Can't Have Both

Uh no, I've fallen in Love

They arrived at the hotel in silence. 

Tory was staring out the trees, aware Sensei Kim was staring at her. They entered the courtyard and Kreese motioned Tory to sit at a table. 

So she sat.

" Nichols." Sensei Kim said. " I think an explanation would be very necessary."

" Sensei, I saw him at the coffee shop. He was just there." Tory said, not looking her in the eye. " Nichols, I don't want a repeat of the qualifiers. You are to remain at the hotel, not go off with that boy. Do you remember what happened last time because of him? He is the reason-" Sensei Kreese put a hand up to stop her. 

The only person she ever respected as much as her grandfather was Kreese. 

" Ms. Nichols, I think it seems that Mr. Keene wants to reach out to you. He believes you have what it takes to win the Sekai Tekai for Miyagi Do. He is not worth it. There are many more boys at there in the world. Not just Mr. Keene." 

But none of them make me feel this way. Tory thought. Sensei Kim saw the expression on her face and knew what it was. It was weakness. An emotion that needed to be dealt with. 

" Sensei Kreese. I will give you alone time with Ms. Nichols. I have somewhere to be." She got up and left. Tory watched her walk away. She knew Kim would never just leave, especially when she was engaging with the enemy. 

" Sensei, I swear, I didn't mean to see him." She said looking at him. He nodded and asked,

" What did he whisper to you? What lies did he tell you?" 

Tory shook her head. " Nothing important. He wants me to go back."

Kreese laughed. " He does now does he? Yes. Boys can be weird like that. One minute they care, the next they don't. Dear, let me tell you something. Love doesn't exist. It is either strength or weakness. Love is weakness. Hate is strength. I'm not asking you to hate him, but until the tournament is over he is the enemy. And you do whatever it takes to make sure the enemy doesn't win. Is that understood." 

Tory nodded. She just wanted to curl up and cry. First she lost her mom, her brother, then Robby. " Yes Sensei." All this sadness, was started to get her upset. She was starting to lose control. She was becoming upset. At the world for putting her into this situation.

" How are you holding up?" He asked. Putting a hand on her shoulder. .

" As well as I possibly could." She said. Appreciative someone cared.

" Good. " Kreese said. " Now come. We have training to get to."

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" What happened?" Sam asked as soon as Robby got back. He just shook his head and sat on the edge of his bed. The teens were all in Miguel and Robby's room, waiting to here what happened.

" That bad huh?" Miguel asked. Him and Sam were sitting on his bed together. 

" Put it his way. Could have been worse." Demetri said, walking out of the restroom. 

" No, it was fine. I just... I think I got her in trouble with her Sensei's." Robby replied, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

" That's what she gets. That traitor." Hawk said. Demetri nodded.

" Guys. Her mom just died. Give her some credit." Robby said, getting upset. " Sam. Miguel. What do you think of this. Devon?" He asked the 3 of them. 

Devon shook her head. " Her mom just died. She's going through a lot. I should know. " She said looking away. The others just nodded. 

Miguel looked away. " Honestly, I'm not sure. " He said. His mind was still on Stanford.

" Sam?" Robby asked. She still hadn't answered.  

" I ... I .. uh..." She didn't want to offend Robby. They couldn't lose him too after Tory.

" I just... When we were fighting for that spot, I saw anger in her, and it terrified me. So I guess I just, don't want to fight her again. But somewhere in me I know I have to fight her again." 

Robby just nodded. He couldn't bear not having her around anymore. He also wanted to be alone. 

Miguel must have sensed that because he told everyone that Robby should probably get some alone time and directed everyone out. 

Before he left he asked, " You ok?" Robby nodded and said, " She broke up with me. As Kreese came. " Miguel nodded, not sure what to do so he left. Robby fell onto his bed and tried to forget about Tory, but that was hard to do, because during this time he realized.

I love Tory. But she's gone.

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" Sensei, what are we doing?" She asked. In her mind, as she kept replaying what happened with Robby, each time something twisted, up to the point where what she remembers didn't even happen. She remembers it as Robby coming to recruit her to Miyagi Do, and when she denied, he broke up with her. 

Tory hadn't been thinking clearly for days. She couldn't. Her mind made her twist it to make her forget what she was feeling. What was this strong feeling she had for Robby? She didn't know.

" Nichols," Sensei Kim said, as she came to the place they had been training. " Are you ready?" 

" Yes Sensei." She said. 

" Good. You and Kwon will be training together." She said. " The two of you will have to take down me. If you succeed you will pass. But until then, you will keep going. Until the death of you. Do you two understand?" She asked. 

Kwon had joined them during her little prep talk. 

" YES SENSEI." They both yelled.

" Good. " She smiled. " Three.. two..one... FIGHT!"