WILDFIRE ► COBRA KAI

Chapter 3

The world was a tornado Flynn found herself caught in the center of. Her heart thundered in her ears as she soared across ice, body twisting as she transitioned into Biellman spins. The brunette hadn't even released her leg, the long limb extending up the line of her spine, before she heard applause.

She dropped her leg with a lurch, rotating to find Dakota sandwiched between Jamie and Kaia, both wearing equally amazed grins.

"Sorry we stopped you," Dakota chirped as Flynn skated over to the gate. "These weirdos came in while you were practicing your free skate."

"No worries," she shook her head, breathless as she eyed her new friends. "Why are you guys here though?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were still available for the game tomorrow," Kaia answered, hands shoved in her pockets. "And Jamie wanted to see you skate."

"Hey, don't expose me like that!" Jamie gawked with an open jaw. His expression softened as his eyes landed back on Flynn, a smile spreading over pink lips. "It's true, though. Had to see this shit for myself."

"So? What do you think?" She demanded through a pant, stretching her arms out to gesture at the field of white behind her. Her chest stung with what surprised her to be nerves.

"You were pretty fucking incredible, that's what I think," Jamie declared. "Those spins you were doing in the air? Jesus."

She breathed out a rugged laugh. "Yeah, that's figure skating for you. Tough work. Lot harder than a simple game of 'Don't Let the Ball Touch the Floor'."

The curly-haired boy straightened, shaking his head away from her as mischief lit his face. "Ah, okay. I see how it is."

"I'm just telling the truth, Jamie. I don't know why you're so hurt," Flynn feigned confusion.

"Anyway," Dakota cut in, hands now perched excitedly on the top of the wall. "You're leaving soon, right? To get ready for the dance?"

Flynn hesitated, her staggered pause enough to cause dismay blanket her friend's face. "Flynn, c'mon. You've been at it for hours."

The Wilder shook her head in dismissal, pressing a palm flat against the wall to rest. "I just wanna clean up the second half of my program."

"What's there to clean up?" Kaia asked. "I don't know much about the sport, but from what I could see, you were pretty clean out there."

"Flynn just has this problem of obsessing," Dakota waved a hand, ignoring the gaping mouth of her friend. "She'll skate herself to death, I swear."

"Not true!" Flynn protested.

"Oh yeah? What about all the bruises on those ragged ass feet and legs of yours? Are you even gonna be able to dance tonight?"

"Okay, okay," the brunette exhaled in defeat, pushing through the gate and stepping onto the hard ground with her blades. "Hint taken."

"That was not a hint, that was a call out," Dakota snickered, folding her arm around the girl's shoulders as they headed for the bleachers.

"So you guys going to the dance?" The brunette questioned Jamie and Kaia as she sat down to untie her skates, peering up at them.