TW: Use of homophobic language

Anthony woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring, the shrill ring echoing through his room. He groaned, slamming his hand down on the snooze button and rolling over, staring up at the ceiling. He had barely slept, thanks to thoughts of Kenny and their forced poetry project swirling in his mind. Just thinking about Kenny’s smug grin and Carissa hanging off his arm made Anthony’s fists clench in frustration. He had no idea how he’d get through this school project without wanting to punch the guy.

Dragging himself out of bed, Anthony went through his morning routine: shower, brush teeth, throw on a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. He’d long since given up on putting much effort into his appearance at school—he was nothing like his sister Sam, who seemed to wake up with her hair already perfect and her clothes picked out in some unspoken but obvious system. By the time he’d trudged downstairs, his parents, Johnny and Daniel, were already sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffee.

Johnny looked up from his mug. “Morning, kiddo. You alright?”

Anthony plastered on a tired smile. “Yeah, just… school.” He didn’t want to tell them about the project with Kenny. If he mentioned it, he’d have to explain the whole situation, which would just lead to more questions and the inevitable argument between his dads over how to handle it.

Daniel gave him a gentle pat on the back. “Just try to find some balance. You’ll get through it.”

And there it was. Anthony rolled his eyes internally but forced himself to nod. “Yeah, Dad. Balance. Got it.”

Johnny smirked. “If you need any pointers on dealing with kids who act up, just let me know,” he said, with a wink. “No one knows high school drama better than me.”

“Thanks, but I’ll manage,” Anthony mumbled. He wasn’t interested in getting any advice, especially the kind Johnny would offer.

He scarfed down a quick breakfast, exchanged hugs with his parents, and headed out with Sam. The walk to school was uneventful; Sam chatted about her upcoming midterms and how she was thinking of joining another club to improve her college applications. Anthony nodded along, his mind elsewhere.

The school day itself blurred by, class after class drifting into each other as he tried to shake the tension he’d been carrying. By lunchtime, he was drained. He met up with his friend Devon in the cafeteria, where they grabbed a table by the windows.

Devon nudged him, eyeing him over her sandwich. “Hey, you okay? You’ve been kind of quiet.”

Anthony forced a shrug, feeling the familiar frustration bubbling up. “Yeah. Just dealing with stuff.”

Devon gave him a knowing look but didn’t push. She’d been his best friend long enough to know when he didn’t want to talk about things. They ate in relative silence, just enjoying the break from the day’s routine.

But then, Anthony spotted Kenny walking toward them. He was alone, which was odd—Kenny was always flanked by a group of his Cobra Kai friends, ready to laugh at whatever insult he threw Anthony’s way. Anthony tensed, instinctively bracing for whatever Kenny was going to throw at him.

Kenny came to a stop in front of their table, crossing his arms as he glared down at Anthony. “Hey, Lawrence. We need to talk.”

Anthony raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

“Just follow me,” Kenny said, his tone cold and uninviting.

Anthony glanced at Devon, who gave him a cautious look. “You don’t have to go, you know,” she whispered.

But something about Kenny’s request made Anthony curious. Reluctantly, he got up and followed him, his heart thudding as he trailed behind Kenny through the hallways and out one of the side exits to a secluded corner of the school grounds. They were far enough from the cafeteria and classrooms that no one was around, and Anthony felt his guard go up.

Kenny turned to him, crossing his arms. “About the project. We need to meet up to work on it.”

Anthony narrowed his eyes. “Fine. Whose house should we go to?”

Kenny snorted, a sneer crossing his face. “Not your house. I don’t want to see your gross fag parents.”

The words hit Anthony like a slap. For a second, he just stared, stunned that Kenny would go there. His shock quickly melted into a wave of anger, heating his blood. He took a step closer, his fists clenched. “Take that back.”

Kenny’s smirk only grew. “Why should I? It’s true, isn’t it?”

Anthony felt his control slipping, his anger taking over. “You don’t know anything about my family, you—”

Kenny cut him off with a laugh, clearly enjoying the reaction he’d provoked. “Oh, hit a nerve, did I?”

And that was it. Before he even realised what he was doing, Anthony’s fist connected with Kenny’s jaw. The impact sent Kenny stumbling backward, his hand flying to his face as he glared at Anthony in shock. But Kenny wasn’t one to back down easily—he straightened, eyes blazing, and lunged forward, tackling Anthony to the ground.

A crowd began gathering almost immediately, kids chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Their voices echoed around them, but Anthony barely registered it, too focused on the rage he felt toward Kenny. They grappled, trading punches and shoves as the crowd’s cheers grew louder.

Kenny managed to land a punch to Anthony’s side, making him gasp in pain, but Anthony pushed through, grabbing Kenny by the collar and shoving him backward. Kenny stumbled but quickly regained his balance, his eyes narrowed with fury.

“Why don’t you go crying to your dads?” Kenny sneered as he moved in for another hit.

Anthony dodged, his anger flaring. “Maybe you should go back to Cobra Kai and learn some real moves,” he shot back, swinging again. He was done holding back, done letting Kenny’s words slide.

Their fight grew more heated, each of them pouring every bit of anger they’d harboured into each punch and shove. Anthony could feel the bruises forming, his muscles screaming, but he didn’t care. All he could think about was making Kenny pay for everything he’d put him through.

At one point, Kenny managed to pin Anthony down, pressing his forearm against his chest. “You’re pathetic, Lawrence. Always hiding behind your rich parents and their dojo.”

Anthony struggled, gritting his teeth. “You don’t know anything about me!” With a burst of strength, he shoved Kenny off, scrambling to his feet just as a teacher broke through the crowd, yelling for them to stop.

The teacher grabbed both of them by the collars, pulling them apart as they continued to glare at each other, breathing heavily. The crowd began to disperse, murmuring as they filed back into the building.

“You two are coming with me,” the teacher snapped, marching them toward the school office. Anthony’s heart pounded in his chest as he realised what he’d just done, the consequences sinking in. But Anthony was too exhausted to care.