Tessa Keene was a sweetheart through and through- pure-hearted, kind, and incapable of cruelty. She didn't have much, but she had Robby, and that was all she needed. He was her rock, her safe place, the one person she could always count on. But when...
Tessa blinked awake to the sound of a pan clattering in the kitchen.
She sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the morning light barely creeping through the blinds. Her blanket was tangled around her legs, and one of her socks had slipped halfway off during the night. She yawned, stretched, and pulled her oversized hoodie—one of Johnny's old ones—over her pajama shirt before padding out of the room.
The apartment smelled like instant coffee and... something burnt.
Johnny was at the stove, poking at a suspiciously dark egg in the frying pan. He was shirtless, wearing sweatpants and socks, and looking way too proud of himself for a guy holding a plastic spatula.
"Oh, hey, you're up," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "I made breakfast."
Tessa eyed the egg cautiously, then looked at him with a playful grin. "Did it fight back?"
Johnny chuckled, clearly not bothered by the crispy result of his culinary efforts. "Nah, it's just well-done," he said, sliding the plate in front of her at the table. He raised an eyebrow. "You ready for Eagle Fang training later?"
She perked up, brushing her hair out of her face. "Yeah, actually. It'll be fun to hit something for a change."
Johnny smiled proudly. "That's the spirit."
They fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that didn't need filling. Johnny sipped his coffee, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she picked at her breakfast. She wasn't exactly shoveling it in, but she was eating—and joking. That was enough to make him happy.
The morning light slanted through the blinds, soft and golden, catching in her messy hair and the oversized hoodie swallowing her frame. One of his old ones, he realized. And for a second, something warm settled in his chest. She looked safe. At home. Like a kid who finally had the chance to just be a kid.
He didn't say anything—but the small smile tugging at the edge of his mouth said enough.
By the time they pulled into the school parking lot, Tessa had fully shaken off the grogginess of the morning. Her hair was in a loose braid, earbuds in, backpack slung over one shoulder. Johnny had dropped her off with a "Go get 'em, Fang," and a crooked grin she didn't even roll her eyes at this time.
She felt good. Happy. Maybe even a little excited for training later.
The halls buzzed with the usual noise—lockers slamming, friends laughing, teachers reminding kids about overdue homework. Tessa moved through it all with easy familiarity, heading to her locker and already thinking about what snacks she could guilt Johnny into buying after school.
Tessa approached her locker, her backpack slung over one shoulder as she spun the combination and pulled the locker open.
"Hey, Tessa!"
She turned at the sound of Kenny's voice, her face lighting up instantly. "Hey!" she beamed, her eyes soft and bright.
But then her eyes drifted down—and the second she saw the Cobra Kai logo on his shirt, her entire body locked up. Her smile vanished. "What..." Her voice was quiet, barely holding together. "What are you wearing?"
Kenny looked down like it was no big deal. "This? It's from my dojo," he said, grinning as he smoothed out the Cobra Kai logo on his chest. "Cool, right?"
Tessa's body stiffened, her shoulders rising defensively. "No."
He blinked, then gave her a crooked grin. "What? You don't like snakes?" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No," she said again, firmer this time. "You can't be in Cobra Kai."
"What?" Kenny's smile faded as he took a step back, arms dropping to his sides. "Why not? They're helping me. I finally know how to fight back. I'm not gonna let anyone push me around anymore." He tried to keep it light, tossing a few mock punches into the air with a grin. "See?"
But the second his arm moved, she flinched. Not just a little—her whole body jerked, and she stumbled back, eyes wide and scared, like she wasn't in a hallway anymore—like she was somewhere else entirely.
Kenny's face fell. "Wait—Tessa. I wasn't gonna—I was just messing around."
She pressed herself against the locker, trying to breathe, but her chest was tight, her voice shaky. "You don't get it."
"Get what?" he asked, his voice gentler now.
"They hurt me, Kenny." Her voice cracked, but she didn't look away. Her chest felt tight, like her ribs were too small to hold her breath. "Your dojo—those people—they attacked me. They broke into the LaRussos' house and they—they hurt me."
Kenny's grin had long since vanished. His face shifted into something uncertain—conflicted. He took a step forward, voice soft now, almost pleading. "Tessa, I'm not like that. I'd never hurt you. You know that."
She took a sharp step back, her arms folding around herself like a shield. "If you're wearing that shirt," Tessa whispered, her voice shaking despite the strength in her words, "you already have."
Kenny looked down at the logo again, and for the first time, he wasn't so sure it looked that cool anymore.
Tessa slammed her locker shut, the sharp sound echoing in the hall. She didn't look back as she walked away, her steps quick and steady. Kenny stood frozen, watching her go. The Cobra Kai logo on his shirt suddenly felt heavy, like it was pulling him away from her with every step she took.
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