Like A Phoenix ➳ Cobra Kai

Another Day At West-Valley High (8)

Hours passed, the clock on her phone now beamed 6:30 AM. It's too damn early. Kat hated mornings. Her grandma always tells her, "it's hard to be a beauty when mornings are a beast." What a wise woman.

Still, she shook the morning influence off and took a quick but thorough shower. Followed by brushing her teeth, then doing her makeup, which was moderately neutral, although she wouldn't consider the rogue red lipstick she sported as natural.

Lastly, she changed into the outfit planned the night before. It's chic yet straightforward; the top is a black-ribbed turtleneck, a vintage high-waisted light red button-down skirt with black semi-see-through tights, and black, two-inch square-heeled ankle boots. Since her hair was naturally wavy and relatively short in length, she brushed her hair and put on a red headband to match her outfit.

Heading to West Valley High School, it felt like yet another day, then again, she'd only been attending for the last week, and from what she saw, the students weren't too reserved with drama. Still, she felt at home, and this sense of familiarity brought peace to her mind. Los Ángeles was the city her mother grew up in, fell in love with, lived her youth in, and now her home.

Before entering the school, she took deep breaths, feeling not anxious but hurt by the unwanted thoughts she slept with—the nightmares you'd wish were only dreams. Yet, for Kat, they're the memories of her past, something you could never outrun. Instead, she thought of happy memories, as they were always the light that outshined the bleakness of dark, and it continued; the gentle voice of her mother repelled the negative thoughts and memories. Besides, if it became worse, she could always pop a pill or sleep away the stress.

Upon gaining composure, she walked towards her locker, which was located incredibly close to the girl's bathroom, thank God. Pulling out books for her next class, she heard a voice calling her name. It must've been Sam. Looking towards the voice, it was Sam. Awkwardly, she smiled at the girl, "Hi, Sam. What's up?"

"Hey, Kat. Can I hang out with you or be associated with you. Given my less than admirable reputation, nobody wants to be seen with me." She mumbled as her eyes drooped downward.

"Of course, I'm happy to have company, especially as the new girl," Kat responded, coyly smiling as she closed her locker.

The brunette girl smiled back, "Speaking of that," her hands clasped together, "My family said it's cool if you wanted to come over and hang out at my house today. I mean, it's not much but-"

"Absolutely!" Kat exclaimed, "Can I come over sometime after five? I'm going with some friends to the new dojo 'Cobra Kai' it's pretty nice." She noticed the smile slowly fade from Sam's face.

"Kat, I trust you, but I wouldn't trust Cobra Kai too much. They're not-" she sighed, "they aren't good people."

She pursed her lips at the idea, "Yeah, I wouldn't know much about that. I'll text you when the session is over."

After many classes, lunch came around, and Kat was excited to see her friends, especially Hawk. Walking towards the cafeteria was always awkward. It felt like people were staring, talking, or secretly judging you, and with every step she took, her eyes burned at the back of her skull.

Thankfully, Kat found the table that sat Hawk, Demetri, Miguel, and a girl she had not talked with yet, although she recognized her from the dojo. She promptly sat down and pulled the Lunchables from her backpack, causing Demetri to stare at her wide-eyed.

"Um, Kat. Why are you eating Lunchables? Don't you want, I don't know," he scoffed, "this!" he exclaimed sarcastically, pointing at the lumpy slob of mac and cheese on his plate. The two laughed.

"I don't think I've introduced myself. She said, turning to the girl at their table. "I'm Kat. I'm like a week old," she paused, reflecting on what she said, "wait, that didn't come out right."