chapter sixteen:
❛ demetris cousin ❜

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introducing...
skyler gisondo as dylan

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Arizona walked into the car wash in her swimsuit, the late afternoon sun beating down on her. The sound of water spraying, people chatting, and sponges scrubbing cars filled the air. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Pretending to be out of Cobra Kai was one thing, but pretending to be friends with Sam LaRusso? That was a whole other challenge. Her anxiety spiked as she saw the crowd gathered, busy washing cars to raise money for Miguel's surgery. The very sight of Sam, smiling as she worked, made Arizona's stomach churn with guilt and fear.

Her thoughts were racing, making her feel light-headed. She should have taken her anxiety medication, but it was too late now. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice where she was going until she bumped into someone, nearly knocking herself over.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" she blurted out, her voice shaky with nerves.

The guy she'd bumped into looked just as startled as she was. "It's—It's okay," he stuttered, giving her a nervous laugh.

Arizona blinked at him, trying to place his face. He looked familiar, like someone she should know. "Do I know you?" she asked, her mind scrambling to remember.

The boy shook his head quickly. "No?" he said, but there was hesitation in his voice.

And then it clicked. "Wait, Dylan?" she asked, recognition dawning on her. This was Demetri's cousin.

Dylan's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?" he asked, his cheeks turning pink. He had that nerdy vibe Arizona remembered from the photos at Demetri's house, and she vaguely recalled hearing that he was some kind of academic genius.

"When I was friends with Demetri, I saw pictures of you at his house," she explained, her voice softening as she remembered better times.

Dylan gave a small, awkward smile. "Oh—well, yeah. That's me. Yep, me," he said, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

Before Arizona could say anything more, a familiar, contemptuous voice interrupted. "Dyl, I wouldn't talk to her. She's a snake and a traitor," Demetri said, his words cutting through the air like a knife.

Arizona's smile faded, her heart sinking at the harshness in Demetri's voice. She had expected this, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. Dylan, however, didn't back down. He shot his cousin a look of annoyance.

"Demetri, I really don't care about your karate drama. I'm here to get to know people because I'm new to West Valley. Plus, my mom didn't want me in my room building robots," Dylan said, muttering the last part under his breath as if embarrassed by his hobby.

Arizona chuckled softly at Dylan's honesty, then turned to face Demetri with a serious expression. "I'm done with Cobra Kai. I left so I could be with Miguel. And I'm here for Miguel. You guys are raising money for him after all," she said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. The words were only half-true, but the look on her face was convincing enough.

Demetri looked taken aback, uncertainty flickering across his face. "Oh, wow. Okay. Um..." he mumbled, clearly not sure how to respond.

Dylan seized the moment, grinning at his cousin's discomfort. "Cat got your tongue?" he teased, though his smile faded quickly when Demetri shot him a glare. "I'll shut up now," Dylan added, retreating a step.

Just as Arizona thought she might have defused the situation, another voice cut through the noise. "What the hell are you doing here? You here to hurt me?" Sam's voice was sharp, filled with suspicion and anger as she approached Arizona.

Arizona turned to face Sam, her heart pounding. She had expected hostility, but hearing it was still jarring. "No. I'm here to make amends. I left Cobra Kai. I—I want to help raise money for my boyfriend's surgery," Arizona said, her voice trembling. She could feel the eyes of everyone around them, the tension thick in the air.

Sam's hardened expression softened slightly, the anger in her eyes giving way to confusion. "What?" she asked, the single word loaded with disbelief.

Arizona swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her past actions pressing down on her. "I'm so sorry, Sam. I—I should have never slashed you in the arm with Tory's spiked bracelet. I was mad, and—and Tory told me fighting you would be better for—for revenge," Arizona stammered, the words tumbling out in a rush. She could barely keep her voice steady as she spoke, the memory of that fight still fresh in her mind.

Sam's eyes narrowed slightly, studying Arizona's face as if trying to decide whether to believe her. "You were pretty deep in Cobra Kai, Arizona. How do I know you're not just pretending?" Sam asked, her voice still tinged with suspicion, though it was clear she was considering Arizona's words.

Arizona took a deep breath, forcing herself to hold Sam's gaze. "I know I was, and I know I hurt you. But I'm done with that. I realized how toxic it was, and I just—I just want to make things right. For Miguel, and for myself," she said, her voice firmer now. She wasn't sure if she was more trying to convince Sam or herself.

Sam crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful as she considered Arizona's words. "You think you can just walk away from Cobra Kai like it's that easy?" she asked, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice. "You think Miguel's going to be okay with what you did? With how you hurt me?"

Arizona winced, the truth of Sam's words hitting her hard. She hadn't thought that far ahead, hadn't considered how Miguel would feel about her actions now that she was trying to leave Cobra Kai behind. "I don't know, Sam. I really don't. But I have to try. For him, and for us. We were friends once, weren't we?" Arizona asked, her voice softening, almost pleading.

Sam sighed, her gaze dropping to the ground as she mulled over Arizona's words. "Yeah, we were. But things changed, Arizona. We're not the same people we were back then," she said, her tone sad but honest.

Arizona nodded slowly, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "I know. And I don't expect things to go back to the way they were. But I want to try to make amends, to at least not be enemies anymore. Can we try that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sam looked up at her, and for a moment, there was silence between them. Finally, Sam let out a long breath, uncrossing her arms. "I don't know if I can forgive you just like that, but... we can try," Sam said, her voice hesitant but sincere.

A small, tentative smile tugged at the corners of Arizona's lips. It wasn't much, but it was a start. "Thank you, Sam," she said softly, relief washing over her.

Sam gave a small nod, still looking wary but less hostile. "Just... don't screw it up," she warned, her tone light but serious.

Arizona nodded quickly. "I won't. I promise," she said, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could make things right.

Arizona dunked the sponge into the soapy water, her hands moving mechanically as she scrubbed the side of a sedan. The sun was blazing, but the activity helped distract her from the tension she felt being at the car wash. She glanced around at the others, catching a glimpse of Sam busy with another car, her focus entirely on the task. Arizona sighed in relief—at least Sam hadn't kicked her out.

As she continued scrubbing, a shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see Dylan standing there, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. His face was flushed, and he seemed unsure of what to do with his hands, which hovered awkwardly at his sides.

"Hey, uh, Arizona," he said, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat, trying to muster up some confidence. "I, uh, thought I'd come over and help you... with the, uh, car. If that's, you know, okay?"

Arizona smiled, amused by how nervous he seemed. "Sure, Dylan. Grab a sponge and get to work," she said, her tone light and encouraging.

Dylan let out a small sigh of relief, nodding eagerly. "Yeah, okay, cool. Sponges. Sponges are good. They, uh, absorb water, you know? It's, uh, it's like... surface tension and stuff. The molecules... they, uh, cling together. Water, I mean. Water molecules," he rambled as he picked up a sponge and dunked it into the bucket of soapy water.

Arizona bit her lip to keep from laughing as Dylan continued to talk, clearly trying to fill the silence with whatever came to his mind. He was obviously out of his element, but there was something endearing about his awkwardness.

"So, uh, how's the weather?" Dylan asked suddenly, then winced as if realizing how ridiculous the question sounded given that they were both standing under the blazing sun.

Arizona couldn't help it—she laughed. "It's pretty sunny, Dylan. But I think you might have noticed that already," she teased, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow.

Dylan blushed even more, stammering as he tried to recover. "Yeah, yeah, totally. I mean, obviously. I just, uh, I mean, sometimes weather can be unpredictable, you know? Like, uh, clouds. They're... they're really just big collections of tiny droplets of water and ice crystals, and—"

"Dylan," Arizona interrupted gently, her smile widening. "You're overthinking it. Just relax, okay? We're just washing cars."

Dylan nodded quickly, looking both embarrassed and relieved. "Right, right. Just washing cars. No big deal. I, uh, I'm just... not used to, you know, talking to... girls," he admitted, his voice dropping to a sheepish mumble.

Arizona softened at that, realizing that his nerves were because he was trying to impress her in his own way. "Hey, it's okay," she said, giving him an encouraging smile. "You're doing fine. Just be yourself, Dylan. I promise I don't bite."

Dylan gave her a grateful look, though he still seemed a little flustered. "Thanks, Arizona. I, uh, I guess I'm just kind of a nerd, you know? I'm more comfortable with, like, equations and robots than... conversations."

"That's not a bad thing," Arizona said, genuinely impressed. "I mean, robots? That's pretty cool. I've never met someone other than Demetri and Hawk who builds robots."

Dylan's face lit up, the topic clearly something he was passionate about. "Oh, yeah! Robots are awesome. I'm working on this project right now—well, I was before I moved here—it's this autonomous robot that can navigate through a maze using sensors and, uh, it's programmed with algorithms that help it avoid obstacles and find the most efficient path to the goal. It's... it's kind of like a puzzle, but with moving parts," he explained, his words spilling out in a rush.

Arizona listened with genuine interest, her smile widening as she watched Dylan get more and more animated. "That sounds amazing," she said sincerely. "You must be really smart to figure all that out."

Dylan blushed again, ducking his head shyly. "I just, uh, I like figuring out how things work, you know? It's like... solving a mystery."

"Well, I think it's awesome," Arizona said, giving him another nudge. "And if you ever need help with any non-robotic mysteries, I'm your girl."

Dylan looked up at her, his eyes wide with surprise. "Really? You'd, uh, want to help me? With, like, robot stuff?"

Arizona chuckled. "Maybe not with the robots themselves—I might just break something—but I'm pretty good at figuring people out. So if you ever need advice or just someone to talk to, I'm here."

Dylan smiled, a genuine, grateful smile that made him look a little less nervous. "Thanks, Arizona. That, uh, that means a lot. You're... you're really nice."

"Don't tell anyone," Arizona said with a wink. "I've got a reputation to maintain."

Dylan laughed, the sound a little more relaxed now. "Your secret's safe with me," he promised, and together, they continued washing the car, the conversation flowing a little easier between them. As they worked side by side, Arizona found herself actually enjoying the moment, the tension from earlier easing away. Maybe pretending to be friends with Sam wouldn't be so bad after all—especially if it meant meeting people like Dylan.

As the car wash came to an end, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the parking lot. Arizona wrung out the last sponge and tossed it into the bucket, a sense of relief washing over her. She'd made it through the day without any major confrontations, and she was ready to leave. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she started toward the exit, but something caught her eye.

Near the back of the lot, a group of Cobra Kai students were huddled together, their backs turned to her. Among them, she spotted Hawk, his signature mohawk making him easy to recognize. At first, Arizona couldn't see what was happening, but then she noticed Nate on the ground, his small frame barely visible beneath the fists and kicks raining down on him.

A sharp pang of guilt stabbed through Arizona, but she quickly forced it down, replacing it with cold detachment. She couldn't afford to let her emotions get the better of her—not now.

She was about to turn away when she heard footsteps approaching. Dylan came up beside her, his eyes widening in horror as he realized what was happening. Before he could make a sound, Arizona reacted on instinct. She slapped her hand over his mouth, her other hand gripping his arm tightly.

"Shut up," she hissed, her voice low and urgent.

Dylan's eyes were wide with fear and confusion as he watched Nate being pummeled by the Cobra Kais. He tried to speak, his words muffled by Arizona's hand.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Dylan finally managed to say when Arizona removed her hand, his voice trembling. "He's—he's getting hurt! We need to do something!"

Arizona's grip on his arm tightened. "Not until they're gone," she whispered fiercely, her gaze never leaving the scene in front of them.

Hawk and the others finally stepped back, satisfied with the damage they'd done. Nate lay still on the ground, unconscious, as Hawk reached down and snatched the bag of money they'd raised. With a triumphant smirk, he motioned for the others to follow him, and the group walked away, laughing as they disappeared around the corner.

As soon as they were out of sight, Arizona released Dylan's arm and hurried over to Nate. Dylan followed, his face pale, his hands shaking.

"Nate... Nate, are you okay?" Arizona asked, her voice trembling slightly as she knelt beside him, but Nate didn't respond. His face was bruised, and there was blood on his lip.

Dylan stood frozen, panic setting in as he began to ramble. "What do we do? I—uh, I think we need ice! No, no, wait—uh, maybe water? I should—oh god, what if he has a concussion? Do I check his pulse? How do I check a pulse? Do we—do we need to call someone? What if—"

"Dylan, stop!" Arizona snapped, her nerves fraying as she listened to his frantic babbling. "Just—just stop freaking out, okay? I need you to keep it together."

But Dylan couldn't. "I—I'm not good in situations like this! I can't think straight, I—" He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but his voice kept shaking. "Arizona, we have to help him! What if something really bad happens?"

Arizona's heart pounded in her chest, the pressure of the situation getting to her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the rising panic. She couldn't afford to break down now. Not when everything was already falling apart.

"I can't tell anyone this," she muttered under her breath, but Dylan was too close, and he heard her.

"Tell anyone what?" he asked, his voice still shaky.

Arizona clenched her fists, feeling the weight of the secret she'd been carrying for so long. The lie she'd been living. The lie she had to protect.

"I'm still in Cobra Kai," she blurted out, her voice harsh and strained. "I never left. I've been lying to everyone. To Miguel, to Demetri, to Sam. I'm— I'm just done with all the drama. I just want my boyfriend back, and I want to prove that I'm still the old Arizona. The one who doesn't back down, who isn't afraid of anything."

Dylan's eyes widened in shock. "What? Arizona, you—you're still in Cobra Kai? But—but you said—"

"I know what I said!" Arizona snapped, her frustration boiling over. "I'm lying to everyone, okay? And now you know, too. But you can't tell anyone, Dylan. You can't. I'm done with all of this, but I need to keep up the act until I figure out how to fix things."

Dylan shook his head, his face pale. "But I—I can't keep secrets. I'm terrible at it. I'll—I'll slip up, I know I will!"

"You have to, Dylan," Arizona insisted, her voice rising in desperation. "You have to keep this secret, or everything will fall apart!"

Before Dylan could respond, Nate stirred on the ground, letting out a low groan. Dylan yelped in surprise, stumbling back a step. Arizona shot him a look that could've frozen water.

"Calm down," she ordered, her voice firm. "We need to help him, not freak out."

With a deep breath, Arizona crouched down beside Nate, gently shaking his shoulder. "Nate? Nate, can you hear me?"

Nate's eyes fluttered open, and he winced as he tried to move. "Wha—what happened?" he mumbled, his voice weak.

"You got jumped by some Cobra Kais," Arizona said, trying to keep her voice steady. "But you're going to be okay. We're going to help you."

Dylan finally managed to pull himself together enough to kneel down on the other side of Nate, though he still looked like he might faint. "I—I'm really bad at this," he muttered, his hands shaking as he hovered them over Nate, unsure of what to do.

Arizona rolled her eyes but softened her tone. "Just help me get him up, okay? We need to get him somewhere safe."

Dylan nodded quickly, and together, they carefully lifted Nate to his feet, supporting him as they started to walk. Arizona kept one arm around Nate, the other reaching out to steady Dylan, who still looked like he might lose it at any second.

As they slowly made their way toward the exit, Arizona tried to push down the swirling emotions inside her—the guilt, the fear, the uncertainty. She couldn't afford to let them take over. Not now. Not when everything was already hanging by a thread.

ASH SPEAKS!

AHHHHHHHH IM SO EXCITED TO WRITE DYLAN INTO THIS STORY BRO OMG

I PLAYED THE QUARRY AND FELL IN LOVE WITH MAX AND FOUND OUT SKYLER PLAYED HIM SO I WATCHED SANTA CLARITA DIET AND I HAD TO USE SKYLER GISONDO SO I ADDED HIM!!

DYLAN AND ARIZONA ARE GONNA BE BEST FRIENDS (dylan is gonna have a huge crush on arizona, but it's not gonna happen since yk robby and miguel lol)

dont forget to vote snd comment! it helps us writers stay motivated

im so sorry for like unpublishing this like twenty times☹️ im not sure why no one is voting this chapter and its making me mad