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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
"happy birthday to jules"
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( king cobra )

JULES FELT AS IF HER emotions were fighting for whoever got to be the one to fuck her over first.

 Happiness can exist in sadness - tribulation could exist in defeat, and that was a simple fact that would always make Jules feel as if the axis her universe spun on was different than that of everyone else. How could she feel so happy when she felt as if her heart was breaking? How could she laugh and throw her arms around her boyfriend who had managed to regain feeling in his feet when her best friend was sitting in a hospital somewhere feeling hopeless. How could the world make her feel so helpless, so selfish?

There was a knock at her door, and Shira's head poked in. "Hey, there," she said with a wide smile; and Jules almost felt as if she wanted to smile back. Her mother's happiness was real. At least towards her. "How's the birthday girl?"

 Seventeen. Jules wasn't sure if it was a meaningful age. In the grand scheme of things; a seventeenth birthday hardly meant anything. She probably wouldn't even remember it when she was thirty. 

 Still, she smiled. "Good."

"Mhm," Shira shot her a knowing look, crossing the room and sitting next to her on the bed. Jules shifted so that their arms brushed together, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder. She sighed deeply.

 "This is number three."

 "Hm?" Shira turned to look at her, so Jules turned her head. Without her makeup and jewellery, she looked young. Just a normal teenager in an oversized blue T-shirt sitting next to her mother on her sixteenth birthday. No guilt in her stomach, no onslaught of thoughts in her mind that refused to stall.

"This is my third birthday without Dad."

 Shira paused, obviously not quite sure what to say to that. Jules wondered if she ever thought about her late husband... if she ever heard his voice in her head like she did. Or maybe Jules was just crazy; she could add it to her list of idiosyncrasies.

 "Well he could never cook anyway," Shira stood up and held out her hands, pulling Jules to her feet. The brunette laughed despite herself, shooting her mother a look.

 "Neither can you."

 "Yeah? Well I cooked you a breakfast casserole that I suppose you can have if -"

 "Birthday, Ma." Jules hugged her mother tightly, feeling a rush of gratefulness for the woman as she did so. She was glad that through everything her mother was always there. She was Jules's rock; a solid form that would always be there despite anything. A constant. And Jules loved her more than anything.

 The two females exited Jules's room, the teen stifling a yawn. The sun streamed through the small window at the far end of the kitchen, casting a deep glow over the simplistic room that held elements of the two women who inhabited it. Jules inhaled deeply, wondering if she was supposed to feel different today. As if aging another year made you more of a person... or perhaps less. 

 "So," Shira said, sliding Jules a cup of orange juice as she sat at the counter. The older woman stood on the opposite side, leaning against the marbeled surface with a smile. The scent of eggs and meat made Jules's stomach rumble, and the coffee pot hissed. It was so normal that it made her feel better. It was a reminder: normal could always exist. "What are the plans for today?"

 Jules shrugged, "are there ever big plans on birthdays?"

 "For some people." Shira shrugged, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. "But not really us, huh? We are boring birthday people, aren't we?"

 Jules snorted. "Or just better." 

 "Yeah, let's go with that." Shira's dark eyes glittered. "Well let's go through the checklist. How about addressing the elephant in the room..."

 Jules caught onto the insinuation. "I'll see Demetri, don't worry. And Sam - although I'm not so sure she'd want to see me."

 "And why do you say that?"

 Jules averted her gaze. "Well, you know... after what happened, and I wasn't there to help..."

 Shira rolled her eyes, the sunlight casting a golden glow over her face. She seemed younger than she was, although she always had wrinkles that creased at her smooth skin. Still, her dark eyes were kind and her face seemed kind. Trustworthy. Jules hoped that she looked exactly like her mother when she was older. She was always called her spitting image; well, except for her eyes. She always had her fathers eyes. "That's ridiculous. It was those... whackjobs fault." She exhaled sharply in frustration. "You know, Julie, I cannot even believe what Eli did..." she paused, scoffing. "Or is it 'Hawk' now? You know, I remember last summer when he cried after watching-" her voice trailed off, and Jules sent her mother an amused grin. 

 "Yeah, Mom, he's an asshead. Is there anything else you want to get off your chest?"

 Shira shrugged, "I'm proud of you for how you're handling everything. Sam doing what she did wasn't very smart-" she shook her head, brushing the topic off with a wave of her hand. "Whatever, what's done is done. Fix the future right? Checklist number two..."

 "Well considering you already mentioned Sam and Demetri, I guess you're referencing Miguel."

The woman grinned. "Do you think he'll do anything? I can picture him like... trying to bake you a three tiered cake." 

 Jules laughed. "Well, considering the fact that he's still wheelchair-ridden..."

 Shira pursed her lips, fiddling with the ring on her finger. "I don't think that would stop him. But before I forget-" she reached into the cupboard under the counter, withdrawing a singular wrapped present. Jules shot the woman a look as she slid it across the counter, an excited look on her mother's face. "Ma-"

 "I know! I know we talk about how the cakes are your presents, but come on!" She grinned, "you're my little girl, and my best friend. It didn't even cost anything!"

 Jules raised an eyebrow. "Everything costs something these days, but okay-" She tore off the wrapping paper, almost nervously, and held up what was inside with delicate fingers.

 It was a painting. Of a girl, in a white karate gi. She was mid-kick, her hair flying around her face almost majestically. It seemed intricately done, the colors merging together to make it seem like it was moving. Jules's mouth dropped open. "Ma, is this... me?"

 "Mhm!" Shira clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "I wanted you to remember how much you love karate! You know, because you're so good at it. You're such a good girl, Jules, and I didn't want you to forget that just because of everything that had happened. Karate is a beautiful thing in your life, it shouldn't make you upset because of a few selfish people."

 Jules could cry. But she didn't. Instead she looked at her mother through eyes that she hoped conveyed everything she was feeling. "Ma, it's.... it's beautiful. Thank you."

 "Of course, Ahava."

  There was a knock at the door. Shira gestured to it, turning to open the oven, "I'm gonna take this out, wanna get that?"

 "Sure." Jules crossed the room, running a hand through her messy hair as she pulled the front door open. She was immediately met with two smiling faces, one of whom immediately pushed the door open further. 

Johnny Lawrence popped his head through the door. "I smell bacon. Is this an open-breakfast or do I have to pay your mom to let me in?"

 Jules blinked. "You know, legally, I could pepper spray you right now."

"Don't be a bitch. Look, I brought you a present," he stepped to the side to reveal Miguel, who was sitting in his wheelchair with a wide grin on his face and a small gift bag in his hands. "Do you realize how long it took me to lug him into this thing? He's like an enormous baby."

 "Hey!" Miguel snapped, his eyebrows creasing. "You're the one who told me that if we missed breakfast you would make sure I could never walk again."

 "Dude, I told you that in confidence. Her mom's a crazy cook."

 "Well thank you," Shira appeared in the doorway, sharing a look with her daughter. "Good to know to what I owe this pleasure." 

 Johnny's face turned pink. "I felt obligated to tell my star student a happy birthday."

 Miguel shot him an offended look. "Really? star student?"

Jules smirked and gently kicked the wheel of his wheelchair. "Don't hate the truth, Diaz."

"Well, I suppose casserole can feed four." Shira said, before squeezing Jules's arm and turning to walk back into the house. Jules paused, standing there for a second, before shrugging and taking a step to the side. 

 "Well I don't want you bozo's standing on my porch, come on in."

 ***

 "SO, MONROE..." Johnny paused, crossing his arms. Shira shot him a sideways look, holding her cup of coffee between her hands as the man shot Jules a grin. "What are your big plans for seventeen? Gonna try to keep the felonies to a minimum?"

 Shira reached over to swat his arm, rolling her eyes; but Jules just shrugged and stabbed a piece of egg with her fork. "I was thinking zero murders would be considered a win."

"Zero murders would be a miracle," Miguel joked, before averting his gaze back to his place when Shira shot him a look. "This is delicious, Ms. Monroe."

 Jules shared a look with her mother. To tell the truth, this isn't exactly how Jules expected her birthday to start - but she loved it nonetheless. The two freaks who became incredibly prominent in her life, and her mom. There was no one else she'd want to be there.

 "Thank you, Miguel." Was all the woman said, taking a sip of her coffee. 

 Johnny began to say something, but got distracted as he caught sight of the painting on the counter. "Holy shit, is that Monroe?" He rose from his seat, crossing the room to observe the painting from a closer distance. Jules scowled.

 "Don't touch that with your greasy hands!"

 "Wait, I wanna see-" Miguel tried to swerve his wheelchair around, but instead hit his elbow off the edge of the counter. "OW-"

 "Oh my lord," Jules pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head as Shira coughed to hide her laugh. She ruffled her boyfriends hair, figuring that if he was alright after falling off a staircase and nearly breaking his spine, he would be okay after hitting his funny bone. She walked over to Johnny, snatching the painting from his hands. She held it up next to her face, "see the resemblance?"

 The man shrugged, "I mean... your hair is shorter now, and your form isn't nearly as good as-"

 "Cut me some slack," Shira said from the table, reaching over to pat Miguel's hand as Jules brought the painting over, scooting her chair closer to him as he leaned over to observe the artwork. "I did the hair before she chopped it off." 

 "You painted this?" Johnny and Miguel said in unison, their tones varying levels of disbelief. Miguel framed the face of the painting with his fingers, before turning to do the same to Jules, who grinned and jokingly struck a pose. "Ah, I see." He mused, pursing his lips as if he was an art critic. "You captured her jaw structure perfectly. Very pristine."

 "I don't see as much hateful malice in her eyes, but -" Johnny shrugged, "impressive."

 Shira smiled, pleased. "Thank you."

 "That reminds me-" Miguel reached beside him, snagging the handle of the small giftbag he was carrying earlier. "I got this for you."

 Jules shot him a look. "You know I'm bad at accepting gifts, Diaz."

 "Birthdays are supposed to put people in uncomfortable situations."

 "Fine." Jules turned to shoot her mom a look. The woman got the message, quietly standing up. 

"Johnny, you used to be a maintenance worker, right? I think my TV's improperly bolted to my wall."

 "What?" He pulled a face. "I got fired for being a jackass. I literally had more customer complaints than any other-"

 Shira smacked the back of the man's head, gesturing for him to follow her. He did so with a scowl, turning to point at the teens before he disappeared into the next room. "You better not have birthday plans, Monroe, I need you to help me construct a Facebook message."

 "What? Why?"

 But he didn't answer, as Shira yelled something about pillows at him, and he rolled his eyes and yelled something back. After a few seconds, it was quiet. Jules laughed, turning to face Miguel. "I didn't know Johnny knew that Facebook existed. Or that phones existed. Or modern technology."

 "I don't think he thinks he needs any technology to miraculously cure me," Miguel said, seeming apprehensive as he gestured to his legs. "He had some sort of... rope thing in his living room. To 'teach me how to walk'. I don't know. I'm scared."

 Jules laughed again, leaning forward to place her hands on either side of Miguel's face, kissing him softly. She pulled away with a grin. "I love you."

 He smiled sweetly, "stop trying to change the subject."

 The girl groaned, leaning back in her seat. "Fine!" She pulled the gift bag into her lap, shooting her boyfriend an annoyed look as she pulled out the layer of white tissue paper. She pulled out a small box, opening it without looking at Miguel so he couldn't see how nervous she was. She had a right to be. He was her first boyfriend. It was her first birthday with her first boyfriend. And yet, somehow she was sitting there in her pajamas, with messy hair and probably bad breath; and he was in a wheelchair (also in pajamas) and somehow neither of them cared. Somehow everything was normal, and comfortable, and it didn't feel like her first birthday with her first boyfriend.

 It was a ring. Or a necklace. Jules couldn't tell. Because it looked like a ring - but there was a small silver chain looped through it, so it also looked like a necklace. But Jules didn't really care. Jewelery was cliche, yes, but it wasn't the fact that it was jewelery that made it special. It was the charm. A small, ruby red charm that looked like an hourglass to anyone who wasn't a gigantic nerd. But luckily enough, Jules was, and her voice rose in an excited yell. "Is this the Black Widow symbol?"

 Miguel threw his hands in the air, shouting back with just as much enthusiasm. "Yes!"

"How did - how is that - is this from a special nerd store?" She placed a hand on her chest, trying to ignore how she was trying not to cry. She couldn't help it. It was such a sweet gesture. It was something so her. Not generic, or predictable - her. Bright red with nerdy undertones.

 Miguel grinned, seeming to relax as she hurriedly fastened it around her neck. "No, I called Sam and she told me about this place that does custom - whatever. It doesn't matter. It's technically a ring, but I know you can't really wear rings because you're always punching something, so I got the chain so you can wear it around your neck."

 Once again Jules was overcome with the urge to cry. He had it custom made to fit her violent tendencies. Miguel kept talking.

 "And it's Black Widow. Y'know, 'cause you're Black Widow."

Jules sniffled, and his eyes flew open. "Shit - is something wrong, are you-"

 She reached over and pressed her hand against his mouth. "You are the sweetest human being to ever walk the face of the earth and I don't deserve you."

 He smiled sheepishly as she removed her hand. "Happy birthday, Ana."

 She hugged him, wishing that the stupid wheelchair wasn't in the way as she did so. She wished she could use the magic of birthday wishes to make him okay again; and she wished that her wishes had the ability to come true.

 ***

JULES FINGERED THE RING around her neck and tried to find an equation in which everyone would be happy. 

The one she was leaning toward the most included showing up at Tory's house and smacking her head against a cement doorframe. Or sitting by her window and screaming insults at her until she thought she had some sort of brain disability. Really anything that had the outcome of fighting Tory, Jules would consider a win. It would be justice for Demetri (since Jules knew Tory instigated that fight... but oh, she would have her time with Hawk too), it would make Sam feel better (even though Jules thinks the girl is a big idiot), and it would teach the girl a lesson for starting the fight that got Miguel hurt (although Robby Keene had a knee to his groin coming if she ever saw him again).

 But still, that wouldn't really fix anything. 

 The other ones involved a lot of... peace and reconciliation. Jules wasn't too fond. She could ignore Cobra Kai, and focus her attention on helping her friends heal. She could pretend Sam wasn't an idiot, she could make jokes with Demetri to ignore that their old best friend broke his arm, and she could keep trying to help Miguel get better. But that would make her a faker, and one step closer to being an old fashioned house-wife that used happiness instead of violence. Next thing she knows, she will be in front of a butter churner wearing a skirt made of old plaid handkerchiefs reading Catcher in the Rye. 

 So both of her plans didn't bank very heavily on success. And even so, Jules was thinking of Miguel more than anything else. She wondered what it would be like to wear her ring on her finger - or was that ridiculous? She was seventeen, it's not like she wanted to get married... that really would make her a housewife.

 But still. Sometimes, she had to allow herself to think without piping up with technicalities.

 And that was why she was staring aimlessly into space while her boyfriend dangled from a rope contraption like a gigantic baby. 

"Monroe!" Johnny snapped, his voice somewhat strained from the effort of holding Miguel upright. "Stop being useless!"

 Jules glanced at him, exhaling sharply as she gestured vaguely to the two males. "I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to help this."

   Her boyfriend hung his head with a groan, being held upright by a harness attached to a pulley that somehow managed to hold his weight without buckling. "This is ridiculous." He said, as his cheeks turned pink. And then as if he could read her mind, he added: "I feel like a giant baby."

"The way you're whining and not walking, you might as well be a baby." Johnny shot back, leaning backward as he continued holding the rope.

 Miguel hung his arms dejectedly. "Isn't there a more... badass way we could do this?"

 "You think tapping your foot at a concert makes you ready for badass training?" The man said, as Jules crossed her legs from her spot on the floor. "Your legs are still pussies! Now, are you ready to - Monroe!"

 Jules, who had poked Miguel's ankle, jumped when Johnny shouted at her. "What?"

 "Move, he'll crush you if you stay there."

 Miguel scoffed as Jules hopped to her feet. "Seriously? You're not showing a lot of faith that this will work!" 

 "It's Monroe's birthday, not Christmas." Was the reply. Jules smiled, patting Miguel's cheek as she walked over to stand by Johnny. 

 "If it makes you feel any better, Diaz, I've seen you look dumber."

 He shot her a sarcastic smile. "Thanks, babe, that makes me feel a lot better."

"Ready?" Johnny altered his stance. "Three, two-"

 He let go of the room, and Miguel promptly fell forward, hitting the ground with a dull thump and a resigned sigh. Jules grimaced, and Johnny pinched the bridge of his nose. "Good form on that fall! Uh... let's take five."

 He turned and walked away, leaving Miguel laying on the floor. Jules pulled a face. "Hello? What am I, a nurse?"

 She shoved Miguel's legs to the side and laid down next to him, crossing her hands over her stomach. They laid there in silence for a second, the only sound being Johnny as he rooted around in his fridge. Jules turned on her side, Miguel angling his head so he could look at her. She grinned. "I know a lot of people who would look way less hot after falling on the ground seven times."

 Miguel's face turned red and he groaned, reaching his hands up to cover his face. "Stop trying to flatter me!"

 "Who said anything about flattery?" She teased, jokingly running a finger down his arm. He swatted her away.

 "You're lucky I can't use my legs."

 "I actually feel very unfortunate that-"

 "Hey, Monroe." Johnny appeared in the room, and Miguel turned red again as if he just walked in on them making out. "You're a girl. Let me get your opinion on something." He grabbed his laptop from where it was resting on the coffee table, and propped it open; dropping it onto her lap, "what do you think about this email?"

 Jules' eyes scanned the words, a disbelieving laugh in her throat. "Is this an email or the first draft of your newest novel?"

 Miguel's eyes widened as he watched Jules scrowl down the gigantic paragraph. "Who is that to?"

 Johnny seemed embarrassed, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Babe from high school. Ali."

 Jules didn't think anything of it, but Miguel gasped and shot the older man an excited look. "Ali? Like, the Ali?" Johnny nodded, seeming proud as Miguel grined. "This is huge!"

 Jules sat up straighter, crossing her arms. She shot her counterparts an annoyed scowl, undoing the braids in her hair. "She's obviously not that important. Who the hell is this, some chick that you gave relationship issues to? Why have I never heard of her?"

 "Because, you already judge me for everything I do," Johnny shot back, as Miguel struggled to lead on his elbows. "I don't need you giving me shit for my past relationships."

 The girl raised her eyebrows. "So I'm right?"

 "I mean..." Miguel cast a cautious glance at the computer, obviously trying not to ruin Johnny's mood. "You're... you're not gonna send that, right?"

 At the silence he received, Miguel shook his head. He reached over and grabbed the laptop from Jules, holding it to his chest as his back fell against the ground. He laid like that - as if he was a corpse and Johnny's sketchy laptop were his roses - and shot the man a look. "You cannot send that!"

 "Why not?"

 "Because it's like, eighty pages! In all caps!"

 Johnny wrestled the laptop out of Miguel's arms. "I had thirty-five years worth of stuff to say!"

 Jules crossed her legs, running her hands through her hair as Miguel tried to make a convincing point whilst laying on the ground like an unattended baby. "Well, yeah, but shorter messages are way cooler. Like, this just looks desperate... and a little creepy."

 Jules kicked his arm. "You once sent me a text that took me ten minutes to read about whether or not turtles could survive in a sandstorm."

 He didn't seem deterred. "Well, yeah. Can they go into their shells? Or would the sand get in the little holes and choke them? And that doesn't matter anyway - you're already my girlfriend, I don't have to be cool anymore."

 The girl's eyes widened, "anymore?"

 "See," Johnny crossed his arms, "Monroe doesn't have a problem with my message."

 Her eyebrows furrowed. "Uh, yeah I do, JR Tolkien. I know for a fact that much didn't happen in your life in thirty-five years. This would be like if you scrolled through her posts and liked all her photos."

 Johnny opened his mouth as if to say something back, but decided against it at the last minute. He settled with taking a swig of his beer and averting his gaze. Jules and Miguel turned, sharing a look. The boy grimaced. "Oh no."

 "What the hell?" Johnny demanded, aggressively gesturing to the computer. "I enjoyed the photos! There's a button for exactly that, why wouldn't I click it?"

 Miguel put his hands on his head. "Because she can see that!"

 "I got amped up, okay? Look - she put a smiley face! It's even got little red cheeks. Does that mean she's gettin' hot? Feelin' hot? What am I supposed to do with that?"

 Jules rose to her feet, turning to leave the room. She wasn't particularly interested in Johnny's terrible social media presence, and she was thirsty. She grabbed one of the apple juice boxes that she made him buy, and glanced at her phone when it buzzed in her pocket. It was a text, from Sam: happy birthday, lia, sorry for the late text. i hope your day is amazing! love you!

 Jules pulled a face, vaguely hearing Johnny and Miguel continue to yell at each other from the other room. She wondered if Sam was sitting in her room, completely freaked out of her mind. It would make sense, considering the fact that she did enough stupid shit (that Jules warned her was stupid, mind you) and got Demetri's arm broken. Well, of course, that wasn't her fault. Not really. It was Hawks. But Jules was so upset about him that it was easier to feel annoyed at Sam. 

 But then she felt guilty. Why would she blame Sam? What was Sam trying to do except for help? She should really be blaming Tory. It was Tory's fault that everything was so shitty anyway. Cobra Kai was insane, and Tory encouraged that insane-ness; so it fucked with everyone involved. All Tory. Tory, Tory, Tory-

 Jules paused, running a hand through her messy hair. She forgot how short it was. She remembered when she cut it; how she took handfuls of it until she knew it would be hard to grab. A defense. 

 Her shoulder hurt. 

 Probably psychosomatic. She rotated it, and then touched the faint line of a scar above her lip. She wondered if anything would be normal again.

 "Monroe!" Johnny's head popped into the kitchen. He shot her a confused look. "What are you doing?"

 Jules glanced down, blinking slowly as she realized that she accidentally crushed the juice box in her hand, and the liquid was now dripping down her fist. The stickiness helped bring her back to the present, and she grimaced. "Shit... what?"

 "We're gonna build me a facebook page." He announced proudly. "Gotta go take some pictures. Come help me lug Miguel into his wheelchair."

 Jules sighed, but obliged nonetheless. A distraction was needed. She couldn't stop doing this - getting lost in thought and revenge fantasies. This was real life. Not some fight she had to win.

 There was no fight she had to win. 

 ***

HER BIRTHDAY WAS GETTING better again.

 After spending a few hours taking pictures of Johnny next to random street art, Jules was cheered up. Watching her Sensei pretend to be capable of deep thought really brought her out of her dark place. She even got Miguel to take one of her and Johnny posing with a fake Mona Lisa. It was all very weird.

 Now, they were sitting at a sushi restaurant. Jules liked sushi, so she pretended that was why they were there. It was probably because Johnny's internet-crush liked sushi - which, admittedly, was funnier. He was five seconds away from having a new identity.

 Johnny stabbed the roll with his chopsticks. "What is this shit?"

 "It's a dragon roll," Miguel explained, seemingly on his last straw after putting up with Johnny's crap all day. "Its avocado, and cucumber, and snow crab, with unagi on top."

 Jules ate one of the rolls, putting a hand over her mouth as she chewed. Johnny glanced at her, so she glared back. "What?"

 "You actually eat this crap?"

 "Sorry it's not flavoured like beer and old ramen."

 "Whatever." He put his napkin down. "I'm gonna go see if they have any small cakes. Monroe, do you like matcha?"

 She shrugged, secretly pleased by the gesture. "I don't know."

 "Well, you're getting it." He stood up, his chair scratching against the stone tile. He gave the two a small salute, "don't let him roll away."

 The door to the shop opened and closed with the jingle of a bell. The air was sweet, and warm, and a breeze flitted through the dining area and ruffled Miguel's hair. The sunlight was natural, and in that moment - unpoised - Jules appreciated it. She was hit with the sudden deep urge to display affection, and then mentally slapped herself in the face. This wasn't exactly the place to confess her undying love for her already-boyfriend.

 She settled with a smile. He glanced at her, acting bashful - like they were still strangers meeting in a corner store. "What?"

 "Nothing." She shot back, her tone naturally defensive. But Miguel knew that. He knew her favorite color, and her favorite super-hero, and her favorite kind of sushi. He knew that she yelled out things that she didn't mean, and he was pulled closer by her pushing away. How was that real? 

 He leaned his elbow against the arm of his wheelchair, and tilted his head toward her like a dog. The thought made her laugh. "I'm just really happy you're here."

 "Where else would I be?"

 He got her there. Miguel may know that she likes the fall more than the summer, and sometimes purposely smudges her eyeliner, but he didn't know that she had never spent a birthday with anyone other than her mom. At least not anyone else worthwhile.

 She reached over and pinched his cheek. "Thank you, Diaz. Seriously."

 He swatted her hand away, but grabbed her wrist as she started to withdraw. He pressed a kiss against her knuckles, and when he looked at her; she swore she didn't care about anything else. "I love you."

 Her cheeks felt hot, and she was still grinning like an idiot. "I love y-"

 Her voice trailed off. All of a sudden, she wasn't looking at Miguel anymore. She was locked in a different sort of staring contest. One that was sharp, and malicious, and had an undertone of unspoken words and bruised jaws.

 Jules shot out of her seat. 

 In an instant, she had taken a step forward, and so had the girl on the other end of the knife. Tory seemed like she didn't fully know what to do. She hesitated, her gaze switching between Jules, Miguel, and the door to the sushi restaurant. And that only made sense when Jules noted the apron peeking out from the other girls bag.

 She couldn't help it. "Did they fire you from the roller rink for being a conniving bitch?"

 The glare she received was lethal, but watered down. Tory kept looking at Miguel - more specifically, his wheelchair. Jules knew it would be best to sit down and not start anything, but the anger she had been harbouring was starting to spill out of her mouth like vomit. She had to talk shit or she would potentially die. "You like the accessory? Thanks a lot for that."

 The blonde scoffed, "I had nothing to do with that."

 Jules would've walked forward and slapped her upside the head, but Miguel slipped his hand into hers and held it firmly. She was so furious she actually couldn't speak. Tory did instead. "I'm sorry."

 She was speaking to Miguel, obviously, and the boy froze. He seemed to be on a similar page as Jules, but he was choked by confusion and uncertainty instead of anger. It was that weird silence that made tears spring to Jules's eyes. She didn't know why - she wasn't exactly a crier. 

She spun around and plopped herself into the seat that Johnny was previously occupying. Facing Miguel, away from Tory. She folded her hands on the table, and stared straight ahead. She was so upset that she didn't know what emotion she was feeling. Anger, hurt, guilt - they all blended into one. A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away; hopefully before Miguel saw. 

He reached over and took her hand, muttering a quiet, "she's gone." But Jules didn't really care. She just ducked her head and spoke in a whisper so quiet she wasn't sure if Miguel could even hear. 

 "Felonies to a minimum."

 ***

JULES LAID ON THE GROUND and covered her eyes with her hands.

 In all honesty, the only thought crossing her mind was: "what are the fucking odds?" What are the chances of her seeing Tory for the first time since That Day on the day that was supposed to be happy for Jules? Birthdays were an excuse to celebrate a person. And lately, Jules didn't have a lot to celebrate, so she supposed she thought it would be nice to be the center of attention for a reason that wasn't negative (or violent) for once in her life. 

 Instead, all she got were rage-tears and tense silence as she tried to calm her heartbeat and her mind. 

And Johnny was seriously not helping.

"So what, a bitch that fought you at school showed up, who gives a shit? Don't let it ruin your birthday." He crooned, leaning back on his heels to hold Miguel upright. "Tory was never as good as you anyway, just man up and let her keep being a freak."

 Jules scowled, rubbing her eyes. "Terrible advice."

"Well you have a terrible attitude." The man shot back. "Cobra Kai was a mistake. I get that now. But the fight at school-"

"It's so much more than just a stupid fight at school!" Jules shouted, sitting up so she could glare at the man. She could feel the redness of her cheeks, and wished she could gain some perspective so her anger didn't seem so consuming. Still, that was an activity for another time. "She was fucking with me since the day we met - she almost killed Miguel!"

 Johnny crossed his arms, biting the inside of his cheek. She knew what he was thinking, but didn't dare say it aloud. Robby was the real one who nearly killed Miguel. And now he's gone. And yet, somehow, he's still Johnny's son. 

 But Jules couldn't say that. So instead, she said; "plus, she's just annoying."

 "Whatever, Monroe."

 "At least they don't all think I'm some little bitch," she scoffed, crossing her arms. "At least I fought for what I believe in, instead of letting some old dinosaur take over my dojo and turn it into some breeding ground for psychotic assholes-"

"Quiet!" Johnny snapped, and out of habit, Jules averted her gaze and pressed her lips together. She knew she was picking a fight, and she knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. Cobra Kai had become such a mess. Something important to her had become something awful. And it hurt her to look at it the same way she did before.

 Miguel muttered something under his breath. Johnny rose his eyebrows, "you got something to say?"

 "You be quiet." Miguel repeated in a louder voice. Jules couldn't help but gape in surprise, and Johnny seemed to be on a similar page. The silence seemed to invigorate Miguel, as he re-started Jules's yelling match, and spoke in a loud voice. "You let Kreese, Tory, Hawk, everyone think you're weak!"

"Because it was a mistake to begin with!" Johnny retorted, pointing a finger in Miguel's face. "I should've never brought back Cobra Kai. Look what happened."

  The boy scoffed. "What happened, is you helped a bunch of people and then walked away like a pussy."

 Jules somehow managed to find her voice. "You really think I wouldn't be in juvie or some shit if it weren't for Cobra Kai?"

 Johnny laughed. "Please, Monroe, I've gotten you closer to juvie than you'll ever be again in your life. And you were the one who kept on provoking Kreese anyway."

 "Because he was a psycho!"

 "And why do you even care?" Johnny demanded, gesturing to Miguel. "You were screwed over the most out of all of us!"

 "You know what? I do care!" He snapped, his hair messy from having fallen on his face so many times. "And you can't be talking. Jules was the only one with the balls to actually leave Cobra Kai!"

"And at least I'm not sitting here pretending it never happened, I'd rather be a sulky bitch than a faker."

 "And you're a Sensei!" Miguel narrowed his eyes, "it's who you are. If you can't see that, you're blind."

The silence was biting. Jules had risen to her feet at some point during their little scene, and her nails had dug crescent moons in the soft skin of her palms. The three just stood there for a minute, awkward now that they had all made their individual points. Jules oddly felt better now. It felt good to speak her mind, like it had cleared up new space in her brain. 

Johnny broke the silence. "Miguel-" he mumbled, his gaze trained on the ground. Jules thought for the briefest of seconds that he was nervously averting his gaze; but then realized that made no sense, and followed his gaze. She felt a sharp jolt in her chest, like she had just gone over a bump on a rollercoaster, but any anxiety was instead replaced by a swell in her chest so big it almost hurt.

Miguel was standing. 

 It took him a second to realize it. Johnny had dropped the support wire he had been holding, so that Miguel was completely standing on his own. Naturally, albeit weighed down slightly by the bulky harness. Jules covered her mouth with her hand and laughed as his eyes darted over to her, wide and confused - as if he couldn't believe what was happening. 

 "Happy birthday to Jules!" He yelled; pure, unfiltered happiness on his face. Jules felt it too; and she realized with a start that she didn't even feel guilty about it. She jumped at him and wrapped her arms around his middle. His arms fit around her waist perfectly; as if they were puzzle pieces that had never even been broken apart.

 "Happy birthday to Jules," she repeated; laughing exuberantly.

 "Hell yeah!" Johnny ran over to the two, wrapping his arms around them to the best of his abilities. "Happy birthday to Jules!" He leaned his head back and laughed; and Jules did the same. 

 She would remember this birthday forever. 

a/n:

uhhhh it's long?? ur welcome??

jk i'm sorry. it's been forever. my brain and life are scrambled, i have nothing to say for myself. anyway...

this is very long and very unedited sooo

yay chapter!!! happy bday jules!! i wanna update this more bc i wanna finish it so i'm caught up, but also bc i LOVE jules and miguel. i project what i want in a relationship in them. 

tell me what you think! and tell me all your thoughts about this book! i wanna hear everything!

lots of love!