"Listen up. Gather around." Terry spoke up, the Cobra Kai's crowding together to listen to their sensei. Cora dropped her back quickly, hurrying to get in line. "We just had a little powwow with the senseis at Miyagi-Do. From here on out, there'll be no more fighting until the tournament."

"So our enemies get to humiliate us, and we have to back down and take it?" Tory asked in disbelief from the front row. Cora looked weary.

"Of course not. We should always show our enemies no mercy." Kreese spoke up from behind Silver.

"But there's a time to fight." Terry interfered. "No need to waste a punch if it's not gonna score a point."

"So if your enemies do something to mess with you or laugh in your face, good!" Terry looked down the line of students. "Take all that anger and store it. Because you're gonna need it when the time comes. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sensei." they all said back on sync.

Cora stretched her legs before her, getting ready for training. She felt eyes on her, looking over to see Kyler, Robby, and Tory all had been looking her way. It was obvious whatever they were talking about, she somehow was apart of it. Cora felt left out, standing up and walking over. "Hey."

"Hey, C." Robby said back, stretching his arms.

"What are you guys talking about?" she tried to make it seem natural, like she wasn't totally curious.

"Nothing." Tory spoke up quickly, making Cora stare into her eyes. "Just about the movie last night."

Yet, something told Cora that wasn't what they were discussing. And, whatever it was, they didn't want her to be involved.

Cora smiled at her phone, laid across her bed later that night.

To Hawk: I really like the purple.

From Hawk: How much?

To Hawk: It's been my favorite so far:)

From Hawk: I'll let you pick the next color.

To Hawk: oh really?

From Hawk: I feel like I just made a mistake.

To Hawk: you definitelyyyyy did.

Minutes had pasted, and there wasn't an answer. Cora realized maybe there hadn't been anything to say in return. Not wanting to stop talking, she picked up her phone again.

To Hawk: have you ever thought about taking a weekend trip?

Still, no answer. Cora frowned, tossing her phone to the side and assuming he had been busy and he'd text her back later.

But, no text came.

The last person Cora expected to show up at her door was Demetri. They hadn't spoken all but one time, and that was when he was swinging his pencil around and it accidentally flew and hit Cora in the arm. He said he was sorry, and that was it. "Oh, hi Demetri."

"You need to come with me." he said quickly in an inhale. "I've tried everything I can, I even whipped out old videos. You need to work your blonde girl magic on him."

"What are we talking about?" Cora asked, opening the door more while she headed to the laundry room for some pants. She had been in the process of tossing the clothes she genuinely hated, but only wore for the sake of others, out and realized the pair she had on where one of them.

"You don't know?" Demetri asked, shutting the door and waiting for her to change.

"What happened?" Cora voice in worry from the other side, burning herself on the button on her jeans after pulling them from the dryer.

"Cobra Kai attacked Eli. Hawk. Whatever you call him." he called back, the laundry door flew open as Cora looked in disbelief. "I figured they told you."

"Are you kidding me? I would have never let that happen if they did." Cora said with a crazy look, grabbing her keyes. "Tell me exactly what happened."

With a tug of his arm, Cora yanked Demetri out of the house.

"Hawk, my love." Cora jogged down the stairs that Demetri told her about. Eli looked in embarrassment, pulling the hoodie over his head more. "I promise you, I had no clue."

"I know." he whispered, turning away from her as Cora sat down. She frowned, but understood. "You don't have to do this."

Her hand rubbed his back. "Do what?"

"Be here." he said back, he wouldn't even turn to look at her. "You can go if you want to."

"Why would I go?" the blonde scooted closer to his back, resting her head on his shoulders and wrapping his arms around his waist. "You're sad. I wanna be here for you."

"You don't need to be here just because you think I need to be comforted." Hawks words were snappy, but Cora knew she'd react the same way in this situation. "Just..go."

Cora took her hands off him, trying to find the line between him really wanting her to go versus knowing she needed to be here. She stood up off the coach, hesitating before sitting back down. "No. I'm not leaving you here when you're upset. That's not how we're gonna work. So, turn around and look at me, because i'm not going."

Hawk needed that firmness, turning around to look at her again with sad eyes. Cora placed a hand on his cheek. "That dojo is pathetic. I'm turning my gi in as soon as I leave here."

"You don't have to do that. I know you wanted to stay." he looked down, his head resting into her hand.

"I don't care. That was before they attacked you like that." Cora spoke defensively, placing both of her hands on his face. "I'm not gonna be apart of something that hurts the people closest to me. Doesn't matter what the dojo has done for me."

Hawk sighed, his chest heaving. "Do you....wanna break up?"

"Why?" Cora leaned down to catch his eye. "You don't wanna be together anymore?"

"Everyone at school knows. It's embarrassing." he whispered, voice cracking slightly. "I look like a loser."

"You do not look like a loser." Cora defended him with a crazy look. "You look just as perfect as you did before. And that's saying a lot."

Hawk met her eye with a little frown. "You're just saying that."

"Not true." the blonde gave a head shake. "April Fools was last month, I wouldn't April Fools you unless it was the national holiday."

It earned her a little smirk, his lips turning upwards. Cora rubbed the sides of his face. "I like you no matter what. It wasn't your hair or your attitude that made me like you either. Well, maybe at first, but that's just because that's how I get. But after, I mean."

Hawk gave her a weird look at tbe ramble. Cora shook her head. "I'm trying to say, when I got over the shock of you paying attention to me, I genuinely really loved hanging out with you. I totally dig how observant and how sweet you are to me, that's all that matters. If you shaved your eyebrows off, cut your ear off, glued it to your forehead, i'd still like you so much."

Hawk smiled at her. "You really mean it?"

"Of course." she promised, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. He kissed her back, pulling back. Cora crawled over to be in his lap. "You remember when you said you would tell me everything, when we were fighting, and you came to my house?"

He hummed, leaning on her shoulder. Cora rested her head on the side of his. "Can you tell me now?"

•

kylie speaks

when they're both in the
process of growing from
who they use to be>>