Aisha had to laugh as Kody walked in to the dojo the next day. "Woah, nice California stereotype."

Miguel and Hawk turned to see Kody with his sunglasses pushed up on damp hair, a hawaiian shirt on that was unbuttoned, a beachy glow across his face, and a rosy tint from the sun. Hawk looked in confusion. "Where'd you come from?"

"Auditions." he yanked his glasses off, throwing them to the side as he fell to his knees. "Gee. Could a real zip gun make you do that?"

The trio looked at him oddly, the open shirted boy on his knees. Kody rose his eyebrows in disbelief. "No one? No one knows it?"

"I'm so confused." Miguel admitted.

"West Wide Story!" Kody called, getting to his feet again with a crazy look. "Hello? Baby John? I told all of you I had summer play auditions!"

"Ohhhh." the trio spoke on sync.

Hawk cracked a grin. "Gettin' into character?"

"Yeah." he said in return, standing up and pulling the rest of the shirt off. "I was up all night memorizing that script. Mom was Bernardo."

"When do you find out if you got the part?" Miguel asked, watching Kody reach into his bag for his gi. "Are you gonna have time for both?"

"Totally. Multi-tasking, baby." Kody grinned, pushing some of the slightly greased hair back as he pulled the white gi on, looking for the belt. "Are you gonna come to my play?"

"Duh." Miguel said back with a grin.

Hawk cleared his throat loudly. "Why didn't you ask me to help you run lines again?"

"You said you were going to Moons." Kody shrugged, tying his gi belt around his waist. "It's cool."

"Everyone, fall in." Johnny called, Kody hurried to get his glasses he threw, joining the rest of the team. "The back thrust kick works like this. You step, pivot, throw a side kick."

"What about if your opponent attacks you from behind?" Hawk spoke up curiously.

"Excellent question." Sensei Lawrence nodded. "Sensei Kreese, wanna take this one?"

"Oh, sandbox guy." Kody mumbled, grinning toward Hawk as he got a head shake in return.

Kreese looked in shock a moment. "Certainly, Sensei Lawrence. The key to this move is making your enemy think you are retreating. But just as they let their guard down, that's when you strike the hardest."

"That hurt?" Kody asked, hearing a noise from Hawk when he was in the process of helping him switch his hair color from blue to red, his head leaned back in one of the salon chairs.

"No, it feels nice." he said back, shutting his eyes. Kody cracked a minor grin, rubbing his gloved hands through his hair to lather up the red shade. Dotti let Kody do Hawks hair again, giving them space while she paid bills on her computer toward the back.

"Okay, we gotta rinse you." Kody hummed, pulling the red tinted gloves off and trashing them. Hawk stood up, following him toward the rincing station. "Why'd you decide to switch colors?"

"Just a little change." he sat down, leaning back again. "Does it look bad?"

"No, I dig it." Kody grinned down at him slightly, turning on the water but positioning it to only spray on his wrist. "Give me your hand, tell me if this is too hot."

Hawk held his hand up, Kodys latching onto it, pulling back to let the water hit it. "Little cold."

Kody turned the notch some more, changing his standing position to run his hands through his hair again, rinsing the remaining red. "Are you getting the blue on your back changed too?"

"Yeah, I was gonna meet Moon there after this." he hummed in response, Kody did the same. "You wanna come?"

"No, i've gotta sit around and wait to see if I made call backs." Kody answered, his fingernails scratching at Hawks scalp as his eyes shut again. "What do you think of Sensei Kreese?"

"He seems badass." the, now, red haired boy said back as Kody gave a small squeeze to his hair to get the remaining water out. "Maybe don't call him the sandbox guy."

Kody had to laugh, getting the small towel. "That's probably smart."

"So, don't get too excited." Hawk spoke, being met with a towel on his head as Kody started to towel dry the newly dyed and rinsed hair. "But, Moons not totally sure if she's gonna get to go yet."

"Go where?" Kody hummed, removing the towel to examine the damp hair.

"You remember when I told you about my grandparents? The ones with the massive house and a bunch of acres of land?" Hawk continued on, getting a nod as Kody pulled him back to the mirror seat. "I'm suppose to go see them for the weekend soon. They said I can bring someone."

Kody gave a snort. "So i'm your second option?"

"What? No!" Hawk said defensively, looking at him in the mirror. "But, i'm trying to impress Moon."

"I get it. I once took a girl to a really expensive restaurant to impress her and had to beg my dad to PayPal me the money." Kody nodded in return, brushing gently through his hair. "Did you know that oysters are alive when you eat them?"

"Yeah, I did." he said back with a minor grin. "But, if Moon can't go, you'll come with me, right?"

"Yeah, totally." Kody agreed with him, reaching for the blow dryer. "You don't wanna go alone?"

"They're kinda...judgmental." Hawk explained with a tilt of his head. "Rich people, you know?"

"No, I don't know that many rich people." he said in return, getting a minor look of disbelief. "But, yeah, I'll go if Moon doesn't."

The blow dryer switched on, creating a loud screech through the tiny hair salon.

"Please, please, just for me." Kody begged, holding an onion ring. "Hawk, please."

"No!" he shoved the onion ring away from him. "Absolutely not."

"But these are the good ones." he continued to beg. "If you don't eat them, i'm just gonna eat them and then regret it when I can't move."

"Not my problem." Hawk said, standing up and pulling Kody with him. "Come on."

Tory watched the two go, looking at Aisha. "Does he drag him everywhere?"

"Pretty much." Aisha had to agree. "Like a little puppy."

"Kody came on our first date together." Moon said, looking up from her phone. "And we changed the location because he doesn't like bowling."

Hawk stopped before Assface and Penis Breaths table, taking their last mozzarella stick. "That was my last mozzarella stick."

"Gotta pay the vig, pledge." Hawk smirked his way.

"What a vig?" Kody hummed, leaning on Assfaces chair. "Do you know, Assface?"

"Why doesn't he get a nickname?" Chris asked Hawk, walking around with Penis Breath while Kody got called his full name.

"Kody is the nickname." Hawk cracked a knowing grin his way.

"It's true." the O'Dell boy hummed in response. "My real name is Forehead Sweat."

Hawk laughed at his words, the pair breathing character as Chris rolled his eyes. Mitch clearly wasn't paying attention, too focused on his phone in shock. Hawk noticed. "What's the matter with you?"

"Something you should see." Mitch passed the photo, Kody leaned over Hawks shoulder as they looked down at the nasty Yelp review.

"Very unprofessional sensei. Does not take into account safety or personal boundaries." Hawk read on in disbelief. "Facility in need of a major face-lift. Who the hell does this guy think he is?"

"Hit his name." Kody tapped the icon, Demetri staring back at them. "Oh, that looks like Demetri. I wonder if they are related."

"It is Demetri." Hawk grumbled, fuming in disbelief.

•

kylie speaks

hawk really said
'do you wanna come
meet my grandparents?🙄✋🏻'