SEVEN

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CHAPTER SEVEN
BATHROOM ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT?

WHEN DIANA WAS TEN, she asked her mother why she drank so much

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WHEN DIANA WAS TEN, she asked her mother why she drank so much. They were sitting on the couch in the living room. Allison was in the kitchen preparing lunch for the next day, James was out with his friends doing God know's what, and Marco was at his office working himself to the bone. It was late and the empty wine bottle on the coffee table only proved that.

Estella said nothing at first. She pondered the question, completely overlooking the fact that a ten year old should not be asking those types of questions. Then she let out a sigh, her eyes never leaving the television as she stroked her daughter's hair. The bruise on her cheek had healed, but there was a phantom shadow of it in the moonlight and Diana couldn't forget about her parents' fight days before and how she got it.

"It helps," her mother answered.

There was no explanation, no details to help her young mind comprehend the meaning, nothing.

Diana never questioned it again, and it wasn't until Halloween of 1984 that she began to understand. Alcohol helped her mother forget her troubles. It numbed her heart and settled her mind, silencing all the sadness that plagued her. And while Diana swore that she would never be like her mother, she couldn't resist the urge to drown her feelings in cheap liquor.

The party was in full swing. Diana was dancing in the living room with some girls on the cheerleading squad, bopping her head to the music as her drink spilled down her hand. Any thought of her boyfriend was long gone and the only thing she worried about was having fun.

"Hey, Blake!" A deep voice called. It got louder as it neared.

The crowd parted to reveal Tommy H. with Carol in tow. They wore their usual smirks of superiority and the air of condescension swarmed around her.

"Hey, guys!" Diana greeted cheerfully as she slung an arm around Carol's shoulder. "What's going on?"

Carol let out a laugh and wrapped her arm around Diana's waist. She shared an amused look with her boyfriend because the sight before them was certainly one to see. Diana Blake didn't get drunk. Sure, she had a drink or two in social settings but she never got drunk. And while Carol didn't care enough to ask why, she did ask, "How much have you had to drink?"

"Just one or two," Diana replied, leaning against the redhead as she guided them to the backyard. "Or five."

"Obviously not enough," Tommy chided, handing her a cigarette. He stole a drink out of some random person's hand and poured the liquid into Diana's cup. "Drink up, Princess, because it's time to crown a new Keg King!"

The people around them cheered and within a minute, she found herself standing between Vicki and Tina, cheering Billy on as he did a keg stand.

Forty-two seconds later, Billy was set on his feet with an obnoxious smirk and triumphant look in his eye. He spit beer into the air as Tommy and another boy patted him on the back then yelled into the night, "That's how you do it, Hawkins! That's how you do it!"

𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 | billy hargrove Where stories live. Discover now