"(Y/N)!" I HEARD someone calling my name as I left the Dojo. I knew exactly who it was and I didn't turn around to even let him know I was listening. I was heading across the street to the Orient Express for my shift. I had no time to talk to anyone, nor did I want to.

I had crossed the street and was heading to the door of the restaurant when a hand grabbed my arm, I turned around expecting to see Johnny there and was ready to smack him for handling me in such a way when I saw that it wasn't the blonde boy but rather Bobby. His face was soft as he regarded me and he immediately let go of my arm. He probably saw my look of fury and retreated his boldness.

"(Y/N)," He said, his hand going to the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry about last night. Things went way too far."

"You think?" I scoffed but ultimately I wasn't as mad at Bobby as I was at the rest of them. "That was a really shitty thing to do."

"I know, and Johnny is really sorry too. He's not been himself lately and when Daniel doused him with the hose at the dance, it just set him off."

I didn't let the shock show that I didn't know about Daniel doing that but it was still wrong what they did. I glanced over Bobby's shoulder and spotted the rest of the gang at their bikes, Johnny was casually sitting on his but he was looking in our direction.

"I appreciate your apology Bobby but if Johnny thinks he can use you to apologize for his wrongs, he is very mistaken."

Bobby looked uncomfortable and like he wanted to say more but I never gave him the chance and instead turned to go inside the restaurant.

It turned out, I actually enjoyed working as a hostess. The Orient Express seemed to have the best customers and I liked seeing all different sorts of people come in. I also liked it when young kids came up to the station for the green mints we gave out as people left. Personally, I wasn't one for eating them but I enjoyed seeing the children like it, popping them into their mouths and watching their faces turn up with a smile.

The job made my life seem more bearable. It made me forget what happened over the previous summer and also prevented me from returning to my father's house and hiding in my room. Although I did that no matter what anyway when I was there.

Lucille came up beside me after my shift and smiled, "You're doing great, (Y/N). Keep up the good work."

I returned her grin with one of my own, pleased that she thought I was doing well. "I will Mrs. LaRusso. Thank you."

As she turned to go, I stopped her. I opened my mouth, wanting to ask how Daniel was faring but I also didn't know how much she knew about what had happened at the dance. So instead I settled on asking her to tell Daniel hello from me.

Monday morning came quick and I was at my locker, grabbing my things when Suzi and Barbara came up beside me, "Hey! You never came back to the dance! We were worried and you haven't been returning our calls either!"

I sighed, "I-"

"Oh my God, (Y/N)... Your head."

"I'm fine, it's just a bruise."

"It most certainly is not!" Susan exclaimed and looked closer to examine my head. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I... I fell."

Suzi and Barbara looked at me incredulously and then something over my shoulder caught their attention. I turned my head to look as well and saw Johnny at the head of his gang, loitering about in the courtyard. They were all looking my way.

Johnny and I hadn't spoken and I was fine to keep it that way. I honestly didn't want much to do with Johnny or the others. I kept replaying the events of the dance in my head. The way Johnny had been so vengeful and terrible. It was something I never wanted to see again either. But even through those awful thoughts I remembered us dancing together, the feel of him being so close and the way his hands felt on my waist.... How he had looked at me. It was a look so different than that he had when beating up Daniel.

I pushed the memories from my head and grabbed my books for the first few classes I had. The girls and I stood in the courtyard, waiting for Ali and Linda to meet us. "So, did you beat them up then? Is that how you got hurt?" Barbara questioned me.

"Uh well..."

"I'm gonna go find that idiot, Daniel. It's gonna stop!"

The three of us heard Ali behind us and so we turned around, finding her storming away from Daniel and past us. A look of fury was on her face but Daniel caught up to her, he was telling her to relax, that everything was fine and taken care of.

"Oh, yeah. Until next time?"

"No, there isn't gonna be a next time," Daniel tried to explain.

Ali looked over Daniel's shoulder, "There they are."

Johnny and his buddies stood there, looking at Daniel and Ali.

"All right, watch this," Daniel said and patted Ali's shoulder.

I cringed, hoping that Daniel's newfound freedom from the Cobra Kai dojo would last.

"Hey, guys. How you doin'? It's good to see you. Sorry about the eye Johnny. Your shoulder okay Tommy?"

At the mention of Johnny's eye the blonde did glance at me for a split second before he turned all attention back to Daniel. If looks could kill, I'd say Johnny's gaze would burn someone alive.

"You guys be careful not to go step in front of any more buses now, all right?" Daniel's laugh echoed back as he and Ali slipped around them and continued down the open hallways.

From the looks of it, Johnny had had enough because he slammed his books on the ground, ready to pursue his so called "enemy".  

"Hold it!" Bobby said and held his friend back. "Remember what Sensei said? You got to wait for the tournament," Bobby finished.

Johnny looked unsatisfied with this predicament. But at least he had the common sense to listen to Bobby and realize that there would probably be consequences if he went against Sensei Kreese's order.

I started to slip around the boys with the girls and we made our way to the other end of the courtyard. I simply didn't want to think about anything that had to do with them.

As we went I heard Tommy's scratchy voice call out, "Must be take-a-worm-for-a-walk week!"

The day ended up going by quickly but my classes had tired me out. Every class had homework to give out and I couldn't help thinking I would never have enough time to finish it all before tomorrow. There were just so many things going on between school itself, the Dojo, working at the Orient Express... There just seemed to be too much to do.

At the end of the day, math class was last on my agenda. I found my seat and waited for the class to start. Without warning, Johnny slid into the seat next to mine. He didn't say a word about it and neither did I.

It seemed that he had as little to say as I did and I preferred it that way. We did our work silently, only once did I raise my hand to ask the teacher a question. Johnny didn't speak. Sometimes I felt his gaze on me and thought I saw his mouth parted once as if he might say something but then had second thoughts.

It was a blessed relief when the bell rang and I was free to leave. I must have seemed like I was running because Daniel came up beside me. He was panting as if he had run a marathon.

"Hey, Daniel."

"(Y/N)," He started. "Mr Miyagi told me that you were there."

Mr. Miyagi? Must be the name of that guy who helped him. "Where?" I asked, although I knew what he was referring to.

"The night of the dance," He gestured to his head. "He mentioned that you were there. I mean, I remember a little but honestly not much. He said he saw you punch Lawrence."

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, anyway. Thanks again. You always seem to be coming to my rescue."

With that being the end of our conversation he bounded away, most likely going to see where Ali was now. At lunch she told me that he had asked her out. She was so excited and I was definitely happy for her.

I was at my locker loading my backpack up when a shadow loomed near me. I looked around and saw Johnny leaning against the locker next to mine. "Can we talk?" He asked me gently.

I went back to putting books in my bag, doing my best to ignore him.

"Look, I get that you hate me right now. I'd hate myself too, well, I do at the moment. I never should have hit you. I was just so angry."

Angry! The insolence! He had been a monster the night of the dance. There should be no excuse for how he had acted.

As I was trying to quickly shove a few stray papers into my bag, I knocked over the tin pencil case on the top shelf, sending the pens and pencils flying onto the ground. Johnny bent over as I did to help me pick them up but I snarled at him being so close, "Don't!" This seemed to make him stop and he let me pick up the mess I made.

When I had everything cleaned up I zipped up my pack and threw it over my shoulder, also leaving Johnny the message not to follow me when I slammed my locker shut behind me.

He didn't get the hint, "(Y/N)."

I sped up my pace.

"(Y/N)!" He called a bit louder and then he caught up to me again. "Just stop for a second!" He ran a hand through his blonde hair as he walked in front of me but backwards, so that I wouldn't plow him over. "Look, I don't know what to say. I was so stupid to do that to you. I just wasn't thinking clearly." When he saw I still didn't respond to him his face became desperate and he held his hands out, trying to block my path. He could tell I didn't want him to touch me and took care to not be too close. "I took my anger out on you when I shouldn't have and... and... I'm sorry."

Those last two words were nothing but barely a whisper so I almost couldn't hear it but I caught it none the less. I'm sorry. In all the times he had done something so stupid or rude, he had never truly apologized for it. I never heard those words come out of his mouth. When I looked up at him, it seemed he almost didn't believe it either. But still his blue eyes gazed into mine, hopeful.

"I'm sorry," he said again, his gaze never breaking mine. He said it much more clearly the second time around and when he spoke again, I listened. "I won't do that again. Not ever." He looked down at me, "I promise."

Angling my face at him, I let him see the damage he had accomplished. Johnny didn't miss a beat and broke his gaze from mine to examine my head. A curse and a brief look away told me he had seen enough, "Okay."

I realized that we were standing still in the courtyard, just staring at one another. And then I moved around him and continued on my way. Johnny didn't follow me again but I still felt his eyes. He probably wanted me to say more. Maybe tell him that it was alright now and we could return to that understanding we had between one another, but I really still had nothing to say to him. And if I did, I wouldn't waste my breath on it.