Serendipity & the Serpent

The Road Not Taken

The rest of the day went smoothly. After P.E., you found yourself walking the hallways with the cobras, Daniel, and Ali.

It was great seeing them all get along. In fact, Daniel enjoyed showing off his large, model science project to Johnny. Of course he didn't understand the contents of it, but Johnny appreciated it all the same. You couldn't help but admire the way Johnny looked at it so intently. Honestly, you found their bonding quite adorable.

"Isn't this great?" Ali whispered to you, almost as if she was having the same thoughts.

"It is!" You got excited, "it's great that they don't hate each other anymore."

"Definitely easier for us too." She giggled.

Johnny and Daniel heard this chuckle and turned around. "Did you say something?"

"No!" The two of you spoke in unison.

Beside you, Dutch nudged your elbow with his own and whispered. "I heard. But I won't say a word."

"You're the best."

As the large group of you continued to walk the hall, you found yourself adoring the feeling. When you first moved here, you promised your father and grandfather that eventually this place would become your home.

And now it truly was.

In this moment, you felt unstoppable. You felt as though you were on the top of your game. The feeling was glorious.

When the day came to a close, Johnny followed you to a bench where you laced up your skates.

"Hey," he said seriously, "can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Johnny. What's up?"

He shifted in his stance. "I'm worried about you."

Oh no. "Worried about me? Johnny, please," you laughed nervously, "there's nothing to be worried about."

"I don't know it's just..." he drifted off, "you seem kind of out of it lately. Is everything alright?"

"It's perfect, Johnny."

Before he could go any further, you stood on your tip toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah," his smile faltered, "it may not be until tomorrow though. You know, with the All Valley coming up, sensei has us practicing a lot more than normal."

"And even your normal was too much."

"Definitely."

You took a moment to examine his facial features. The bags under his eyes made his drowsiness more prominent. "Johnny, you need rest. What time did you get to my place last night?"

"4:30."

Your eyes widened. "This morning?!"

"Yeah..."

You shook your head, your jaw open. "What time did you all get off of practice."

"Well," he sighed, "the boys got off at 11:30. I got off at 4:00."

"Johnny, that's not alright!" You raised your voice, "I swear the next time I see that man, I'm gonna-"

"You're not going to do anything," he hissed through gritted teeth, "it's only until the tournament. After that, I'll be off the hook."

"Yeah," you laughed sarcastically, "until the next tournament rolls around."

"Hey!" He snapped, pointing a finger at you, "karate is one of the only things that keeps me in line. I'll stay and practice as long as he tells me to, because he says I'm a champion. And if he wants me to win this, I will win it. This tournament is one of the only things I have."