
Chapter 6. Some Old Side Road
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𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄 drove towards the Reseda strip mall with Whitney in the passenger seat and Kaitlin and Farrah in the back seat as Britney Spears' Gimme More played on the radio. After spending the morning with Landon, the brunette spent the afternoon with her cousins. Brooke pulled into the strip mall, and parked next to Johnny's red firebird. The four girls placed their sunglasses on their heads, before unbuckling their seatbelts.
"I need somewhere romantic, but not too romantic." Miguel said
"Romantic for what?" Brooke asked, as she and her cousins walked into the dojo
"I have a date with Sam tonight." Miguel smiled
"Congratulations." Brooke smiled. "By the way, these are my cousins, Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah. Girls, this is Miguel."
"Hey babes, nice to meet you." Whitney smiled as she embraced Miguel.
"Hi Miguel." Kaitlin smiled as she shook Miguel's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"You as well." Miguel smiled
"Hi hon." Farrah smiled, shaking Miguel's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"You could take her to get tattoos." Hawk suggested and they looked at the boy in confusion
"What are you even talking about?" Brooke asked
"I know a guy, just hooked me up with this bad boy." Hawk said, as he got off the floor, and untied the top part of his gi, and showed his tattoo.
"That is so badass." Aisha smiled
"That is pretty cool." Whitney said. "Even though I'm scared of needles. Eww."
"Right? Fourteen hours in the chair." Hawk said
"Wait, are your parents ok with that?" Aisha asked, as Hawk put the top half of the gi back on then he sat down
"Oh, they have no idea. Definitely gonna have to wear a t-shirt until college. Probably longer, please don't tell them." Hawk said
"Ok, um.... any other suggestions?" Miguel asked, then glanced at Aisha.
"Don't look at me. Sam and I used to be friends. We're not anymore." Aisha said
"I'm sorry, but I still need your help." Miguel said
"Fine. I know she likes chocolates and astronomy." Aisha said
"I could definitely work with that." Miguel said, as he nodded his head in agreement.
Brooke shook her head, then she and her cousins walked into Johnny's office. "Banned? What are you talking about?" Johnny asked. "No, you don't ban me! I'll ban you!"
"Johnny, what's going on?" Brooke asked. "What did you mean by banned?"
"Sensei, what is it?" Miguel asked
"There's a lifetime ban on cobra kai from entering the tournament." Johnny said, then glanced at Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah.
"Oh Johnny, these are my cousins, Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah. Girls, this is Johnny." Brooke said
"It's nice to meet you guys." Johnny said
"What? How is that fair?" Miguel asked
Johnny sighed in defeat as he sat down in his chair. "It's not. There's nothing I can do about it."
"What happened to never accept defeat? There is no 'no'?" Miguel asked
"That was girl advice. This is different. This is the real world. There are rules." Johnny said
"Since when do you care about following the rules?" Miguel asked. "We don't take no for an answer. You said that. You've gotta fight this."
"He does have a point Johnny." Brooke said
"You know what? You're right." Johnny said as he stood up. "I'm gonna go down there and beat their asses-"
"Johnny, that's not what he means." Brooke said
"Yeah, maybe there's a more delicate approach." Miguel said
"The way of the fist is not delicate." Johnny said. "Cobras are not delicate."
"All right, he didn't mean that. That was obviously the wrong choice of words. Maybe, possibly there's a smarter way to fight back?" Brooke suggested
"What do you suggest?" Johnny asked
"What if we go with you?" Brooke asked
"Thanks kiddo." Johnny smiled
"No problem."
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Johnny stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie, and Brooke, Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah sat on the couch, touching up their makeup. "Can I borrow that Chanel lipgloss?" Brooke asked
"Sure." Whitney smiled, giving her cousin the pink Chanel lipgloss. "Kait, let me use some blush. I'm almost out of mine."
"Just this once." Kaitlin said, giving her sister the blush.
As Johnny finished getting ready, Miguel walked into the apartment. "Hey sensei. You nervous for your meeting?" Miguel asked
"I'm not nervous. I'm pissed off." Johnny said, never taking his eyes off his reflection.
Brooke rolled her eyes as she gave Whitney the lipgloss back. "Johnny, you have to be nice to these people, especially if you want Cobra Kai reinstated."
"If you get pissed, what are you gonna do?" Kaitlin asked, zipping up her Louis Vuitton makeup bag
"I don't know. I ususally just punch the guy." Johnny said
"Okay, how about this, when someone makes you angry, you just make a fist like you're going to punch them, but don't?" Miguel suggested and Johnny didn't respond.
Brooke took her perfume out of her purse and spritzed some on her pulse points. "Not a bad idea."
"Yeah. Make a first, but don't punch anyone. Hold it in. I can try." Johnny said
"Oh, a briefcase! What's inside?" Miguel asked with enthusiasm
"Nothing." Johnny said, opening the brief case. "Found it in the dumpster." Brooke, Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah wrinkled their noses in disgust. "So, are you nervous for your date?"
"Yeah, a little. a lot." Miguel smiled nervously.
"There's nothing to be nervous about. Just relax, be cool, and when the moment's right, you make a move." Johnny said
"A move? What move?" Miguel asked nervously. "I don't have a move."
"You gotta kiss the girl." Johnny said
"I mean, I'd like to, but I don't technically have to
right?" Miguel asked.
"No, you could just learn to braid her hair and talk about the other guys who had the balls to kiss her on a first date." Johnny said, while Miguel panicked. "You're a Cobra Kai! Sttike first, strike hard, those lessons aren't just for karate, it's for everything alright?"
"Babes, did you decided where you're taking her?" Whitney asked as she spritzed her perfume on her pulse points, then zipped up her makeup bag
"The observatory." Miguel said. "Little picnic on the lawn, chocolate tasting three ways, and if the sky's clear, we'll look at the stars."
"She'll love that." Farrah smiled. "Good thinking."
"The only thing that made sense was three-way." Johnny said, earning an eye roll from Brooke and her cousins. "All right, if you wanna impress this chick, you've gotta take her where I used to take all my babes back in the day."
"And where's that exactly?"
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Johnny parked his firebird as he, Brooke, Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah got out, and walked into city hall. "All right, Johnny. You've got this, and good luck." Brooke said
"Thanks kiddo." Johnny said, then walked into the meeting room.
Brooke and her cousins sat down in the chairs, and scrolled through their facebook and instagram feeds. "I think it's crazy to have a lifetime ban on Cobra Kai. They could at least tell Johnny why they banned it." Whitney said
"I know." Brooke said, locking her phone. "Given everything that happened back in the 80s, I can see why."
As the girls continued scrolling through their instagram and facebook feeds, and waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the double doors opened to reveal Johnny walking out nervously.
"How did it go?" Brooke asked as Johnny sat next to her.
"It's all up to a vote now. They either let Cobra Kai compete or not. It was all because of the past-my old sensei and some other guy." Johnny said. "I wanted them to see that we're a new Cobra Kai. Kids like Miguel will stand up for themselves and not get picked on because they're different. They'll become a lot stronger. Not only physically, but emotionally as well."
"Johnny, everything's gonna work out the way it's supposed to." Kaitlin said. "We know you're going to do the right thing."
Suddenly, Daniel walked out of the meeting room, visibly upset. "Congratulations Johnny." Daniel gave his nieces a smile then walked out the door
"What was that all about? I know you and uncle Dan have your complicated history, but you'd think he'd be happy for you." Whitney said
"LaRusso's always been a drama queen." Johnny said. "C'mon, let's go."
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Back at the Reseda strip mall, after Brooke, Whitney, Kaitlin, and Farrah went back to Whitney and Kaitlin's Encino residence, Johnny stood in the dojo, putting up the all valley poster in his office. "Ooh who's the man?!" Miguel exclaimed as he threw his bag and bike helmet down
"I'm the man! Oh shit, are you the man too?" Johnny asked. "Tell me you're the man."
"I'm the man! I crushed the date!" Miguel smiled
"I crushed the committee meeting." Johnny smiled
"So Cobra Kai's in?" Miguel smiled
"Hell yeah we're in." Johnny smiled. "Cobra Kai's back baby."
"All right, I'm gonna go grab a soda. Do you want a banquet?" Miguel asked
"No, this calls for a real toast." Johnny said as he walked into the office to grab a liquor bottle and cups. "The good stuff for real men."
As Johnny gave Miguel a cup, the teen took a whiff of the strong liquor and cringed at its strong smell. "Ugh, the smell." Miguel said
"Drink it, it'll put hair on your balls." Johnny said as he set the bottle aside
"Is that a good thing?" Miguel asked
"Yeah, it's a good thing." Johnny said
"To Cobra Kai." Miguel said, as he raised his cup
"Never accept defeat."
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After receiving a phone call from her daughter and nieces saying that the meeting had gone well and Cobra Kai was to compete in this year's tournament, Missie drove over to Reseda for some celebratory drinks with Johnny. After getting out of the car, and locking it behind her, she walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door.
"Hey princess, come in." Johnny smiled as Missie walked into the small Reseda apartment.
"The girls called me and told me you got Cobra Kai reinstated. I had to come down and celebrate with you." Missie smiled as she placed her purse aside
"Make yourself at home, come have a drink." Johnny said
Missie smiled as she served herself some whiskey in a glass. "So, Cobra Kai's back in the tournament. Congratulations. How'd you get the dojo reinstated?"
"The dojo's been banned since 1985. Kreese and some guy hired this other guy to beat the crap out of LaRusso, who also happens to be on the board, and after that, Cobra Kai was banned for 'unsportsmanlike behavior'." Johnny said
"And you had no idea about this?" Missie asked
"Of course not, we were already in Chicago by then and besides, I didn't care." Johnny said, opening up another beer.
"So what's next?" Missie asked
"Now, the real training begins. These kids are good, but if we want a shot at this, they have to get better." Johnny said
"And they will. They've got you teaching them, so they'll be fine." Missie said
"Your kids and your nieces, they're good kids." Johnny said. "They didn't have to go tonight, but they did, I'm grateful for that."
"They went because they wanted to." Missie said. "And thank you."
A couple hours had passed as Missie and Johnny continued to drink while reminiscing. Missie stayed for another hour until she began to yawn and checked her watch for the time.
"I better get going, but thank you for the drinks, and for being so kind to my kids and my nieces." Missie said as she stood up from the table.
"Yeah, like I said, they're good kids." Johnny said, as Missie put on her blazer jacket. "You know, it's late. Why don't you crash here?"
Missie was taken aback by the suggestion. "Thank you, but I'll be fine." she smiled.
"You really want to drive back to Encino at 2 am?" Johnny asked. "I don't want anything happening to you."
"I do hate driving at night." Missie said. "If it's not too much trouble, I'll crash."
After bidding good night to each other, Johnny went into his room as Missie settled into the spare room and climbed into bed. Once her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile in the next room, Johnny laid wide awake in bed, thinking about the brunette in the next room. The last time he and Missie were in the same apartment together was more than 30 years ago when they were together. He remembers those moments as if they were yesterday; waking up together, going to bed together, sitting around the tv together, and taking drives around Chicago together.
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Flashback
- October 1985; Chicago, IL
Upon opening his eyes, Johnny heard the soft sound of the radio playing, which played Madonna's Lucky Star. He groaned as he reached over to the bed, which and found it empty, which meant that Missie was already awake. He ran his hands through his hair as he laid on his back, down. Johnny smiled as he saw Missie stand in the doorway of their bedroom, wearing his Def Leppard t-shirt as a nightgown, a cup of coffee in her hands
"Morning honey." Missie smiled as she walked over to the bed, and sat her coffee cup on the nightstand. "You were sleeping so good and I didn't want to wake you up."
"Morning babe." Johnny smiled as Missie laid back down in the bed. "How long have you been up?"
"Oh not long." Missie said, laying her head on his pillow. "I got some last minute studying in as Professor Johnson's test is this week."
"You know you're going to kill it, princess." Johnny smiled. "It's Saturday, why don't you take the day and relax? Besides we've both had a long week, so let's sleep a little longer."
Missie smiled as she pulled the covers over her body, and the couple laid down. Johnny smiled as he pressed a kiss to Missie's forehead, and held her close to him.
"I love you princess." Johnny smiled, holding Missie close to him
"I love you too, honey."
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The tournament was less than a month away, and in order for Cobra Kai to stand a chance at winning, the training had intensified. The early morning sun beat down on the group of kids, while Johnny stood on top of a tire in the junkyard, drinking a beer.
"You've trained hard. You've gotten stronger, tougher, faster. You've done your best. You're ready for this tournament, am I right?" Johnny yelled, looking around at the kids
"Yes sensei!" the kids replied in unison
"Wrong!" Johnny yelled, throwing his beer down at them. "Your best ain't shit! If you wanna win the All Valley Under-18 karate Tournament, you gotta be better than your best. Which is why from now on, you're gonna get my worst. Do you understand?"
"Yes sensei!"
"Are you losers?"
"No sensei!"
"Are you nerds?"
"No sensei!"
"Are you sure?"
"No, sensei!"
Johnny pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes and groaned. This was gonna be a long process. After setting up the obstacles, the kids got to work. They smashed car windows, threw things from windows, balanced on a metal beam over metal and glass, and ran through tires. All the while, Johnny yelled at them, sometimes encouraging, sometimes not.
"You guys hungry?" Johnny asked, handing the kids some beef jerky.
"Yes sensei!" the kids replied in unison, some kids popping into their mouths.
"Good. So are they." Johnny said, then pulled a dog whistle out of his pocket and blew it. The sound of barking was heard and the group turned around to see a pack of german shepherds running at them, snarling hungrily.
"Oh shit!" Aisha yelled, taking off running, the other kids following her. The kids climbed up on cars as they tried to escape the dogs only for the dogs to jump on the cars
"Don't be afraid, they can smell fear!" Johnny said, then turned to find a dog had jumped up to bite hawk. Johnny cringed as the boy groaned in pain.
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