Until the end - Eli Moskowitz/Hawk

(6)

At the next session there was about half as many people that turned up.

"Where is everyone?" Johnny asks "crater face? Nose ring? Slingshot?"

"They quit" Jess tells her dad

"Are you serious?" He pauses "I mean good. That was a test. I wanted to see who the quitters were but not you guys, you're in it to win it." He says "you could be at home on your IComputers playing video games, eating candy. Instead you're here, doing pushups, learning how to fight. Lip" he points towards Eli "Even Lip's tougher than those guys. He's no quitter"

"Could you please not call me that" Eli speaks up

"Excuse me what?"

"I said could you please not call me that" he repeats

"I'll warm them up sensei" Miguel say

"No, Lip has something he wants to say" Johnny steps forward "sorry speak Lip or is your tongue messed up too? Are you one of those challenged kids?"

"Dad stop" Jess says

"The doctor said I could be on the spectrum" Eli answers

"I don't know what that is but get off it pronto. All right?" Johnny said "if you don't want me to call you Lip, don't have a weird lip can't you get surgery for that?"

"I was born with a cleft lip this is the scar from the surgery" Eli tells him

"You mean it was worse before that? Or did the doctor just screw it up?" Johnny asks "because if that's the after photo that is bad, you should sue"

"Dad please" Jess says

"Can we just please change the topic?" Eli asks

"I don't think I want to, it's right in front of me" he responds "look if you don't want to be a nerd with a scar on his lip you need to flip the script, get a face tattoo or gouge your eye out. We'll call you Patch. Actually don't do that you'll still look like a freak"

And with that Eli leaves

"Are you serious dad!" Jess says as she runs after him

"Eli please, I'm sorry okay, my dad is just tough" she says catching up to him outside and making him look at her. She notices there were a few tears running down his cheek, she pulls him in to hug him. "I'm really sorry"

"I'm going to do what your dad said" he says

Jess pulls back to look at him "what?" She asks confused

"I'm flipping the script" he tells her

She thinks for a moment "okay" she says "please don't gouge your eye out though"

"No no I won't" he laughs "I'm thinking new hair"

"Like what?" She asks intrigued

"A mohawk" he answers with a smile

That evening at home she was in her room on her phone when she heard her dad come home, she jumped up to go see him.

"I'm sorry about earlier" she said to him "didn't plan on walking out I just"

"It's fine" he said "who is that kid anyway?"

"He's just a friend from school" she tells him

"You're friends with that loser?" He asks

"Well I'm not exactly the most popular kid at school dad" she laughs

"Yeah I guess so" he sits down on the couch "what about that girl? She's called Planet or something"

"Yeah i am still friends with Moon but she has other friends as well" she says "have you heard from Robby?" She asks

"Last I heard he was with some Molly chick doing drugs" he said "spoke to your mom though, I think it's all fine"

Jess nods "okay well I'm gonna go to bed, love you"

"Love you" he said back which he didn't always do, he'd probably had about 2 beers by now though.

The next day at practice there were three more absences, meaning less money for Jess and Johnnie.

"There are bunch of pussies" Aisha spat out

"No, it's my fault" Johnny claims "since you've joined Cobra Kai, I've been hard on you. I've called you names, humiliated you, some of you I've hit. And for that, I don't apologise, Cobra Kai is about strength, if you're not strong on the inside you're not strong on the outside. You are all weak, and I know that because I was you. I used to have no friends, used to be the weirdo kid" he points to Bert "not that weird I still hooked up with babes, but the point is I wasn't always the badass sensei I am now"

And at just that moment the bell signifying the door had opened went

"Welcome to Cobra Kai" her dad said to the boy walking in. However they weren't new to Cobra Kai.

Jess examined his mohawk hairstyle and new clothes in awe.

"Eli what happened?" Miguel asks

"I'm flipping the script" he responds with a voice very familiar to Jess

"Wait are you the kid with the lip?" Her dad asks "nice cut bro. Hawk fall in" he says and Eli goes and stands right next to Jess smirking at her in a way she hadn't seen before

"Fear doesn't belong in this dojo does it?" Johnny asks

"No sensei" Eli responds

"Pain doesn't belong in this dojo does it?"

"No sensei" Jess responds

"Defeat doesn't belong in this dojo does it?"

"No sensei" Miguel answers

"Class are you ready to learn the way of the fist?" he asks

"Yes sensei"

(Ahh it's getting good!!!)

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