Lost in Hollywood

Purple Vibes Only

Hawk had dyed his hair the day before.

During these weeks after quitting Cobra Kai, the red spikes that he had once loved so fiercely, the symbol of his strength, his brutality, his toughness, had become a burden. Every time he so much as glanced at the mirror, the spikes were a ruthless reminder of all the things he had said and done, his sins incarnated into his image.

He just wasn't that guy anymore.

He was changing, becoming something new, someone good perhaps, instead of the asshole he had been, so it was only fitting that his appearance should change too. The red had to go, and what better to replace it than purple? The mix of blue - the color he always associated with courage he had needed to flip the script - and red - the color that had made him tough.

As he now walked the hallway with Demetri, he couldn't help the small grin that kept tugging at the corner of his mouth. His new hair was getting a lot of attention, and even if his heart was all Sky's, he couldn't deny that the glances all the hot girls were giving him felt nice.

He knew he looked good. It wasn't just the hair or the way his new T-shirt matched the color of his mohawk perfectly. It was the new confidence he felt flowing in his veins, the promise of a better future. This was his rebirth, his metamorphosis. He had shed his Cobra's skin, and grown a new, better one. A purple one.

He tried to keep his attention on whatever Demetri was talking about, but his thoughts were slipping as his eyes searched the hallway for a certain cute redhead who had yet to see his transformation. Nervousness made the heart tick in his throat. He knew Sky had thought his red hair was hot - what if she didn't like the new one? Now that he thought about it, his purple and the bright coppery red of her curls didn't really match—

"Vietnam vet turned businessman," Demetri was saying, on his iPad the face of the man they had seen at the dojo the day before. "Had a few ups and downs but still turned out pretty rich. Not much dirt other than some toxic waste scandal in Borneo back in the '80s."

Hawk frowned, turning his attention to the photo on the iPad. Demetri could do his research, he had to give him that.

"Sounds like a Renaissance man," Hawk replied as they continued walking. "How'd you find out his name?"

"I took a picture at the dojo, then found an old facial recognition beta test and tweaked the code to make it compatible with HEIC," Demetri explained as if it was the most natural thing in the whole world, making Hawk let out a laugh.

"I love it when you talk nerdy," cut in an adoring voice and Yasmine appeared next to Demetri, stealing his attention completely. She looked like a beauty queen, as always, with her perfect blond curls and her stylish blue blouse and as she eyed Demetri batting her long lashes, her eyes were filled with such lust that it made Hawk a bit uncomfortable.

"You are both the first and my favorite person to say that," Demetri replied flirtingly, making Yasmine let out a delighted giggle before her lips locked with Demetri's in a passionate kiss.

Hawk's throat suddenly felt a bit tight and he had to look away. It wasn't that he wanted to be the one kissing Yasmine - far from it. No matter how physically attractive she was, Hawk had never crushed on her. But he envied Demetri immensely for what he had - the girl he loved walking to him like that, smiling and giggling, kissing him so happily—

"I– I like the new hue," Moon's soft voice stopped Hawk's inner torment, and he turned to face her, grateful for the interruption.

She was looking super pretty with a pair of loose denim overalls matched with a beautiful, white lace top that was practically see-through so that it revealed nice glimpses of her smooth, tanned skin.