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

| 24 | Homework

After school, as you and Johnny were heading out to his bike, Emily suddenly appeared, her gaze locking onto Johnny with a friendly but oddly possessive smile. She leaned in, her tone light but her words calculated.

"Hey, Johnny! Guess what? We got paired up for that history project," she said, her voice sugary sweet. "Thought maybe I could come over later and we could work on it... you know, just us."

Johnny's discomfort was almost palpable. He shifted uneasily, glancing between you and Emily, before answering. "Yeah... sure, that works. But just so you know, we'll be working on it." He nodded toward you, making it clear you were just as much a part of the plan as he was.

Emily's smile faltered just slightly, a flash of irritation crossing her face before she quickly masked it. "Oh, right, of course," she replied, though the words were laced with forced cheer.

Johnny pulled you along to his bike, ready to put some distance between you and Emily as soon as possible. But as he moved to get on, Emily took a step forward, clearly expecting to join him. Without missing a beat, you swiftly hopped onto the back, wrapping your arms around Johnny before she could even think to protest. The look on her face was priceless — her mouth pressed into a tight line, frustration clear as day.

"We'll see you there, Emily," Johnny called out, barely containing a smirk. He revved the engine, and within seconds, the two of you were gone, leaving her standing there, visibly thrown off.

As you and Johnny pulled up to his house, Laura, Johnny's mom, met you both at the door with her usual warm smile. Laura had known you for years and thought of you almost like a second daughter, so the sight of you brought a lightness to her face. But that expression shifted the moment she saw Emily sauntering up the driveway, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Johnny gave his mom a quick hug, clearly oblivious to the tension building. "Hey, Mom. This is Emily," he said, glancing over his shoulder.

Laura nodded curtly at Emily, her smile polite but barely there. "Oh, I've heard. Johnny mentioned a new history partner," she replied, her gaze lingering on Emily with barely concealed wariness.

Emily, completely unfazed, gave a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lawrence," she said, her tone syrupy sweet as she extended her hand.

Laura looked down at Emily's hand, then nodded coolly, barely acknowledging her. "Nice to meet you, too."

As Johnny led Emily toward the stairs, Laura pulled you aside, her voice low. "Watch that one, sweetheart. She's got her eyes set, and she knows exactly what she's doing. Be careful."

You gave Laura a reassuring smile. "I know, Laura. Trust me — she's not getting in the way."

Laura gave a slight nod, her hand giving yours a gentle squeeze before letting you go. "Good girl."

You headed upstairs a moment after them, and when you walked into Johnny's room, there was Emily, already making herself at home, casually perched on his bed as if she'd been there a hundred times. She leaned back, one hand trailing over his bedspread, looking far too comfortable.

"Hey, we were just talking about project ideas," Johnny said, glancing up as you entered. His smile was warm, clearly glad you were here.

You shot Emily a look, but she just gave you a smirk, her gaze almost daring you to say something.

"Oh, great," you replied, forcing a smile as you looked back at Johnny. "What ideas do you have in mind?"

Emily spoke up quickly, her voice dripping with charm. "I thought the Revolutionary War would be perfect. Johnny seemed interested."

Johnny raised his eyebrows, clearly indifferent but glancing at you to weigh in. "What do you think?"

You stood by Johnny's desk, your gaze shifting to Emily. "Actually, I was thinking the Cold War. It's unique, and there's more we could dive into."

Emily's smile tightened, her eyes narrowing just slightly as she realized you weren't backing down. "Well, I guess that could work," she replied, her tone saccharine but laced with frustration.

Johnny nodded, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he looked between the two of you. "Sounds like we're going with the Cold War, then," he said, clearly pleased with your choice.

Emily barely hid her irritation, but you felt Laura's words echo in your mind. You knew what she was up to — and she wasn't getting past you.

Johnny gave you an encouraging smile, oblivious to the subtle tension filling the room. As he settled back into his chair beside you, it was clear where his loyalty lay. His hand rested casually on your knee, a simple gesture, but one that instantly set the dynamic: you were the one he wanted close, the one he trusted most. Emily's expression shifted just slightly, her carefully maintained composure wavering.

"Alright, the Cold War it is," he said firmly, making it clear there would be no further discussion. "It'll be way more interesting to cover all the espionage and tension."

You exchanged a small grin with Johnny, a feeling of satisfaction warming you as you felt his loyalty to you was unwavering. Emily forced a tight smile, her fingers drumming irritably on the bedspread. "I just thought the Revolutionary War would be easier for everyone, that's all," she added, her voice low but pointed.

Johnny shrugged, looking at her with casual indifference. "Yeah, maybe, but it's overdone," he replied, without giving her much more thought. His gaze drifted back to you, his eyes softening. "And I'm with you on this one, anyway."

You felt a little thrill at his words, but Emily's jaw tightened. She glanced between the two of you, an unreadable expression flickering across her face. You could almost feel her irritation simmering beneath her smile. She leaned forward, her voice sickly sweet. "Well, if that's what you both want, I'll go along with it." She looked straight at you, her gaze sharp. "It's just a project. No big deal, right?"

"Right," you replied with a smile, unable to resist a slightly triumphant tone.

Emily's gaze darkened, and she crossed her arms, her posture clearly bristling as she looked at Johnny again. "I mean, Johnny and I could do our own project if you want. No need to make it awkward," she said smoothly, a challenge in her tone.

Johnny blinked, looking at her with mild confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "We're already a group."

"But if you want it to be easy, I can go to another group," she continued, her gaze settling on him almost pleadingly.

Johnny only looked more bewildered and then shot you an amused look, giving your hand a little squeeze. "Nah, I don't think so," he replied, laughing softly. "We're all good here. I'm not switching."

Emily's smile fell, and she looked down, defeated.

Realizing she had nowhere else to turn, she finally gave a little huff and straightened up. "Fine, then. But I think I'll head out early," she said, standing up abruptly and grabbing her bag, her frustration clear.

Johnny only shrugged as he watched her leave, then turned back to you, letting out a sigh of relief as soon as she was gone. "Good call on the Cold War," he said with a grin. "Honestly, I think we dodged a bullet."