Heartstrings | Johnny Lawrence x (y/n) | 1984 |

| 13 | Sunset

The school parking lot was mostly empty by the time you and Ryan wrapped up your conversation. You leaned against his car, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow over the scene as you laughed at something he said. For a moment, you forgot about the watchful eyes of Johnny and the Cobras, who were stationed nearby, lounging on their motorcycles, engines rumbling in low, steady purrs.

Johnny's eyes never left you as you leaned a little closer to Ryan, caught up in the conversation. From where he sat, he could see the way Ryan looked at you — too eager, too familiar, his hand casually drifting to your arm as he laughed with you.

"So," Ryan said, a hint of nervous excitement in his voice, "I was actually wondering...would you want to go out sometime? Like, just us?"

His words hung in the air for a moment, and you hesitated, caught off-guard. Before you could even respond, Ryan leaned in, his hand brushing against yours as he looked at you with clear intentions.

That was the last straw for Johnny.

You heard the loud rev of an engine as Johnny fired up his bike, breaking the silence with a sharp roar. The Cobras exchanged knowing glances, grins spreading on their faces as they watched Johnny dismount his bike, striding over toward you with a dark, determined expression.

You straightened up, startled as Johnny approached, his gaze locked on Ryan. "Hey, Romeo," Johnny called, his voice carrying a cool, dangerous edge. "Got a little too comfortable, didn't you?"

Ryan blinked, pulling his hand back from yours and taking a step back. "I was just talking to her, man. Chill out."

Johnny's gaze hardened, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he looked at Ryan. "Yeah? Looked like you were aiming for more than 'just talking' to me." He took another step forward, closing the distance between them, and you could feel the tension radiating off him.

"Johnny—" you started, but he cut you off, his eyes flicking toward you with a mixture of frustration and possessiveness.

"You've had your fun, right?" Johnny said, barely containing the anger simmering beneath his words. "Because I'm done watching you play around with guys who don't even know half the things about you that I do." He looked back at Ryan, giving him a hard, warning stare. "This is me telling you to back off."

Ryan rolled his eyes, trying to hold his ground. "She can make her own choices, Johnny. You don't own her."

Johnny's expression darkened, a dangerous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're right," he said, his voice low. "But she's not about to waste her time with someone like you." He leaned in, his voice dropping so only you could hear. "And deep down, you know it too."

Your heart raced as Johnny stepped back, but his eyes never left yours. The Cobras were watching with anticipation, smirking at the unfolding scene, clearly entertained by Johnny's possessive streak.

Johnny's gaze burned into Ryan, daring him to keep pushing. Ryan, however, didn't back down. He gave Johnny a hard look, his jaw set in defiance.

"At least I'm not treating her like some prize to show off," Ryan retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Maybe if you actually showed her you cared instead of acting like she's your property, she wouldn't be questioning things right now."

Johnny scoffed, but his eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. "I know her better than you ever will. So stop acting like you have a shot — you're just her rebound."

"Johnny, stop!" you finally interjected, stepping between them. You looked from Johnny to Ryan, your frustration growing. "This is ridiculous. I'm not some prize for either of you to win."

But Ryan wasn't finished. "Funny, (Y/N), because he sure seems to think you are." Then, as if to make his point, he reached out, gripping your hand. "You deserve someone who actually respects you."

Johnny's entire body tensed, fists clenched, and for a moment, it looked like he was about to swing. "Let. Go," he snarled, voice cold with barely restrained fury. The Cobras closed in, sensing a fight about to break out. Dutch stepped forward, smirking, clearly ready to back Johnny up, while Bobby sent you a worried glance.

"Enough!" you shouted, pulling your hand away from Ryan and taking a step back. The tension between Johnny and Ryan was suffocating, and you could feel their eyes burning into you, each expecting you to take their side.

Without another word, you turned on your heel and stormed off, leaving both of them standing there in stunned silence. You marched over to your motorcycle, ignoring Johnny's call of, "(Y/N), wait!" and Ryan's softer, "Hey, hold on..."

You mounted your bike, ignoring the tight feeling in your chest as you looked away from the Cobras, Johnny, and Ryan. With one last frustrated glance, you revved the engine and sped off, leaving them all behind in a cloud of dust.