Cold Hearted ⭒ Cobra Kai

6.7.5

"Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts. Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first."

~Would've Could've Should've by Taylor Swift~

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Warnings: abuse, addiction, anxiety, homophobia, depression, domestic violence, grief, gun violence, language, panic attacks, sexual harassment/assault, violence, weapons, and other mature themes

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Robby's POV

I follow Miguel back to the hotel, "Miguel, hey, can we talk, please?" He turns back to face me. I just want an honest conversation with him. "Look, you obviously got some shit to get off your chest about me, so just say it."

"Fine. Since no one else is gonna tell you: You have the opportunity of a lifetime to be a captain, and you're completely blowing it." Miguel tells me. "You keep losing your matches; it's like you don't even care or something!"

I hesitate after being hit by his side of it. "It hasn't exactly been the easiest for me."

"It wasn't supposed to be easy, okay? You knew what being captain would've meant for me. You know it would've changed my life!" he raises his voice.

"Well, it's not all about you, dude," I argue. "It can change my life, too. Hold a grudge all you want, but I won it fair and square-"

"Sure," Miguel cuts me off, "but you're also going to be the reason why we go home with nothing."

I hate to even admit it to myself but his words sting. He really believes this.

"So either man up or admit that I'm fighting better than you and hand it over." He holds the headband wrapped around my shoulders for a second before walking away.

I try to tell myself not to get emotional about it. I just can't believe my closest friend and practically my brother believes it.

Because what if it's true, since all I've done is come in second. I've been a loser in every dojo.

I pull the headband down to hold. I want to be worthy of it. More than anything.

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Zion's POV

I spend over an hour in the locker room. Eventually I got up to lock the door, once my initial panic attack had subsided. 

I hold my jacket close to my chest as I work up the strength to go back out there. I glance at myself in my phone camera.  I look okay for someone who just had a really painful panic attack.

Then I finally muster the courage to walk out of the locker room and back to the hotel lobby for some kind of food before the next event, which starts really soon.

"Oh, hey!" a blonde girl  with a thick accent smiles when she sees me walk into the lobby of the tournament arena. "You're the Record Breaker, right? What you did today was so cool!"

I nod with slight apprehension at the new nickname, "Yeah." I really want anything other than social interaction right now.

"I'm not supposed to say this," she continues, "but my friends think you're awesome. I've never seen anything like it. Oh, my team is Australian, so..." I just nod awkwardly. "Aww, you're so humble!" She gives me a bright smile. "Okay, anyway, I'll let you go. Good luck with the rest of the tournament."