting with me, nichols?" she asked.

"in your dreams."

"guys, the limo is coming at six." kyler announced to them all. "so don't be late or else we're leaving. cause my date and i, we on a mission."

"yeah, i'm sure she's on a mission. a mission to get the hell away from you as quick as possible." tabby called out. kyler rolled his eyes as everyone laughed at her joke. "very funny, tabby. yet, i haven't heard anything from you about a prom date."

"mind your own fucking buisness, kyler." tabby seethed. he raised his eyebrows at her, it seemed that her angry self was back.

robby hesitated before he walked over to the two girls. while he and tory were slowly becoming friends, he didn't know how tabby felt about him. "hey." he greeted them.

"hey." tory nodded.

"what's up?" tabby asked. robby cleared his throat. "you guys, uh... you gonna go?" he asked the two.

"to prom?" tory asked. "yeah, right. let the rich kids have their stupid party. besides, can you picture me in a ballroom dress?" she asked, making the two chuckle. once she pulled her water bottle from her backpack, tory stepped away from the two.

"what, uh... what about you?" he asked. tabby shrugged. "i mean, i wasn't originally. but, why not?" she shrugged.

before robby could get in another word, their sensei's voice boomed through the room. "all right, class. fall in." sensei kreese ordered. tabby quickly got up and made her way to the centre of the room.

"today's lesson is about balance." he said. "not the way miyagi-do teaches it. you're going to learn how to get inside the heads of your opponents and throw them off balance. pair up."

tabby felt a tap on her shoulder. she turned around with a smile, expecting it to be tory. but tory was already paired off with the new girl, piper elswith. stood behind her was robby. "be my partner?" he asked.

she shrugged, turning around to face him. the two got into their fighting standing to practice. they began a routine of moves, tabby throwing simple punches as robby countered them and vice versa.

"you should convince tory to go, you know." robby said to her. "crashing you-know-who's big night would be a way to get your opponents off balance."

"if you wanted to talk about this, why didn't you just pair up with tory?" tabby challenged. robby shrugged. "i wanted to pair up with you." he said.

"i'm confused. do you want me to ask you to prom or do you want me to ask her?" tabby challenged. robby was taken aback by her forwardness. "what? no. that's not what i'm saying." he shook his head.

"isn't it?" tabby questioned, throwing another punch. "because i know what you want, robby. you just can't have it. and if you want to ruin sam and miguel's night so much, you should go with tory."

"what?"

tabby didn't speak for a moment, wanting to give the boy a valid reason for rejecting his promposal. "think about it. both of their rivals showing up together. if that won't fuck with them, what will?" she asked.

"that's a pretty good idea." robby nodded. "i'll ask her after this."

"great." she grinned. but robby frowned. "so, who are you going to go with?" he questioned, not wanting her to go solo.

"no one, i hope." she lied. "i am completely over relationships. why would i need a boyfriend or a girlfriend when i can be the all valley champion?" tabby asked him. while the first part of her speech was a lie, she already had a prom date. tabitha was slowly realising how true the second part was becoming.

there was no doubt that tabby still had romantic feelings for miguel. even now, she regretted breaking up with him. but her desire to win was far stronger than her desire to get back together with him. she hoped with all her heart that he wouldn't ask her out at prom, because she would be forced to say no.

"well, it's such short notice. we'd have to get a ride." robby stated. tabby nodded. "and you'd actually have to ask her first." she added.

"still need a tux." robby said. silver walked over to the duo, only hearing parts of their conversation. he was under the impression that his granddaughter had moved on. "i think it's a great idea. and if you're going, you're going in style." he concluded.

the two glanced at one another, a grimace on tabby's face. "i don't think i want to third wheel." she said.

"wassup!" raymond exclaimed, catching everyone's attention. "you guys remember that line from the old bud commercials? i guess you guys were too young for... probably weren't even born yet."

tabitha audibly groaned at the sight of him, making robby give her a look. "who's he?" he asked quietly.

"some man who was weirdly a student at your dad's dojo." she explained.

"eddie, what's going on, man?" he asked, fist-pumping one of the students. "hey, good to see you. dieter, how's your mom doing? i wish she'd call. you could've had a really cool stepdad— sensei! sir, i am reporting for duty and i require no thanks."

"thanks for what?" sensei kreese asked, a look of repulsion on his face. "oh, uh, you know, just defending the dojo and i-i served my time, sensei sir." stingray rambled, bowing down once he finished his words.

"look, we're trying to train for a tournament. let's carry on, everyone." kreese ordered. tabby nodded, continuing her exercise with robby.

"the all valley tourney. i'm well aware." stingray continued. "say, listen, i got a couple of good ideas. just basic strategy."

"don't be ridiculous. you were never part of this team." kreese seethed. "you're a buffoon. a joker, an embarrassment. you have no value here."

the two paused at their sensei's harsh words, turning to face the interaction so that they could see stingray's reaction. "wow, what? but, sensei, i'm, um, one of the guys, you know." he tried to explain, wiping away stray tears.

"you will never be cobra kai. you get that?" kreese asked.

"oh, wait, wait, w-wait, i got you." stingray nervously chuckled. "th-this is, um... this is a test, right? yeah, this is a test."

"get the hell out of here."

stingray nodded, turning around. "challenge accepted." he said, clearing his throat as he moved over to the door.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

while silver had gifted robby a new tux and a car for he and tory to take to the prom. silver even had a grey volkswagen polo ready for tabby, but this one he called a 'late birthday present' and a 'reward for when her licence came back'.

theo picked her up in the evening, talking about how sam asked him to prom. tabby had to hold her tongue; telling him how happy she was for him before remaining silent. when the two arrived at the larusso's house, an unexpected visitor opened the door.

tabby's glum face brightened up at the sight. "lucille!" she exclaimed, opening her arms. lucille larusso chuckled, stepping into her embrace. "hello, beautiful. thanks for getting her here safely, theodore." she grinned.

theo smiled. "no problem, lucille." he stepped into the house, allowing the two to have some one-on-one time.

"i didn't know you'd be here." tabby explained. "what are you doing here?"

lucille, pulling away and pinching the girl's cheeks like she always did. "i wanted to surprise you, and i wouldn't miss you three's junior prom for the world."

"thank you." tabby smiled. lucille frowned, tapping on tabby's silver nose ring. "now, who let you put this in your beautiful nose?" she asked.

esther rushed over, placing her hands on tabby's shoulders. "i can assure you that it was not me, luci." she said before she pulled tabby deeper into the house. "how have you been? your father isn't giving you a hard time, is he?"

tabby shook her head. "no. i haven't realy seen him much. been focused on training."

esther let out a sigh of relief at the news. "and your grandfather, he's letting you have breaks from training, right?" she asked.

"of course." she lied. the two stepped into the dining room, where the rest of the adults were. vanessa larusso grinned at the sight of her, "there's my favourite girl!" she exclaimed.

"hey, nessa." tabby chuckled, sending her a small wave.

"tabby, glad you could make it." amanda spoke up. "i've kept your dress up in the guest room."

"my dress?" she asked, looking over to her mom. esther gave her a toothy grin. "we couldn't have you going to prom without a dress." she said.

∙ ~εïз~ ∙

sam had opted to getting ready on her own and tabby noticed how bored the three mothers were growing. johnny and daniel were in another room, arguing to themselves, while getting to know diego. louie and vanessa were in the kitchen bickering as per usual. the other two boys were up in the bathroom, freshening up. and rowan sat in the living room with the grandmas, watching a programme on the television.

so, the girl invited them to get ready with her. "mom. do you have any... concealer i could wear?" tabby questioned as carmen pinned up the final section of her curled hair.

"my daughter wanting coverage make up?" esther questioned, dramatically. tabby rolled her eyes, "before you get all excited, it's not to cover the tattoos. i have these... annoying dark circles i want to hide."

"you sleeping okay?" amanda questioned before taking another sip of her white wine from the bed. tabby nodded a little too quickly, making amanda suspicious.

"i mean, if we're putting on concealer, we might as well add some blush. and mascara? oh, and highlighter—" esther started. tabby shook her head. "mom, you don't have to try and manipulate me into agreeing to wear more makeup. you can do what you want."

esther gasped, clapping her hands with excitement. "really?" she questioned.

tabby nodded. "this is the best day of my life!" esther squealed. carmen couldn't help but smile at their mother-daughter bond, a part of her wishing she could have something like that one day. "miguel's been over the moon about you saying yes to prom. he spent all of yesterday trying to find a cute corsage."

"corsage..." tabby muttered. "wait, i'm not supposed to get him one, right?" she asked the woman as she took a seat beside amanda on the bed.

"i'm pretty sure sam got one for theo, but i don't think it's tradition." amanda shook her head.

"so... you and miguel." esther grinned, dabbing her daughter's face with the makeup brush. "are you two back together?"

tabby gently shook her head, making her mom groan at the sudden movement. "no, we're just going as friends."

"either way, i'm really happy you two are on good terms." esther continued. "he's such a sweet boy. carmen, you did an incredible job."

carmen chuckled. "thank you."

⎯ ❃ jania speaks!
i have no idea how i managed to squeeze in another filler chapter in before prom, but i'm pretty impressed.

next chapter is definitely prom!!