Control Freak // Johnny Lawrence

training

When I woke up, I mentally prepared myself to see Johnny's stupid face again. It was already 1 PM, and training started in an hour. When I walked into the living room, Daniel was on the couch doing some homework.

"Morning," I smiled.

"Good morning," he replied, not looking up.

"You okay? I saw what happened yesterday," I said, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah, I should've known. Ali's into boys with expensive cars and rich guys in general. And Johnny? Her ex? She's dead to me," he said flatly.

"Oh, come on, Danny. You know Ali, and so do I. She would never do that. She doesn't like Johnny, okay? She likes you. She never stops talking about you. Seriously, just go and sort things out."

He gave me a quick glance and shrugged. "Yeah, maybe."

I rolled my eyes at his attitude and made myself some toast.

-------------------

I was riding my bike to the dojo, and when I arrived, of course Johnny and his friends were already outside talking. When Bobby saw me, he gave me a warm smile, which I returned. Of course, Johnny noticed and shot me a hateful glare. What was his problem? I wasn't the one kissing someone else.

I quickly walked past them, trying not to draw any attention. Inside, some people were already warming up. I changed and started warming up too, when Kreese's voice cut through the room.

"ATTENTION!" he yelled. "As you all know, the tournament is getting closer, so I want everyone in their best form." He looked around before continuing, "Everyone will pair up and train."

Everyone in the dojo started pairing up, looking for their training partners. I tried to keep my head down, hoping to avoid Johnny. I didn't want to deal with him after what happened yesterday. I found a spot near the back and began stretching a bit, keeping to myself.

But, of course, it didn't last long.

"Hey, Y/N" Bobby called out, walking over to me. "Wanna pair up?"

I smiled at him, grateful that it wasn't Johnny. "Yeah, sure."

We started practicing together, and Bobby made things feel easier. He was focused, but he also knew how to keep things light. I tried my best to keep my mind on the training, but I could feel Johnny's eyes on me the whole time. It was like a heavy weight pressing down on me, and I hated it. I couldn't help but glance over at him, and each time, he was glaring at me like I was the one who had done something wrong.

After about half an hour of intense training, Kreese called for a break. Thankfully he didn't make me work much harder than the others today. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and headed over to grab some water. I could feel Johnny getting closer before I even saw him.

"Y/N" he said, his voice low and serious.

I didn't want to talk to him, but there he was, standing right in front of me. I sighed and looked up at him.

"What, Johnny?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

He looked frustrated, his jaw clenched. "We need to talk."

I shook my head. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"Come on" he insisted, stepping closer. "What happened yesterday... it wasn't what you think."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because from where I was standing, it looked pretty clear. You kissed her, Johnny. I saw it with my own eyes. Plus you forgot what you said to me?"

"It wasn't like that!" he snapped, then lowered his voice when he realized people were watching. "Look, her parents were pushing us together. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I stared at him for a moment, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. "You did hurt me, Johnny. And the worst part is, you don't even seem to get why."

Before he could respond, Kreese called us all back to the mat. I turned away from Johnny and went back to join Bobby, but as we started again, I could still feel Johnny's eyes on me again.

Bobby noticed I was distracted. "Hey, you alright?" he asked quietly while we were practicing a series of punches.

I forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, just tired. Long day."

He didn't press further, but I could tell he didn't believe me. Bobby was good like that—he could tell when something was off, but he also knew when to back off. I appreciated that more than he knew.

Just when I thought I was getting through the session without another run-in with Johnny, Kreese called for sparring matches. I stood off to the side, hoping to avoid being paired with Johnny, but luck wasn't on my side.

"Lawrence! Y/N! You're up!" Kreese barked.

I froze for a second, feeling my heart race. Johnny's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something like regret flash across his face. But it was gone just as quickly as it came, replaced by that familiar tough-guy look he always had at the dojo.

We stepped onto the mat, and I could feel the tension between us like a thick fog. Kreese watched us with his arms crossed, clearly expecting a good fight. I took a deep breath and got into my stance. 

Johnny didn't waste any time. He moved quickly, throwing a punch that I barely blocked in time. The impact jarred me, and I could feel the force behind it. He wasn't holding back.

"Focus, Y/N" Kreese shouted from the sidelines.

I gritted my teeth and tried to stay in the moment, but every hit Johnny threw seemed personal. Like he was trying to prove something. His punches were sharp, and his kicks were precise, but there was an edge to them that I hadn't seen before.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of dodging and blocking, I managed to land a solid hit to his side. Johnny grunted and stumbled back, and for a brief second, I felt a small sense of victory.

But that victory was short-lived. Johnny came at me again, harder this time, and I could tell he was angry. He swept my leg, and I hit the mat hard, the air knocked out of my lungs.

Kreese yelled. "Enough!"

I laid there for a moment, catching my breath, staring up at the ceiling. When I finally sat up, Johnny was standing over me, breathing heavily, his expression unreadable.

I didn't know what to say. Part of me wanted to yell at him, to tell him how unfair this all felt, but another part of me just wanted to walk away and never look back.

"Good match" Johnny said quietly, offering me a hand to help me up.

I stared at his hand for a moment, then took it. As I stood up, I looked him in the eyes. "Yeah... good match."