the other girl

Chapter 4

Courtney's POV

I went to school the next morning and I felt like an idiot. Daniel and his little friend completely made a fool outta me. Maybe taking advantage of Daniel isn't worth it. 

"Hey." Someone said. I rolled my eyes. I knew it was Johnny. I didn't have to look to see that. 

"Hey, Courtney." Someone else said. This time it was Daniel. 

I just continued to look through my locker ignoring Johnny, his friends, and Daniel. 

"So she's mad at all of us?" Dutch asked. 

"I guess." Tommy said. 

"What'd you do to her?" Bobby asked Daniel. 

"She fell into a lake." Daniel said. The guys all laughed. 

"I know what I did." Johnny mumbled. He laughed after he said it. He continued. "Come on. Talk to us." He said to me. 

I slammed my locker shut and turned to them. "I'm not talking to any of you guys." I said throwing my bag over my shoulder and walking away. 

The day went on like normally and I started walking somewhere after school got out. 

"Hey, you coming to train today?" Daniel asked coming up behind me. 

Yeah this definitely isn't worth it. "And embarrass myself like that again? No thank you." I said continuing to some random place in the valley. I should probably figure that out.

"Come on. I think he likes you." I laughed. He sighed. "Look, the thing is about Mr. Miyagi, he isn't looking for students-" 

I cut him off. "Oh, so that's why he did that." 

"Can you let me talk?" He asked. 

I laughed. "Fine. Go ahead." 

"He isn't looking for students. He's looking to help. If he didn't like you, he wouldn't have asked you to come. He obviously wants to help you." 

"Well I don't need his help." I said pretending to be perky. 

"Look, I didn't think I needed his help either but I did. He knows a lot more than it comes off as." 

"Whatever. I don't need Cobra Kai and I don't need you guys." 

"Can you just give it one more week or two. You really can learn something. And if you don't, you don't ever have to talk to me again." 

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. "One week. I'll give it one week from today but that's it." 

"Promise you won't quit after day one?" 

"I said I'll go through the week and I'm not gonna back out on my word. I'll go for a week no matter what. I promise." 

"Great! Let's go!" He said excitedly. 

We walked to the house and we went inside. "Ah you come back." Mr. Miyagi said to me. 

I nodded and gave Daniel a glare. "I'm back. For now." I mumbled. 

"Alright. Get started." He handed me two sanding grits. "Go sand the floor." 

Those words took me back. "I'm sorry, what?" I asked. 

"Sand the floor." He said pointing to the wood walk out back. 

"Sand it?" He nodded. "Are you serious?" 

"Hey, you said you'd come for a week." Daniel said. 

"I-I know but this is a chore. Not karate." I said. 

"To learn real karate, you must un-learn your old karate. And remember the two rules." 

"Yeah, I know. Karate is for defense only and learn rule number one. I got it." 

"So go." He said. 

I cannot believe myself. I got myself into this again. I just agreed to do this for a week. I hate Daniel LaRusso. This isn't worth it. There are other ways I could get back at my dad and this is not the way I'm going to do it. 

I got on my hands and knees 

"Wrong!" Mr. Miyagi called out from the house. 

"Wrong?" I asked. "Are you serious? How can I sand the floor wrong?" II stood up and he walked over. Daniel went around the corner inside. "Don't go back and fourth. Circles." He made motions with his hands of what he wanted me to do. 

"You've gotta be kidding me. Jesus Christ, whatever." 

I officially hate it here. 

*One Week Later*

"Ready to go?" Daniel asked me. 

"Fuck you." I mumbled. This is my last day with Daniel and his dumb sensei and I've never been more excited for anything. 

I've been doing his damn chores for a week now. I had to sand the floor, paint his entire fence, wax all those damn cars he collects, AND paint his entire house. 

We walked to the house and he was inside with chopsticks. "Hey, whatcha doing?" Daniel asked. 

He didn't respond. 

Daniel sat down and I stood behind him. "So am I actually gonna learn karate today or no?" I asked interrupting whatever this loser was doing. 

"You have been learning ." 

"Not karate. But at least I kno how to paint something in the slowest way possible." 

He put the chopsticks down and he looked at me. "Paint the fence." He said looking over at the paint buckets on the floor. 

I looked at them unsure of what to say. Again? Make up your mind on what color you want! "No. No, no, no, no, no. No." I said. "I'm done. It's been a week. I'm outta here." 

"Wait where are you going?" Daniel asked. 

"This is bullshit." I said walking out and slamming the door behind me. 

"Come back." Mr. Miyagi said. 

"Why so I can wax your car again? Or paint your house? Well, I'm done doing your chores." 

"Come look." He said. I rolled my eyes and went back through the house out to the back. "Sand the floor." 

"You've gotta be kidding me!" I yelled. "I'm not doing your chores anymore! I've been working my ass off this week cleaning up your house while you two did your little yoga session in the front. I've embarrassed myself enough." 

"You done yet?" Daniel asked. 

I rolled my eyes. "Go to hell." I said to Daniel. 

"Sand the floor." Mr. Miyagi said. 

"I- Did you not understand what I just said?" 

"No. Show me sand the floor." He said doing the movenment. 

 I moved my hands in the way I did when he made me sand the actual floor. "Now, go." 

He started doing this really quick karate and I was able to defend it all. He stepped back and I was dumbfounded. "Huh." I said cluelessly. 

Daniel laughed. Mr. Miyagi spoke up. "You're ready to learn. I'll see you two tomorrow." 

"I- But- Never mind. I'll see you tomorrow." I said still trying to process what just happened. 

Daniel and I walked out and he grinned. "So you still leaving tomorrow?" 

"I don't even know what just happened. I could not do all that a week ago. Cobra Kai never taught me any of that." 

"That's what makes it different. And it only get's better from there. I'll see you tomorrow, Courtney."

"See ya, tomorrow." I mumbled.