Chapter Forty Five
Primadonna

MIGUEL TAPPED HIS foot anxiously on the grassy ground beneath him. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his shorts and looked around the open area of the park.

"Diaz, is she coming or not?" Johnny asked loudly.

"I-I don't know, sensei," he hesitated. "She hadn't answered my texts. I think she's still at dance."

"She'll probably make a surprise appearance," Mitch chimed.

Bert nodded. "It's kinda her thing."

Miguel frowned slightly. "I don't know guys. Syd's just really not that interested in karate. I can't change her mind."

Johnny sighed. "Guess we'll have to start without her. Sorry kid,"

Miguel have a slight nod in sadness. He would be lying if he said Sydney not showing up hurt because it did. He wasn't mad, of course he wasn't, but he wanted so badly for the two of them to do karate together that he couldn't push the thought out of his head.

"This is day one," Johnny started. "We've been here before. But things are different now. They tried to tear us down. It didn't work! They said we needed a roof and four walls. Screw that!"

"Starting without me?" An accent rang in the air.

Miguel broke into a smile when he saw Sydney appear behind the bush. Her hair was still tied up from dance and she was sweating, but she was here and Miguel felt happier.

"Told you." Bert said from the back.

Johnny threw his hands up. "About time, Frenchy!"

"Don't give me an attitude!" She snapped when she walked up to them. "I have to immediately drive from dance to here and I was going 85 the whole way. I haven't had a chance to shower either,"

"Whatever," Johnny rolled his eyes. "join the crew."

Sydney went and stood by Miguel and he looked down at her, smiling. "What?"

He shrugged. "I just love you."

She went red,  blaming it on the heat, and she grinned. "I know."

"Anyways, what was I saying?  Oh yeah, screw that!" Johnny continued. "This park will be our new dojo. Cause you don't need a dojo to be a dojo! Is that understood?"

"Yes sensei!" Everyone besides Sydney shouted.

She looked at them weirdly.

"Sydney?" Johnny said.

"Do I have to?" She whined.

They only stared at her in waiting and she rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat. "Yes sensei!"

Miguel high fived her.

"I started Cobra Kai with one nerd," the man pointed at Miguel, making him pull a face. "This is a step up."

"Sort of," the Brit mumbled.

"And if we're gonna be taken seriously, we need a name that commands respect. A name that elicits lower and dominance. Cobras are strong. They may be the kind of the jungle, but the world's more than just a jungle. And there's only one animal. . . that can kill a snake,"

"A mongoose?" Bert questioned.

"A real animal, Bert," Johnny denied.

Sydney narrowed her eyes and shared a look with the younger boy that was standing on the other side of her.

Johnny glanced at all of them and reached into the box behind him. He pulled out a t shirt. "Welcome. . . to Eagle Fang Karate!"

The shirt had a picture of an Eagle with bloody fangs and the words Eagle Fang Karate were under it in bold letters.

"Uh, Eagles don't have fangs—"

Johnny threw the shirt at Mitch,  cutting him off.  He began throwing them at everyone else.  Sydney caught one and stared at it in disgust.  "There's no way I'm wearing this,"

"If you're gonna be part of the action,  you gotta participate like everyone else,"  Johnny informed.

She gave him a look.  "I can participate without looking like a dork,"  she glanced at everyone around her.  "No offense."

"Either wear it or go home."  Johnny stated bluntly.

"No!"  Miguel immediately butted in.  He looked at his girlfriend with pleading eyes.  "Sydney,"

She gave him a look that said over her dead body.  He narrowed his eyes at her. She narrowed hers back.

The others were looking at them oddly as they had a conversation in their head.

After a couple minutes, Sydney sighed heavily in annoyance. "Fine!"

All of them out on the shirts and Sydney crossed her arms, irritated.

"All right, everybody, fall in!" Johnny shouted.

Hawk and the students from Cobra Kai appeared behind the bush. "Sensei, look," Miguel said.

Johnny turned around and when he saw them, he chuckled. "Still got it. All right, everybody, looks like our class just got bigger. Make room,"

"I'd rather not," Sydney said flatly, glaring at Hawk.

Miguel nudged her in the ribs.

Tory and Kyler appeared and that's when Sydney had enough. "No way,"

"Sydney—"

"No Miguel, I'm not doing this if she's here," she hissed at him through her teeth. "I'm serious."

But before anything could happen, Kreese appeared and Sydney knew they weren't here to join the dojo. Sydney glared at Tory and dug her nails in Miguel's arm. Anger coursed in her veins.

"I told you.  Cobra Kai for life."  Hawk said obnoxiously.

Sydney laughed sarcastically.  "You're so lucky I'm wearing tennis shoes,"

Johnny and Kreese stood face to face.  "Don't worry,  Johnny.  I'm not here for a fight,"  Kreese stated and took off his sunglasses.

"Yeah?  Then why the hell are you here?"  Johnny asked angrily.

"I'd like to make you another offer to come back to Cobra Kai where you belong,"

The audacity.

"You're crazy if you think I'm ever teaming up with you again,"  Johnny denied.  "The garbage you're feeding them,  the shit they're pulling,  it's messed up.  You're to blame for that."

"I have to disagree with you there,"  Kreese objected.  "I care about my students.  They're strong and they're true fighters."

Sydney scoffed.  "Yeah,  okay."

The Cobra Kai students sent her glares but she stared at them dead in the face.  Her eyes were cold and stone like.  She was angry.  If looks could kill,  one of them in particular would be dead.

"They wouldn't make the mistake of showing mercy and ending up in a coma!"

Sydney had enough.  She stepped forward.  "Hey!"

Miguel quickly grabbed her.  The Cobra Kai students stepped forward when she did,  making the Eagle Fangs take a step forward in her defense. 

Kreese had his students step back and he looked at Johnny again.  "This is it,  Johnny.  There's not gonna be another chance."

"Good,"  Johnny declared through his teeth. 

"You made your choice,"  said Kreese.  He pointed a finger at him.  "And you're gonna regret it."

The Cobra Kai dojo left and Sydney glared at their backs.  She was still in Miguel's hold.  "I need to hit something,"  she broke out of Miguel's arms and walked in the other direction.

"What-wait,  Sydney,  where are you going?"  Miguel shouted after her.

She kept walking.  "Give me a second!"

They watched her walk away toward a tree.  Johnny looked at Miguel.  "Should we stop her?"

They heard a loud battle cry and quickly looked back to see Sydney kicking a tree as hard as she could with her foot.

"Nope."  They all said in unison.

Miguel held a bag of ice to Sydney's foot.  "Still hurts?"

Sydney was laid on her bed with arms above her head.  "No.  I wish I kicked the tree harder."

He chuckled.  "What did that tree do to you?"

"I was imagining it was Kreese face,"  she seethed.  She threw her arms down by her side.  "ugh,  I can't fucking stand any of them."

"I know.  But hey,"  he said,  making her turn her head to the side.  "Thank you for standing up for me."

Her anger wore off.  "Of course.  I'm your girlfriend.  That's what we do,"

He smiled and leaned down,  kissing her forehead.  "I still can't believe you showed up."

"You know the only reason I did was for you,  right?"  She asked with raised eyebrows.

He smirked.  "The only reason?"

"Yep,"  she replied and popped the p.  "Because you wouldn't quit asking.  I was starting to feel bad for you."

"Oh,  is that right?"

Sydney smirked.  "That's right."

Miguel threw the bag of ice down and climbed on top of her,  tickling her sides with his fingers.  She laughed loudly.  "Okay,  okay!  Stop—Miguel!  MIGUEL!"

Miguel only laughed at her struggling and ran his fingers up and down her sides and across her stomach.  Her face turned bright red from laughter.  "Stop it,  please!  Please!"

"Oay,  okay,"  he laughed and stop tickling her.  He remained hovering over her and kissed her lips gently.  "I love you."

"I love you too,  my very annoying lover."

Can we Sydney an award for always sticking up for her man???