Lost in Hollywood

Pizza and Trauma Dump

"What's eating at you? Still the stupid paint?" Yas asked, as they were walking out of the auditorium, their hands still full of brochures Counselor Paul had given them.

Sky spotted a trash can and threw all the leaflets away. She didn't turn to look to see if her friends did the same; she just continued walking toward the front doors.

"Yeah. And everything else."

"Karate?" Yas asked, arching a perfectly shaped brow. For someone whom most people regarded as not so bright, Yasmine was surprisingly observant. The more Sky knew her, the more she thought of her.

"Among other stuff."

"You're having the thing tomorrow, right?"

The thing. Sky's stomach twisted into a tight knot. The thing, The Plan she had put together with her friends over the past couple of days. If it worked, they would all go into the All Valley together, as one team, and finally good things would start happening again: they could beat Cobra Kai and force those assholes out of business. But right now, thinking about The Thing made Sky even more nervous, more drained than she already was.

There was no way it would work. It would all go to Hell, and she would lose the one thing that made sense in her life.

She hated feeling this hopeless, this depressed, but there really wasn't much she could do about it. This feeling would stick with her all day long, like the stupid paint in her hands.

"Yeah, tomorrow," she replied to Yas. "You coming?"

"Don't get me wrong," Yasmine sighed, rolling her baby-blue eyes. "I'd rather stay the fuck away from this karate war, but— fine, I will be there. For you. And for Demetri. Let's just hope that your idiot senseis won't burn down the house and get us all killed."

Her snarky remark brought a quick smile to Sky's lips. "There's an image. And here I was thinking that things couldn't get any worse."

"Things can always get worse," Yasmine pointed out, marking an end to this conversation. She turned to look at Tom and Caleb, who were walking behind them.  "So, Grief Group is over. Pizza and trauma dump at my place, as usual?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Tom. "It's the last time I get to do this with you guys."

Yasmine sighed melodramatically. "Aww, how touching. I bet you'll be back for more the first chance you get."

Tom's face grew serious. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his loose jeans. "Might be hard. I am moving to New York next week."

"Planes exist," Yasmine noted. "You'll visit. If not for us, then for Moon."

"Come on, we've only been on one date—"

"Oh, but we have heard all about it, haven't we Sky?" Yasmine said, throwing Sky a conspiratory glance. "Flowers and chocolate and a romantic movie? Moon was pretty impressed. Maybe you won't be moving to New York after all. Maybe you'll fall in love and live in Moon's basement as her willing slave."

"Moon doesn't seem like a slave owning type," Tom replied, keeping his cool despite the burning of his cheeks. "Which might be my loss."

"Who knows, she might make an exception for you," Sky smirked. "You are awfully cute. She'd be a fool to let you go."

What Yas said was all true - Moon had been impressed, and not just by the chocolate and the flowers. She'd been impressed by Tom's integrity, his kindness, his wisdom. And his kissing skills, apparently, which Sky found both wonderful and a bit surprising.