chapter twenty-four:
❛ jumping off ❜

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Arizona's heart pounded as she dragged her feet up the stairs, sweat dripping from her brow. Her legs were burning with each step, and the endless spiral of stairs seemed to mock her exhaustion. Johnny had switched students with Daniel, sending all of Miyagi-Do to some mysterious building under Johnny's command. She wasn't sure what to expect, but by the time she had reached the fourth flight, dread started creeping in. Arizona was being dragged along on this since she wasn't sure which dojo she wanted to be in.

"I think I might die," Arizona huffed dramatically, collapsing back against the cool concrete wall of the stairwell, trying to catch her breath. Her face flushed with fatigue, her legs trembling under the strain of the relentless climb. "Where is he even taking us?"

Sam turned, only a few steps ahead, her face showing concern, though she was winded as well. Demetri, slightly behind Arizona, leaned against the railing, panting hard. "Nowhere good," Demetri muttered, bending over with his hands on his knees as he sucked in deep breaths. "I heard he drowned a kid in a pool to teach him how to kick. And that was before he sicced a rabid dog on Eli. This doesn't bode well."

Arizona's eyes widened in disbelief. "Eli got bit by a rabid dog?! Wow, he didnt tell me about that." She pushed herself off the wall in shock, her breath momentarily forgotten in her surprise.

Demetri straightened up just enough to give her a tired look. "He knew you'd freak if he did." he said grimly, wiping sweat off his forehead.

Before Arizona could respond, Johnny's voice boomed from somewhere above them, bouncing off the stairwell walls. "Let's go, Miyagi's and Arizona! Move your asses!" His voice cut through the air like a whip, and Arizona winced, instantly feeling the pressure.

Demetri shot her a look of shared misery. "Here we go," he mumbled, and with an exaggerated sigh, he forced himself up the last set of stairs. Arizona groaned but followed, her legs heavy as lead. Every step felt like a struggle, her muscles screaming in protest. Finally, they reached the top, and Johnny kicked open the door with a loud crash that echoed around the stairwell.

The sunlight hit them harshly as they stepped outside onto the rooftop. Arizona blinked, momentarily blinded, but as her eyes adjusted, her stomach twisted in knots. The edge of the roof loomed ahead, and just beyond it, there was a terrifyingly large gap that separated them from another building. Arizona heart sank as she realized the drop was far worse than it had seemed in her head.

She took a few cautious steps toward the edge and peered down, immediately feeling dizzy at the sight. The ground was far below, and her knees wobbled at the sheer height of it. Dirty, stained mattresses were strewn on the ground below, looking more like discarded garbage than something that would break a fall.

"That doesn't look sanitary," Arizona muttered, her nose scrunched up in disgust as she stepped back, trying to steady her breathing.

"Oh god. I'm tired of being right," Demetri groaned, his face pale as he backed away from the edge as well. The height clearly wasn't sitting well with him either, and he looked as though he might faint at any moment.

Sam crossed her arms, eyes narrowing as she looked around. "What are we doing here?" she asked Johnny, suspicion lacing her voice.

Johnny paced back and forth like a drill sergeant, eyes hard and determined. "When an eagle's hungry, it doesn't hesitate. It'll dive down at 100 miles an hour to snatch its prey. Doesn't wait around for a fish to jump into its talons."

Arizona and Demetri exchanged a quick glance, muttering in unison, "Talons."

Johnny misheard. "It's not talent. It's instinct," he corrected, thinking they were talking about something else. Arizona'z lips quirked in disbelief, and she caught Demetri rolling his eyes slightly.

Johnny continued without missing a beat. "An eagle knows it has to make the first move. If you wanna beat Cobra Kai in the All Valley, you gotta break yourself of this wait-and-see crap. You don't sit back. You act."

The mention of the All Valley caused a pang in Arizona'z chest. She wasn't even sure if she was gonna do it—so much has happened. She was fully against karate before. Maybe it's better if she joined something else like figure skating.

Sam's voice broke the tension. "How exactly are we supposed to do that?"

Johnny pointed to the gap between the roofs, motioning toward the building across from them. "You're gonna jump from this roof to that one."

Arizona's jaw dropped, and her heart rate skyrocketed. She instinctively reached out, grabbing Demetri's arm and squeezing so tightly that he winced. "Ari, you're hurting me," Demetri said with a grimace, and Arizona quickly released her grip, muttering an "sorry", though her eyes stayed glued to the terrifying gap.

"What? Are you crazy?" Demetri gaped, staring at Johnny as if he'd lost his mind. "That building is, like, five Nates away, and we're at least fourteen Nates high!"

Arizona chimed in, throwing a glance toward Nate, who looked as shocked as the rest of them. "Exactly. This is at least fourteen Nates!"

Nate blinked in confusion. "Please don't use me as a system of measurement," he muttered.

Johnny raised his hand, silencing them. "Quiet!" His voice was firm, and Alessia jumped slightly at his tone. "If you wanna be an eagle, first you gotta learn how to fly. You can't do that unless you jump."

Arizona bit her lip, nerves twisting in her stomach. "What if we fall?" she asked, her voice small but laced with fear.

"That's what the mattresses are for," Johnny said, nodding toward the dirty mattresses below.

Arizona expression turned incredulous. "You're insane!"

"Thank you, Bubblegum." Johnny shot back, dismissing her concern with a wave of his hand.

He stepped closer to the edge and looked over the group. "Alright, who's first?"

Everyone stared at him in stunned silence. No one moved. Arizona glanced around, hoping someone else would step forward, but the entire group stood frozen, sharing uneasy looks. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest, the fear mounting as Johnny's gaze swept over them.

"We're not leaving until someone jumps," Johnny declared, his voice firm and unyielding. He crossed his arms, staring them down.

Arizona groaned, knowing there was no easy way out of this. She glanced at Demetri, who looked equally horrified. Everyone remained still, and after a tense moment, Sam took a step forward, her face set in determination.

"Then I guess you'll be waiting a long time," Sam said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because we're not jumping."

With that, Sam turned on her heel and walked away from the edge, heading toward the benches on the roof. The others hesitated for a moment but quickly followed her lead, leaving Johnny standing alone by the ledge. Arizona sighed in relief as she backed away, grateful that Sam had spoken up. But even as she walked away, a nervous thought gnawed at the back of her mind—if Johnny was capable of pushing them to do this, what was next?

About half an hour later, the air on the rooftop was thick with impatience and hesitation. No one had made a move. The students sat scattered across the benches, most of them scrolling through their phones or chatting nervously. Arizona sat quietly, her thoughts a whirlwind of doubt and determination. She hadn't wanted to be here, hadn't wanted to confront anything today, especially not something so reckless. But Johnny's words from earlier lingered in her mind.

As Johnny stalked around the rooftop, arms folded across his chest, his patience had clearly worn thin. He glanced down at the mattresses and then at the students, shaking his head.

"So, no one wants to fly?" he barked, loud enough that it echoed across the rooftop. "You all just want to stay in the nest?"

Everyone paused for a second, exchanging uncertain glances before they scrambled to grab their bags. Arizona slung her backpack over her shoulder, her muscles aching with the weight of the morning's frustrations. She was ready to be done with this. She hadn't expected anything different from Johnny, and as much as part of her wanted to be brave, the idea of jumping from rooftop to rooftop felt absurd. She turned toward the door, ready to leave with the others.

"Pathetic!" Johnny's voice cut through the rooftop, sharp and biting.

Arizona stopped in her tracks, a chill running up her spine. The word felt like a slap, not just to her but to everyone. She turned slowly, eyes narrowing as she glared at him. Her gaze met Johnny's as he stepped closer, his stare challenging, daring someone—anyone—to prove him wrong.

Johnny's eyes flicked to Sam, then to Arizona, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Looks like you got what you two wanted," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. His words were aimed directly at them, like a challenge neither of them could ignore.

For a second, silence stretched between them. Arizona felt her chest tighten with frustration, and then, in one swift motion, she dropped her bag to the ground. The sound of it hitting the concrete was like a signal—a defiant response to Johnny's taunt. A second later, Sam did the same, her eyes locking with Alessia's, a silent agreement passing between them.

Arizona took a deep breath, her heart racing as she stepped forward. She wasn't going to back down now. Not after everything she had fought through. She squared her shoulders and eyed the gap between the buildings. It looked intimidating, but not impossible. Not anymore.

Without another thought, Arizona took a running start, her legs pumping with adrenaline as she raced toward the edge of the roof. Her feet pounded against the concrete, and the wind rushed past her ears. In that split second before she jumped, everything slowed down—the wind, the sky, the sound of her own breath.

And then she leapt.

Her body flew through the air, her feet kicking out as she cleared the gap, and before she knew it, her feet hit the other rooftop. The impact jolted her, but she stayed upright, her heart pounding in her chest. Alessia stumbled for a moment, catching her balance before straightening up. She had made it.

"Nice move, Bubblegum!" Johnny yelled from the other rooftop, his voice carrying across the gap with a surprising tone of pride.

The moment felt surreal. Arizona heart was still racing, her breath coming in quick bursts, but for the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't feel weighed down. She didn't feel like she was stuck on the sidelines. Instead, she had jumped—both literally and metaphorically—and it felt incredible.

Arizona paced back and forth in her room, phone in hand, her voice animated as she recounted the crazy day she just had. "Okay, so get this. Johnny takes us up to the roof of this building—like, an actual rooftop," she emphasized, the disbelief still clear in her tone, "and he says we have to jump from one building to another. I'm standing there thinking, there is no way this is a good idea, right? I mean, who does that?"

On the other end of the line, Miguel laughed softly. He was lounging on his bed, phone pressed to his ear, completely unsurprised. "That sounds like Johnny."

Arizona continued, her voice speeding up with excitement. "Yeah, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. Like, I was just waiting for someone to break a leg. But then... I did it."

Miguel grinned. "You jumped?"

"I jumped!" Arizona exclaimed. "And oh my god, it was amazing! The adrenaline, the wind, everything. It was like... I don't even know. It felt like flying. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Johnny's crazy plans actually worked."

Miguel laughed again, shaking his head. "Yep, that's Johnny's lessons for you. They always sound insane, but somehow, you come out of it feeling like you're on top of the world."

"No kidding," Arizona said, still catching her breath from just thinking about it. "I mean, one second I'm convinced I'm going to die, and the next I'm landing on the other side, like, 'Wait, I did that?'"

"That's the thing with Johnny," Miguel said. "He pushes you in ways you don't expect. And once you're in it, you realize how much you're capable of. He's got this weird way of making the impossible seem doable."

Arizona chuckled, sinking into her bed. "Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting that when I signed up for karate."

"Same," Miguel agreed. "But hey, sounds like you nailed it."

"So what about you?" Arizona asked, leaning back against her pillow. "How's it been with Daniel? I mean, it's gotta be a totally different vibe, right?"

Miguel paused, thinking about his own day at Miyagi-Do. "It's... different, yeah. At first, it was kinda confusing, you know? Like, you're doing all these things that don't make sense at first. But then, it just clicks."

"Like what?"

Miguel grinned, remembering Daniel's lesson earlier that day. "Okay, so we had to get into the koi pond—literally, in the water—and walk in a circle."

Arizona blinked, confused. "Wait, you're walking around in a pond?"

"Yeah," Miguel laughed. "In the water. And the goal was to get all the fish to swim in the same direction as us, in a circle."

Arizona burst out laughing. "You're kidding."

"Nope, not at all. At first, I was like, 'Why am I doing this? This is ridiculous.' But then, when all the fish started swimming in sync, it was kinda cool. It's all about focus, being in tune with everything around you. It made sense... eventually."

Arizona smiled, shaking her head. "Leave it to Mr. LaRusso to make fish part of a karate lesson."

"Exactly. It's so different from Johnny's approach, but it's still effective in its own way."

"Sounds like you're getting the best of both worlds," Arizona said thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Miguel agreed. "It's cool seeing how different the philosophies are, but both are helping me grow, you know?"

Arizona sighed, her voice a little more mellow now. "Yeah, I get that. We're both learning in all kinds of weird, unexpected ways."

Miguel smiled at the shared sentiment. "That's what makes it fun."

Arizona was mid-sentence, laughing as she and Miguel continued talking on the phone. "Yeah, and then Johnny said—" Her words cut off suddenly, her smile fading as she heard a noise coming from the other side of the small apartment. She sat up in bed, eyes narrowing.

"Arizona?" Miguel's voice crackled through the phone, concerned. "You there?"

She slowly rose to her feet, her heart starting to pound. "Yeah, I—I'll call you back," she whispered, quickly hanging up without waiting for a response.

The noise was faint but unmistakable—someone was inside Johnny's apartment. Her stomach twisted. Johnny wasn't home. He had gone out for the night. She tiptoed toward the living room, trying to keep her breathing steady. *Stay calm,* she told herself. But her instincts were already kicking in, every muscle tense, ready.

As she stepped into the dark hallway, her eyes adjusted to the shadows. She could make out a tall figure rummaging through Johnny's things. The familiar shape and presence sent a shiver down her spine.

Her blood ran cold.

It was him.

"Dad?" she whispered, her voice barely audible but laced with shock and anger.

Alexander, her father, was standing in the middle of Johnny's living room, his back turned to her. He didn't seem to hear her at first, but then he turned slowly, a sinister smile creeping onto his face as he spotted her.

"Arizona..." he said, his voice low, dripping with a casual menace that made her skin crawl. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Her body reacted before her mind had even fully processed what was happening. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, backing up a step, but not showing an ounce of fear. She clenched her fists, knowing this confrontation had been a long time coming.

"I'm here to see my daughter," Alexander replied, taking a step toward her, his gaze icy. "I've been gone too long, don't you think?"

Arizona's heart raced, but she stood her ground. "You're not welcome here. Leave."

Alexander's smile widened, his eyes darkening as he ignored her words, moving closer. "I don't think you understand, Arizona. I'm your father. You don't get to tell me what to do."

The tension snapped. Arizona lunged forward, aiming a punch at his face. He blocked it with swift precision, a cold chuckle escaping his lips. "You think you can take me down, huh?"

Without hesitating, she spun and threw a kick at his ribs, but he was fast—faster than she'd remembered. He caught her leg, yanking her forward. She stumbled but quickly recovered, shoving him off and regaining her balance.

"Stay away from me!" she shouted, anger burning in her chest as she launched another attack—this time a combination of kicks and punches, each one fueled by years of pent-up rage and fear. But Alexander was trained too, and he dodged most of her strikes, though one landed squarely on his jaw.

He wiped his mouth, glaring at her. "You've gotten stronger," he admitted, his voice low and menacing. "But you're still not strong enough."

Arizona felt her muscles screaming as she continued to fight him off, refusing to back down. She threw another punch, but this time, Alexander caught her wrist, twisting her arm painfully. She gasped, trying to break free, but he yanked her close, his grip unrelenting.

"You've been living under Johnny's roof, huh?" he sneered. "Thinking you're safe? You'll never be safe from me, Arizona."

Fury boiled inside her, and she headbutted him, catching him off guard. He let go of her wrist, stumbling back. She seized the opportunity and landed a powerful kick to his chest, sending him crashing into the coffee table. The glass shattered beneath him, and Alexander groaned as he struggled to get up.

But Arizona wasn't about to let him regain the upper hand. She grabbed the nearest object—a lamp—and raised it above her head, ready to strike if he made another move.

"Get out!" she screamed, her voice raw with emotion. "Or I swear I'll make sure you regret it."

Alexander glared at her, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. For a moment, it seemed like he might attack again, but then he slowly pushed himself to his feet, eyes locked on hers.

"This isn't over, Arizona," he growled, blood dripping from the cut on his lip. "Not by a long shot."

Without another word, he staggered toward the door, clutching his side. He gave her one last, chilling look before disappearing into the night, the door slamming behind him.

Arizona stood there, panting, her heart racing as she listened to the silence that followed. Her hands trembled as she dropped the lamp, the adrenaline slowly draining from her body.

She sank to the floor, her knees weak, and pulled out her phone with shaky hands. She dialed Johnny's number, but her hands were shaking too much to hold the phone to her ear. Tears of frustration and fear welled in her eyes as she sat there, alone in the wreckage of the living room.

The call went straight to voicemail.

"Johnny, it's Arizona. You need to come home. He was here... my dad was here." Her voice cracked, and she quickly hung up, not wanting to sound too weak.

She sat in the dark, her chest heaving as she tried to steady herself. For now, she was safe. But deep down, she knew this was far from over.

ASH SPEAKS!

miguel and arizona being friends again >>

i cant wait for the prom chapter...;) HEHEHHEEHHE

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)