Lost in Hollywood

Coward

Even before Sky stepped into the yard, she could hear the arguing voices. She stopped on her feet and leaned a hand on the wall for support as her stomach clenched on a tight knot.

Great. Just fucking fantastic.

After her talk with Tom, Sky had decided it was time to start getting out of the house, to start doing things she loved again - including karate. But now she was having some serious second thoughts. It seemed that Hawk hadn't been exaggerating when telling her that things were tenser than ever between the senseis. Sky had come here to regain at least some of her lost inner strength and calm, but now—

Calm? Strength? She made a face. From the sounds of it, the things she could learn from here were the opposite of those things.

"From everything I heard, it sounds to me like Miguel practiced restraint," Mr. LaRusso was saying with a tone Sky knew would piss Johnny off to no end. "He found a way to get out of a bad situation without anyone getting hurt. What did you want him to do? Get in a drive-in switchblade fight?"

Sky let out a silent groan as her fingers gripped around the strap of her gym bag that ran over her shoulder. Clearly, she had picked a bad day to return to the dojo. She could guess what that conversation was about - they were talking about the almost-fight that had happened at the drive-in the night before.

No one had asked Sky to go to see that blasted movie, which was just fine, she wouldn't have even wanted to attend— but still, it had hurt to know everyone was out there having fun, when she was sitting alone at home, crying her eyes out... But when Hawk had texted her later, telling about how Cobra Kai had again tried to pick a fight, and how Miguel had made complete fools out of them, Sky had been happy that she hadn't been there.

There was no fight left in her. She never wanted to face Kyler or Tory or any of the Cobras again. And she had no joy left in her either. She wouldn't have been able to laugh with her friends when they delighted over their mischief.

Her presence would have just ruined everything for her friends. The dark cloud that was constantly hanging over her head, would have dimmed the joy of their non-violent victory.

"I'm proud of you. You've taken Miyagi-Do teachings to heart." Mr. LaRusso went on, probably talking to Miguel, and Sky - still hiding behind the corner - let out a silent groan.

Why did he have to use that tone? Didn't he realize how condescending that sounded, how pissed it would make Johnny?

Even on her best day, Sky hated conflicts. And today was far from her best day. Thinking about going to the dojo had made her so nervous she had puked in the toilet - twice - and even now her heart was racing in her chest, making cold sweat run down her spine. She had come to get something else to think about, something else than the aching hole in her chest, to think about anything but Cody, and the way his death was her fault— but if it was going to be like this—

The last thing she needed in her life was more drama.

"Okay LaRusso, we need to have a talk—" Johnny said, and making a split-second decision, Sky forced her legs to move, forced herself to take the last couple of steps that brought her around the corner and into the yard.

Everyone's eyes turned to her and whatever Johnny had been about to say to Mr.LaRusso, died mid-sentence.

"Ginger, you're back," he said, his voice raspy but gentle, and even if his face stayed cool, Sky saw how his throat bobbed.

Her chest ached. The way she had missed Jonnhy Lawrence—

Her Sensei. He had always seen the strength in her, even when she had been too lost to see it herself. He had made her believe she could crawl out of the darkness, he had turned her into someone strong, badass, powerful. He had made a champion out of a girl who had believed she was broken beyond repair.