"I'm really not sure." Odessa responded. 
Hawk and his friends stopped their conversation. Johnny stood in front of them. Eli glared at the man, waiting for what he was going to say. "I screwed up," Johnny began. "And i'm sorry. I made it about me and that's not what a Sensei does. I took the easy way out.  I gave up—" From the corner of the hall,  Mitch and Bert listened to him. "—What happened here at this school. . .It rocked me to my core. I couldn't look myself in the eye, let alone face all of you."
"Yeah, I guess it makes it easier to tell yourself that,"  said Hawk, bluntly. "But the truth is, you bailed on us long before that fight happened. You got soft and we paid the price." 
"I have a bad feeling about this." Grayson whispered. 
Johnny walked up to him with a glare. Odessa squeezed Miguel's arm with a nervous inhale. He pointed his finger at his chest. "Now, you listen up.  When you came into my dojo, you were softer than a baby's ass." He yelled in his face. "I made you what you are. Not Kreese." He pointed to Odessa. "You think she fell for you because you turned all cool? No, she liked you before that. I'm the one who gave you the push to actually do something about it. And this little asshole rampage you're on is the reason you two aren't together, not anyone else."
Odessa rubbed the back of her neck, feeling embarrassed. 
"Kreese doesn't give a shit about any of you. So, if you wanna keep whining about the past like a bunch of pussies, fine. We can play that game. Wanna stick with Kreese? Go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you when your life ends up in the shitter. Or you could sack up and join my dojo." He started to back up. "Havenhurst and Magnolia. Tomorrow at four. And don't be late!"  
He knocked a kid's books out of his hand.
"Sorry, kid, old habit."
"I love that guy." Grayson laughed.
Odessa found Hawk's eye from where he was still standing, frozen. His expression didn't change. Neither did hers. She grabbed Miguel's arm and dragged him to their next class, hoping that Johnny maybe gave them a reality check. 
























Demetri was staring at his once solid white cast that was now embroidered with a giant dick. He felt even more like a loser than he did before he became friends with Oliver. The bullying would never stop. He didn't know why he thought it would. He was angry. Angry at Eli for betraying him. Angry that he was so goddamn helpless.
But he would never be angry at Oliver.
He saw him come into the corridor. Everyone around turned and stared at him, whispering. Oliver's nose was bloody and his eye was bruised. His knuckles were almost bruised and split. Demetri was almost afraid to ask if he was okay. "You okay?" He asked anyway.
"Me? I'm great." Oliver responded with a childish smirk.
Demetri narrowed his eyes. "You sure?"
"Believe me, babe. I'm on top of the world."
He internally fainted at the nickname. "How'd it got with the principal? Suspended? Expelled?"
Oliver shook his head. "Nope. Got off with a detention." He answered proudly.
Demetri was shocked. "Wait – seriously?" He nodded. "How'd you manage to do that?"
"Told the principal he called me a homophonic slur. Said if I got punished then I'd take it to the news and promise you that they don't want any more attention that they already have." Oliver explained with another proud smirk.