"You gonna be okay in there? Want me to knock some noses in?" Ty asked, dropping Alexa off at practice the next day. "I might be 5'6, but i'll knock out that 6' teacher of yours if you want me to."

"He's not a teacher, he's my sensei." Alexa corrected, grabbing her bag. "Thanks for bringing me."

"Just don't think it's safe going anywhere alone." he voiced his thoughts. "You remember what I said. Don't go anywhere without someone with you."

"You really think someone is gonna come poking around mom?" Alexa looked at him with questionable eyes. "And she didn't say anything?"

"I don't know, who knows what that woman is running from. I just don't want either of us getting wrapped up in her drama again." he nodded his head, meeting her eye knowingly. "I'm putting a lot of trust into you right now."

"Nowhere alone. Straight home unless it's important." Alexa exhaled with a nod. "I'm prepared."

"Dads ashes are being sent here in the next few days." Ty said, turning off the car to avoid it running the entire time. "I know he was a dick, and i'm kinda tempered to just flush em down the toilet, but mom wants us to do something for him."

"Like, spread them somewhere?" Alexa gave an odd look. "Why would we do that? He's never even been to The Valley before."

"Ask your crazy mom." Ty rose his hands in surrender. "She said the ocean. I don't know, i'm just telling you incase you want to bring some emotional support with you. I'm gonna bring Josh."

"Josh is back?" Alexa gave a grin. "You guys are back on?"

"We're not back on. He's still my friend." Ty rose his hands in surrender, Alexa gave a knowing look. "You have guy friends."

"Yeah, I never use to date any of them though." Alexa teased, opening the door. "Hawks gonna drive me home, so i'm good on a ride."

"Okay, beat some people up." he said, staring the car up.

Alexa walked toward the door, bumping into someone. "Watch it."

"My apologies." the new voice rung, Alexa turned and realized she hadn't bumped into someone her age, instead a much older guy. "You go first."

Alexa blinked in embarrassment. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

He shook his head, walking in as she opened the Cobra Kai door. Aisha and Hawk both watched him walk toward the office oddly, looking to Alexa as she bowed to the mat. "Who's that guy you walked in this?"

"Don't know. I thought he was a new recruit at first." she answered, pulling her hair up with a clear of her throat. They turned, watching as the man spoke to Miguel before Sensei Lawrence cut in.

Miguel walked over. Alexa nodded to him. "Who was that?"

"Don't know." he shook his head, nodding to her. "You feeling okay?"

Alexa pulled an offended look. "Do I look bad?"

"No, you look great. Just, checking in." Miguel's eyes widened in a panic.

"Yeah, Lex, you look fantastic." Aisha agreed with a nod of her head.

"Except-" Hawk began, reaching over and rubbing the side of her mouth before popping it into his mouth. Alexa cringed in disbelief as he hummed. "Jelly donut?"

"Jesus, you have too much trust in her." Aisha shook her head in disbelief.

"Class, we have a visitor." Sensei Lawrence walked out as they all hurried to take their marks. "This is Mr.Kreese. He's just an observer. Pretend like he's not even here. Mr.Diaz, warm them up."

Miguel walked to the front of the class, bowing as they did it back. "Fighting positions!"

The class gave a light grunt as they took their spots. "Front kick! Yuh!"

"Yuh!" they all yelled back, kicking forward.

"Forward strike. Yuh!" Miguel yelled again, they mimicked his actions. "Side dab. Yuh!"

"Yuh!" they all yelled back, dabbing as laugher flooded the dojo. Johnny gave an embarrassing look at Kreeses judging eye, stepping forward.

"What the hell was that?" the blonde yelled out as they quieted down.

"We were just messing around." Miguel shook his head with a guilty tone. "We have eleven and a half months until the next All Valley."

"Yeah, besides, we already know how to kick ass." Hawk spoke up with a confident smile.

"And possibly have AIDS." Alexa inhaled. "Still need to get tested after the whole blood in the mouth thing."

"You haven't gotten tested yet?" Aisha gave her a look of disbelief.

"I don't have health insurance." Alexa whispered back in defense.

"Oh, yeah, really, huh? So, you know everything." Johnny nodded in disbelief. "There's nothing left to learn, huh?"

Aisha giggled from besides Alexa, getting a slap in the arm quickly to try and save her. Johnny walked over to stand right infront of her. "What's so funny, Ms. Robinson?"

"I'm sorry, Sensei. You just wouldn't understand." she tried to hide her giggle by looking down.

"Try me." he said back seriously.

"It's a Snake-Do." she said back as a few people around the dojo began to chuckle all together, trying to keep it as silent as they could.

Johnny gave an odd look. "What's a Snake-Do?"

They all started to hiss in return. Johnny gapped in disbelief. "Quiet!"

That shut the class up quickly. He glared. "Five A.M tomorrow morning. Corner of Fulton and Raymer. You don't show, and you're off the team. Class dismissed."

The class gapped, looking to each other. Aisha looked at Alexa. "Too soon?"

"I think maybe a little." she nodded her head.

"And then it was just suppose to be a little joke and he got so mad." Alexa spoke over the phone that night, holding it to her ear as she fell back against the bed once she lost her pants and shoes. "I think the new guy is someone from his past, or maybe it's his relative."

"Who knows?" Demetri asked in return, making a noise before falling onto his bed. "I went bird watching all alone today."

"I'm sorry, Cariño." Alexa frowned. "Did you see any good ones?"

"Not really, I spilt my drink all over me too." he said back with a sigh. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I've got practice at five AM, but i'm all yours after that." she gushed with a little grin. "Maybe we can go to the doctors office and make sure I don't have AIDS."

"Oh, yeah, probably. But, it's likely you'd have symptoms by now." he answered, Alexa grinned. "I can see if I can use my moms car and pick you up tomorrow morning?"

"Okay, yeah. We can search for birds after that too." Alexa smiled, holding the phone to her ear again. "You know, our one year and six months is gonna be here pretty soon."

"My moms have been reminding me everyday." he laughed, Alexa smiled. "It hasn't felt like that long."

"I know right?" Alexa agreed. "Still..."

"Still what?" Demetri gave a snort.

"I don't know." she said. Alexa was smiling to herself, because she'd thought for a while. "I love you."

Radio silence.

Her heart sunk, blinking in a minor panic, swallowing. She shook her head, mentally praying and hoping that if their was a god, he'd spare her this embossment and insecurities. Demetri gave a little clear of his throat. "Thank you."

Alexa squeezed her eyes shut, hating everything about herself in those moments. She sat up quickly. "Ty's calling me, i've gotta go."

She hung up the phone quickly, tossing it to the side and holding her head in her hands. Her eyes welled up, slapping herself in the face multiple times. "You're so stupid. You're so stupid, oh my god."

Alexa whipped her eyes, grabbing the drink by her bed and praying that it would all just be a dream.

•

kylie speaks

meat, man, you have
been together for almost
a year and a half and you
don't think you're ready
to say you love her?
dw lex, i love you too.