Control Freak // Johnny Lawrence

Johnny

The uneasiness from earlier lingered, but it didn't take long for things to turn around. I still hadn't found Ali or the other girls, so I ended up sticking with the Cobras. Surprisingly, I had a blast. We played game after game, and I couldn't stop laughing. The tension I'd felt earlier melted away as the hours flew by.

As the sun began to set and it got really late, I realized I needed to head home. We were walking out of the arcade when it hit me.

"Oh no, I came here with Ali and the girls—I don't have a ride" I frowned, realizing my predicament.

"It's fine, I can drop you off" Johnny offered with a smile.

I blinked, taken aback by his kindness. I still couldn't wrap my head around his sudden change in behavior, but I wasn't about to turn down a ride home.

"Yeah, alright, thanks" I said, returning his smile. I climbed into the car with the rest of the Cobras, the confusion still gnawing at me, but I pushed it aside.

When we pulled up to my apartment, I thanked them for the night and was about to head inside when Dutch called out to me.

"Hey, we're having a party this weekend. You wanna join?" he asked, grinning.

"Sure, why not?" I replied with a grin of my own. "When and where?"

"Saturday, my house" Johnny answered, his smirk making me roll my eyes.

"Got it" I nodded, waving a quick goodbye before heading up the stairs to my apartment. Once I was inside, I immediately called Ali.

We talked for a bit, and I explained how I couldn't find them at the arcade. She apologized, saying they thought I'd left and headed home without realizing I'd gotten separated from them. I assured her it was fine and told her I'd see her tomorrow.

After hanging up, I changed into some comfy clothes and flopped onto my bed, exhausted from everything that had happened. Sleep came quickly, and I welcomed it with open arms.

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The next morning, I woke up to the shrill sound of my alarm, groaning as I slapped the snooze button. Ugh, school again. As I lay there, the memories from last night began to flood back, and a smile tugged at my lips. Finally, Johnny wasn't a jerk, and the night had actually been fun. My eye was almost completely healed and you couldn't really see anything anymore, so that was also good.

I quickly got ready, pulling on my usual jeans and a T-shirt, and headed out the door with Daniel. As we biked toward school, a sudden realization hit me like a punch to the gut. How would Daniel react if he knew I spent time with the guys who had nearly beaten him to death? Oh god.

We arrived at school, and the first thing I saw was the Cobra Kais. Johnny was there, but he wasn't alone. His arm was draped casually around another girl's waist, and they were laughing together. My stomach twisted, a sick feeling bubbling up inside me. What the hell? Why was I feeling this way?

When Johnny noticed me, he flashed that familiar smirk, then pulled the girl closer, making a show of kissing her. A wave of jealousy hit me, sharp and unexpected. Why was I letting this get to me? Johnny was an ass—why had I let his actions last night mean so much?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and made my way to my locker. That's when I spotted Ali.

"Hey!" she greeted me with her usual bright smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better" I replied, forcing a smile to match her energy. "Sorry again about last night."

"No worries! I'm just glad you're okay" Ali said, brushing off my apology. "So, anything exciting happen after we lost you?"

I hesitated, unsure of how much to share. "I ended up hanging out with some of the guys. We played a bunch of games, and it was actually a lot of fun."

Ali raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You mean the Cobras?"

"Yeah..." I admitted, not missing the slight tension in her expression.

"Well, as long as you had fun" she said, though I could tell she was holding back her true thoughts. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will" I promised, though I wasn't entirely sure what I was promising. Be careful of what? Of them? Of myself? Everything felt so confusing.

We waved goodbye, and I headed to my next class—math. Yuck. The school day dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity, but eventually, the final bell rang. I made my way to my bike, only to see the Cobras already gathered around their motorcycles, laughing. Bobby noticed me and jogged over, a friendly smile on his face.

"Hey" he greeted me.

"Hi, Bobby" I replied with a smile of my own.

"So, about the party—should I pick you up, or what?" he asked.

"No, it's fine. I'm probably going with the girls, but thank you!" I replied.

"Well... another question" he hesitated, glancing back at his friends before turning to me again. "Are you gonna come back to the dojo soon?"

"I mean, I would, but you know, Kreese... I'm probably banned. And even if he let me in, I'm sure he'd make me work 30 times harder" I laughed, though there was a twinge of sadness in my voice.

"I could ask him. Maybe I'll change his mind" Bobby joked, giving me a quick wink before heading back to his friends.

I laughed quietly to myself, then climbed onto my bike to head home. As I pedaled away, I glanced over my shoulder and caught Johnny staring at me again. What was his deal?

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When I got home, I made myself something to eat, my mind already drifting to the party tomorrow night. It was already Friday, and I hadn't even decided what to wear. I quickly called the girls for help, and they promised to come over tomorrow so we could get ready together. I loved them for that.