Diane stood before her teacher, enduring the lecture without bowing her head. She kept her gaze fixed directly on the older woman's eyes.
"Shameless," Mrs. Sterling said. "Just look at yourself in the mirror; you come in wearing whatever you feel like. Don't tell me you didn't know this school has a dress code. And that algebra test? How do you expect to pass your SATs? Do you think it's just going to happen on its own?"
"I'll pass," Diane replied curtly.
"Don't you get smart with me! Oh, look at the straight-A student we have here. You're headed straight for a dead-end job on the side of the road. You won't amount to anything. You'll end up just like your mother."
"We'll just see about that," Diane said, her chin defiant.
"Rude girl!" Mrs. Sterling shrieked.
The teacher opened her mouth to say more, but Diane's legs were already carrying her out the door. Mrs. Sterling pressed her lips together and headed to her office, fuming.
Just yesterday, her son, Tyler, had confessed that he was in love with Diane and that they were seeing each other.
"How could you, Tyler!" his mother had cried, stunned. "Don't you know what kind of girl she is? Look at her family. No, don't even think about it."
"Mom, you can't help who you love."
"You certainly can! You think you're a grown man now? You're finishing tenth grade, you have senior year ahead of you and real prospects, but you have to focus on your grades. Do you understand? Your little Diane will be lucky to finish high school at all. It's a miracle she learned to read and write."
"Don't talk like that, or we're going to have a problem."
"We'll definitely have a problem if you keep acting like a foolish boy. You have to think about your future. Isn't that clear?"
Tyler looked at his mother but didn't say a word. She had always been like this; even his father didn't argue with her. The boy sighed, thinking that his dad probably became a long-haul trucker just so he wouldn't have to come home every night.
Mrs. Sterling poured herself a cup of tea, sat at her desk, and tried to think of a way to break them up. She couldn't come up with a plan, so the next day, the moment she saw Diane at school, she snapped.
***
Diane wasn't offended; she understood the situation perfectly. That evening, when she met Tyler, she told him it probably wasn't going to work out between them.
"How can you say that?" he asked, putting his arms around her.
"You know what my parents are like. Your mom throws it in my face constantly. What can I do about it? Is it my fault?" Diane lamented.
Tyler couldn't find the words to answer, so he just held her tighter.
"It's okay. We'll be together. I'll graduate soon, go to college, and then we'll get married."
"See? You'll go to college, and I won't even make it to community college. I'll finish this year and go to work."
"Why?"
"I feel bad for my grandma. If I leave, my parents will drive her into the ground. No, this is just my lot in life."
"It'll be okay, Diane. Everything will be fine."
After saying goodbye to Tyler, Diane went home. The moment she stepped inside, she heard the drunken shouting of her father and mother. She sighed.
"Is this ever going to end?"
She was turning sixteen in a few days. But did her parents even remember?
She had forgotten how to cry a long time ago—back in early childhood—because her father, angry and quick with his hands, would easily take his temper out on her. Her mother would yell at him for it, but that only sparked a new argument.
She habitually slipped past the kitchen into the tiny corner room where her grandmother had been bedridden for days. A kind, unhappy old woman.
"Oh, my Diane, you're home," she said in a weak voice. "Those two have been carrying on since morning."
Diane winced and sighed. "Grandma, I'm hungry."
"My poor girl. Listen, go call your mother in here. I have something to tell her."
Diane had no idea what her grandmother said to her mother, but soon the whole rowdy group left the house, and Diane was able to go to the kitchen to fry a couple of eggs for herself and heat up some leftover soup for her grandmother. She fed the old woman, then ate her own meal and sat beside her to do her homework.
Diane had always loved her kind grandmother, but she felt nothing for her parents. They never held steady jobs, only occasionally weeding neighbor's gardens or doing odd jobs for cash. Whatever they earned was immediately spent on liquor. The only real "holiday" in the house was the day the grandmother's Social Security check arrived. Neither her father nor mother had ever looked after her; they figured she was old enough to take care of herself. So, her grandmother had replaced them both.
***
After finishing her sophomore year, Diane went home instead of staying for the school party. She didn't see the look on Mrs. Sterling's face. The teacher had finally thought of a way to separate them, and she was very pleased with herself.
Diane found out about Tyler's mother's plan that same evening from Tyler himself.
"Why didn't you stay for the party?"
"I didn't have anything to wear, and I didn't have the money. You know that... why even ask?"
"I didn't think..." Tyler paused, then said, "I'm moving to my sister's the day after tomorrow. I'm going to live with her in the city. My mother said they found tutors for me there so I can prepare better for college."
"And when are you coming back?" Diane asked, her voice dropping.
"Diane, I'm not coming back," Tyler replied. "I'll finish high school there. And then college, you know how it is."
Diane leaned against his shoulder and took a heavy breath. Why was her life always like this? How was she supposed to go on when the only person she loved wouldn't even be near her?
Tyler leaned down and hugged her. "I want to say goodbye for real," he whispered.
But the girl stood up and gave a small, bitter smile.
"No need for formalities. Let's not ruin the memory. Goodbye, Tyler. Be happy."
Diane left, and for the first time since she was a little girl, she sobbed in her room for hours until she fell asleep face-down on her pillow.
***
Three months passed. Tyler had moved away and hadn't called. Maybe the excitement of city life had swallowed him up. Diane didn't know; she didn't have time to think about it. From morning until night, she worked in the fields. She only ran home to feed her grandmother and give her medicine, but at the end of August, the woman, exhausted by illness, passed away. Everything Diane had earned over the summer went toward the funeral.
Afterward, she packed a bag and moved to the city to start a new life. She got lucky; she found a job as a laborer at a food processing plant and was given a bed in a dormitory. Her roommate was Margaret, a twenty-two-year-old beauty who worked in the plant's accounting department.
Margaret immediately liked Diane's calm and steady nature. Diane, in turn, admired Margaret's boundless energy and endless optimism. Perhaps that was why their friendship became so strong so quickly, despite the age gap.
"You're so old-fashioned," Margaret would say, fixing her hair. "You have to catch guys on the fly, but you're still waiting for some Prince Charming."
"No, I can't be like that. I had a boyfriend, but he moved away. I still think we'll meet again one day. I don't know how you do it, Margaret. One guy today, another tomorrow."
"It's easy. Look, two days ago I went out with Alex—and now I have this bracelet. And this makeup set was a gift from Justin," Margaret laughed. "Tonight I'm seeing Mr. Miller, the floor manager. And tomorrow..."
"How do you not get them confused? How do you remember their names?"
"If I forget, I just call them all 'babe' or 'honey,'" she laughed. "They love it, and I don't get caught. Look at all the stuff I have. You don't have anything."
Diane shook her head. "Oh, Margaret. One day you'll fall hopelessly in love, and then I'll see what tune you sing."
"Fine, when I fall in love, I'll sing," Margaret agreed with a wave of her hand. "But until then, I'm off to see Miller. He promised me a new handbag."
Diane watched her flighty friend leave and sighed. One day she'd run into a real jerk and end up in tears. It was a shame; she was silly, but she was kind, and she'd surely be a good wife and mother one day.
***
Margaret changed boyfriends every week, trying to find the one who would take care of her for the rest of her life. But no one was in a hurry to be "the one," and she eventually realized she needed a different approach. She began accepting all sorts of gifts, staying a little longer with the generous ones and quickly dropping the cheap or struggling ones.
Six months went by, and nothing changed. Margaret, having tried many times to find Diane a boyfriend, finally gave up.
"It's hopeless. You act like you're a hundred and fifteen years old."
"Why a hundred and fifteen?" Diane laughed.
"I don't know..."
And in truth, Diane felt much older than her years. Her parents, after her grandmother died and Diane left, had spiraled into their drinking and never woke up one morning.
One day, Margaret came home sobbing uncontrollably.
"What? What happened?" Diane rushed to her.
"Victor dumped me," Margaret sobbed.
"Who's Victor?"
"My guy! I went to his place and there was another girl there. He yelled at me and threw me out."
"Just forget about him."
"Yeah, right... Do you know how handsome and rich he is? Besides... I'm pregnant."
Diane threw her hands up. "Did you tell him?"
"Yes. He didn't even believe me."
***
Nine months later, Margaret gave birth to twins. As it turned out, Victor had nothing to do with the children. Margaret cried, but Diane comforted her, explaining that children were a blessing and that she should be happy they were so beautiful and healthy.
"I'm not a saint like you, finding joy in everything!" Margaret screamed.
Then, in the middle of the night, Margaret packed her things, left a note on the table, and walked out, never to return.
Diane was woken by the crying of the two-month-old babies. She got up to help Margaret, but saw she was gone. She picked up the note and read: "I'm leaving you my 'blessings.' Do whatever you want with them. I'm leaving. Forever."
Diane thought for a moment, took the babies, and moved back to the countryside.
***
The poor girl had to endure so much mockery—and no one tried harder than Mrs. Sterling, the former teacher. She called her son and told him that Diane had crawled back to the village with her tail between her legs and two kids in tow.
But Tyler's family life hadn't worked out. It wasn't the dream he'd imagined. His wife was only interested in money. Because Tyler couldn't find a high-paying job in the city, he ended up working as a long-haul trucker. His feelings for Diane had never faded, and when he saw her again, he admitted to himself that he still loved her.
But it was too late.
The local mayor's son had started courting her. Everyone said he treated her like a queen and helped her with everything.
Tyler dropped his head onto the table and wept, cursing his own stupidity and cowardice.
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