Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

96 - New Game

"Unaffiliated," I say. I can't meet the lady's eyes. I can't meet Cameron's eyes. In my attempt to avoid eye contact, I spot the paper for Miyagi-Do. My heart pangs as I see my name at the very top. I feel like I'm gonna throw up. This is awful...

"Names?" she asks, as if nothing is wrong. Right...

"Park Reyes," I answer. Ay Dios, what if I puke on the table? That would be awful. Don't think about that...she looks up at me.

"I thought you were Miyagi-Do," she says. Yeah... yeah... me too...

"Not anymore..." I say quietly. She seems a little confused, maybe a little sympathetic because I look like I'm on the verge of a panic attack, but takes her pen and crosses my name off of the Miyagi-Do list. I feel my heart rip in two, as if she's raking the pen across it rather than the paper.

"And you?" she asks, moving away from me and looking at Cameron. He looks over to me, seeming a little thrown off.

"I'm her... sensei. Cameron Walker," he says. Real smooth. A+ performance.

"Alright. Fill out this form stating what weapon you plan to display, and how many boards or bricks you'll need, then bring it back to me. You know you probably won't be able to win if it's just you, since you don't have a male contestant?" she asks. I'm well aware. I don't need a male contestant to hold my own in the skills division.

"Yeah. I can still do the girl's sparring and all the skills stuff right?" I ask, suddenly very nervous. What if I can't compete in kata..? I've been waiting for this moment since last year and I've been waiting to show off my forms since I was told there was a skills division...

"Of course. If you plan on board breaking, doing weapons display, or demonstrating a kata, then the judges will have you go twice. Doesn't have to be the same thing, you just have to go twice," she explains. Oh, okay. I guess that just means I can show off twice. Cool. I nod a little.

"Good to know, thank you," I say, accepting the form.

"No problem. Locker rooms and bathrooms are that way when you finish. They'll call all the competitors ten minutes before it all starts. Since you're fighting unaffiliated so last minute, you'll probably be announced last,"

"Gracias," I nod once more, remembering when they told Robby and I the same thing last year.

"You're welcome," she smiles, "good luck out there."

I smile to acknowledge her kind words, then Cameron and I leave the table, crossing over to a bench to fill out the form.

"Thank you for helping me on such short notice..." I say quietly as I fill out the board information and check off that I'm competing in kata demonstration, "I just... I was tired of feeling like I was being used... of being manipulated..."

"They were wrong to treat you like that just because they know you can win," Cameron says, "I'm glad I'm not caught up in this whole karate war, I don't know how you manage all of this shit. All I know is that I'm here for you."