"Hawk, I need your help. I wanna flip the script."

Arizona was meticulously entering figures for Johnny's taxes, her fingers dancing over the keyboard with practiced efficiency. She prided herself on her accuracy, knowing how much it meant to Johnny to have everything in order. However, an unsettling feeling gnawed at her, pulling her focus away from the task at hand. She couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong.

With a sigh, she pushed herself up from the wheely chair, her thoughts consumed by a sudden worry for Miguel. She walked out of the office and down the hallway, her footsteps quickening as she approached the training area. The scene she encountered stopped her in her tracks.

Miguel was grinning at a girl she didn't recognize. Her heart sank as she saw the girl, with a quick, fluid motion, grab Miguel's hand, flip him over, and pin his head against the floor. "Tory. With a Y," the girl said confidently, introducing herself while keeping Miguel immobilized.

Arizona's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of jealousy and fear swirling within her. She knew her relationship with Miguel was just a pretense, a mutual agreement for appearances' sake, but seeing him with someone else—especially someone so assertive—was painful. Her breath caught in her throat as Hawk approached, noticing her distress.

"I'd watch your back, Ari. That girl is out for your man..." Hawk teased, his tone light but his words heavy with implication.

Arizona's anxiety skyrocketed. She turned on her heels and hurried back to the office, her mind racing. Once inside, she frantically searched through her backpack, her hands trembling.

She found her bottle of Xanax, her lifeline in moments like these. Her fingers fumbled with the cap, but she managed to open it and quickly took two pills, swallowing them without water. She closed the cap and shoved the bottle back into her bag, trying to regain some semblance of control.

Sitting back down, Arizona felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She closed her eyes, leaning back in the chair, and focused on her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Her heart rate was still high, but she hoped the medication would kick in soon, calming her nerves.

The scene she had witnessed replayed in her mind—Miguel's smile, Tory's confident stance, Hawk's teasing words. Each thought fueled her anxiety, making it hard to concentrate. She felt a lump forming in her throat, a mixture of sadness and frustration. The logical part of her mind knew that her relationship with Miguel was supposed to be simple, uncomplicated. But her emotions told a different story.

Arizona opened her eyes and stared at the spreadsheet on her laptop, the numbers blurring together. She needed to ground herself, to focus on something tangible. She forced herself to breathe deeply and evenly, counting each breath in an attempt to calm her racing heart. She couldn't afford to break down now, not when there was so much at stake.

A knock on the office door startled her. She quickly composed herself as best as she could, wiping away the tears she hadn't realized were forming. Johnny stood in the doorway, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern.

"You alright, Ari?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

Arizona nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed. I'll be fine. Just need a minute."

Johnny nodded, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned and walked away. Arizona took another deep breath, feeling the medication starting to take effect. She knew she had to stay strong, for herself and for the people who depended on her.

She refocused on the screen, her fingers resuming their dance over the keyboard. The work was a welcome distraction, a temporary escape from the turmoil inside her. But deep down, she knew she had to confront her feelings about Miguel and Tory, and the realization that she cared more than she had admitted to herself.

As she worked, she made a silent vow to herself: she would find a way to deal with her emotions and figure out what she truly wanted. And she would do it without letting her anxiety control her life. It was a small step, but it was a start.

         After the karate lesson ended, Arizona lingered outside, waiting for Miguel. She paced back and forth, her anxiety mounting as she rehearsed what she wanted to say. When Miguel finally walked out, Arizona cracked a tentative smile.

       "Hey, uh... I wanted to talk," she began, her voice wavering slightly. Miguel turned around, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

       "Yeah?" he replied, sensing the seriousness in her tone.

        Arizona took a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to express her feelings. "Do you want to still... fake date? I saw you earlier... you were looking at Tory weirdly, like you liked her..." she stammered, struggling to maintain her composure.

        Miguel clicked his tongue, a hint of regret in his eyes. "Yeah... I wanted to talk to you about that. I think we should stop. It didn't last long, but I'm over Sam now—" He stopped abruptly when he noticed tears welling up in Arizona's eyes. "Arizona?" he said softly, concern etched on his face.

        Arizona frowned, trying to mask her heartbreak. "I'm fine! I— I'm just emotional because of my dad being back. He's been great... But let's talk about this later," she rambled, the words tumbling out in a rush. Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked away, leaving Miguel standing there, confused and worried.

         She hurried into the convenience store next door to the dojo, her mind swirling with emotions. The bright lights and mundane normalcy of the store contrasted sharply with her inner turmoil. Arizona sniffled, trying to steady her breathing as she wandered down the aisles.

         Aisha looked up from the snack section, her eyes widening in concern. "Zona? What's wrong?" she exclaimed, rushing over to her friend. Tory, who was nearby, raised an eyebrow, observing the scene with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.

         Arizona tried to calm herself down, but the tears kept coming. "I think Miguel wants to break it off..." she cried, the weight of her words making the situation feel even more real.

        Aisha sighed, giving Arizona a comforting hug. "Why don't you come to the beach club with us, Arizona?" she suggested, hoping a change of scenery might lift her spirits.

        Arizona nodded, wiping away her tears. However, she couldn't shake the feeling of hostility radiating from Tory, who stood a few feet away, glaring at her. "Yeah, definitely," Tory said, her smile sarcastic and her tone insincere.

       As they left the store together, Arizona couldn't help but feel a growing unease. The look in Tory's eyes confirmed what she had suspected—Tory didn't like her. And now, with Miguel in the mix, things were bound to get even more complicated.

When the trio of girls arrived at the beach club, Tory looked around with a chuckle. "Okay. This is not the beach," she said, amusement lacing her tone.

Arizona nodded in agreement, scanning the upscale surroundings. "Where are the homeless dudes on rollerblades and the guys shoving the stupid hip-hop demos in your face?" she asked, her eyes wide with mock confusion.

Aisha laughed. "No, don't worry. They'll come after they pass out the hors d'oeuvres," she joked, and the three of them shared a laugh.

As they continued to take in the scene, Arizona's gaze drifted over to Sam and Robby, who were sitting nearby. A sigh escaped her lips as memories of her past friendship with Robby resurfaced. They had known each other since they were little kids, bonded over their shared experiences with absent mothers, and even shared their first kiss. But as they grew older and Arizona moved to a richer neighborhood, they drifted apart.

Seeing an opportunity as Sam left Robby's side, Arizona decided to approach him. She cleared her throat and called out jokingly, "Robert Swayze Keene?"

Robby turned his head and, upon seeing Arizona, sighed. "Arizona. What do you want?" he retorted, his tone laced with irritation.

Arizona frowned slightly but maintained her composure. She sat down where Sam had been sitting moments before. "Hey, we can still be friends. I'm not technically a part of Cobra Kai. I just work there. I need a job after all," she said, holding her hands up in a gesture of defense.

Robby gave her a skeptical look. "Yes, I did cheer for them at the tournament, but I didn't know you were gonna be there, Robby! I did check up on you after Hawk dislocated your shoulder. So, I'm not a total bitch," Arizona added optimistically.

Robby sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Fine. I won't be mad at you anymore," he said, exhaling deeply.

Arizona grinned and hugged him. "How are you doing? Is your mom still gone?" she asked, her voice softening with concern.

He nodded. "Yep, still gone. What about yours? She still...?" he trailed off, unsure how to finish his sentence delicately.

Arizona shook her head. "She was in rehab, but she had to come back... my dad showed up. Apparently, he's been alive this whole time. He was a cop and had to go into witness protection because some bad people wanted to kill him... My mom's going back today to finish her program," she explained.

Robby huffed and frowned. "Jeez, I'm sorry, Zozo," he said, using her old nickname, making Arizona blush a little.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Arizona sighed. "I'm gonna go find Aisha. It's nice seeing you, Robby," she said, standing up.

Robby grabbed her wrist gently. "Before you go, how's your anxiety been?" he asked, his concern evident.

Arizona's heart skipped a beat. "G— Good," she stuttered, lying before rushing off. Robby knew she was lying; she always stuttered when she lied.

Arizona found Aisha and Tory, but as she approached, she overheard Tory talking bad about her. "Stop, wait. Arizona uses essential oils? Those things are so stupid and weird. They don't even work. What is she? One of those people into spiritual shit?" Tory laughed.

Aisha glared at Tory. "Tory, no. Arizona's not too big into that. She just really likes essential oils. She got into it when she was diagnosed with anxiety," Aisha defended Arizona.

Despite Aisha's defense, Arizona felt her heart break. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned and bumped into Sam. "Sorry," she muttered quickly before running off.

Outside the beach club, Arizona found a bench and sat down, trying to compose herself. She clenched her fists, determined not to be the weak girl anymore. An idea popped into her head, and she wiped her tears away, pulling out her phone. She dialed Hawk's number.

"Hey, Arizona! What's up?" he answered cheerfully.

"Hawk, I need your help. I wanna flip the script," Arizona said, determination clear in her voice.

Hawk's tone shifted to one of curiosity. "Flip the script? Are you shre?"

Arizona took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "I'm tired of being the weak girl everyone looks down on. I want to be stronger, more confident. I want to change my image, and I need your help to do it," she explained, her voice firm.

Hawk paused for a moment, considering her words. "Alright, I'm in. But it's not gonna be easy. You're gonna have to work hard and commit to it. Are you ready for that?"

Arizona nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "I'm ready. Just tell me what I need to do."

ASH SPEAKS!

i hate this chapter. i'm so sorry. and its kinda short too. i dont like this ewwwww