Fight or Flight

Chapter 6: Cobra Kai Never Dies

They pulled a barely conscious Miguel out of Johnny's car, and Johnny carried him all the way to the Diaz's front door. Josie knocked. She was pretty sure her mom was in there too, as the two of them had been hanging out a lot more and they were definitely talking about the exciting Halloween dance. Carmen opened the door, staring in shock at her son's battered body. Camille was right behind her.

"Oh, mijo!" Carmen cried.

"What the hell happened?" Camille asked. She recognized their deadbeat drunk neighbor who was holding Miguel.

"I'm so sorry, maman." Josie was on the verge of tears too. "These guys were picking on us, and we figured if we learned some of Johnny's karate then they wouldn't be able to hurt us. So we lied. There was no debate team, we've been at the dojo, training. But those idiots attacked Miguel at the dance tonight, he was by himself."

The words came pouring out of her. She felt guilty for hiding so much and giving Miguel's secret away, but this was too much. Seeing him like that made her come to terms with reality.

Carmen came back to the door after Miguel was placed on the couch. "I never want you to come near my son again, do you hear me?"

"Or my daughter." Camille added, grabbing Josie's arm and pulling her away from him.

"No!" Miguel yelled from the couch. "Cobra Kai never dies!"

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have gotten involved," was all Johnny said before leaving.

"I'm sorry, maman." Josie really was in tears now. She didn't want to quit karate, and she didn't want to stop seeing her Sensei.

"I'll deal with you later." Camille said, before asking Carmen, "is there any way I can help ?"

"No," Carmen waved her off. "I have ice here, you two should go, talk. I'll see you in the morning."

Camille led her daughter out the door, and back into their apartment. As soon as the door was shut, she said "what were you thinking?"

Camille tried to never raise her voice, but this time was especially hard.

"I told you, we just wanted to defend ourselves!"

"You lied to my face. For two months, you lied to me!" Camille and Josie's emotions were running high, both were exhausted. "Why didn't you just tell me you wanted to learn karate?"

"Because I knew if I did then you wouldn't let me! You would say it's too dangerous and try to talk me out of it. You would tell me to join a softball team or something if I want to let my anger out, not by using physical violence!"

Camille opened her mouth to retort, but Josie was right. She probably would have never let her join karate. "Just go to bed," she said, "we'll talk in the morning."

"Are you mad?" Josie asked. She never wanted her mom to go to bed angry with her.

Camille sighed. "No, chère. I'm just disappointed that you felt you couldn't talk to me."

So, Josie went to bed. She barely got any sleep, between her worry for Miguel and her conversation with her mother.

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She woke up the next morning, expecting to finish her conversation with Camille, but she had already left for work. She walked over to the Diaz's apartment to check on Miguel, but before she knocked she her loud voices arguing inside and thought better of it. She decided to just wait in her house until either Miguel came by or she was ready to knock on Johnny's door. Fortunately, the former came first. Miguel knocked on her door, and when she opens it she saw his bruised face, covered in bandage. She pulled him into a hug, not too tight because she wasn't sure how bad the bruises were beneath his shirt.