You give love a bad name - Heartbreak High

-0.2-

The streetlights flickered past as Madelyn sat in the passenger seat of Ant's car, the night air rushing through the open windows.

Ant glanced over at Madelyn, concern evident in his eyes. "Was it really that bad at your grandma's?" he asked, his voice tinged with sympathy.

Madelyn let out a bitter laugh, her frustration boiling over. "Awful doesn't even begin to describe it," she replied, her tone laced with venom. "My mum was on my case the entire time, my nan wouldn't stop bragging about Maddison, and don't even get me started on my bloody sister."

Ant nodded understandingly, though he couldn't hide his surprise at Madelyn's outburst. "Sounds rough," he said, unsure of what else to say.

Madelyn shook her head, her anger still simmering beneath the surface. "You have no idea," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I swear, if I have to endure one more family dinner like that, I'll..."

As they turned onto Dusty's street, Madelyn's thoughts turned to the party ahead.

"The only thing I want right now is to forget all of this and get drunk as fuck," Madelyn declared, her voice cutting through the night air. The car came to a stop outside Dusty's house, the pulsating bass of the music filling the air.

As Madelyn and Ant made their way into the house, the thumping bass engulfed them, the atmosphere alive with the energy of the partygoers. Ant veered off, leaving Madelyn to navigate the sea of bodies alone.

She brushed past Spider, his smirk triggering her irritation. "Watch where you're going, Green," he sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

Madelyn stopped in her tracks, turning to face him with a defiant glare. "Sorry, didn't realize I had to dodge trash on my way in," she shot back, her words sharp and cutting.

Spider's jaw clenched in anger, but before he could retort, Madelyn turned on her heel and strode away, her head held high.

Spotting Amerie and Harper in the crowd, Madelyn made her way over to them, a smile lighting up her face. "Hey, girls!" she greeted them warmly.

Amerie and Harper returned her smile, their excitement evident. "Madelyn! Good to see you!" Amerie exclaimed, pulling her into a quick hug.

"Yeah, it's been a minute," Harper added, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Madelyn glanced around the room, scanning the crowd for Missy. "Hey, have you guys seen Missy?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Amerie and Harper exchanged a knowing glance before Harper nodded towards the stairs. "Last I saw, she was heading up there with Sasha," she replied, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

Madelyn raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Ah, I see," she remarked dryly. "Well, I guess I'll let them have their fun then."

Madelyn excused herself from Amerie and Harper, promising to catch up with them later, and made her way to the makeshift bar. She poured herself a drink.

As she glanced at her phone, annoyance flickered across her face at the sight of 15 missed calls from her mom. With a frustrated sigh, she rolled her eyes, silenced her phone and gulped the whole drink down.

Just as she was about to pour herself another drink, Dusty appeared beside her, a knowing smirk on his face. "That's a lot," he commented, gesturing to her empty glass.

Madelyn shrugged nonchalantly, a defiant glint in her eyes. "Just the right amount," she replied, her voice tinged with defiance.

Dusty chuckled, his gaze lingering on her. "Well, if you're up for it, we could use another player for beer pong," he suggested, a playful glint in his eyes. "Wanna be on my team?"