The Way of the Fist 🐉Tory Nichols🐉

16. ALL IN

COBRA KAI DOJO

DAYS LATER

I leaned against the wall in my uniform as Sensei Lawrence sparred against Sensei Kreese, teaching the class. "You're a little rusty, Sensei." Johnny told Kreese. Kreese threw a punch at Johnny which he blocked. He grabbed Kreese's arm as Kreese wrapped his other arm around Johnny's neck. "OK, pay attention. He's got my neck, I've got his elbow. If I try to break out..." Johnny started. "I dig in and I put him to sleep." Kreese finished. "If I go for his ribs..." Johnny said making the move slamming his right elbow into Kreese. "He completely exposes his chest." Kreese pointed out bringing his right knee up to Johnny's chest. "Two difficult choices. What do you do?" Johnny asked the class. The students looked around. Johnny kicked Kreese in the leg and they both went down. "You damn the consequences and you power forward." Johnny explained as they got to their feet. "You may get hurt, but nobody wins by doing nothing." Kreese stated. "You make a choice. You make a move. And you go...all in." Johnny spoke. "Renshi Holland, pair them up. Help them practice the move." Sensei Kreese told me. "Yes, Sensei." I said bowing. "Fall in." I told the class. The class stood in rows. "I'll be pairing you up in twos. And no, you can not switch. Got it?" I announced. "Yes, Renshi." They responded. "All right." I voiced. "Diaz with Hawk. Robinson with Mitch. This row and this row, turn and face each other. This row and this row, do the same." I ordered. Tory looked down at Bert with wide-eyes. "Bert. Go with Barnes." I ordered. "Yes, Renshi." Bert sounded. Tory looked at me before I smirked. "Tory, you'll be with me." I said before standing in front of her. She offered a small smile before regaining her composure. "Now everyone spread out. I don't want people getting kicked in the face by people they aren't paired up with." I declared. Everyone spaced out. Tory looked at me. "Fighting positions!" I announced. The class got into different stances. "Fight!" I exclaimed. I swung at Tory and she grabbed my arm, turning her back to me. I wrapped my arm around her neck. She hesitated for a moment. "What do you next?" I asked her. "Damn the consequences." She answered. "Show me." I told her. She kicked my right leg out and sent the both of us to the mat, ending with me falling atop of her. I stared into her hazel eyes before blinking a couple of times. I looked away getting to my feet helping Tory up. "That's enough. Class dismissed." I said. 

APPLEBEE'S
JULY 20TH

I was sitting at a table by myself writing a letter when something hit my chest. I looked down to see an ice cube. I looked over to see Tory at a table with Aisha and Moon. "Hey." I voiced with a smile turning back to my letter. "Oops. Must've slipped out of my hand." She said as I stared at the paper in front of me. "What are you even doing over there?" Tory asked. "Going all in." I muttered writing some more. "Want the rest of this brownie sundae? I'm not gonna lie to you. I already ate the brownie and the whipped cream and most of the hot fudge." Tory told me holding up a plate. "So, you saved me the melted ice cream?" I asked her. "Yeah, the best part." She said setting the plate down before sitting across from me. "Seriously. What are you working on?" She asked. I looked at her. "What? Is it something dirty?" She asked. "No, it's nothing dirty." I answered. "Show me. Come on!" She begged. I sighed. I turned the piece of paper towards her and she began to read it. Tears began to fill her eyes. "It's not done yet." I said with a sigh scratching the back of my head. Tory looked up at me handing me the paper. "Your mom would be proud of what you have so far." Tory said. "You think? I'm not much of a writer. I'm more of a "I Deal With My Emotions With My Fists" kinda guy." I told her. Tory snickered. "I happen to like your writing." She stated before squinting her eyes. "You wanna get out of here?" She asked me. "Yeah." I said folding the letter up and shoving it in my back pocket. She stood up and I followed her out of the restaurant. 

NIGHT

PARK

"Ready?" Tory asked me as the two of us spun around on playground sized version of a Lazy Susan. "Three, two, one, go! Whoo!" Tory exclaimed jumping off rolling across the ground laughing. "Oh my Gosh. You are insane." I said unsteadily walking over. I sat down beside her. "Yeah, heard that before." She quipped. "I'm so dizzy." I voiced. "You're having fun, right?" She asked. "Yes, I'm having fun. You know, when you said you had a place to go, I figured it'd be some place where you needed a fake ID." I told her. "Yeah, we can go somewhere like that. My girlfriend bartends at this place over on Cahuenga." She said. "No. No, no, no. I kind of dig the abandoned playground vibes. It looks like an awesome place to...fight off a zombie apocalypse." I said. "Shit, what time is it?" Tory asked checking her phone. She pushed me onto the ground and laid beside me. "What are we..." I started. "Wait for it." She interrupted before a jumbo jet flew overhead. "Holy shit! That was awesome!" I exclaimed wide-eyed. "Every night, 10:36 on the dot. It's the last flight out of Burbank." Tory told me. "Whoa. I've never been to Burbank." I stated staring up at the stars, as tears began to fill my eyes. I blinked them away. "Damn stars. Every time." I sighed sitting up wiping away the tears. Tory sat up next to me. "What's wrong?" Tory asked. "Nothing. Don't--" I started. "Tell me." She interjected. I sighed. "The reason I've been quiet most of the day...is because tonight...is the anniversary of my mother's death. And I wrote this shitty letter...like I do every--" I ranted. I let out a sigh. "What's the use? No amount of writing will ever bring her back." I said crumpling the letter up and throwing it to the side. I stared at the ground before I felt Tory lean her head on my right shoulder. "I write those letters and my dad...geez. My dad takes a bat to his car every year, destroying it while he gets drunk. That's what he spends most of his time doing. Then he'll take it to an auto shop, get it fixed, and add a tally mark on the hood of the car for every year that's passed since she's died. That's why I'm not home." I said quietly as a single tear streamed down my face. Tory rested her chin on my shoulder looking at me. "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Tory whispered with a small smile. "I've never been in love." I said quietly. "Maybe I can change that." She whispered back. "How?" I asked. "Going all in." She breathed before pressing her lips against mine. I reached my hand up to her the nape of her neck as she moved closer. We leaned back kissing one another.