That week dragged on. Diana felt like she was in a haze. Billy had quit his job at her fathers garage. Rudy couldnt figure out why, since Billy had "showed such a passion for the work". Diana still needed to talk to Hopper about the weird creature she had seen the other night, but she felt herself caring less and less. Why should she care about Hawkins when her own life was falling apart around her?
Billy was already trying to drown his sorrows over Diana. He was able to do that every so often with Tina, the one who had the Halloween party where he first realized he loved Diana. He had drowned some of his grief in some of her friends as well, of course Tina didn't know that. He was starting to feel like his old self again. Girls were back to throwing themselves at him for attention, sex, you name it. And he was more than happy to give it. He didn't even talk to Max since the night she had drugged him. He didn't care too. She avoided him as best she could, mostly skating to and from school and the arcade. He had even managed to avoid his dad, although his dad wasn't really home much anyway.
Diana was walking down the hallway on a particularly bad day for Billy, and saw him with Tina pressed against the lockers, kissing her.
She stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn't believe he had moved on this quickly. Before she noticed she was staring he stopped kissing Tina and caught a glimpse of Diana.He quickly looked away, guilty. Tina on the other hand, smiled at her.
Diana stormed past them and into the girls washroom, where she began to sob. She had cried so much that week she thought for sure she would run out of tears sooner or later. She tried to pull herself together enough to go to her last class of the day. Co-ed gym. She knew she would have to see Billy again, and after watching him make out with Tina she felt ill.
In the girls locker room, Corinne and Suzanna were making plans for the weekend when Tina walked up ,with Tommy's girlfriend Carol ,in tow.
"Diana, you seemed pretty intent on watching me and Billy earlier. Something i can help you with?" Tina asked rudely, flipping her short mousey hair. Diana barely looked up at her.
"No. Do whatever you want" she mumbled.
"Thats right. I will be doing whatever I want. And i want Billy Hargrove, over, and over, and over again" she burst out laughing along with Carol.
Diana didnt know what had came over her in that moment. She felt her hands begin to shake and her blood boil. As Tina began to walk away from her, Diana reached over and grabbed two solid fistfuls of Tina's hair and yanked her back. She threw Tina to the ground and began to punch her repeatedly.
All the girls in the locker room screamed and ran out. Corinne didnt even register what was happening. The gym teacher ran in and helped Tina up after Corinne ripped Diana off of her.
Corinne held Diana in a brace hold, while Diana held two fistfuls of Tina's hair.
"Miss Lister! Principals office, right now!" The teacher screamed and grabbed Diana by her arm and dragged her out of the locker room. Diana caught a glimpse of Billy in the crowd of people from the class that had gathered to see the commotion. Tina was over by Carol, weeping.
Diana walked out with her head held high.
She later thought to herself, that maybe her and Billy weren't so different after all.