Heartbreak Weather, Eli Mosko...

LI.                                                Heartbreak Weather

      The next couple of fights that happened blurted together. All Odessa could think about was her upcoming fight. She was sickly nervous. Hailey won her right which put her higher on the board. During another break, Odessa spotted Kenny standing by himself. She she made her way over to talk to him, Robby walked up to him as well, and their eyes met. Kenny smiled at her. "Hey, Odessa."

"Hey, Kenny," she replied with a small smile, suddenly feeling awkward. "I just wanted to come wish you good luck. You've been doing amazing."

"You have." Robby nodded, agreeing with her. "The fact that you've made it this far at your age is a huge deal."

Kenny smiled at him, thankfully. "Well, I owe it all to you. You changed my whole life. But don't think i'm going easy on you, old man."

Both Robby and Odessa chuckled. "Okay, wiseass." He laughed at him.

Kenny gave Odessa wave and another smile before jogging off, leaving the two standing in front of each other. "Well, good luck out there." she smiled timidity before turning around.

"Odessa, wait." Robby stopped her. She turned back around slowly. "I just want to say i'm sorry about what I did. I was only thinking about revenge and not about how my actions could hurt others. I didn't think about how much it would affect you. So, I'm really sorry. I really want to start over."

She didn't say anything at first. What she wanted to say was that she wasn't the one he should be apologizing to. She wanted to hate him forever for what he did to Eli. Maybe a part of her did. But if her mom taught her anything it was that hatred was a poison that'll slowly kill you if you don't treat her. She could never hate anybody. She didn't have to forgive him. She could just be civilized. Smiling, she held her hand out. "Hi, I'm Odessa Beaumont."

Robby's smile matched hers and he shook her hand. "I'm Robby Keene."

Odessa stood on the side with her team as she watched Robby and Kenny meet in the middle on the mat. By the way they were fighting, she could tell Robby was going easy on him. Miguel noticed it, too. "Why is he going easy on him?" He asked her.

"I think he really likes this kid." Odessa replied with a small nod.

Kreese also noticed he was going easy when Kenny hit him in the chest and gained a point. He called Robby over for a time out. Odessa couldn't understand what they were saying but she saw something in Robby shift. His expression darkened in a way that gave her chills. She didn't like where it was going and she was honestly worried for Kenny.

When the fight started again, Robby kicked Kenny in the face, causing Odessa to jump back into Miguel out of shock. Kenny groaned and got up from the mat and looked at him in disbelief. The fight continued and Kenny dodged another kick to the face until Robby punched him, knocking him to the mat again.

"I'm getting nervous." Odessa whispered to Hailey.

Robby was to the point of training where he didn't need to use his hands. He dodged Kenny's kick by ducking down, his hands staying by his side. It was like in slow motion when Kenny ran forward and Robby did a full 360, his foot kicking Kenny hard in the face and he let out a loud yell.

Odessa gasped loudly and covered her mouth. Kenny laid on the mat holding his nose and he thought it may be broken. The referee helped him up and the young boy ran off the mat into the back room. Odessa stared at Robby in disbelief. She realized just how deep Kreese's hooks were in him. 

The next fight was Hailey and Tory. Hailey didn't have a worry in the world. She had been waiting for this moment.

"Up next in quarterfinals is Tory Nichols of Cobra Kai versus Hailey Cooper of Eagle Fang. And I can tell this is going to be intense!" Daryl announced.

"Oh, you have no idea." Hailey commented as she walked on the mat.

Grayson leaned down to Odessa. "You as nervous as I am?" He questioned while keeping his worried eyes on his girlfriend.

"I might be more."

Tory and Hailey glared at each other as they stood on the mat. They got in their fighting stances and the referee blew the whistle. Tory automatically went in for a kick but Hailey ducked down and moved to the other side. She wasted no time throwing punches and backing Tory into a corner, her first going into her chest.

"Point, Cooper!" The referee said and held up Hailey's hand.

The Eagle Fang's cheered loudly. "That's my girl!" Grayson cheered while clapping.

"Good job, Hails!" Thalia called out from the crowd.

Tory looked behind her at Kreese. He gave her a curt nod and she knew the look on his face. She nodded firmly. When the referee yelled fight, Hailey lunged forward but Tory did a spin kick and hit Hailey across the face, making her fly backward.

Tory won and Odessa's eyes widened. Hailey came storming off the mat in anger. Before Tory left the mat, her eyes met Odessa's and that's when they both realized that they were only girls left. They were the last female fight.

"And now our first semi final match will be Miguel Diaz of Eagle Fang versus Eli Moskowitz of Miyagi-Do!"

Odessa shook Miguel's shoulders and said words of encouragement to get him ready. "Good luck. Stay focused. But whatever you do, just makes sure he still looks pretty when you're done." She said all at once.

He chuckled. "Whatever you say, Dess."

She patted his shoulders and smiled brightly. "Okay. Go get 'em, tiger!"

But Johnny had more to say. "All right, you can do this. You've beaten Hawk before. Remember that killer instinct. Take his ass out."

Miguel narrowed his eyes. What? Take his ass out?Hawk is my friend."

"He's fighting for Larusso. He picked his side." Johnny stood his ground. "Who's side are you on?"

"Yours." The boy answered hesitantly.

"Are you sure? Hawk may be your friend but if you want to win this, you have to beat him."

"Who's side are you on?" Miguel shot his way and Johnny's face softened.

His team clapped him on the back. "Good luck!" They all threw at him.

"I'm on your side, Diaz. Always." Said Johnny before Miguel walked onto the mat.

Eli and Miguel met each other in the middle. "Finally, a worth opponent. Not gonna hold back, right?" Eli remarked.

"Not a chance. But Odessa'll kill me if I mess up your face." Miguel replied with a smirk.

"I definitely owe her one." He laughed and the two did their handshake before stepping back.

Odessa held tightly onto Bert and they watched the two boys fight. They moved back and forth dodging each other with ease. It could go either way with them.  Miguel went kicked Eli but he was quick to block it. Eli still ended up falling to the mat.

"No point. That's a block. Continue!" The referee ordered.

"You're doing great Miguel. Keep going!"  Odessa shouted from the sidelines.

"This is intense." Said Bert and he clutched her arm with anticipation.

But what came next brought back the memory of what happened at the school fight. Miguel attempted to do the tornado kick but his back gave out on him. He fell to the mat and they all heard a cracking sound. Bike rose in Odessa's throat.

"Miguel!" Thalia shouted in horror and she stood up with Carmen and Rosa.

Johnny rushed onto the mat and dropped by him. Odessa let go of Bert and quickly ran onto the mat and crouched beside Eli. "Miguel?" She stammered quickly.

"Dess." He cried in pain and his hand immediately went to his back where the pain was. "Sensei!"

The medic came and started checking him. Odessa grabbed Eli's shoulder to keep herself from falling and he held onto her, tightly.

Eli held Odessa close to him. Her hands were covering her face and she tried to steady her breathing. They had taken Miguel to the medical room. "Dess, please try to breath. You're going to pass out." He muttered.

"What if it happens again, E? What if he can't walk again? I can't do that all over again." She cried into his shoulder.

Eli caught Oliver's eye from across the mag. He gave him a look that asked if he wanted him to do anything. He just shook his head. "Go see him." Eli said to her.

She shook her head. "I don't think i'm allowed in."

He scoffed. "You're like his sister. Don't worry about it. Go see him."

Odessa lifted her head and he wiped away her tears. She gave a small nod and kissed him before running out of the room. When she walked quickly down the hallway, she saw Carmen and Rosa standing with Johnny and her mom. "Is everything okay? Is he okay?" She frantically asked.

Carmen put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "He's fine, Odessa. It's just a sprain. You can go in and see him."

She looked to her mom and Johnny for a quick second. When they nodded, she said thank you and walked past them. She walked into the medical room and saw Miguel sitting on the bed. "You really love scaring the shit out of me, don't you?" She said with a breathy laugh.

He lifted his head and cracked a smile. "Life would be boring if I didn't."

"How are you feeling?"

Miguel scooted over on the bed and patted the spot next to him. She walked over and sat beside him. "The medic said it's a sprain. It's just a little sore." He explained.

"Are you going to be able to keep fighting?" She questioned.

He frowned slightly and lowered his head, staring at his lap. "I don't know. . ."

Odessa furrowed her brows. "You don't know cause of your back or because you don't want to?" She asked for clarification.

He stayed quiet for a few seconds. He lifted his head and looked at her. "Do you ever feel like all Sensei cares about is winning and not us?"

She tilted her head. "Why would you say that?" She asked softly.

"Think about it, Dess. What has he been doing since we started Cobra Kai? He's been working to beat Mr. Larusso and now it seems worse than before."

"Johnny loves us Miguel. He loves you."

"I know but. . . what if he loves winning more?" Miguel asked. He shook his head. "just don't think I can do this, Odessa." He admitted to her.

She stared at him for a moment, contemplating his words. Johnny loved them like they were his own kids. He loved his students and the dojo. But she had seen changes in his recently. He was more jealous and vengeful. She could see it when Miguel was growing closer with Daniel but she knew what winning meant to him. It was to prove to himself that he wasn't a failure and that he started something greater than himself. But she could see how it was affecting Miguel and he was so important to her. They both were. She just didn't know.

Odessa grabbed Miguel's hand. "Listen Mig, this is your life and your health. You're the one who's suffered more than anyone and it's your decision on what you chose to do with your own body. If you feel like you're not ready to keep going, you don't have to. If your body's telling you to stop, then stop." She emphasized at the end. "I know you and so does everybody else. We all know what you can do and you've proved yourself more than enough that you're a winner whether you win or not. You're so special Miguel. If you don't believe Johnny then believe me. And as much as I love Sensei and what he's started, I love you more. Your health is what matters most. So if you feel like your ready, then go out there and show all these assholes who Miguel Diaz really is. But if you're not ready, then stay here. We'd rather have our Miguel healthy and okay rather than broken and hurt again because of a stupid tournament."

Miguel blinked back the tears he could feel developing and he nodded with a wavering smile on his face. He lifted up his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, bringing her closer. "You believe in me?" He almost whispered.

He had a certain tone in his voice that made her curious and concerned but she nodded. "Of course I do. You're like my third brother. Sisters always believe in their brothers."

The thoughts and emotions that were running through Miguel's head made him feel dizzy but her words encouraged him to not give up. But at the same time,  he had to make his own decisions and she was right, his health is what mattered.

Odessa stood in the tournament room after talking with Miguel. She assured her team that he was okay and now everyone stood around, waiting to see if he would come out or not. "Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do are neck-and-neck on the leaderboard. But there's a dark horse. . . or should I say a dark bird that still has a chance," Daryl  shouted into the mic. "Will Eagle Fang karate stay alive in our dojo race? We're about to find out. Miguel Diaz has one minute to return to the mat!"

Odessa was biting her nails anxiously. Hailey stood beside her and they watched the clock run down. "How did your talk go? Is he ready?" She asked.

She shook her head. "I don't think so, Hailey. I think something's really wrong with him and he's not okay right now."

She frowned. "So you think he's done?"

She looked at Johnny who was looking behind him at the door waiting for Miguel to walk through. She nodded in response. "Yeah. . . I think he's done."

Eli was waiting on the mat for Miguel. His eyes met his girlfriend's and he gave her a questionable look. All she could do was shrug. When the clock reached ten seconds, the audience started counting down. And when it hit zero, Miguel was no where to be found. Odessa sighed sadly. He wasn't showing up. She saw the disappointment on Johnny's face.

"Well, it looks like Miguel Diaz is not gonna fight. Which means that the winner by default is Eli Moskowitz, who advances to the final where he will face Robby Keene!" Daryl announced to everybody

Odessa clapped for her boyfriend but a horrible dread filled her stomach.

"But Eagle Fang's not out of the running yet because defending champion Odessa Beaumont still has a chance to bring home that trophy for the second time as she will be face Tory Nichols in the finals."

If there was any fight people were waiting to see, it was between Odessa and Tory and Eli and Robby. Ex fighting ex, while ex girlfriend fights new girl. It made some nervous just thinking about it. What Odessa was worried about was if Tory was going to go after her like she did with Sam.

Odessa stood outside in the hall to get some fresh air. She was pacing around nervously, thinking about the final fight, when Miguel appeared from behind the wall and a chuckle slipped out. "You and pacing don't mix, you know?"

She stopped pacing and laughed. "Better than me punching a wall." She replied and ran her hands through her hair.

"I guess you're right."

She tilted her head slightly, giving him a sad smile. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I feel like I disappointed Sensei. Disappointed all of you." He admitted sadly.

Odessa shook her head quickly and walked up to him. "No, you didn't. I promise. They may be upset now but they'll get over. As long as you feel like the decision was right then who cares what they think."

All Miguel could do was smile but she could see the hurt on his face. It went deeper than just not competing in the All Valley. It was something more but she couldn't figure it out. "Hey Dess, can I ask you something?" He asked, the question he had been dying to ask her now coming to his mind.

She nodded. "Sure, what's up?"

He thought about how to ask it. "Um, do you. . ." He paused and licked his lips. "I know we talk about it all the time and I know how much it upsets you to talk about, but. . . Do you ever think about your dad?" He stuttered, not wanting to sound insensitive.

The blonde paused. She tilted her head to the side slightly. "Um, yeah, I-I do."

"Do you miss him?"

"Sometimes, yeah. Other times, I think about how much I hate him." She admitted.

"Do you ever feel mad at him for leaving?" He continued asking.

Odessa was curious as to why he was asking her all these questions about her dad but she refrained from saying anything and just nodded. "There's days I question why he stopped calling and seeing me. There's also some days I try to forget so it doesn't upset my mom. But then I try to remember the positives. I have my mom and she's my best friend. I love great friends, I have Johnny, I have Eli, and I have you," she emphasized with a smile and hit his arm. "I'm thankful for all of you. You make my life so much better when it was a living hell before. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Miguel soaked in her words. For some reason, as many times as he heard her speak so highly of him and everyone else, it struck him harder this time. Maybe because he was dealing with his own issues and needed to hear it or because it only made things harder. His throat tightened. He nodded and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her neck.

It started her. Her arms lifted slightly in shock before sowing wrapping around his waist. "Miguel, if something's wrong, please tell me." Odessa spoke more seriously that time.

He shook head and leaned it on hers. "Nothing's wrong. . . I just really love you." He let out.

She felt her heart quicken but it wasn't because she was happy to hear it. It was because it made her slightly scared the way he said it. She let out a small chuckle. "I love you, too. You're not planing to run away, are you?"

He kept his face hidden and closed his eyes so he wouldn't cry. "Like I could ever leave you." He lied.

"Good. Because sometimes you're the only thing that keeps me sane around all these idiots."

Miguel pulled away from her and kept his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her. She had grown so much as a person from the first time he saw her. She was stronger. She was more brave. She was a daughter. He was proud of her.

"All finalist please get ready!" Daryl shouted from inside the arena.

"Go knock her dead, Dessi." He muttered with a proud smile.

She beamed and squeezed his arms. "You'll be rooting for me?" She asked, hopefully.

"Brothers always support their sisters." Was all he could manage to say.

Odessa smiled and have him a quick but tight hug and ran back into the room. Miguel watched her walk away, knowing he was going to hate himself forever.