Bad Enough For You// Anthony Ladao Fanfiction

Chapter 21

Driving to the party on Friday night I was shaking uncontrollably, and to my dismay, everyone noticed.

“Are you okay?” Marceline asked, noting my hands.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?” I replied, making sure my voice sounded steady.

“You’re shaking like a leaf,” Quinn interjected from the back seat.

“Too much coffee at the Diner, I guess.” I heard myself say. These excuses and lies were just pouring out of me so easily nowadays.

“Whatever,” Marceline said.

“Understandable,” Quinn also said at the same time. The knife in my stomach twisted a little deeper, how could I let Anthony do this to the person she loves?

Oh right, because he was most definitely abusing her.

“Let’s have fun at this party okay?” I said, turning up some music. “No boys, just us girls.”

“But Devin is going to be there,” Marceline pouted, I sighed.

“I think Chari is right, even though I kind of wanted to find someone new tonight…” Quinn trailed off.

“WHAT?” Marceline and I screeched at the same time, I slammed on my breaks.

“What? Can’t I look for someone new?” Quinn asked, I made eye contact with her in the rear-view mirror and she gave me a hopeful smile. I returned it, but both of us knew it was fake. Quinn decided to ignore it though.

“You can date anyone you want but… Don’t you think it’s a little soon?” Marceline asked. I recuperated and started driving again.

“Well I haven’t been seeing anyone for about two weeks now…” Quinn looked out the window. I wanted to call bullshit and pull this car over, if this was all over would you be sitting in an ice cream parlor exchanging heart eyes over a banana split last night? But I just kept my mouth closed and kept a steady driving pace.

And then I had a sudden ‘light bulb’ go off in my head. Quinn was not interested in finding someone new, no, she was interested in sneaking off with Stephan and having a good alibi. That bitch!

“You can find someone new at another party, we are going to stick together for this one and have the time of our lives with newly single Quinn. Okay?” I allowed myself to sound stern.

“Okay,” Quinn looked doubtful and sad though, probably because she knows she won’t see Stephan tonight. And hopefully if Anthony does his job right she’ll never see him again.

“Let’s get this shit started!” Marceline agreed, turning up the music.

Once I finally found Thomas’ house (just on the brink of the bad neighborhood), we knew the cops would be getting called any minute. It was only 9 but people were stumbling drunkenly down the streets and the music was loud enough to rattle my bones. 

“It’s like they’re asking for the feds,” Marceline said as I shut off my car, I parked a couple of houses away just in case I needed a quick getaway.

We made it down the streets and I was almost felt up by some random guy from my English class. I hadn’t even reached the party yet and things were crazy.

“Maybe we should go…” I heard Quinn say. We could go, but that would result in Quinn ditching us later on to see Stephan. No. We had to stay here for at least an hour.

“Let’s just see what it’s like inside,” I requested, feeling really guilty for asking.

“Okay,” she replied warily. This is how Stephan is able to manipulate her; she literally has no back bone whatsoever. We were going to have to work on that. But for the time being it was useful.

“There’s Devin,” Marceline noticed once we set our feet on the front lawn. He was talking to some other girl while his eyes were ogling her chest. She waved and he dismissed the girl he was with and jogged over to us.

“Hey baby,” he kissed her sloppily and Quinn and I looked at each other apprehensively.

“We’re going to be in the party okay?” Marceline gestured to the open front door where a young girl was swinging a bottle of vodka. I took a deep breath.

“Stay with me out here, its wild in there.” Devin wrapped his arms around my best friend and sucked her face momentarily.

“Sorry guys,” Marceline gasped when she came up for air. She sounded like she just did 5 laps at the local pool, and with the way Devin slobbered all over her, I was surprised she didn’t drown. “I’m going to stay out here with Devin.”

“Really?” I said, I was angry to say the least.

“It’s fine,” Quinn interjected, tugging on my arm.

“Fine, but when you get ditched don’t come running to us.” I sneered. Marceline looked as if I’d just slapped her in the face. I could have… I should have.

“See you later,” Quinn finally pulled me away before Marceline could say anything.

“What?” I asked, noting her firm grip.

“You can’t talk too Marci like that,” Quinn shook her head and frowned. We squeezed past Vodka Girl and we made it into the party. Only one word could accurately describe the scene: intoxicated. And I mean everyone, everyone, was drunk. Or at least under some sort of substance abuse. We kept our arms locked together until we made it into the living room. Couples were making out on couches so we decided to try our hand at the kitchen.

Many gyrating bodies later and we finally found the alcohol for ourselves.

“Shots?” One guy I recognized vaguely inquired.

“Sure,” I shrugged and looked at Quinn. She looked restless and agitated, she could use a hit.

“O-Okay,” Quinn stuttered. I watched my drink be poured intently, guaranteeing no date rape drug would make it’s way into either of our shot glasses.

“To being single,” I said, holding up my glass.

“To being single,” Quinn jeered, clinking her glass with mine.

I found myself laughing before tilting the firey liquid down my throat. I knew that we were both lying, and she thought she was the only one lying. I had the upper hand over everyone. This realization made me giddy, but then the guilt sunk in along with the alcohol.

I was getting Anthony to beat up her boyfriend. Her abusive boyfriend. I found myself wondering if this was all for the best.

“What?” Quinn asked, catching me staring at her.

“Nothing, I’m just glad things between you and Stephan are over,” I smiled politely and got the random senior to pour me another shot. The burning in my stomach almost clouded the guilt.

“Aha, yeah,” Quinn nodded, God, could she be any more obvious?

“You were too good for him,” I continued. “I knew that all along, you are so pretty and nice and kind and genuine, and any guy who takes advantage of that isn’t worthy of it in the first place.”

“Chari, stop, Stephan was a good boyfriend.” Quinn said apprehensively.

“That’s not what I meant,” I shook my head and before I could go into detail a body was rushed into the kitchen.

It was Stephan, and he was passed out, barely recognizable because he was covered in his own blood.