It was the next morning after getting Miguel home. Carmen let Cat sleep on the couch because it was late when they got back. She would just skateboard home in the morning. Yeah, she had it with her because you never know.

When Cat woke up Miguel was cooking and his mom was getting ready for work, and his grandma was at the table. Cat sat up and scratched. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun.

"Breakfast is served," Miguel said as he placed plates down for his mom and grandma.

"This is so sweet," Carman said.

His grandma founded over him in Spanish.

"Oh stop it, mama. He'll think he can run away, come back, and get all the love he wants."

"Uh, yeah. He can," she said in Spanish.

"Don't worry," Miguel said. "I'm never doing something like that again. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry to Miggy," Carman said. "I should've told you the truth about how I left your father."

"You did it for me. I understand that now."

"Oh, how can you stay mad at him? You just can't," Miguel's grandma said in Spanish.

"And if he runs away again, I'll kick his ass for you," Cat said as she walked over from the couch.

"Good morning to you, too, Cat," Miguel said. "You hungry? I can make you food too."

Cat looked at the food and it didn't look the best, plus she wasn't hungry, "I'm good, but thanks," she said. She leaned against the counter.

Miguel nodded.

"Carman, you have such goddess vibes right now," Cat said.

"I'm not sure what that means, but thank you?" Carmen said unsure.

"Sorry, I'm late," Johnny said as he walked into the apartment. "Graffiti's a bitch to clean off. You should see my van. It should be illegal to deface someone else's property like that."

"It is," Carman said.

"Oh, this looks different," Johnny said, referring to the plate in front of him.

"Yeah, I made it," Miguel said. "Oh, I forgot the orange juice. Uh, one second."

While Miguel stepped away Carman asked Johnny about Robby. He explained things are good, but he thinks it's going to take time for Robby and Miguel to work through their shit.

Miguel came back to the table and his grandma asked him a question in Spanish. "Oh, Miguel, are you going to visit your girlfriend? I bet she misses you."

Yeah," Miguel said. "I think I need to make Sam an apology meal too."

Carmen got up and walked off to the bathroom and coughing could be heard.

"Maybe you guys should order in instead," Johnny said.

"Yeah," Miguel said.

"Hey, Miggy," Cat said. "Eli got me a tattoo appointment right before his. He invited Demetri and told me to invite you. If you wanna go I'll wait with you to leave."

Miguel nodded. "Yeah."

"You're getting a tattoo?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, I am," Cat said. "You got a problem with that?"

—

Miguel and Cat were on their way to meet up with Eli and Demetri at the tattoo place. On the way Cat made them stop somewhere so she could buy something to eat.

"Oh, I thought you weren't hungry," Miguel said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I wasn't then, but I am now," Cat said. "Just wait over here while I get my food."

She walked away and came back after a few minutes. She was holding a bag and two cups. She handed Miguel a cup. "Here, I got you a drink."

"Thanks," Miguel said

The two left and went to the tattoo place.

—

Cat just finished getting her tattoos and thanked the people who did them. She'd been thinking of getting a tattoo for a while.

One was on her left wrist and was the different element symbols. It was kinda in the memory of her parents, mostly her dad. He would always tell her 'Swift as air. Strong as earth. Passionate as fire. Flexible as water'. But also her mom was all about nature.

She also got something that goes with 'Phoenix', the name people called her in her younger fighting years. Maybe it'll come back if she actually did tournaments again. Either way, it was a part of her and she liked the thought of having the tattoo. It was around her lower right arm.

"Nice, Cat," Eli said, looking at the tattoos. "Looks good."

"Thanks," Cat said.

"Took you long enough," Demetri said, referring to Cat talking about getting one for weeks now.

Cat rolled her eyes. "I wasn't sure what I wanted until like 2 days ago."

—

"Sweet. Thanks, Aurora," Eli said. "Tell Rico I said hey."

"Wow," Demetri said, looking at the tattoo. "Man, you're really going all in on Miyagi-do, huh?"

Eli chuckled a little. "It's a lotus flower. Symbolizes a new beginning. Which is what I have now. besides the reaper was a bitch to cover up. A giant flower was the only option."

"It works," Demetri said.

"It was actually Cat's suggestion," Eli said. "I said I wanted a new tattoo that symbolizes new beginnings and she suggested a lotus among other things."

"Nice."

"It looks nice on you, E," Cat said.

"Thanks, C," Eli said.

Miguel sighed from a few feet away where he sat looking at his phone.

"Hey, Miguel. You good?" Dem asked.

"Yeah. Uh, just tired from the trip, is all," Miguel said, getting up.

"Yeah, you spent how many hours in a car with Robby?" Eli asked.

"Yeah. I've never seen you around him for more than two minutes without a John Wick-style fight breaking out," Demetri said.

"Yeah, for sensei's sake I'm trying not to let it get to that," Miguel said. "Even if he deserves it. Robby says he's done with Cobra Kai. We'll see how that goes."

"I get Robby's not your favorite person," Cat said. "But he's like a brother to me. He's not as bad a guy as you think. He's helped me through a lot."

Miguel nodded a little.

"How long have you even known him?" Eli asked.

"I met him a couple of years after I met the two of you," Cat gestured between Eli and Demetri.

"Well, if you see Robby as a brother, is that how you see Hawk and Demetri?" Miguel said.

"Uh, not exactly." Her phone started ringing, so she took the chance to step away from the conversation. "I gotta take this." It was her aunt doing a short check-in on her. She also wanted her to come out to the farm at some point this summer, but Cat's not sure she wasn't too.

Miguel's phone dinged.

"That Sam?" Eli asked. "She finally texts back?"

"Yeah. She said she wants to talk tonight."

Demetri hissed a little.

"What does it say exactly?" Eli asked.

"We should talk tonight," Miguel read the message out loud. The two other boys looked at each other. "What?"

"It says, 'we should talk'? Oh, brother you in deep," Demetri said.

"I mean, she's right. We should talk," Miguel said. "The last time we spoke, we had a fight."

"Yeah, but 'we should talk' is code for 'i wanna break up'."

"What, it is?"

"Not necessarily," Eli said. "Moon is big on communication. Maybe Sam really does want to talk."

"No. no. We need more information," Demetri said. "We should send a trial balloon. Something that puts the ball in her court. 'Can't wait to see you tonight'. Uh, 'how are you?'."

"That's good, Miguel said.

"Right?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"It's going to be fine man. It's fine," Demetri said.

The phone dinged after a minute as the three boys looked at the phone.

"That's bad," Eli said. "There's not even an emoji."

"Yeah, man she's not okay," Demetri said. "You need to do something to turn this around stat."

"Cat," Miguel said, wanting a girl's opinion. "They're just over-exaggerating, right?"

"Well..." Cat trailed off a little which just panicked Miguel more. "I mean, maybe, but..."

"What do I do?" Miguel asked.

"I think I have an idea," Demetri said.

—--

"I got Yasmine a charm bracelet here, plus a charm for every fight we have," Demetri said as they walked into a jewelry shop. "She can barely lift her arm now."

"Okay, explain to me again why I have to buy expensive jewelry," Miguel said. "Maybe Sam is okay, and you guys are just reading too much into it."

"My friend, this is a five-alarm fire," Demetri said. "If anything we're not reading into it enough. Okay? Even Cat agrees and she's a girl, so she'd know."

"Well, I'd say it's the thought that counts," Cat said. "It doesn't have to be expensive. You could make her something."

"We don't have time for that," Demetri said.

"Can I help you find something?" A woman asked as she approached the teens.

"Um, yes. I'm looking for something special for my girlfriend," Miguel said.

"That's so sweet. Is it a birthday, anniversary?"

"He left the country without telling her during the biggest karate fight of her life," Demetri said.

"That's a new one," the woman said. She cleared her throat. "How about a nice pair of earrings?"

Cat was looking at stuff already since she thought she'd help Miguel find something. She then saw a necklace with an octopus. She remembered Miguel saying something about how octopi were a staple in his and Sam's relationship. She nudges Miguel a little and points at it.

Miguel looked at the necklace for a moment. "How much is that?" he asked, pointing at the necklace in the case.

"The octopus?" the woman asked, taking it out of the display.

"It's perfect," Miguel said, holding it. "But I don't think I'll be able to afford it."

"Actually, it's been reduced."

"Reduced? Great. How much?"

"After tax, $182."

Miguel sighed.

"Do you maybe have one with fewer tentacles?" Eli asked.

(1652 words. Whatcha think? Do you like Cat's tattoos? The pic of the fire one that I found wasn't colored in, so I used a photo editing app to add color to it. Both were found on google, btw.)