Before I Forget

She's Just a Girl and She's on Fire.

Sky stood in front of the door for at least five minutes before having the courage to knock on it. Somehow this had all felt easier at home, after the endorphin rush she'd gotten from the jog, but now that she was actually staring at this plain, ugly door at the shady apartment complex in Reseda—

Fuck it!

Am I a Phoenix or not?

She took a breath, raised her hand, and knocked on the door, her heart ticking in her throat as if she had swallowed a living hummingbird.

She didn't have to wait for long before the door was yanked open, and Johnny Lawrence appeared in the doorway, wearing worn jeans and a band T-shirt, chewing on beef jerky, smelling like beer. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, as he took in the sight of Sky in her jogging clothes standing at his door at 10 pm on a Monday night.

"Hi, Ginger," he said, after a short but awkward silence. "What's up?"

He looked different here, less sharp, more tired. Older.

Somehow that, and the lingering smell of beer, made Sky nervous.

"Hi, Sensei—" Sky said. "I'm sorry to bother you, I realize it's late, but I was wondering if... if we could talk."

Sensei finished his mouthful of meat, stuffed the wrapping in the back pocket of his jeans, and leaned on the doorframe. "Alright. What is it?"

"I want to come back to Cobra Kai.

Sensei tilted up his chin, and Sky couldn't help noticing the two-day stubble. "That so?"

"Yeah," she breathed, fidgeting the car keys in her restless fingers. "I'm sorry I just bailed after... after what happened. But I really need this, Sensei. Please, let me come back."

He squinted his eyes, taking a good look at her.

"Hawk tells me you've been through some rough shit," he said after a small silence.

"Yeah."

"That gonna hold you back?"

Sky shrugged. "I hope not."

"You hope not?" he scoffed. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Ginger. Where the hell is your spunk? Didn't I tell you that it doesn't matter how many times the world kicks you down, the only thing that matters is how many times you get up? So are you done feeling sorry for yourself?"

Is that what I've been doing?

Have I been just feeling sorry for myself?

Can I really just snap out of this, just decide that enough is enough and that I'm never gonna fall again?

Sky was pretty sure it wasn't that simple, but she also knew that if she didn't try, she'd be stuck forever.

"Yes, sensei," Sky breathed, meeting his surprisingly sharp ice-blue eyes.

"Do you mean that?"

"I do, Sensei."

"And you're ready to start kicking ass again?"

That made Sky smirk. "Absolutely."

Sensei replied with a crooked smile of his own and crossed his arms on his chest. "Then that's all that matters, Ginger. You are stronger than you think you are. Just come to the dojo tomorrow, and we'll get you ready for the tournament."

As the door closed and she turned to leave, Sky realized this was exactly what she needed - someone who knew what had happened to her, but who wouldn't give a shit about it.