My Cobra Guy

Episode Twenty-Two

With a half-hearted wave, Daniel left for work and Johnny fetched his bills from the van. He spent thirty minutes pouring over them, checking his bank account on a stupid app, trying to account for funds from the dojo, and recounting the cash he had on him over and over again. In the end, he just tossed the papers aside. He could sit here and crunch numbers all day but it only came down to one truth: he couldn't afford to get another apartment. He could pay off the last month's charges for water and electricity at the apartment before turning them off, but he couldn't even throw a penny at the hospital bills. He was tempted to say fuck it and see if Daniel had any beer in the house.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathing is key.

Daniel's lesson about channeling anger popped into his head. It had sounded ridiculous at the time, but it seemed to work with the kids. Johnny sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. He closed his eyes and thought about the look on Miguel's face when he realized he was standing for the first time after the accident. He thought about the first time he saw Robby when he was a baby; those mixed feelings of fear but also joy for his son. He saw Daniel's smile as they laughed together. The frustration and helplessness faded with each exhale and he stood up.

I'm not gonna sit here and let life beat me down. I'm taking it by the balls.

* * * * *

After a few hours of paying his utilities and getting them cut off, Johnny decided to head to the arcade. Arcades had been big when he was in school, and they had made a comeback lately with the new generation. Perhaps they were hiring.

The guy at the prizes counter shook his head. "Sorry, man. We're full during the day and we have reliable teens taking shifts at night. You could try McDonald's down the road."

"I'm not flipping any burgers," Johnny snarled, then pasted on a smile. "Is it okay if I leave a stack of fliers here? It's for my dojo. Kids can grab them if they want when they collect prizes."

"Sure, man. That's cool. You teach karate?"

"Yeah." Johnny's mind was already wandering as he placed the stack of papers on the counter. Turning away, he let his eyes flit across the room. Bright lights blinked. Random sound effects from various games rang out. The place was empty on a school day. Staff was here mostly to clean up, tend to the machines, and cater to the few adults who might wander in looking for an escape from reality during their lunch break. One such adult accidentally bumped into his shoulder as he leaned against the counter.

"Sorry, sir."

Johnny didn't bother to glance her way until the woman let out a strangled gasp. "Miyagi-Do?"

Johnny turned his head to watch as the woman with long, straight brown hair waved to get the counter worker's attention. "Sir? Is this dojo nearby? I'm not familiar with this address."

"Ask him," the guy nodded at Johnny and the woman whipped her head around. She smiled brightly at him and Johnny noticed that her two front teeth protruded slightly, making them look bigger than the others. She looked to be about ten years younger than him.

"Are these your fliers?" She asked. Her brown eyes lit up with excitement. "Miyagi as in Mr. Miyagi that used to live here?"

"Did you know him?"

"I was his student for a short time years ago, in Boston. He was a great man." She thrust out her hand. "I'm Julie Peirce."

Johnny took it and gave one of his winning smiles. A potential new client? "I'm Johnny Lawrence. I'm a sensei at the dojo. Actually, I'm ex Cobra Kai. Daniel LaRusso and I combined our dojos and teach together at Miyagi-Do now. It's a long story." He gave a little chuckle. For once, introducing himself as Daniel's partner didn't bother him. In fact, he felt something akin to pride. For all their ups and downs, all the mistakes of the past, he and Daniel were excellent teachers. Why shouldn't he be proud?

"This is so exciting! My daughter, Sophie, and I just moved here over the Christmas break. It's been really hard on her: changing schools and trying to make new friends. She loves working out, so a karate dojo could be just what she needs." She blinked at him for a minute, as if remembering something. "Daniel? You mentioned Daniel LaRusso? I remember that name. I think Mr. Miyagi said he lived with him at one time. Oh, I can meet another of Miyagi's students!" She was practically jumping up and down. Johnny had to wonder if cheerleading should have been her calling instead of karate.

"You should come by sometime. The hours are on the flier. You can GMS the address."

"GPS? Okay, sure. We might come by tomorrow. Wow, it was so nice to meet you, Mr. Lawrence."

Ouch, he wasn't that much older than her. "You, too, Julie. Call me Johnny. And don't worry, we have boys and girls at the dojo, so she shouldn't feel uncomfortable."

"That's great to hear! Thanks again!" She folded the flier, tucked it into her purse, and waved goodbye as she left.

"Looks like you already have a job, man," the counter worker commented.