Chapter 41: Loose Threads

Jack walked through the halls of West Valley High, his cast-wrapped arm hanging like dead weight at his side. The buzz around him was impossible to ignore—the whispers that grew like a wave, the eyes that followed his every step. "He cheated on Moon with Sam," someone whispered from behind a locker. "Robby's in jail because of him," someone else said, louder, as if he wanted him to hear. He clutched the strap of his backpack with his good hand, trying to block out the sound, but the words felt like knives sticking into his back.

He turned into a less crowded hallway, looking for a breather, but stopped when he saw Eli leaning against a locker, his red mohawk standing out like a warning. "Look who's back," Eli said, his eyes narrowed, a sharp smile on his lips. "The hero of Cobra Kai, or the Judas who screwed over the sensei?"

Jack took a deep breath, his chest tightening. "I'm not in the mood for a fight, Eli."

"Too late," Eli snapped, stepping forward, arms crossed. "You're with LaRusso now, right? After everything she did? Robby's in juvie for this mess, and guess who started it?"

"I didn't start anything," Jack said, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "It was an accident. And I'm not 'with' anyone."

Before Eli could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Leave him alone, Eli." Sam appeared at his side, her gaze steady, her shoulders squared as if she were ready to fight. She held a book to her chest, but her eyes were fixed on Eli, defiant.

Eli snorted, looking from Jack to Sam with disdain. "You two are perfect for each other. Traitors." He turned and walked away, the sound of his boots echoing in the hallway, but the words lingered, hanging heavy in the air.

Jack let his shoulders slump, looking at Sam. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know," she said, softening her tone. "But I wanted to. They're talking about me too, you know? That I destroyed you, Moon, Robby… I'm not going to let them put you down for this."

He gave a half smile, but his eyes were tired. "They're not that wrong about me. I don't know who trusts me anymore, Sam."

She placed her hand on his arm, the one that wasn't in a cast, a light but firm touch. "I trust you. And I'm going to help you get through this, okay?"

The buzz around them grew, the gazes of the other students intensifying at her presence. Jack nodded, but the weight of those eyes followed him like a shadow.

That same morning, Tory Nichols stood in the schoolyard, kicking an empty can as she waited for Miguel to leave for recess. Her eyes, however, were fixed on something else—Jack and Sam walking out of the hallway together, her with that look of concern that Tory knew all too well. Her stomach churned, the words she'd heard in the hospital echoing like a drum in her mind: "That's why I fell in love with you, Jack."

She clenched her fists, anger rising like bile. Ever since she'd met Jack on the rooftop, she'd known him as a loyal boy, someone who fought for others without expecting anything in return. He'd been like her—a survivor, a tiger. But now? He'd changed, and Tory knew Sam LaRusso had a hand in it. That vulnerable Jack, blaming himself for everything, wasn't the one she remembered. And the worst part? Hearing him forgive her, pour his heart out to her, had touched Tory in a way she didn't want to admit.

"Is everything okay?" Miguel's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. He appeared at her side, his easy smile contrasting with the storm in her eyes.

She forced a smile, but it came out crooked. "Okay, yeah. Just thinking."

He followed her gaze to Jack and Sam, frowning. "You've been acting weird since yesterday. Is it about him?"

Tory hesitated, her heart racing. "It's nothing, Miguel. I just… I don't like seeing LaRusso running around like nothing happened." It was half true, but enough to throw him off the scent. She wasn't going to tell him that ever since the hospital, something inside her had been burning at the thought of Jack—a jealousy she didn't understand, a longing for what he'd been. She was with Miguel, and he was all she needed. She wasn't going to become "LaRusso 2.0," flirting with someone else while dating someone else. She wasn't going to.

Later, she found Sam alone in the ladies' room, washing her hands. Tory didn't think twice—she slammed the door behind her, the sound echoing off the tiled walls. "You think you can fix everything with a cup of coffee and a smile, huh, LaRusso?"

Sam turned, surprised, but didn't back away. "What do you want, Tory?"

"I want you to stop messing with him," Tory snapped, her eyes flashing. "I heard you guys at the hospital. You talking about falling in love with him, him forgiving you like a saint. He's broken, and you're making it worse."

Sam crossed his arms, his face hardening. "I'm not messing with anyone. I care about him, Tory. And what happened was a mistake, but I'm not going to pretend I don't feel the way I do."

"You're a snake," Tory said, her voice low and sharp. "And I'm not going to let you screw him over again. Not while I'm around." She took a step forward, but the sound of footsteps in the hallway made her back away. "Stay away from him," she warned, before she left, her heart pounding with a confusion she didn't know how to erase.

In juvie, Robby Keene sat in a plastic chair in the computer room, his monitor blinking with Sam's e-mail open before him. He'd read it three times since morning, her words— "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve this" —ringing through his head like an echo he couldn't silence. The anger still burned, but there was something else: longing, guilt, a twinge of doubt.

He opened a new email, his fingers hesitant over the keyboard. The photo of Johnny and Martha he kept in his pocket seemed to weigh more heavily today. Ever since the incident with Jack, a suspicion had been eating away at him, and Sam's words in the email only fueled it. He needed to know.

Sam,

I read your email. I don't know if I forgive you, but that's not what it's about right now. Jack... you're with him, right? Has he told you who his parents are? I need to know who he is. Write back soon.

Robby

He hit send before he could change his mind, his chest tight. If Jack was who he'd begun to suspect—if that photo meant what he feared—then everything changed. He needed the truth, even if it hurt.

At the Cobra Kai dojo, the afternoon sun streamed through the dusty windows as Jack tried to hit a punching bag with his left hand, his cast hindering his every move. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he wouldn't stop—it was the only way to silence his thoughts. Until the door creaked, and Johnny walked in, his leather jacket creaking as he approached.

"You shouldn't be straining that arm," Johnny said, stopping beside the bag.

"I'm not," Jack snapped, throwing another clumsy punch. "I'm using the other one."

Johnny crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on him. "We need to talk, Jack. About your mother. About… everything."

Jack paused, his chest rising and falling with heavy breathing. "I don't know if I want to hear it right now. You didn't know about me, I didn't know about you. Maybe it's best to leave it at that."

"It's not," Johnny said, his voice hoarse but firm. "I screwed Robby over. I don't want to screw you over, too. I don't know how to be a father, but I'm trying. Whenever you want to talk, I'll be here."

Jack looked at him, his eyes shining with something he didn't want to name. "Fine," he muttered, returning to the bag. "But not today."

Johnny nodded, leaving silently but leaving the door ajar—a sign that he wasn't giving up.

At home, Moon sat on the floor of her bedroom, brushes and paints scattered around her as she painted a canvas in shades of blue and purple. It was a new beginning, something all her own. She looked at Sam's letter on the table, still unopened, and took a deep breath. She had seen Jack in the hallway at school earlier, from afar, and her heart had raced for a moment before calming down. She knew the past would never come back, but the future was still hers to shape. And for the first time in days, that felt like enough.