The next day, the video of Miguel and Flossie kicking ass went viral. Her most recent post was blowing up with comments and she got a lot of DM's, most of students saying how sick it was.
The one that stuck out to her the most was from an old friend.
One New Instagram Message:
@Moon: Hey Flossie!
@Flossie: Oh, hey Moon?
@Moon: I feel like I haven't hung out with you in forever! It's been too long :(
@Flossie: Yep. 6 years... when you picked Yasmine's side.
@Moon: Oh... right. Well Yasmine is having a party for her birthday at the end of the month. It's at the canyon, VIP only, do you wanna come?
One Attached Image: Yasmine's E-Invite
@Flossie: Um, Moon. Weren't you and Yasmine just making fun of me and my friends on Twitter yesterday? Why would you invite me to her party?
@Moon: Yasmine asked me to invite you.
Read at 3:32 PM.
Flossie locked her phone, standing with Miguel outside the dojo. She was extremely curious as to why Yasmine would even want her at her party, and why she got Moon to invite her. The whole thing seemed a little suspicious to her.
There were so many people around, whispering about the viral video, and even Aisha showed up — to which she smiled. But Flossie couldn't help herself from looking around for Eli.
She knew he said he wanted to come, to learn how to fight, but after her embarrassing confession they barely talked at school all day.
"Looks like we're in business," Sensei Lawrence said to the two of them, looking impressed with the amount of people who showed up for practice.
When they all walked in and started getting ready: taking their shoes off, changing from their school clothes, etc., Miguel waved Flossie over to their Sensei's office.
"I saw the video," he said to the girl. "I saw how you stood up to those pussies and used everything I taught you," Sensei Lawrence admitted, impressed.
Flossie stood their proudly, next to Miguel who smiled at her. He was in a Gi, something that was earned in the dojo, and held his hands behind his back.
"Because of your bad-assery," the Sensei continued, "I have decided you have earned this," he said as Miguel held out another Gi, showing the girl.
"It's a replica of the one I wore for my first tournament," he said. "Keep kicking ass like that and I can see you winning your's."
Flossie smiled brightly, taking the Gi from Miguel and nodding to the man. "Thank you, Sensei," she said, leaving the office to get changed in the bathroom.
As she put on the Gi, she felt pride, looking at herself in the mirror. She had never really won anything in her life, and even though she wasn't technically winning anything now, she felt like she had. Maybe it was because she gained her Sensei's respect.
When she walked out into the dojo, she almost widened her eyes in surprise — Eli and Demetri were actually there. She wanted to go up to them, talk to them and say she was glad they came, but she remembered the awkward tension between her and Eli, so she just chose to spar with Miguel instead.
Eli watched her carefully, as the two practiced moves on each other. Miguel would hit her, and she wouldn't even be moved, just hit him back. He was in awe, wondering if maybe he could ever do that.
"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Demetri complained to Eli, looking up from his phone. "This goes against everything I stand for. It's like extra gym class for no reason."
Eli looked at his friend, debating what to say. "Let's just give it a chance. You saw the fight," he convinced. "Flossie kicked ass."
"And Miguel," Demetri added, making Eli blush, realizing what he had just said.
"Yeah, and Miguel," he clarified.
Sensei Lawrence entered the room, and it seemed like Flossie and Miguel were the only ones who noticed. The two, clad in their new Gi's, stood on the front of the mat with their hands behind their back.
"Quiet!" the Sensei shouted to get all the chattering kids attention, and almost all of the new kids jumped at his sudden tone. "Face front," he demands.
They all obliged as he started making his way through the group, surveying them. "Nice shirt," he said to Demetri, standing next to him.
"Thanks," Demetri replied.
"I'm joking," the Sensei clarified. "It sucks."
Flossie snickered at this, and Demetri shot her a rude glance, telling her to shut up. She rolled her eyes, turning back around.
"Word of advice: If you got shit for teeth, don't smile," the man walked around the room, chastising everyone. "My God, makes me feel like a virgin just looking at you."
Miguel looked at Flossie worriedly, and she only shrugged, deciding not to say anything about their Sensei's rudeness. "When I look around this dojo, I don't see Cobra Kai material," he carried on. "I see losers. I see nerds. I see a fat kid with a funny hat with his tits popping out."
Flossie cringed, playing with her hands behind her back in a nervous nature. "But my short time as a sensei, l've also seen some miracles," Sensei Lawrence proclaimed, looking proudly toward Miguel and Flossie who smiled brightly. "So maybe there's some hope for you yet."
Miguel gave Flossie a secret fist bump at this, and she laughed under her breath — trying not to catch the attention of the Sensei who was still talking. "First I need to see where you're at," he announced. "So everybody, fall in!"
Nobody moved and Flossie looked around confused, just as her Sensei did. "That means line up."
The group didn't seem to get it though, as they were quite literally lining up, and not getting into rows like the Sensei had intended. "No, not... not line up in a line," he tried explaining before looking to Miguel and Flossie tiredly.
"Iron-fist, line them up," he said to the girl exhausted and she turned around trying to hold in her giggle.
"He means rows," she explains as everyone seemed to make a noise of realization among their indistinct chatter.
Sensei Lawrence grumbled at this, "okay, nerd, thank you," he said to the girl and she turned around embarrassed. She definitely preferred iron-fist over nerd.
Now, with everyone facing the Sensei, he could finally begin the practice after all that nonsense that took way too much time. "Fighting position! Jab punch," Sensei called out and some people already started. "Nope wait 'til I say go," he clarified.
Flossie didn't pay much mind to Sensei Lawrence's constant degrading comments of her peers, only focused on her punching. But that was until she heard something that made her turn around. "Hey, Lip," he said to Eli and Flossie whipped around at this, in slight anger. "Yeah, you. The one with the freaky lip. Who do you think l'm talking to?"
"Sensei Lawrence?" Flossie said to him in shock, crossing her arms.
"What's the matter, fist? Got something to say?" He asked her and she looked at Miguel for some kind of reassurance. However, he was only looking at her with wide eyes.
Flossie, still with her arms crossed, took a step towards her Sensei. "Y-yeah, I do," she said gaining her confidence. "How would you feel if everyone here started pissing on you?"
"Oh, yeah?" Sensei Lawrence questioned. "And what would they say, fist?" He egged on, seeing what she had to say.
Flossie gulped, looking at Miguel one last time who shook his head. "That you're not "badass", you're just an "ass". It's not like you cured cancer or anything," she sneers. "You're just a Sensei. There's no upward mobility from here—"
"Quiet!" He yelled at her. "Everyday you come into my dojo with your smart ass comments. Listen up, Ms. Akridge, because I'm only going to say this one time. You are no robin-hood, you are no hero, you're a nerd who can throw a few punches. Stop sticking up for kids like Lip and maybe you wouldn't get in so much trouble," he said fiercely.
Flossie shifted uncomfortable wanting to say something back, but couldn't find the words. Sensei Lawrence seemed pleased with the fear he injected in the girl, finally getting her to shut up.
But one thing to know, is that when Flossie is quiet Demetri is not. "She's right," Demetri called out, making Flossie shake her head rapidly. "You really shouldn't make fun of someone's physical appearance."
"Oh, is that so?" Sensei Lawrence turned to Demetri now. The one thing the man did not know, was that Eli had friends that would stick up for him no matter what. "So l'm not supposed to mention his lip at all?" Sensei asked Demetri and Flossie now.
Flossie nodded, "exactly," she chorused as Demetri let out his own comment of agreement.
Their Sensei shook his head at this, baffled. "Yeah, maybe that's what they teach you in school, but in the real world you can't expect people to do what they're supposed to do," he turned to Eli now. "Right? You hear that, Lip? If you can't handle someone making fun of you, how are you gonna handle an elbow to the teeth?"
Flossie had given up by now, knowing she'd probably have to do a bunch of push-ups if she continued, but Demetri didn't seem to catch on. "By calling the police?" He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Dude. Knock it off," Miguel begged, turning around just like Flossie.
Flossie nodded, "yeah, Demetri, come on," she said, "that's enough."
"What? He does realize the Nazis lost the war, right?Why should I be scared of him?" Demetri asked baffled, still pushing Sensei's buttons. "Because he's got a snake on his wall? It's not like he's a teacher who can give us a bad grade. We're paying him. He works for us. It's not like he can actually hurt us."
Sensei Lawrence perked up at his last statement and Flossie cringed. Everyone around Demetri started to back away, and she heard him mutter an "oh, shit."
"You done?" The man asked Demetri, who didn't say anything. "What? Hit me. Go ahead, hit me. Strike me right here," Sensei demanded.
Demetri swung but was easily blocked. "Harder," Sensei Lawrence commanded, and again the same thing happened. "Is that all you got, princess?" He questioned Demetri.
The boy looked defeated, and Sensei Lawrence turned to Flossie now. "Hey, trash mouth," he calls out to her, "come here, face him."
Flossie obliged, standing in front of Demetri now, waiting for her Sensei's command. "Let's show the princess here why we call you fist," Sensei Lawrence said, and Flossie shook her head wildly.
"No, Sensei, I'm sorry but no. He's my friend and—"
"Oh he's your friend?" Sensei Lawrence teased. "Yeah that tracks," he sneered, observing the two. "Punch him or do 50 push-ups on your knuckles. Now!"
Flossie groaned, looking at her best friend. "Sorry, 'Met," she said sadly before delivering a swift blow to his jaw that made him tumble back into the mat. "Hiya!"
"Let that be a lesson to all of you," Sensei Lawrence called out to the entirety of the dojo, but Demetri collected himself— running out, pissed.
Flossie called out to him, to say sorry but he just ignored her. He couldn't believe his best friend has just decked him. They both knew he would get over it, but he was still pissed off.