ミ☆ chapter ten; did i drive you away?
[ season 1, episode 9]
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Miguel Diaz had been acting like a complete asshole and Nadia could not figure out why for the life of her.
Initially, she thought that maybe her eyes were deceiving her the time that she waved at him and he acted as though he didn't see her. But after hearing Sam tell her that he had been acting off, an uneasy feeling began to make her stomach churn.
She didn't want to beat around the bush and spend all day waiting for him to come around, so when the bell rang, she waited outside of the door of his current class so he couldn't escape.
Miguel came out last, which was unlike him already. Nadia shook it off and stopped in front of him so he couldn't move any further. "What's wrong with you?"
He scowled at her. "What?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why are you acting like an asshole?"
He crossed his arms defensively. "I'm not."
"Either we're both late to last period, or you fess up."
"I saw you and Sam on Saturday," He admitted, sighing. He kept his look of frustration evident on his face. "She was laughing with some other guy. He was eating dinner with her family!"
"Is that seriously why you've had this grouchy attitude all day? That's Robby, he was only there because he trains with-" She cut herself off, realizing that she was about to give herself away. But, she made a choice to finish the sentence, as now was a better time than ever. "-me. He trains with me."
The Diaz furrowed his eyebrows. "Trains for what?"
Nadia's eyes drifted away from his, feeling guilt rise up in her throat like bile. "Train for karate. It's what I've been trying to tell you. I'm...training with Mr. LaRusso."
He stayed silent, an unreadable expression on his face. Nadia's heart pounded in her chest, praying that their discussion wouldn't end in an argument. She decided that before allowing him to speak, they'd be better off having a conversation like this in a more quiet place rather than a crowded hallway.
"Hey, we have a free period, anyways. Let's just skip, okay?"
Miguel silently nodded, following her out of the building using one of the doors none of the staff ever came close to. It was sunny outside, which didn't come as a shock to either of them. The brunette instinctively shielded her eyes with her hand.
She walked with Miguel for just a few minutes, although it felt like ages. She wanted to wait on him to speak first, but she was beginning to think that he never would.
She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her blue jeans awkwardly, looking at him as they walked. "Are you mad?"
"I guess I'm just trying to understand why you didn't tell me before," He admitted, not sparing her a glance as he kept his head straight.
"I mean, I tried to. You just kept going on and on about Sam," She shot back, muttering the last part. "To be fair, I never said I didn't wanna do karate. All I said was that I wasn't interested in Cobra Kai."
"You never even gave it a chance," He huffed frustratedly. "You just came there once to kick my ass and left without another thought."
"I've seen dojos like Cobra Kai, Miguel. Plus, no offense to your sensei, but I'm not entirely sure I want to be taught by a bully."
"A bully?" He scoffed. "Have you met your sensei? Sensei Lawrence told me all about the bullying that Mr. LaRusso did to him."
"Johnny's a liar," She seethed, trying to remain calm. "Daniel's first instinct isn't to fight, unlike him. Don't disrespect him like that."
He crossed his arms. "Don't disrespect mine, then."
"Okay, whatever. Can we get back to why you've been acting like an ass now?"
Miguel remained silent, giving Nadia the hint to continue on with her inquiries. "I just think it's stupid how you've been acting cold towards both me and Sam just because she had dinner with him."
"It's not just about Sam," He blurted, coming to a stop abruptly. He faced the girl. "If you've been training with him, I'm just not sure why you didn't mention him or anything."
A uneasy yet awkward laugh escaped her lips. "I didn't know I was obligated to inform you on who I spend my time with."
"You're not," He quickly added. The pair realized they had stopped in front of a park that seemed to be pretty busy since the younger kids got out of school earlier than they did. They kept walking until they reached a bench and plopping down to continue their conversation. "You don't have to tell me. I'm just..."
She waited for him to finish his sentence, but he never did. "You're just what, Miguel? I don't really understand what you're trying to tell me. First, you're mad that Sam had dinner with Robby, and then you're mad that I was there, and now you can't figure out why you're even mad? That's not fair."
He remained silent, only strengthening Nadia's strong feelings. "This whole talk was pointless, wasn't it? You should be talking to Sam. I'll see you later."
"Nadia, wait!"
"Oh, and just a heads-up, I'm entered in the All-Valley, so good luck."
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Eli's new look was something that Nadia was sure she'd never get used to.
Sure, he looked badass, but it didn't give him the right to act like an asshole too. His entire attitude had changed completely, and Nadia wasn't so sure it was a front anymore.
"This...actually looks kind of legit, Eli."
"It's Hawk," He corrected with a glare.
"I'm not addressing you by a fucking bird," She retorted. She looked at the fake ID that he had somehow made, coming to the conclusion that it would work as long as he ensured that his act was believable.
"Do we really need alcohol?" Demetri frowned as his friend continued to gather more drinks to buy. "We could just get soda, or something."
Aisha chuckled at his words, although he was being serious. "Nobody's gonna come to a party without alcohol."
"I prefer soda," Nadia spoke in agreement with Demetri, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The girl didn't think she'd be seeing Miguel for at least the rest of the day after their argument, but when her friends called her and told her they'd be throwing a party at the Canyon, she just knew it wasn't something she could miss. She hadn't hung out with a majority of them since they all joined Cobra Kai. Well, all of them except for Renée and Demetri.
Since they had arrived at the drugstore that was just a door down from Cobra Kai, he hadn't taken his eyes off his phone. Unless it was for an occasional look towards Nadia to see if she was looking back at him.
She wasn't.
"You should talk to Miguel," Renée approached her friend from behind, a bag of blue Doritos in her hands. "He's really sorry."
"I'll believe it when I hear it," Nadia replied. "He's been on his phone this whole time, and probably texting Sam."
"Or not." Renée shrugged. "Their date totally sucked."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better. It isn't working, by the way. He told me it went well," Nadia informed.
"He's lying," Renée pushed. Nadia knowingly raised a brow at her. "I think. Whatever, I'm serious. He's only saying that because he's spent months trying to get her and is doing all he can to make sure it wasn't a waste of time. He probably likes you, if anything. Even if he can't see that himself."
"What are you, psychic?"
"Nope." She shook her head, taking the magazine from the brunette's hands. "Just an observer."
Nadia picked up another magazine, scoffing while doing so. Even though she had easily dismissed Renée's words, they still lingered in her mind freely. Her head tilted up and her eyes fell onto Miguel. He was already looking at her but quickly tried to play it off by looking the opposite way.
She hated to admit it, but Renée's theory actually made a bit of sense. It would explain his behavior from earlier. She doubted it, though. And even if it were true, she wouldn't want to act on it, and she wouldn't want Miguel to either. She had become close with the LaRusso girl, and a something that was merely a theory was not worth ruining it for.
Demetri noticed the girl who looked to be in a trance. He tapped her shoulder lightly. "Eli, or Hawk, or whatever, has the drinks and snacks."
She nodded in understanding, following the boy back to the car along with everyone else. As she was about to enter she felt someone tap her shoulder.
"Hey." Miguel stood nervously. "I, uh...I got you a coke, since you said you preferred soda." The idea was nice, but the whole gesture was kind of stupid.
Her eyes narrowed, and she said just a few more words before jumping into the car. "I don't like coke."
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The sun had already began to set and the party was still going strong. Nadia couldn't exactly say she was having fun, as she was mainly serving as a babysitter to her friends. Most of them were drinking, deeming her as the designated driver. The only other person who hadn't been drinking as much as the others was Renée, which didn't really surprise her.
The Hayworthe had to admit that she was shocked to see that Yasmine stayed at the party, although she spent most of her time grimacing in disgust at the teenagers from afar. Nadia didn't feel bad that they ruined her birthday plans, Yasmine truly did deserve it because of all the bullying she did. It was payback that she should've gotten a long time ago.
Nadia stared down at her red solo cup, biting her lip as she watched everyone socialize and have fun. She took one for the team, and they'd all probably be to hungover to thank her in the morning. Not that she cared.
Miguel was drinking, a lot. She discovered quickly that he was an angry drunk rather than a sad one. He had been acting like a complete dickhead and she wasn't even sure if it'd be a good idea to tell him to slow down.
"You look like you're having fun," Aisha said sarcastically from behind the girl, making her jump a big.
"You've really gotta stop sneaking up on me like that," Nadia advised, holding a hand to her heart. "And it's fine. I have the All-Valley to worry about in a few days. I don't need to drink."
"You're joining the All-Valley? For which dojo?"
"It's complicated." She tilted her head. "Don't be mad."
"Why would I be mad?" The Robinson laughed, confused. "I just wasn't sure if you did karate or not from that one day I ran into at Cobra Kai."
"Well, thank you. Unlike you, some people don't know their place," She spoke bitterly, thinking about her argument with Miguel just hours prior.
Moon approached the two, followed by Hawk who had been practically sucking her face off minutes before. She had a smile on her face. "Hey, guys! This party-"
"Hey!"
They were interrupted by a familiar blonde walking up to them angrily. Nadia and Aisha's faces immediately dropped once they realized who it was.
Yasmine clicked her tongue. "You think it's funny crashing my party?"
"It's not really your party," Aisha retorted. "We were here first."
Yasmine narrowed her eyes at Aisha. "Yeah, well, I know you and your little karate gang think you're cool, but we all remember who you really are. You're just a fugly bitch, and all your friends are freaks."
Nadia scoffed. "Says the one who's spent the past hour and a half watching us like a creep. For one of the richest girls in school, I sure find it pathetic that you have nothing else to do."
Yasmine eyed her viciously. "Who's talking to you, bitch?" She then turned to Moon. "Come on, Moon. Let's go."
"No, I'm staying," She replied, shaking her head. "I apologized to Aisha for what we did, and you should too."
Yasmine tried to maintain the tough facade and look unfazed, but she was failing. "Whatever. You deserve them, Moon."
Yasmine brushed past them, making sure to hit Aisha's shoulder with hers to express her anger. It must've been the Robinson's last straw, because she called out after her. "Hey, Yasmine!"
The blonde flipped her head around dramatically, taking a step towards her in a rude manner. "What?"
"Let me help you to your car," Aisha responded.
Shocked would be an understatement to describe how Nadia felt when she saw Aisha reach into her pants and grab her underwear, only to pull so hard on it that Yasmine was just a few feet off the sand. She let out a shriek followed by ripping sounds. "No mercy, bitch!"
She released Yasmine, pushing her to the floor. The blonde looked around and let it sink in that for once, she was the joke. Everybody was laughing at her. And to top it all off, Nadia slowly stepped towards the girl who was still on the grainy sand.
"Happy birthday, bitch," She growled in a mocking tone, referencing when Yasmine had called her that barely a minute ago. She threw the drink that inside of her cup at the bully without thinking.
Yasmine didn't have a comeback this time. Instead, she just ran away with a hand on the crotch of her shorts, presumably to walk home since Kyler and his friends had left the two.
"That was badass," Hawk exclaimed, throwing a hand over Moon's shoulder.
Nadia ignored him, turning to Aisha. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been waiting for that moment since, like forever. I feel amazing!"
Hawk looked behind the two girls, his focus elsewhere. "Looks like trouble in paradise."
Nadia's orbs followed his, and she held a hand up to her mouth when she saw Robby, who was next to Sam and seemed to be in some sort of dispute with Miguel.
"Oh shit."
She dropped her cup and let it fall to the ground, not wasting a second to make her way over to them before the situation could gain anymore attention than it already was. She slowed her pace as she approached them.
"Hey, guys. What's-"
"You get out of here!" Miguel shouted at Robby, stepping to him.
"Miguel, stop it!" Sam scolded, tearing her eyes away from her boyfriend to make sure Robby was okay.
"Hey, Miguel, why don't you take a seat on that log and take a breather? Just calm down-"
"Don't give me that!" He lashed out, turning his attention to Nadia at once. "You probably knew they were coming here together, didn't you?"
"What? No, I've been here with you guys this whole time!" She shot back, crossing her arms. "You're talking crazy right now-"
"This was the plan, wasn't it? Get into my head days before the All-Valley Tournament, so you could win along with Robby!"
"You sound stupid. It's the alcohol! Could you just-"
"It makes sense!" He continued. "Why you didn't tell me before, and-"
She interrupted him this time. "I don't owe you a fucking explanation, Miguel! I've already told you that I've tried to come clean countless times!"
"You're lying. Just admit that you didn't want to! You've had multiple chances, and you could've if you had actually tried!"
"I..." She trailed off. And even though she was undoubtedly furious at him at that moment, she knew he wasn't wrong. She had the opportunity many times and she could've taken it, but any sign to bail out, Nadia would go for it.
"You probably wanted to wait until the All-Valley came before you told me," He spat, expecting an answer. But all he got from Nadia was quiet stammering. "Yeah, though so."
"Hey, man, just calm down-"
"Didn't I tell you to leave!" This time, Miguel shoved the Keene, sending him into the to the sand. Robby only got angrier, standing up and dusting himself off.
"Hey, man, you wanna try that again?" Robby questioned, stomping towards him.
"Try it again, huh?" Miguel took steps towards him as well.
Nadia made the mistake of stepping in between them as an attempt to prevent Miguel from striking again. But, with his intoxication, he was absolutely unhinged. He went to push Robby again, but instead pushed Nadia to the floor, taking the Keene down with her.
Robby broke her fall thankfully, even though it wouldn't have made much of a difference since it was sand. Miguel scrambled to help her up, but she pushed him away and instead helped herself up while using Robby as support to do so.
Miguel seemed to sober up once she had become aware of what he did, his livid facials morphed into apologetic ones instantly. "Nadia, I'm sorry, you were in the way-"
"You shouldn't have been trying to hit him in the first place!"
Sam finally spoke up. "My dad was right about Cobra Kai."
"Sam-"
The LaRusso turned on her heel to go back to her car. Robby looked to Nadia, as if asking a question telepathically. She picked up on it. "I'll meet you guys in the car."
Miguel should've just walked away, but he couldn't help himself. "You're seriously going with him?"
"What's wrong with you?" She roared, fuming. "Is that seriously what you're worried about? You know what? I'm glad I didn't join Cobra Kai. I wouldn't wanna be anything like you guys."
"Nadia-"
"I'll see you at the tournament," She spat.
For the second time that day, Nadia turned her back on Miguel, knowing that if she continued speaking to him, she'd say things she could never take back.
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Obviously, Nadia did not go home. She'd have to say see Miguel sooner than she wanted to. Truthfully, she didn't want to see his face until the tournament, but realistically, she would have to see him during class, as well as her apartment. Seeing him at some point before the tournament was inevitable, but it didn't mean she had to acknowledge him.
Sam, Robby, and Nadia were all bitter by the time they got to the LaRusso residence. Most of the car ride was spent in silence with an occasional insult towards Miguel followed by agreement or slight laughter. The plan for Nadia was to stay the night at Sam's house, just so she would have time to compose herself before coming face to face with the Diaz again.
Both of Mr. LaRusso's students needed to blow steam, and knew that Daniel would've preferred they expressed their anger in a more peaceful way. It was another reason Nadia was grateful to have discovered Miyagi-Do.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Robby inquired, his eyes still closed as he meditated.
"You know, one of the points of meditation is total silence," She informed, keeping her eyes closed. "But, yeah, I'm fine. You're the one who broke my fall, anyways."
She opened her eyes, looking to Robby who was no longer meditating. She picked up one of her extra water bottles and rolled it over to him. "What's on your mind? Well, other than the whole fiasco today."
"Sam told me something that stuck with me," He confessed, opening the water bottle and taking a sip. "I knew Daniel didn't like my dad, but I didn't know he hated him. I need to tell him the truth before it gets worse."
"About time!" She rolled her eyes. She recognized Robby's body language, noticing his anxiousness and frowned. "Calm down. Just breathe, like Daniel taught us to. I'm sure he'll understand."
Robby didn't look convinced. "Will he?"
As if on cue, Daniel entered the dojo, a bit surprised to see his students on the mat. "Robby? Nadia?"
The Keene met eyes with the curly-haired girl. She sent him a nod, standing up in sync with him and rushing over to their sensei. "Mr. LaRusso, I really need to talk to you about somethi..."
Robby's voice gradually got slower when Johnny entered the dojo right behind him. Confusion flashed in his eyes, and so did it in Johnny's.
"What the hell?" The blond man whispered. "What's going on?"
"Oh, hey, Johnny, I forgot to tell you. You're not the only
one around here who has students. I have two of my own."
Johnny glanced to the Hayworthe, furrowing his eyebrows before facing his son. He looked mad. Once his eyes met Daniel's, he barely gave him a moment to breathe before pushing him into a table.
Daniel looked lost, yet angry as well. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"What's the hell's wrong with you?" Johnny retorted.
Robby became defensive, putting his fists up and standing in front of his dad. "Hey, hey, hey! Dad, back off!"
Daniel's jaw fell. "Dad?"
The teen with the bob ignored him. "If you wanna fight him, you're gonna have to fight me first."
Johnny stood down. The anger in his eyes just became plain sadness as he registered which side his son was on. "You gotta be kidding me." Then, he just walked out.
"Wha..." Mr. LaRusso trailed off, rubbing his forehead in stress.
Robby swallowed thickly. "Mr. LaRusso, I was gonna tell you."
"Was this all just a con? Some kind of sick mind game you're trying to pull on me?"
"No, no, no. It wasn't like that," Robby begged.
"You lied to me!" He cried. Daniel turned his attention to Nadia, who had been silent the whole time. "Did you know too?"
Robby spoke before she could. "No, she didn't know anything, I swear-"
"This was all a mistake," Daniel said aloud, but it seemed he was speaking to himself. "Just get out."
"Mr. LaRusso, please."
"Go, Robby! Don't come back to this house, not to the dealership, not ever!"
The two teens backed up as he came closer to them, all the way until they were outside of the dojo. He shut the door instantly.
"So that's it?" Nadia broke the silence first. "After months of training, it was all for nothing?"
"Nadia, I'm sorry. It's all my fault," He apologized, not even being able to look her in the eye.
"Robby, no- Well, yeah it is your fault, but that's not the point." She licked her lips. "We deserve to compete in the All-Valley, especially after everything that just happened. Isn't there a way for us to still be in it without being tied to a dojo?"
"I think so," He replied. "You seriously still want to do this?"
Despite everything, Nadia still managed to curve her lips into a smile. "Hell yeah."
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AUTHOR'S NOTE !
this chapter was LONGGG 😭
i hope it was worth it though
because it was getting long, i had to cut some stuff out so i'd just like to make it canon that renée went to check on nadia after her argument with miguel at the party and offered to buy an uber for the both of them so she didn't have to ride back home with all of them. but ofc nadia turned her down cause they were all drunk and needed a driver. just wanted to say that to emphasize how good of a friend she is 😍
i'm so in love w nadia and robby's friendship. i'd get why someone might ship them at times but really it's up to u guys 🤷🏽♀️ they're remaining platonic though
i think
JOKINGGGG. anyways LAST CHAPTER OF ACT ONE COMING UP SOOONNN