You sat in your car, the soft sound of waves crashing in the distance, the beach almost deserted under the dark night sky. You were just about to head home when you noticed someone walking along the shoreline—Tory.

Tory Nichols had been your classmate, though she’d been expelled not long ago after starting that huge fight. Now, everyone at school—aside from the Cobra Kai kids—saw her as dangerous, maybe even a little unhinged. You’d heard the rumors.

She spotted you too, her eyes flickering in your direction, but neither of you said anything. You’d never spoken before, just two strangers with nothing in common, yet the air between you felt heavy, as if there was something unspoken hanging in the silence.