The sun hadn't even peeked over the horizon the next morning before you laced up your skates and made your way through town slowly. You took it all in, soaking in the moment.
You felt completely numb, the urge to give up weighing heavily upon you. There were countless times where you found yourself giving in to that temptation.
You had lost everything. The record shop, most of your friends... Johnny. It pained you to know that they took Kreese's side when all was said and done. But you didn't necessarily blame them either.
The next few mornings, you repeated this same routine. Woke before sunrise, skated until California awoke, and immediately went back into a world of isolation. When the school days rolled by, you did not speak a word to Johnny. Although you caught glimpses of secret stares, neither one of you had the urge to fix things. It was almost as if he knew time was running out. Whenever you looked at him, he quickly looked away. The fellow cobras let their stares linger longer, the pain evident in their eyes no matter the distance.
But as much as you felt as though you hit rock bottom, you didn't want things to end this way. You constantly found yourself losing control of your thoughts, telling yourself that it was no use. What was the point of making amends if neither one of you would remember this moment in the first place?
But somewhere deep in your heart, you held yourself accountable to that promise. You wanted to get right with him, no matter the outcome.
In three days time, the All Valley tournament would finally take place. You would go back with Doc and Marty, setting things right.
The school bell rang, signaling the dismissal of students from every class. Some students ran from the premises, fleeing the place that they considered a trap. Others walked leisurely, soaking in the memories with their friends who they could possibly have forever. Ahead of you, the Cobras marched away with the leaving crowd. Hesitantly, with a pounding heartbeat, you followed.
Judging the looks the other Cobras had given you, it was clear that Johnny was the only one who needed your convincing. They all felt your sympathy, and although Johnny did too, he was more blind to it.
Before you could stop yourself, you shouted across the courtyard.
"Johnny!"
Instant regret filled your veins as he turned around to look at you. In his eyes, you saw pure conflict.
You took a bold step forward, pushing aside your current fears. "I need to talk to you."
As you continued to step closer, closing the distance, you watched as he shrugged and mumbled beneath his breath. "Then talk."
Your eyes fluttered around the cobras wearily. "Alone."
"Name a time and place." He deadpanned.
Your voice escaped more sternly then anticipated. "Now. Here."
The cobras didn't even have it in them to let out a few silly hollers like they normally had in the past. Instead, they all looked toward each other before getting a look from Johnny, giving them permission to step away. They shuffled toward the sidewalk slowly, leaving you and Johnny standing beneath the tree.
He took a moment to look you over, shrugging sadly. "Go ahead." He mumbled.
You took a deep breath and immediately dove in. "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me right now. And in all honesty, you have every right to be upset with me. I don't blame you for being mad because I shouldn't have kept that a secret from you. But you have to understand my side of it as well... I didn't always know that he was my uncle. When I found out the truth, he threatened us both. I wanted to keep you safe and I'm sorry that it had to turn out the way it did."
Johnny's stern demeanor threatened to falter. But alas, his facade of stone cold expression shone through. Even then, it didn't matter because you could see the sadness in his eyes. With a sigh, he shoved his hands in his pockets and directed his eyes toward the grass.
"I know and I'm sorry. It's just... a bad situation. I can't get on his bad side."
"So you agreed with him instead?" You felt your anger rising.
"I never agreed with him."
"But you didn't defend me either."
"Look, I wanted to okay!"
You folded your arms across your chest. "You don't understand, Johnny. You didn't believe me in the first place! Kreese tried to kill me, and instead of piecing it all together, you made me look like a total idiot."
"It wasn't his car!"
"But that same car was in the parking lot! I heard him speaking to someone in his office while you all were in the locker room. It was him!"
With a burst of energy, Johnny shouted loud enough for the passing crowds to hear. "Well maybe I wanted you to be wrong, alright?!"
Blinking with confusion, you stepped back. "What?" Your voice was lethal poison cutting through the air.
"Maybe," he released a deep breath, "I wanted you to be wrong about him."
The silence enveloped you both for an intimate moment. Only the buzzing of insects and chatting students congregating in the distance overlapped the stillness of the air. You had no words to say, so you let him continue. He shrugged his shoulders, throwing his hands about.
"Look, in some awful, selfish way... I wanted you to be proven wrong because I didn't want to see my sensei any differently. I know Kreese can be tough and irrational, but... before I met you, Cobra Kai was all I had. He was all I had. I didn't get any attention at home, and maybe that's why I acted out so much. But Kreese gave me that attention I needed. He made me feel seen and wanted. When I met you... I found another form of attention, of love... that didn't compare to Kreese. You quickly became a distraction and sensei despised that about you. And I'm sorry that I didn't defend you, I just didn't know any better. For half of my life, I've trained under him. I've seen the way he has dealt with things, and I know they're wrong. But I've also seen what happens when someone gets on his bad side. Being this close to the tournament, I couldn't risk it. For your safety. I froze."
You let his words register in your brain, your facial features softening. Johnny looked desperate, something about him seemed so fragile. He was telling the truth.
But he was missing one major detail.
"Johnny... you just admitted that Cobra Kai has been brainwashing you."
His sadness melted back into an aggression you couldn't quite place your finger on. He became defensive, shaking his head wearily.
"That's what you got from that."
His tone indicated a question, but it was far from it. The statement was hard, solidifying how stupid you felt in that moment. It wasn't the only thing you got from his speech. It was the part that was missing. Johnny knew what was happening, and he did nothing to stop it.
"You can't let him control you like that, Johnny!"
"What other choice do I have?"
"Are you serious right now?"
He shrugged in defeat. "Don't you think I've tried to fight back? There's a reason I'm his top student. He likes a challenge, as long as you know going into it that you're not going to win. He thinks it builds character."
"Well I think he's psychotic."
"And let me guess, I'm not that far behind for training under him?"
You shook your head. "Johnny-"
"Well if that's the case, then you must not be too far behind either. Guess the insanity runs in the family."
A scoff escaped your chest. "You have got to be kidding me."
"No, I get it. You're angry, I understand that. But I can't let you talk me out of this. I'm going to the All Valley. And I'm going to win."
"And you're going to bring him another trophy, inflate his ego, and never address the issue. Yeah... I should've guessed." You laughed bitterly, not knowing how else to handle the situation. "Congratulations, Johnny. Kreese wins. I'm out of the picture, and you can get your little trophy. Everything is going exactly as he planned."
With a shake of your head, you pivoted on your heel and walked away. Johnny didn't even bother calling after you.