THALIA FELT sick, and she could spew it all in front of the tall metal doors she stood in front of. She should've told Tory last night that she was in this dojo. She had made the ultimate decision last night and told Miguel to tell Johnny—Sensei that she would be coming.

Another girl had joined, Devon Lee. She believed that's what Miguel had said, but she didn't quite know what happened. Her mind raced throughout the night and the car ride here, and she didn't know what she had truly signed up for.

Thaila held her eyes shut, taking a deep breath to try to steady her nerves. She pulled open the metal doors, stepped inside the dimly lit building, and saw the small group of boys standing before Johnny, with Devon in line with them.

"Sorry," Thaila muttered. "Am I late?"

"Just on time, Nichols." Johnny said, turning his attention towards the group, watching from the corner of his eye as Thaila fell into the line. "Everyone, get ready, I'm gonna put you through the wringer. Except for you, Diaz. Up here with me."

"What?"

"The tournament's around the corner. Can't afford you getting hurt." Johnny explained. "Besides, this is gonna get a little dangerous. You be co-sensei today. Sound good?" Without waiting for Miguel to answer, Johnny faced the students once more. "Okay, everybody. Get ready. Let's begin!"

If Thaila knew that this was what she was signing up for, she would've sat this one out. This wasn't normal. None of this was normal, but what was normal? She hadn't found peace since moving to the Valley, so why would she think that anything that happened here would be normal?

She stood in the line with her one arm duct taped to her chest. She rocked back and forth on her heels as she listened to what her sensei had to say... she prayed that it was something logical.

"Cobra Kai pops out your shoulder, be ready to fight with one arm."

Logical... she even prayed about it. None of it made sense. Sand in the eyes, kicking dudes where the sun doesn't shine. Logical... this wasn't it. It felt like child's play, but she was thankful that it wasn't like what they were doing at Cobra Kai.

"Good job today." Johnny smiled. "Everyone ice up, we're back at it tomorrow."

Thalia sat on the wooden planks as "Penis Breath" and Bert stood, throwing their ice bags over towards Miguel.

"Must be nice being teacher's favorite." Penis Breath muttered.

Bert nodded. "Yeah. Is he gonna tuck you in?"

Miguel sighed, catching the wet ice bag as the boys and Devon flooded out of the warehouse with Johnny following close behind.

Miguel glanced around the emptying dojo, finally letting out a breath as the noise faded and the others left. Just as he turned to leave, he caught sight of Thalia still sitting on the wooden planks, pressing an ice pack to her shoulder.

He walked over, his expression softening as he sat down beside her. "Hey," he said, nudging her lightly with his elbow. "Rough day?"

Thalia let out a breathy laugh. "I feel like I'm about to collapse."

They sat in silence for a moment, the warehouse now quiet with just the two of them. Miguel glanced at her, noticing the way she seemed lost in thought, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"You okay?" he asked gently, studying her face.

Thalia hesitated, fiddling with the strap of her gym bag before finally looking up. "Yeah. Just... tired, I guess. It's been a lot lately." She paused, then added, almost hesitantly, "And prom's coming up, so that's... something."

Miguel's expression shifted, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. "Are you thinking of going?"

Thalia shrugged, her voice soft. "Not really. I mean, I don't have a date, so it seems kind of pointless. I wasn't planning on standing there alone watching everyone else."

Miguel nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on her. "You know, you don't have to go with someone to have a good time. Prom's more than just a date—sometimes it's just about being there, being part of it."

Thalia managed a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Easy for you to say. You're going with Sam, and everyone else already has plans. Going alone just... doesn't feel right."

Miguel opened his mouth, then paused, as if carefully choosing his words. "If things were different..."

The unfinished thought hung in the air, carrying more weight than he probably intended.

In another life, maybe Miguel would be the one asking her to prom, not just asking her to come and not feel alone. She'd be picking out a dress with someone by her side, laughing about the way she'd probably trip in her heels, counting down the days in excitement instead of dreading the thought of feeling out of place. They'd walk into prom together, his hand in hers, and the night would feel like a promise, not an afterthought. She wouldn't have to imagine dancing with him in some dark corner of her mind, and it wouldn't feel like such a distant, impossible fantasy.

But things weren't different. She had to remind herself of that, as much as it hurt to admit. Miguel had Sam, and she wasn't in a position to change that. She didn't want to be the person standing on the sidelines, waiting for a chance that would never come.

Thalia looked down, her heart tightening at what he didn't say. She understood, even if they couldn't voice it. "I know," she said quietly, her smile tinged with something bittersweet. "But they're not."

Miguel sighed, nodding as he looked away, his fingers fiddling with the edge of the ice pack. "Yeah. But if you change your mind and decide to go, save me a dance, okay?"

This time, her smile was genuine, though small. "I'll think about it. But don't blame me if I'm a disaster on the dance floor."

Miguel laughed, his eyes lighting up with the easy warmth she'd come to recognize. "I'll take my chances."

They sat there in the fading light, the warehouse silent around them, the unspoken feelings lingering in the space between them. For a moment, everything felt still, as if time had paused just for them.

Miguel finally stood. "Want to practice tomorrow? You and I?"

Thalia looked up, offering a smile as she stood. "I'd like that."

Miguel returned the soft smile and the two of them left their building. They talked for a moment longer before Thaila made her way home.

She opened the apartment door and made her way to her bedroom only to find Tory rummaging through her closet.

Thaila furrowed her brows, throwing her bag on the floor. "What are you doing?"

Tory stood up, sighing heavily as she looked over at Thaila. "I asked someone to prom."

Thalia blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected this—least of all from Tory. Her sister never seemed like the "prom" type.

"You?" Thalia asked, still processing. "You actually want to go to prom?"

Truthfully? Yes, Tory wanted to go to prom. Realistically? She was going to make Sam jealous.

Robby had been dating Sam while Thalia had been seeing Miguel and things obviously went left. Tory was going to prom with Robby to make Sam jealous, but also because she wanted to. She wanted to do something for herself and this would be the thing.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Thalia asked, leaning against the door frame with a small smile.

Tory hesitated, crossing her arms defensively. "Robby," she muttered.

"And, you're rummaging through my closet because...?"

Tory looked at her, rolling her eyes but with a flicker of a smile. "Because, apparently, I don't have anything 'prom-appropriate.' And since I figured you wouldn't be going..." Her voice trailed off, suddenly unsure.

Thalia's expression faltered for a moment, and she glanced away, the reality of her own prom dilemma hitting harder than she'd expected. "Yeah... probably not."

Tory shifted, her usual confidence wavering as she caught the subtle change in Thalia's expression. She hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat, trying to sound casual. "Look, if you're not going to prom, then maybe... maybe you could help me get ready?"

Thalia's gaze softened, a small, genuine smile tugging at her lips. She hadn't anticipated being part of prom in any way, but something about Tory asking for her help felt... important.

"Sure," she said, nodding. "I'd love to."

Tory's face softened, a flicker of gratitude breaking through her usual guarded expression. "Cool," she said, trying to sound casual. "Thanks."

Tory looked at her sister, something unreadable in her expression. "Thanks, Thalia. I mean it."

Thalia nodded. "I know."

Tory sighed, passing by Thalia and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

Sighing, Thalia picked up her bag from the floor and placed it by her bed.

She sat on the edge of her bed, glancing at the closed door as she imagined Tory, in a few days, stepping into prom and making her own kind of entrance. Thalia's gaze drifted toward her closet, lingering on a dress that hung untouched—a dress she'd once thought she might wear herself.

Forcing a small smile, she told herself she'd made the right choice. Tonight, it would be her, a good book, and the quiet comfort of a night with no expectations. She pulled her book from the bedside table and flipped it open, letting the words on the page pull her in, letting them fill the silence of the room. This was enough for now, she reminded herself. This was her night.

— lucy has something to say !!

no thaila isn't going to prom we can all cry for her fr

i almost made her go but... i hate joy so no

bye :))))