COBRA KAI: Back on the Mat

The party was going smoothly. I'd had a couple of beers, just enough to enjoy myself without losing my balance. At first, it was just Hawk, Demetri, Aisha, and me, chatting about anything. However, it didn't take long for Hawk to leave us and go kiss Moon. I couldn't blame him; I would have done the same if Sam had been here.

Speaking of Sam, I knew she'd show up at some point with Robby. If I remembered correctly, that's how it was in the original series. For now, I focused on my conversation with Demetri, though it didn't last long. Suddenly, we heard a commotion nearby.

—"HEY, YASMINE! HOW ABOUT I WALK YOU TO YOUR CAR?" —Aisha shouted. Turning, we saw how she grabbed Yasmine by her underwear and gave her a brutal wedgie.

—"TAKE THAT, BITCH!" —she yelled before throwing her to the ground with a victorious smile.

I quickly approached.

—"Alright, Aisha, I think you've had your revenge. It's fine now," —I said, walking past her. I offered my hand to Yasmine to help her up.

—"What do you want?" —she growled, clearly annoyed and humiliated. I didn't respond. Instead, I lifted her off the ground and carried her like a sack of potatoes over my shoulder.

—"Hey, put me down!" —she protested, hitting my back.

—"Your tongue won't fall off if you say 'thanks' for once," —I replied, unfazed. She fell silent, surprised. I took the opportunity to continue. —"I know that must've hurt, but you brought it on yourself. No one forced you to be cruel to Aisha. She hadn't done anything to you."

—"I know, but..." —she tried to justify herself, but I interrupted.

—"But what? Is that what popular people do? Pick on nerds? That's not being popular, Yasmine; that's having a toxic mindset." —She didn't say anything else as we walked toward the cars.

—"Which one is yours?" —I asked. She pointed to one without saying a word. I gently lowered her next to the door and, just as I was about to speak, I saw Sam's car arriving.

—"See you around," —I said quickly before walking toward Sam's car. However, as I walked away, I could hear a weak and timid "t-thank you" coming from Yasmine.

When I got close to the car, I noticed that Sam and Robby hadn't entered the party yet. Since it was dark, they didn't see me coming. An idea for a prank crossed my mind.

—"AHH!" —I screamed, trying to scare Sam from behind. But I forgot something crucial: Sam is good at taking people down. As soon as I touched her shoulder, she grabbed me with precision and, in a swift movement, BAM, I was on the ground.

—"M-Miguel!" —she exclaimed, realizing who I was. She offered me her hand to help me up.

—"I missed you too," —I said sarcastically, dusting myself off and smiling. Then, I greeted Robby by extending my hand.

—"You must be Robby, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Miguel."

He accepted the handshake, though somewhat reserved.

—"Yeah, I'm Robby. How do you know my name? Did Sam tell you?" —he asked with a mix of curiosity and caution.

—"Not at all. Your dad has told me a lot about you, that's how I know who you are. Plus, that time you came to the dojo, I saw you; you were riding your bike," —I replied. Mentioning his dad made his expression darken a little, as if something about it made him uncomfortable.

—"Well, let's go down. The party's waiting for us," —I said, trying to lighten the mood that had become tense after mentioning Robby's father.

Without thinking too much, I took Sam's hand to help her down the hill. Her touch gave me a warmth I didn't expect, and although she didn't say anything, her smile was enough to relax me. Robby followed us silently, though I could feel his gaze fixed on our backs.

As we descended, the sounds of the party became clearer: the vibrant music, the laughter, and the conversations mixed with the usual teenage party noise. When we reached the main area, I noticed Hawk was still busy with Moon, and Demetri was in a corner, probably avoiding any drama. Aisha seemed to be enjoying her revenge, telling her story to a group who were laughing hysterically.

—"Miguel, are you sure it was a good idea to come here?" —Sam whispered to me, slightly concerned. She looked towards some Cobra Kai students causing a ruckus in a corner.

—"Don't worry, everything will be fine," —I said, squeezing her hand gently before letting go. I wasn't going to let anything ruin tonight, not for her or for me.

Sam nodded, though she still looked a bit tense. Meanwhile, Robby crossed his arms, observing the place with an expression that was hard to read. It was clear he didn't feel completely comfortable, but he didn't make any comments.

—"Alright, I'm going to get a drink. Do you guys want anything?" —I asked, breaking the ice.

—"Just water, please," —Sam said.

—"Same here," —Robby added, though his tone seemed more distant.

I nodded and walked toward the drinks table, leaving them some time to talk to each other. However, I couldn't help but glance back, making sure everything was okay.

The music was still blasting as Miguel headed to the drink table, leaving Sam and Robby a little apart from the center of the action. Sam was enjoying the party, though a bit uncomfortable with all the attention Robby was getting.

When Robby casually made a comment, a group of clearly drunk guys stumbled into her. A beer nearly spilled on her dress, and one of them barely apologized, too busy laughing with his friends.

—"Hey, watch it!" —Sam said, gently pushing him away.

The guy turned around with a mocking smile, looking her up and down.

—"Wow, why so aggressive, princess? It's not a big deal."

Robby, seeing how the situation was escalating, stepped between them.

—"Leave her alone, buddy. She's got nothing to do with you."

Another guy from the back approached, swaying with a crooked smile.

—"And who are you to tell me what to do? Her babysitter?"

At that moment, Miguel was returning with the drinks, but when he noticed the exchange, he placed the cups on a nearby table and ran toward them.

—"Everything good here?" —he asked, standing next to Robby and looking at the group of guys.

—"What do you think?" —the leader of the group responded, crossing his arms and pointing at Sam. —"Your friend here doesn't know how to shut up."

Miguel looked at the group and then at Robby, both realizing there was no way to calm these guys down with words.

—"I guess we'll have to teach you some respect," —one of the guys said, stepping forward.

Miguel and Robby exchanged a quick glance, and without needing to speak, they sprang into action. One of the guys was quickly knocked down by Miguel's punch, while Robby blocked a blow and countered with a spin that sent another to the ground.

—"Who would've thought we'd make a good team?" —Miguel said, panting as he dodged a punch.

—"Don't get used to it," —Robby replied, kicking one of the attackers away.

Despite being outnumbered, the two of them managed to hold their own, knocking down their opponents one after another. But meanwhile, the leader of the group, more stubborn than the others, got up groggily and stared directly at Sam.

—"YOU!" —he yelled, pointing at her. —"This is all your fault!"

Before Miguel or Robby could react, the guy lunged at Sam, staggering with fury. But Sam was ready. With quick and precise movements, she dodged, grabbed his arm, and twisted it, using a Miyagi-Do technique.

—"BAM!" —The guy fell to the ground with force, letting out a groan as Sam released him and took a step back.

—"Did you really think you could take me down?" —Sam asked, looking at him with a mix of irritation and pride.

Miguel and Robby stood in silence for a moment, surprised. Robby was the first to react, letting out a short laugh.

—"Guess you didn't need that much help after all."

—"Definitely not," —Miguel added with a smile, admiring Sam's skills. —"Good job."

Sam relaxed a bit and smiled, though she was still a little shaken.

—"Thanks, guys. But I think we should leave before someone calls the cops."

Miguel and Robby nodded, and the three of them quickly walked away from the scene. As they walked, the tension between Robby and Miguel seemed to ease a bit.

—"You don't fight too badly, Miguel," —Robby said, almost as a compliment.

—"You're not bad yourself, Robby," —Miguel responded with a smile.

Sam, between them, looked at both of them with a small, satisfied smile. Maybe, after all, things wouldn't be as complicated as she had feared.

Sam was driving, I was in the passenger seat, and Robby was in the backseat. The road was calm, the music played softly, and the car was running smoothly. However, my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened today, but most of all, about how to handle the situation with Johnny and Robby.

Suddenly, I felt hungry. I had spent the whole night at the party, and although I'd eaten something earlier, it wasn't enough. I needed something quick, something to help me relax a bit.

"Hey, how about we stop and grab something quick to eat?" I said, breaking the silence in the car as I glanced at Sam, who was focused on the road.

Sam looked at me for a moment before responding.

"Fast food? At this hour?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, something quick," I replied, trying to stay calm. "I'm hungry, I don't want to be left craving something."

Sam thought for a second, then nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

Robby, from the backseat, also agreed.

"Yeah, sounds good," he said, looking out the window.

I felt a little more at ease seeing that both Sam and Robby understood the idea. Sometimes, what you really need is a break from everything, and fast food seemed like the best solution for the moment.

"Well, are we all in agreement?" I said, giving Sam a glance. "Let's eat something, relax a bit, and then we'll figure out what happens next."

Sam smiled and pressed the gas a little harder, and I leaned back in my seat, feeling that everything was a little calmer. Sometimes, all you need is a bit of food and a break.