Halloween Dance [3]

As Max entered the school, Ryan, who had secretly smuggled in drinks, was already enjoying himself.

"What kind of party is this?"

Max, who also thought the music was outdated, glanced at Ryan and said, "If this keeps up, we might as well head to the club."

Compared to the parties Ryan usually hosted, this one was boring. Still, since Max had suggested attending and it was a first-time event, they decided to give it a chance.

"How about we make it more interesting?"

Miguel looked at Ryan, intrigued. "What do you have in mind?"

"I heard you got beaten up outside what's now our gym. That's not great for our reputation if the rumors spread, so maybe you should deal with it," Ryan said with a grin, pointing toward Kyler and his friends across the room.

"Fight them?"

"Not all of them, just the leader—him, that Asian guy with the smug face." Ryan wasn't taking no for an answer. A refusal from Miguel would seriously lower his standing in Ryan's eyes.

Eli, standing nearby, muttered, "Damn, is he really going to fight Kyler?"

"What's everyone so scared of? Max took all those idiots on by himself without any of us. Now that we're here, even if you lose, the next person will step in. But you'll earn respect."

Respect was everything. Even in defeat, deciding to fight earned you credibility. And who would mess with someone who was willing to fight back?

Eventually, the one who always won might lose, and that was the moment every fighter had to embrace.

"If you win, we'll record it and post it online. Once it's out there, they won't dare mess with you again," Ryan added confidently.

Max, observing quietly, didn't intervene. He knew Miguel needed to resolve this issue himself. After all, Miguel had joined karate to prevent being defenseless again. That humiliation needed to be repaid someday, and Miguel understood this as well.

"If their girlfriends get involved, we're here to back you up," Devon said, glancing at Eli, who had often been on the receiving end of Kyler's group's harassment.

Demitri wanted to protest, but he knew that saying anything against the plan would make Ryan stop talking to him entirely.

"Alright, but not here," Miguel finally agreed to fight Kyler.

Ryan grinned. "Perfect. Let's enjoy ourselves until then."

Tory, standing beside Max and unaware of the unfolding situation, asked, "Is that Kyler guy a jerk?"

"More than that. He's the type who only picks on people he thinks won't fight back," Max explained, sharing more about Kyler's group. Tory began to understand the situation better.

Being part of Cobra Kai came with an obligation; Miguel had a debt to settle.

"I'm thinking of starting karate, too," Tory mentioned casually, which excited Devon. There weren't many girls in their karate class, so having another friend join felt like a fantastic idea.

Meanwhile, Max hoped this wouldn't escalate too badly, silently wishing Kyler luck—especially since he had recently lost a tooth.

"Hey, aren't we going to dance?" Devon asked Max, noticing him sitting quietly.

Max pointed to himself. "Me? Dancing?"

"Yeah, come on!" Devon teased with a smile.

"Why don't we all dance together?"

"Save your energy for the real party later, not this lame excuse for a dance," Ryan interjected, practically dying of boredom.

The only reason Ryan was staying calm was the anticipation of Miguel confronting Kyler later that night.

...

In another corner of the gym where the dullest dance of the year was happening, Daniel was present as a volunteer staff member, ensuring everything was in order.

In truth, he was there to keep an eye on his daughter, who was likely dating some idiot who didn't deserve her.

Ever since Johnny had mentioned the boys ganging up on someone, Daniel couldn't stop thinking that Kyler, his daughter's current boyfriend, wasn't who he seemed.

"I can't believe you and Ali broke up after high school," a woman standing next to Daniel commented, handing him a cup of punch.

Daniel chuckled and replied, "Things change..."

Just then, Max and his friends began making their way toward Kyler, talking amongst themselves about how Miguel should handle the bully.

"Well, sometimes things do change," Daniel muttered, following Max. Along the way, he spotted his daughter tailing her boyfriend.