"Everybody, get your gis on. Training starts in five minutes." Sensei Lawrence walked from his office as he looked around at the fully dressed, and confused, students. "Yeah, what's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong. I just thought we were going to the woods for a special training today." Miguel said back, nodding to Sensei Kreese to indicate he had said so. Karter was by his side, arms pushed together.

"What's happening in the woods?" the blonde looked back and forth between the two.

"That reminds me-" Karter began in a whisper toward Miguel, getting cut off.

"Well, I thought it was a good time to separate the men from the boys." Kreese spoke up with a minor clear of his throat. Aisha crossed her arms, Karter rose an eyebrow. "And the girls, too, I suppose."

"How?" Johnny asked him, his eyes having a bit of worry in them.

"Coyote Creek." Kreese gave a half grin his way.

Johnny dropped his voice to a whisper. "I'm not sure they're ready for that."

Kreese chuckled. "There's only one way to find out."

"We're ready, Sensei. We want to prove ourselves." Hawk spoke up confidently, his hands locked behind his back.

Kreese was silent a second. "It's up to Sensei Lawrence. If he says it's okay, then, and only then, is it okay."

The students all looked hopefully at their original sensei, pressure clearly being put on him for being put on the spot like that. "All right, well, what are you waiting for? Let's go."

"What did you need?" Migeul looked at Karter as they walked out, Hawk close behind.

"I'll ask you later." she hummed, a certain red haired boy rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Gentlemen, ladies. Welcome to Coyote Creek." Kreese spoke up when the team was divided between him and Johnny, red and black. "You've been split into two teams. Red...and black. The goal is to capture as many headbands as possible from the other side. Today, the people across from you are not your friends. They're not your brothers. They are the enemy. Last team standing wins."

"How do we get the headbands?" Miguel spoke up from the other side of Tory. Karter was actoss from him with a red head band.

"By any means possible." Kreese said in return. "No rules."

"Not even above the waist only?" Karter smirked, a few wolf howls going across the group as Miguel rolled his eyes with a minor grin.

Kreese shrugged. "We're not at a tournament."

"Use your judgement. This is just a training exercise." Johnny reassured them all quickly.

"Correct, but remember, this is your life." he held up his own red headband. "If you loose this, you die."

"Hey, guys. Sorry i'm late." Raymond called as he hurried over, the end of his beard in a sharp point, pulling his sunglasses off. "Traffic on the 118 was a real bitch. Put Coyote Creek into the nav. Nothing came up."

Karter looked to her cousin next to her, the pair sharing an oddly similar
look.

"What have you done to yourself?" Johnny added in alongside his words, nodding to his beard.

"Oh, the.." he nodded to his new look. "Yeah, you know what, I just decided to flip the script, Hawk-style. Respect. Heretoforce, you can refer to me as Stingray."

Karter looked to Hawk again. "I knew I should have done something."

"God, no." he said back with a crazy look.

It was silent a second before Sensei Lawrence nodded. "Yeah, all right, Chubs. He's on your team."

Karter had gotten a few black headbands by now, walking through the woods in search of more. Her red one was tied around her head, pulling a few of her curls in just the slightly. She caught sight of someone creeping around themselves. "Well, well, well. Lying in wait for me?"

Miguel turned around at the sound of her voice. A faint smirk went across his face. "I've been waiting for you to show up."

"Now that i'm here.." Karter walked a little closer so they were face to face, she hadn't broke eye contact. "-what are you gonna do about it?"

Miguel cracked a grin, quick on his feet as he spun around, trying to hit her. Karter ducked, blocking each of his wrist as her foot collided with his chest. Miguel gave a stumble back, huffing at the contact. He revved forward, locking his and Karters arms together and giving a harsh pull as they stumbled. She brought her leg up, swinging around on his waist so he'd loose his balance. They fell into the forest floor, a huff at the contact.

The Diaz boy was a quick thinker, pushing his hips upwards to flip Karter on her back, yanking the headband free. She huffed, laying there, chest heaving. Miguel caught his breath. "That's what i'm gonna do about it."

"I'm gonna catch up with you." Karter said back, Miguel still sitting on her waist. "You distracted me."

"With my gorgeous face?" he gave a teasing grin down at her. "What were you gonna ask me earlier?"

"Do you have plans this weekend?" Karter asked, wanting to laugh at the fact that he was yet to get off of her.

"I thought we were gonna go to that chocolate factory together?" his eyebrows knitted together, feeling her breathing from under his hips, he leaned off her some, but stayed above her.

"My grandparents want to see me." Karter said back with a questionable look. "You wanna come?"

"To your grandparents?" Miguel laughed slightly, pulling a questionable look. "Are we on that level of fake dating yet? I thought we wanted to leave family out of it as much as possible?"

"Yeah, but, they are pretty much distant relatives." Karter explained to him with the best shrug she could do from how she was laid. "An entire lake, seven bedroom house, fantastic food, pretty much an entire wing to ourselves. Believe me, the last place you wanna be alone."

"Well, I'd hate to make you stay in an entire wing alone." he pointed out with a minor grin. "And i've never been on a boat."

"Never?" Karter smiled, getting a shake of his head. "Oh, sweetie, you have to come then."

Miguel grinned, getting off her now as Karter stood up. "Plus, all those pictures would make Sam so jealous."

"Yeah?" Miguel nodded his head. "How far out is it?"

"Seven hour drive. But, don't worry, I have the perfect plan on how to convinced Yaya and your mom you'll be totally safe." Karter grinned with a knowing nod. "Say it's a yes."

He exhaled. "It's a yes."

Karter gave a cheer, grinning with a nod. "Okay, i'll call them right now and say we're coming up Friday!"

Karter had crept down the hallway, seeing Hawks door open. "Hey."

He looked up from his phone, sitting at his desk. "What's up?"

"Just checking on you." she leaned on the door frame, nodding to his swollen eye. "Migeul got you pretty good."

"I was off guard." he sounded defensive.

"Are you guys in a fight?" she had to ask curiously.

Hawk rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, i'm not gonna screw up your stupid relationship."

Karter frowned her eyebrows. "Uh, that tone is not gonna fly with me. I just know Miguel is your friend and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Exactly, he's my friend." he stood up with a glare her way. "Or did you forget that when you were busy shoving your tongue down his throat?"

"What? You're mad about me and Miguel?" Karter looked in disbelief. "You literally told me he was a good guy."

"Yeah, a good guy. I didn't say to go off and date my best friend!" his voice rose, and they both knew his mom was gonna come down the hallway any minute now.

"Do you think your relationship has changed because we got together? Why didn't you just say that to me?" Karter snapped at him, their tones matched and anger levels the same.

"That's so not the point. Of course you're gonna miss the entire reason!" his eyes went wide as he spoke to her. "You move into my house, you join my dojo, you date my friend! Haven't you stopped to think that I want something of my own for once? Just me!"

Karter looked at him like he was crazy. "So, because I wanted to spend time with you over the summer and be apart of something you love, that puts me in the wrong?"

"You're so stupid." he rolled his eyes at her. "I have always been pushed behind you in everything! Our entire family has always seen you as so much more then me."

"That's so not true." Karter scolded him with an annoyed look. "We have always been treated the same.

He laughed loudly. "Oh, give me a break."

"Name one time they pushed you aside!" Karter glared, her tone almost comical.

"The fact that you're invalidating how I feel so exactly what i'm talking about!" Hawk yelled at her.

"If you felt that why then why the hell did you never say anything to me!" Karter rose her hands his way in disbelief.

"Because it's fucking obvious!"

"My moms constantly tell me how I should be smart like you, how I should apply myself to school like you do. You wanna start comparing?" Karter listed off with a look of disbelief. "Not everything is fucking perfect on my end either!"

"Be more open minded, like Karter. Be more social, like Karter." Hawk was the one to list on with a scoff to add into it.

She stared at him, shaking her head. "This isn't even worth fighting with you about. I never thought that way about you and i'm so sorry that I wanted to come spend the summer with you because I missed when we were close."

Hawk huffed as she walked away, walking toward his door with a quick slam. Karter pulled her phone out, finding her shoes by the door, sending a quick text and leaving for the night.

•

kylie speaks

i don't think any of us
genuinely realize how
alike karter and hawk are.