❝ it truly is a small world. ❞

―

EMERY DECIDED TO OFFICIALLY REINVENT HERSELF.

After Eli had transformed into Hawk, Emery decided that she wanted to flip the script too. Hawk had actually encouraged it and said that they could become a badass duo that no one dared to mess with together. She knew that her mother wasn't going to be too happy about it, but Emery didn't care. She decided to stop flat ironing her hair and let her natural curls have their time to shine. She even went so far as to add blonde streaks to her hair. She switched up her wardrobe, finally wearing all the things that she didn't wear due to the fear of judgment. Her usual wardrobe of long sleeves and cardigans was no more.

The new hair and clothes gave Emery a newfound confidence that she didn't think she was capable of having. If there was anything that Emery struggled with (other than her hopeless crush on her best friend), it was confidence. But now she felt more confident than she had before, and Hawk had definitely noticed. Everyone had noticed-even the people who had bullied Emery for years.

Emery enjoyed the attention, but Dash hated it. He hated the way he would hear boys talking about his sister. He hated the things they said about her. Most importantly, he hated the fact that Demetri had taken notice of it and commented on how attractive she looked. Dash just couldn't stop the wave of jealousy that consumed him from taking over. It felt like he was drowning.

Dash just couldn't stop hearing Demetri's voice in his head saying, Dude, your sister got hot! The words played over and over again, consuming his mind completely.

Dash felt like he barely saw his sister anymore. She was always either at Cobra Kai or spending time hanging out with Eli-Hawk. The new name was still taking some getting used to. Most of the time, it was just him and Demetri. Dash hardly ever spent time with just Demetri, so it actually felt kind of nice to be with him one-on-one.

Even though it was just the two of them, they still spent their time doing what they did when they hung out as a group. Dash and Demetri played video games and watched their favorite movies for the thousandth time. Demetri did most of the talking, while Dash just listened to the sound of his voice, practically swooning over the comfort it gave him.

Although over the past week his sister had been drifting farther away from him, Dash still had Demetri, and he assured him that he wasn't going anywhere. He promised Dash that he would always be by his side. He had no idea how much that meant to him. Dash wished that he could just have enough courage to tell Demetri how he felt, but he couldn't when he knew he would never feel the same way.

Demetri just had a way of making everything seem okay. No matter how down Dash was feeling, Demetri was always there to cheer him up. When Emery and Hawk were at karate practice and hanging out, just the two of them or Miguel spent what seemed like hours talking about Sam LaRusso, Demetri was there.

He always showed interest in him and made sure to ask how his day was. How could Dash not fall in love with him? It just seemed impossible, and once he started, he couldn't get himself to stop.

While Dash spent his day obsessing over Demetri, Emery was at practice. She sat with Aisha, Miguel, and Hawk doing stretches before practice started. Miguel was in the middle of explaining that he was going on a date that wasn't exactly a date with Sam. Emery honestly didn't understand what made Sam so special, but she didn't say anything.

"I need somewhere romantic, but not too romantic," Miguel spoke, trying to get suggestions.

Aisha rolled her eyes. Emery just shook her head. While she personally had nothing against Sam since she had always been nice to her, Emery understood Aisha's history with Sam. Maybe that's why she felt obligated to not like her.

"You could take her to get tattoos," Hawk responded.

Emery and Aisha exchanged a glance, smiling and then shaking their heads at the ground.

"What?" Miguel asked.

Emery hit Hawk's arm with the back of her hand. "What the hell are you talking about? Why would he take her to get a tattoo?"

Hawk shrugged. "I took you with me when I got a tattoo."

"Yeah, but that was for moral support, not a date," Emery said, rolling her eyes. "And Sam doesn't exactly seem like the type of girl that you would be up for getting a tattoo."

"Wait..." Miguel blinked at Hawk. "You got a tattoo?"

Hawk jumped to his feet and started to undo his gi. "I know a guy, just hooked me up with this bad boy."

He turned around, revealing a large tattoo of a hawk sporting a blue mohawk. Even though she had been at the tattoo shop with him while he had gotten it, seeing it again was still a shock. She could feel her heart start pounding against her chest. Why her heart was pounding so hard at the sight of it, she didn't know.

"Oh shit," Miguel responded.

"I tried convincing him to get something a little smaller, but he had that whole 'go big or go home' mentality coursing through his veins," Emery told her friends.

"I think it's badass," Aisha said.

"Right?" Hawk responded. "Fourteen hours in the chair."

Emery shook her head as she glanced back at the tattoo. The more she stared at it, the more she felt like she couldn't breathe. All she could do was stare. Miguel seemed to be the only one who noticed. He turned to look at her and placed his hand on her shoulder. It wasn't hard to tell that she had a crush on him, and ever since he became Hawk, it had gotten even worse.

Sometimes, Miguel would catch her staring at him during practice when she thought no one was looking. The way she looked at him practically screamed that she was in love with him; he just never said anything about it. It was the same thing with Dash-Miguel knew that he had a crush on Demetri. Neither one of the Campbell twins was exactly subtle when it came to hiding their crushes on their best friends. They might have thought they were, but Miguel wasn't fooled.

"Wait," Aisha said. "Are your parents okay with that?"

"Oh, they have no idea," Hawk responded as he sat back down. "Definitely gonna have to wear a t-shirt until college. Probably longer. Please don't tell them."

Miguel shook his head. "Uh...any other suggestions?"

"Don't look at me," Aisha said, shaking her head. "Sam and I used to be friends. We're not anymore."

"Okay, but I need your help," Miguel pleaded.

Aisha sighed. "Fine, um, I know that she likes chocolates and astronomy."

"I could work with that," Miguel nodded.

"You could take her to the planetarium," Emery suggested. "I went once last year with my parents, and it was pretty cool."

Miguel nodded and opened his mouth to say something else, but then Johnny could be heard from the other room, yelling at whoever it was he was talking to on the phone. Miguel stood up and ran towards the office. Aisha, Hawk, and Emery looked at each other but shrugged their shoulders in response. None of them knew what was going on. Emery never knew what was going on with Johnny.

It had been weeks since she had joined Cobra Kai, and he was still the most confusing man she had ever met. She didn't even pretend to understand him, but she still tried her hardest to support him, no matter how much she disagreed with his methods.

As Miguel talked to him, Emery just continued with her stretches and tried not to think about Hawk or his tattoo, but of course, she failed desperately. It was all she could think about for the rest of practice.

When practice was over, Emery knocked on the doorframe of Johnny's office. She waited for him to tell her to come in before she walked in.

"Hey, Sensei, my parents were wondering if maybe you wanted to come over for dinner tonight or maybe tomorrow?" Emery asked.

"Why would I do that?" Johnny questioned.

Emery shrugged. "Because they've been wanting to meet you for a while now, but their work schedules have been crazy, and in order for me to stay in karate, they want to-"

"Did it ever occur to you that I have things to do?" Johnny interrupted.

Emery stared at him blankly. "I'm sure you have plenty of things to do. Like getting Cobra Kai allowed back at the All Valley, for instance. Miguel mentioned it."

"Exactly, now get out of here," Johnny replied.

Emery faltered for a second, before standing up straighter and folding her arms across her chest. "You do realize that if you don't agree to have dinner with my parents, I won't be able to do karate anymore."

Johnny stared at her as if he wasn't picking up on what she was saying.

"If I'm not allowed to do karate, then you'll be losing paying customers," Emery explained. "And with the way your students have been dropping like flies, you need all the paying customers you can get."

Johnny sighed, hating that she had a point. "I can't do tonight. I'm going to a board meeting to unban Cobra Kai."

A pleased smile formed on Emery's lips. "Great. I'll tell my parents to expect you for dinner tomorrow. I'm sure you have my address written down somewhere on file."

Johnny shooed her out of the office. "Get out of here before I change my mind, Chicken Noodle."

Emery couldn't help but laugh. "Campbell's chicken noodle soup? Real clever."

She turned on her heels and walked out of the office. She exited the dojo.

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After dinner was over that evening, Emery told Dash about Hawk's tattoo. She had been dying to tell him ever since she had accompanied him to the tattoo parlor, but Hawk had sworn her to secrecy. But now the cat was out of the bag, and he told her that she was free to tell whoever she wanted, as long as it wasn't their parents.

Emery had been desperately wanting someone to talk to about it-someone to freak out about it to. Dash had always been the person she went to whenever she wanted to vent or talk about her crush on Hawk.

Dash always listened, and she listened to him when he talked about Demetri. It had been a long time since she had talked to her brother, though, and she felt bad about it. Her focus had been entirely shifted towards Cobra Kai, and reinventing herself that she had completely neglected him, but it hadn't entirely been a bad thing. She had noticed that he had been getting a lot closer to Demetri lately and wanted to hear all about it. She just hoped that Dash would want to tell her.

"Did you know that Hawk got a tattoo?" Emery asked quietly as they washed the dishes.

"He did what?!" Dash asked, completely surprised.

"Yeah. It's this huge hawk with a blue mohawk just like his," Emery responded.

"That's insane," Dash replied. "Do his parents know?"

Emery shook her head. "He said they have no idea."

Dash raised an eyebrow. "Please don't ever get a tattoo. Dye your hair and dress however you want. Just promise me no tattoos, okay?"

"I can assure you that I am never going to get a tattoo," Emery assured him.

"Good, because if you did, then I might have to disown you as a sister," Dash responded.

Emery rolled her eyes. "Anyway, enough about me and Hawk. How's it going with Demetri?"

"The same as it always is," Dash responded. "I'm hopelessly in love with him, and he still has no idea."

Emery shook her head. "When are you going to tell him?"

"I could ask you the same question," Dash responded.

"Touché," Emery said. "How about we make a deal?"

"I'm listening," Dash said, putting the last dish in the dishwasher.

Emery leaned against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. "If I tell Hawk how I feel, then you have to tell Demetri how you feel."

Dash thought for a moment. He knew for a fact that Hawk liked Emery back. There was no denying that. It was so obvious that he felt the same way about her as she did for him. The only person who couldn't tell that they were both crushing on each other was them.

Dash's crush on Demetri was an entirely different story. He was certain that Demetri didn't feel the same way about him. There was absolutely no way he could ever tell Demetri the truth. He valued his friendship too much and worried that telling him his true feelings would completely ruin it. With Emery spending most of her time with Hawk and at Cobra Kai, Dash needed someone to fall back on. What would he do if he didn't have Demetri?

Despite these concerns, Dash felt himself agreeing. He wanted to say that there was no way Emery would ever be able to tell Hawk the truth because every time she tried, she turned into a stuttering mess. But Emery wasn't that person anymore. She was more confident, and there was no telling what she would do. The thought of having to tell Demetri how he really felt about him terrified him more than anything else in the world.

"Okay," Dash nodded.

"Okay?" Emery questioned. "So we have a deal?"

"Yeah," Dash said, holding out his hand in front of Emery. "We have a deal."

Emery shook his hand and let it go before changing the subject.

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"Emery's karate sensei is coming for dinner today," Eleanora announced. "Your father and I are finally both free from work this weekend, so we asked Emery to extend the invitation."

Dash's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, you were serious about that? How come this is the first time I'm hearing about this?"

Eleanora nodded her head. "Of course I was. Now, go set the table. He should be here soon."

Dash's confusion intensified. "He actually agreed to come to our house for dinner?"

"Why is that such a surprise? Emery speaks so highly of him; I'm sure he's a very nice man," Eleanora replied.

"I don't know what Emery has told you, but Sensei La-" Dash was cut off by the sound of the doorbell.

"Dashiell, please just set the table," Eleanor's ordered.

Dash sighed as he obeyed his mother, grabbing plates from the cabinet and forks from the drawer. Dash set the table as he tried to mentally prepare himself for the awkwardness he knew would soon ensue.

Damien was the one who opened the front door. He smiled, ready to greet the sensei that had made such an impact on his daughter's life. His smile faded in an instant when he saw who stood on the porch, staring back at him.

"Johnny Lawrence?" Damien asked, unable to believe it. "You're Emery's sensei?"

Johnny stared at him in shock. "Damien Campbell? I knew those kids looked familiar. I almost convinced myself that it was a coincidence that they looked like you and Eleanora and had the last name Campbell."

Damien shook his head and blinked a few times, hoping this was some sort of joke or a dream.

"It truly is a small world..." Damien mumbled. "When Emery joined Cobra Kai, I didn't think that you of all people were the sensei. And aren't you supposed to have paperwork with parent names? How did you not put the pieces together?"

Johnny looked at him in confusion, taking offense. "And what's all that supposed to mean, Campbell?"

Damien shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just confused is all, and it's just after everything, I didn't expect you to be the one to bring Cobra Kai back. I thought maybe it was one of the other guys."

Johnny just stared at him blankly, looking over his shoulder. "So...are you going to let me in or are we just going to rehash the past?"

Damien had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at him as he opened the door wider, allowing Johnny to step inside. He closed the door as Johnny began to look around.

"So...where's Eleanora?" Johnny questioned.

Damien crossed his arms. "She's in the kitchen. I don't think she'll be too happy to see you standing in her living room."

Johnny turned to look at him. "I'd be surprised if she was."

Damien sighed, glancing down at the floor before looking back up at Johnny. "Listen, can you just do me one thing?"

"Are you asking for a favor, Campbell?" Johnny asked.

Damien rolled his eyes, not caring that Johnny saw. "Just don't say anything about the past, got it? Nothing. Dash and Emery are not to know anything."

"Is it really that bad if they know?" Johnny asked.

"We don't want them to know," Damien responded.

"You make it sound like some deep, dark secret," Johnny responded.

"To Eleanora, it is," Damien told him.

Johnny sighed. "I'll say nothing."

"Damien, was that Emery's sensei at the door?" Eleanora called from the dining room. "Come join us
in the dining room!"

Damien walked towards the dining room, with Johnny trailing behind him. He inhaled a sharp breath as he waited for the moment that Eleanora came face-to-face with Johnny for the first time in years.

The two men stepped into the dining room, stopping in the doorway. Eleanora and the twins were in the middle of setting the table, playing plates and cups on the neatly laid table cloth.

Eleanora looked up, holding a plate in her hands. Her eyes landed on Johnny. Eleanora froze, her grip on the plate loosened, causing it to fall to the floor and shatter into pieces.

"Mom!" Dash called out in a state of panic. "Are you okay?"

Eleanora nodded her head slowly, not taking her eyes off of Johnny. After a few seconds, she quickly looked away and glanced down at the plate. She kneeled down to pick up the pieces.

Dash and Emery quickly rushed to her side.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" Emery spoke calmly, placing her hand on her mother's shoulder. "Why don't you go finish up dinner while we clean this up?"

Eleanora nodded her head and stood up, quickly exiting the dining room.

"What was that all about?" Dash whispered.

Emery shrugged. "I have no idea, but it was definitely odd."

Dash nodded his head in agreement as he continued to pick up the bigger pieces of glass. The twins placed the pieces of glass in the trash can in the kitchen. Their mother pretended like nothing happened as she stood in front of the stove, continuing to prepare dinner. Emery and Dash exchanged a look with each other before they left the kitchen.

Damien passed them as they walked into the dining room, leaving the twins alone in the dining room with Johnny.

"Why are you here?" Dash asked, staring at Johnny.

"I was invited," Johnny answered.

Dash rolled his eyes. "Obviously, I'm not an idiot. I meant, why did you agree to dinner?"

"Listen, I didn't come here to get the third degree from a child," Johnny responded.

"You're lucky I didn't tell my parents how awful of a sensei you are," Dash snapped back. "Or about what you did to Demetri-even if he was being annoying and deserved it. But that's not the point. And don't think I didn't Google you. It's amazing what you can find out about a person over the internet."

Emery rolled her eyes. "Would you shut up? You're literally being as annoying as Demetri right now."

Dash furrowed his eyebrows at her in offense. "Okay, I know he's my best friend, but that's actually kind of insulting."

"Jesus, they're just like their parents," Johnny mumbled quietly.

Emery turned to look at him. "What was that, Sensei?"

Johnny shook his head. "I said, Where are your parents?"

"They're just talking in the kitchen," Emery told him. "Dash, why don't you go see if dinner is ready?"

Dash nodded his head, glaring at Johnny, before he walked in the direction of the kitchen. He came back out a few seconds later to tell Johnny and Emery to come to the dining room. They followed behind him, and Emery pointed to an empty seat for Johnny to sit in.

Eleanora gulped, her heart pounding. "So, you're Emery's karate sensei? It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. What's your name? Eleanor?" Johnny played along with the ruse.

"Eleanora," she corrected him as she placed food on her plate. "So, have you been a sensei for long?"

Johnny shook his head. "Just recently. But I can assure you that I know what I'm doing."

"I never said you didn't," Eleanora responded. "Emery tells us that you've been doing karate since you were just a boy?"

"That's right," Johnny nodded.

Eleanora just nodded and stared down at her food. An uncomfortable silence followed.

"You know, despite the fact that we didn't want Emery to join karate, we do have to thank you for giving her more confidence," Damien broke the silence.

Johnny nodded his head. "Yeah, well, Cobra Kai's not for pu-for those who are...not confident."

Dash and Emery shared a glance, asking each other if he was about to say what they thought before he corrected himself.

Damien nodded. "Right. Well, we appreciate it. Though I do question some of your teaching methods."

Johnny's grip on his fork tightened as he turned to look at him. "Like what?"

Damien shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Dash tells us that you bullied a bunch of teenagers into quitting? Making fun of their looks and their weight?"

Johnny turned to look at Dash, giving him a cold glare.

"That's not what I said," Dash chimed up. "I mean, that's along the lines of what I said, but I didn't say that. All I said was that you're kind of abrasive and kept saying all these things about Eli's lip, and then said something about one guy having bad teeth. And that you also fat-shamed someone."

"Dash, you're rambling," Emery pointed out. "Get to the point?"

Dash sighed. "Right. Sorry. So, I mean, I guess I did kind of say that. But I mean, it did what you wanted, didn't it?" Dash glanced at Johnny. "It got rid of all of the weak ones."

"You could say that," Johnny shrugged. "But it's more than that. Cobra Kai's all about sticking up for yourself and not letting the bullies of the world stand in your way. It may not have been like that in the past, but it is now."

Damien nodded his head as he leaned back in the chair. "And how was it in the past? Were you one of those high school bullies who thought he was better than everyone else because he knew karate?"

"Dad!" Emery glared at him.

For the rest of the dinner, Damien continued to ask Johnny questions, trying to get him to slip up somehow. But he never did. Eleanora mostly sat in silence and ate her food, leaving the questioning to her husband.

When dinner came to an end and Johnny was long gone, Emery plopped down dramatically onto the couch. Dash sat down next to her as he watched their parents walk into the kitchen.

"That was an absolute nightmare," Emery groaned. "Seriously, what was up with all those questions?"

Dash shrugged. "No idea, but it was definitely weird."

"Definitely," Emery agreed.

- EMILIA'S NOTES

in this chapter, there was lots of rewording, added dialogue, scenes, and a very awkward family dinner.

i'm actually having a lot of fun exploring the connection between eleanora, damien, and johnny. it no longer feels like something that was randomly thrown in and that was one of my main goals.

hope you enjoyed the rewrite!