My Cobra Guy

Episode Seventy-Three

Regina George tapped her foot on the thick pink carpet below her computer desk as Robby Keene's brows knit over the letter that had been forwarded to Regina's house. It had come in an envelope with "All Valley Tournament" written in the upper left corner.

"This is bullshit. Complete bullshit." Robby crumpled it up and held it in his fist.

"What is?" She'd been watching him reread the thing for the last ten minutes now. He could at least throw it in her fluffy wastebasket so she could pluck it out and read it.

Robby's blue eyes raised to meet hers and his cheeks turned red - not a blush kind of red, but an angry kind of red. "I can't compete."

"Why?" This was bad if Robby couldn't compete. He was really good.

"Because I was in juvie for Miguel. Too dangerous for me to compete," he huffed.

Maybe Mack Morris would turn out to be a karate prodigy or something? Was that a thing?

"Deep breaths, Robby," Regina said. "There is one upside to this."

"How are you seeing any kind of upside?" He gave her an incredulous look.

"Now we know you're not working for Kreese still. If you were planning on going back to him, he'd want you in the competition. And the fact that they waited until now? Only a few months out? This tells me this is Kreese's doing. Or maybe Silver's."

"Regina, there's supposed to be a truce," Robby protested.

"With a lot of loopholes, which I explained to Johnny. So I'll be taking advantage of some of the tournament loopholes in the fight. I get to do two bad things, like you said, and then move in for the kill. I'll be fine," Regina said. "You're here. We have evenings and weekends, plus the upcoming spring holiday. Let's train harder."

"One good punch is going to knock you on your ass." Robby held his arms out to the side in frustration.

"Try me," Regina said. "Hit me as hard as you can. Right in the face. I know you want to."

"Not really," Robby admitted. He got to his feet, looking toward the door plastered with photos of her friends placed in construction paper hearts. Now the Miyagi-Do folks had joined the ranks of Gretchen, Karen, and Cady in that place of honor.

Regina moved to stand in his way. "Do it. Let's see if I can take a punch. Cobra Kai aren't going to hold back." She slipped into fighting stance. "I won't even block."

"Okay, Regina. Remember, you asked me for this. No sending me back to juvie," Robby said.

"It wouldn't be juvie. You're eighteen now," Regina corrected. "And you think I'd do that to Johnny?"

"Okay, fine. I'll come at you with everything I have," Robby promised.

"Kick me, too," Regina said. "I want to know what I'm in for. Imagine if I'm unprepared and go down easy."

She forced her body to remain in position instead of dodging or deflecting blows. A fist caught her right beneath her right eye, snapping her head back. Another kick whacked her in the ribs and she fell.

Her head spun and the breath was driven from her lungs, but it wasn't so bad she couldn't get back up on her feet.

"What the fuck?" Robby whispered.

"I've taken a lot of falls in cheerleading," Regina said, redoing her ponytail. "When I first joined, some of the other girls used to drop me from the top of the pyramid and stuff like that."

"I saw your head snap back. Are you sure I didn't fracture anything?" Robby peered at her with concern, probably afraid she was going to call the cops.

"Positive. My bones, for whatever reason, are freakishly tough to break. It was like statistically impossible for me to have survived that bus. Like zero chance." She made a zero with both her hands and peered through it at Robby. Her vision was a little blurry and teary in her right eye, but not too bad.

"Holy shit," Robby muttered. "I used that move on Kyler and knocked him out." He surveyed her carefully.

"Well, the tears of my enemies keep me immortal," Regina joked.

"I had no idea you could handle this. I would've come at you harder in the funhouse if I knew." He rubbed his chin. "New plan, Regina. We're going out back and we're going to really spar. I want you to hit and kick and move in for the kill. Remember, two illegal moves and you're okay. Just don't use illegal moves at Miyagi-Do. Save them for the All Valley."

"Let's do this," Regina said, the dizziness having passed. She was going to be Robby's replacement. Maybe she'd be a hair nicer to him, but it didn't mean she was going to let her guard down. At least unless she got curious how well she could take a punch or kick again.