Serendipity & the Serpent

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Before you even knew it, the rest of the school day had flown by. You only had one class with all five of those boys, P.E., in which you watched Ali and her friends try out for the cheerleading squad. Cheering wasn't your thing, you would much rather play in the band or something that could showcase your musical talent. Something that would remind you of your father.

You had two classes with Daniel, not including P.E., History and Mathematics. Both of which you found your thoughts drifting to the day before. If Johnny didn't know who Daniel was, why would Doc say there would be a fight on the beach between the two of them? How did they know them? You found it all too complicating, so you decided to focus on making conversation with him instead.

When the day drew to a close, Ali found you by your locker and handed you a small slip of paper. You unraveled it, revealing her address so you could stick with your word and watch The Outsiders with her and the girls later in the evening. Thanking her kindly, you tucked it neatly into your backpack before lacing up your skates and putting on your Walkman. The music immediately transported you out of your 'end of the day slump' and you found yourself full of energy. You listened to Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, as you made your way to the record shop.

You didn't have much homework, so you completed it all during the slow parts of the work day. Not many customers came in, so your mother was more then happy to let you go enjoy some company with Ali, Susan, and Barbara. She even let you take the car, claiming she preferred to walk home anyway to get a breath of fresh air.

You hopped in the car and placed the keys in the ignition. The sun was just starting to set, so hopefully you could navigate your way to Ali's with the last bit of daylight left.

Mentally taking note of street names, you drove through Reseda before crossing over into Encino. It didn't take long however, for the Cobra Kai dojo to catch your eye as you traveled. Pausing at the stop sign, you let your eyes drift to the building.

As if on cue, the five boys began to file out of it's doors carrying bags of what you assumed was clothing. You thought back to the night before, the five of them wearing leather jackets with the same yellow serpent symbol embroidered on the front pocket as the one that hung above the entrance.

"Look, why don't you take your little Cobra Kai's and get out of here, alright?" You remembered Ali saying with spite in her voice.

Scoffing, you forced yourself to look away from the boys and waited for your turn to drive forward.

It felt oddly comforting to drive the car your grandfather owned during the last year of his life. It was relatively new, a Cherry red 1983 Avanti Convertible. It was already in California waiting for you and your mother when he passed. Pushing away the sad memory, you tried to imagine all the good times he had in this car. He probably rode down these same streets everyday with the radio on full blast.

You smiled and reached out to turn the knob in his honor. As the volume went up, so did your mood. Music just had something about it that left you feeling weightless and carefree.

The familiar chorus of Then He Kissed Me by the Crystals wafted through the car. Of course your grandfather was listening to 60s music. It was always his favorite. He even used to tell you that it was because it was the decade you were born in. It was a silly childhood memory, but a happy one at that.

As you pulled your hand away from the radio, your eye caught a glimpse of something carved into the dashboard. It was your grandfather's initials. He carved them into every dashboard of all the cars he had owned. Tears pooled in your eyes, but you laughed at the engraving happily, thankful that it was there. You brought your hands to your lips, kissed your fingertips, and placed them over your grandpa's initials.