( a/n: If you want the true Cobra Kai experience for episode nine, play 'That's My Girl' by Fifth Harmony! Enjoy lovies ! )

HAYDEN WANTED TO RIP HER CLEAN OUT OF HER SCALP.

Rushes of regret flooded her bloodstream every now and then when she remembered the night before. How she allowed herself the gift and curse of vulnerability and opened up to Miguel about all the bad things that have ever happened to her.

She didn't know how he did it. How he managed to make her feel like she could breathe again. How he made her feel lighter.

He made her feel all these overwhelming, yet whimsical feelings. So, why did she feel so much regret in knowing that he knows her inside out now? The most vulnerable parts of her she kept tucked away now exposed and out in the open.

The truth was, even if Miguel had been anyone else, Robby or Aisha or Tory, she would've felt the same amount of regret, probably more. But the idea that Miguel managed to poke and prod and squeeze his way into her tightly shut brain scared her.

Hayden was feeling too much and she didn't know how to deal with her thoughts and emotions. So she did what she knew best. She trained.

She placed her headphones on her head and stretched, starting her training off with a warmup run.

The streets of Central LA blurred as she picked up her pace, sweat dripping down her brow and sliding along her jawline. When she reached the steep stairs of a nearby park, she sprinted up and down them, her legs burning with each ascent.

This she could control. Her body, her strength, her endurance— those were hers to command. The chaos in her mind? That was another story. But out here, it didn't matter. Out here, she could run faster, push harder, be better.

She couldn't control what went on around her but she knew what she could control.

And that was how good she was at karate. She didn't want to be just good. She wanted to be the best female fighter the Valley had ever seen.

Better than Sam LaRusso, who seemed to get everything handed to her in life.

She sprinted faster.

She thinks she's better than me. That's what it is. I can see it every time she looks at me. Girls like her grow up with everything handed to them. Safe houses. Stable families. Their biggest problem is whether their prom dress matches their shoes. And then there's me.

Her own words replayed in her head, the thought made her angrier and angrier by the second as she reached the top of the staircase again. She practiced her fundamentals, the kata routine that Mr. LaRusso practically embedded in their brain helped sooth her.

She practiced her technique, the meticulous ways in which she threw a right hook or a roundhouse kick. The blood coursed through her veins in an adrenaline rush, letting out grunts as she continued to throw kicks and punches until she physically saw the perfection in her form.

People like her... they don't get it. They don't know what it's like to have nothing and still have to keep going. They think it's easy to stay above water when they've never sunk.

She placed her hands on her waist, her chest rising and falling in rapid movements. She wiped her arm across her forehead, swallowing hardly. She could feel the continuous irritation she always feels at the thought of Samantha LaRusso getting everything she wants, getting away with things like making accusations against people who don't fall at her feet like she's used to.

Her feet seemed to have minds of their own, sprinting hard, despite the burning in her feet and the dryness of her throat. She ran, blurring all her violent thoughts out, running her concerns away. Her feet carried her back to the apartment complex, hunching over as she placed her hands behind her head, taking several deep breaths.

"Am I looking at next year's competition for the All Valley?"

Hayden removed her headphones from her ears and let them rest of her shoulders as the sight of an amused Miguel, who watched her train with a proud grin on his face.

"No," She huffed, straightening out, "You're looking at next year's winner for the All Valley."

Miguel let his jaw slightly hang at the indirect mockery, nodding with a chuckle. "Okay, how about we test that thought out? Spar?"

Hayden quirked a brow at the boy, placing her hands on her hips. Eventually, she nodded, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Sure, Diaz. Let's see what you got."

They got into their fighting stances, and just as Hayden predicted, Miguel struck first. She could tell he wasn't giving it his one hundred percent, swinging as gently as possible in case he were to actually land a punch.

She swiftly moved to the side, throwing her leg up to kick the side of his abdomen. But Miguel blocked it, throwing his body around to send a high kick that Hayden ducked from, sweeping her foot down in the process and knocking Miguel onto his back, winning the round.

"Am I supposed to be looking at the All Valley champion from last year?" She snorted, holding her hand out for him to take.

Miguel playfully rolled his eyes, taking it and hoisting himself up. "I let you have that one."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Diaz." She let Miguel back her into the wall gently, leaning against it and looking up at the Diaz boy.

He leaned down, her breath fanning her face as she let her eyes flicker down to his lips and back up, meeting his gaze. She could tell Miguel was cautious around her, not wanting to scare her off.

So she took initiative, leaning up so that her lips met his, wrapping her arms around his neck and getting on her tippy toes. His arms snaked themselves around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to him.

She hummed softly, curling her fingers in the fluff of his hair that earned a soft groan.

Abruptly, he pulled back, getting a huff from Hayden. "So, Moon's throwing a party later today. You wanna go?"

Hayden leaned her head back against the wall, throwing an unsure look. "You know, that would sound incredibly fun if it wasn't for the fact that the last party I went to, I caught my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend, beat the shit out of her, and spit in his face."

Miguel seemed throw off by her bluntness, giving a small laugh. "This is the part where I break it to you that not all parties are the same and you might actually have fun at this one. If you're not, we'll leave. Go back to our hill? You can tell me more about the constellations." Miguel was secretly hoping she wouldn't have fun now.

Hayden gave it a moment before she nodded, huffing. "I guess that sounds fair." She smiled softly, leaning up to reconnect their lips.

—

A few hours later, and Hayden found herself wandering Moon's backyard with Miguel, her jaw slightly agape.

"I didn't know Moon's parents were this loaded, fuck." She said as she scanned the huge backyard, a small section apart from the party being a garden full of colorful flowers, then there was an open field of fresh green grass, and then a cobblestone trail leading to the pool next to it.

Miguel nodded, his hands in the pocket of his jeans as he muttered a, "yeah, me neither," clearly also impressed by how beautiful the backyard was.

"I think the garden is bigger than my room." she snorted, watching the party grow bigger and bigger.

"I think it's bigger than my entire apartment." Miguel agreed, placing his hand on the small of her back as they began walking towards the field of grass.

"The things I would do for this kinda money," She let out a low whistle.

"Would you kick me in the face? Like, so hard it'd knock my tooth out? Maybe cause permanent damage. Like a coma or something."

Hayden snorted, "I'd do that for free, Diaz. The money would just be a perk."

Miguel gasped, feigning a look of betrayal. "You didn't even think twice about it." He pointed out dramatically.

"Didn't need to. You have a kick-able face." She shrugged in response, "My turn. Would you eat a chocolate covered scorpion for, like, a hundred bucks?"

Miguel thought it through, weighing his options. "The scorpion's dead?"

Hayden nodded.

"Yeah, why not?" He shrugged.

Hayden's face immediately scrunched up in disgust, shaking her head. "Oh, that's gross. I'm never kissing you again."

"You wouldn't?" Miguel laughed, "That's a hundred dollars you didn't have before."

"No, a hundred dollars isn't nearly enough to make me eat an arachnid. I don't care how many layers of chocolate are on it."

"You don't know a good deal when you see one." Miguel tsked in playful disapproval.

Hayden chuckled, shaking her head, opening her mouth to respond when she heard her name being called.

"Hayden!"

She looked over at the familiar voice, her smile widening when she spotted Tory in the crowd. Tory weaved her way over to her in a quick move, wrapping her arms around the girl.

She smelled faintly of cheap beer and vodka, telling Hayden she wasn't entirely sober, which probably explained her overly-affectionate state.

"Hi, Tory." She grinned, pulling back from the hug.

"You wanna play me in this drinking game? I'm undefeated so far," She smirked, raising a suggestive brow.

Hayden glanced over at the game, her face scrunching up slightly. "You know, I think I'll sit this one out for now. You go ahead, I'll cheer you on from over here."

Tory pouted, clearly unhappy with the girl's decision but nodding nonetheless. "Okay, another game then, Sanders." She nodded before going back to her stool.

Hayden looked over to Miguel, who was already watching her with a smile. "You wanna go?" He asked her quietly.

She looked around, something in the pit of her stomach screaming at her to say yes, that she'd made an appearance and now she could go to the hill with Miguel which sounded a million times better than staying. But she didn't. "No, it's okay. I'll stick it out for a little while longer."

And that was the beginning of the end.

—

"He got beer on my shoes," Hayden huffed, looking down at the splatters of beer that now coated her shoes thanks to the guy who fell right in front of her playing Tory in the drinking game.

Miguel patted her back, "You want me to get you napkins?"

Hayden waved him off, "Nah, it's fine."

She looked up at Tory, who held her red solo cup in the air after winning yet another round of the drinking game. She watched her narrow her eyes in on someone, following her gaze curiously.

Her jaw slackened at the sight of Robby and Sam walking into the backyard, letting out a small sigh and hanging her head slightly.

Tory nudged her, regaining her attention. The mischievous smirk on Tory's face made her raise a brow. "Watch this." She said before walking over to the couple.

Hayden kept her distance, staying near Miguel who seemed to calm her down without speaking a single word, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb gently.

Before she knew it, she was watching Tory and Sam on the stools, balancing themselves on one foot while taking turns throwing back cups of cheap beer.

She crossed her arms, leaning her head against Miguel's shoulder. "You wanna go now?" She heard him mutter in her ear.

She flickered her gaze between the two, unaware of Robby side eyeing the couple. But Miguel was aware, and he narrowed his eyes at him. It contributed to the growing factors of leaving the party early.

"Maybe in a little bit, I kinda wanna watch Tory kick Sam's ass in this game."

But as each cup passed, it was proving harder done than said. Hayden had to give it to Sam, she could hold her alcohol well.

"Hey, Big Red! Two shots of vodka!" Tory called out, her eyes steady on Sam.

Sam wobbled a bit, looking as if her feet would buckle out from under her at any given moment. Hayden watched with a glint in her eye, her mouth slightly open as she waited to watch the moment Sam hit the floor.

But she centered herself, sucking in a slow breath before downing the shot.

Hayden felt Miguel wrap an arm around her and pull her closer to his side, writing it off as his usual affectionate self, but what she didn't know was that it was because he could feel Robby's gaze burn into them from his peripheral.

And what Miguel didn't know was that it wasn't only Robby who it bothered.

"Okay, come on, Tory!" Someone from the crowd cheered. The Nichols girl turned her head, the sight of Miguel pulling Hayden closer to him made her lose focus. Her undivided attention on him.

She lost her concentration.

The next thing she knew it, her balance was completely thrown, her knees buckling out from under her, landing on the concrete with a loud thud that embarrassed her.

She landed at Hayden's feet, and it made her want the floor to open up and swallow her hole. Her embarrassment only heightened when Sam chimed in with her own snippy remark. "Guess somebody couldn't hold their liquor, huh?"

A line formed between Hayden's brows in concern, slightly leaning down to place a hand on the girl's back, helping her stand.

She barely glanced at Sam, scoffing softly. "And you can't hold yourself in a fight, but here we are."

Sam hopped down from the stool, standing directly in front of Hayden. "Yeah? You wanna find out just how much I can?"

Hayden sent her a sarcastic smile. "I already know. So does he." She pointed at Robby behind him without taking her eyes away from Sam, "Robby, how many times have I beat Sam while sparring?" She asked aloud.

Robby sputtered for a moment, eyes flitting everywhere but the pair. It was obvious he wasn't comfortable with the newfound attention, especially under the circumstances it came with. It was clear he wasn't going to answer.

But no answer was an answer.

Hayden gave a small laugh under her breath, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "But better luck next time, princess." She tilted her head before turning sharply and walking back over to Miguel, noticing Tory was nowhere to be seen.

"She stormed off like three second ago." Miguel answered her question as if he read her mind, taking her hand in his. "Let's get something to eat," He suggested, half because he knew Hayden hadn't eaten all day and half because he wanted to get Hayden's mind off of how irritated she was with Sam.

Robby watched the couple all the way until they disappeared in the house, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jean jacket.

Because if they weren't, everyone would see the way his fists were practically white from how hard he was clenching them at the sight of Miguel's hand on the small of Hayden's back.

—

Hayden didn't know how she was roped into playing flip cup, but here she was.

The goal of the game was simple: flip the cup to stand upright four times to win, the first to four wins and loser takes a shot.

She'd won three times already. Somewhere along the lines, she lost Miguel in the crowd. Even when she relinquished her flip cup crown to go and find him.

She couldn't find him, though. And she wasn't a babysitter. So, she decided to let loose.

For the first time in a very long time, she let herself have fun. She poured herself a red solo cup of beer, downing it instantly.

She let herself indulge in drinking games, though the more she drank, the more she started losing, which led to more drinking.

Some time passed and Hayden felt loose, going inside to pour herself the cheap liquor that sat there.

She struggled to pop the cap off, but eventually, with a drunken giggle, she managed to get it off, lazily pouring it into her cup. At least, she had been until a hand was placed on top of hers, halting her from pouring anymore.

"That's, like, your seventh cup."

She followed the hand up to the face with a narrowed eye, quirking a brow at Robby. "Are you watching me or something? Creep." She scoffed before shrugging his hand off and continuing to pour.

Robby chuckled, because even inebriated, Hayden still had her wits. If anything, they heightened with the alcohol. "I'm pretty sure almost everyone has noticed the amount you've had to drink tonight."

She nodded, holding up a singular finger. "Let's see. You," She walked up to the first random person she saw, gaining this boy's undivided attention, "Do you have any idea how many cups I've had tonight? Like any idea?"

The boy looked her up and down, his smirk growing which made Robby's stomach turn in unease. "What do you want the answer to be, babe?"

Hayden scrunched her face up, "The truth, asshole. Not interested."

His face fell, "No idea, but you're hot. We should—"

She turned around, walking back over to Robby. His jaw tightened in frustration, looking off to the side and back at Hayden. "Where's Miguel? You're wasted and you need to go home."

Hayden took the cup, swirling it around and watching the containments form a mini tornado with a blank face, licking the inside of her cheek. Finally, she shrugged in response to his question before downing the entire thing.

Robby furrowed his brows. She didn't even make a face of disgust as he'd watch hundreds of teens do before already.

He took the cup from her, conflicted on what to do. He looked around, swallowing before closing his eyes and squeezing the cup in his hand, knowing what he had to do. "Okay, stay here, Hayden. I mean it. Don't move. No more drinking. I'm gonna go find Miguel and tell him to take you home."

He walked away without so much as a word from Hayden. She leaned against the counter, picking at her nails with a sigh before she stood straight. "Don't tell me what to do." She picked up the red solo cup again.

Meanwhile...

The party was louder than Miguel liked, but he'd promised Hawk he'd show up. So here he was, nursing a soda in the corner, the thought of Robby staring at Hayden burned into his memory. It made him clench his fists. He was about to text Hayden that their hill was calling their names right about now when he heard a familiar voice slur his name.

"Miguel," Sam stumbled toward him, her cheeks flushed, a red solo cup clutched in her hand. Her eyes were glassy, and her steps unsteady. "Didn't think I'd find you here,"

Miguel tensed immediately. "Oh. Hi, Sam."

"I just needed a second to myself."

Miguel nodded, sensing a weight in her tone. "You okay?"

Sam let out a soft laugh, shifting from one foot to the other to stop herself from stumbling. "Yeah, just...thinking, I guess. These parties always bring up stuff, you know?"

Miguel tilted his head. "Stuff?"

She glanced at him, then away, as if debating whether to continue. "It's weird seeing you with Hayden. I mean, not bad weird," she added quickly, "just...different."

Miguel straightened slightly, his expression cautious. "Different how?"

Sam shrugged, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her cup. "I don't know. I guess I didn't expect you to move on so fast."

Miguel frowned. "It's been a while, Sam. And...Hayden's different. She's—"

"Not like me," Sam finished, her voice quieter now.

"That's not what I was gonna say." Miguel shrugged. "She's just... she's not like anyone I've ever met before. She's... special."

Sam nodded slowly, her lips pressing together. "Robby's good for me. He's solid, he's...safe. But sometimes..." She hesitated, looking up at him with conflicted eyes.

Miguel's stomach tightened, immediately not liking where this was going. "Sometimes what?"

She sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice. If I should've fought harder for us."

The words hung heavy in the air between them. Miguel stared at her, his heart twisting, but not in the way it used to. "Sam," he said carefully, "...we weren't good for each other. We would've never worked out. Our hearts weren't completely in it."

"Because there was always someone else in the end." She pointed out, her breathing uneven and shallow. An effect of the alcohol.

"I think we should go inside." He brushed past her, wanting to find Hayden and leave.

"She was always in the back of your mind. Even when we were together. That's why we could never work." She turned him by his elbow. She looked down, nodding faintly. "It's just hard, you know? Seeing you happy with someone else and wondering if maybe—"

Miguel stepped back, holding his hands up. "Sam, stop. That's not fair. You're drunk, and—"

"I'm not that drunk," she said, her voice wobbling. "I know what I feel. I know what we had—"

"What we had is over," Miguel said firmly, his tone unwavering. "I'm with Hayden now, and I—"

Sam blinked, stunned into silence for a moment. Then, before Miguel could react, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

It seemed the universe, once again, aligned in its efforts to shatter Hayden's world because as her luck would have it, she just so happened to walk out and into the backyard at the same moment.

For a split second, the world seemed to stop. The chatter of partygoers, the muffled bass of the music, even the sound of her own heartbeat—it all vanished. All she could hear was the quiet crack of something breaking inside her, slow and agonizing, like the first fissure in a dam about to burst.

She didn't move, didn't speak. Her mind screamed at her to look away, but her eyes stayed locked on them. It wasn't just a kiss. It was the unraveling of everything she had allowed herself to hope for.

She had worked so hard—so damn hard—to trust him. To let him in. Miguel had become the exception to every rule she lived by, the one person who made her feel safe in vulnerability. And, in a split second, he had destroyed all of it.

The walls she had painstakingly torn down, brick by brick, for Miguel to step inside. The trust she had forced herself to extend despite the fearful voice in her head telling her it would all end in flames. All of it felt like glass shattering around her, sharp edges slicing into her skin.

Her heart twisted, a sickening weight settling in her chest. She had spent years perfecting the art of keeping people at arm's length, protecting herself from exactly this kind of pain. And yet, she had let him in. She had let him in.

The walls she had spent years meticulously building slammed back into place with a force that nearly staggered her. This wasn't just heartbreak. It was betrayal. A cruel reminder of why she had those walls in the first place. Why she never let anyone get too close.

And in one split second, it was gone.

Her jaw tightened as she stepped back, the movement almost robotic. Her jaw tightened, her expression eerily calm as she stepped back. It was the kind of calm that wasn't calm at all—the kind that came before a storm. Her movements were mechanical as she turned away, leaving without a sound.

She didn't stay to see Miguel immediately pull away, eyes wide, and gripping her shoulders to put distance between them. "What the hell, Sam?" he said, his voice sharp with anger. "This isn't what I want. You're not who I want."

She didn't stay to see that. Her feet carrying her towards the exit of the party, her world shattering around her as she knew it.

The betrayal burned like fire, fueling something darker inside her. Her vision blurred with anger and hurt, her mind racing. She felt stupid—stupid for thinking she could ever have something real, something good.

Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she turned sharply, making her way toward the front door. Her boots echoed against the hardwood floor as she moved with purpose, her expression unreadable to the partygoers she passed.

But inside, a storm raged.

Hayden didn't cry. She didn't let herself. Not when her dad walked out. Not when her sister's addiction swallowed their family whole. Not even when she realized the people she trusted most had betrayed her. Instead, she turned her pain into fuel—into vengeance.

And that's exactly what she planned to do now.

By the time she stepped into the cool night air, the transformation was complete. The Hayden who had cautiously let her guard down, who had laughed with Miguel, who had let him into the parts of herself she kept hidden—she was gone.

The Hayden that remained was colder, harder, her walls reinforced with steel. She had learned her lesson, and she would never make the same mistake again.

Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she walked down the driveway, her pace quickening with every step. The air was sharp against her face, but it didn't cool the fire burning inside her.

She felt nothing now. No heartbreak, no sadness—just anger. Fury that seared through her veins, each beat of her heart pumping more of it through her system. If vulnerability had cost her this much, then she would never allow herself to be vulnerable again.

She replayed the moment in her mind, over and over. The way Miguel had been the one person she'd thought she could trust. The one person she thought wouldn't betray her.

But more than that, she resolved that no one— no one— would ever get close enough to hurt her again.

If Miguel had cracked the walls around her heart, then tonight he had sealed them shut. Reinforced them with iron. No one would ever see her like that again. No one would ever have the power to hurt her again.

Her mind raced. Revenge wasn't just a thought; it was a need, a compulsion. She wasn't sure what she was going to do yet, but she knew one thing— Miguel and Sam would regret crossing her.

Her steps quickened, each one more resolute than the last. The air was sharp against her face, but it didn't cool the fire burning in her chest.

—

She leaned against the railing, staring out into the nothingness of the night. She tried shutting all the noises off in her head, tried to quiet the voices but it wasn't working.

The night was heavy with silence, save for the occasional hum of cars passing below Hayden's apartment. She leaned against the cold railing of her small balcony, her hands gripped the metal tightly, the ridges digging into her palms.

She replayed the scene in her head over and over again: Miguel and Sam. The kiss. The betrayal. The crack in her chest that had spread like wildfire, scorching everything in its path. The girl she couldn't seem to escape. The girl who seemed to waltz into every aspect of her life, uninvited but always victorious. Sam didn't even have to try—she just existed, effortlessly taking everything Hayden had fought so hard to hold onto.

Her jaw clenched, her breaths coming out uneven. She tried to convince herself to let it go. To be logical. But logic didn't stand a chance against the fury that gripped her.

Her jaw tightened, her gaze fixed on the street below, where shadows danced under dim streetlights. She didn't know why she stood out here, hoping for the chill to numb her fury. Maybe because inside, the walls of her apartment felt suffocating.

She was about to head back in when movement caught her eye. Her breath hitched as she squinted, and her stomach twisted when she realized who it was.

Robby.

Even from up here, she recognized him instantly—the way he walked, the casual confidence in his stride. But it wasn't just him. He had someone with him, her arm slung lazily around his shoulders, his grip steady as he helped her walk.

Sam.

The air seemed to freeze in her lungs as she watched them. Robby looked focused, protective even, as he guided her drunken steps carefully toward Johnny's apartment. Sam giggled at something incoherent, leaning her head against him as though he were her safety net.

Hayden's chest tightened as an ache she didn't want to name spread through her ribs. She didn't look away. She couldn't.

How could she when once, it was her. She remembered the way he used to skate her home every night, always making sure she was safe. He didn't have to. She never asked him to. But he did it anyway.

"I don't need a babysitter," she'd say with a teasing smirk.

"Too bad," he'd reply. "You're stuck with me."

But now, it wasn't her he was taking care of. It was Sam.

Hayden's teeth ground together as a hot wave of anger surged through her. It wasn't Robby that fueled it, not really. It was Sam. Always Sam.

Sam, who had the perfect family. Sam, who got to be the golden girl. Sam, who never seemed to face the same struggles, the same heartbreaks, the same betrayals. And now, Sam, who had Miguel's kiss and Robby's care, as if she was entitled to both.

It made Hayden's stomach twist in ways she couldn't explain.

Of course it's her, she thought bitterly. Sam LaRusso, the girl who always gets everything without even trying. The girl who somehow manages to take everything Hayden's worked for, not caring who she hurt in the process.

She forced herself to look away, her jaw set, her eyes burning.

She let out a harsh breath, the cold air stinging her lungs. "Figures," she muttered to herself, her voice low and bitter.

But her anger wasn't just hot; it was cold, calculated, and unrelenting.

Hayden straightened, her face stoic, but her dark eyes burned with an intensity that made the night around her seem even colder. Whatever fragile trust she'd given Miguel was obliterated, and whatever civility she'd extended toward Sam was gone.

The only thing keeping her upright tonight was the need to channel this anger, this pain, into something tangible. Something destructive.

And hell hath no fury than a woman scorned.

authors note.
So, I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not but I knew it needed to come out sooner or later. Also, leave it to me to not reach a deadline I give myself like boi I rlly hate myself fr. Anyways, yeah, sorry team Miguel the angst had to come sooner or later HAHAHA but it adds character it's OKAY
P.S. I listened to Headlock by Imogen Heap while writing Hayden's lil crashout and inspired it a little based of Jinx on Arcane and her charismatic personality i love her so much she's so ugh muah