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

| 29 | Break-Up

It was Monday morning, and you were feeling confident as ever, dressed in your favorite outfit and ready to tackle the day. The sleek black boots you wore gave your look an edge, and with your leather jacket and that determined look in your eyes, you knew you were turning heads as you rolled up to school on your motorcycle.

As you made your way through the parking lot, you spotted Johnny standing by his car, surrounded by the Cobras, who were laughing and talking as they waited for the first bell to ring. "Hey, guys!" you greeted them with a bright smile as you walked up, catching Johnny's eye, who gave you that familiar smile that usually sent your heart racing. The morning went by in a blur of classes and laughs, and it was shaping up to be another great day.

Then, as school ended, you made your way to your bike, expecting to see Johnny waiting to give you a lift home or at least join you for the ride. But what you saw stopped you dead in your tracks.

Johnny was standing by his car, but he wasn't alone. Emily was with him, leaning in close with a coy smile on her face. She was all over him, her hand resting on his arm, and worse, Johnny was laughing along, his body language relaxed as if he enjoyed her company. They looked way too comfortable.

You felt a pang in your chest as you stood there, rooted to the spot, watching as she leaned in even closer, her laugh echoing as she whispered something in his ear. And then, before you could even process what was happening, she leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, her hand lingering on his arm. Johnny didn't pull away—he barely seemed to react, just stood there looking at her like he couldn't believe what was happening.

Your heart felt like it had been shattered. How could he do this?

The Cobras noticed you standing there, your expression twisted in anger and heartbreak, and Bobby nudged Johnny, pointing in your direction. Johnny's eyes widened when he saw you, a look of panic flashing across his face as he quickly pulled his arm away from Emily's grip.

But it was too late. You were already storming over, every step fueled by hurt and anger. "What the hell, Johnny?" you spat, your voice sharp, betraying the hurt that you were barely holding back.

He looked at you, his face pale, his hands reaching out slightly in a pleading gesture. "Look, I—I don't know what just happened," he stammered, clearly panicked. "It didn't mean anything. I wasn't even—"

"You weren't even what, Johnny?" You cut him off, tears of rage stinging your eyes. "You looked pretty into it to me! Laughing with her, letting her all over you." Your voice cracked. "How could you?"

Johnny looked like he was about to break, his expression turning from panic to utter heartbreak. "I didn't mean to—please, you have to believe me. I don't even know why I—" He stopped, his eyes filled with regret, as if he wanted to drop down and beg you to forgive him.

But that wasn't enough.

You let out a shaky breath and, in a moment of pure, raw emotion, slapped him across the face. "We're done, Johnny," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I can't trust you." Turning on your heel, you walked away, ignoring his desperate calls.

"No, wait—please, don't go! I'm so sorry!" Johnny's voice broke as he ran after you, his hand reaching out, but you were already on your bike, revving the engine, trying to drown out the pain that was clawing at your chest.

The Cobras were at Johnny's side, looking at him in shock and sympathy, as he stood there helplessly, watching you drive off. They exchanged looks, then quickly grabbed their own bikes, speeding after you in a desperate attempt to catch up.

But you were already gone, racing down the road, feeling the wind and the sting of betrayal mix together, the ache in your heart growing with every mile.

As soon as you pulled into your driveway, you threw your bike into park, barely registering anything as you stormed into the house. Your mother looked up from the kitchen, her eyes widening as she saw your expression. "Honey, what happened? Are you okay?"

But you couldn't answer her, couldn't even meet her gaze. You just stormed past, up the stairs, and into your room, slamming the door behind you. You barely made it to your bed before collapsing onto it, your body curling up as you tried to hold yourself together. The betrayal, the anger, the heartbreak—it all felt like a storm that you couldn't escape.

A few minutes later, the rumble of multiple motorcycles pulling up outside broke the silence. Your mother, sensing something was wrong, went to the door. She opened it to find Johnny standing there, his face pale, eyes red-rimmed, clearly on the verge of tears. Behind him were the Cobras, all looking just as troubled, casting glances at each other and then at the house, knowing they weren't welcome inside but unable to leave.

Johnny stepped forward, desperation clear in his voice. "Please, Mrs. [Last Name], I need to see her. I need to make this right. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I love her. I can't... I can't lose her."

Your mom studied him, her expression shifting from concern to a soft sympathy. With a sigh, she opened the door wider, letting him in. "Alright, Johnny. But if you hurt her more..." Her voice softened as she caught his broken look. "Please, just be gentle."

Johnny nodded, swallowing hard. "I won't. I just... I need to fix this."

The Cobras shuffled in behind him, sitting awkwardly in the living room, and Bobby quickly started explaining the basics of what had happened to your mom. "It was... sort of a misunderstanding, Mrs. [Last Name]. She just... saw something she didn't need to see. But we all know Johnny didn't mean it. You know how he feels about her."

Meanwhile, Johnny stood in front of your door, taking a shaky breath before he knocked gently. "Hey... it's me. Can we talk? Please?"

You didn't answer. The hurt was too fresh, too raw. All you could do was bury yourself deeper under the blankets, hoping that maybe, just maybe, if you ignored him, the pain would go away.

Johnny knocked again, his voice softer this time, almost pleading. "Please, just let me in. I know I messed up, and I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did it, but I'm here now, and I... I want to make it right."

When you still didn't respond, his desperation grew. "Come on, you can yell at me, scream at me if you want. Just... don't shut me out. I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me."

Still nothing. He hesitated, glancing down at the handle. Then, remembering the trick he used to use when you were kids, he took a small pin out of his pocket and slipped it into the lock, jiggling it until he heard the faint click. Pushing the door open slowly, he stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him.

The room was dark, with only the faint glow from your bedside lamp illuminating the space. You were huddled under a mountain of blankets, and he could see the way your shoulders shook. The sight broke him; seeing you this hurt because of him was almost too much to bear.

He walked over slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hey... please don't hide from me. I know I'm an idiot, okay? And I know that I hurt you, and I hate myself for it. But you have to believe me, it didn't mean anything."

Still, you didn't move, but he could hear the soft, muffled sound of your breathing, shaky and uneven. He sat down on the edge of the bed, close but not touching you, his hands clenched together in his lap as he spoke. "I don't know why I did it. I was just... it was stupid, and I wasn't thinking. But... but you have to know, it's only you. You're the only one I've ever wanted like this, the only one I'll ever want."

There was a long silence before you finally pulled the blanket down, just enough to reveal your face, tear-streaked and red. "Then why, Johnny?" you whispered, your voice breaking. "Why did you let her... why did you laugh with her like that? It felt like you didn't even care that I was there."

He shook his head quickly, his own eyes filling with tears as he saw the pain he'd caused. "I was an idiot, okay? I don't have an excuse. I just... I don't know what came over me. I was just trying to be nice, and I messed up. But please... please don't leave me because of this."

Silence filled the air. You were furious.