𝙎𝙃𝙀'𝙎 𝘼𝙉 𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙇, 𝙈𝙔 𝙊𝙉𝙇𝙔 𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙇.
Diana Blake was who everyone in Hawkins wanted to be or be with. Her family name held power in the town and she wore her popularity like a crown. Until she discovered that her crown was made with...
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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.
