CHAPTER THIRTEEN
DADDY ISSUES
DIANA WASN'T USED TO BEING ALONE AT SCHOOL.
For as long as she could remember, people have wanted to be her friend. They liked her name and money, her looks and the way kindness was her weakness. It constantly pulled them into her orbit. When her life at home became too much to handle, she knew the people around her could drown her thoughts. The screams of Nothing is wrong! Everything is perfect! faded into white noise behind the praise she received.
But as her downfall began, the screams got louder as more and more people left her side. Her name was dragged through the mud and her money became the only outstanding thing about her. Her looks grew faded from exhaustion and she realized kindness was not synonymous to submission. The anxiety-inducing voices were deafening and her mind became an echo chamber of loneliness.
She never realized how reliant she was on high school's social hierarchy. She cursed it so many times while she sat upon its throne that she didn't stop to think about what would happen to her if she lost the crown. She toyed with the idea, yes. She thought about the freedom of mediocrity and debated asking Steve Harrington for tips on how to get out of the prison of popularity, but she never seriously considered what she had to lose. Now, she had nothing.
The hallways were full of people trying to get to their lockers. The final bell had rung only minutes before, but the air was alive with chatter. It was a peculiar thing to feel so alone in a crowded room.
"Ana!"
Diana inhaled deeply and kept walking. She knew that voice anywhere, even above the noise around her.
"Diana!" Tina called again. Her pace quickened until she caught up with the girl.
Letting out a small sigh, Diana glanced over. "Hi, Tina."
"Can we talk?"
Her stare was hopeful, but there was something else mixed in her gaze. Diana couldn't put a name to it. "Uh," her grip on her backpack straps tightened, "I'm kind of in a rush."
Tina was persistent and refused to take no as an answer. "Listen, I know things have been weird since my party but I want you to know that I totally don't blame you for dropping us as friends—"
"I didn't drop you guys as my friends," Diana quickly corrected. "I was exiled in favour of my cheating ex-boyfriend."
"Which is unfair!" The other girl exclaimed. She reached for Diana's arm and pulled her to a stop. "But I still consider you one of my friends, which is why you need to listen to me."
Urgency, Diana concluded. The hope in Tina's stare was mixed with urgency. She wondered why.
"I've been listening to you, T." The corners of her lips quirked upwards, a signal for Tina to continue.
"It's about Nicole."
Almost immediately, Diana started walking down the hall again. "No longer listening."
"Wait!"
When Tina rejoined her side, Diana let out another sigh. She was tired of all the drama and rumours. It had only been two days since Tina's party yet it felt like an eternity. She didn't know how much longer she could take before this whole thing blew over. "Tina, I really don't want to talk about Nicole. Me and her were never that close and honestly, I don't think she ever liked me to begin with. If she wants to date Greg, she can go ahead. She'll only lose him the same way she got him..."
They turned the corner and she noticed that the hallway—the same hallway her locker was in—was unusually crowded.
Tina shook her head with a frown. "But she's spreading all these lies about you, and Carol and Vicki actually believe them. You don't know what they've been saying—"
"And I don't care anymore." It was a lie, and it could have been more convincing if she weren't so distracted by the group huddling around her locker.
Tina followed her line of sight and panic filled her veins. Reaching out to stop her, she tugged her in the opposite direction. "Diana, maybe we should go the other way."
"What's going on?" Diana's brows were furrowed as she looked over and there was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Diana, seriously—"
She pulled her arm out of Tina's grasp and broke through the crowd. Once people realized who she was, they moved aside with looks of anticipation.
Across her locker, the word 'SLUT ' was written in bright red lipstick. Diana's face dropped and so did her heart. She looked around in hopes of finding the culprit and when she noticed the group of her so called friends snickering in the corner, she knew she had found them. Her jaw clenched as they walked towards her, Vicki leading the charge.
"What the hell, Vicki?" Diana asked as they came to a stop in front of her. Her eyes held betrayal in them as she stared at the people who used to be her friends. She waited for a response, but the lack of one was all she needed. "What's your problem?"
Vicki stomped up to her wearing a furious glare. "Like you don't know," she snarled looking down at her.
Diana's eyebrow raised and she crossed her arms over her chest. Inside, she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry. But outside, her face hardened, hiding every emotion she was feeling but anger. She knew from the start that her friends weren't the greatest, but she never thought they'd do this.
"Actually, Vicki, I don't," Diana said bluntly. "Otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my breath asking, now would I?"
Vicki was exasperated and everyone could tell. "Billy ended things with me."
"To end you would have had to start."
"You knew that I liked him!" Vicki snapped. "And I had him too before you got your hands on him earlier today."
"Oh my god," Diana muttered. By now, her annoyance and anxiety had transformed into anger. "All this for Billy Hargrove? Seriously? There's nothing going on between Billy and I! And the fact that you went through all of this trouble instead of just asking me as a friend is pathetic. I mean, what? You see me have one conversation with a guy and that makes me a slut?"
Vicki didn't expect her to stand up for herself. Quite frankly, nobody did. Diana wasn't known to have a short temper. Half of the people in the crowd expected her to cry at the confrontation, and the other half expected her to beg for forgiveness. She had always been passive, never doing anything to spark petty drama or jeopardize her family's good image. But nobody knew what went on behind the closed doors of 1224 Loch Nora Court and nobody had a clue that Marco Blake, the man so seemingly perfect and level-headed, had a temper far worse than hers. She was her father's daughter, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
Nicole stepped forward, leaving her place beside Greg. Her eyes travelled over Diana's body, sizing her up and judging how much of a threat she was.
The redhead would never admit it, but she was infuriatingly jealous of her.
Diana Blake had everything. She had money and never had to worry about helping her parents pay the bills. She had her looks that were always so effortless. She had an abundance of friends and went out every weekend. She had the perfect boyfriend. She had the perfect life. Nicole would have done anything to be like her.
And she did.
Yet no one seemed to notice her.
She befriended Tina in freshman year and joined the Cool Kid's Table without anyone batting an eye. She got a job at one of the boutiques in town and changed her style in hopes someone would compliment her growth. She never dated anyone unless their parents' salaries were double hers. She went to parties, she looked good, and she had friends but it was never enough. Diana still sat pretty upon her throne.
Despite her efforts, she and Diana never became good friends. So she decided to play dirty.
Getting Greg Morison to cheat on Diana was easy. He was charming and sweet, but he wasn't loyal. They shared something that he and Diana didn't, and that was that they'd do anything to be the best.
"Quit playing dumb, Diana." Nicole said, slowly circling around Diana like a shark and its prey. "Everyone here knows that since Greg dropped your ass, you've been willing to spread your legs for anyone."
Diana's mouth spread into a shit-eating grin. This is ridiculous.
"You're kidding, right?" Diana laughed. Her old friend group shared a look. "Damn, you and I remember that very differently. First off, I haven't slept with anyone. Second, Greg didn't 'drop my ass', I dumped him and he downgraded to you. Which is probably why you think you're top shit now."
She stepped closer to Nicole, her bitter amusement falling as her eyes narrowed. "But let me tell you, you're not. It's not going to be long until you find out exactly what kind of person he is," she warned. "Has he started criticizing you yet? Playing victim? Telling you who you can and can't hang out with?"
Nicole's resolve faltered and Diana nodded slightly. "Trust me, I've been there. If I were you I'd dump him instead of doing his dirty work by terrorizing me."
There was one difference between Greg Morison and Nicole Pickens.
Nicole wanted to be Diana, while Greg wanted to destroy her.
Now, he wasn't holding a gun to Nicole's head and forcing her to be the bad guy. He wasn't blackmailing her either. Nicole was acting of her own free will. He just knew the right things to say and exactly what to do to get her angry enough to do everything for him. Some people called it manipulation, others called it playing the game of life. Either way, he got what he wanted.
The hall was silent, too stunned by Diana's words. Nicole's stare fell to the ground for a brief moment of shame and when she lifted her head, Greg's piercing glare burned into her.
It was too late for her to turn back now.
Her mean girl facade made its way back onto her face and she smirked.
"You know, Diana," Nicole said cooly. Her eyes flickered to Greg for reassurance before looking back down at Diana. "I have an older sister who goes to Purdue. She actually studies political science under your dad."
Diana's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. It was an abrupt change in topic. "Okay, and?"
The redhead continued. "She came home crying the other day. She said she was pregnant." Nicole gave her a sickly grin. "And you'll never guess who the father is."
It didn't take much for Diana to put two and two together. "You're lying," she stated, although she wasn't sure if it was a true statement or one she just desperately wanted to believe. "That's not—" Her mind flashed back to her father's odd behaviour and James' voice rang in her ears. I bet he did something. "That's not true."
"Oh, but it is," Nicole mused. If she felt any remorse over what she was doing, nobody could tell. "She also said that your dear old dad tried paying her hush money."
Diana felt sick. It felt like her chest was tightening and her lungs were collapsing into each other. The walls started closing in on her and she tried to keep it together, she did, but her hands started to shake and the feeling of suffocation gripped at her throat.
Her stare turned icy and she looked up at Nicole. She hadn't realized how close the girl had gotten, but it was fine because she was able to feel the anger radiating off her.
"I guess going after guys in relationships runs in the family."
Fury flashed in Nicole's eyes. "You bitch." She moved to hit her, but Diana pushed her back. She stepped forward to try again but Tina, who had been standing nearby, reached out and grabbed her before she could.
"Fuck you," Diana spat, causing Nicole to flinch.
It was the most venomous she had ever sounded. The people around her were shocked to find that she was capable of it, but pity quickly settled in its place. Diana was pushed to her limit and she didn't deserve to have a life-shattering betrayal publicized for everyone to see.
Turning on her heel, her eyes caught Vicki's. She was watching with a frown and guilt swam in her irises. She knew they crossed a line, but it was too late.
Diana walked away with her head held high. It took everything in her not to break down. Everyone was watching and she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
While pushing through the crowd, a hand grabbed her arm. Without looking to see who it was, Diana pulled out of their grasp and kept walking until she reached the parking lot.
Her hands fumbled with her keys as she approached the red Corvette. When she finally got the door open, she ducked inside and sat down, her shoulders falling as her head fell back onto the headrest. Her eyes shut and tears fell from her eyes. She had never been more glad the James got her windows tinted.
Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong.
Everything was wrong.
Everything was falling apart.
She had never felt so betrayed in her life.
Her friends weren't always the best people and she knew that from the beginning, but how could they do this to her? The same people she grew up with, the same people she had sleepovers with, laughed with, shared secrets with, and trusted. How could they stand by and watch this happen?
And her father—she didn't even want to think about her father. Marco Blake was an abusive, condescending, asshole. He was a shit father and an even shittier husband.
She should have seen this coming, she shouldn't be surprised. But she was. How could he come home and pretend nothing was happening? Like he didn't knock up someone the same age as his oldest daughter?
The door next to her suddenly opened causing her to jump. "Shit," she cursed, furiously wiping her tears away. She thought she locked the car.
Billy stood on the other side of the door. He tried to stop her in the hallway but failed, so he decided to follow her out. If it were any other day, he knew it would make the rumours worse, but he highly doubted anyone would care about him and Diana after the information Nicole just shared. Besides, Diana was the only decent person in this town and he considered her a friend. He figured she could use one right about now.
Diana, still wiping away her flowing tears, shook her head. "What are you doing?"
"Get out, Ana."
"No, I'm not— Just go away, Billy," she muttered.
His brow raised and he shook his head. "Don't fight me on this."
Diana let out a frustrated sigh. "Please leave."
"Ana."
"Go."
"Look," he began sharply, looking around at the parking lot that was slowly starting to fill with people. "You're not okay and I'm not letting you drive like this. Get out of the car and let me drive."
Diana stared at him for a moment, studying the way his face held nothing more than sheer determination. He was stubborn, she'd give him that. Under different circumstances, she would put up more of a fight. It was a great inconvenience for Billy to do this and she didn't want to be a burden. But right now, after everything that just happened, she figured she was allowed to be a little selfish.
Billy stepped back as she got out.
"What about your car?" She questioned, nodding towards the Camaro parked next to her.
He shrugged. "I'll come back for it."
Diana didn't have enough energy protest, so she did what he said. They switched seats, and soon enough, they were on the streets of Hawkins.
They drove in silence. Diana's elbow was propped up against the inside of the window and her head rested against her hand. She had stopped crying, forcing herself to stop since it wouldn't solve any of her problems, but she still rubbed at her nose every once in a while. She didn't want to talk. Talking about what happened would only make her mood worse and small talk would seem too superficial. Billy didn't know what he would say anyways, but that didn't stop him from frequently looking over to check on her.
"You good?" Billy asked, glancing over at her again.
"What do you think?"
Billy's knuckles started to turn white from how hard he was gripping the wheel. "That was fucked up," he said, "what Nicole did. It was fucked up for you, fucked up for her sister."
Diana looked over. The corners of her mouth twitched. "I didn't know you had such a moral compass."
"I don't," he scoffed, "but even I wouldn't pull that shit."
A few moments of silence passed before Diana spoke again.
"Why do you do that?"
He glanced over to find any trace of amusement wiped from her face. "Do what?"
Diana stare burned his skin. "Drive me home, ask if I'm okay, stop rumours about me—why do you do all that? Why do you even care?"
For a brief moment, Billy froze, completely caught off guard. He was never the best at talking about his feelings. After his mother left him, his whole life was spent pushing people away before they could get too close and decide that caring for him wasn't worth it. He kept his distance. He flirted for attention and slept around in a sad attempt to fill a void. Somehow, Diana managed to pull him in with a single look. One conversation and he was done for. While he knew the feelings he had for Diana weren't the platonic kind, he wasn't ready to admit it yet.
Shrugging, he replied with a simple, "We're friends."
They both knew she needed as many of those as she could get right now.
When they pulled up to Diana's house, she turned to Billy and gave him the best smile she could muster up. "Thank you," she said.
Billy just gave her a nod.
They got out of the red sports car and stared at the house. Marco's car was parked in the driveway beside James' Audi and when Diana saw this, her breath caught in her throat.
"Do you believe her?"
Diana knew he was referring to Nicole. "I don't know," she answered truthfully, "but there's only one way to find out."