Fight or Flight

Chapter 5: Esqueleto

Camille picked them up at their planned time, and the two waited restlessly on the Levesque's couch until around 10:30, when Miguel told Camille he 'had to get ready for bed'. Josie said the same to her mom.

At around 11:30, Josie made sure her mom was asleep before quietly opening their front door. Miguel had planned to sneak out of his house at the same time.

She thought she would meet him in the courtyard between their apartments, but she looked over to see him knocking on Johnny Lawrence's door.

"Miguel!" Josie whisper-yelled. "What are you doing?"

"We don't have a ride to the school, Josie. He's meeting us there anyways, so why can't he drive us?"

"I thought we were just gonna Uber." Josie replied, "but that works too."

Johnny finally came out of his apartment. "Why are you two here?"

"Because you're gonna drive us to the school." Miguel said plainly. Josie thought their Sensei was going to argue, saying they were pussies for not getting there themselves.

Surprisingly, he just shrugged and said, "Alright. Let's go."

They pestered him about his plan the whole car ride, but Johnny's mouth was glued no shut. Eventually, they started to think of wild scenarios of what their Sensei would make them do.

Finally, they arrived at the school. Johnny led them in an unexpected direction. He pushed open the doors to the high school's pool.

"Sensei," Miguel asked, "what are we doing here at midnight?"

"You're sure we're supposed to be here?" Josie questioned.

"Yeah, don't worry." Johnny replied to Josie. "My buddy is the night janitor."

"Ok..." Josie wasn't sure.

"All right, let me see your hands." Johnny unslung two small ropes from around his neck.

They complied, and he started to tie Miguel's hands together.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked, a bit panicked. Their backs were to the pool, only a step behind them.

"When you're in a fight, your first instinct is to use your hands, right?" Johnny finished tying Miguel's hands and moved on to Josie's. "You gotta unlearn that, and think with your legs."

"How, uh, do I think with my legs?" Miguel asked, voicing what Josie was thinking.

"Well, you just-" Johnny pushed them both into the pool.

Thankfully, Josie knew how to swim decently well. She kicked hard and broke the surface of the water, gasping for air. Miguel, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He didn't make it above water until Johnny grabbed his hair and yanked him upwards.

"I'm drowning!" he gasped, filled with panic.

"Drowning is for pussies, all right?" Johnny responded. "Don't be a pussy! Use your legs!"

He let go of Miguel's hair, and he went back under.

"Do you even know if he knows how to swim?" Josie asked Johnny. Her head had stayed above water, but her legs were growing tired of all the kicking.