THAT'S MY GIRL - COBRA KAI/TORY NICHOLS

the moment of truth

i pull into the very small strip mall in my car. aisha has been trying to convince me to join cobra kai ever since she got into the dojo. i was hesitant, but after seeing their little demonstration at valley fest, i was up for a challenge. it looked badass.
aisha and i walk in together, "dude i promise you belong here." she says as we take off our shoes and hop on the mat. aisha definitely belonged here, the gi she was already wearing made her look tough and strong. i was in black leggings and a simple graphic tee.
"i hope so, i really want to fit in." i said as i follow her over to an older man, he was talking to hawk and miguel about some war. i was already acquainted with the two boys from school.
"looks like we got some new recruits. everyone, fall in!" a blond man shouted, who had on a black gi. "in neat rows and lines." aisha and i split up, she was standing near the front, where i was in the very back.
"time to see what your made of." the man said and started walking through the rows of everyone.
"straighten up ginger twins." he said to the two boys in front of me, and continued walking. "sorry, parents cant stay for class. it's an insurance thing." he commented to a guy that looked to be over 20 years old. he was wearing a blue shirt that matched the bandanna tied on his head.
"i'm not a dad," he slightly chuckled before continuing. "i am here to kick some ass, sir!" he yelled. eveyone was now looking at him in confusion.
"do i know you from somewhere?"
"oh, yeah, i sold you the mirror. we kind of bonded, talked about rock bands..."
"look, your a little old. this is a class for teenagers."
"oh i can take them," he laughed dryly again. "im not afraid of kids, sir. my mom doesn't charge me rent so i just... i got a lot of cash to burn." the man said before digging into his pocket and handing the sensei a wad of cash.
the sensei grabbed it, i still don't know his name, "we'll consider this a trail run." he said before walking back to the front of the class. "i thought my last group of recruits was pathetic. but if you do what i tell you to do, you'll at least have a chance of becoming a fighter. but to do that, you gotta fight. so, which one of you has the balls to take on the champ?" i scoffed a little before rolling my eyes. i definitely wasn't going to take on miguel. he would kick my ass.
everyone was silent before a girl who i hadn't noticed took him up on the challenge.
"i'll take him on." she said. everyone looked back towards her. i looked back and saw her. i didn't realize there was more kids behind me. we made eye contact for a split second before she looked back up front. she was really pretty. she had a cropped tan colored long sleeve shirt on with grey leggings.
"oh, you will, huh?"
"i saw your little demo at valley fest. you guys can put on a show. can you actually fight?" she questioned, looking at everyone.
i looked up front at aisha, we both raised our eyebrows at each other.
"that sounds like a challenge." the sensei said, walking to her.
"i like a challenge." she said, standing tall. the way she said it made my legs weak. there was something about this girl.
"mr. dias! show little miss hotshot here, what cobra kai is all about." the blond man said, walking back up front. miguel bowed to him and everyone made a circle around the mat. aisha and i stood next to each other.
"look, are you sure that you wanna do-" miguel spoke before being cut off by the girl throwing a front kick at him. "all right, game on." he said before the two started going at it. the girl already seemed like she knew karate or some form of martial arts as she kept up with miguel. miguel threw her to the ground hard, but the girl quickly got back up. "your telegraphing!" miguel shouted and the girl went down again. "don't let me see it coming." he said before the girl tackled him.
"did you see that coming? she asked, standing above him.
"maybe." miguel said before throwing her down again. he stood up and gave her his hand. "my names miguel."
"tory." she said as she grabbed it and pinned him against the mat. "with a 'y.'" tory helper miguel up and they both join the circle on the other side of us.
"your gawking." aisha whispered to me.
"shut up!" i said before giving her shoulder a slight shove.

"sooo, how was that?" aisha asked me, leaning against my car. i threw my gym bag in the backseat.
"dude, you were right. i belong there." i said as i slammed the car door shut. we both started walking towards the mini mart next to the dojo.
"i knew you would!!"
"i owe you, joining the dojo is going to great." i said as we walked in the store. we walk down aisles trying to decide what to get. aisha pulls out her phone and groans.
"let me guess. dick pic?" a familiar voice asks. i look up from the candy bag i had in my hands. shit.
aisha slightly chuckles at the comment, "no, my mom wants us to go to the beach club with her." she says, gesturing to me behind her and rolling her eyes.
"oh my god, that sounds so miserable." tory says sarcastically. i lightly laugh and stand beside aisha.
"no, it's just... this girl sam is probably gonna be there, and she and i are not on good terms. whatever, im aisha, by the way. this is storm." she says.
"tory." the blond introduces herself.
"dude, you kicked ass in there." i said to the girl. she laughed lightly,
"thanks. are you new too?" she asked.
"yeah. she finally convinced me to join." i say, poking aisha in the side with my elbow. we all chuckle before aisha points to the girls bracelet.
"hey, thats a cool bracelet." she mentions.
"oh, this?" tory asks, holding up for wrist. "it's not just for show. some creepy guy at the mall tried to grab me once, but i managed to block him and give him a gift he won't ever forget."
"damn."
"wow. you seem like you already know how to kick ass pretty well. what do you need cobra kai for?" aisha asks, literally reading my mind.
"i've had a couple kick boxing lessons, but i've always wanted to smash boards blindfolded."
"oh, you saw that?" aisha laughs, "the secret is poking little holes in the blindfold."
the blond laughs before walking off. "hey, you wouldn't wanna go to the beach with us, would you?" yes aisha! "it'd be nice to have some backup."
"guess i could suffer through a day at the beach." tory says and goes to the counter to pay for her drink.
"your so awkward around her, its so cute!" aisha says quietly to me.
"oh my god, shut up!" i laugh as i grab a red bull.

"okay, this is not the beach. where are the homeless dudes on rollerblades and the guys shoving shitty hip-hop demos in your face?" tory asks, as we look over the entire party.
"no, don't worry. they'll come after they pass out the hors d'oeuvres." aisha claims.
"hey, 12 o'clock." i say, pointing at sam and robby by the pool.
aisha groans, "i'm gonna go get some food and clear the air between us. you guys alright?"
"we'll find something to do." i say as i smile at tory.
aisha waves and walks off.
"you wanna get into some trouble?" tory asks with a smirk on her face.
"what do you have in mind?" i question, raising my eyebrow.
she grabs my hand as we run off to the bar.

"dude, your insane!" i say, i had my right arm wrapped around tory's shoulder as we both laugh into each other.
"we should show aisha what we got." tory says as we see her talking to sam.
"hell yeah!" i say as we make our way over to her.
"heyyy. look what we got." tory says, opening her bag and revealing the bottle of vodka that we took from the bar.
"where'd you get that?" she asked.
"we swiped it from the bar. storm doesn't seem to be the type of person to get into trouble, but she definitely has it in her." tory says as we both laugh again. aisha and sam look at each other.
"relax. all the adults are getting wasted. no one's gonna notice if we have a little fun."
"you should put that back, you could get in big trouble." sam says, looking between tory and i.
"and you are?"
"oh sam, this is tory. tory, sam." aisha introduces the two.
"oh, the sam. come on, like anyone's gonna miss one bottle of vodka. i could swipe half the silverware in this place before anyone would notice."
"you shouldn't steal anything." sam says and i roll my eyes at her.
"classic sam larusso." i mutter under my breath.
"what are you, a nun?" tory asks her and i try my best not to brust out laughing. "come on, are we gonna drink or not?" tory looks at sam then to aisha.
"ok, one drink!" she says, walking to us.
"thats my girl!" tory says and wraps her arms around the both of us.

"wait, you gave her a front wedgie?" tort asks as aisha continues telling the story of yasmine at the cobra kai party.
"i spilt that bitch in two." aisha says and we all die laughing.
"her face was priceless." i say as sam larusso walks up behind us.
"hey." she says and we turn around to look at her. "my mom's missing her wallet."
"sucks for her." tory comments as we all chuckle again.
"you wouldn't know anything about that?" sam asks.
"wait, what are you saying?" aisha asks. my hands turn into fists, there's something about sam larusso that really makes me angry. its either her know it all personality or her rich girl flex on everyone. nah, its both.
"just give me the wallet, and i wont tell security." she says
"are you freaking kidding me?" tory asks.
"what the hell sam." i say stepping closer to sam. "you don't even know tory and you accuse her of stealing?" i ask as i scoff at her.
"sam, she didn't steal your mom's wallet." aisha steps in.
"right. and she didn't steal a bottle of vodka, and wouldn't steal half the silverware in here." she says, looking tory up and down.
"listen, i didn't rob your mom, bitch." tory says, stepping up beside me, "let's get out of here." tory says as she turns around. sam grabs her bag. i push sam off of tory and she falls down onto a table full of food. everyone around us gasps and asks sam if she is okay. i didn't even notice tory was gone before it was too late. i turned around and starting jogging to find her.