Vlad Kills Cobra Kai

Talking with Sam was nice. However, as I sat there I couldn't help but note the tension in her body. Kind of like, despite her seemingly enjoying herself with some light playful banter, she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I noted the lack of scars on her arm, meaning I didn't arrive after the fight with Tory where she was dealing with PTSD, so that could only mean that she was dealing with something else. Based on the fact that I've noted three separate people in the class smirk and whisper while looking at the two of us in a way that oozed mockery could only mean I arrived at a time when Sam was being made fun of for some reason.

The day after her date with Kyler.

The day Miguel put them paws on the boy.

The day that pretty much kickstarted the entire valley's karate fever.

Well, that gave me options.

It was only a little after ten minutes into the class and the realization that we were basically going over what was written in the book that I decided to invest my time into something a little more... worthwhile.

Make no mistake, I was still interested in school. But I am an autodidact. I learn on my own far better than I learn by sitting around following the pace of others. So, I decided to do something that I missed doing ever since I left school in my first life.

I took out a piece of paper and I wrote a note.

Scritch scritch scritch

My fingers were a blur as I scribbled out my note in a very neat script. Didn't even try to be neat. It just came out that way. Then, I slid the note to the edge of my desk and moved it like I was a DJ scratching a record in order to bring it to Sam's attention. She looked at it, then at me with a bit of bewilderment on her face, but I also saw she was trying not to laugh so I took that as a good sign as far as the coolness of note writing went.

The hand off was smooth and fluid. No doubt a product of her extensive karate training. Or... maybe it was just two people passing a note so it really wasn't that serious, but either way it looked very clandestine so I loved it.

I watched as Sam opened the note. Read it. Looked at me, this time with a genuine smile, lacking that earlier tension and then she wrote something and handed it back to me. She honestly didn't even try to be nearly as sneaky as me, but I let her lack of espionage skills go.

[Vlad: This is boring. Want to go eat lunch?

Sam: It's the first class of the day. Lunch isn't until twelve something. You'll have to wait.

Vlad: Unacceptable. Observe.]

I raised my hand and waited. It took only a glance for the teacher to call on me. He's a good guy.

"You have a question, Mr. Coretti?" He asked.

"No, sir. I need to go to the restroom?"

"Take a hall pass," he said, then got back to teaching.

[Vlad: That was easy. What's your number?]

I handed the note back to her as I leaned down to get my bag moving slower than ever just to give her time to decide if she wanted to give it or not. I've often found it better to be very very direct when it comes to getting a phone number. When you build it up like its some epic thing, it becomes an epic thing, but when you simply ask for it like it's a completely normal request, it takes away some of the pressure that normal people feel in those types of moments. Then, there was a note in my face as I leaned over near the floor.

My schedule was a simple one and this wasn't some pre-Ivy league type school where being top of the class was everything, like Chilton in Gilmore Girls. This was just your regular, average everyday public school. So, I was pretty sure I wasn't missing much. Besides, it's best to set a standard from the very beginning and let it be known that I will be a frequent skipper of class. As long as my grades are on point, everything should be good.

I took out my phone and messaged a number for a pizza. In was thirty minutes later, with me just walking around noting the locations for all my classes and every other important part of the school before my nanny arrived with a box of pizza. I was pretty sure none of the places around here were open yet, but not for a second did I doubt she could acquire what I asked for. She was very capable.

No words were exchanged between us. She simply handed me the pizza and left just as quickly and silently as she came.

I took the pizza and myself outside and made the short trek to the football field and then I made myself comfortable on the bleachers, got myself a slice, and snapped a picture.

-Sam-

Sam sat in class staring at her phone.

Her new classmate seemed a little funny weird, but she liked how easy and comfortable it felt talking to him. She wasn't sure how someone could be so at ease with being the new kid and all, but it didn't really seem to bother him at all.

She kept her head down, knowing if she looked up she might catch someone looking at her when they should be focusing on the class and she really didn't want anything to ruin her good mood. The new guy wanted her number and she gave it to him. But what would he think when he heard the rumors? Would he still talk to her? Or would he think she was easy and try and get in her pants? Or woul-

Her phone vibrated once bringing her out of her thoughts.

A text from an unknown number. Her heart beat sped up for a second before she calmed herself down.

She opened the text and it was a selfie of the new guy sitting on the bleachers at the field and holding up a slice of pizza near his face.

"Pfft," she stifled the laugh that escaped her lips, but it was too late.

"Ms. LaRusso! Something you would like to share with the class?"

"No, Mr. Hansen. I-I sneezed." She cringed at the feeble excuse, but Mr. Hansen seemed to be in a good mood because he let it drop. Thank goodness. And that was when the bell rang. Once again, thank goodness. English is so boring.

Sam had a choice to make. Clearly that was an invitation, right? An invitation to skip class, stop being stared at and whispered about and go sit outside in the nice sun and eat pizza.

Was it even really a choice? Normally, she would hesitate. Samantha LaRusso doesn't skip class. Hell, she's never even been late to a class, but... Samantha LuRusso is also a little tired, angry, and maybe a little sad, so, there's a first time for everything.

Sam put her book in her locker, but still took out the book for her next period class just in case the new guy turned out to be a jerk like Kyler, even if he didn't seem like it. In fact, he seemed really nice and sweet. 'Stop lying Sam, you just like his face,'  she thought to herself, glad that she was at least self aware. But, she was also pretty sure he was a nice guy. Maybe. Her confidence in that area was a little shaken if she was being honest.

It didn't take her long to spot him after she made her way over to the field since he was sitting near the door at the bottom of the bleachers. She took in his outfit. Black boots, black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket. Pretty basic and yet it all came together to look like he was stepping straight out the pages of a magazine. How? (A/N: Zac Efron's outfit in 17 again on his first day of school, only with boots)

"Hey," she waved and grimaced a little at how excited she thought she sounded. 'Play it cool, Sam.' "You actually got lunch." She said as she sat down beside him with the box between them.

He opened the box and sat back looking out at the field. The invitation was clear and she really liked pizza. Especially pepperoni.

She took one, bit into it, and froze. Then, she chewed really fast and swallowed. "Where did you get this? It's delicious."

He just smiled a very self-satisfied smile without even looking at her. She got the hint and proceeded to inhale the rest of her slice. Now, she was sure. He was a really nice guy.

"So, are you being bullied?" If she hadn't just finished swallowing the last bit she might have chocked or dropped it. Luckily he waited until she was done, which might have been on purpose.

Sam looked at him in shock, but he still wasn't looking at her. He just sat, looking towards the field. His eyes roaming over the grass as he sat back against the bleacher behind his back.

Sam breathed, calming herself down from that blow that she didn't see coming. Okay, clearly he was paying closer attention than she thought. Or maybe he heard some people talking? It's only been one period since he got here. Has the rumor become that wide-spread that someone who only attended one class heard it?

"What do you mean?" She wasn't sure why she was pretending. Maybe she just wanted to see how much he heard and if he was judging her for it.

This time he looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he turned his head towards her a little. "In class. A few people were whispering about you." He still didn't say what he heard she noticed. Now, she had another choice to make. This one felt way way harder than skipping class for the first time. But, Sam was no coward.

"A boy, um, I went on a date over the weekend and the boy is saying we did stuff. Which is a lie! But... people don't really care about that." Sam could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. The anger was giving way to sadness. She shouldn't have talked about it. That way she could focus on anger and frustration, but for some reason talking about it just made her feel sad instead.

"Sounds like an asshole." He said it so casually that Sam had to laugh, which seemed to make him happy.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "We weren't really friends or anything, but I thought we were becoming friends. I guess not." She took another slice and focused on how good that was and not her crappy taste in people. Aisha crossed her mind for a moment before she stopped herself from going down that train of thought. Maybe she deserved the rumor. After all, she wasn't being a very good friend at the moment either. She wasn't spreading rumors or anything, but she wasn't exactly hanging around people who wouldn't either. Ugh, high school.

"You should take a bat to his legs."

Sam paused mid bite.

"What?"