"Hello? Tory?" Cullen called out as he walked behind the dojo building. "Why aren't we-"
He stopped when met with not only Tory, but four other boys. He had immediately recognized Kyler, holding his head up a little higher. Tory turned when she heard him. "Good. You're here."
"Shit, man. Boarding school did you good." Kyler leaned on the side of the dojo with a cheeky grin his way. "I like the hair."
Cullen eyed him oddly, looking to Tory. "These are your new friends?"
"They're Cobra Kai." she nodded her head. "That's Kyler, Mikey, Rickenberger, and Hawk."
"Wh-" he began, stopping sudden as he laid eyes upon this 'Hawk' creature. He laughed slightly. "Oh shit."
Hawk inhaled slightly. "Hey, Cullen."
"You guys know each other?" Tory looked between the pair.
"Yeah." Cullen grabbed Eli's face with a grin. "Woah, look at this hair. When'd you do this?"
"You came home?" Hawk pulled his face from Cullens hands. "Boarding school too enough of you?"
"Shit. I told you they were gonna send me back." Cullen cracked a grin, nodding toward Tory after a second. "I'm offended you didn't talk about me."
"I did." she blinked in return. "He didn't say anything."
"Sounds like him." Cullen pushed the side of Eli's face slightly, looking at the door. "What is this? VIPs only door?"
"Hell yeah, baby." Kyler pulled it open as the loud screech heard through the air. "Nichols wanted you to get special treatment."
Tory flashed a knowing look. "Only because new recruits have already passed."
"Oh, yeah." Cullen nodded with a hidden smirk. "I believe you."
Kyler and the other two boys walked in first, Tory next. Cullen looked back at Eli as he trailed back. "Didn't take you to be the karate type."
"Yeah, well, you've been gone a long time." he said back in minor bitterness.
"Yeah, but my phone still worked." Cullen said back, their conversation kept low. "Yet you block my number and stop your letters?"
"Moving on. It's the way of life." he rolled his eyes in return, walking closer now. "No room for desperate shit."
Cullen went to say something again before the boys voice cut in again. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Cullen accidentally bumped into the back of Tory when she stopped walking, both of them following Hawks gaze as he stormed over. It took the Alexopoulos boy a second to realize Robby Keene had stood not too far away from him. Cullen held his head a bit higher, looking down at Tory. "Holy shit. He goes here too?"
"No." she answered, eyeing him slightly. Cullen sensed there's probably been a bigger story there, but let Hawk have his angry moment before bothering to say hello to an old friend.
"Hold on there." Kreese held a hand up to stop Hawk before Robby. "Mr.Keene is our guest."
Robby looked around the dojo, lingering on Tory before shifting his gaze toward Cullen. A grin went across his face, walking over when Kreese encouraged Hawk to follow him to his office. "Cullen. You're home?"
"Apparently." Cullen said back with a grin, both the two going in for a hug. "You're clearly well liked around here."
Robby gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, you missed a lot."
"A lot." Tory agreed, interfering in the twos conversation. "But, he's here to join."
Robby looked toward the pale boy. "Are you?"
"She's scarily convincing." Cullen rose an eyebrow, nodding his head in Torys direction.
"And a way of getting in your head apparently." Robby took a breath, looking toward the back room. "I'm gonna head out, but, you're really home now? For good?"
Cullen shrugged. "Until my dad decides i'm not the poster child son."
"You're quitting already?" Tory nodded in Robbys direction.
"Never joined in the first place." he answered in return. "I don't belong here."
"Aw, why not?" Cullen kicked his ankle slightly, he pulled Tory closer in. "You're gonna leave me alone with this demon?"
"You shouldn't stay either." Robby gave a knowing look.
"Oh, so you're running away and trying to make Cullens decisions for him?" Tory mocked toward Robby with an arrogant nod of her head. "That worked out well for you last time."
Like he had been the entire time, Cullen knew he'd missed too much to understand what either of them were talking about. Robby stared at Tory a second. "I'm not running away. "
Tory hesitated, looking to Cullen. "If you're gonna earn your place here, you're gonna have to talk to Sensei Kreese."
Cullen looked toward the office, nodding his head. "I sense I am no longer wanted in the conversation."
"You know what I mean." Tory tilted her head slightly. Cullen flashed her a smile to show he'd only been joking, heading toward the office were he waiting for Eli to finish his conversation with Kreese.
"No, I just don't understand what your problem is now." Cullen followed Hawk out of the dojo after he picked a fight with him toward the end of the practice. "You're best friends with Kyler Park now? Do you not remember-"
"You missed a lot. Why's that so hard to understand?" he asked in annoyance, keeping his pace quick as he headed toward his car. "I don't know what you expect. To show up and have everything exactly like you left it?"
"Oh, sorry I didn't expect you to be best friends with Kyler after I literally got sent away for hurting him for the shit he did to you." Cullen mocked, jabbing his finger into Eli's shoulder as he turned around. "You forget about that?"
"I never asked you to do that." Hawk said back with a tight jaw.
"You didn't have to. I just did." Cullen argued with him, a shake of his head, scoffing in disbelief. "Screw this. You get a new hair style and think you're hot shit? Being a dick doesn't make you cool."
"What's that thing you use to say?" Hawk gave a harsh glare, knowing it well. "When you'd excuse your actions by saying you were an asshole to the ones that deserved it? Looks like I took your advice."
"Oh, okay, I get it." Cullen nodded his head in a sarcastic manor. "You're pissed off at me for my parents sending me to boarding school and for you making the decision to completely cut me off? Makes total sense, don't know why I didn't catch that sooner."
"You wanna join Cobra Kai? Fine, do what you want." the red haired boy glared in return. He'd grown in a year and a half, standing the same height he had now. "Just don't expect me to act like a pussy around you ever again. I know you get off on that shit, but it's not who I am anymore."
Cullen gave a weird look as he bumped his shoulder. "What are you even talking about right now?"
He was ignored as Hawk got into his car and sped off.
"Jesus christ, what a bitch." Cullen spoke as he helped Tory with the dishes at her apartment. She washed, he dried and put up. "Both of them. Can't believe you got cheated on. What an idiot."
"That sums it all up, I guess." Tory exhaled, passing him a bowl from the sink. "So, you wanna stick it out with Cobra Kai?"
"Maybe. Could be fun getting to knock a cheater in the nose." Cullen shrugged, putting the bowl on the highest shelf. "What's up with Robby, though? You guys are friends?"
"No, not friends. We're just in the same boat." Tory shook her head slightly, coming to an end as she dried her hands. "I didn't know you knew each other."
"Long time ago." Cullen shrugged. "Before both of you were put on probation and completely ruined all my plans."
Tory cracked a grin slightly. "Well, sorry to be such a burden."
"What?" Cullen asked in disbelief, grabbing her arm to pull her over some. "You? Never."
Tory grinned slightly, leaning against him infront of the sink. "You know, I am glad you're back home. Try not to leave again."
"I'll try." he gave a half grin down at her, feeling his phone buzz in his front pocket. "If it's my dad wanting to do a movie n-"
Cullen stopped as Tory gave a questionable look. "What is it?"
"Robby." Cullen looked at the unknown number. "Needs a place to stay."
"Figured he'd stay at the dojo." Tory said back as Cullen typed on his phone. "You really think your dads gonna be okay with another house guest?"
"Are you kidding? He'd never know." Cullen cracked a grin, sending the text and shoving his phone into his pocket. "You wanna come too? Still have that salt lamp you like."
"Nah, I gotta stay with my brother." she shook her head, looking toward be living room where he was piecing a puzzle together. "Thanks for coming over to help out."
"Oh, I was expecting pay." Cullen nodded down at her. "My time is very valuable and i'm actually considered one of the best dish dryers in all of The Valley so-"
Tory punched his shoulder with a laugh, her smile bright as he laughed with her. "Get out of here."
•
kylie speaks
they're all so smily together,
i love living in the torbben?culbby? world.