Board Thread:Ships/@comment-3058106-20150305195631

'' part 1; dianne ''

Dianne sat at the tiny desk in her room while working on different assignments of her classes. Her mind was all over the place as all the words seemed to mix together into one big blur. Everything seemed to become one thing and she knew she had to take a break, yet she couldn’t seem to pull herself away from the papers scattered across her desk. She looked at them and tried to figure out what to do. She heard a few shouts from the apartment as Denise and Daniel argued with one another. With a loud sigh, she stood up from her chair and walked to the kitchen. She could still hear her brother and sister screaming at each other, and she didn’t have time to deal with them today. She opened the fridge door and groaned when she remembered she had stopped buying alcohol months ago.

“I’ll be back later,” Dianne called out, knowing that they probably wouldn’t even notice her absence in the first place.

Walking through Miduna Beach, Dianne found herself at a local bar. She took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink for herself. She sat there by herself for a while and drank alone.

“Dianne?” a voice asked from behind her. Dianne groaned, wishing she could just be left alone and still unknowing as to who was behind her. She turned around in her seat and her eyes opened wide.

“Dad?” she asked in shock.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here,” he said, motioning towards the area. “Are you using a fake I.D. or something?”

“Dad, I’m twenty-three,” Dianne replied, turning back around in her seat to face the bartender. She placed her elbows on the countertop and rested her head against her right hand.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Oh, right,” he said, taking a seat next to her. “I always forget that you’re all grown up.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Sure, dad,” she said uninterested.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“So, how’s life?” he asked.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Fine.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Obviously not so fine if you’re here.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Then why are you here?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“To get a drink, of course,” he said, laughing lightly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Dianne rolled her eyes and asked the bartender for another drink. She could not currently deal with her father, her siblings, and the amount of work she had waiting on her on her desk.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“So, how are you and your siblings?” her father asked.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Fine,” she responded, keeping her answers short to show her current distaste for him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Look, I’m sorry how everything went –“

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Go away,” Dianne interrupted. “Just let me alone.” She stoop up from her seat and paid the bartender for her drink.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Dianne, there’s no reason –“

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“There’s every reason,” she snapped back.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman",serif"> part 2 ; daphne ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daphne stood behind the counter at Benny’s Café while she waited for a customer. It had been a slow day and she had been wishing for someone – anyone, really – to stop by and order something. She only wanted something to do and couldn’t handle just standing there and picking at her nails. Daphne’s head popped up as she heard the bell above the door ring as someone opened it and came inside the café. She smiled at the thought of a customer, but was frozen in her steps as she realized exactly who it was.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daphne’s eyes glanced to and fro, hoping for one of her co-workers to appear and take care of the new customer instead. When no one else showed up, Daphne realized that it was all up to her. The best fake smile she could muster appeared on her face. “Welcome to Benny’s Café,” Daphne said, with fake cheer lining her words.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“I’m sure you can figure out what I would like,” the customer said, smiling widely.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Afraid not. You’ll have to place your order,” Daphne said through gritted teeth while also trying to keep the smile plastered on her face.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Daphne, why are you acting this way?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Why are you here, mother?” Daphne retorted.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“I wanted to see you,” her mother said, frowning slightly. “I’ve missed seeing you and your sisters and brother all the time.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Well we’re all doing fantastic. Dianne is attending law school, as you know, and she’s doing amazing at it. UMB is an amazing school for me. Denise and Daniel are finishing their studies at MBHS and I think they’re doing great. We’re all fantastic.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“You could at least stay closer in touch, you know.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Yeah, we probably really could.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Look, I’m not really sure why you and your siblings are so mad at us,” Mae, her mother said. “I’ve always wondered. Like, I somewhat understand for Denise, but you, not so much.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Me? You’re questioning why I’m salty towards you?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Salty?” Mae asked in confusion.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daphne ignored her but continued on speaking. “It’s just the way you have always treated me! It’s like you’ve never once actually cared for me! Ever!” Her voice began to rise with each word she spat out towards her mother.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Daphne, I don’t-“

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“You never gave me the slightest bit of attention! I would come home from school as a kid with my report card and show you! You’d just say something about how Dianne did better or how you expected more from me. You would also just devote all of your attention to the twins! I’ve always felt like the useless middle child that everyone forgets about! Dianne is the prodigy genius older child and Denise and Daniel are the adorable twins and the youngest ones. Me? Me? I’m the useless one that everyone forgets about!” she shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“You were never useless and –“

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“And I don’t care!” Daphne yelled.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman",serif"> part 3 ; the twins ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Denise walked out of her bedroom in the apartment and ran right into Daniel who was walked down the hall. He had been carrying a bottle of soda, and their crash into each other caused him to spill the drink all over himself and her. Immediately, Denise started screaming at him about how much of an idiot he was. Daniel only laughed, not really caring much about her reaction.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“God, you’re such an idiot!” Denise yelled at him, grabbing the now empty bottle out of his hand and hitting his shoulder with it.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“You’re just overreacting,” Daniel said, rolling his eyes at her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">In the midst of the arguing and screaming, they heard Dianne shout about how she’d be back later. They were too busy arguing to really realize what exactly she had said. After a few minutes, Denise stormed away from Daniel and slammed the door behind her. Daniel went to the kitchen to get something else to drink.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">In her room, Denise began picking out a change of clothes so she could wear something that wasn’t soiled with soda and then take a shower. As she was getting her clothes, she went to Dianne’s room to tell her that Daniel was being an immature jerk again. As Denise went there, she noticed the door was wide open. She glanced inside the room and saw papers flung all across the room. Denise frowned and went to the kitchen where Daniel was currently sitting on the table and drinking another soda with a bag of chips next to him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Do you know where Dianne is?” Denise asked him.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Why would I know?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“I don’t know. Maybe I thought for once you’d know something.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Well I know as much as you do about this,” he said. He grabbed a handful of chips and began munching on them.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Well, I’m kind of worried about her because her room is a mess,” Denise said while frowning.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“So? My room is a mess too.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“No, I mean, her books and papers are all over her room like she kind of just threw them around.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“So? I do that -“

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Shut up, Daniel. You and Dianne are not the same type of person. She’s a crazy neat freak. She only flings her papers around she’s under a lot of stress.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Wait, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Daniel asked.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“How should I know? We don’t have twin telepathy!”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daniel rolled his eyes. “I mean, do you think, she’s like, drinking again or something?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“That’s what I was thinking.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Do you think it’s because of us?” Daniel asked.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Maybe. We are arguing more than usual lately. Maybe it’s taking a toll on her.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Yeah, maybe.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Denise hopped up onto the table and sat beside Daniel.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“What are you thinking now?” Denise asked Daniel.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“I don’t really know,” he responded with his mouth full of chips.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman",serif"> part 4 ; the end ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Dianne woke up the next morning on her living room couch. She slowly stood up, but the pounding in her head caused her to fall back down onto the couch. She grumbled and pulled a pillow over her face to block out any light leaking through the curtains. She remembered some of what had happened the previous day, but it was mainly recalling her father finding her at a bar and telling her that he was sorry for it all. She wasn’t sure what he was sorry for, but Dianne was guessing it was the terrible childhood her parents had given her – the childhood that had never felt like one.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daphne walked into the apartment and saw Dianne collapsed on the couch. She frowned, and walked over to her sister.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Dianne?” she asked.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“What do you want?” Dianne mumbled through the pillow.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Are you alright?”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Never better.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daphne sighed and sat down on the floor in front of the couch. “So, I saw mom yesterday,” Daphne started. “She came to Benny’s. Then she kept trying to apologize for being a terrible mother and she ended up taking me shopping, as usual.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“I saw dad at the bar yesterday,” Dianne said. “He’s still shit.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Daphne laughed, but stopped when she felt Dianne smack her shoulder at the loud noise. Daphne cleared her throat, and decided to not make too much noise. “Let’s just hope the other two don’t start screaming at each other.” Daphne tried to hold in her laughter as she heard Dianne groan loudly.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">Soon enough, footsteps sounded through the hall as Denise and Daniel came into the room. Daphne held a finger over her mouth to tell the two to stay quiet. Daniel sighed and came over to sit in the floor next to Daphne. Denise sat down on the arm of the couch where Dianne’s feet were.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“I don’t think you’ll have to worry much about that,” Denise said.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“We’re gonna try and not murder each other as much,” Daniel finished.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">“Yeah, we’re sure it’s stressing both of you out.”

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family: "TimesNewRoman",serif">The four siblings said nothing more and instead sat there in silence. It wasn’t a strange, awkward silence, but a peaceful one filled with acceptance. <ac_metadata title="A Peaceful Silence - The Middletons Fanfic"> </ac_metadata>