Dedicated to @AbbyWatson4, @Robby2Keene, @NewYorkDoll, and @LOVESTODOODLE for their amazing feedback and support!

Okay, so after being rejected from four other schools, I was accepted into Stanford which is quite possibly one of the most exciting things in my life! And on top of that great news, the scholarship is tuition-free which means my mom won't have to worry about the money aspect because I'd never want to do that to her.

The only problem is, Sensei.

To be fair, Johnny Lawrence was often a primary problem for a lot of people (most notably, Daniel LaRusso, though that's more of a mutual thing), but Miguel was more specifically thinking about the way his Sensei would react to his new news. College or really education in general, wasn't exactly something he ever believed in when he was a teenager. Even less so did he see its uses now.

"A book can't teach what you need to learn in life! Only experience can do that," Johnny had once scoffed.

He had had to refrain himself that day from reminding his Sensei that technically reading was still experiencing something.

Pretty sure Sensei still knew what I was thinking considering I ended up having to do fifty extra push-ups that day.

But none of those things were the reason Miguel was worried. It was because he'd seen Johnny work so hard to bring him back to California, or rather, they'd both worked so hard to reconnect after the prom and now, in just a few short months, he'd be leaving Johnny again. And this time, it won't just be for a few weeks, it would be for several months or longer before he'd see him.

I mean, could I even go a few months without karate? Without him?

"Miguel, you okay?" asked a concerned Demetri as he hung up the last of Yasmine's Paris-themed party decorations.

The event was taking place in an elegant ballroom that had been generously gifted from an old family friend. Little Eiffel Tower statues were placed on every pink-clothed dining room table. Gifts were piled as high as the eye could see towards the back of the spacious room.

White stranded lights hung gracefully above the entrance, illuminating all of the guests' faces as they would soon enter the room. There was even a white marble staircase that beautifully cascaded down from the second story landing. Truthfully, Miguel thought that the place seemed like a page out of a fantasy book (in a good way), but he'd never actually been to too many birthday parties before so, he didn't have much to compare it to.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the whole college thing," replied Miguel, turning his attention back to his friend.

"Fair enough. I've been doing the exact same thing ever since we read those acceptance letters yesterday!" Admitted Demetri, smiling brightly.

Miguel just smiled back, not having the heart to tell him that they weren't thinking those thoughts for the same reasons.

"Ok, I finally finished setting out all the food," announced Moon, panting slightly as she came rushing into the room.

Her brunette braid bounced against her back with as much enthusiasm as a newborn puppy.

"Great, because we need to make sure everything's perfect for my Yassy Rose, tonight. Especially since it might be the last party we attend together," said Demetri, disappointedly.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be perfect, trust me," reassured Miguel, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Demetri shrugged skeptically, though his words did seem to bring a smile back to his friend's face.

This is one of those things I'm going to miss if I leave, my friends.

Slowly, people started to file into the ballroom, oohing and awing over the fancy decorations.

"Would you like some punch, my good Sir?" offered Bert, playfully as he bowed to one of the entering guests, his black tie falling in front of his eyes as he bent over.

Pretty sure that's not actual punch, but there's no need to cause a scene, regardless.

The man and his plus one just laughed, each taking one of the witty Butler's "punches" before disappearing into the crowd of arriving guests.

"He really does know how to put on a show," remarked Nate as he took a sip of his own drink.

Miguel didn't recognize nearly half of the students that seemed to suddenly fill the wide room. It wasn't exactly surprising considering his late enrollment combined with his several school absences due to various karate injuries but still, it was more notable than even he could have expected. One person did catch his eye however as she entered the room, dressed in a beautiful lavender dress that showed off her shimmering skin.

"You look amazing," stated Miguel, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek as soon as she came over.

"Thanks, you do too," added Sam, smiling back at him.

Miguel looked down at himself as if he didn't know that he was wearing a gray tuxedo with blue dress shoes.

C'mon, Miguel, you're better than that.

He smiled, embarrassedly back at her, but she just laughed at his mistake, like she always did.

"Don't worry, you don't look like Johnny dressed you," commented Sam, giggling.

Miguel started laughing too, the tension that had temporarily built in his chest quickly dissipating.

She always knows just what to say.

"Your father's still here, you know?" commented Daniel from behind Sam as he eyed the two teenagers.

"Oh, sorry, Mr. LaRusso. I didn't see you there," quickly apologized Miguel, but he was cut off by Daniel's wave of his hand.

"It's fine, Miguel. At least, this time she's dating a guy I've actually met," joked Daniel, reassuringly.

Miguel barely held back a laugh, his mind already jumping to what Daniel's and Kyler's first interaction must have been like.

Couldn't have been worse than mine, but somehow I find it doubtful that they got along well.

"How could I have introduced you to him when you were so busy kicking all of my friends out of our house?" retorted Sam, raising an eyebrow just as her mother always did when she argued with Daniel.

Miguel hadn't spent much time with Amanda, but he could tell how similar they were from their few interactions. Daniel just nodded, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Don't worry, LaRusso. Just leave the comebacks to me. I was always better at them anyway," stated Johnny, walking over to the three of them.

He held a Coors banquet beer in one hand and a finger sandwich in the other. Somehow, he'd managed to get nearly all of the small sandwich's condiments on his black dress shirt.

Mom is not going to be happy when she sees that shirt, but at least he's not drunk this time.

"I'd worry more about your shirt than my comeback skills," smirked Daniel, gesturing towards the ugly stain covering the right pocket of Johnny's shirt.

"Meh, it's rented," shrugged Johnny, stuffing the last bite of the sandwich in his mouth just to spite Daniel.

"This is why I don't like chaperones," whispered Sam to Miguel as they watched the two grown men's bickering.

"Pretty sure we would've gotten that regardless of their excuse for showing up," sighed Miguel.

"Okay, everyone! Yasmine's coming! Hide!" warned Demetri, quickly scurrying behind the closest table he could find.

Chris flicked off all the lights, plunging the room into darkness so their special party guest would be surprised.

Miguel grabbed Johnny's arm and yanked him downward so he wouldn't ruin the element of surprise.

"What? I was just trying to get the last chicken wing," complained Johnny, obliviously.

"How can we already be out of food if the party just started?" asked Miguel, skeptically.

Johnny gestured towards the plastic bag that laid next to him which was filled with several take-out containers. Miguel just put his hand to his temple, sighing heavily.

I knew I shouldn't have let him wander off once we got here.

They heard the soft clinking of a door softly opening from across the room.

"I swear, if you're leading me into some karate showdown thing, then you and Demetri are both seriously dead," stated an agitated Yasmine as she and Eli entered the dark room.

Originally, Demetri was going to be the one who brought her to the party, but he had to pick up a last minute present so Eli had offered to do the task for him.

"Don't doubt it," responded Eli, honestly.

Yasmine narrowed her eyes cautiously as she peered around the unknown room. From her expression, one might have thought she'd been kidnapped.

"Surprise!" shouted everyone as they jumped out from their various hiding places, throwing their arms in the air.

"Aw, you all did this for me? You shouldn't have," thanked Yasmine, graciously.

"Oh, well, if you don't want the party..." started Mitch obliviously before abruptly stopping due to Yasmine's death glare.

"I just figured you wanted a party themed to something as beautiful as you are, my love," explained Demetri, trying to strut over to her coolly, though failing to do so thanks to his two left feet.

Yasmine pulled her boyfriend into a tight kiss, her hand placed against his left cheek.

"Is this a good enough thank you," asked Yasmine, knowingly.

"Um, yeah, that'll do," beamed Demetri, staring wide-eyed at his girlfriend.

And he says Eli's the one in love...

"Which of you losers are ready to party?" announced Devon, raising her "punch" glass high.

"Now, there's a kid who knows how to have fun," agreed Johnny, proudly.

Daniel rolled his eyes, disagreeing, but decided to hold back his lecture for the kids' sakes. "Yeah!" exclaimed everyone in unison as the DJ turned the bass up as loud as he possibly could

I can focus on my future later. Right now, I just wanna have fun with my friends.