Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

105 - Silver vs. Gold

I take a deep breath as I get out of my car and start walking. I've never been more nervous to walk into a Cobra Kai dojo. Not when I confronted Mr Lawrence about the way Eli treated me at lunch. Not when Miguel took me there to have our rematch. Not when I stormed in to confront all of them about trashing Miyagi-Do. Not any of the times I went to see Robby. Not even when I was in the Cobra Kai dojo, training, wearing the Cobra Kai logo. Because then? It wasn't this serious. When Robby was there, I had protection. Now? It's just me. Back then, I didn't have flashbacks that left my heart racing for ten minutes afterwards. Back then, Silver wasn't in my head. It was easy to believe and convince other people that I had control of the game board. Now? Silver knows he's in my head. That was part of his whole strategy. So I'm gonna have to work extra hard to even slightly convince him that I'm still in complete control. Maybe in doing so, I'll convince myself of the same thing...

I take one more deep breath, making my usual little Italian hand motion to try and bring some sense of balance to my life, then put a hand on the door, and open it, walking into the flagship Cobra Kai dojo.

Holy shit... this is really nice... it smells so new... everything looks brand new... Kenny told me to be here at this time, and he said to go to the front desk and tell the lady working there my name and that he told me to come, and she'd know what I was talking about. I hope that boy knows just how much trust I'm putting in him right now. My whole body shakes like a candle flame in a hurricane. I'm gonna need some adrenaline to kick in at some point... otherwise my acting skills from show choir are gonna have to be tested at the highest level...

"Hi, how may I help you?" the lady at the front desk asks warmly. What an odd contrast to the sinking, cold feeling that fills this place. I put on a smile, trying to act like I belong here.

"Ciao. My name is Parker Reyes. Kenny Payne invited me here," I say, doing everything in my power to sound like I'm not literally about to hyperventilate. She looks at something on her desk, then smiles.

"Thank you for coming by. The main floor is just through that door," she says, pointing to the door in question. Okay... I can handle this. I can do this. I've got this...

"Grazie," I say, smiling one more time before entering the dojo floor. It looks like official class isn't in session- it'd be a little weird to start class before noon, but a few people who clearly have nothing better to do hang around, training on what looks to be very nice, even high-tech, equipment. Kyler and some of his friends hang by- is that a snack bar?! No way... the closest thing Miyagi-Do has ever had to a snack bar is various people coming up to me asking if I have any granola bars or protein bars, because the answer is always yes. I mean, my taekwondo school has a kitchenette with a microwave and a refrigerator and everything, but this? This is... insane...

"Parker! You actually came!" Kenny says enthusiastically, jogging up to me as he realizes I'm here. I put on a smile for him.

"Of course I came," I say, even though this is most certainly not an 'of course' situation. He grins. It takes all of my concentration to keep my face neutral, if not happy, even as Silver himself turns away from whatever he was doing, seemingly upon hearing my voice.

"Miss Reyes," he says, wearing a smile as he joins Kenny and I, "what a pleasant surprise."