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𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 woke to the loud, obnoxious ringing of her phone. Groaning, she rolled onto her back and squinted at the screen. Lori 💛.

"You realize the time, right?" Stella mumbled as she answered.

"Well, good morning to you too, babes." Lori's sugary voice chimed, sounding far too awake as she padded around her kitchen in fuzzy slippers, stirring her coffee like it was a martini. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Actually, I was still asleep. I was up late studying," Stella said, raking a hand through her messy brunette hair.

"Ugh, tragic. Well, time to get up, sleeping beauty. There's a Halloween party coming up, and we're going shopping. You in?" Lori asked, swirling creamer into her mug like she was on a cooking show.

"Yeah. I'm helping Johnny out at the dojo this morning, but I'm free at noon. I'll be there to get you and Kara," Stella said as she got out of bed, quickly knotting her hair into a bun.

"Oooh, helping the hot sensei," Lori teased, her tone dripping with playfulness. "Don't let things get too steamy."

"Oh, will you be quiet?" Stella laughed, shaking her head. "Sensei Lawrence and I are friends. Besides, he's like fifty-something."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Lori sing-songed, rolling her eyes on the other end of the line. "You don't see how your face lights up when you talk about him. It's, like, so obvious."

"I'll see you later," Stella said through a laugh.

"Alright, byeeee," Lori chirped before hanging up.

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At the dojo, August was throwing punches into the dummy with exaggerated grunts, while Johnny leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching his student like a hawk. Stella sat in the office, sorting through a pile of bills and paperwork.

"So, Johnny, have you thought about bringing in more students?" Stella asked, sliding a folder into the filing cabinet.

Johnny smirked, his eyes flicking to her. "Yeah, I have a plan. Don't worry your pretty little head about that."

Stella arched a brow, pointing her finger at him with a smile. "You're flirting with me, Johnny Lawrence."

Johnny pushed off the wall, stepping closer until he was nearly in her space. His grin widened. "You're pointing your finger at me, Stella Walker."

Heat lingered in the air between them, Stella rolling her eyes playfully to mask the way her chest fluttered.

They walked out of the office together, side by side, brushing shoulders as they joined August in the main dojo.

"Hey," Johnny called out, tilting his head at August, "you don't happen to have friends who want to learn karate, do you? What am I saying—you don't have friends."

"Rude," Stella muttered, nudging him in the arm with a grin. "Looking great, little brother."

"Thanks, sis," August said, pausing to catch his breath. "Hey, Sensei, when am I going to get to learn some kicking? I saw this video on YouTube of some guy breaking boards, and it looked really badass."

"Yeah, no shit. Kicking is badass. But you're not ready," Johnny said matter-of-factly. "Besides, if I don't get more students, there's not much I'm gonna be able to teach you."

"Haven't you thought about advertising?" August asked.

"Yeah, duh." Johnny's reply came with a shrug. "Of course."

"You might want to think harder." Stella laughed as she grabbed her bag. "Anyway, while you two figure this out, I promised Kara and Lori I'd meet them at the mall. See you after a while, little brother."

"Bye, sis." August waved.

As Stella started toward the door, Johnny's eyes lingered just a little too long.

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Stella, Kara, and Lori arrived at the mall, weaving through racks of sequins, lace, and glitter in search of the perfect Halloween costumes. Kara and Lori gravitated toward the sexier ensembles, while Stella drifted toward the accessories section, collecting pieces to match her mother's old goddess costume.

"What about this one?" Lori squealed, holding up a pink Playboy bunny costume against her frame, striking a pose in the mirror like she was on a runway. "You're always saying you wanted to be a Playboy bunny."

"I mean, it's cute, but I'm not digging the pink color," Kara said, her tone cool and matter-of-fact. She turned her head toward Stella with a sly smirk. "You should give it to Stella over there to wear for Sensei Lawrence."

Stella's face flushed crimson. She turned sharply to her best friend. "Will you cut that out?"

"What costume are you planning on wearing, Stell?" Lori asked, already moving on as she grabbed a cheerleader costume and held it up against herself.

"Mom's old goddess costume," Stella said, dropping her accessories into a basket. "It was always one of my favorites. She wore it almost every Halloween."

"Your mom was a literal goddess—with a personality like Princess Diana's," Kara said with a small, genuine smile.

"Yeah," Stella murmured softly, her smile tinged with sadness. "Anyway... you girls find anything exciting?"

"I think I'll go with the Playboy bunny one—but in blue," Kara said coolly as they headed for the register.

After making their purchases, the trio climbed the escalator to the food court. They settled into a booth with trays of their favorite Chinese food. Lori immediately snapped a picture of hers, then finally dug in.

"So, how's it going at Cobra Kai? How's August doing?" Lori asked, scooping up a bite of fried rice.

"So far, he's the only student," Stella said between bites of orange chicken. "We told Johnny it might be a good idea for him to advertise. When August brought it up, Johnny was totally clueless."

"Maybe you two could help him," Kara said simply, picking at her kung pao chicken with perfect posture.

"Maybe," Stella agreed. "Especially since August is the computer wiz. Anytime I have a question, he's the one I go to."

"So, is he going to a Halloween party?" Kara asked, eyes flicking up from her food.

"The school's throwing a dance. He wanted a Deadpool costume," Stella said. "But he always changes his mind at the last minute."

"Kind of like his older sister," Lori teased with a bubbly laugh, sipping her Pepsi.

Stella rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway—you girls ready to go? I better get back and pick him up."

"You just want to see the hot sensei," Kara deadpanned with a rare grin as the three of them stood to dump their trash. Stella's cheeks flared pink. "But yes, I'm ready."

"I do have to pick him up, and I don't just want to see Johnny," Stella insisted as she slid her purse over her shoulder.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever you say," Lori laughed, mimicking Stella's tone in a sing-song voice, slipping her oversized shades on indoors.

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The next afternoon, Stella and August sat outside Cobra Kai at 5 p.m., waiting. August scrolled on his phone, while Stella tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. The minutes dragged. By six, Johnny's red Firebird finally pulled into the lot.

"Hey Sensei, you said to be here at five, right?" August asked as Johnny unlocked the door.

"Yeah, but today's training's canceled," Johnny said, heading inside without explanation.

"What? You told him to come by, now you're telling him it's canceled? Why?" Stella demanded, hurrying after him.

"'Cause I said so," Johnny muttered, heading for his office.

"No, you don't get to just walk off." Stella quickened her steps, heels clicking against the floor. "Tell me what's going on."

"Wait, Sensei—there's something I want to show you," August said, unzipping his backpack.

"Look, I'm really not in the mood," Johnny said, pulling a beer from the mini-fridge.

"But I think you'll like it. It's a Cobra Kai webpage—right? I made it last night. Click the snake," August said, sliding his laptop forward. Johnny clicked, and the screen lit up. "This is the sign-in page. Now I was thinking maybe we could make an app—track your progress, run a social media campaign, push it out to the whole school. The possibilities are endless."

"Johnny, you can't back down." Stella's voice was firm, her eyes holding his. When he glanced at her, his expression softened, a small fond smile tugging at his lips. "Not now."

August's ringtone suddenly blasted—Ratt's Round and Round.

"Oh, that was my dad. I'll call him back later," August said quickly.

"Hey, was that just—" Johnny pointed at the phone.

"Ratt? Awesome, right? Stella was listening to Poison, so I looked them up and went down this whole '80s rock rabbit hole. That shit is dope."

"I tried to tell you how awesome it was," Stella said with a grin, glancing up from her phone as she texted Lori and Kara.

Johnny downed a sip of beer, then leaned forward. "Alright. Meet me at the high school at midnight. Don't be late."

"What? Why?" August asked.

"You wanna learn how to kick ass, don't you? Well, first you gotta learn how to kick."

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True to their word, Stella and August arrived at the high school parking lot at midnight. Stella pulled her jeep up beside Johnny's Firebird.

"Be careful, alright? I'll be right here," Stella said,

Before August could respond, a sudden knock on the driver's window made both siblings jump. Stella turned and found Johnny smirking. Rolling her eyes, she lowered the window.

"Don't you know better than to come up to someone's car and knock on the window? Back where we come from, that gets your ass shot," she scolded.

"Oh yeah, I'm so scared," Johnny deadpanned, grinning when Stella rolled her eyes again. He never got tired of riling her up. "You remember the plan?"

"Of course. I'm the lookout. Take care of him, Lawrence," Stella said, her voice softening on his name.

August leaned down and kissed his sister's temple before hopping out. "We'll be back."

Stella smiled after him, watching her brother follow Johnny into the building. Alone, she turned on the radio—Lorrie Morgan's Go Away poured from the speakers. She sang along softly, her voice sweet and wistful.

When a truck suddenly pulled up, her heart leapt into her throat. She grabbed her phone, calling Johnny.

"C'mon, blondie," she muttered. No answer. She tried August—only to see his phone still sitting in the passenger seat. "August, you idiot."

Her anxiety eased when she spotted Johnny and August sprinting out of the building, her brother dripping wet.

"Sensei told you to call him," August said breathlessly as he slid into the passenger seat.

"Okay, before either of you get your granny panties in a twist, I did try calling. But August, you left your phone here. And Lawrence—check your ringer." Stella crossed her arms. "Second of all, why is my little brother wet?"

"Kicking exercises," August said simply.

"Next time, make sure your ringer is on." Stella's laughter softened the reprimand as she glanced at Johnny, who sheepishly checked his phone.

"Sensei, your ringer is off," August said, flicking the switch.

"Night!" Stella called, rolling up her window before pulling out of the lot, her smile lingering as she drove away.

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As the week progressed, so did August's kicking skills. Maybe—just maybe—in Stella's opinion, there was some method to Johnny's madness. Even if it was truly mad. Another thing had changed that week: Stella and August's grandmother, Janette, had moved in from Austin. Nathan's mother had a quiet, steadying presence in the house, soft-spoken but firm in the way only a woman of her years could be.

"I wish I could show my dad what I did to those boards," August muttered as he pulled on his shoes. "But if he knew where I was, he would kill me."

Johnny stepped out of the office, a crumpled past-due utility bill dangling from his hand. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Johnny lied smoothly, waving the paper away. "Put your costume on. I'm driving you to that dance—and we're picking up some more students."

August dug into his backpack and pulled out his costume, wriggling into it.

Johnny stared. "What the hell is that?"

"It's my Halloween costume. Grandma made it. Started out as Deadpool, then Spider-Man, and now it's just...some generic superhero."

"Yeah, a poor one at that," Johnny shot back. "You're a poor-man."

"Yeah," August deadpanned.

"I can't let you go out like that. We have a reputation to uphold."

"What do you suggest?"

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Flashback
— October 31st, 1995, Austin, TX

It was the night of the annual Halloween party at the Texas Ranger department. In the master bathroom, Ava adjusted her goddess costume, smoothing the fabric before leaning into the mirror to line her eyes with a brown pencil. Nathan dressed in the bedroom, buckling his belt with practiced precision.

"You look beautiful mama." Stella smiled as she laid her little chin on her arms and admired her mother

"Thank you my darling." Ava smiled as she finished her makeup. "One day this costume, as well as my other dresses will belong to you."

"I'd love that mama, but you always look so beautiful in the dresses." Stella said as she watched her mother do her makeup. "Mama, is it fun to wear makeup?"

Ava smiled at her daughter, then sprayed her favorite perfume, Penhaligon's Bluebell on her pulse points. "Thank you baby. To answer your question, it makes a woman feel better about herself when she wears it, but no woman truly needs it as they are beautiful with or without it. But yes it's fun to wear it. Take Princess Diana for example, she wears it, but doesn't need it."

"You don't need it either mama, but I love watching you put it on." Stella said

"You know what, I think it's time you wore a little bit." Ava said as she grabbed her favorite blush

Ava carefully and lightly added blush to the apples of her daughter's cheeks, then added a clear lipgloss to her lips. "Blush is applied to the apples of your cheeks. It gives a little bit of color." the blonde smiled. "What do you think my precious angel?"

"I look just like you mama, and Princess Diana." Stella smiled.

"Well, princess Diana is beautiful, but you are gorgeous my love." Ava smiled as she held her daughter in her arms

"I love you momma." Stella smiled

"I love you too, sweetpea."

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Stella, Lori, and Kara walked into the party like they owned the place. Lori sparkled effortlessly, her blonde hair shining under the lights. Kara was cooler, understated yet stylish in her bunny costume.

Carter—ever the grounded charmer—headed to the bar for drinks while the girls grabbed a table.

"Well, you look beautiful in Mrs. Walker's costume," Lori said with a sly smile.

"Thanks, hon." Stella grinned. "And Kara—you look amazing in that playboy bunny outfit."

"Thanks," Kara said, flashing a small, confident smile.

"Your beers, ladies," Carter returned, handing each of them a bottle with easy grace.

"Thanks." Stella flicked her cap off with practiced ease.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Carter asked, popping open his Budweiser.

"Johnny taught me." Stella said as she took a swig of her Miller Lite

"Johnny taught me," Stella said, taking a swig.

"Who?" Carter asked.

"The hot sensei she talks about nonstop," Kara teased. "He's teaching August karate."

"Oh. Right." Carter nodded. "So—how'd the advertising go?" Lori chimed in.

"August stayed up late making a webpage for the dojo. Johnny drove him to the dance to see if they could snag more students."

As Stella and her best friends continued drinking and chatting, her phone began to buzz with a text message from August.

Little Bro 🙆🏻‍♂️

Attachment: 1 photo
Check out this dope costume sensei
let me borrow 🔥 He said he and his
buddies all had matching ones at their
Halloween dance

Wow! How cool is that! But you look like a
toddler in footie pajamas 😏😂🤣

Stfu, you know I look badass. 👊🏻

Yeah, whatever. Stg if you were trying to punch me through the screeen. 👊🏻 It's cool he let you borrow that though. Have fun tonight and be safe. Love you lil' bro.

Love you too sis.

"What is it?" Kara asked, sipping her beer.

"Instead of Grandma's Deadpool costume, blondie lent August one of his old ones—from back in the '80s." Stella showed them the picture.

"Okay, first of all, that's badass. Second of all, why didn't I think of something like that?" Carter asked

"Because it's an original from the '80s, genius." Kara rolled her eyes.

"Well, the night's still young. Let's dance." Lori clinked her beer and pulled them up.

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"Thank you for offering to chaperone Daniel, that was so kind of you." Counselor Blatt smiled.

"Well, I just want to make sure the kids are having a good night." Daniel said

"I was kinda hoping you would show up in costume. Maybe a karate gi?" Counselor Blatt said.

"No, oh, God. I haven't worn one of those in a while." Daniel said

"You know I still can't believe you and Ali broke up after high school." Counselor Blatt said.

Daniel chuckled. "Things change." he said. He looked over Counselor Blatt's shoulder and saw August dressed in the same skeleton costume that Johnny wore in 1984. "Sometimes. Hold on a sec."

Daniel walked in the hallway to see about the Cobra Kai flyers. As he turned the corner, he found Johnny taping yellow papers which were advertisements for his dojo.

"What do you think you're doing?" Daniel asked

"Promoting my business. Why don't you try minding yours?" Johnny sassed.

"Minding mine? You know what? Look, this is...this is ridiculous, OK? We can both be adults here. I just don't know why you'd ever wanna bring back Cobra Kai after what your sensei did to you." Daniel said.

"Cause I'm not Kreese, and the lessons worked." Johnny said

"Strike first, no mercy. Real good lessons." Daniel said sarcastically. "If you think I'll gonna let you fill these kid's heads with garbage, you're nuts, man."

"Is that why you're following me around?" Johnny asked as he looked at Daniel and smiled slightly

"I'm not following you around. I'm here to— you know, you gotta get off school property, ok? Listen, you...you can't be here." Daniel said before he rushed down the hall. "I'm serious."

"I know you're serious." Johnny said and then chuckled

Johnny continued putting advertisements up until he came across the trophy case with pictures of athletes and cheerleaders past. Among those cheerleaders was a photo of Ali. He smiled as he thought of the blonde, but then his thoughts went to Stella.

The door to the locker room opened, making Johnny turn his head. "We sure showed Rhea!" Kyler whooped happily, his friends praising him

Johnny walked into the locker room and looked around. He heard a low wheezing sound and looked down an aisle. He found August lying on the ground with lacrosse sticks around him and his face covered with bruises. He was clutching his stomach in pain and his eyes were closed, his chest rising very slow. Johnny picked him up and carried him out of the locker room and out to the parking lot, where he placed him in his Firebird

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"Next party we go to, you're driving," Carter smirked as he pulled up to Stella's house.

Stella rolled her eyes with a grin. "Yeah, no thanks. Being DD means I can't drink—and what's the point of going out if I can't have fun? Seriously though, how are you still standing? You had, like, five beers and four shots."

"He's a sober drunk," Lori giggled, practically draping herself over him. She stroked his cheek like he was a prize. "And he's so hot."

From the back seat, Kara let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "Ughhh, let's find another party! I'm not done!" she slurred, her head thunking against the window.

Stella laughed, stepping out onto the curb. "Nope, bedtime. Go home, sleep it off. Love you guys." She shut the door with a teasing smile.

"Love you too!" the trio sang back in messy unison as Carter rolled the window up and drove off.

With a shake of her head, Stella pulled her keys from her clutch and headed inside where Nathan sat with Janette in the living room, rugged frame relaxed but still carrying that protective weight of a man who'd seen too much. Janette's gentle voice filled the quiet.

Stella kissed her father's cheek. "Hi, Daddy. Hi, Grandma."

Nathan smiled, that grounded warmth in his eyes. "Hey, honey."

"Hi sweetie, how was the party?" Janette asked

"Hi, sweetie. How was the party?" Janette asked kindly.

"It was good. Just nice to go out with the girls and Carter," Stella said. "Daddy, how was work?"

"Good. Day off tomorrow—finally."

Outside, Johnny pulled his Firebird into the lot and killed the engine. He stepped out, walked around to the back seat, and scooped August carefully into his arms. The boy was limp, costume torn, face marked from the night's training. Johnny carried him up the stairs to the apartment door and knocked.

The door swung open, and Stella's beautiful smile lit the doorway—until her eyes landed on her brother in Johnny's arms. The color drained from her face.

"August!" Stella cried, rushing forward.

Nathan appeared at the door the second he heard her voice. His rugged frame filled the doorway, eyes narrowing on the scene in front of him—his son, bloodied and hurt, cradled in the arms of Johnny Lawrence.

Stella reached instinctively for August. As Johnny passed him over, his rough hand brushed hers for a brief second, sending a jolt of electricity through her. She ignored it, too focused on her brother.

Nathan's jaw tightened. His voice was low but thunderous. "I don't ever want you coming near my children again. Do you understand?"

Johnny froze, guilt flickering across his face. He didn't argue—didn't posture like he usually would. His blue eyes found Stella's instead, softening at the tears brimming in hers. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to believe me." His words were directed at Nathan, but his gaze never left Stella.

Without waiting for a response, Johnny turned and started down the hall.

From the couch, August pushed himself up, wincing but defiant. "Cobra Kai never dies!" he shouted, but Johnny was already gone.

Stella sat beside her brother, gently wiping away the smudged makeup clinging to his face. Her touch was careful, almost motherly, as she cleaned and dressed his wounds. "You need rest, August. Change out of the costume and go to bed." She tried to keep her tone steady, but inside she was shaken. After Ava's death, Stella had stepped into that role—protector, nurturer, caretaker—and she felt the weight of it now.

Nathan knelt beside them, handing her a roll of bandages, his presence solid and grounding. "I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: no more karate. Is that understood?" His tone left no room for argument.

"But, Dad—" August tried.

"But Dad nothing," Nathan cut him off, his voice sharp as a blade. "I said, is that understood?"

"Yes," August muttered, wincing as Stella finished bandaging his cheek.

Nathan exhaled, rising to his full height again. "Both of you—go to bed."

After murmuring goodnight to their father and grandmother, Stella and August retreated down the hall. At her brother's door, she paused. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Night, sis."

"Night, little brother."