Bad By Myself ✔️

12. No Scrubs

A scrub is a guy that thinks he's fly
He's also known as a busta
Always talking about what he wants
And just sits on his broke ass
-TLC

She was married!

And she had told no one.

After Anthony proposed to her, they indeed flew to Las Vegas and got a quickie wedding. It was chintzy, but it was legal. She was a wife. She was Mrs. Anthony Russo.

Well, to no one but herself and Anthony. She did not know how she was going to break it to the girls. They were back in L.A. for the Teen Choice awards, only as presenters this time. They were nominated in five different categories: Music Group Female, Fanatic Fandom, Single of the Year, R&B/Hip Hop, and the one they had received two years in a row already Choice Hotties of the Year.

She liked that one the most. It was something different from the Grammys or MTV awards. The Fandom won last year as well, she would not be surprised if the #PTGang did their thing again this year.

Anthony of course was her date. M'Liyah and Donnie wanted to still keep their relationship under wraps for as long as they could so she and Ginger came with Spitfire. People were already discussing M'liyah dating Donnie, and he was there and alone, so she didn't know what was up with the facade. Pamela never wanting her daughter to grow up, she was sure.

"Girl, maybe we can get rid of Spitfire and Donnie can come hang with us," Melodie said to the girls.

"Why would we want to get rid of Spitfire?' Ginger asked.

"Cuz his old ass likes to boss us around, and I ain't with that life."

"No, it's fine. Spitfire is fine. Donnie is fine with us just taking it slow before we go full out public. I mean, it is a big deal for him to date someone. I don't think anybody cares who I date."

"Yes they do!" both Melodie and Ginger said, then they laughed.

"Girl, they care because you have never dated anyone and everybody watches everything you do," Melodie said.

M'Liyah shrugged, smiled for the cameras as they walked the carpet.

"Melodie! Melodie! Over here!"

She smiled and posed with the girls and then a lot by herself.

"Mel, we have a report that you married your longtime boyfriend, Anthony Russo."

She stopped, her face went blank. How did that get out? They didn't tell anyone, not even her girls knew. She looked over at them, taking their individual pics. They had not heard the reporter.

She smiled at him, trying to not miss a beat. "Rumors. Do you see a ring on my finger?"

Because she didn't wear her rings. Oh boy, she had to tell her girls, then Pamela before this got out. She made her way back over to the girls as they made it inside with Spitfire and Anthony

"Girls, I have to tell y'all something," she said quietly to them.

"Uh oh," Ginger said.

"It's going to get out, but I wanted you guys to be the first to know. Ummm, I'm married."

Ginger looked her up and down. "Bitch, stop lying."

Of course, they would not believe her. It had been a few weeks and she had not told them. She went on with her life as normal.

"No, really. On my birthday. We flew off to Vegas and got married."

M'Liyah slapped her forehead and groaned. "Oh no! Mom's going to kill you!"

"What she gone do? I'm grown."

"You pregnant? I'm just saying, why else would you marry that scrub," Ginger said.

"My hubby ain't a scrub."

"You know he my boy, but he's the definition of a scrub!" Ginger said. "Broke ass. No car ass. Living in yo house ass."

"See, that's where you're wrong. He's doing choreography and we're going to get our own place together."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Ginger said, walking away from her.

"Well, I'm happy for you. Good luck telling mom so she can spin that however she wants."

Ginger was hanging on Spitfire like a little puppy. M'Liyah kept making cutesy faces at Donnie who sat in the aisle across from them. Anthony was feeling himself and trying to introduce himself to every Hollywood name he saw. Before, he was secure just being in the background, now he was trying to make a name for himself. She was proud that he was doing something.

"I told the girls," she told him when he finally sat down.

"That we're married? I know that didn't go well."

"LiyLiy was cool, you know yo girl gotta spazz out. Like this is my life, she needs to live hers. Fucking all these dudes ain't a good look."

"Who she fucking? She seeing someone?"

"I think that Cra-Z rapper guy, somebody. He was all up in our video all hugged up on her. Knowing her fast ass, she fucking the whole rap crew."

"Come on, that's yo girl."

"Whatever," she said, in her feelings. "We're in the group together, ain't nobody said we had to be tight like that. She ain't happy for me, fuck her."

They won all the awards they were up for.

"Three times a charm!" she said to Anthony while they rode back to her hotel after the show. Unlike the Grammys, there were no big after-parties that she was dying to get to. There were parties, but she was passing on them all.

They were going to pig out on room service in their suite, a tradition they did often after award shows when they did not attend after parties.

"I better call Pamela to tell her about us," Melodie said stuffing steak fries in her mouth.

"Now? Can't we wait till later?"

"It's already out there. Some reporter found out so I know she's gonna find out soon and I want to be the one to tell her. Then she can put out a statement-"

"Nothing she can do about it anyway. You're wifey now," he said kissing her. "Next we gotta work on putting a baby in you."

She pushed him away from her. "Hold up, wait! Boy, don't play! I ain't hardly having a baby right now or anytime soon. What's your rush?"

"We might as well."

"Might as well? Firstly, you need to take care of yourself and make some more ends to take care of a baby. Don't be a scrub. Secondly, I'm eighteen, can I wait? I'm still young. Third, we ain't ready! We gotta get our own place babe. Stack some money up. You know I wanta spoil my kids since I grew up with nothing."

"You tripping. You make enough money for us already. Petite Trois ain't going nowhere, we gonna stay on top."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Maybe her friend was right about Anthony. Did he enjoy living off her? Was he even trying to put in work to earn his own way and help her out? Now he was talking about a baby and she would be the one solely taking care of it.

"Fuck outta here Ant with that we and us! You ain't getting no nookie till you make some cheddar. I ain't having a baby till I see you put in some work, got it?"

She had to put her foot down. She loved him, but his free gravy train was over.