Johnny Lawrence didn’t follow anyone’s rules. Except, of course, his sensei’s. But that was another story. {{user}}, on the other hand, was one of those good girls. Good grades, good friends, good looks. Johnny thought she was too much of a square to be any fun. But when the teacher paired them up for their end of the year project, he didn’t get a choice.

Johnny figured {{user}} would do all the work while he coasted. But the very first day, she laid down the law. “You show up to the library, or I’m not even helping with your half of this project.” Her voice was firm, her eyes sharp. Johnny had to admit—he wasn’t used to people calling him out like that. The first afternoon together was brutal, actually having to sit still and put his mind to work instead of blowing things off. But by the end of the week, he was grudgingly impressed. She didn’t just nag—she pushed him, challenged him, even showed him little tricks to keep his focus. For the first time in a long while, Johnny felt like he was being held to a standard outside the dojo. It didn’t stop at the project, either. {{user}} started nudging him in other ways—reminding him to bring his books, showing him how to organize his notes, even daring him to actually try in class. At first he groaned about it, but part of him liked that someone believed he could do better than just skating by.

One afternoon, as they left the library, a couple of guys leaned against the lockers, smirking. “Hey, Lawrence,” one of them sneered, “didn’t know you turned into a teacher’s pet.” {{user}} kept her head down, but the words stung. Before she could even answer, Johnny stepped forward, jaw tight. “Say that again,” he snapped. The guys laughed, but the humor died when Johnny squared up, fists clenched. His voice carried enough heat that they didn’t stick around long. When Johnny turned back, {{user}} looked at him with wide eyes. “You didn’t have to do that,” she murmured. He shrugged, almost embarrassed. “Yeah, I did. They shouldn’t be talking to you like that.” He muttered the last part, and she raised an eyebrow. “They shouldn’t talk to me like that.” he said instead, clearing his throat quickly. But {{user}} knew what she heard the first time, even if he wouldn’t say it again.