❝ there's a reason we're nova and tory! ❞

―

NOVA HELD ONTO TORY'S HAND AS THEY WALKED THROUGH VALLEY FEST.

Attending Valley Fest together was a tradition that the two girls had started ever since they became friends when they met at the park at age seven. From that moment on, there was not a day that went by where the two girls were not together. Even though they attended separate schools, every free moment they had was spent in each other's company. But now, after Tory moved into a smaller apartment and Nova's family into a new house, they would both be attending West Valley High once school started back up.

On the other side of Tory stood her little brother, Brandon. He gripped tightly onto Tory's other hand, being pulled towards the game booths along with Nova. Brandon had been eyeing a large stuffed bear ever since they arrived at Valley Fest. Tory had promised him that they would circle back around after they had gotten on some of the rides.

The game was a simple one. All you had to do was throw darts at all of the balloons to claim a prize. Tory was able to do it with ease, winning the bear for her little brother. The man behind the booth pulled the stuffed animal down and handed it to Tory.

She held it out in front of him. "There you go, little man."

Brandon grinned from ear to ear as he reached for the bear, reaching forward to hug Tory tightly. The bear was smushed between the two siblings.

Nova couldn't help but smile at them. Her own sister, Halley, was somewhere around. She was with their mother and her own friends, likely complaining about how uncool it was to have your mother following you everywhere. But didn't every twelve-year-old girl feel that way?

"So, what's next?" Nova questioned, looking back and forth at the Nichols siblings.

"I was thinking we could get some cotton candy," Tory suggested, glancing down at her brother. "What do you think, B-Man?"

Brandon nodded his head eagerly. Tory smiled at him and reached out her hand. Brandon grabbed it, holding onto the oversized stuffed bear with his free arm as best he could. Nova followed after them to the booth that was spinning cotton candy.

They waited in line. When they got to the front, the man spun the cotton candy around on a paper cone and then handed it to Brandon. Tory paid, and then the three of them took a seat at a nearby picnic table so that Brandon could eat his cotton candy.

As the boy finished, he held the paper cone out to Tory. She took it from him and stood up to find a trash can to toss it in. Nova sat on the bench next to Brandon, engaging with him about his new stuffed animal.

"Do you have any names picked out yet?" Nova asked.

Brandon shrugged in response. He was a very quiet boy, not speaking much ever since his and Tory's mom started to get sick. Brandon's doctor had said that he was experiencing what was known as selective mutism. The doctor assured Tory that the best thing to do was not pressure him into talking but to engage in conversation with him to help elicit a response.

"I think it should be something space-related," Nova told the boy. "But maybe I'm biased since both me and my sister have space names."

Brandon looked down at the stuffed animal and then up at Nova.

"Do you want the bear to have a space name?" Nova asked, receiving a nod in response. "Hmm, okay. Let me think. Nod when you hear one you like, okay?"

Brandon nodded his head.

"Okay, let's see. There's Star, Comet, Cosmo, and Luna. Um...Orion, Stella, Andromeda—you can call it Andy for short."

Brandon nodded his head, smiling at her.

"Okay then," Nova smiled at him as she reached for the bear's paw and shook it. "It's very nice to meet you, Andromeda the Bear. Andy for short."

Brandon let out a soft giggle. Tory walked back up to them, smiling at the sound of her brother's laughter.

"Hey, it's getting kind of late," Tory pointed out. "We should go find your mom and head home."

Nova nodded her head. "Yeah. Let's go. Come on, Brandon. Andy."

"Andy?" Tory questioned, grabbing Brandon by the hand.

"That's the name of his bear," Nova informed her as they started walking. "I suggested that it should have a space name, and so I gave him some options, and he decided on Andromeda. Andy for short."

Tory smiled down at her brother. "That's a great name."

Brandon just smiled. Nova grabbed Tory's other hand, and the three of them walked around the fairgrounds in search of Nova's mother, Elaine.

They walked past the stage, where a soft beat, followed by a melody of music, began to play. Brandon tugged at Tory's arm, pointing to the side where an orange backdrop decorated with a tree was displayed.

"Do you want to go watch?" Tory asked.

Brandon nodded his head and began to pull his older sister by the arm.

"Okay, okay," Tory agreed.

Brandon smiled, and Tory allowed herself to be pulled to the side. She tugged Nova with her. The three of them joined the crowd, watching as three people wearing white karate gis—an older man, a boy, and a girl—began to perform a routine.

Nova watched in amazement as the man wielded around a bo staff, fighting off the two teenagers. She could not take her eyes away from the stage. Nova found her eyes gravitating towards the brunette girl on the stage. She was quite possibly the most beautiful girl Nova had ever laid her eyes on. A soft smile appeared on Nova's face as the girl turned and looked out into the crowd.

"Now for the grand finale," the older man announced.

He left the stage for a split second, returning with a cart with blocks of ice layered on top. The music came to a sudden halt. An electric buzz rang out as the sound system was powered off. Nova and Tory exchanged a confused look. Brandon tugged on Tory's hand as a way of asking her what was happening.

"Cobra Kai!"

Nova turned her head at the sound of the repetitive chant, noticing another dojo running onto the stage across the way. The crowd began to disperse, with the other dojo drawing their attention with their rock music and mesmerizing stage lights. Nova turned her head back to the Miyagi-Do stage, her eyes settling on the brunette girl, who now stared at the Cobra Kai students in disbelief.

Brandon tugged on Tory's hand once more, pulling her in the direction of Cobra Kai. He pulled her arm as hard as he could, causing the two girls to be dragged over to the other stage. Nova glanced over her shoulder, her eyes falling on the Miyagi-Do girl. For a brief moment, as she was pulled away, Nova could have sworn that she saw her staring down at her.

Nova turned her head as they joined the crowd. The Cobra Kai students stood on the stage, showing off their moves and breaking boards as sparks shot up around them. The crowd went wild cheering for them, but Nova could not help but feel a deep sense of sadness for the other dojo.

As the sensei on the stage punched through blocks of stone lit on fire, Nova glanced at Tory. The girl had a smile on her face, and her eyes widened in amazement. Nova looked down at Brandon, seeing the same look of wonder written all over his face.

Nova had to admit that the skills of Cobra Kai were rather impressive. But she couldn't help but feel bad for the other dojo. Their spotlight had been stolen right out from underneath them.

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The next afternoon, Nova sat on her bed with Tory across from her. Nova was painting Tory's nails a deep midnight black. The girl could not stop talking about Cobra Kai's demonstration at Valley Fest. From the second that she had arrived at the Warren house, Tory had been going on and on about how much fun it would be if they joined.

"Come on, Nova!" Tory tried to convince her. "Haven't you always wanted to learn to kick ass?"

Nova shook her head, continuing to paint Tory's thumb nail. "Why do I need to learn to kick ass when I have you? And what do you need karate for anyway? Didn't you take those boxing classes down at the Y?"

"Yeah, but I think it'll be fun." Tory shrugged. "And besides, what are you going to do if one day I'm not around to kick everyone's ass for you?"

Nova scoffed. "As if that'll ever happen."

Nova placed the applicator brush back into the bottle of nail polish. She screwed it on and then placed the bottle on her nightstand.

"Can you at least humor me this once?" Tory asked, sticking her bottom lip out into a pout. "You've got to come with me! I haven't done anything without you since I was seven. There's a reason we're Nova and Tory! You can't have one without the other."

Tory grabbed Nova's hands and began begging. "Please? Please, please, please. I won't stop until you say yes."

Nova rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if I hate it, I'm not going back, no matter how much you beg me."

Tory squealed and let go of Nova's hands before pulling her into a tight hug.

"When's the next practice?" Nova asked when Tory let go of her.

"In about two hours," Tory responded.

Nova's eyes widened. "You've already looked into this, haven't you?" She pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You knew I'd end up saying yes!"

Tory shrugged her shoulders. "It's not my fault you can't say no to me."

"Mean," Nova said, crossing her arms, and she tilted her head to look up at the ceiling. "Just plain mean."

"Aw, come on, you know you love me," Tory said as she playfully hit Nova in the shoulder.

Nova tried as hard as she could to keep a straight face. But she couldn't help but laugh. Tory started to laugh along with her. The sounds of their laughter echoed through the room.

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Two hours later, Nova stood in the back of the Cobra Kai dojo next to Tory. The room was full of new recruits that had seen the demonstration at Valley Fest, hooping to claim a spot amongst the Cobras. Nova found herself wondering if the other dojo was experiencing a surge in enrollment or if Cobra Kai's interruption had squandered their chances of bringing in new students.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Nova sighed, crossing her arms.

"You'll be fine, Nov," Tory replied.

Nova sighed in response, scanning the room. She had an uneasy feeling about the words on the wall in front of her. Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy. That seemed like an awfully interesting mantra to instill in the heads of impressionable teenagers.

"Listen up!" a blonde man shouted. "I see we've got some new recruits. Everybody fall in. In neat rows and lines."

Nova and Tory claimed a spot in the very back, hidden by the rows of individuals taller than them.

"Time to see what you're made of." The blonde sensei made his way through the rows. "Straighten up, ginger twins."

Nova furrowed her eyebrows as she watched him keep walking as he observed the new recruits. He stopped in front of an older man who was dressed in a blue t-shirt and a matching bandana.

"Sorry, parents can't stay for class. It's an insurance thing."

"I'm not a dad. I..." the man responded, pausing to pick up his head and speak more confidently, "I am here to kick some ass, sir!"

Nova leaned in closer to Tory. "What's this sensei's name again?"

In the two hours that they waited for the class to start, the two girls had done their research on Cobra Kai. But Nova could not, for the life of her, remember his name.

"Johnny Lawrence," Tory whispered back.

Nova nodded her head and then faced forward, watching as Johnny made his way back up to the front.

"I thought my last group of recruits was pathetic," Johnny said. "But if you do what I tell you to do, you'll at least have a chance of becoming a fighter. But to do that, you gotta fight. So, which one of you has the balls to take on the champ?"

Nova glanced around the room, waiting to see how she would step up to the plate. The dojo was completely silent. Nova turned her head to look at Tory. She could see the gears in Tory's head turning as she thought about rising to the challenge. Tory turned her head, looking at her best friend. Nova shook her head at her, but Tory did not listen.

Tory's voice broke the silence. "I'll take him on."

A split in the rows caused the attention to shift to Tory.

"Oh, you will, huh?" Johnny asked her.

"I saw your little demo at Valley Fest," Tory spoke confidently, holding her head high. "You guys can put on a show. Can you actually fight?"

Nova wished right then and there that she could just sink into the mat.

"That sounds like a challenge," Johnny responded as he walked up to Tory.

Nova took a few steps to the side, not wanting the attention to fall on her.

"I like a challenge," Tory replied, her confidence soaring.

"Mr. Diaz," Johnny said, walking away from her. "Show Little Miss Hotshot here what Cobra Kai is all about."

A tan-skinned boy stepped out of the line as the rest of the students dispersed to the edge of the mat. Nova quickly turned around and stepped off to the side, watching as Tory stood in front of the boy with pure confidence radiating off of her.

"Look, are you sure that you wanna do—"

The boy's sentence was cut abruptly as Tory launched an attack against him, kicking him in the chest. Gasps spread throughout the dojo. Nova's eyes widened in shock as she watched the boy stumble.

"All right," the Diaz boy said to Tory. "Game on."

He got into fighting position. Nova chewed on her nails nervously, chipping away at her yellow painted nails as she watched her friend send punches flying towards the boy. He was quick to dodge her attempts. Tory extended her leg forward to kick the boy, but he grabbed her leg mid-air and tugged her to the ground. Nova winced as Tory's back hit the mat.

Tory rolled back up onto her feet, continuing to fight the boy in front of her. Tory wasted no time sending another punch the Diaz boy's way.

"You're telegraphing," he told Tory, kicking her in the abdomen and causing her to fall to the mat. "Don't let me see it coming."

Tory tackled the boy to the ground and stood back on her feet, looking down at him. "Did you see that coming?"

The Diaz boy locked Tory's leg between his own and yanked her to the ground. Tory fell, her back hitting the mat with a thud.

"Maybe," he replied as he stood up, holding his hand out in front of Tory. "My name's Miguel."

"Tory." She grabbed Miguel's hand, twisting his arm to flip him over her back. "With a Y."

Nova smiled at her best friend, cheering for her along with the rest of the Cobra Kai students. Tory was tough. She always had been. No matter what life seemed to throw at her.

— EMILIA'S NOTES

first chapter! let me hear your thoughts :)

nova & tory's friendship is just so cute. i can't wait to ruin it...😈

also i'm giving brandon more of a story in this fic because literally why do we only see him that one time and then he's only mentioned? like where is he?? where does he go?