don't blame me

one

Toni's loved films for as long as she can remember. In fact, one of her only memories with her birth parents were their weekly film nights that took place every Saturday evening. Her favourites consisted of 'Grown ups', 'Mulan', pretty much any Marvel film and 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople', though the latter she held dearest.

Toni sits in her film studies class, twirling her hair around the black pen that she stole from her best friend, Martha, during break. After jumping in and out of foster homes throughout her childhood, Toni was finally adopted by her English teacher, Annie, at the age of twelve after her charisma and humour enchanted the woman. Martha, or Marty as Toni would wind up calling her, is Annie's niece and ever since her birthday party in the seventh grade the pair had become inseparable.

"Toni," Her film teacher suddenly abrupts her daydreaming. "Were you even listening?" Was she fuck. Fortunately enough for her though, Toni has the gift of reciting what she's just heard, whether she was listening or not.

"Yeah, yeah. Create a character profile for Thursday." She smiles, her leg bouncing rapidly beneath the table.

She's excited, quite frankly, but she has too many ideas that she can't settle on a final idea. As she turns the corner leading onto her road she notices another car parked in the drive, so she steers her Ford Capri to the other side of the street and stops it there instead.

She opens the door and hears the distant chattering of Annie and someone else. Toni swings her bag off her shoulder and carries it into the kitchen, where she finds Annie sitting with a blonde girl at the table. She quirks her brow and drops her bag, catching her eye. "Oh, Toni! This is Shelby, she's in your year. I'm helping her with her English for the test that's coming up."

Oh, Toni knows Shelby. In fact, they've known each other since the very party that she met Marty at. "Hi there." That stupid fucking southern accent speaks out. For years that same voice has been hinting homophobic remarks at her through group conversations and waffling about the 'lord and saviour Jesus Christ' every time Toni and her ex, Regan, walk past her in the corridors.

"Hi." Toni manages to murmur out before smoothly slipping out the door to avoid further conversation.

She can still hear them talking about certain techniques even though she's up in her room scrolling through tiktok. She notices as one of Fatin's thirst traps comes onto her for you page, her eyes widening and a laugh leaving her mouth. She loves Fatin, but she's one of the biggest slags she's ever met.

Toni throws her phone down on the bed and drags herself to the desk, grabbing a piece of paper and another black pen. She hates blue pens. Brainstorming plans for her film homework, she eventually decides on creating some sort of assassin, but the sound of footsteps outside disturbs her, so she goes to see who it is.

"What are you doing?" She asks Shelby, leaning against the frame of her bedroom door and crossing her arms.

"Oh nothing, just looking for the restroom that's all." She beams back, flashing two rows of perfect pearls at Toni, earning a scoff and an eye-roll in return. The brunette nods behind the blonde, who turns around to see the bathroom. "Well aren't I silly?" She looks back and tilts her head before walking inside.

"Uhuh, oh and Shelby?" Toni questions, perking her up as she shifts her body to face her.

"Yep?-" The blonde grins, a flash interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Thanks for the homework help, sweetheart." Toni lathers on a thick, heavy accent before residing in her room once again.

Toni's ready for bed and Shelby has long gone. "You okay, T?" Annie knocks on her door before walking in. The younger girl rolls over onto her side and nods her head a few times. "You sure? You seemed quite quiet when Shelby was over." Toni has failed to yet tell Annie about the mass amount of torment she has to put up with from the Texan.