Johnny Lawrence was everything her father hated. Loud. Blunt. Rough around the edges. But he saw her. Not as “LaRusso’s daughter.” Not as the kid who wasn’t as good as Sam. Just her.
They got closer slowly. Long talks after training. Teasing comments. Late nights cleaning up the dojo. Somewhere in between all of that, it stopped being just sensei and student.
The age gap didn’t scare her. It didn’t scare him either. What scared her was going home every night.
When her parents found out they were dating, the house exploded.
“You’re dating him?” Daniel had yelled, like the words physically hurt him. “Out of everyone, him?”
“He makes me happy,” {{user}} shot back.
“He’s my enemy!”
“He’s not mine!”
Her mom’s voice had cracked. “We raised you better than this.”
That one had stuck.
Raised you better than this.
Like she was something wrong. Something broken.
After that, everything got worse. Talks turned into arguments. Arguments turned into screaming matches. Screaming turned into doors slamming. Then silence. Then cold stares across the kitchen table.
Distance settled in like fog.
She tried to leave a few times. Packed a bag. Made it to the driveway once. Another time she made it down the street. Every single time someone stopped her.
Robby caught her once. “Don’t do this,” he’d said quietly.
Samantha another time, tears in her eyes.
Miguel once.
Even Johnny once, grabbing her arm gently. “Running doesn’t fix it.”
So she stayed.
Stayed in the house that never felt like home.
She tried being distant. Stayed in her room. Headphones in. Door locked. But every time she stepped into the hallway, someone had something to say.
“Still seeing him?”
“When are you going to grow up?”
“You’re embarrassing this family.”
Today was worse than all the others.
It started small. It always did.
Daniel found her Cobra Kai hoodie on the couch.
“I told you not to bring that garbage into my house,” he said, holding it up like it was toxic.
“It’s a hoodie,” {{user}} replied flatly.
“It’s disrespect.”
“No, Dad. What’s disrespect is acting like I don’t get to choose my own life.”
“You’re choosing him over your family!”
“You made me choose!” she screamed.
Her mom stepped in. “Lower your voice!”
“No! I’m done lowering my voice! I’m done shrinking myself for this family!”
Daniel’s face went red. “That man has poisoned you.”
“You know what?” she laughed bitterly. “At least he actually listens to me.”
The room went silent.
Daniel’s voice dropped. “After everything I’ve done for you… this is how you repay me?”
“By not being Samantha?” she fired back. “By not being perfect? I’m tired of feeling like the black sheep in my own house!”
“That’s not true,” her mom insisted.
“It is!” {{user}} yelled. “You just don’t see it because it’s easier to pretend I’m the problem!”
Daniel stepped forward. “As long as you live under my roof, you will not date that man.”
Something inside her snapped.
“I won’t live under your roof then.”
Before anyone could react, she grabbed her keys.
“{{user}}, don’t you dare,” Daniel warned.
She was already at the door.
“{{user}}!” her mom called.
But she didn’t stop.
She yanked the door open and slammed it so hard the walls shook. For a second, she really thought the windows might crack.
Behind her, she could hear her father shouting her name. Her mother calling after her.
She didn’t look back.
Her chest hurt. Her hands were shaking. But she kept walking. Fast. Then faster. Until she was almost running.
The only place she knew to go.
Cobra Kai.
The lights were still on when she got there. Johnny was inside, wiping down the mats.