Muscle Memory

Esqueleto (6)

The door creaked loudly as Johnny, Anastasia, and Miguel entered the pool room of West Valley High School.

"Sensei, what are you doing here at midnight?" Miguel asks. "You sure we're supposed to be here?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Anastasia works her and my buddy's the night janitor," Johnny reassures, pulling a rope from where it was slung around his neck.

"Better question, why did you tell me to wear a swimsuit?" Anastasia questions, glancing down at her black daisy swimsuit, and her ruffle black cover up skirt.

"You'll see in a minute, princess," he smirks. He turns to Miguel, "Alright, let me see your hands."

Miguel holds up his hands, "Here you go." Johnny begins to tie them with the rope.

Anastasia frowns, "I'm pretty sure I've seen a movie that went just like this..."

"What're you doing?" Miguel murmurs in confusion.

"When you're in a fight, your first instinct is to use your hands, right? You gotta unlearn that... and think with your legs." Johnny finishes tying Miguel's hands and pulls off Anastasia's cover up, pulling a yelp from her. "And you need to stop relying on your left leg, and strengthen your right one again."

"Uh, how do I think with my legs?" Miguel asks.

"Well, you just, uh..." Johnny trailed off before pushing both Miguel and Anastasia in the pool.

Anastasia's scream was cut off as they both hit the water, waves splashing around them from the impact. The brunette quickly swam up to the surface, gasping for air as she resurfaced. She glared at Johnny, "Oh! I fucking hate you!"

"No, you don't," He countered distractedly before yelling to Miguel, who'd sunk to the bottom of the pool. "Use those legs. Kick your way out."

Anastasia kicked her legs in the water to keep her body afloat, glancing nervously between Miguel and Johnny when the teenager didn't resurface.

"Shit," Johnny muttered kneeling down to grab Miguel by his hair and out of the water.

"I'm drowning," Miguel gasped.

"Drowning is for pussies, alright? Don't be a pussy! Use your legs!" He instructed.

"Don't fight the water... feel it, work with it not against it," Anastasia adds, looking down at her own legs that were kicking back and forth for emphasis.

Johnny lets go of Miguel's hair, and the teenager sinks again. The two adults watch tensely as Miguel tries to figure how to swim without his arms. "I should've asked him if he knew how to swim," Johnny comments.

"You think, blondie?" Anastasia remarks sarcastically.

Johnny gives her a look as he bends down to grab Miguel by his hair again.

"Please not again," Miguel begs. "I'll die!"

"'Cobra Kai never dies.' Say it," Johnny demands.

"Cobra Kai never dies," Miguel gasps.

"Like your life depends on it!"

"Cobra Kai never dies!" Miguel shouts.

"I'm not gonna help you this time," Johnny informs him, and Anastasia's head snaps to him with wide eyes. "You have all the power in your legs you need. Use it to kick your way up. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sensei!" Miguel gasps as Johnny lets go of his hair, and he sinks below the surface of the water again.

"Come on, come on..."