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CHAPTER TEN. i can't love you in the dark
( tw! may contain mentions of suicide or self harm )
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MARINA DIAZ COULD think of a million other things she would rather do today than go to the Cobra Kai karate dojo. It had been days since Marina confronted Tory about what had happened between Cobra Kai and Eli at the tattoo shop, and, well, Marina was continuing to do everything in her power to avoid the Nichols girl and the rest of her newfound friends. It wasn't like she wanted to. In fact, she wouldn't mind the company right now. Especially from Tory and Robby. But Marina knew she needed to set boundaries. She couldn't just forgive and forget so easily knowing what they had done.
If she was to forgive them for what had happened, then her brother would be right about her and she was just as guilty as the rest of them for what happened to Eli. She would have proven her brother right. She didn't want to be known as a cold-hearted bully who picked on others for their own selfish delight. So she decided to sacrifice the two friendships she valued most at this moment in her life for the sake of staying true to who she was, and believes she still is deep down. Marina knew she was a good person, just one with a few rough edges and small imperfections. And she refused to stoop so low that she would bully others for petty reasons.
However, Marina was bored and wanted to return to karate at last to resume her lessons and learn enough to thrive by the time the All-Valley Tournament rolled around. And although she wished she could avoid it just a little bit longer, knowing that going back meant coming face to face with Tory again, she knew she had to go back sooner rather than later. With the All-Valley just around the corner, she couldn't afford to skip anymore days. If she did then she was sacrificing her spot on the team and her chances of winning at the tournament. A risk she wasn't willing to take, or she could lose everything she's been working so hard to achieve. She couldn't let all of this be for nothing——
And so, Marina walked into the Cobra Kai karate dojo with her head held high, trying her best to ignore the uneasy feeling crashing against her ribcage like a sea of violent waves in the deep blue sea. But she had this under her belt. She just needed to go in and keep her head clear of anything Tory related. She had to be focused on karate and only karate. If she didn't then she might as well kiss that first place trophy goodbye. And that was a fate Marina simply could not accept. She had to show her peers that she wasn't some weak and pathetic little girl. Not anymore. She had to prove them all wrong. She wanted to prove them wrong.
