That had been the turning point in Diana's life. She wasn't going to be the one trying to earn his favor again. Her love for him still remained. After all he was her first love how was she supposed to forget it? With these thoughts she returned back home and continued living her life. She had changed and life took its toll at her again and sent a test her way that almost broke her down further.
School was her way of escape from life at home. With the pressure of being the eldest and the broken friendships she found her peace at school. But fate wasn't too kind on her. Brian, Beth, Violet and Luke were or rather had been her best friends from a young age but they lived too far from each other and hence they had their own separate friends at school. For Diana, Rose and Susan were the ones who held that post. She had openly spoken to them about her failed friendship with Luke and the had been very helpful with their support for her. Or so she thought.
Susan and her had been friends since they joined school as Year One's. They had just clicked on their first day and had remained so for a long time. Not the best of friends but close to each other. Rose was addition to their group in Year Seven. Susan being the friendliest among the two of them had approached Rose, the new student first and with that they grew closer to each other. Three months into their friendship they had become the inseperable three. One was not seen without the other at school. Jealous of Susan and Rose's relationship with Diana, Katerina who had had a long term crush on her attached herself to their group. The three of them not wanting to push a girl away accepted her but Katerina was not let into their secrets.
Able to forget the happening of her after school life Diana enjoyed her days at school. For a thirteen-year-old girl she was friendly with everyone school. Every child and student from the Year One's to the seniors knew her. Diana was not the best, she knew that. She had been rude at times and had fought with the other girls many times than she could remember but what made her famous and earned her the respect from others was her ability to be friendly at other times. The teachers in school loved her. It had always been Diana Flynn when they wanted some work done. It was not because they considered her as a servant, it was because she did her work cheerfully without a complaint. Everyone knew that she hated when wrong was done and hence any fight that had occurred was out of anger for some wrong done.
The rebels in school were afraid of her for this and their fear for her built a respect for her. At thirteen, she was able to get a name of being the Golden Girl of the school. Known by all, loved and respected by most and feared by some it wasn't long before jealousy struck its arrows into the hearts of some. Her best friends amongst them.
When the Virus had resulted in getting her hospitalized and out of school for almost a month, it wasn't a surprise that everyone in school had wanted to know where she was. Teachers' lost their helping hand and the students missed her sarcasm and friendliness and some even missed her fights. So it was to Susan and Rose they had gone for inquiries. Without Diana to keep track of them the two of them had become closer to the wrong group. No matter how big they thought they were there were only somethings a thirteen-year-old's mind could comprehend. And Susan and Rose unlike Diana, had been brought up in luxury and riches and at the age where puberty strikes, their thoughts changed too.
At the rate in which Diana's fame had been building up, with no black mark to her records the ones who were in the competition for the upcoming school captain found it harder to compete.
Everyone one had a dark and secret side to them and at most instances the best friends were the ones who knew this. Knowing that it was easy to change someone though jealousy, the ones in competition took the time Diana was out of school to their advantage. Their darts of poison struck directly into the souls of her so called friends who had no regrets in spilling out Diana's secret out to everyone.
Broken hearted and hoping to find peace at her second home Diana returned back after her family's get together to school that Monday morning to find suspicious eyes and disgusted looks of many on her. Not thinking much of it she happily walked towards her best friends and was shocked to find them talking with the schools most hated and spoiled group. Still not thinking much of it, she approached them and she received her first shock in school there. Diana was blatantly ignored by her own friends. It was then that realization dawned upon her.
Something had changed. Of that she was sure. She was pondering over this when a sixth grader approached her.
"Hey Diana. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure", was all that Diana could say knowing she was about to discover what had everyone fixing her with looks of disgust.
"Please don't take me wrong but is it true that you fell in love with you best friend who is a boy and he rejected you?", being friends with boys was something looked down upon in her culture and hence she had managed to keep this hidden. Not that her parents were against it. For her parents falling in love was the crime not friendships. So when she was questioned she was frozen as to what reply she had to give. It took her sometime to realize the fact this girl knew about her closely kept secret and when she did she could feel tears prick her eyes. Her lips trembled with the control she was holding on her tears. Why was every person she called her best friend breaking her instead of being the ones to fix her pieces together?
"Who told you this Amber? Was is it Susan or Rose? Yes, I have a boy best friend, actually had two and they are the best. And of course I love them, they are like brothers to me." Not the whole truth but she wasn't lying either.
With an "It was your best friends who told us this and I just wanted to confirm", Amber walked away. Diana felt tears prick her eyes but being someone who had so far maintained a strong façade in front of everyone wore a smile and carried on her days as if nothing affected her.
But it wasn't long before her talkative-self had withdrawn deep inside and she was just a shell of what she had once been. Katerina was the only one who spoke to her and kept close to her. But Diana couldn't bring herself to open up to Katerina. She wasn't going to trust anyone anymore. They only betrayed her. Being only thirteen she had gone through more betrayals than anyone she knew.
Brian was her only condolence at these times and one day she found herself praying for something no one should even think about. Diana knew what she wished for was a totally wrong thing but she couldn't help it. Feelings were not something one could control.