𝗦𝗨𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗡 [eli moskowitz]

chapter 6

flip the script
🎶 look what you made me do - taylor swift

Fallon sighed as she once again stood in the Cobra Kai dojo. This time, only Luna and Eli were beside her. Demetri had decided he was done with karate.

Sensei came out from what Fallon assumed was his office. "Okay everybody fall in. Where's everyone?" He asked. "Crater face, nose ring, slingshot?"

"They quit Sensei." Miguel informed.

"You serious?" He sighed. "I mean good. That was a test. I wanna see who the quitters are, not you guys. You're in it to win it. Alright, you could be at home playing your icomputers, eating candy. Instead you're here. Doing push-ups and learning how to fight." He pointed out Eli. "Lip. Even Lip is tougher than those guys. He's no quitter."

"Could you please not call me that?" Eli spoke up.

"Excuse me what?" Sensei said.

"I said could you please not call me that." Eli spoke again.

"Um, I'll warm them up Sensei." Miguel said, sensing the situation was going to escalate quickly.

"No, no, no. Lip has something he wants to say." The man persisted. Eli lowered his head, now embarrassed. "It's alright. Speak up lip. Or is your tongue messed up too? Are you one of those challenged kids?"

"Well, the doctor said I could be on the spectrum." The boy sheepishly answered.

"Well I don't know what that is, but get off it pronto. Alright?" Sensei Lawerence replied. "If you don't want me to call you Lip then don't have a weird lip. Cant you get surgery for that?"

"I was born with a cleft lip. This is the scar from the surgery." Eli explained.

"You mean it was worse before that? Or did the doctor just suck? Cause if this is the after picture man that sucks you should sue."

"Can we just please change the topic?" Eli pleaded. Fallon tried her hardest to remember Miguel's words, but it was getting hard to hold back.

"You don't think I want to? It's hard hard when it's right in front of me. If you want to be something other than a nerd with a scar on his lip then you got to flip the script. Ok? Like get a face tattoo or gauge your eye out. We'll call you patch. No don't do that you'll still look like a freak." Eli stormed off, not able to take anymore. "Oh great, another quitter." It took everything Fallon had to not defend him. All she wanted was to kick the hell out of Sensei Lawerence. But maybe that was the entire point.

Either way, she couldn't stand to let Eli go alone. So she stormed out the door behind him.

"Eli!" Fallon called. He stopped, wiping a tear and looking at her.

"This isn't how it should be Fallon." He said. "You shouldn't be constantly defending me or comforting me. I should be doing that for you. It's all backwards."

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" Fallon questioned.

"Miguel protects Sam." He pointed out.

"Eli you're not a wimp because you need help. You're not weak either. You just have to show them. Make them see."

With that, and idea sparked for Eli. "You're right." He nodded. "Go back inside, I'll see you here tomorrow."

-

The next day at the dojo, Fallon frowned at Eli's empty spot. Luna was the only one left, and she had a feeling the pair wouldn't last much longer. He was supposed to be here. Sensei Lawerence walked out from his office, sending glares to all of the students.

"A few more absences Sensei." Miguel informed.

"A bunch of pussies." Aisha spat.

"No it's my fault." Sensei Lawerence said. "Since you joined Cobra Kai, I have been hard on you. I've called you names, I've humiliated you, some of you I've hit. And for that, I don't apologize. Cobra Kai is about strength. If you're not strong in the inside you can't be strong on the outside." Fallon found him hilarious, she had endured years of bullying. His was nothing compared to ruthless teenagers. "And right now you're all weak. And I know that, because I was you. I used to have no friends, I used to be the weirdo kid. Not that weird I still hooked up with babes and all, but the point is I wasn't always the badass Sensei I am today. Just like a Cobra I had to shed my loser skin, and find my true power. And you guys will too."

Heads turned as the bell at the front door rung. Fallon looked over to see an unfamiliar haircut, on a familiar face. It was Eli. He now had a blue mowhawk on top of his head, and a cocky grin on his face. Fallon had to admit, she stared a little longer than she should've.

"Welcome to Cobra Kai." Sensei Lawerence said, not recognizing him.

Beside Fallon and Luna, Miguel was the only one to see Eli underneath the new haircut."Eli? What happened?" Miguel questioned.

"I'm flipping the script." He answered proudly.

"Wait. Are you the kid with the lip? Nice cut bro. You see that? It doesn't matter if you're a loser, or a nerd, or a freak. All that matters is that you become badass." He smiled. "Hawk. Fall in."

Now, 'Hawk' stood beside Fallon, giving her a smirk before beginning practice.

"Fear doesn't exist in this dojo does it?"

"No Sensei." Eli answered.

"Pain does not exist in this dojo does it?"

"No Sensei." Fallon answered.

"Defeat does not exist in the dojo does it?"

"No Sensei." Miguel answered.

"Class, are you ready to learn the way of the fist?" Johnny asked.

"Yes Sensei." They answered in sync.