Hell & Half of Georgia

1

Tory Nichols raced down the interstate in her flashy BMW with her teenage daughter in the passenger seat and her 9 year old son in the back.

She was speeding away from her latest scam and ignoring her problems through blaring music. Music that probably wasn't appropriate for a 9 year old, her 15 year old reminded her.

"You're gonna like Massachusetts. It's very patriotic, perfect for a fresh start."
"You said we'd be here for a while, right, Mom? Just the three of us?" Her 9 year old, Austin piped up.
"Just the three of us?" Georgia, Tory's daughter questioned. "What about Dad?"
Tory had to stop herself from laughing and muttered "Not if I can help it."

Ever since Tory and Robby had first got together they had been doing this dance of running away when things got serious. It first started when Robby gave Tory the ultimatum and left her in Cobra Kai. After Silver was arrested, they got back together and graduated; however, with Robby's record the only employment option for him was the military. While he was away, Tory discovered she was pregnant, panicked and ran away. She made it all the way to Georgia before Robby came home and tracked her down.

And for the past 15 years, they had continued this dance of being together and running away from each other still scared of their feelings due to their screwed up childhoods.

/ /

Once they reached the suburban town, Georgia looked all around as her mom drove down the Main Street. Noticing this Tory chuckled "You like it, don't you? Ha! You like it." She singsonged gleefully.
"It looks like Paul Revere boned a pumpkin spice latte." Her daughter swore.
"Mark my words, we are gonna run this town." Tory promised. Ever since high school and her Queen Cobra days, Tory had found that she was good at being in charge and that she liked it.
"Run it, burn it to the ground, flee into the night. Same difference." Georgia said flatly not believing her mom's promises about things being different this time.

Their new home was on the other side of the town and all of them were impressed. "It's a far cry from the walk-up in Houston, and the apartment in New Orleans. Look at it." Tory praised quite impressed with it herself.
"It's just ours? Just the three of us?"
"Mm-Hmm."
"I'm picking the biggest bedroom!" Austin squealed running for the door. Tory chuckled and went to walk forward but then realised that Georgia wasn't following. "You comin'?" Tory asked but didn't give her a choice as she pushed her forward a little. However, her own actions caused Tory to have flashbacks of her step-father, landlord and the Cobra Kai senseis all laying their hands on her.

Thankfully, the now mother of two was brought out of her thoughts by shouting in the distance. Tory turned around to find her neighbour shouting at her son about smoking weed.

A couple of hours later, the same neighbour knocked on her door with a plate of cookies. "I'm sorry about earlier. What a bad first impression! Anyway, hi, I'm Ellen. Welcome to the neighbourhood."
"Tory, and thank you so much."
"I'm sorry about earlier again. But I found him smoking a joint on the side of the road in plain view."
"I get it. I have a teenager."
"What? No way. What did you give birth when you were 15?"
"17."
"Shit. 17."
"Yep."

/ /

Upstairs, Georgia was on the phone to her Dad:

"I don't know Dad. It's a house. It's big. I'm unpacking now, and it just seems like an exercise in futility."
"Come on. It can't be that bad. And be nice to your mom, it's not her fault she's the way she is... How is she anyway?" But Georgia was too distracted by the view from her window to answer him. "Georgie!"
"What? No. Yeah, I'm listening. Yeah, Mom's fine." Soon, the boy she was watching noticed her and Georgia had to duck down. "Um. Hey, Dad? I'll call you back later."

/ /

Tory took Austin to his first day of his new elementary school. Unsurprisingly, the young boy was nervous and was missing his dad. Tory told him not to be scared, Robby wouldn't "Okay, now, soldier. Ten-hut!" She called standing to attention and saluting him and Austin bravely copied her. Having done things Robby's way, Tory reminded Austin of their mantra (a child friendly version of the Cobra Kai creed, if you will), bending down to his height she said "Remember, you win more flies with honey, but if you get yourself a bee—
"Sting first!" He finished jabbing her with his finger stinging her like a bee.
"Oh!" Tory groaned exaggeratedly before Austin hugged her tightly. "Hey. Hey, hey, hey. It's OK." She cooed. Then, she noticed some boys mocking them and encouraged Austin inside "Get on in there, then."

Before she could leave some condescending mothers introduced themselves to her.

/ /

Tory sat on her balcony drinking wine waiting for Georgia to come home from school when she noticed her daughter on the back of a motorbike with the village stoner.

"Georgia Keene, you little idiot."

"And how was your first day, dear?" Tory asked standing on the staircase waiting for Georgia to come in.
"I have a ton of homework to do." She replied walking past her.
"Hey! You get back here when I am talking to you!" Tory shouted following her. "I don't want you with that guy or on that bike!" Georgia tried to shut the door on her mom but Tory was faster.
"You don't understand."
"Oh, you think I don't understand. I understand. Believe me, Mommy understands. You are me, and I was an idiot. I've broken my back giving you every opportunity that I never had, so of course, you're gonna throw it all away on the first jerkoff Shawn Hunter wannabe."
"You don't know him!"
"He drives a motorcycle and rides a skateboard. I know his type."
"Dad has a motorbike and is a skater."
"Exactly!" Georgia rolled her eyes and slammed her bedroom door shut.

Again, Tory had another flashback of watching Robby skateboarding in the park on their skate dates and being on the back of a motorcycle with him.

/ /

Not even two days into the school year and Georgia had a date - she was very pretty, being the product of her two good looking parents.

Meanwhile, Tory was bonding with her new friend, Ellen, as they smoked the weed that she had confiscated from her son, Marcus, and drank white wine.

"Their dad's a good dad. Robby. He does this thing where he sends Georgie books all the time. He writes in the margins little notes for her. It's cute." Tory paused for a moments thinking back on her time with Robby "he was like kind of a bad boy when we were teenagers. He went to juvie. That's actually where he read a lot of books. For a guy who had an attempted murder charge on his record he could be such a dork."
Ellen spat out her wine in shock "Okay." Then she noticed Georgia, and her date, Hunter, arriving home. "Sh sh sh. There they are." Ellen whispered. "And he opened the door for her." She cooed.
"And he drives a Porsche!" Tory exclaimed.

The mothers watched them awkwardly say goodbye and nearly kiss but opt for a hug in the end. Tory howled, embarrassing her daughter "Mom, please! Grow up!"
Tory chuckled "That was one steamy hug."
"Thank you for respecting my privacy and having normal mother-daughter boundaries!"
"You're welcome." The blonde singsonged before she and Ellen descended into giggles.