"This is it right?" Aisha asked as she pulled the car to a stop.
The two girls looked up at a sign that read, "Cobra Kai Karate" with two cobras net to the words.
Arlo unlocked her phone and read the text that Miguel had sent her before nodding. "Yeah this is the address Miguel sent."
Arlo pulled the knitted sweater Eli had given her earlier that day off. She had a white tank top on underneath, black leggings covered her bottom half now as well. The two girls got out of the car and walked towards the doors pulling them open. When the two walked in they saw Miguel turn around and wave at them.
"What the hell." The older blonde man groaned before shouting at the girls. "No yoga till five. No matter how bad you need it."
Arlo rolled her eyes at the man before responding with a slight eyebrow raise. "We're actually here for karate. Miguel told us there was a session today."
The blonde man turned towards Miguel and then back at the two girls. "I appreciate you two coming in, but there are no girls in Cobra Kai."
"Why not?" Aisha asked the man.
"Same reason there aren't women in the Army." The man nodded shrugging his shoulders. "Doesn't make sense."
"There are women in the army." Arlo responded flatly, the blonde man gave the girl a confused look.
As the older man was about to open his mouth to say something Miguel interrupted and he pulled the man's arm backward. "Uh, Sensei, I need to show you something in the office."
The two bowed awkwardly at the girls before entering the small office in the back of the dojo. Arlo and Aisha shared a confused look at each other, and Arlo started walking over towards shelves of trophies that were on display.
The blonde man came walking out of the office, Miguel following behind. Arlo walked back towards Aisha. "Okay you two, take off your shoes. Hop on the mat."
Arlo looked towards Miguel who gave her a quick nod. The two girls began taking their shoes off and they stepped on the red and black mat.
"Okay, after further review, I've decided to allow female students." The man nodded at the girls now standing in front of him. "But if you wanna be in Cobra Kai, you can't act like a girl."
"What do you mean?" Aisha asked sharing an annoyed look with Arlo. "How do girls act?"
"Don't give me that." The man responded shaking his head. "You know, all emotional, loud, complain-y. Never letting you finish a sentence.
"Well, I know a few guys who act just like tha-." Arlo shook her head before getting interrupted.
"Quiet!" The man shouted causing Aisha and Arlo to flinch. The man began pacing in front of the two while speaking. "My student tells me you two have been harassed at school."
Arlo and Aisha quickly looked at Miguel who gave them both a reassuring nod. Aisha spoke up. "Yeah. Mostly online. I get mean texts and e-mails sent to me. Makes me not wanna go." Arlo nodding in agreement.
The man continued pacing in front of the girls. "Who sends you these messages?"
"Well, they're mostly anonymous." Aisha followed the man with her eyes as she spoke. "These kids create fake accounts, and they tell me things like I'm ugly and that I should kill myself."
"Oh my god." The man stopped in front of Aisha before continuing to pace. "What a bunch of pussies!"
The two girls looked at each other then at Miguel, they all shared a confused face.
"Back in my day, if you wanted to tease someone you did it to their face." The man pointed towards the two girls. "There was honor, respect. These geeks hiding behind their computers, what a bunch of spineless losers."
"They do it to my face." Arlo shrugged her shoulders casually. "These girls threw my shirt into the trash and dumped coffee on it during gym class today."
Miguel looked at the girl with a worried expression. "What?"
The blonde man put his hand behind him to keep Miguel from speaking. "You're not afraid of these losers, are you?"
Arlo and Aisha shook their heads. "No."
"You gonna take shit from these losers?" The man stopped in front of the two girls.
"No." They both replied sternly, as they raised their heads higher.
"Good, because when I'm done with you, you're gonna be sending a message back. Only it's not gonna be with your keyboard." The man nodded and held his fists up to the girls. "It's gonna be with your fists."
"Hell yeah!" Arlo shouted while smiling, getting a quick nod and smile from the older man.
-----
Arlo and Miguel stood face to face like they were told to. Aisha stood on the other side of the mat across from the blonde guy.
"Alright lets see what you got Miss Miller." The man spoke. "Face me. Bow." The three bowed. "Face each other. Bow."
Arlo and Miguel turned to look at each other and bowed with their hands tightly by their side.
"Mr. Diaz, show her everything you've learned." The man turned to look at Miguel then to Arlo.
Miguel face scrunched up and he turned towards the older man. "Wait, wait. I don't think this is right Sensei."
"You don't think what's right?" The man cocked his head towards Miguel.
"She's a girl. I'm not gonna..." Miguel's voice trailed off as he continued looking at the blonde man.
"And?" The older man pointed towards Arlo. "I thought you said women were equal to men."
"I did say that. I didn't mean it like that." Miguel raised his hand towards Arlo who was watching the two men talk.
"Then show her women are equal..." The man nodded. "And give her everything you've got."
Arlo looked at the two men before speaking. "I just want to remind everyone, this is my first day."
"Your enemies don't care what day it is." The man turned towards her as he spoke, Miguel went to say something, but he cut him off. "They prey on weakness. If you wanna beat them, you gotta conquer your fears and jump face-first into the fire."
Arlo bit her bottom lip and turned towards Aisha who gave her a reassuring nod, then Miguel who still looked worried.
The man's voice pulled Arlo's head back. "Are you ready Ms. Miller?"
"Yes." Arlo gave a quick nod and looked back to face Miguel.
"Mr. Diaz?" The older man turned towards Miguel.
"Uhhh..." Miguel choked out as he looked slightly down at Arlo.
"Fight!" a hand was put in between Miguel and Arlo quickly being pulled away. Neither one of them moved. The man scoffed. "Don't just stand there. Fight!"
Miguel balled up his hands and got into a fighting position. "I'm sorry."
Arlo felt a foot colliding with her stomach. Which sent her flying back before aggressively slamming her back onto the mat.
"Oh my god!" Miguel rushed over to the girl who was laying on the ground. "Arlo, are you okay? I'm so sorry."
Arlo pushed herself up off of the ground and yelled as she wrapped her arms around Miguel's torso. She lifted him up slightly and slammed him into the ground. The girl knelt down beside the boy who was still laying on the ground. With her fists balled up she punched him in the chest.
"Ow, My chest." Miguel groaned as Arlo stood up walking backwards towards Aisha and the older man. Aisha quickly gave the shorter girl a high-five.
"Girl's a natural cobra." Sensei nodded to himself.
Shouting was heard in the strip mall outside of the dojo. The two girls looked at each other confused and then at Sensei.
"All right. Students, wait here." The man pointed towards Miguel who was still laying on the floor. "Diaz, you're in charge."
Miguel nodded and tried to sit up, Arlo and Aisha rushed over to the boy and helped him up.
------
Arlo and Eli sat on her bed. He had been listening to her tell him about what happened at karate earlier that day.
"You should've seen how I took Miguel down." Arlo leaned back onto her pillow and looked up at the tapestry that hung on her ceiling. "My stomach still hurts from where he kicked me but, I'll live."
"I wish I was there." The boy leaned back onto the other pillow, next to Arlo. "I was on the phone with Demetri, and he kept complaining that you went to karate."
Arlo rolled over and faced Eli, propping herself up on her elbow. "I don't get why he cares so much."
"I don't either, he's starting to annoy me." Eli groaned, still looking up at the ceiling.
Arlo stood up of off the bed and walked over to the mirror that hung over her door. "You should still join. Sensei is a little... odd, but it's still a lot of fun."
Eli sat up, pulling his knees to his chest. He watched as the girl pulled her hair into a ponytail and then took two front pieces out. "I think I'm gonna join."
"Really?" The girl turned away from the mirror, a big smile was plastered on her face.
"Even if Demetri doesn't want to, I do and that's all that matters." Eli nodded a slight smile forming. "I'm still going to try to convince him, though."
Arlo rushed over to her bed, sitting next to the boy. She wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him into a hug. "I'm so happy!"
Eli smiled leaning into the hug. "Me too."
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A/N: Arlo is in Cobra Kai! Eli is going to join! What could go wrong?
Word Count: 1,652