Like A Phoenix ➳ Cobra Kai

Money, Money, Money (47)

Kat pulled her car into the parking lot of Tory's apartment complex, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the pavement. She took a deep breath. As she stepped out of the car, she removed her sunglasses, her gaze scanning the buildings for Tory's apartment—A-131.

Finding the designated unit, she made her way towards it, her steps cautious yet purposeful. She stopped at a distance, observing Tory outside, engaged in a heated conversation with the owner of the building. The plump, older man seemed to be scolding her about unpaid rent, his tone laced with condescension.

"You haven't paid rent yet," the man grumbled, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Last month, it was some excuse about your mom's dialysis."

Tory's voice laced with frustration as she defended herself. "I'll have it next week. I'm already working doubles. And my mom doesn't have diabetes, she's on dialysis!"

The man rolled his eyes dismissively. "It's my job to cash rent checks, not keep up with your bullshit. If I can't do my job, then you can't live here."

Tory let out a defeated sigh. The man continued berating her, a smug grin playing on his lips. "The only reason you're not in juvie is because you're a caretaker."

Tory's eyes widened in surprise, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. "Yeah, well, I know about that little catfight at your school. How you fought over some boys... Now, if you had a man, maybe you wouldn't have to worry about rent."

The man attempted to caress Tory's hair, an unwanted gesture that she swiftly pushed away. "I bet you wouldn't sound like a man if I broke your wrist," she retorted, her voice filled with an underlying threat.

The man chuckled, a sinister glint in his eyes. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'm sure your parole officer would love to hear that, huh?"

Just as the tension escalated, Kat stepped forward, interrupting their exchange. She pulled out a stack of cash from her bag, her voice calm but determined. "How much is the rent?"

The man scrunched up his face, his curiosity piqued. "And why do you care?"

Tory, her voice laced with skepticism, chimed in. "Why are you here, Kat? After everything..."

The man eyed Kat suspiciously, his tone dripping with skepticism. "Why do you care what the rent is? You don't belong here."

Kat's expression remained unwavering as she met his gaze. "Just tell me the price, and we'll resolve this."

The man grumbled under his breath, clearly annoyed by her persistence. "It's $1400," he muttered, begrudgingly providing the information.

Without hesitation, Kat pulled out the stack of cash from her bag and began counting. She handed over four thousand dollars, more than enough to cover the rent for this month and the next, along with any potential late fees. "Consider this payment for the rent for the next few months," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

The man scoffed, dismissing her concerns. "It's LA. What do you expect? Besides, it's none of your concern."

Kat let out a weary sigh, her gaze unwavering. "Take the money and leave. Consider Tory's rent paid."

Grumbling under his breath, the man pocketed the cash and walked away, his annoyance evident in every step.

Tory watched the man's retreating figure before turning her gaze back to Kat. Her expression firm. "I didn't need you to do that. I had it handled," she said, her voice filled with pride.

Kat smirked, her eyes filled with annoyance. "Clearly, you don't. Put aside your pride for the sake of your siblings and sick mother. They need you."

Tory licked her lips, her defiance momentarily wavering. "Thank you," she finally replied, her voice softer. "And I'm sorry about... the whole gashing my wrist thing at school. And thank you for not pressing charges."

Kat nodded understandingly. "I came here to check up on you, Tory. A few updates: Robby is in juvie, I just visited him, Miguel woke up from his coma, and my insanely wealthy grandma passed away."

Tory winced, her eyes widening with the weight of the news. "That's a lot to process. I just want all of this to be over. I'm already expelled, and the landlord is right—I'm only out of juvie because I'm the caretaker and breadwinner of my family."

Kat's voice broke as she spoke, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm going to visit Miguel again. He's in rough shape right now. The doctors don't think he'll be able to walk again."

Tory ran a hand through her hair, her expression pained. "I didn't know. I miss Miguel, and I want to visit him, but I can't bring myself to do it."

Kat nodded, her understanding evident. "I felt the same way when I first visited him. I felt like it was my fault."

Tory shook her head, her eyes filled with conviction. "It's not your fault, Kat. It's mine. If I didn't challenge Sam that day, then Miguel wouldn't have been kicked over the rail."

Kat let out a weary sigh, her voice tinged with resignation. "You might be right, but it doesn't matter anymore. Best-case scenario, Miguel will have to relearn how to walk."

Tory promised she would eventually go visit him. "I don't want him to feel like he's alone, but I've been so busy with my family that I don't have time."

Kat shook her head, her voice firm. "There's always time, Tory. We're just lucky he didn't die."

With those words, Kat left the apartment complex and headed to the hospital. As she approached the lobby, she hesitated for a moment, surveying the area for any staff members who might stop her. When the coast was clear, she snuck into the room where Miguel was being treated.

Miguel struggled to eat, pushing the pudding away with a grimace on his face. Kat smiled sheepishly, her voice gentle. "Hey, I'm back."

Miguel forced a small smile, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. "Hey, Kat. I'm glad to see you."

Kat took a seat beside him, her eyes fixated on his face. "Do you want some pudding?"

Miguel sighed, nodding reluctantly. "I do, but I don't want to feel weak."

Kat's voice was gentle as she scooped up a spoonful of pudding and held it out to him. "You're not weak, Miguel. You're just recovering. It takes time, but you'll get there."

Miguel's eyes met hers, gratitude shining in his gaze. "Thanks, Kat. I appreciate you being here for me."

Kat took the pudding and scooped some onto the spoon. She held it up, a playful smile on her face. "Here comes the choo choo train. Open up," she said, mimicking the motion of a train.

Miguel chuckled and shook his head. "Don't do that," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Kat shrugged and laughed. "Alright, fine," she replied, and brought the spoon to his lips, feeding him a small bite.

Miguel swallowed and then looked at Kat with curiosity. "Do you know if the others are going to visit me anytime soon?" he asked. "I mean, I know you're here, but what about the rest of them?"

Kat paused, her brow furrowing. "I'm not actually sure," she admitted. "But I think Tory might stop by sometime. She's just dealing with some family stuff at the moment."

Miguel let out a sigh, his eyes drifting to the window. "I hope that's the case," he said softly.