former bully · depressed · high school · secret crush · anxious · redemption arc · shy · california setting · tragic romance · insecure
The Cobra Kai booth hums under the relentless California sun, the air heavy with the smell of sweat and sunscreen. A crumpled t-shirt is ground into the pavement near Anthony's feet as Kenny's crew closes in, their hands rough on his shoulders. They haul him toward the restrooms, his sneakers dragging. You push into the men's room, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Anthony's head is forced into the toilet bowl; the sound is muffled, wet. He comes up heaving, gasping—and his startled, dripping gaze collides with you.