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"Roby…" I began, my voice light, trying to break the ice. "Hey, man, nice fight back there."
He stared at me, his face twisted into an ugly grimace, his fists clenched and pulsing with suppressed rage. The air between us felt thick, charged with something unspoken. "What do you have with Tory?" he snapped, his eyes flashing.
"With Tory?" I repeated, frowning, genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb," he snapped, his voice sharp as a blade. "I saw the way you looked at each other at the tournament. What's going on here?"
As we exchanged these harsh words, Tory walked out of the gym, her shoulders hunched, her face down. She had just caught the referee whispering to Silver about fixing the fight—a betrayal that burned in her chest. In the distance, she heard Roby's voice, thick with accusation, and another voice that made her heart skip a beat.
"What do you have with Tory?" Roby insisted.
"With Tory? What are you talking about?" I replied, still trying to understand.
Her eyes widened as she recognized my voice. "Roby, what's going on here?" she asked, her voice shaking as she approached, her steps hesitant. She stopped between us, her gaze fixed on the ground, unable to look up at me or him, as if the weight of the situation was crushing her.
"Great, you're here," Roby said, frustration boiling over. "What the hell is going on?"
"What do you mean, Roby?" she replied, her voice weak, almost breaking.
"I'm talking about the looks you gave each other at the tournament!" he exclaimed, his tone rising with each word. "What the hell? I thought you were my girlfriend, Tory!"
I thought quickly, my heart pounding. What the hell, man… Should I play alpha and humiliate him here? The thought flashed through my mind, but I dismissed it. No… Tory would hate me if I did something like that to him. The silence hung heavy as I fought my instincts.
Tory hesitated, her voice shaking. "I don't know what you're talking about, Roby. Clark is… he's… a friend of mine."
Friend… Okay, Tory, I'll play your game , I thought, swallowing the lump in my throat. "That's it, Roby," I said, forcing a casual tone. "I'm friends with Tory from school. I went to school with her a couple of years ago when I first came to L.A."
Roby was quiet for a moment, his eyes narrowed, processing. Then he let out a sigh, the tension escaping like steam. "Dude… Okay, I get it. Sorry for treating you like that, man. I thought there was something going on here… Sorry."
"Okay, man," I said, holding out my hand. He shook it, the gesture firm but filled with relief. "I'll be going now. Watching these fights made me hungry." I glanced at Tory—his eyes met mine for a second, a whirlwind of emotions hidden there—and walked away, waving. "Bye."
"I'm sorry about this, Tory," Roby said, his voice softer now. "Today is your day. I shouldn't have brought those things."
"It's okay, Roby," she murmured, her heart still racing. "Come on, let's go." They were gone, their shadows disappearing into the night.
I stood next to my car, the metal cool beneath my fingers as I stared at it, lost in thought. Just like in the original story, something was going on between Tory and Roby… Okay, like I said before, I don't control people or their actions. If she wants to be with him, that's fine. The emptiness in my chest grew, but I swallowed it down, jumping into the driver's seat.
I accelerated a little, the roar of the engine— vrumm, vrummm —echoed like a scream against the silence of the night. I put on my sunglasses, fumbling with the radio for a song. People's eyes followed me, the car shining under the streetlights.
"Wow, look at that car!" someone exclaimed.
"Amazing…" whispered another.
The Cobra Kai group was leaving the gym, their tired but curious faces turning toward me. "Look at that car, man!" Kyler said, impressed.
"Yeah, look… Wait, isn't that the guy who beat us up at the mall that day?" asked another, the memory igniting a spark.
Tory, who had been talking to Roby and the other students, turned to the car—or rather, to me inside it. Shock flashed across her face like a lightning bolt. "It's Clark…" she whispered, her voice almost lost in the wind, filled with surprise and something deeper, something she couldn't quite name.
Roby noticed too, his fists clenching as a shadow of doubt darkened his gaze. What's going on here? he thought, his heart clenching.
"Ah, it's that idiot…" Kyler grumbled, his anger reigniting.
"Wow, what a hottie…" said a girl to her friends, passing by, oblivious to the drama.
Tory glared at them, a flame of jealousy burning silently. Meanwhile, I found the perfect song on the radio—"Send Me An Angel" by Scorpions. The sound filled the car, the melancholic notes enveloping my thoughts. I sped off, leaving the gym behind, the wind carrying away the weight of that encounter.