Power of love — Huey Lewis and the News

  THINGS WERE FINALLY SETTLING DOWN IN CYNTHIA'S LIFE. She was sort of getting along with her father, and she had made a new friend in Tory, even though she wasn't really expecting it. She had been getting back into a good relationship with Bianca, and the woman seemed happier than she usually was.

Not that she would tell anyone why.

"So, do you think you could set it up?" Tory questioned, pointing her head in Theo's direction.

"We aren't even friends, honestly. I have barely spoken to him in a year." Cynthia shrugged as the Nichols girl pulled her arm, helping her stretch.

"Please?" The blonde pouted her lips slightly, making her new friends sigh.

"Fine, but follow me and don't be mad if this goes completely wrong, okay?" The Sari girl pinched the bridge of her nose, making her way over to where Miguel and Theo were helping each other stretch. "Hey, guys."

"Sup, Cyn." Miguel smiled lightly at her, but avoided eye contact. He was ashamed at the way he had acted at Coyote Creek, and he felt like he should apologize, but felt like he shouldn't in front of everyone else.

"Hey." Theo added on, stretching his arms upward.

"Theo, you want to hang out with Tory this Friday? At the bowling alley?" Cynthia questioned, just wanting to get the situation over with as quickly as possible.

"I have work but, you can come in an eighties outfit, it's the theme for the night." Tory explained, the girl stepping forward proudly with a smile.

"No kidding! The eighties? I love the eighties. Dibs on Anthony Michael Hall in weird science." Miguel uttered out quickly, kind of inviting himself.

"So, I guess we'll see you guys at eight?" Theo looked between the girls who sighed, knowing their plan to get the two on a date had utterly failed.

"I guess so."

  JOHNNY SEEMED SADDER THAN USUAL AS HE STOOD in front of the class. Cynthia's hands were behind her back, and she bit the inside of her cheek in suspense. She took note that Kreese wasn't there, and sure, that made her happy but, she couldn't help but wonder if that was the root of her Sensei's sadness.

"Today, we'll be learning one of the most important lessons a Cobra Kai could ever know." The blonde man spoke up, as he did his usual pacing in front of them.

"Where's Sensei Kreese?" Hawk questioned, Cyn lightly shaking his head not knowing exactly why he cared.

"Yeah, shouldn't we wait for the Sensei emeritus before we get going?" Sting ray questioned. "Or not."

"Mr. Kreese will no longer be joining us." Johnny finally announced, the whole dojo giving him mixed emotions.

"Yes." Cynthia said, loudly enough for everyone to stare at her blankly. "Sorry, continue."

"I made a promise when I became your Sensei. To always look out for your best interests. Despite how hard this might be for some of us..." Johnny's eyes went to the Sari girl, pointing out her little outburst. "He didn't have our best interest at heart. John Kreese may have founded Cobra Kai, but he no longer represents what this dojo stands for. His Cobra Kai was old and outdated. He refused to move forward. What happens when we do that, Mr. Diaz?"

"You get stuck like cement." The Diaz boy answered.

It was in that moment that Cynthia realized all the rough edges she once hated about Johnny Lawrence were created by Kreese. The way he didn't believe girls could fight as well or better than girls, or the way that he dismissed people even when they wanted to help. It all went back to that old, cruel man.

"Exactly, to learn to be a great fighter, you gotta learn how to adapt. This creed on the wall.. follow it to the letter, it'll make you strong. It'll make you formidable. It will also make you an asshole. 'Cause that's just black  paint on a white wall but, life's not black and white. More often than not, it's gray and it's in those gray areas where Johnny Lawrence's Cobra Kai sometimes shows mercy. Doesn't mean you can't be a badass, it's still a requirement. But you have to learn to think, not just with your gut, or your fist, but to really use this." Johnny pointed at his brain, the man looking like this epiphany was bringing him half to tears. "Which leads me to today's lesson.  Head butting, go grab a partner."

Cynthia awkwardly looked around, and as Hawk began to approach her, the girl snatched Miguel's hand and pulled him towards her.

"I call dibs on you today." She smiled lightly, the boy nodding in response because he could tell she needed her best friend, it seemed like she always would need him.

Which obviously made him more than happy, because that meant she'd always be in his life.

CYNTHIA TAPPED HER HANDS ON THE TABLE AS SHE waited for Bianca to leave the bathroom. The woman was setting up pictures for the dating app they were planning to put her on, and she had changed her outfit about twenty times so they could look like she took all of them of different days. Cyn had to admit this is the most fun she's had for days, so she didn't mind much.

"All these pictures for an app? All i'm saying is, you used to find real dates in person." Simon spoke to his sister as they walked out of the hallway, the man having been waiting for her to leave the bathroom to the point where he didn't even need to go anymore.

"Look where that's gotten me." Bianca mumbled as she threw her phone to her niece, the Sari girl opening it up to finish her profile.

"Where exactly is that, auntie B?" Cynthia raised a brow as she laughed, scrolling threw all the pictures.

"Almost forty, alone, and living with my brother in a one bedroom apartment." The older woman answered, blowing her hair out of her face as she plopped herself down onto the couch.

"I'm suddenly offended." Simon spoke, sitting on a chair across from the girls as he leaned backward.

"Good." Cynthia smiled as she finished up the profile, waiting as a bunch of guys started to join the line up. "Voila, now you have all the options of single guys in the valley."

She handed her aunt the phone, and the woman began to scroll through all her options silently.

"How effective can online dating really be? I mean, just because someone is hot, doesn't make them... you know, tolerable." Simon cringed as he thought of his ex-fiancé, knowing deep down he only considered marrying her for more stability and to piss off his ex wife.

"Some people really like dating like this, something about taking pressure of them? Hell, I don't know." Cynthia shrugged lightly, not being able to care at all about dating after her breakup.

Even though it had been almost two weeks.

"Shut up." Bianca spoke, her family all furrowing her brows at her. "Johnny's on here."

Hm, Cyn would call something like that fate, even if it sounded a little dramatic.

BIANCA WAS QUITE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT her dating profile seemed to only attract low life asshole with no future. She sighed as she took a shot, placing her head on the no doubt dirty bar counter. However, the woman looked up upon someone sitting next to her.

"Oh, it's you." She spoke dryly, rolling her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Had a few dates, they sucked." Johnny admitted, waving the bartender over. "Coors Banquet."

"Gross." Bianca basically cringed at his choice of drink before she sat up straight, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. "One of the assholes I went on a date on pulled the I forgot my wallet trick. His order was $70 fucking dollars."

The Sari woman was all about women paying for dates too but, she couldn't stand the fact that the guy had literally pretended he was going to pay and then made her spend around $100 for a terrible first date.

"I seen a lady I used to work for, she looked a lot hotter this time around but she's also a bitch." As the bartender came back, Johnny took ahold of his drink and took a long sip.

"My brother was right, online dating sucks." Bianca pouted her lips, sipping on the drink she had from earlier.

"Amen." Johnny paused, staring at the woman for a second before he decided to change to topic in an unexpected direction. "How are you and Mouth doing? With him back?"

Bianca was shocked to hear the mans concern, but it made her smile nonetheless.

"Better, it was really tense before but it's not anymore." The Sari woman let out a sigh. "I'm just glad she had you when he wasn't here."

That was genuine, there was no backhandedness, or snarky remark because she truly meant it.

"Makes me wonder why I swiped left." She finished, making the mans eyes widen.

"You swiped left on me? I swiped left on you too." Johnny admitted, both of them laughing in unison.

Maybe Cynthia was right.

CYNTHIA, MIGUEL, AND THEO WALKED INTO THE CASCADE all decked out in their eighties attire. Miguel wore an old Cobra Kai jacket with his hair styled upward, Theo had a Marty McFly outfit, and Cynthia decided on a Veronica Sawyer from Heathers outfit. This was no doubt a weird situation, but the girl was going to make the most of it.

The things she does for friends.

"Tory's over there." Cyn pointed to the blonde girl who was in her skates not too far away from them.

"Let's go over there." Theo headed in that direction first, the two other teens laughing before they followed him over.

"Hey, what time do you get off so we all can—" Miguel stopped and Cyn's eyes widened as they seen Sam and Robby standing there together. "Oh um, hey, I didn't recognize you. I.. dig the costumes."

"Yeah, nice hair, dude." Theo commented, sizing the other teens up.

He knew who they were well, and he didn't like them.

"Thanks." Robby spoke dryly.

"I'm more of a ducky girl." Cynthia looked down at her nails, the air tense around all of them.

"Tory, Theo, this is Sam and Robby." Miguel introduced. "and you guys already know Cynthia..."

"We've met, Sam and I had a little run-in at the beach club." Tory spoke, obviously not in favor of the Larusso girl.

"So, uh, what are you guys doing together? Is it like a double date or something?" Sam questioned awkwardly looking between them.

"N—"

"Yup." Tory answered smugly to get back at the other girl, Cynthia letting out a sigh.

This would end badly.

"We've gotta go, hang out or whatever." The Sari girl said awkwardly, pointing to anywhere except where they were.

"Yeah, good idea." Theo's eyes were narrowed in on Robby, and Cynthia was quite confused as to why, the girl deciding not to question it.

Things were already way too complicated.

  BIANCA AND JOHNNY WERE PRACTICALLY HUNCHED over in laughter for the next hour talking about nothing and everything. It was nice to have someone to understand your points of view on things, and that was what was happening. Though, as Bianca noticed someone not too far away, she realized her good night would soon come to an end.

"Do you see that guy over there? Isn't that Carmen's boyfriend?" She questioned, ever so subtly pointing at the man.

"I don't know what the hell he looks like." The Lawrence man shrugged and took a sip of his drink, but the Sari woman wasn't going to let it go.

So of course, she started listening in.

"She lives with her mum, way I see it, she's good for a few bangs then i'll drop her. I mean, i'm not trying to be a dad to her kid or anything." The mans words were enough to make Bianca narrow her eyes and scrunch up her fists.

"If I want to kick a grown mans ass, you'll have my back, right?" She questioned, raising a slight brow.

"Sure." Johnny chugged the remainder of his beer before slamming it on the counter. "Let's do it."

Bianca glanced backward as she watched the man walk outside before she pushed herself up from her chair, putting some cash on the table.

"Let's go." She quickly weaved her way through people as the Lawrence man followed behind her, both of them ready for a fight.

Her more than him.

The man was peeing when they got outside, the back door slamming behind them.

"Go on, there's room for one more." He spoke in a nonchalant voice.

"No need, put your dick away teddy grams, we've got business to get to." Bianca spoke, angrily tapping her foot on the ground.

Nobody fucks with her best friend.

Graham zipped up his pants and turned to them in annoyance, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, man. We heard what you said about Carmen, and if you're going to do all that you night as well break up with her." Johnny spoke, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, you're her neighbors. Here's some advic—"

Bianca balled her fist, taking her arm back before she harshly punched the man in the face, making him stumble back.

"Nice one." An impressed Johnny spoke, nodding approvingly.

"Thanks." The Sari woman replied with a smile as Graham ran at them, the Lawrence man elbowing him in the stomach as he tried to run at the Sari woman.

The blonde man then kicked him to the ground and then went to grab a lid to the trash, holding it up to hit him, but he hesitated.

"You're lucky i'm showing mercy." Johnny explained as he threw it back onto the ground.

"This is mercy?" Graham questioned.

"Just don't go Carmen again, okay?" The Lawrence man held him by the chest and threw him backward.

"If you do, i'll be showing no mercy." Bianca spat out, the woman zipping up her leather jacket. "Let's go."

Then the two of them walked out of the alley side by side.

CYNTHIA HAD ACTUALLY BEEN HAVING FUN HANGING out with the boys and just skating around. Every once in awhile Tory would come and skate with them, and the quartet was having an all around good time. Cyn's calfs started to hurt for some reason, so she decided to make her way off the floor, the boys following her because they thought it was weird if they just skated alone together.

"You guys are such wimps, boys can skate together without it being weird." She defended, shaking her head. "Let's just find Tory so we can get something to eat."

"Cheese fries sounds delicious right now." Theo agreed, holding the wall beside him to keep himself up.

"There she is." Miguel pointed upward, and just as he did, Tory got knocked down onto the ground by Sam.

"What the hell!" Cynthia automatically skated over, sending the LaRusso girl a disapproving look. "Are you crazy?"

"Me? What—... she's the one—"

"Are you okay, Tory?" Miguel interrupted, him and Theo helping the blonde to her feet as Sam protested doing anything wrong in the background.

"Thanks, guys." The Nichols girl smiled at them both, as Cynthia turned around to look at the two Miyagi-do students.

"Don't come near us, ever." She spoke, shaking her head.

They wanted a war, they were gonna get it.

AUTHORS NOTE—
So yeah, I did a double update, don't be mad at me lmfao.

One bad thing about Cynthia? (Come on give me something lmao)

Hope you enjoyed!