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"𝐀𝐑𝐄 you ready or what?" Johnny called out, tugging the rope of a makeshift contraption he'd rigged together. August was strapped into it, dangling awkwardly.

"I hate this. This is ridiculous," August muttered, eyeing the straps around his waist.

"What's ridiculous about it?" Johnny asked.

"I look like a giant baby!"

"The way you're whining and not walking, you might as well be a baby."

"Isn't there a more badass way we can do this?" August shot back.

"Do you really think tapping your foot at a concert makes you ready for more badass training? Your legs are still pussies. Now, you ready to stand?"

"Yeah," August sighed.

Johnny counted to three and let the rope go. August dropped hard onto the floor. Johnny crouched down, unclipped him, got him into his wheelchair, and gave him a solid pat on the shoulder.

"All right. Better fall that time. Let's take five." Johnny headed for the fridge.

August's eyes drifted to the coffee table, where Johnny's laptop sat open. Facebook Messenger was pulled up. A massive wall of text filled the screen—typed entirely in caps. "Are you writing a novel?" August asked.

"Oh. No, it's a Facebook message." Johnny tossed him a Coke.

"That? To who?" August cracked open his drink.

"I, uh... babe from high school. Ali."

"Ali? Like, the Ali?" August asked. Johnny nodded. "This is huge. But you're not gonna send that, right?" He pointed to the 80-page all-caps rant glowing on the screen. "Sensei, you cannot—and I mean cannot—send Ali that message."

"What? Why not?"

"Because it's, like, 80 pages. In all caps," August said flatly.

"I got over thirty years' worth of stuff to say, all right?" Johnny muttered, defensively angling the laptop away.

"Okay, yeah, but shorter messages are way cooler. Like this just looks desperate. And a little creepy," August added. "It could be worse, though. Like if you went and liked all her photos."

Johnny froze, eyes darting.

"Ah, what the hell? C'mon, man," August groaned.

"What's the problem and big deal? I enjoyed the photos! There's a button for exactly that—why wouldn't I click on it?"

"The problem and big deal is she can see that," August said, motioning toward the screen.

"All right, I got amped up, okay? Look, she put a smiley face in the message. It's even got little red cheeks. Does that mean she's gettin' hot? Feelin' hot? What am I supposed to do with that?"

"I think it's just a smiley face," August said, pulling the laptop closer. He skimmed Ali's message. "She says she wants to know what you've been up to. Good. This is good. We can salvage this. Let's just make you a kick-ass profile, and then you'll be sending your message from a position of strength."

Johnny leaned back, arms crossed, pretending not to care—but the truth was, his heart wasn't in it. Stella had been in his apartment the night before, laughing at his dumb stories, shining brighter than any memory Ali could stir up. Ali might have been his first love, but Stella... Stella was the one he couldn't breathe without.

"First we need pictures," August continued. "Do you have any photos?"

"Yeah, don't move. Ha, I said don't move." Johnny snorted at his own joke as he left the room.

A few minutes later, he returned with a dusty box. Inside were old snapshots. He tossed a stack to August—every one shirtless.

"These are the only photos I have. Don't have much after high school," Johnny explained.

"Do you have any where you're wearing a shirt, maybe?" August asked, setting them down.

"Yes." Johnny plucked one out and handed it over. He was wearing a shirt, but it left very little to the imagination.

"You know, we're probably better off going with some new photos," August said carefully.

"Yeah, like present day?" Johnny frowned. "Not sure I want you to grease me up right now. Baby oil gets over everything."

"I'm not gonna grease—You know what, why don't we just go with some more contemporary shots," August said.

"Yes! We'll look at all what Ali's into, take pictures of me doing the same stuff!" Johnny said, scrolling through her profile.

"No, that's not what I meant—"

"I'm not doing yoga," Johnny cut in.

"No."

"I will pet a dog."

"Mm-hm."

"You think the aquarium will let me get in with the dolphins?"

"I don't know. Probably not."

"You know what? We could Fotomat it."

"What?" August asked, furrowing his brows.

"All right, let's go, Hot Wheels. C'mon." Johnny rose, wheeling August toward the door.

He played it off like a new mission, but inside, Johnny knew this wasn't about Ali. Not really. That chapter of his life had closed a long time ago. What kept him up at night wasn't what to say to his high school flame—it was the way Stella had smiled at him last night, the way her hand had lingered just a little too long on his arm. She was his now, even if she didn't know it yet.

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･

"Hey grandma." Stella said as she walked into the Reseda apartment, setting her purse on the couch. "I hope I'm not too late."

"You're just in time, the food is still hot, and it's your favorite. Fried chicken with gravy." Janette smiled, opening her arms to embrace her granddaughter.

"Thanks, grandma." Stella smiled as she grabbed a plate from the cabinet, heaping it with food before joining her grandmother at the table. "So, how are things going? I noticed you planted some flowers. They look beautiful."

"Yeah, I'm not used to the seventy-degree weather in December, where I can plant them." Janette laughed softly, picking at her food. "How's work going? You said something about a benefit dinner in a couple of weeks?"

"Yeah, it's at a big country club in Malibu, and all of us nurses are going. The girls and I even invited Amy." Stella said, sipping her iced tea.

"Well, that was nice. I know she'll have a great time." Janette smiled warmly. "What are you planning on wearing?"

"I don't know yet." Stella admitted. "I remember mom had this beautiful red velvet dress, almost like Lorrie Morgan's from her video Something in Red."

"She looked beautiful in that dress. You know, I think your father still has it. I can get it for you if you want. I know he won't mind." Janette said. "Besides, you look absolutely beautiful in your mother's dresses."

"I'd like that." Stella's smile softened, her voice touched with memory.

After they finished lunch and cleaned the kitchen, Janette led Stella to the spare room where Nathan still kept some of Ava's dresses. She pulled out a red velvet dress, off the shoulder and brushing just above the knee.

"Out of all the dresses your mama wore, this one was her favorite." Janette said, reverently handing it over.

Stella ran her fingers over the velvet, softer than she remembered. "Yeah. She wore this one to every holiday party, and was the most beautiful woman in the room."

"She'd be proud of you, y'know?" Janette said gently, sitting beside her granddaughter.

"Yeah." Stella whispered. "Anyway, I gotta get going, but thank you for the lunch, and thank you for the dress." She hugged her grandmother tightly.

"You're welcome, my darling." Janette smiled, holding her close.

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･

"Come on, this is worse than yesterday! You aren't even trying. What's the problem? You saw your ex. Big deal." Johnny barked the next afternoon, his voice sharp as he tightened the straps around August in the contraption.

"Big deal? Dude, look at you. We spent all day doing bullshit for your ex, trying to make you look like someone you're not. At least when I saw my ex, I told her how things really were." August snapped back, frustration boiling over.

"Are you done with your little hissy fit or are you just giving up?" Johnny shot back, eyes narrowing.

"No, you are." August muttered under his breath.

"What'd you say?" Johnny's tone turned dangerous.

"You're the one giving up!" August roared, louder this time.

"I don't know—" Johnny started, only to be cut off.

"QUIET!" August shouted. "You let Kreese take your dojo. You let Hawk, Tory, and everyone else think you're weak."

Johnny's jaw tightened, his voice rough when he answered. "Because it was a mistake, to begin with. I shoulda never brought back Cobra Kai. Look what happened."

"No. What happened was you helped a bunch of people and then you walked away like a pussy." August spat. "You're a sensei. It's who you are. If you can't see that, you're blind."

Johnny froze, something shifting in his expression as he saw August straighten up. "August..."

"What?" the teen asked, confused.

"Look." Johnny said, his voice hushed now as he slowly let go of the rope.

August looked down. His legs were holding him. No help. He was standing. "Am I doing it? Holy shit! I'm doing it!" he said, tears springing to his eyes.

"You're doing it." Johnny said, pride cracking through his usual gruffness.

"Holy shit! I'm doing it." August repeated, almost laughing through his tears.

"You're doing it!" Johnny shouted with him, the moment raw, unfiltered.

August lunged forward and pulled Johnny into a fierce embrace. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for never giving up on me, sensei. Thank you for always being on my side."

Johnny held on tight, his voice low but steady. "I told you, I've always got your back, kid."