CHAPTER 7:
Cobra Kai.
Quinn

"You sure you wanna do this?" Eli asked, stuffing his hands in his pants and swaying on his feet out of nerves.

"Kyler won't be able to mess with us now. Plus Karate is pretty cool."

"Hey guys! Quinn, you're joining too?" Miguel asked, coming over to us in the dojo and I nodded.

"That's cool. Hey, if you want, we can talk to Sensei Lawrence so he can better understand you," I smiled and mouthed yes, and he led me to the side of the Senseis' office.

How sweet.

"Okay, today we begin. . ." He came out of his office and started to speak up, but everyone was so loud.

"Quiet!" I flinched and rubbed my ears out of irritation.

Well, he did need their attention.

He started walking around, like a lion stalking their pray, and his first target was Demetri.

"Nice shirt," He told him.

"Thanks, I-"

"Just kidding, it sucks."

Ouch.

And he went around just bullying people. We're all kids, so him making us feel self conscious about ourselves just defeats the purpose of karate, right?

"You. Why aren't you in with these losers?" He pointed to me and started towards me.

So, I started signing.

"Oh shit, you're deaf? How can a deaf person do karate?"

"Sensei, she's not deaf. She's mute," Miguel spoke up.

"Mute? What the fuck is that?" He questioned.

"She can't talk."

"That's weird. Go join the rest of them, stop waiting around," I scurried towards the back, already feeling my heart pounding in my chest from that interaction.

"When I look around this dojo, I don't see Cobra Kai material. I see losers, I see nerds, I see a fat kid with a funny hat with his tits popping out. But, in my short time as a Sensei, I've also seen some miracles," He looked at Aisha and Miguel.

"So, maybe there's some hope for you yet. I'll need to see where you're at, so everybody fall in! That means line up," I awkwardly followed everyone as they went into two lines.

"You okay?" Eli asked and nervously nodded yes.

"No, not-not line up in a line. Lines. Get in lines."

"You mean rows?" Demetri questioned.

We're doomed.

______

"Hey, lip!" Sensei Lawrence called out Eli.

"Yeah, you, with the freaky lip. Who do you think I'm talking to?" Eli shrunk back.

Asshole.

"Excuse me, Mr. Lawren-"

"Sensei Lawrence," Aisha corrected him.

"Okay. . .you really shouldn't make fun of someone's physical appearance," Demetri told him.

"Oh, is that so? So I'm not supposed to mention his lip at all?" He smirked and Eli clenched his jaw in frustration, probably wondering why he couldn't just leave him alone.

"Yeah. . .?"

"Yeah, maybe that's what they teach you in school, but in the real world you can't expect people to do what they're supposed to do. Right? You hear that, lip? If you can't make it funny, how are you gonna handle an elbow to the teeth?"

He's not wrong.

But he's our instructor, not our parents.

"By calling the police," Demetri said.

"Dude, knock it off," Miguel told him.

"What? He does realize the Nazis lost the war, right? Why should I be scared of him? Because he's got a snake on his wall? It's not like he's a teacher who can give us a bad grade. We're paying him. He works for us. It's not like he can actually hurt us," Demetri summed up, but I just knew he should've stayed quiet.

Silently, I grabbed Elis hand, curling our fingers together as I looked up at him and we moved aside as Sensei Lawrence walked towards Demetri.

"I-I'm okay," He stuttered out.

"You done?"

"Wh-"

"Hit me," He deadpanned.

"Go ahead, hit me. Strike me, right here."

Shit.

He through a lousy punch and Sensei Lawrence easily deflected it.

"Harder."

He slapped his hand out of the way this time.

"Is that all you got, princess?" And just like a fish to bait, he caught him. Demetri fall on the his back. Hard.

Ouch.

If only we didn't go that day. If only I didn't encourage him.

Then I'd still have him.

My sweet Eli.

///
Foreshadowing. Haha.