Special

13

The air was hot and dry but the water splashing against my feet made it worth it. The beach wasn't my favorite place growing up but here lately I've gained a new found love for it. Maybe because this is the first summer that my grandmother had decided to let me go alone with my friends. Or maybe because I've started to have a new optimistic view point through life. 

I managed to peel myself away from the cool water when Demetri had called me over for a game of volleyball. Hawk and Moon were dividing up the teams as I trudged over. I wasn't exactly sporty but I did enjoy being competitive. Once we were divided up, Demetri took the first serve and hit it right into the net. The positions we all held had relaxed and Hawk looked over in annoyance. 

"Uh..." he began as the ball rolled through the sand, "Mulligan, send it back."

Hawk sighed heavily. "There's no mulligans in volleyball." He explains. Demetri scoffed, nearly offended. "Says you."

"What's a mulligan?" I whisper to Moon across the net. Moon giggled at me. "He's asking for a do over." I silently mouthed the word 'oh' and gave her a small nod of appreciation.

"Water break." Demetri calls out and sludges away from the group. Out of the mist of confusion, I walked over and picked up the volleyball that laid on the ground. Staring at me, was the Cobra Kai logo. 

I still have yet to tell Hawk and Miguel that I had joined Miyagi-Do. I think Miguel would be a little easier on me about it but he's been asking for me to join Cobra Kai for so long, and then after finding out that Robby's dad teaches it, I made up the excuse of karate not being my thing. So how would he feel about me joining Miyagi-Do? Maybe he'd understand. Hawk on the other hand, well, he wouldn't be as accepting. I can still see him tense up every time I mention Robby's name. He might have forgiven me for our fight, but he for sure hasn't forgiven Robby, though he keeps trying to reassure me that he's moved past their little feud. I'm not convinced in the slightest.

I had to force myself to look away from the snake's eyes and just made my way towards Demetri instead, who began to dry off his face with a Cobra Kai beach towel when these two girls walked by.

"Cobra Kai?" You guys won that karate tournament, right?" One girl asked, both of them stopping.

"Um... The All Valley? The Rumble in Reseda? Yes, uh, we, uh, we certainly did." Demetri attempted to act cool as he lent up against the pole that held up the volleyball net and gave the girls a 'charming' smirk. I snorted at his awkwardness and rolled the volleyball towards Hawk's feet as an attempt to avoid the daggering stares of the snake's eyes, but Hawk paid no attention to it since he was watching the situation unfold before him.

"Cool." The brunette comments with a pleased look across her face. "We're going for a swim, but maybe play with you later?"

"Pfft, most def!" he paused. "That means 'most definitely'." he clarified. Instead of being awkward, however, the girls just giggled and made their way away from us.

Moon ended up joining in on the giggling as she walked up behind Demetri. "Look at you, player." She compliments and patted his back. I grabbed three water bottles and tossed one to Moon, which she caught with ease, and then began to toss towards Hawk but he declined with a simple head shake, so I put it back and kept the third one for myself. 

"It'd be nice if you actually earned the Cobra Kai cred you're so happy to take. When are you ever gonna sign up?" Hawk asks bitterly as he looks at Demetri before glancing over towards my direction as if he was asking 'you too'. I bit my lower lip as my stomach began to churn.

Demetri shrugged. "I don't know, I'm kind of enjoying the gain without the pain." Hawk's eyes flickered to me for my answer, but luckily Miguel diverted his attention.