Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

123 - Five Bucks

"I hope my next step brings me to Stanford University," Miguel finishes reading. It's a great essay. Stanford would be crazy not to accept him.

"I'm so proud," Ms Diaz says, "I'm gonna cry!"

Abuela Diaz congratulates him too, and for could reason. He did a really good job. I've barely even started my essay... I don't know what to write it about. Everyone tells me I'll have it easy- what with all the dead family members and everything- but I don't wanna have to rely on my trauma to get me into college. I know I'm more than capable of writing a good essay... and maybe that's what scares me so much: the fact that I know I have the ability to excel, so much so that it's expected of me. So if I don't get in... it'll hurt even worse...

"Go more for the jugular at the end. They'll be begging you to go there," Mr Lawrence says. He cracks me up sometimes because I know he's being so serious when he says that. I'm dying to know how one 'goes more for the jugular' in an essay, although it could be kind of like my mic drop rule, which is that if I can't imagine doing a mic drop at the end of an essay, then it's not strong enough.

"Okay," Miguel nods, then turns to Robby and I, "what do you guys think?"

"It's great," Robby says, "even though I'm kind of the bad guy in it."

"Uh, I- I'll change your name. I-"

"No, dude. I'm- I'm kidding," Robby reassures, "it's not like I'm applying to Stanford. Or anywhere, really... I uh- I like how you included Parker in there. That was sweet."

It was really sweet. He didn't have to do that. I smile and nod in agreement. And wait, I didn't know Robby wasn't planning on applying anywhere... I guess I've been so dead-set on going to college that I forgot that not everybody feels the same way...

"Come on, Robby. You have great futures ahead of you- all three of you," Mr Lawrence says, "when we win the Sekai Taikai, doors will be flying open for all of us."

He's right. Mr Abelardo doesn't talk much about the good things about the Sekai Taikai because he doesn't want any of us to compete in it in the first place, but I've seen the dojang records. There was a massive increase in students at El Sol after he won. Abuela Diaz attacks Miguel with a hug, the rest of us smiling and chuckling.

"Hey, hey, easy with the waterworks," Mr Lawrence says as he notices droplets of water falling on the laptop. That's way too much water to be tears... I look up sharply. ¡Mierda..! Water starts trickling from the ceiling before coming down in a pour. We all jump back from the table, Mr Lawrence managing to grab the laptop before water gets all over it.

"Rob, Reina, the bowls!" Miguel exclaims, motioning towards the kitchen. The three of us quickly grab as many bowls as we can to try and stop the water from flooding the apartment.

"It's a sewage pipe," Mr Lawrence says, which explains why it smells so awful. Despite all of our best efforts, water is everywhere. The pipes in the ceiling are completely exposed. Luckily- if anything about this situation can be considered a 'luckily'- the flow slows to a stop after not too long. The six of us stand back in the living room, completely in shock. The Diazes can't live like this... and who knows how long it'll take to get the pipes fixed and the kitchen restored? Another potential pressing matter dawns on me as I look at the exposed piping.