chapter four ━ bullies & new management
( season one, episode four )

❝ now he's messing with my family... ❞

"𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐒, 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊," 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊 said and Veronica looked over from stretching her splits. Her left foot was resting on the bench while her right leg was on the ground. Milton was looking at her with a mixture of awe and concern that she was that flexible.

Jack's hand met the board and it snapped in two. However, nobody looked very impressed. "What's the big deal, Jack?" Jerry asked what was on everybody's mind. "You've done that a thousand times."

"Wait for it," he said, turning to blow at the cement pillars that crumbled to the floor.

Veronica raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she asked while everybody else looked impressed. "I don't think that's how that works."

He shrugged and Eddie looked at him. "Man, I'd give you a thousand bucks if you could do that to my cello," he said. "Playas don't play the cello."

Milton frowned. "Well, you're not a playa."

"I will be when I get rid of that dang cello!" Eddie countered and the redhead furrowed his brows. "I'm going to get a smoothie."

"Get me one, too, please?" Veronica called out to him and he gave her a thumbs-up before opening the door. Jack helped her off the floor and she shook out her legs before pausing when she heard clanking come from her uncle's office. "Oh, not again..."

"No, no!" came Rudy's voice from inside the office. "Don't you die on me, not now! It's not your time!"

"Geez, man, it's only a toilet!" Veronica called out, shaking her head. "Not a family member!"

She quickly moved behind Jack as Rudy opened the door, water dripping from his overalls and gloves. "Poor Myrtle," he said and she rolled her eyes. "I almost lost her. Twice I had to plunge her back to life."

"How do you know if a toilet's a boy or a girl?" Jerry asked and Veronica glanced at her uncle.

"Well, you take the top off the tank, you reach your arm in, and you feel around—"

Veronica held up her hand. "You finish that sentence and I will hurt you," she said, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Rudy, focus!" Kim told their sensei. "The new owner of the mall's gonna be here any minute."

"Hey, you guys gotta check this out!" Eddie said, walking into the dojo and handing Veronica her smoothie. She smiled in thanks and he pulled out a pamphlet. "These brochures are all over the place. This new owner's making some big changes."

"Wow." Kim nudged Veronica who looked at her. "They finally moved the baby changing area out of the food court. And if you ask me, that was a big step in the right direction."

She nodded in agreement while Eddie continued looking over the brochure. "No way!" he exclaimed in excitement. "They're bringing in a Captain Corndog!"

"Oh, snap!" Jerry said, taking the brochure from him. "That's a classy joint. Yeah, my sister got married in a Captain Corndog. The Captain walked her down the plank himself."

"Whoa, look at that huge new parking lot," Milton said and Rudy looked over his shoulder at the design plans.

He frowned. "Wait a minute, where's our dojo?" he asked.

"There's a parking lot where our dojo should be!" Eddie exclaimed and Veronica sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"And Rudy and I would have to move into Grandma's... Rudy, do not start crying!"

___________________________

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 wall in boredom. "I don't understand why I have to greet the owner with you," she said, looking at her uncle. "You're the one who runs the dojo. I'm just the niece who didn't entirely have a choice about being here."

Rudy gave her a look and she shrugged. "Okay, first, your mom and I both did karate when we were kids—"

She smiled thoughtfully. "Oh, yeah... You didn't stop crying for a week when she beat you during a sparring match when I was six."

"She did not beat me!" he insisted and she chuckled in amusement. "And, second, you're easily the friendliest person here. When you talk to people, that is..."

"That was almost a compliment," she muttered, pushing herself off the wall and letting out a breath. "Until it wasn't..."

"Ronnie, I love you, but would it kill you to socialize with people other than those inside this dojo?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

Rudy sighed and pushed her to the side when he looked out the glass doors. "Oh, Mr. Turner," he said and Veronica rolled her neck, smiling politely at the man. "Welcome to my dojo."

"Nice to meet you, Rudy," Mr. Turner replied, shaking his hand. "This is my son, Arthur."

"Hello, sir," Arthur said in—Veronica's opinion—a little too polite a tone. "What a wonderful dojo you have here. Let me ask you, how do you do it?" She raised her eyebrows. "A sensei, a businessman, and obviously a male model."

Rudy chuckled awkwardly and she looked at him. "Yeah, I know, totally. It's because I'm—look at me."

"Hi," she interjected, clearing her throat to stop her uncle's rambling. "I'm Veronica, Rudy's niece. It's nice to meet you both."

"You, too," Mr. Turner replied with a smile. "Would you be kind enough to introduce Arthur to your friends while your uncle and I talk?"

She nodded. "Of course."

Veronica let out a breath once she was out of sight of the adults and Jack took her place. "Hey, I'm Jack. How are you doing?"

"So what do you losers do all day around this dump?" Arthur asked, his politeness facade disappearing and Veronica nodded; I knew he was a jerk. "Sit around and pretend to know karate?"

"Yo, pretend to know karate?" Jerry replied, stepping forward. "Check this out." He blew out a puff of air before pausing. "Go ahead, V, show him."

Veronica rolled her eyes and looked behind her, finding a dummy. Arthur crossed his arms just as she spun around and kicked the dummy's head, watching it bounce out of the dojo.

"Yeah!" the group cheered and Arthur scoffed, walking to her other side.

"That was nothing," he said making her look at him. "You guys wanna see some real karate moves?" He took hold of Milton's bo-staff. "Watch this."

Arthur started to 'twirl' the bo-staff before losing control of it and hitting all of the trophies that sat on the ledge, sending them all crashing to the floor.

"Uh-oh."

He quickly threw the bo-staff to Milton just as Rudy and Mr. Turner walked out of the office. "What was that?"

"I can't believe it, sir," Arthur said, walking to the two adults. "That kid just busted up all your trophies."

Rudy looked at the redhead. "Milton, you are in big trouble."

"What?" Jack shook his head. "It wasn't Milton, it was Arthur."

"Oh." Rudy nodded and smiled at the boy. "Well, accidents happen." Veronica scoffed lightly. "Thank you... for showing us what a dangerous place it is to keep trophies. I'll have Ronnie find somewhere new. I'm sure she won't mind."

"Well, actually she—"

Rudy covered her mouth and smiled at the father and son. "She'd be happy to do it." He quickly removed his hand from her mouth. "Did you just lick me?" he asked and she smiled innocently at him. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the group. "Now, everyone, give our newest member Arthur a big Bobby Wasabi welcome."

Rudy, Mr. Turner, and Arthur all started clapping while they stared at him in shock when Jerry started clapping, too. "What?" he asked when he saw that they were looking at him. "I love clapping."

___________________________

"𝐃𝐀𝐃, 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄'𝐒 a bully," Veronica said on the phone the next day, sitting in the courtyard outside of the dojo. "I mean, he tried to blame Milton for destroying the trophies when I had to help him get his books out of his locker because they were too heavy. How could Rudy think that it was Milton?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," her father replied with a sigh. "I'm sure you're just blowing this out of proportion."

"Yeah..." she mumbled. "Maybe... How much longer until you're home?"

"If everything stays on track, maybe six more months," he said and she nodded. "You'll be safe with Rudy. And Ben said he'd try and visit more. Aunt Maria, too. And as soon as I'm home, we're spending every second we can together. I promise."

She smiled. "I'm holding you to that, Dad. I have to go. I love you."

"I love you more, sweetheart. Say hi to Rudy for me. I'll try and call you next week."

The dial tone filled Veronica's eardrums and she looked down at her phone, letting out a heavy sigh. She looked and saw Arthur and Jack walk into the dojo, quickly following after them.

"You guys should've seen what we just did," Arthur said to the group who was already inside. "It was a riot! It was like taking candy from a baby."

"That's what you actually did, Arthur," Jack replied, pressing his lips together. "You took candy from a baby!"

Jerry stepped forward. "Hey, could—could I get in on that?" he asked making Jack and Veronica look at each other. "Thanks. Nothing tastes better than something stolen from a baby."

Veronica rolled her eyes but before she could say anything, Jack grabbed her hand and dragged her into Rudy's office.

"I don't get it, Rudy," he said while she sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "Why does Arthur have to join our dojo? Why do we have to be his friends?" He paused and looked at their sensei. "And why are you sitting on a toilet?"

"This new high-tech toilet is a gift from Mr. Turner," Rudy replied, gesturing to the ridiculous-looking toilet he was sitting on.

"So, you're just throwing Myrtle away?" Jack asked him and Veronica looked down when she felt her phone buzz. "After everything you put her through?"

Rudy shook his head. "Oh, please, Myrtle's just an old flush bucket," he said. "The magic was gone years ago. We were just going through the motions."

"Ad you wonder why you're still single," Veronica muttered, still looking down at her phone.

Jack nodded. "Oh, okay, I see what this is about," he said, crossing his arms. "You sold us out for a new toilet."

"I saved our dojo," Rudy corrected him, getting off the toilet. "When Mr. Turner was saying that Arthur was having a hard time making friends, I jumped on it and said he could make friends right here."

Veronica stood up. "I'll see you later."

They both looked at her. "Everything okay, Ronnie?" Rudy asked and she glanced back at him, holding up her phone.

"Dad just said he won't be able to call for a few weeks," she said with a sigh. "Maybe months, I don't know." She pressed her lips together. "I'll see you at home. I just need a minute."

___________________________

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 the wall where the was another hole with a frown on her face. "Okay, how does it happen that this wall has a hole this big twice, and both times because of Jack?" she asked.

She stepped over the broken pieces of the wall and looked at the group who were standing by the lockers. "You know, when Kim called me, I wasn't expecting her to say that unless Jack leaves the dojo, the building is gonna be demolished."

"Jack, you're not leaving," Rudy said, turning to the boy who was packing his bag.

He shook his head. "If I don't leave, you're all gonna lose the dojo," he replied. "I'm not gonna let that happen."

"That's sweet and all, but I don't think they can do this," Veronica said, crossing her arms and tilting her head. "If they wanted to kick you out, I'm pretty sure they have to give you more than two hours notice. Oh, and the only reason he has is that his son isn't making friends because he's a bully. Would somebody seriously believe that?"

"We're not gonna take this, man," Jerry agreed. "We gotta fight the power, yo. Like Ronnie said."

She looked at him. "That is not what I said."

"Jerry and Ronnie are right, we've gotta fight back," Jack said, dropping his bag and the brunette girl threw up her arms in defeat. "Like that guy on Meyer Avenue who chained himself to that old oak tree so they wouldn't cut it down."

Kim nodded. "He stood his ground and saved that tree."

"Until it fell over in a storm, destroyed my Aunt Verna's house and she had to move into my room," Milton said in annoyance and his friends looked at him. "I've seen things no boy my age should see."

Veronica cleared her throat. "Moving on..."

"You know what?" Rudy said, looking around at the teenagers. "You guys are onto something. What Turner's doing is wrong and we gotta fight back."

"What are you saying, Rudy?" Jerry asked.

"I'm saying they can't tear down the dojo if I'm chained to that post," he replied, gesturing to the wood near the entrance. "And I will fight the good fight for as long as it takes. So, chain me up!"

Veronica shook her head. "I didn't mean chain yourself to the wall!" she exclaimed, following after her friends in exasperation.

"Get these things off me!" he said while his niece leaned against the wall, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I can't take it anymore. I'm going crazy!"

"Calm down, you lunatic," she told him, shaking her head. "It's only been two minutes."

Rudy looked at her and she shrugged, looking over just as Kim walked out of the bathroom on the phone. "Yeah, you know, well, if it's such a great story, why don't you cover it yourself?" she asked, hanging up the phone in frustration. "That was Margaret trying to give me another lame story to tell."

"What was it this time?" Veronica asked.

"Big news in the cafeteria," she replied in false enthusiasm. "Apparently, 'Taco Tuesday' is becoming 'Fajita Friday'."

"Yes!" Milton exclaimed from behind the brunette. "You slip the lunch lady a box of chocolates and a cat calendar—oh, you can move mountains, baby!"

She chuckled in amusement. "All this talk about food is getting me hungry," Eddie said making the others nod in agreement. "I'm going over to Honey Buns to hook us up."

"No, no, no." Jerry stopped him while Veronica walked over to her locker. "You can't go out there, man, that's just what they want. You go out that door, it's like we've given up."

"Well, eventually we're gonna need something to eat," Kim said.

Veronica shrugged. "You can always have some of my carrots," she told them and sat down beside Jack who took one of her carrot sticks.

"You know..." Eddie said, disregarding Veronica's offer. "Our air vent connects with the nail salon. Those ladies are always snacking on something."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, he's right."

"Yeah, but who's skinny enough to fit through that vent?" Jerry asked before looking in Milton's direction.

Everybody else turned to the boy who also looked behind him. "Oh." His eyes widened. "Oh!"

Suddenly, he took off his shirt and threw it at the group, hitting Veronica in the eye. "Ow." He tied a black belt around his head and added knee pads to his legs.

"Let's do this."

She shook her head and fluttered her lips. "Oh, brother..."

___________________________

"𝐎𝐇, 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐓," 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊 said and Veronica looked up from her book with a sigh. "Turner just showed up with some people."

"Attention dojo squatters!" he called out with a megaphone. "You have five minutes to get out. We are bringing in a wrecking ball."

"You don't scare us, Turner!" Rudy said from beside his niece, still chained to the pillar. "That whole 'bringing-in-a-wrecking-ball routine—it's the oldest trick in the book."

The brunette looked out the window and set aside her book. "Uh—Rudy?" He looked at her and she pointed outside. "They just brought in a wrecking ball."

"What?" he asked, starting to panic. "Unchain me, you fools!"

"We can't," Jerry replied. "You gave the keys to Milton."

"What?" Rudy shook his head. "No, it can't end like this. I never sat in a hot tub full of pudding." Veronica furrowed her brows. "No, wait, yes I did. No, that was custard..."

She tilted her head. "Why is that your lifelong dream?" she asked him. "Remind me again how you and Mom are related?"

"You know, just because your mom had a normal name, and people seemed to like her more than me, and she was Mom's favorite, and she—you know what, I was her favorite, not you," Rudy said, sticking out his tongue at her and she rolled her eyes.

Jerry was still looking out the window. "Nothing brings a crowd out than a wrecking ball," he told them. "They're totally on our side. You can feel the love."

"Knock it down! Knock it down! Knock it down! Knock it down!"

Veronica bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, that was awkward timing..."

"Y'all..." Kim said, grabbing Veronica's shoulder. "I just realized that I'm right in the middle of a really big story. 'Five kids from our school fighting a great injustice.'"

"Kim, you'd better get out there," Jack told her, pointing outside. "Your friend Margaret Bork just showed up."

She shook her head, bursting through the doors. "Oh, no she didn't. Not today, Margaret. Not today!"

___________________________

"𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒, 𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 this place into a parking lot!"

Jerry looked outside the building at Turner and let out a breath. "I'm going out there," he said, walking through the doors.

"What exactly is he planning to do?" Veronica asked nobody in particular and Jack shrugged. Whatever he said to the crowd who had gathered around the wrecking ball, it seemed to be working when they began chanting in support of the dojo, frustrating Turner.

"Where's Arthur?!" he shouted into the megaphone making people near him flinch from the noise.

Veronica slowly stood up from her chair when she saw the wrecking ball start to move and Jerry ran back inside. Kim dove quickly, pushing Margaret out of the way of getting hit, and the brunette glanced at Jack.

"Yo, Arthur's lost it, you guys," Jerry said and Veronica shook her head. "A few more swings and this dojo's history."

"Oh, this has gone on for far too long. Now he's messing with my family..." she muttered to herself before walking outside and the boys looked at each other.

"Should we do something?" Eddie asked.

Rudy shook her head. "I think it's best if you let her do this on her own," he replied, looking outside, his gaze landing on his niece who was maneuvering around the wrecking ball and walking to the side of the control car.

"Is this why people have warned me not to spar against her?" Jack asked, watching as she was now kicking Arthur's hands causing him to lose grip of the keys while the wrecking ball continued to move toward the dojo. He flinched when Arthur fell to the ground after being kicked in the stomach.

"Ronnie's been my best student for as long as she's been in Seaford," Rudy said. "Though, if the two of you sparred, I think it would be very entertaining."

Jack looked at him. "For you or us?" he asked and Rudy shrugged.

Veronica quickly stuck the keys into the ignition and turned off the engine. She looked up just as the wrecking ball continued toward the building and it barely touched the door making her slump in relief. "Oh, thank goodness..."

"Is everyone okay in here?" Turner asked the occupants of the dojo while Veronica strained, trying to get Arthur off the ground.

"Look, Turner, you win, alright?" Rudy said. "Just go ahead and take your dojo back. Put up your parking lot. But you know what? We're proud, and we will hold our heads high." The chains fell as soon as he lifted his arms. "Really? Hands over the head—that's all it took."

"Here's your troublemaker," Veronica said, walking through the door and pushing Arthur towards his father.

"Arthur, how could you do something like this?" Mr. Turner asked his son. "I've given you everything."

Rudy nodded. "Yeah. Maybe that's the problem."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Well, this dojo might not be much, but it's built on the principles of discipline and respect. A couple of things Arthur obviously doesn't have."

"Blah, blah, blah." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Look, can we just knock down their little dump now, Dad?"

"No!" he said forcefully. "He's right. I'm sorry, Rudy. Your dojo can stay." Veronica smiled and felt a pair of arms wrap around her, seeing Jack give her a celebratory hug, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "Arthur, get in the car. You're grounded."

"Grounded?" he repeated in confusion. "What does that even mean?"

"I think you're about to find out," Jack said, not noticing that his arm was still dangling over Veronica's shoulder. "Bye-bye, Arthur."

"Ronnie, that was amazing," Rudy told his niece and she smiled softly. "Though, don't do that often. I don't want to explain to your father that you died because you fought somebody controlling a wrecking ball."

She chuckled and he walked back to his office while Eddie and Jerry went to Falafel Phil's. "Um..." She cleared her throat and glanced at the boy next to her. "You can let go of me now."

"Oh." He removed his arm and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry. But—uh—good job out there. Maybe one of these days you and I are gonna have to spar."

She shrugged and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. "Maybe. But I don't know if you could handle it."

"Oh, I can totally handle it."

Veronica nodded and patted his shoulder. "Whatever you say."