season 4, episode 5
match point
chapter song : you're losing me
Carmin hadn't been to a sleepover since the dinosaur ages, aka back when Aisha was still here. The girls used to meet up at each others home often, just to hang out, which meant they'd stay on their phones the whole night until they fell asleep. But, hey, at least they were together!
So now as Carmin climbed up the stairs to Faith Costa's apartment, she was a little nervous. The two girls had been talking for about two weeks now, learning the ins and outs of each other. Carmin saying things she hadn't said to anyone else.
Carmin made her way over to the apartment. Backpack slung over her shoulder, she knocked on the door, she had been surprised to see that Faith lived in the apartment complex across from Miguel. It genuinely did shock her, especially as she narrowly missed being seen by Hawk.
Faith opened the door with a large smile on her face, "Carmin! You made it. Come in, come in." Faith urged the girl in, "Geez, calm down before you blow a fuse, Faith." Carmin searched for the owner of the voice, finding a younger girl sitting on the couch playing with the strings of her guitar.
"Shut up, Meila." Faith showed the first sign of attitude and sass since Carmin had met her. "Carmin, this is Meila, my half sister and certified brat." Meila sent a short wave in return, Carmin hummed, already knowing the younger girl was in 8th grade. Going to a different school than Kenny was, Carmin knew this courtesy of Faith.
"Come on." Faith grabbed Carmin by the hand, leading her into her bedroom, Carmin presumed, seeing her friend's name spelled out on the door in colorful stickers.
Carmin walked into the room, it smelled like fruit, it was bright like Faith, the room was a pastel blue, vinyls along the walls, a mini fridge in the corner, a twin size bed in the corner of the room, tucked beside the window and a makeup vanity against the opposite wall from the drawers that made up for the lack of closet.
"This is very.. you." Carmin laughed slightly, seeing Faith smile back at her, "Yeah, moms say it's very much me in color." Carmin nodded in agreement, setting her bag down on the ground. "So, where did you leave your karate chopping boyfriend?"
Faith questioned, she had met Robby already, seeing as Carmin went to the snack shop all the time. Bringing some Cobras here and there, making it extremely popular for the members of Cobra Kai to go too.
"He's with my sisters fiancé, Tod, Tod took him out to bond, I think it's because Robby's the only guy Tod knows." Faith laughed at that as she sat down on her bed, Carmin following, "So what about you? You've been in this town for a while, who do you like?"
Faith's eyes widened at the question, "What? I don't like anyone." Carmin scoffed at that, "You totally do, I can see it in your eyes." Faith shriveled up slightly, a little embarrassed as a small smile came on her face, "I'm not really good with boys, you know, I always freak out when they talk to me."
"But there is a boy, right?" Faith shyly nodded her head to which Carmin sat up with a squeal, "Spill, spill!" Faith covered her face softly, "It's so stupid, I mean he has a girlfriend." Carmin gasped, covering her mouth, "Faith!"
"I know! But I've had a crush on him since he moved here." Carmin raised an eyebrow at that, instantly knowing just who had captured her friends attention. "No way, Miguel?"
Faith hesitated before nodding her head, "Yeah, are you mad?" Carmin scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head, "Of course, I'm not mad. I just wish I met you sooner, I would have put you with him the second I knew you liked him."
"Really?" Faith questioned, the older girl who nodded her head, "Duh, I mean, he's such a sweetheart, and Sam, you know.. she's okay, but she's also kinda crazy." Faith winced at that, "Like coocoo crazy or crazy crazy."
"Like, she plays the victim and thinks the worlds out to get her." Faith winced again at that, "But still, it's kinda hopeless because even though Sam might be crazy, he's like in love with her."
Carmin titled her head around, "He hasn't met you, yet, though." Faith scoffed at that, "Miguel, is a cool, attractive guy, I'm a.. well, me.. A mess, shy and a nervous fast talker."
"I personally find you very adorable. And I'm sure, Miguel would too, I'm not saying make him cheat on Sam. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he cheated on someone." Carmin admitted, a hand on the side of the mouth as she whispered the last part. "But I think he'd really like you, honestly."
A blush appeared on Faiths face, "Really?" Carmin nodded her head, "Yes, really!"
The following day, Carmin was sat in the Cobra Kai dojo, happily texting Faith, while Tory held the dummy as Kenny punched at it. Robby glanced down at Carmin for a moment, "They know we are the biggest threat, they also know that Tory and I can't risk violating probation."
Carmin set her phone down as she looked up, "So what are we gonna do about them?" Carmin questioned her boyfriend, seeing a look pass over his face as if he'd thought of something.
"Listen up. Gather around." Silver called to the group of Cobras as he and Kreese came from the office. Robby pulled Carmin to her feet before they went over to their usual spots, "We just had a little powwow with the Senseis at Miyagi-Do. From here on out, there'll be no more fighting until the tournament."
Everyone gasped, looking between each other in complete disbelief and slight anger at the news. "They humiliated us and we have to back down?" Tory asked, a scoff escaping her lips as she looked over at Kreese, "Of course not. We should always show our enemies no mercy."
Kreese replied, looking over the blonde who seemed the most annoyed by the news. "But there's a time to fight." Silver reminded the group, hands on either side of his belt, he looked down at the ground briefly, "No need to waste a punch if it's not gonna score a point."
He offered up his best defense before he held a hand held towards Kreese, "So if our enemies do something to mess with you or laugh in your face, good! Take all that anger and store it. You're gonna need it when the time comes!"
Silver had pointed at them, his motioned dying down when it landed on Tory, "Is that understood?" Kreese questioned the group, who looked between each other, silently watching to see if anyone would refute their senseis demands, "Yes, Sensei."
The group responded, Kreese staring at Silver with an annoyed look, Carmin looked between them before turning back to Robby.
"Wait, so what exactly is Robby's brilliant plan?" Faith asked as Carmin leaned against the locker beside her, "I have no idea but I have a sense that this isn't going to go at all the way we thought it would."
Faith raised an eyebrow at her friend as she shut her locker, "What do you mean?" Carmin sighed, glancing around to see if any Cobra was near, "I mean.. do you ever feel like.. like you're doing something you shouldn't be?"
Seeing the confused look on Faiths face, Carmin sighed, fixing the tote bag that was over her shoulder. The rich girl, walking in her favorite pair of flared jeans, a purple tank top and a knit through long sleeve over it, that tied in the center. Her brown, heeled, a pair of black, mary janes on her feet. Her hair pulled back in a messy bun with face framing pieces.
Carmin grabbed Faith's arm, pulling her into an empty classroom, the younger girl yelped in surprise, "I think something weirds going on at Cobra Kai."
"What? Why?" Faith turned her full attention to Carmin, who sank against the closed door, "I don't know, I just feel weird. And I can see that it's starting to change people."
"Change people? What does that mean?" Faith questioned, sitting down on top of an empty desk, "Like Kenny, Kenny was such a sweet kid but now he's talking about getting revenge on his enemies. And Robby, Robby wanted nothing to do with Cobra Kai but now he's planning some attack on Hawk. Doesn't that sound strange?"
"Well, yeah, but they've been through a lot, you know, experience changes people." Carmin frowned at this but nodded her head, "I still think Kreese and Silver have something weird up their sleeves. I mean, I overheard them talking about how their pawns were in play."
"Okay, now that's something to be concerned about, definitely, so, what are you going to do until you figure it out?" Carmin shrugged her shoulders with a sad huff, "Die? I don't know."
Faith patted her arm gently, "I've got your back, I mean not in the fighting, I'm a lover, not a fighter." That drew out a loud laugh from Carmin, while Faith only smiled, happy she could bring a laugh to her friend.
"There are three things that make a champion!" Silver shouted over the heads of the group while he made his way around them whilst they did their sideways kicks in unison. "The 3 D's. Desire. Devotion. And discipline."
"The first two I can't give you." Silver announced as he came up to the front of the class, eyeing the students. Carmin was by now dripping in sweat with how hard the workouts have been going, "The last one I can but you have to be willing to receive it. Are you?"
Kreese stood by the office, watching the group of disciples with crossed arms. Carmin was determined to get to the bottom of what was going on. "Yes, Sensei!" The group called in unison, "All right, junbi stance."
The group had all quickly moved into position, "Now, I understand you want to defeat your enemies. And you will, when it matters. Until then, just stay focused on your training. Is that understood?" Silver questioned the group, looking them over with power hungry eyes.
Tory looked over at Carmin, who rolled her eyes at this but nodded her head, "Yes, Sensei." Silver shook his head in disappointment, hearing the tiredness in their voices, "With conviction."
"Yes, Sensei!" The group had called back even louder, with a more convincing, less sleepy tone, "Good. Arms out. Attention. Chae-ryut. Kyun-nae." Carmin bowed down, along with the rest of the class, her legs feeling like jelly. "Dismissed."
"Second Sensei has given us a workout today. Guys going beast mode. It sucks we can't give a beat down before the tournament." Kyler noted as the group sat down around to drink their waters, Carmin looked between the group.
"Just because we can't fight doesn't mean we can't get payback." Robby reminded the group, who immediately looked to him with smirks, Carmin shrunk down with a sigh, knowing something stupid was about to happen. "So what do you have in mind?"
Tori raised an eyebrow at Robby, who held a hand out to Carmin, the girl took his hand. Allowing him to raise her up, while he smiled at the group.
"Hey, Rico, you good?" Hawk's voice projected around the tattoo parlor as the Cobras entered. Carmin looked around the place, remembering the time when she had came in with Hawk and Moon, "Tattoo shops closed for the day." Robby called causing Hawk to look up at them in shock.
"Hey." Kyler greeted sickly, Carmin felt a void in her stomach, she didn't want this, but what could she do now. She felt stupid, she felt powerless, she felt confused. "Think we'd forget about your little switch up on us, we lost that fight because of you."
Tory reminded, a psychotic look in her eyes, Carmin hung back, watching as Hawk jumped up off the tattoo bed, "Where do you think you're going?" Hawk began to fight with the male Cobra's, Tory staying beside Carmin. Kyler grabbed a towel before wrapping it around Hawks neck and pulling him down onto the bed.
"You weren't that hard to find, you little bitch." Kyler spoke darkly, holding Hawk down, who continued to struggle under his hold. "You assholes just ignoring the no fighting rules?" Hawk grumbled as he thrashed under the Cobras hold.
"What do you mean? You are the one who started the fight. You got up and kicked the table at us." Red reminded with a small laugh, Carmin crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought we were just coming to scare him." She whispered over to Tory, who just looked down at her, "He deserves this. What kind of teenager messes with an 8th grader?"
"Yeah, we didn't come to fight." Robby called as he got the knife ready, "We came to knock you down a couple of pegs. Don't forget who you really are." Tory teased threateningly, leaving Carmin's side, as she headed over to the group.
"Eli." Kyler whispered in a teasing voice while Robby showed Hawk the blade. Hawk stared at it with wide eyes, looking over to Carmin. The girl looked just as shocked and horrified seeing the blade. Her eyes met Hawks briefly, her eyes screamed of regret, she looked down at the ground.
Carmin kept her head down, while Robby began to cut off Hawks hair despite his pleas. Tory walked over to Carmin, who quickly made her way outside of the tattoo parlor.
Everything inside her was telling her she didn't want that. She wanted to go back to the time where she was training for her first all valley, when her friends were beside her and it was all just fun.
She was growing scared.
Not just of the changing tension growing every day but of herself, of the person she was becoming. Carmin should have said something, she could have helped Hawk back there but instead she was outside the parlor, leaning on the side of the building as she anxiously played with her hands.
If this was Carmin before her accident, she'd be yelling at everyone, calling them crazy, she wouldn't have let them get this far. But she was worthless now, she was a nobody, she was follower.
And she could believe how much things have changed. Tory had always been ruthless, Tory had it tough so she became tough.
But Carmin, she'd learned in a different way, and one fall, one mistake, had completely changed her life forever. Her mind passed of thoughts, happy ones, the times Miguel had come over to see her, the times she spent with Hawk and Demetri. Her and Aisha's karaoke nights.
She wanted it all back. She needed it back. Her happiness, her life. It was crumbling before her eyes, she needed everything to stop. It was happening to fast. She needed it to pause for a second. She needed to catch her breath.
But things were changing, happening so fast that she could feel her chocking up on the air that had picked up from the fast pace life she was living. Soon enough, it would be three months, three months since she'd spoken to Miguel.
Three months, since she had stopped cheering for him. She needed him back, she needed him to tell her to start swimming. But he wasn't here anymore.
"Carmin?" Robby's voice drew the girl out of her thoughts, his eyes caught sight of the blood that had began to draw from her fingers. She'd scratched them so much that she broke skin. "Shit, come on."
He went over to her truck, opening it up to get her first aide, he made her get in the truck. Standing outside of it as he wrapped up her fingers, "Why'd you do this?" He questioned her in concern, "Why'd you hurt yourself?"
"Because.. I'm a follower." Carmin muttered before she had time to think, "What?" Robby looked up at her as he out the tin away, "This.. that.. what we did back there.. we shouldn't have."
"Min, don't worry about it, you didn't do anything." Robby shook his head, staring at her in slight worry, he was so caught up in revenge, he hadn't even noticed that he'd hurt her doing it.
"Exactly. I didn't stop you. Any of you. I should have, we didn't just scare Hawk.. we killed him." Robby went quiet, unsure what to say, or if he should even say anything. Carmin shook her head softly, trying to fight back the tears that were building in her eyes.
"Let's just go." She chimed, Robby nodded, shutting the door to the passenger side where she was sitting. He went over to the driver seat, she was in no condition to be driving, so he decided to drive.
"Do you regret it?" Robby questioned softly, Carmin glanced over at him in confusion as to what he meant, "Do you regret.. coming to see me that day?" Carmin froze slightly, guilt overcoming her hearing his words.
He thought she regretted the day she broke Miguel's trust to see him.
"No.. you're the one thing in all of this, I don't regret, Robby.. I regret a lot of things, I regret the way I handled things with Miguel, with Sam, with just about everyone but you. You're.. the best thing I got out of all of this."
Robby smiled slightly at her words, "I wish you didn't have to regret it all, you can't change anything now. You know, I think it's best you start to believe that everything happens for a reason. My mom used to say that all the time and it used to piss me off, but I think it's true."
Carmin glanced over at him, "You do?" Robby nodded his head firmly, "I do... everything I've done since the beginning, it's all lead me here, to the Valley, too you. And I'm still figuring things out, about myself and life but.. I've got you."
She sat there for a long moment, not responding as she processed all of his words. Everything she regretted and overthought about, every choice she'd ever made, it was all for a reason.
The bigger picture had yet to be painted out for her, but one day soon, it would be.
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Momona Tamada as Meila Costa (14)