The Serpent Queen

King Cobra | Part Four

Several hours later, Johnny and Miguel sat at a sushi restaurant eating the Japanese dish.

The Sensei struggled to pick up the sushi roll. Instead, he stabbed it instead and awkwardly brought it up to his face. "Ugh. What the hell is this shit?"

Miguel set his phone down on the table. He was using it to take the picture for Johnny's profile. "It's a Dragon roll. Fresh cucumber, snow crab, shredded avocado and grilled unagi. Freshwater eel.

"Eel!? People don't actually eat this crap, do they?" Johnny exclaimed.

"It's very popular. Have an open mind."

Johnny took an awkward bite of the sushi, trying his best to enjoy it, but he clearly hated it, while Miguel snapped the photo.

The boy examined it, "Got it."

Johnny immediately spat out the sushi from his mouth onto a plate, "I'm gonna hit the john and wash my mouth out." He offered the plate to him. "You want this?"

Miguel looked a little disgusted, "Not anymore." He watched as Johnny went inside and then looked at his phone smiling as he went through some of the photos that he took today. He then text Phoebe to see how her thing went.

"Miguel?"

He looked up to see Tory approaching him. She was wearing a red uniform of the sushi restaurant server. His jaw nearly hit the floor, he hadn't seen her since the fight and that was a month ago. "Tory..."

"How did you know I worked here?" She asked, not knowing who she was more surprised to see today. Him or Kayla. She was so confused about Phoebe and Kayla talked about. She felt a little left out, but was glad that she didn't have to get in-between them and pry them off one another. It was weird to watch them act semi civil to each other and Kayla was nice. She apologised. Tory wondered if she stepped into the twilight zone earlier.

"I didn't. I was, uh-- Wait, I thought you worked at the roller rink?"

"That's at night. Gotta work two jobs now. My mom's not doing well."

"I'm sorry."

Tory sat down across from him at his table, "No-- I'm sorry. I know I should've come to see you. I just... I didn't know how to help..."

"So you did nothing."

Tory looked down, ashamed. "I felt guilty about everything." She looked up to meet his eyes. "But we're getting Miyagi- Do back for what they did to you."

"What?" Miguel said confused. He couldn't believe what he heard about the Cobras avenging him. That's not who they were.

"It's like Sensei Kreese says. One of us gets hurt, we all get hurt!"

"I'm the only one who got hurt, apart from Phoebe. I'm the one in a wheelchair."

"I just meant--"

"I know what you meant. Look... I don't care about Miyagi-Do. I never did. I cared about us."

"Did you? Or did you just go out with me to get Sam's attention?"

Miguel sighed, "Is that what you really think?"

"I saw you with her..." She got a little emotional. But it went away as quickly as it came. "I didn't have a choice."

"Yes you did! Tory, I know you're helping your mom, but you need help."

His ex scoffed, "You think I'm crazy."

"That's not what I meant."

"It's okay. Everyone does. But I don't give a shit. All that matters is who wins in the end."