CK & KK Ficlets and Non-Ficlets

Our Little Sister Part 3

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk a

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

~Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams

At school the next day, I walked down the hallway, feeling a surge of fresh courage, while also keeping Eli's and Demetri's advice to watch my back (except in the proverbial sense) in the back of my mind.

And I had good reason to do so. Luckily, Kenny was the only Cobra I knew of who yet didn't know about my having quit Cobra Kai. When lunchtime came, I'd chosen a slice of pepperoni pizza, as well as two garlic breadsticks and a cup of marinara sauce, and a Dr. Pepper. After having found my usual spot, I sat down.

Kenny soon came over with his own lunch — a slice of cheese pizza and a Coca-Cola — and sat across from me. "Hey, Callie."

I smiled a little as soon as I noticed him. "Hey yourself, Kenny."

It was quiet for a while as we ate our food.

"Hey, I might as well ask," he said while waiting for me to finish my last bite of pepperoni pizza.

"Sure, what is it?" I queried.

"Well," Kenny paused for a moment, "why weren't you in Cobra Kai yesterday?" He then looked apologetic when he saw I was about to start on the garlic breadsticks and marinara sauce. "Oh, no need to answer right away. I apologize; I should've timed my question better."

I smiled my appreciation at his letting me eat for a bit before answering. "Well," I began after I swallowed my first two bites of garlic breadstick dipped in marinara sauce, "I might as well tell you." I paused a little for dramatic effect. "You see... I'm not in Cobra Kai anymore."

Pausing to see Kenny's reaction to my words, I blinked when I saw he looked thoughtful, tapping his chin with his left index finger instead of getting angry. I knew he was wondering the reason for my saying that. 

Boy, was I right.

"Why?" he queried.

I sighed. Better to be honest about it, plain and simple. 

"Basically, my friend Eli Moskowitz, whom you know as 'Hawk', showed me what they did to him; the last time I saw him, he'd changed the color of his Mohawk from red to purple, which I thought looked good on him since purple symbolizes balance between red and blue. The next time I saw him, the Mohawk had been shaved off. When I asked, he told me Cobra Kai did it. 

"The next day — which, in fact, was yesterday — I arrived late to the Cobra Kai Dojo and when Kreese told me as such, I replied it didn't matter to me, as I was quitting right then and there," I added after a moment. "The other Cobras were shocked. I gave them a stern lecture over what they did, and told Robby that by doing what they did to Eli, he and Tory betrayed my trust, because whenever I look at Eli, I usually see him as the older brother I wish I had. Then I told Tory she'd lose me if I attacked her mother and little brother the same way she, Robby and the other Cobras attacked Eli; she was quiet, as she knew I was quite right on both counts."

Kenny was quiet for a moment. "Wow. That must've taken a lot of courage on your part there," he remarked after chewing thoughtfully on his slice of cheese pizza while hearing me out. Taking a small sip of Coca-Cola, he then swallowed it slowly.

I nodded. "Well, after Kreese told me I was more than welcome to quit as they didn't need soft-hearted members of the 'snowflake generation' like me in Cobra Kai (which were his words, not mine), I replied that I wished him luck in finding someone to replace me in this war he calls life."

"You actually said that?" Kenny asked, sounding surprised, but at the same time also a tiny bit pleased at hearing of the courage I showed. "I'm impressed." He then gave me a thumbs up.

"Indeed I did, and thanks," I agreed. 

"You're welcome," Kenny smiled. "So, what happened afterwards?" 

"Well, after pulling off my black Cobra Kai headband, I put it on top of the matching Cobra Kai gi, which I placed on the floor before dusting off my hands. Turning around on my heel, I stepped back over the threshold and then headed for home — thus making it perfectly clear I was leaving the Cobra Kai dojo for good."

Kenny, I noticed, blinked a little. "Wow," he then said. "You did that, all because they...?"

"Attacked my best friend and older brother figure Eli Moskowitz and shaved off his Mohawk because he'd betrayed them during the fight at the LaRusso house back in December, yes," I finished for him. "But get this."

"What? What is it?" Kenny queried, his expression full of curiosity. Somehow, I knew he'd sensed there was more to this story than he'd thought, which proved correct.

"After I got home and told Eli and his best friend-slash-Binary Brother Demetri Alexopoulos what I'd done, Eli told me, 'I'm worried for you, Callie.' And he was right."

Kenny took a few small sips of Coca-Cola. "Oh, wow," he nodded thoughtfully for a moment. "Then what did you say?"

"I then asked if he realized I'd have to warily watch my back because the other Cobras would want to get back at me for quitting Cobra Kai," I explained in reply.

"I see. Well, you know I have standards and lines I won't cross, and I wouldn't want to do something like get back at someone who quit something for the right reasons," Kenny remarked before nodding as if to convince himself. "After all, you became an ex-Cobra for the right reasons, so the other Cobras getting revenge on you for that? That's the last thing I'd ever want to happen to you."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Kenny grinned.

Kenny must've wanted to keep his promise, as he assured me he would watch my back for me, just to be on the safe side. I thanked him, adding that he was the best friend almost anyone could ever ask for. He agreed, saying the same about me.