So American, Kwon Jae-Sung - Eli Moskowitz

Chapter Two: Not your Enemy

The bell rang, releasing a wave of students into the hallway, eager to witness the unfolding tension. Rika's heart skipped a beat as she hurried out of the room, pushing her way through the crowd and desperately searching for her sister.

She found Sam at the intersection of the hallway, surrounded by a small crowd that had gathered. Tory was there too, her eyes fixed on Sam like a predator stalking its prey.

Tory began to circle Sam slowly, her eyes narrowing with contempt. "I saw what you did at the party," Tory said, her voice low and biting. "You kissed Miguel."

Robby arrived then, his eyes wide with disbelief. He stood behind Tory, his expression a mixture of hurt and betrayal. His gaze flickered between Sam and the scene unfolding around him, the weight of his emotions clear in his posture.

Sam stuttered, struggling to find the right words to defend herself, but before she could speak, Tory swung. Sam stepped back, narrowly dodging the first strike, then the next. She spun around, trying to get away from Tory's reach.

But Tory was faster. With a brutal yank, she grabbed Sam by the backpack, ripping it off her back. Sam stumbled, trying to break free, but Tory wasn't done. In one swift motion, Tory kicked Sam in the stomach, sending her crashing backward.

Eli and a couple of other Cobra Kai boys appeared from the crowd, pushing Sam forward, a malicious glee in their eyes. "Get back in there!" Eli shouted, his voice dripping with satisfaction. It was clear he was enjoying this, enjoying seeing Sam and Tory clash.

Rika's blood ran cold. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Eli, her boyfriend, the one person she thought she could count on, was egging this on. She couldn't comprehend how things had gotten this far, how Eli, the person she thought she knew, was now taking pleasure in her sister's pain.

Tory kept punching and kneeing Sam until she threw her against the lockers. The metallic clang echoed down the hallway, but the chaos didn't stop. Robby moved in, grabbing Tory by the arm and pulling her away.

"Are you okay?" he asked Sam, his voice calm but tense.

Tory snarled, trying to swing at Robby, but he shoved her against the lockers with one hand planted firmly on her chest, just under her throat. "Stop," he said firmly.

"Let her go," a Cobra Kai boy yelled, moving in to defend Tory.

Robby reacted immediately, kicking the boy back. "No, I'm sure we can talk about—" he started, only to be tackled by Miguel before he could finish.

"Oh, it's on!" Eli said gleefully from the sidelines. Without hesitation, he shoved two kids aside to jump into the fray. Another student ran at him, but Eli stretched his arm out, catching the boy across the chest and knocking him to the ground. The next one wasn't so lucky—Eli flipped him with ease. "Yeah!" Eli yelled triumphantly, his voice carrying above the chaos.

Amidst the madness, Rika shoved her way through the crowd, her focus zeroed in on Eli. "Eli!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the din.

Eli turned briefly, his grin faltering when he saw her face. "What?" he called back.

"Stop this! What the hell are you doing?" she yelled, shoving a Cobra Kai student out of her way to get to him.

"This is what we do, Rika! It's Cobra Kai," he shot back, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"No, this is madness! You're better than this!" she yelled, her eyes blazing.

Before Eli could respond, another student lunged at him, and he turned his attention back to the fight. Rika clenched her fists, frustration and helplessness washing over her as she glanced around at the chaos engulfing the hallway.