Sensei Lawrence rushes over, trying to check on Robby. "Get the hell away from me!" He waves him off with his good arm. I furrow my eyebrows, not knowing why he would even want to see if Robby is okay.
"Back to your side of the mat!" The referee calls.
As he backs away, he smacks Hawk on the shoulder. "The hell were you thinking man?!" He scolds.
I shake my head and tune them out as I look back down to Robby. "Can you get up?" He nods slowly, face contorted in pain. Slowly, I help him get up and look over in time to see Miguel yank Hawk off the mat to tear him a new one.
A volunteer helps me get Robby back to the locker room. He sits down on a bench as the volunteer leaves. "Let me take a look at that," I instruct.
"It's okay, I don't want you to be uncomfortable," he denies my attempt at helping.
I laugh, gently helping him expose his shoulder so I can test its limits. "Didn't you hear out there? I've already seen you way more exposed than this," I smirk without any humor.
"Yeah...what was that about?" He winces as I pull his arm up to find his range of motion. "Why does he think we're screwing?"
Scoffing at the absurdity, I rest his hand in his lap and cross my arms. "Because a guy can cheat on his girlfriend and be praised by the masses for being a player. But a girl has a couple of guy friends and suddenly she's a slut." I shrug.
"He's the tool that cheated on you at the party?" He scoffs in return.
"Wasn't a tool when I fell for him," I whisper, "I guess they never are, huh?" Clearing my throat, I sit down across from him. "Sorry, about your shoulder. He only kicked you that hard because I was cheering for you instead of him."
He shakes his head, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder with his good arm. "I don't blame you. In fact, I actually appreciate you being the only one cheering for me as loud as you were."
"Mr. LaRusso was cheering for you too." I smile at him. "But, I cheer for my friends." I shrug.
"Is that what we are?" He laughs and something tingles in my chest but I don't pay attention to it. "What a downgrade from sleeping together," he teases.
I chuckle through my nose and shake my head. "Right?? But such an upgrade from coworkers!" Our giggles die down and he looks at me curiously.
"You know all about Miyagi-Do karate, right?" I nod, sucking on my bottom lip. "So why aren't you in the tournament too. Or at least training with Mr. LaRusso?"
Movement catches my eye and I see him standing at the doorway. "Maybe, if you're lucky, I'll tell you another time. I think your sensei wants to talk to you alone." He whirls around and sees Mr. LaRusso entering. "Good luck out there if you decide to fight. It wouldn't be the first time someone won with an injury like that." I smile knowingly at Mr. LaRusso before winking at Robby as I leave.
"Don't think I've forgotten that I want to know why you stopped training," he says sternly.
I walk backward out of the locker room. "Yeah, yeah," I laugh and disappear from sight. Reentering the gym, my eyes scan the room and fall on Miguel and Sam having a heated conversation. "Oh, boy."
Miguel goes back to stretching and I watch as Sam leaves. I make my way over to him and ignore Hawk's eyes on me the whole time. Sneaking up behind Miguel, I bring my hands down on his shoulders and squeeze.
"Hey, rockstar!" I giggle as he jumps, looking around in panic before shoving me playfully. "Things looked a little intense with you and Sam. All good?"
He frowns slightly but covers it up with a cocky grin. "She just hates Cobra Kai and thinks I'm brainwashed or something."
"Are you?" I ask seriously.
He stands up, making sure his height dominates mine. "Not you too," he sighs. I open my mouth to argue but decides to change the subject. "So, who are you cheering for now that it's me and Robby in the finals? Hm?"
"I-I don't know...Robby's hurt so he could use the extra boost..." I muse. He gives me an exasperated look. "You're both my friends!!"
"But I was your friend first! I'd argue that I'm your best friend...next to Aisha," he adds and all the tension leaves the air as I crack up laughing. "It's not funny," he groans.
I try to get my breathing under control before I answer. "I know. Would you hate me if I cheered for you both?" He mulls it over for a long few seconds.
"What is she doing over here?" I jump at the sudden voice behind me. "This area is for Cobra Kai members and full supporters only."
Miguel rolls his eyes. "Lay off, Hawk."
"No. She either cheers for all of us, or none of us," he argues. "That's what loyalty to your friends is."
Stepping in front of me, Miguel gets in his face. "Like you'd know anything about loyalty," he scoffs. "So she has friends that aren't in Cobra Kai. You can't fault her for that!"
"Just stop it already," I sigh. "I'm going back to my seat anyway."
He looks down at me with gentle concern and I shake my head for him to let it go. "I'll see you after the match, Lily." His grin lifts the heaviness from my shoulders just slightly.
"Good luck," I wish him as I grab his bicep and stretch up to kiss his cheek. "I'll be rooting for you as long as you don't do anything too stupid."
Miguel nods excitedly. "Promise!"
I turn and brush past Hawk, trying my best not to make contact with him. As I take my seat, the lights go down and inspiring music blares over the speakers as the announcer begins the final round. In a not shocking turn of events, he announces that Robby will be fighting for Miyagi-Do karate with Mr. LaRusso as his coach.
Clapping politely, I remain seated. But when Robby looks in my direction I give him two thumbs up and a cheesy smile. He nods, holding his hurt arm against his chest protectively. The fight begins and Robby lands the first kick.
~
Cheers of "no mercy" can be heard from the Cobra Kai students on the sidelines. Everyone's voices overlap in how both fighters should attack or dodge. Lily watches worriedly as they swing at each other, wishing she wasn't in the middle of this somehow.
Miguel lands the next point after landing a kick on Robby's hurt shoulder. She grits her teeth, telling herself that it's just part of the fight and that he's not doing it on purpose. "Yeah! Miguel!!" She cheers from her seat.
She frowns as Robby winces while getting into position. He's favoring his hurt shoulder and it's hurting his defense. The round starts and Miguel lands a punch in Robby's dislocated shoulder before doing a leg sweep and finally punching him in the abdomen. Mr. LaRusso calls time out to help Robby up and get refocused.
Lily watches at the way Miguel shrugs off the referee who tries to escort him back to his corner. She shakes her head as she begins realizing all but one of her friends slowly turning into someone they're not. Robby stands and focuses on his breathing and balance, waiting for Miguel to come to him.
He blocks with one hand, managing to make Miguel stumble past him out of bounds. They reset and Miguel shoves Robby to his knees, then kicks him in his shoulder once again. Miguel tries to land a heel in his side as he rolls away, but Robby manages to plant one hand on the mat and kick out with both feet.
"Yes!!" Lily can't help but squeal excitedly at the effortless use of the move. It's quite a complicated and rare move. According to Mr. LaRusso, he's never been able to master it.
Robby tries to help Miguel up with his unhurt arm, but he takes his hurt one and yanks on it instead. "C'mon!" She yells at the ref as she stands up. "That was so uncalled for!!"
Miguel hears her yelling and squints at her in betrayal. She looks over and just shakes her head. They reset and she remains standing, clapping for Robby. "You can do this Robby! Let's go!!" She hollers. She loves her friends but not when they're being unfair.
He nods subtly, taking her encouragement to heart. The final match starts and they both manage to land blows, none of them being a point that counts. Robby swings his leg in a high kick that Miguel catches. There's a moment where time slows down and they all know what he's about to do.
He kicks into Robby's injury, sending him stumbling back and undefended. Miguel finishes him off with a kick to the stomach. That's the end of it. Cobra Kai wins the tournament. Everyone goes wild except for Lily and Mr. LaRusso and also Sensei Lawrence.
Cobra Kai students rush up to huddle around Miguel while Robby clutches his shoulder and shuffles off of the mat. Lily walks around, meeting him at the corner with Mr. LaRusso. He steps down and Lily comes forward worriedly.
"That was a great fight, Robby," she reassures him while pulling him into a hug, careful not to squeeze his bad shoulder.
He hugs her back with his good arm, taking some comfort in the calming smell of her perfume. "Then, why did I lose?" He chuckles sadly.
"Because they fought dirty," she says disappointedly. Her eyes wander over to the quiver of people who used to be her best friends. "Cobra Kai always does. You were right, Mr. LaRusso."
They begin to walk away when Sensei Lawrence catches up to them. Lily senses the personal matter and walks a few feet away, waiting for them to finish. Suddenly, the pieces come together for her. Sensei Lawrence is Robby's absent father. Robby walks away first, still cradling his arm against his chest.
"Let's go make sure it's not dislocated again," she chuckles sadly, "and then let's go get something to eat."
He smiles gratefully at her. "Are you asking me on a date, Voss?" He teases.
"You wish, Keene." Laughing, she leads him over to the medic to get checked out.
Meanwhile, Demetri gets stopped by Miguel as the crowd exits the bleachers. "Have you seen Lily?" He questions, eyes roaming every face passing by.
"Pretty sure I just saw her leave with Robby and his sensei..." he confirms with hands on his hips.
Groaning, he sits on the bleachers. "Man, what is her deal?"
"I think it's the fact that you played dirty to win," he offers.
He huffs, "There's nothing dirty about winning!"
"Except when you do it the unfair way." He clicks his tongue, patting Miguel on the shoulder as he too leaves.
Lily spends the next day hanging out at Miyagi-Do while Robby and Mr. LaRusso fix the place up. She sits on a rock off to the side watching them balance bonsai trees on a circular wooden platform in the koi pond.
"You know we could actually use your help," Robby says with a strained breath as he lifts the potted plant up with one arm.
She sips her lemonade from the sidelines and then smiles cheekily. "I think you have it covered. Besides, the view is so much better from over here," she teases and purposefully runs her eyes over the wet clothes clinging to his chest..
They finish balancing the trees and hop out of the pond. "You think you're funny?" Robby challenges as he stalks toward her.
"Don't you dare!" She warns, sensing his intentions. But, he lunges for her anyway. Lily squeals as she dodges him and runs away, trying to throw him off by weaving around obstacles.
But, he cuts around the opposite way on one and catches her by the waist, getting her wet from his soaked clothes. "Gotcha!" He declares and spins her around.
"Ewww," she giggles hysterically, hands bracing his arm for balance.
"Alright put her down," Mr. LaRusso instructs tiredly. "Lily, you are gonna have to do something around here if you want to train. No slack just because you already know most of it."
Her laughter ceases slowly as the reality of the situation hits her. "Oh...I'm not joining Miyagi-Do, Mr. LaRusso."
~
"And why not?" He questions, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You used to love it so much!"
I look down at my feet, bracing myself for a tough conversation. "Please, forgive me," I murmur, earning a concerned stare from the both of them. "I have to join Cobra Kai."
The declaration hangs in the air for a long moment as he processes what I just said. Robby is the first to speak. "You would really rather become one of those assholes than train with us?"
"Robby," Mr. LaRusso scolds.
I wave my hand. "It's okay. He's right." My agreement shocks both of them. "Cobra Kai breeds assholes. And no. I don't want to become one myself. But my friends are slipping away and the only way they're gonna come back is if someone gets them out from the inside."
"I'm not gonna let you play double agent, Lillian." The use of my full name startles me. "Cobra Kai and Johnny Lawrence are my problems, and I'll put an end to it."
Robby steps forward. "No offense, Mr. LaRusso. But, if you could do it by yourself, don't you think you would've by now?"
"I can save my friends. They don't want to be assholes either-" I stop, breathing in deeply, "they just don't know that they're already acting like it. I can knock some sense into them."
He paces, thinking over my plan hard. "I don't want you getting hurt if this goes south," he argues.
"I won't!" I promise. "And if I start to go dark side too, then you guys will be there to pull me back!"
Robby nods in agreement, having my back in the matter. "How would you even get in? Johnny already saw you leave with us last night. He'll see it coming a mile away," he dismisses.
"Not if he's already offered me a spot."
The two of them gape at me. "When-"
"How-"
"He was begging me to join months ago, back when he only had Aisha and Miguel. He knows what I can do and he wants my skills on his team," I explain confidently. Mr. LaRusso is beginning to waiver. "Maybe I can leverage my friendship with Robby!"
His face becomes severe. "We're not dragging Robby into this-"
"I'm already in this, Mr. LaRusso," he interrupts, "what'd you have in mind, Voss?"
Robby crosses his muscular arms, listening attentively while I blink to focus on my train of thought. "I saw him at the tournament," I begin, "he wants back in Robby's good graces. He just sucks at showing it. If I offer to help him bridge the gap between him and his son, he'll let his guard down for me."
"You're an evil genius," Robby marvels, "it'd be scary if you weren't on our side. How would you broach the topic without seeming like you're up to something?"
I shake my head. "I won't until he's suspicious of me." My hands start to jitter from the adrenaline of planning something so daring. "I'll start by getting Miguel to help me get in. And then, if Sensei Snowflake starts suspecting me of anything, I'll bring up Robby and throw him off!"
"Sensei...Snowflake," Mr. LaRusso repeats slowly.
"It's just a thing I call him to get under his skin," I chuckle.
I'm startled by the laugh that escapes him. "This is so crazy it might actually work!"
"First sign of you slipping to the dark side and I'm yanking your ass out of there, Voss," Robby threatens, pointing a finger at me.
Winking at him, I reply, "I'm counting on it, Keene."
"No one outside of this dojo can know what we're doing," Mr. LaRusso interrupts our flirty gaze. "The three of us are the only ones in the know. Any more than that could get Lily found out or seriously hurt."
I stick my hand into the center of us, gesturing for Robby to follow. He rolls his eyes but does it, Mr. LaRusso lays his on top. We look at each other confidently. "Let's defang some cobras."
After they drop me off at home, I check Aisha's insta story and deduce where I can find Miguel. After changing, I head over and enter the sports bar/restaurant. I look around and see Miguel sitting at a table separate from the rest of the gang. Perfect.
I walk toward him, head held high and eyes straight ahead so that I don't get distracted by Hawk with his arm slung around Moon. The weight of their eyes on me is noticeable as I slide into the seat across from Miguel. "Rough night for a first place champion?" I tease.
"Sam blocked me," he sighs. Then he looks up and realizes it's me. "Not that you care."
"Why would I not care about my best friend...next to Aisha," I continue trying to crack his angry armor.
He shakes his head. "You weren't much of a best friend when I won the tournament yesterday."
"I know," I agree.
Miguel's eyes instantly find mine in surprise. "You know?"
"I cheered for the enemy and then left with him after the fight," I recap the night's events. "I can't imagine how that must've made you feel."
He looks at me suspiciously. "I thought you two were friends. Why the change of heart?"
"Because you were my friend first!" I reach across the table and squeeze his hand. "I'm glad you won. I just didn't like the way you won."
"I'm not sure I did either," he confesses, "especially not if it costs me my best friend."
There's my opening. "I think I have a way of keeping it from happening again."