¹FIGHT CLUB, miguel diaz

THIRTY ONE , teamwork

"SO, LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT," Demetri began, sitting across from Dylan on the opposite end of her bed. She'd gotten a new comforter that was on sale, and at the moment, it was the only thing that she felt proud of. She certainly didn't feel great about her own revelations in the past few days that she'd spent laying on her bed in agony. "You think you have—I mean, you know you have a crush on Miguel. So what? Own it!" Demetri told her, throwing his arms up in the air like it was no big deal.

To him, perhaps it wasn't. Demetri and Yasmine had already reached a new level in their relationship, to the point where Dylan was pretty sure they could officially call themselves that. He wasn't the one struggling with his feelings.

"Except it is a big deal, Demetri. Besides, how would I even handle that? I've never been in a relationship before," She complained. "How would I even act? What am I supposed to do? I would probably hate it, break up with him if it went anywhere, and then ruin our friendship. Then, he'd probably have a villain arc and end up like Robby!" She ranted to her friend. Demetri stared at her while he ate veggie straws, unamused.

"What part? Juvie or in Cobra Kai?"

"Both!"

Demetri was thankful when they arrived at the Miyagi-Do dojo and Dylan had to shut up. He couldn't tell what she was thinking when she saw Miguel standing next to Sam, but it probably wasn't anything he'd be able to handle if she brought it up later.

"Uh, begin what exactly?" Demetri awkwardly raised his hand, asking Johnny the question everyone was wondering when they formed a horizontal line around the two senseis. Johnny and Daniel looked at each other before the latter decided on what to say.

"Begin a new era. Many of us used to be enemies." Everyone looked at Hawk, who had decided he was okay with being called Eli again, and he looked down at the ground. "But rivalries don't need to last forever. The all valley tournament is just a few months away. And this year, the stakes are even higher."

"Way to put the pressure on," Dylan mumbled. Eli smiled hesitantly, trying to meet her eyes. She gave him a curt nod. She'd have to talk to him one on one to figure out where they stood, and so far he hadn't risen to the task.

"We know that Cobra Kai is gonna use every dirty trick in the book. There's only one way we're gonna be able to them—"

"By kicking their asses so hard they shit themselves!" Johnny yelled, cutting him off.

"Fuck yeah you guys. Send 'em to the hospital like they sent me . . . twice," Dylan said, holding up a thumbs up with her finger cast. She went in thinking it would be broken ribs. It turned out the best Kyler had done was breaking her index finger.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Johnny said, agreeing with her and sending her fist bump even though he was eight feet away. "We gotta take things to the next level!" He began to pace proudly in front of them all. "Gonna teach you an aggression stronger than anything Cobra Kai can throw at us! They strike first? We'll prestrike!"