Can't Have Both

Deny

NOTE:

Guys, sad news. I think a few more chapters and then the book will be finished. Not sure. But definitely will write more books when part 2 comes out. Also love Devon, but wanted to add drama, so I did what I did. I really hope she gets far in the tournament. Love that girl.

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The last few fights happened. Demetri and Devon were out. None of the Cobra Kai members were gone. They were all still in the fight. Tory and Kwon leading the pack. Hawk had almost lost, but made a comeback. Sam was doing fine. Miguel was progressing, still sore about the captain spot, but wanting to be there for his stepbrother.

Robby made it through no problem. His mind still on their promise. But how did he know she wouldn't break it? He didn't want to think about it. His mind was on the fact that Tory would keep it and they would win. .

Devon was sitting. She wasn't watching the other fights. She was staring at a wall. The sensei's had tried cheering her up, but they gave up. He would talk to her. After his fight. 

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Tory saw Devon. She didn't look that great. She had finished all her fights. She had advanced quickly. Robby was still fighting. 

Devon's mom had died too. But probably when she was younger. Tory shook her head. Why was she thinking such sad things? It was the doctors fault. That was the only way she wouldn't grieve. If she blamed it on the doctors. They just wanted money. It didn't matter to them if the patient died. Plus, what if her mom wasn't dead? Maybe she was still in the hospital room, and the doctors brought her back to life.

Stop being delusional, she told herself. But she couldn't help it. She tried not to think about it. 

Tory took a breath. She needed to calm down. Take a breath. Get some air. She looked at Devon. She turned. Her sensei's were nowhere to be found. Should she risk it? She looked to Devon. The poor girl. 

Fuck it. She walked over to Devon. She wasn't by any Miyagi-Do's. She sat next to her. Devon didn't even look her way or acknowledge her. 

" Lee." She said, slumped next to her. Devon nodded. They sat in silence. Tory, was probably doing as bad as Devon. 

" I didn't win." She said. Tory nodded.

" I know." She said.

Devon shook her head. " No, I mean, I cheated to get into the Sekai Tekai." Tory looked at her with a confused look.

" I put Mitch's laxatives into Kenny's water." She said looking away. Tory just had a blank face.

" I shouldn't be here. It should have been Kenny, but I was selfish and lost anyway." She said. A tear slipped down her face. Tory wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how. So she side hugged her. Devon returned it, trying not to cry.

" It's ok. We don't have to tell anyone. Just... don't think about it." She said.

" But it doesn't feel like I really made it." She said. Tory nodded, remembering the All Valley. 

" I know how you feel." She whispered. Devon looked at her, remembering her mom died.

" How are you doing? With your mom?" She asked. Judging by Tory's reaction, she didn't expect that.

" I...I, uh..." Take a deep breath. She thought to herself. She just nodded. Devon looked at her. " It's just, uh...." She couldn't. She was having trouble breathing. Her mom couldn't be gone. She lies to herself when she admits she's gone. A part of her really hoped she's still here. Her breathing was getting heavier. Devon noticed and realized what was happening. So She started talking about her mom.

" I know how you're feeling. I lost my mom a while ago too. It was horrible." Tory was starting to calm down, listening to the story. " I honestly couldn't believe she was gone. But it just took a while to realize she was. But I learned to appreciate that she was here, and someday I might see her again." She said. Tory nodded. " You've still got others. You've got people who care about you." She said. Tory shook her head.

" I've lost everyone. My dad left, my mom is dead, my brother is in foster care, Robby will probably leave, and after the tournament I'll probably stop karate. Everyone's going off to college. I'm on my own. I've lost. I've lost life." She said. That left Devon speechless. Tory just looked away. 

" Ok, well I gotta go." Tory rushed. She quickly got up, and Devon watched her. She really was in denial wasn't she?

Tory wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to relate with other peoples loss. She just needed to win. But as she watched Devon go back to moping, she realized. This girl also suffered loss. This girl got dragged into the karate war. This girl was younger than her and had suffered too.

Tory's eyes wandered the arena, and landed on a blond boy with green eyes. Robby Keene. She watched him. She missed him. She missed her mom. She missed her brother. She missed how it was before. But she was tired. She didn't have the energy to cry, or to think about everything. She just watched Robby win his fight. 

He won. 

She kept staring. She wished he would come to her. Comfort her. But she would probably push him away. She wanted him, but didn't. She couldn't make up her mind. 

The final fights were finished. Tomorrow was the Semi-Finals. That meant, tomorrow, she would have to start really fighting. She looked over to Robby. She would win. For mom and Devon. 

And for him.