As usual, something Jackson didn't know, on this first day of classes he was being taught by Devon, who was learning many things she had never had any idea existed in this school.
He had never been so attentive in class before; Liam helped him a lot with his studies, so until now he had never really paid attention on his own.
Devon showed him all the locations where he could buy things from the vending machines in the school hallways and some classmates who sold products separately. One could go buy something to eat before lunch arrived, something she recommended.
On the way to the cafeteria, Devon was asking Jackson more things about him. One of the things she was mainly asking was whether he knew how to fight. She was far too interested in that, wondering if a confrontation would be similar to what you see in movies.
"Did you quit tournaments?" Devon picked up her tray of food and got in line while waiting for the servings that would be given today.
Jackson sighed as he grabbed his tray and said, "Continuing to fight was doing me more harm than good. After my parents' death, I got so deep into martial arts that I simply lost myself in it until some foolish tragedy happened after one of my fights."
"That's…" Devon fell silent; she knew the feeling of loss, having lost her mother a few years ago.
For Jackson to tell her about the loss of his parents—something that multiplied his pain—showed how mature he was in accepting his loss.
That night when he visited Miguel's family, Jackson had thought about it. There was no way to heal a pain that would always live with him.
He would always carry the memories of his parents, especially of that day when he could never have changed anything.
What remained with him were the memories, and unfortunately the strongest of them was the darkest one, which he could not forget.
That's why, with those he wanted to build trust with, when the moment came, he could be honest, and maybe that would help ease that pain still burning inside him.
Devon, who had stayed quiet, said, "I lost my mother… though I guess we all try to be strong just to realize they're no longer with us. We both know it's all crap."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I shouldn't have ruined the conversation by bringing that up." Jackson said this with a calm expression, looking at the shine in Devon's eyes.
"I was the one who asked."
Jackson motioned for her to walk and said, "We'll talk about it later. Let's go get our food."
…
During lunchtime at school, Jackson wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone, so he preferred to spend time in the cafeteria today, where many people avoided staying because there were better places like the fields to hang out.
When taking the food tray, Devon had to admit what Devon said about the school and muttered, "The idea that this place is a reform school really is true…"
"The problem is we've never been in one. At least, I've never been in a reform school…" Jackson pointed to a table where there were two empty seats and said, "Let's go to that table. I'd rather sit with strangers than unpleasant people."
Walking toward the table, Jackson stepped forward and asked, "Do you mind if we take these empty seats?"
There were three boys who seemed to be talking friendly enough, although one of them looked very withdrawn as he hid the scar on his lip.
"No, go ahead."
Jackson nodded politely, and Devon—who was reading about today's homework—shook her head and said, "All that work is crap…"
"The food they give us here really is trash…" Only now did Jackson remember why he didn't like eating in this place.
"Jackson! What a surprise!" Miguel, who had his back turned, hadn't seen Jackson clearly, so he greeted him enthusiastically when he saw him looking at his food in disgust.
"Oh, it really is a surprise. Let me introduce my friend; this is Devon." Jackson looked at Devon, who nodded slightly toward the boys before focusing again on what she was reading.
"I'm Demetri, and he's Eli…" Demetri didn't understand why Jackson was at their table, but he didn't want to think too much about it. Even so, his curiosity got to him, and he asked, "Hey, Miguel's rich friend, if you don't mind my question, why are you choosing the table of the weirdest guys in the cafeteria to have lunch when you could sit with someone more popular? Don't tell me your friendship with Miguel is stronger than with them."
Devon, who was poking at the gelatin that was worse than the one they served at the hospital, lifted her gaze and asked, "Who are 'them'?"
"Forget that, just answer the first part." Demetri shook his head, scolding himself for being so weird with strangers.
"As I said before, I wasn't looking at Miguel. Besides, they were the quietest, so I thought it would be nice for everyone to have lunch together."
"Good choice. Eli is a boy of few words…" Demetri raised his eyebrows, now understanding what Jackson meant.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
Jackson looked at Devon when he heard her question and said, "I'm sorry, but the only thing I'll have is this drink. We'll endure until we leave this place and get something better…"
Miguel stared at Jackson for a moment, and his first impression was that he was someone nice, calm, and collected.
The way he dressed didn't reveal much and kept others mostly indifferent toward him.
At that moment, Jackson—who had taken Devon's drink—looked at three girls, one of whom stared at Devon for a few seconds before looking away.
Samantha LaRusso, who looked at Jackson, smiled faintly before looking away because she felt a bit uncomfortable staring at him.
'Is that disdain?' Jackson thought, looking away.
Miguel, sitting in front of him, looked elsewhere and seemed to lose his sense of time until Demetri told him, "Dude, don't torture yourself. They're the rich girls."
"He's right. You'll do better if you don't get involved with those girls…" Jackson nodded at Demetri's words, who seemed well aware of his own limits—something some people didn't set—and many times things turned out badly.
"It's not bad advice…" Eli finally spoke after seeing he wasn't the only one with scars, though Jackson's eye scar made him look much tougher.
Miguel looked at Jackson and asked, "Do you know them?"
"Of course not, but I'm just keeping my friends from drowning in dangerous tides. From what I can see, she's a spoiled girl who gets everything with her words alone. I wouldn't recommend you take a step toward her." Jackson replied simply, as if he didn't care.
"That's clearly true." Devon left Miguel and the others with their words stuck in their throats.
Jackson wasn't surprised; after all, Devon's sharp tongue could even crush adults' speeches.
Miguel, nervous, looked at Demetri and then asked the boys beside him, "Have you ever talked to them?"
"Yes, all the time," Demetri replied sarcastically and exaggeratedly. "We hang out after school, we kiss, we make out and stuff like that. Eli here is the king of the dance floor. He hooks up with more girls than anyone. Right, Eli?"
Miguel instantly regretted asking again, but Demetri—who forgot that two other people were sitting across from him—said, "Do you know what table you're sitting at? You've thrown away any hope of losing your virginity before college."
Devon, of course, was indifferent to these comments. Any unnecessary trash she heard went in one ear and out the other, but Miguel coughed awkwardly knowing there was a girl at the table and she could even be his friend's girlfriend.
"Although I don't want the gelatin, it would be a waste to throw it out. Do you guys want this? We haven't touched it." Jackson raised his gaze, and just then, when he saw the withdrawn Eli, he heard him say, "Damn it, Yasmine is looking at us."
Eli, next to Miguel, murmured, "She's definitely making fun of me."
Miguel exaggerated, thinking those thoughts were extreme, and said, "They're not making fun of you."
Devon turned around, and after seeing the girls' smiles, she looked forward again. "Don't pay attention. She's probably making fun of one of you anyway."
Jackson, understanding Eli's insecurity, told him, "It's not as bad as you think. It's just that, like dogs, you show weakness, and people—like cruel animals—use it to hurt you."
Eli looked at Jackson and, after a long time, murmured, "I don't have the confidence you have…"
"But you can get it."
"Impossible…"
"I'm tired of this situation. Should we look for them outside the school?" Jackson looked at Devon, who seemed very calm, and smiled mischievously when he asked her this.
"Forget it. I'm not fighting anyone."
Devon refused as soon as Jackson suggested she fight someone she barely knew.
"Yes, I guess that was extreme…"
Jackson looked at Miguel, raised his eyebrows a little, and murmured, "If there's no fight, then we'll go. Take whatever food you want."
Eli looked at Jackson's untouched tray and took whatever he liked without caring about anything else.
Devon, who packed her things, said, "Have more confidence in yourselves. Join some kind of sport and what people think of you will stop mattering."
"I'd listen to Devon. She's absolutely right." Jackson smiled kindly as he walked away from the cafeteria.
But before Jackson left, Miguel caught up to him and said, "Jackson, wait."
"Something wrong?" Jackson turned around.
Miguel extended his hand and said, "My sensei is opening a dojo. It'd be great if you could stop by and decide to join. You'd learn to defend yourselves from him. You already know him—he's the guy who saved me from those bullies."
Jackson took the flyer that said Cobra Kai and, after pocketing it, said, "It's him. Maybe I'll visit."
"Great." Miguel got very excited and then walked away.
Devon, who saw the flyer, murmured, "That would be interesting…"
"I don't know…" Jackson handed the flyer to Devon, and both walked to the debate room.
…
When lunch ended, Brucks returned to the classroom with a furious expression and muttered, Later, behind the school, I'm going to break your teeth.
Jackson, who had deliberately forgotten the idiot from lunch, eagerly awaited whatever action that guy would take.