Sam lay awake all night, tossing and turning as she tried to gather her thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking about the fight in the cafeteria and what it meant for her relationship with Kyler. He'd never been this violent before—at least not in front of her. But now, all she could see was the image of him bullying a younger boy, a cruel smile on his face.
She knew she needed to talk to him. She couldn't just ignore what had happened. But she also didn't want to end the relationship like this, without giving him a chance to explain himself. Maybe there was something she didn't understand. Maybe he was going through something difficult and had acted on impulse.
The next day, Sam decided she would give Kyler one more chance. She found him in the hallway, near his locker, and asked to talk alone.
— Kyler, we need to talk. — Sam said, with a serious tone.
— Sure, Sam. What's wrong? — Kyler replied, with a smile that tried to be reassuring.
They walked away from Kyler's friends and found a quieter corner in the hallway. Sam crossed his arms and looked directly at him.
— I didn't like what happened yesterday. — She began, her tone firm. — You were bullying that boy, and that's not something I expect from you.
Kyler was silent for a moment, as if trying to find the right words.
"Sam, I know that sounded bad, but you didn't get the context. That kid was teasing me.
" "Teasing how?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He was talking down to me," Kyler replied, sounding defensive. "I was just defending myself."
Sam didn't know if she believed him, but something in his eyes made her hesitate. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe she was judging him too much.
"I don't want to break up with you, Kyler," Sam finally said with a sigh. "But that can't happen again. I need you to be better than this."
Kyler smiled, relieved.
"I promise, Sam. I'll be better. You'll see."
Sam nodded, but there was still a twinge of doubt in her heart. She wanted to believe him, but something inside her told her it wasn't that simple.
Soon after his conversation with Sam, Kyler met his friends in the parking lot. They were laughing and joking around as usual, but stopped when they saw Kyler approaching.
— What's up, man? How was your talk with Sam? — One of his friends asked, with a mischievous smile.
— It was great. — Kyler replied, with an arrogant smile. — She gave me another chance.
— Seriously? — Another friend asked, laughing. — She's dumber than I thought.
Kyler laughed along, but there was something in his eyes that showed he wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation.
"Yeah, she's kind of naive. But that's fine with me," he said, with a disdainful tone.
"What do you mean?" One of his friends asked, curious.
"I'm going to fuck her," Kyler replied, with a mischievous smile. "And then I'll finish her. That's all she's good for."
The friends laughed, but Kyler didn't seem as confident as he tried to show. He knew he was playing with Sam's feelings, but he didn't want to admit it to himself. He just kept laughing, trying to convince himself that everything was okay.
Meanwhile, Sam was at home, trying to focus on her homework, but her mind kept going back to Kyler. She wanted to believe that he would change, but something inside her told her that it wasn't that simple.
She remembered all the times they had gone out together, laughing and having fun. She remembered how special he had made her feel. But now, it all seemed fake. How could she trust him after what had happened?
Sam knew she needed to talk to someone, but she didn't know who. Her friends wouldn't understand—they already had their own opinions about Kyler. And her father…well, he'd probably tell her she should break up with him right away. But Sam wasn't ready for that. She needed time to think.
Sam couldn't get Jack out of her head either. Ever since the fight in the cafeteria, he had become something of a mystery to her. Who was that boy? How was he so strong? The fight had been so one-sided—he'd fought off three of them like it was nothing. Maybe he was a practitioner of some kind of martial art? The idea intrigued her.
She remembered the way he'd moved during the fight—fast, precise, almost as if he were dancing. It wasn't just brute strength; there was technique there, something she recognized from her own karate training with her father. But she'd left that behind long ago, focusing on other things. Now, watching Jack, she felt a pang of longing for those times.
Sam was at home, sitting on her bed with her phone in her hand, but unable to concentrate on anything. Her mind was full of questions about Jack. She decided to check his social media profile, but found almost nothing—just a few old photos and little information. He was a mystery, and that intrigued her even more.
She remembered how he had helped that boy in the cafeteria, without hesitation. There was something about him that made her feel... safe. Something she hadn't felt with Kyler in a long time.
— Who are you, Jack Sullivan? — Sam whispered to herself, looking at a picture of him on her phone screen.
The next day, Sam decided to talk to her father, Daniel LaRusso. She knew he might have some answers about Jack, or at least about what could make him so strong.
"Dad, do you know a kid named Jack Sullivan?" Sam asked as he helped Daniel organize some things in the dojo.
"Jack Sullivan?" Daniel repeated thoughtfully. "No, I don't. Why?
" "He got into a fight at school yesterday. He took down three kids by himself, and it seemed like he knew what he was doing." Sam explained, his tone curious.
"Hmm." Daniel replied, raising an eyebrow. "Does he train in any martial arts?
" "I don't know. That's what I want to find out." Sam said with a half smile.
Daniel looked at her, studying her face.
"Why are you so interested in him?
" "I don't know," Sam replied, shrugging. "He's… different."
Daniel didn't say anything, but Sam knew what he was thinking. He'd always been protective of her, and she knew he'd be worried if she started getting involved with someone like Jack.
"Just be careful, Sam," Daniel finally said, his tone serious. "Boys like him can be complicated."
"I know, Dad," Sam replied with a smile. "I just want to talk to him."
The next day, Sam decided to approach Jack. She found him in the hallway, near his locker, and decided to strike up a conversation.
"Hey, Jack," she called out, smiling tentatively.
"Hi," Jack replied, looking at her with a curious look.
"I just wanted to ask you something," Sam began, trying to sound casual. "Do you train in any martial arts?"
Jack was silent for a moment, as if he was considering the answer.
"No," he finally said. "I just… know how to defend myself."
Sam didn't entirely believe him, but decided not to press it.
"It's impressive," she said with a smile. "I used to train karate with my dad, but I ended up giving it up."
"Why?" Jack asked, his tone genuinely curious.
"I don't know," Sam replied with a shrug. "I guess I just wanted to focus on other things."
Jack didn't say anything, but Sam felt like he understood. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her feel... understood.
— Maybe you should go back to training. — Jack finally said, with a half smile.
— Maybe. — Sam replied, with a smile back.
Later, Sam thought about her conversation with Jack. There was something about him that made her feel more alive, more connected to who she really was. She remembered what it was like to train karate with her father, the sense of power and confidence it gave her. Maybe it was time to get back to that.
She also thought about Kyler and how he had changed. She didn't know if she could trust him again, but she knew she had to make a decision. Meanwhile, Jack continued to occupy her thoughts, like a mystery she wanted to unravel.