Chapter Ten
OBSTACULOS

Ryan parked his car in front of the school and got out. Miguel got out too and Ryan grabbed his hand as they walked into the building.

Over the past few weeks, the two had spent a lot of time together and they decided to take their relationship slow. They weren't dating again, but they were in love with each other and wanted to show that.

Miguel paused at the front doors and Ryan squeezed his hand encouraging him. It was clear the boy was nervous to be back. They walked through the security check and applause erupted as everyone caught sight of Miguel.

     The boy smiled nervously as people came up to him and congratulated him. None of these people even knew who he was before the accident and Miguel honestly felt weird.

Ryan squeezed Miguel's hand and pulled him away from the group of people. "El serpiente!" Ryan sighed as he watched Hawk walk up to Miguel and hug him.

     "What's up?"

     "Welcome back, man."

     "Feels good to be back."

     "Did they give you bionic legs or some shit like that?"

     Miguel laughed and looked down at his legs. "No, same old boring human legs."

     "Oh, yeah? Can you throw down? Gotta defend that title. Gotta get through me first. Dude, Cobra Kai is crushing it right now."

     Ryan rolled his eyes and Miguel's smile dropped. A hand placed itself on Hawk's shoulder and Mara came up beside him smiling at her brother and Miguel. "Look who's back. The liar and the cheater."

     Miguel frowned and Ryan glared at Mara. "He didn't cheat Mara. Sam came onto him and he pushed her off. I just didn't see the whole thing."

     Mara nodded and turned to Miguel. "So just a liar then?"

     "Look Mara I'm sorry for not telling you about Kreese. I realize how wrong of me it was to keep you from your family member. I really did want to tell you."

     Mara's smile dropped and she stood up a little straighter. "Well, thanks for apologizing. Haven't heard many of those." She looked at Ryan from the side of her eye and the boy looked down.

     The bell rang and all of them looked up. "I need to talk to you guys at lunch. About Cobra Kai."

     Ryan and Miguel walked off hand in hand and Hawk pulled Mara with him. She looked at him confused. "We don't have first period together."

     Hawk turned to her with a smirk. "We're not going to first period."

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"I really like it." Dylan looked down at Mara's outfit which was jean shorts, a mesh crop top, and a leather jacket.

"I wear skirts a lot so I wanted to change it up a bit." Mara closed her locker and she and Dylan started walking to the lunchroom. "What's up with you and Kyler?"

"We're not friends anymore. He lied to me about everything. He was the real bully and he made me believe that everyone he bullied was in the wrong. I'm still really sorry about everything by the way."

Mara nodded. She and Dylan were nowhere near friends, but after the past month of the girl being in Cobra Kai, it was clear to Mara that she was just fed the wrong information and acted on it. She was Cobra Kai material and she was only striking first. Mara couldn't completely be mad at that.

     "He's a dick. But he's also a pussy. I popped his arm out of socket and now he's too scared to even look at me. Serves him right. He didn't learn his lesson the first time."

     Dylan laughed and nodded. "He's a dick and a pussy? Got it."

     "Mara!" The two girls turned around to see Ryan walking up to her with Moon, Max, and Yasmine behind him. She rolled her eyes and gestured for Dylan to keep walking with her hand.

     "What do you want, Odd Squad?"

     "Your boyfriend broke Demetri's arm? And you just stood there and didn't do anything? What the hell is wrong with you?"

     "He's a pussy. You don't start a fight if you're not prepared for us to finish it."

     "He's your best friend!"

     "He used to be. The only thing he is now is the enemy and if you side with him then so are you."

     Ryan laughed in disbelief and turned to the three behind him before looking back at his twin. "So now I'm the enemy?"

     Mara nodded. "You are. And so are you three. Miyagi-Do is our enemy. And anyone who sided with them is our enemy. My enemy. That makes all of you my enemy."

"Do you even hear yourself right now? Kreese is teaching all of you how to be bullies!"

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you? All of you." Ryan looked down and sighed knowing that all four of them had bullied her at one point. "You all act like you're so perfect now. That you know what's right and what's wrong and you understand everything, but the truth is you don't. You don't know and you'll never know what it felt like and what it still feels like to be us."

Yasmine hesitantly stepped forward in front of Ryan. "Mara I'm so so sorry for everything. I really am."

"I don't care! If you apologize to a broken cup does that fix it?"

Yasmine stuttered over her answer and Mara slammed her hand into the locker. Yasmine yelped as the girl stood in front of her. Mara was staring her directly in the eye and was standing so close that Yasmine's back was to the lockers and there was barely any space between them. "The answer is no Yasmine." She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes for a second before looking at Yasmine with a glare. "It's fucking no."

     Ryan pulled Mara away from Yasmine and the blonde and Moon looked at her with scared faces. Max leaned on one of the lockers and smirked, chewing on a toothpick.

     "You all bullied me for years and one flimsy apology from one of you isn't gonna make it go away and make me suddenly forgive you."

     "You forgave me, Mara." Mara looked over at Moon. "Last year you forgave me."

     "Yeah well, that old Mara is dead. The one that forgives easily and sees the best in everyone. All people ever do is take you for granted."

     She walked past them and Max grabbed her arm, but she grabbed his hand twisted it, and punched him in the face. "Don't touch me when I'm mad."

     Max held his jaw as she kept walking and smirked. Everything was going according to plan.

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After going to the bathroom and calming herself down (by punching another mirror ) Mara made her way to the lunchroom. Two of the track girls were in front of the doors waiting for her, one carrying her lunch. Mara smirked at them and they followed her as she walked into the cafeteria.

Hawk had just sat down and Mara wondered why he was standing in the first place. She looked to see Miguel walking off and she got her answer. Walking over to her boyfriend she sat down on his lap and one of the girl's placed her food on the table before they both walked off to sit with the rest of the track team.

Wrapping her arms around Hawk's neck she smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled up at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I missed you."

"We saw each other an hour ago."

     "It was a really long hour."

     She laughed at him and took the apple juice off her tray, taking a sip. She used one hand and handed him her pudding cup.

From across the cafeteria, Ryan glared at his sister. She had completely lost her mind. Moon was sipping her water sadly and Yasmine was still shaken up from the whole confrontation. Max had his feet up on the table as he happily drank his chocolate milk.

Setting her tray down, Gia looked at them. "Where's Sam and Demetri?"

     "Sam didn't come to school today and Demetri just left," Ryan answered her. Gia still looked confused. "Kyler drew a dick on his cast and everyone laughed at him."

     Gia sat down and crossed her arms over her chest. "Cobra Kai are a bunch of bullies."

     Max shrugged his shoulders. "It's only fair."

     Gia looked at him confused. "What?"

     "I mean we were the bullies first. Cobra Kai were the ones who were bullied for most of their lives. It's only fair they get revenge. All of us bullied Mara and Hawk for like... 10 years."

"Everyone has a sob story. It doesn't make what she's doing right. You guys changed. She's just repeating your mistakes. My parents taught me that two wrongs don't make a right."

     Moon stood up and pushed her chair in. "Yeah, well at least you have parents." The blonde walked away and Yasmine got up and followed her.

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     Later that day, Ryan leaned on a locker as he watched Miguel get his books for his next class. "Do you need me to carry anything?"

"No, but thank you."

Ryan nodded and he jumped when a hand knocked on the locker next to him. "Really, Johnny? I think my body took a screenshot."

"Sensei? How did you get through security?"

"I went to school here. Do you think I don't know all the secret ways in and out? Hey. Got some good news. Found us a pretty sweet spot for our new dojo. How is the recruiting coming?"

Miguel shook his head and grabbed Ryan's hand as the three of them walked away from his locker.

"That bad?"

"It's just everything's changed, Sensei. Cobra Kai, they... They all drank the Kool-Aid."

"Kool-Aid? What's wrong with Kool-Aid?"

Ryan snorted. "He means they've all been brainwashed. Like a cult."

Miguel stopped and turned around to face Johnny, making sure not to let go of Ryan's hand. "Sensei Kreese is turning them into an army of assholes."

"And Mara's the Queen B. He's completely changed her. There's no convincing any of them to leave."

Johnny sighed and looked down. This was exactly what he was afraid of. He knew if he told her Kreese was her grandfather there would be nothing between him and getting his claws into her. Johnny had noticed when Kreese first started, how she would gravitate towards him more. Johnny didn't like it and after getting a call a few weeks ago from Mara's aunt he knew Kreese had succeeded.

Johnny looked down the hall to see the Cobras all talking in a group. There were some new faces, but Johnny didn't care. The more the better. "Wait here."

Ryan and Miguel's eyes both widened and they ignored him and followed. "Ok, listen up!" Mara turned to Johnny with a glare, Hawk with an uneasy expression, and Dylan with a confused one. She had no idea who this man was or why he was in their school.

"I screwed up. And I'm sorry. I made it about me. And that's not what a Sensei does. I took the easy way out. I gave up."

Mara tilted her head. Sensei Kreese told her he would say that. That he would lie to them again to make himself seem like the good guy.

"What happened here at this school. It rocked me to my core. I couldn't look myself in the eye, let alone face all of you."

     "Yeah. I guess it makes it easier to tell yourself that," Hawk told the older man with a glare. "But the truth is, you bailed on us long before that fight happened. You got soft. And we paid the price."

     Johnny walked up to Hawk and got in his face. "Now, you listen up. When you came into my dojo, you were softer than a baby's ass. I made you what you are, not Kreese. He doesn't give a shit about you. About any of you." Johnny backed up and looked at them. "So if you wanna keep whining about the past like a bunch of pussies, fine. We can play that game. You wanna stick with Kreese? Go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you when your life ends up in the shitter. Or you could sack up and join my dojo. Havenhurst and Magnolia, tomorrow at 4:00. If you wanna save yourselves, train the right way, you better be there."

Johnny walked off. "And don't be late!" Mara watched as he slapped a kid's books out of their hands and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on guys." The group all walked away and Mara turned back to Hawk who was looking at the ground. "You coming?"

He looked up and nodded. "Y-yeah." She smiled at him and grabbed his hand and the two followed the group down the hall.

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Mara had ended up being the one to tell Kreese about Johnny's new dojo. She didn't understand why Hawk had been so hesitant to. They were walking up to the spot in the park now. Hawk was completely on board with the plan which confused Mara since he wasn't the day before when she told him to tell Kreese.

     Hawk and two other Cobras went up to Johnny's group first. The rest of them stayed back. "All right, everybody. Looks like our class just got bigger. Make room."

     That was their cue and Mara walked out with Tory, Dylan, and Kyler next to her. Dylan was trying her hardest to avoid eye contact with the Asian boy and he was starting to get annoyed.

     The four of them stopped beside Hawk's group and Mara smirked as she watched Johnny's eyes widen.

     Kreese walked up with the rest of the students and stood in between Mara and Hawk. "I told you," Mara said. "I'm Cobra Kai for life." Kreese placed a hand on her shoulder and walked up to Johnny.

     "Don't worry, Johnny. I'm not here for a fight.

     "Yeah? Then why the hell are you here?"

     "I'd like to make you another offer to come back to Cobra Kai where you belong."

     "You're crazy if you think I'm ever teaming up with you again. The garbage you're feeding them, the shit they're pulling, it's messed up. You're to blame for that."

"I have to disagree with you there. I care about my students. They're strong and they're true fighters. And they wouldn't make the mistake of showing mercy and ending up in a coma!"

Miguel angrily walked up behind Johnny and Hawk did the same behind Kreese. Kreese placed a hand on Hawk's shoulder and gently pushed him back. "This is it, Johnny. There's not gonna be another chance."

"Good."

"You made your choice. And you are gonna regret it."

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So Mara's brainwashed, but she's a bad bitch so it's ok for now. Kreese cares about her to some extent but he has been manipulating her from the very start. I also want to remind you all of a previous authors note where I said Max isn't here to be a love interest. He's an instigator and he does have an agenda.

Any predictions?

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