TEENAGE KICKS

CHAPTER SEVEN: UNTOUCHABLE

"Let's get this show on the road" Rory burst into Mr. Miyagi's workshop, startling the man who was about to walk out the door.

The man gave her a tiny grin, pushing her the other way and out of the room "ahhh Aurora-san, I see you showed up?"

Rory nodded "Yeah, I had nothing better to do since Johnny's at the dojo and my parents are having brunch with some randos. Oh, hey Danny"

Daniel looked up from where he was buttoning the cuffs of his sleeves, walking to stop in front of the 2 others "hey Rory, Mr. Miyagi"

"How you feel this morning?" the old man questioned him, taking notice of the plaster above his eyebrow.

"I'm a little sore, really"

"That's what she said" Rory uttered under her breath, laughing at her own joke much to the raised eyebrows of the concerned males. Apparently, laughing at nothing was weird (since they hadn't heard the joke).

Mr. Miyagi gestured over to the yellow 1947 Ford Super Deluxe, looking over to Daniel "You, uh, know how to drive?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I do, really" he stuttered out, hopping into the passenger side. Rory followed in after, leaning backward when Mr. Miyagi handed the keys over to the boy "no, no, no, I'm not-I'm not very good at it, Mr. Miyagi"

"Me neither"

"I failed my driver's test"

Daniel's eyes widened as the last person slid in and pushed him over to the wheel, Rory feeling slightly squished in the middle "well, I really don't have a license"

"Me neither"

He pushed the key into the ignition lock and turned it "I-I guess it's ok, then"

The car lurched forward...multiple times as Daniel attempted to drive out of the parking lot. Rory winced as her head hit the leather seats harshly, rubbing her head before looking over at the grinning male "can I drive on the way back?"

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad"

"I'm pretty sure that I have a concussion"

The drive to the Dojo was anything but smooth and Rory prayed to whatever higher power there was that they wouldn't crash, and weirdly enough, her prayers were answered when they finally parked with no casualties.

The girl jumped out after Daniel, shaking her clasped hands in gratitude for getting out of the car "I'm never getting in a car that you're driving ever again"

"Oh, be quiet, Lawrence" Daniel laughed, following after Mr. Miyagi to the very familiar karate dojo. Loud yelling could be heard when they entered, Sensei Keene was seen to be shouting commands as the boys punched the air in front of them.

Daniel looked up at the poster on the wall where it showed the date for the annual karate championships.

In the blink of an eye, Keene had a boy on the matted floor and crouched above him threateningly "You lose concentration in a fight, and you're dead meat"

"Yes, Sensei"

"What?"

"Yes, Sensei!"

Keene stood back up on his feet and backed away from the wide eyed bathetic excuse for a boy "get up." That made him scramble to stand up "give me 60 pushups on your knuckles." He moved back to the rows of karate kids "combat!" they moved to create a square with space in the middle "Hai! Brown, Robertson." The two kids shot up from their seated position to stand across each other "En Garde! Hai!"

One of the boys, which Rory noticed was usually around Johnny, took the first jab and soon after had the other poor boy on the floor. Keene looked over to him and motioned to the boy on the mat "What are you looking at? Finish him!" He gave one final hit to the back of the other's neck and stood up straight "return" they both moved back to their seats, though one was slower due to his injuries "prepare. Hai! We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the week. Here, on the street, in competition. A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy. What is the problem, Mr. Lawrence"

Rory's head shot up from where it was focused on her cuticles, nervous for a second that the man was addressing her. Johnny inaudibly said something to the awaiting man making him turn his head to look over at the 3.

Daniel, noticing his stare, leaned over to Mr. Miyagi "hey, come on. Let's forget this"

"Wait. Not yet"

Rory made eye-contact with Johnny who glared at the sight of her standing beside the LaRusso boy. All she did in return was send a taunting smirk, shuffling closer to the boy he hated. Maybe she did it to piss off her brother, but she knew that it was worth it by his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.

"Class, we have visitors. Fall in behind me, Hai!" Kreese and Johnny made their way over slowly, kind of like how a Lion stalks its prey to stand menacingly in front of Mr. Miyagi "I hear you jumped some of my students last night, you too mini Lawrence"

Rory straightened her back, not allowing herself to show how intimidated she actually was by the man "Actually, Sensei, I think you have your facts mixed up"

Not having missed the girl in his class, he refrained from rolling his eyes at her remark "are you calling your brother a liar?"

"Your words, not mine"

Mr. Miyagi stepped forward, pushing Rory further behind him before she said something she would regret "no call no one nothing"

"What are you here for, old man?" Kreese crossed his arms, flickering is eyes to the bored brunette and frightened boy behind him and back to the man.

Keeping a straight face (not that it was hard for him to do), Mr. Miyagi stood straighter "come ask leave boy alone"

"What's the matter" all attention was on Daniel now "the boy can't take care of his own problems?"

"One-to-one problem, yes. Five-to-one problem, too much ask anyone."

Kreese raised an eyebrow at the old man "is that what's bothering you? The odds? Well, we can fix that" he looked to his right at a smirking Johnny "feel like matching, Mr. Lawrence?"

Rory's eyes now widened, knowing that Daniel would get pummeled to the next life if he dueled with her brother right now. Johnny nodded harshly (seriously, how did he not break his neck?) "Yes, Sensei!"

"Boy's and their egos" she whispered over to a fear-stricken Daniel making him nod unknowingly, slightly dazed.

"no more fighting"

The sensei rolled his eyes unprofessionally "this is a karate dojo, not a knitting class. You don't come in my dojo and drop a challenge and leave, old man. Now, get your boy on the mat, or you and I will have a major problem."

"Too much advantage, your dojo" Mr. Miyagi shook his head, dragging out the your.

Kreese stopped to think for a second before a lightbulb went off in that empty head of his "name a place"

Mr. Miyagi gestured with his head to the poster behind him "tournament"

If Rory was drinking water, she would've spit it all over Johnny and his amused smirk. Her eyes widened considerably, probably looking like how Daniel has been acting his whole time here.

The students snickered quietly behind the grinning sensei, all thinking that this was some kind of a joke...the boy who couldn't block a hit for shit competing in a karate competition "you got real nerve, old man. Real nerve. But I think we can accommodate you. Can't we Mr. Lawrence?"

"Yes, Sensei"

"Yes, Sensei" Rory mocked the boy, taunting him since only he could hear her. Johnny glared over at her, only adding fuel to the flame and making her grin in pride.

"Fall in" Johnny took his eyes away from his sister and nodding hesitantly at his sensei, turning around to join the rest of the class.

Kreese went to go join the front again when a voice stopped him "ask one more small request."

"Make it fast"

"ask leave boy alone to train"

The sensei smirked in disbelief "you're a pushy little bastard, ain't you? But I like that. I like that" he turned around and began walking to the front "all right. No one touches prima donna until the tournament. Is that understood?"

"Yes Sensei!" they all chorused, almost creepily with how much they looked like figurines.

Kreese walked back over to the 3 "but you don't show...then it's open season. On him. The little girl. And you"

All of the boys knew that he didn't really mean Rory Lawrence, heck, not only him but Johnny would kill anyone that touched a pretty little hair on her head (probably why she's never had a boyfriend). "Mini Lawrence" used to be one of the best students at the dojo, often her and Johnny being called the unbeatable duo when doing 2 against 2 duels.

Mr. Miyagi bowed his head before pushing the two teenagers behind him to walk out. Before exiting, Rory turned around and gave a salute, ending with a middle finger pointed at her brother.

"Well there goes Danny's social life" the girl laughed, looking both ways before crossing the busy street.

"I can't believe this" Daniel couldn't help but agree "I cannot believe this!"

"what?"

"What you just got me into in there"

"huh?"

"you said you would make things better for me" Daniel groaned as they got to the other side where the yellow car sat.

Mr. Miyagi nodded, smiling proudly at himself "That I did"

"may I ask...how?" Rory questioned him, not recollecting anything good that came out of the visit to her old dojo.

Daniel opened the driver's door, stepping back for Rory to hop in...and they say chivalry is dead. The other man rounded to the other side of the car and slid in next to her as the boy sat down in front of the wheel (much to her dismay, Rory really wanted to drive).

"How? just save him 2-month beating"

"Oh, great. I can't wait" Daniel laughed sarcastically "Now I really got something to look forward to"