TODAY WAS A FAIRYTALE ✸ E.M & R.K

Fourteen.

He looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "Promise?"

She gave him a smile. "Promise."

He couldn't help but smile back. "Okay. Good."

They went to go back to work and focus, but what sounded like a car pulling up and hissing made them turn around in curiosity. A cement truck with a big barrel in the back got their attention.

"What is that doing here?" Delaney asked, an idea that answered her question popping in her mind, and she didn't like it.

Miguel and Hawk shrugged, having no idea either.

All the students gathered in front of the truck, their sensei standing in front of them. "You think winning the All Valley gives you the right to goof off. Well, I got news for you. Winning one championship don't mean squat. A true champion never stops training. You gotta keep moving forward...or else you could get stuck exactly where you are. It's like the cement in this truck. If that drum doesn't start turning, the cement inside will harden and get stuck. Is that what you want to happen to you?"

"No, Sensei!"

"Good. Then climb up, get inside, and make it spin."

Delaney's eyes bugged out of her skull. "What? Are you being serious right now?"

"Sensei, we're sorry for messing around," Aisha pleaded.

"We learned our lesson," Hawk added.

Johnny however, couldn't give two shits, and pulled down the latter. "Get in!"

"He's actually making us get into a cement truck. A cement truck! Where did he even get a cement truck?" Delaney threw her hands up in the air, letting them fall back to her sides. "This is crazy!"

"Sensei, this seems kind of dangerous," Miguel tried. "I mean the fumes alone ⎯ "

"Quiet!" the sudden shout from Kreese made Delaney's mouth drop in shock.

"Damn. Didn't know he had that in him," she muttered, Hawk pinching her back as he tried to hold in his laugh.

"This man led you to the mountain top and you question him? Look at you. Look at all of you. I can't believe this pathetic pack of pussies competed in the All Valley, let alone won. It's an absolute miracle! And who's responsible for that miracle? Johnny Lawrence. The best student in the history of Cobra Kai. My student."

There were shocked murmurs.

"You were Sensei's sensei?" Hawk asked.

"You better believe it kid," Kreese responded. "And I tell you I've never trained a tougher in my whole life. So, if you know what's good for you, you better listen to every goddamn word he says."

"Shortstack."

Delaney looked up, making eye contact with Johnny. He nodded towards the ladder. "Ladies first."

Her mouth opened and close, trying to find the words to stall. "Me? You know, I don't ⎯ I don't think I should give into and personally recommend that Miguel go first."

She placed her hand on the Diaz boy's back, shoving him forward. "Hey!"

"Go on, Mig! You got this," she pumped her fist up into the air, giving an innocent smile to the glaring boy.

He sighed in defeat, Delaney watching as he approached the ladder, hesitating before climbing in.

"Our skin is gonna be fucked up after this," she sighed to Hawk, who solemnly nodded.

"Come on," he said, pointing to the drum. "Where one goes, the rest go, right?"

She looked up at him with a frowny pout. "I really don't wanna go in there."