[SEASON 1: EPISODE 6]

SAMANTHA and Katherine were sitting in the pool area. She was reading a book while Sam was on the laptop, looking at photos of Miguel on Instagram. Silently, Kat peered over to her computer, smiling as she saw Sam looking at a photo that Miguel had posted for his Yaya's birthday. "Miguel, huh?" Katherine teased.

Sam looked at her, a blush creeping on her face. "What? He's a nice guy. Plus, he did fight Kyler for me."

Katherine nodded in response. "Of course, of course. You know, you should ask him out, before it's too late."

Sam's eyes widened a little, her blush turning into a deeper crimson. "I don't know how to do that. Besides, what if he doesn't want to go out with me?"

"Oh, trust me, he definitely would."

Just when Sam was about to reply, a notification popped up on her laptop screen from Yasmine. Samantha opened it, her expression turning into a frown when she saw what it was. Katherine looked over again, anger bubbling up slowly. "Just ignore them. It'll die down soon." She assured her sister.

Samantha looked over at her older sister, still not convinced. She was about to say something when they both got interrupted by Daniel who approached the two girls. "Hey, what's going on? You both going for a swim? You gonna invite the girls over?"

Kat and Sam turned their heads to look at their dad. "No, not today." Sam replied, sighing.

"Great. You wanna spar with your old man?"

"Karate?" They both asked at the same time, raising their eyebrows slightly. Katherine thought about it for a moment, surprised that Daniel brought up the topic. It's been a long while since the two girls ever did karate, and at the mention, memories of when Daniel taught them self-defense flooded Katherine's mind.

"Yeah, you don't have to say it like it's the flu."

Katherine opened her mouth, ready to say something but Sam interjected, "come on, dad, that was, like, eight years ago."

"Well, eight years isn't that long." Daniel urged, a slight hopeful look in his eyes as he stared at the two girls in front of him on the chairs.

"Eight years ago, I was nine and Sam was eight." Katherine piped up.

Daniel looked over at his eldest daughter. "Come on. Remember that time you nailed me in the jaw with the flip kick?" Katherine chuckled at the memory, nodding. "I mean, you know, I had to eat soup for a week and Sam kept laughing at me. It was funny."

"Today's just not great. We both have a lot of homework." Samantha spoke up, her lie not going unnoticed by Katherine. Though Daniel didn't see right through her, a frown stretching upon his lips.

His expression turned slightly sad, but he quickly responded, "all right, I gotcha. No sweat. Gotta hit the books. You hit the books." He turned around, ready to walk away.

"Is that ok?" Samantha asked, having noticed his slight glum expression.

Daniel turned around, nodding with a faint smile. "Yeah. Come on. You'd both be doing me a favor. I don't have to block those feet of fury."

"Thanks, Dad."

"All right." Daniel nodded, finally walking back inside the house.

"So, is there a reason why you lied to dad?" Katherine asked, her eyebrows raising slightly.

"I just... wasn't up for it. And I assumed you weren't too, because you just woke up 30 minutes ago."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

♡♡♡♡

THE following day, Katherine had skipped school because she wasn't feeling well. She was on her period, to say the least. And her cramps were just getting worse and worse. Amanda felt bad so she let her take the day off. She was about to go to the store to get some more tampons and snacks, but her car wasn't working.

She called her mom, and soon, Amanda had sent a tow truck to retrieve the car. She went with the guy, curiosity getting the best of her to figure out what was wrong with her car. Soon, they reached LaRusso Auto, and she went inside, thanking the tow truck guy. She spotted Daniel who was walking over to Anoush, and so she went over to him. "Hey, Dad."

Daniel stopped and looked over at her, a smile instantly making its way on his face. "Hey, how are you feeling? Cramps getting worse?"

Katherine nodded, "yeah. Something's wrong with my car and mom sent a tow truck so I just came here with the guy."

"Alright, that's fine." Daniel said, both walking over to Anoush. "Hey, how's the new kid working out?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, great. We had a bunch of pain-in-the-ass stuff piled up. Inventories, sticker swaps. Kid knocked most of it out before lunch."

"So, you're saying I should fire you and give him your job." Daniel said, making Katherine snicker quietly.

"Oh, that new kid? No, he's terrible. Very unmotivated. You gotta keep explaining stuff to him. I'm pretty sure he's got a head injury." Anoush joked.

Katherine looked over at him, taking a proper look. He had long brown hair that was almost above his ears, and when his eyes locked with Katherine's blue ones, she immediately noticed his green eyes that you could just get lost in. After a few seconds of staring, she looked away, breaking their gaze.

"Hey, you know, I've been looking for someone to do a little karate with. Are you interested?" Daniel asked Anoush.

"Are you asking me as a friend or as my boss?" Anoush asked.

"As a friend." Daniel sighed.

"I'm busy." Anoush smiled sheepishly, his hands going to his hips.

"Ok, as your boss." Daniel tilted his head slightly at the man.

"I'm sick."

"Great excuse." Katherine muttered under her breath.

"Come on. It's a good workout." Daniel pressed.

"I would love to do it, honestly, but tonight, I'm working out with Priya. Or no, Seema. Man, this South Asian dating app is destroying my weeknights. I feel like the hottest Kashmiri pepper in the pork vindaloo."

Daniel and Katherine blinked at him.

"It―it―that joke kills me on the app. Sorry."

"Yeah, ok, whatever. Tell the kid to keep up the good work," Daniel turned his gaze to the girl beside him, "Kat, come with me."

"Yep." Anoush said before they split.

Daniel and Katherine made their way over to her car. He explained what was wrong, and that he'll get it fixed by tomorrow. Daniel had told her to take Amanda's car to get home. Katherine nodded and went to her mom's office, grabbing the car keys and leaving her office.

She was about to walk out LaRusso Auto when she heard someone starting an engine. She frowned, looking towards the car, seeing the same boy inside the car with an excited look painted across his face.

But it quickly diminished when Daniel ran in. "Whoa! Whoa! What the hell is the matter with you? Starting a car in a crowded showroom? What, are you out of your mind?" Daniel screamed just as the boy rushed out of the car. "What were you thinking?" He asked yet again.

Katherine saw how the boy looked over at Louie, who was silently laughing. She cursed to herself, shaking her head at how immature he is.

"Screw this." He scoffed out, turning to walk away. His shoulder brushed against Katherine's when he made his way out of the dealership.

"It's ok. Everything's fine, guys. it's fine, it's fine." Amanda assured to all of the customers, sending a look to Louie as she walked back to her office.

Daniel started walking out, a guilty looks spreading across his face and Katherine decided to follow him.

"Hey! Hey!" Daniel reached up to him, grabbing his shoulder. "Hey! Whoa! Ease up. Ease up. I surrender." Daniel said, seeing the boy's fists up in the air. Katherine ran up to them, hearing his voice for the first time. "You don't have to fire me, ok? I quit." Man, his voice was hot. Katherine's eyes widened at the thought, her head shaking slightly as she brushed it away.

Katherine noticed his fists still in the air, and she spoke up. "You're gonna break your thumb if you keep making that fist." Katherine spoke up. Her face was turning hot when the boy looked over at her in confusion. "What?" He asked.

"It's Robby, right?" Daniel questioned the boy. When he nodded, Daniel continued, "make a fist. If you're gonna punch your boss, you gotta make a tight fist. Thumb around the outside underneath, squeeze the knuckles, extend the hand straight out. You see that? All right, come on, let it fly." Daniel demonstrated with his own fist whilst Robby copied him. Daniel raised his hand. "Hit my hand." He instructed.

Robby complied and punched his hand. Katherine noticed how his muscles flexed underneath his shirt and again, her eyes widened and she quickly looked away.

"Ok. All right. That's better." Daniel chuckled. "I'm sorry for calling you out inside, all right? That's on me. I should've heard your side of it."

"Well, it doesn't really take a genius to figure out Louie was behind it." Katherine rolled her eyes.

Robby looked at her as Daniel chuckled, "that's true." He then looked back at Robby. "You're not the only one with a temper around here."

"All right, well, thanks." Robby replied.

"So, Robby, where are you from? You from around here? You graduate at West Valley?" Daniel asked in curiosity.

"Uh... No. I live up in North Hills. It's, uh, not as nice as this." He chuckled.

Daniel nodded in understanding. "I grew up in Reseda. Before that, Newark, New Jersey. So I know a thing or two about that."

"Wait. Really?" Robby asked in interest. "Figured your family came from money."

"Yeah, well, I guess things aren't what they look like, right?" Daniel said before he sighed. "I'm gonna head back inside and announce the 'sorry you almost got killed' sales event. I'll see you in a minute?" Robby nodded in response. "All right." Daniel said, walking back inside.

"I'm sorry Louie did that. He can be an asshole." Katherine spoke up once Daniel was inside.

"Thanks." Robby smiled at her.

"I'm Katherine, but you can just call me Kat."

"Robby."

"I didn't know you work here. Figured you were in high-school." She asked.

"Yeah, I―uh, graduated at North Hills High." Robby said. Katherine nodded, though she didn't know Robby had just lied.

"I have to go to the store. But I'll see you around?" Her eyes squinted a little due to the bright sun piercing like a blade.

"Definitely." Robby replied, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long while.

Katherine nodded in response, a small smile forming on her lips before she walked away. Thoughts of Robby kept filling her mind as she reached Amanda's car.

♤♤♤♤

A/N: I literally took forever to write this chapter and i'm just now publishing it. like I wrote most of it last night and it feels like it took me me ten million years to finish it. or maybe that's just me.

(edited: 24/01/25)