I'm Not Afraid Of You Now - Robby Keene

2 : First Impressions

The following morning, Cam was up early again, still adjusting to the unfamiliar sounds of their new apartment. She wandered into the kitchen to find her mom already dressed for work, sipping coffee with one hand and flipping through a stack of bills with the other.

"You sure you're okay with me taking the car today?" Amelia asked without looking up.

"Yeah, it's fine," Cam replied, grabbing a piece of toast. "I can walk. It's not like Reseda High is miles away."

Her mom gave her a small, grateful smile before heading out the door. Tyler was still passed out in his room, so Cam left quietly, slinging her backpack over one shoulder.

The streets of Reseda were waking up around her—cars honking, shop owners flipping over "Open" signs, kids chasing each other to the bus stop. It was chaotic but weirdly comforting.

As she passed the strip mall from her jog the other day, she caught sight of the Cobra Kai dojo again. The blinds were drawn, but she could hear faint noises coming from inside—grunts, thuds, and a sharp voice barking orders.

She slowed her pace, curiosity pulling her closer. Through a small crack in the blinds, she saw the blond guy from the parking lot—Miguel had mentioned his name was Johnny—standing in front of a group of kids, demonstrating a punch.

Cam lingered for a moment before shaking her head and walking away. She had enough on her plate without adding "karate cult" to the mix.

By the time she got to school, the day was already off to a chaotic start. She spotted Miguel at his locker, talking animatedly with the same two boys from yesterday—Eli and Demetri.

"Hey," Cam called as she approached, giving them a small wave.

Miguel lit up when he saw her. "Cam! Hey, these are my friends. This is Eli, and that's Demetri."

"Nice to meet you," Cam said, nodding at each of them.

Demetri gave her a half-hearted wave, while Eli just stared at his shoes.

"So," Miguel said, leaning against his locker. "How's day two of Reseda High treating you?"

"Better, I guess," Cam admitted. "No one's shoved me into a locker yet, so that's a win."

Miguel laughed. "Give it time. This place has its fair share of jerks."

As if on cue, a loud laugh echoed down the hallway. Cam turned to see Kyler—the guy who'd shoved Miguel yesterday—walking toward them with his posse.

"Speaking of jerks," Miguel muttered under his breath.

Cam stiffened as Kyler passed by, his gaze lingering on her a moment too long. She forced herself to look away, her fists clenching at her sides.

"Don't let him get to you," Miguel said softly, noticing her reaction.

Cam nodded, though her jaw was still tight. She hated guys like Kyler—guys who thought they could get away with anything just because no one had ever stood up to them.

Later that day, during lunch, Cam found Miguel sitting alone under a tree. His friends were nowhere in sight, and he was poking half-heartedly at a sandwich.

"Hey," she said, sitting down beside him. "Where's your squad?"

"Eli had a dentist appointment, and Demetri said something about avoiding the sun," Miguel replied with a shrug.

Cam snorted. "Sounds about right."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Miguel spoke again.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Have you ever... done something that scared you? Like, really scared you, but you knew you had to do it anyway?"

Cam tilted her head, surprised by the question. "I mean, moving here wasn't exactly a walk in the park. But yeah, I guess I've been there. Why?"

Miguel hesitated, his fingers tightening around his sandwich. "I'm thinking about joining Cobra Kai."

"The karate place?" Cam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Johnny—Sensei Lawrence—he's the one who runs it. He helped me out the other day, and... I don't know, I feel like it might be good for me. Like I could actually stand up for myself for once."

Cam considered this. She barely knew Miguel, but he didn't strike her as someone who needed to prove anything to anyone. Still, she could see how much it meant to him.

"If it feels right, then go for it," she said finally. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Miguel smiled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Thanks, Cam."

That evening, Cam found herself thinking about their conversation as she sat on the couch with Tyler, half-watching some reality show he'd put on.

"You okay?" Tyler asked, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," she said quickly. "Just... thinking."

"About what?"

"People. Choices."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Deep."

Cam rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. No matter how much he annoyed her, Tyler always had a way of making her feel grounded.

Their moment was interrupted by a commotion outside. Cam got up and peeked through the window, her eyes widening when she saw Miguel and Johnny standing in the parking lot.

Johnny was demonstrating some kind of move, his hands chopping through the air as he barked instructions. Miguel was watching intently, nodding along.

"Is that... karate?" Tyler asked, joining her at the window.

"Looks like it," Cam replied.

She watched as Miguel attempted the move Johnny had shown him, his form awkward but determined.

"Guess he's serious about this Cobra Kai thing," she muttered.

Tyler smirked. "Better him than me."

The next day, Cam caught up with Miguel after school.

"So," she said, falling into step beside him. "How was your first karate lesson?"

Miguel grinned. "Tough. Sensei Lawrence doesn't mess around, but it felt... good, you know? Like I'm actually learning something."

"Glad to hear it," Cam said, genuinely impressed.

As they walked, a sleek black car pulled into the parking lot, catching their attention. The driver's door opened, and a girl with long dark hair stepped out, her movements graceful and confident.

"Who's that?" Cam asked.

Miguel's face turned red. "Uh, that's Sam LaRusso. She's... in my biology class."

Cam raised an eyebrow. "You mean you have a crush on her."

"What? No! I mean... maybe. She's cool."

Cam smirked. "Relax, Romeo. I'm just messing with you."

But as she watched Miguel's gaze linger on Sam, something told her this wasn't going to end well.