Cora had a good sleep schedule going on recently. She had to get to sleep earlier in order to wake up and make sure she looked nice, which consisted of doing her makeup three different times. She knew it was ridiculous, and she'd gotten better about what clothes she hated and didn't wear, especially since Eli had made it pretty clear he was crazy about her either way. But, because of the past, she was still stuck in the loop of making him stay foe her looks. Yet, here he was, completely messing up her schedule by throwing rocks at her window.

"What are you doing?" Cora leaned out the window, her eyes squinted from just waking up, voice scratchy. "Why are you throwing things at my window?"

"Hey." he looked up at her from the ground. "What are you doing?"

Cora looked around in disbelief. "Skydiving. What do you think i'm doing?"

"I know both of us are kinda in weird head spaces right now." he ignored her, looking up her with a gentle smile. "But, would you maybe wanna go to prom together?"

Cora reddened in the face, her lips turning into a bright smile. "Really?"

"Well, yeah." he laughed shyly up at her. "I'd get it if you don't want to."

"No, i'd love to." the blonde grinned, looking backwards. "Stay right there."

Then, she was gone.

Eli waited, rocking on his heels slightly. He started to get embarrassed, maybe thinking she just was waiting for him to leave. Those negative thoughts didn't linger long when the front door open, Coras bare feet running across the front lawn as she met him in a kiss in the dark.

"Coras really cute." Demetri spoke to Eli as the blonde was busy talking to a few of the girls that stopped to hug her. "She seems sweet."

"She is." Eli nodded his head, watching her across the floor. "I don't know why she's so into me."

"Dude." Demetri slapped his arm. "What was it you told me? It's not about to hair. The way of life. Come on, you have one of the prettiest girls into you. That's the way of life."

Eli looked over as Cora was clearly trying to break free from the group of girls. "I really like her."

"Then go over there and save her." Demetri encouraged him with a nod of his head. Eli sighed, adjusting his bow tie as he walked over toward the group of girls.

"Okay, I really do need to go." Cora broke away from the team when she saw Eli. "I'll find you in a little bit."

A grin went across his face as she met him. "You looked like you needed some saving."

"They just all want to know everything." Cora took a breath with a shake of her head. "Do you want to dance?"

"Dance?" his eyebrows went up, looking around. "Here?"

"Yeah, do you know how?" Cora gave a little laugh, her red lips in a little grin. "I can show you."

Eli took her hands, letting her lead him toward the dance floor as a slower song played behind them. "I don't know why I didn't think to learn to dance for a literal dance."

"No one really dances anymore. Too busy making out in the bathroom." she shook her head, placing his hands on her waist, standing closer, hers around his shoulders. "I'd rather do this though."

A smile went across his lips. "Me too."

Cora was so thankful he had said that. She took a second before recovering from the feeling, swaying slightly. "This is all you gotta do. I can lead, just sway slightly."

"Sorry if I step on your feet." Eli gave a nervous laugh as he at her.

Cora smiled, laying her head on his shoulder so they were closer. "It's okay."

Tory and Robby had shown up together, and Cora saw. When Tory locked eyes with her, her face fell in pain as Cora walked off. She wasn't scared of Cora, more so scared of her emotions when Cora would confront her. She didn't wanna cry and look like a pussy, apologize for it and look weak. So, she locked herself in the bathroom. Cora tugged on the door. "Open the door, Tory."

"Cora." Sam looked down the hallway. "What are you doing?"

"Open the fucking door, Tory!" Cora yanked harshly on the locked door, her voice broke as she looked at her arm. "Why do you wanna run from me now? I know you're not afraid of me."

"Cora, let's just go." Sam sympathized with her.

"Open the door!" Cora beat on the door. Tory shut her eyes in guilt, feeling the door jolt. This is what she was afraid of, the guilt, hearing the pain in her voice. Cora whimpered. "You are such a bad friend and I can't believe you would ever do what you did."

Sam placed her hand on Coras arm, having it shrugged off as Coras tears fell down her cheeks. She hadn't seen Tory since what happened, and it had gotten to her when she finally did. She hit the door. "You're a bad fucking friend and I would have never done this to you. I would have never wanted to do this to you, Tory."

Cora cried as she leaned on the door, Sam grabbing her hand as Cora nodded, accepting her comfort as they walked away. Tory whipped her eyes from the other side, and a small part of her realized how in the wrong she was for what she had done to one of her only friends.

"We could have gone to the party if you wanted to." Cora reassured Eli as she sat on the counter, her parents out and uncle asleep already.

"You said you didn't really like parties." Eli said back, standing infront of her as her mixed the strawberries into the batter. They'd changed by now, in much more comfortable clothes now. "Plus, it's hard to talk to each other at parties."

Cora leaned on one of her knees, grinned as she dropped some cinnamon into the batter. "I once tried to do that handstand thing, where you drink from the keg while upside down-"

Cora cut herself off with a laugh, his face looked over at her with a cheeky grin. Her blonde hair was pulled up, lips still painted the deep red. "-and I got so sick from it and the beer went up my nose."

"You know, I think I was there." Eli gave a little laugh. "Moons end of summer party?"

"Yeah, that was it. Piper drove me home." the blonde nodded with a shake of her head. "So, that's why i'm kinda traumatized by parties now."

"Understandable." he had to agreed with her. "That party was a mess anyways, it's probably better if you left."

"You mean when you hit on Piper?" she asked, getting an embarrassed look as she laughed slightly. "She use to tell me everything."

"I was trying to win Moon back actually." he said in a knowing look, shaking his head. "It was dumb. We weren't even that good together."

Cora shrugged. "Even when people aren't good together, even when they know it, they still fight hard to make it work. It's just how it is."

Eli looked at her with a little blink. "You said Piper use to tell you everything?"

"She joined Cobra Kai. We haven't talked since I left." Cora looked away slightly as she bit at her lips. "I guess it doesn't really matter anyways, I always thought she just talked to me because we were on the same team."

"You seemed like you were close with Tory too." his eyes danced of a form of guilt when he said it.

"We were." Cora nodded her head, legs crossed. "I just didn't expect her to do something like that. To either of us."

He leaned over as places his hands on her legs, leaned on the counter some to look up at her. "You know I get it, right? If you want to talk about it, you can."

Cora sighed. "I'm not really good at taking about my feelings. I handle things better on my own."

"I get that." Eli agreed with her, eyes darting around her own. "But, I know it really bothers you. You were there for me, so, i'm gonna be there for you."

Cora gave a shy smile. "Thanks....Eli."

He flushed in the face slightly at his real name, leaning in slightly to let her press her lips onto his. They hadn't kissed long before there was a knock on the door. Cora looked back as Eli panicked slightly. "Your parents?"

"No." she answered, he lifted her off the counter as they both walked over. "You think they're coming to attack us again?"

"Cora, you home?" a familiar voice rang on the other side of the door.

Cora looked back at Eli as he basically read her mind. "Is that Mr.LaRusso?"

Cora pulled the door open, indeed, seeing the man there. "Mr.LaRusso, did we have training tonight?"

"No." he exhaled, holding up a Miyagi-Do gi. "We do now though."

•

kylie speaks

my tora heart is shattered