runs in the family

“Good, good.” And then an ugly pause.

“This whole book of secrets thing is pretty crazy huh?” Usually Sterling was much better than this at making small talk. In fact he was great at it. The problem in this case is that whenever he looks at Diana all he can see is the day they broke whatever it was they had over and over again. He mostly pretended to either not understand or not mind the insults people threw at him at the school. And it worked so surprisingly well that eventually people just forgot to insult him, because it wasn’t worth their time. But of all the things said to him, being called ‘too perfect’ as an euphemism for straight up boring? That actually embittered him a little.

Of course he never told his mother about this, to spare her hopes and his own pride, but seeing as this was clearly an attempt of hers in trying to force them to be together in the same room, maybe he should’ve come clean to her. “How are you holding up?” Sterling knew he was barely a speck of dust in her dating life, specially compared with Dante himself. Dante, however, was dead, and apparently kept track of everybody’s secrets like a complete psychopath. Well, Diana doesn’t need to hear a smug ‘I told you so’ from Sterling, and smug it would be, because tell her he most certainly did.

What, he’s not gonna ask how I’m doing? Diana thought, a little bitterly. Not so perfect after all, apparently. “Yeah,” Diana said, looking pointedly at her fingernails (wow, her cuticles were a mess), “It’s certainly crazy. Even I didn’t think Dante would keep everyone’s secrets in a stupid little notebook.” And she’d thought she knew him so well, but Diana was starting to wonder if anyone really knew Dante Alvares. 

Her gaze snapped to her ex’s face as soon as she asked him that. Diana’s initial thought was that he didn’t have the right to ask, how dare he pretend to care about how she was ‘holding up’. She swallowed around her rising rage, and said, cruel and facetious, “Oh, I’m doing just great. Terrific, in fact. Funny how you didn’t think to ask two months ago. How are you, though? How are you, Sterling?” By the end of her rant, Diana’s voice was decidedly raised. 

Not a lot of people know this, but Sterling Pryce and Diana Brosnan used to be a thing. Well, thing, in the most loose sense of the word. They went on three or four dates before deciding they were unfit for each other. Of course, that’s Sterling’s narrative about what happened. As a good historian, Sterling knows that there’s no such thing as a ‘real truth’ to whatever happened between them, but there were two contrasting narratives that told more about Diana and Sterling themselves than about their relationship per-se.

Sterling kept his eyes on his mother the entire time until Diana tried to get out of there politely. His mother, on the other hand, made a point of telling her about how she could get the books from her office and telling Sterling that he should keep his classmate company. Sterling knew what she was doing, but thought it’d be best to only confront his mother when they were home. As soon as he couldn’t hear Evelynn’s footsteps anymore he let out an exasperated, awkward and yet almost humble greeting. “Diana…”

Diana had to stop herself from begging Mrs. Pryce not to leave. Why fate had to be so cruel as to make her favorite teacher the mother of her ex-boyfriend, she’d never know. Mrs. Pryce had loved when they were dating, and seemed genuinely upset that they broke up. 

And now, it was just Sterling and her in a room together, trying not to stare at each other. Sterling was... he was okay. He was too okay, he tried too hard to be perfect. She’d even told him, while she broke things off, that he was “too perfect” and Diana cringed just remembering that because she would never live that down. And that meek little greeting just made her hate him more, “Sterling.” She gritted her teeth, staring very pointedly not at him. “How are things?” 

“I hope they do too.” Of course, theories were flying around school more than ever, but hard evidence was something they’ve all yet to discover and link to D, so all she could really do in that moment was hope, even if she hated having it as her only option.

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. Everyone thinks the veneers are just some little thing and maybe it is, but it’s not, but I couldn’t let them see that, you know?” Diana would understand. Diana used to understand all the time before, and she still seemed so understanding now. Araminta leaned into her. “I’m sorry. You were crying, and now I’m crying. This was supposed to be about you. I was supposed to be the one making you feel better.”

She gave way as Diana tried to adjust her position, though when she slipped, a small chuckle escaped Araminta’s lips. She wiped at her eyes once more before pushing herself upwards. “Here, let me— let me help you,” she said, supporting Diana by the arms and hoping that she doesn’t slip down the tub herself.

“I get it, I get it,” Diana said. “It wasn’t just teeth, it was more, like...” She shook her head, trying to shuffle her thoughts back in order. “Like a symbol, or something. Like a shield, or a mask.” She was too drunk to be discussing metonymy right now. Diana shushed her ex-friend, smushing her face between her hands. “No, no, babe it’s okay. Let it out. Let it all out. Just like old times.” They’d cried together about different things too many times to count. It was Diana’s sister, and then it was Ezra, and then it was Dante. “I feel better crying with someone else.” 

Diana let herself be manhandled into an upright position, “Thanks, Ara.” She pulled her leg back in, trying to arrange them under her so she could push herself over the edge. “Let’s see if I can... do this.” Suddenly getting over the lid seemed an insurmountable task, and she lifted herself up by her arms, only to tumble, ass over head, onto the ground below. Once she managed to roll over, she burst out laughing. “Oh my God, Ara, did you see that shit?” 

Diana’s first choice for a senior project supervisor was, of course, Ms. Pryce. She was her favorite teacher for her favorite course, and Diana knew she’d be all over her thesis statement. “-so what I’m going to posit is that it was, in fact, the civil upheaval and demand for workers’ rights that occurred right after the Black Death that led to the beginning of the witch hunts, in order to reaffirm the pre-existing power structure and delegitimize the women that headed these movements.” 

“That’s a fascinating topic,” Ms. Pryce agreed. “I actually have a few books on the subject I could lend you. Of course, it’s still a little early to be finding your project supervisor.” 

Diana was about to add that, of course, she knew that, but then she saw Ms. Pryce’s line of sight shift to behind her. Diana turned to, to see Sterling in the doorway. She forced a polite smile, “Hi, Sterling,” before turning back to her teacher. “I don’t mean to keep you, Ms. Pryce.” 

“It’s so dumb. Why did he—” Of course Dante couldn’t have known, and maybe they shouldn’t have been speaking ill of the dead, but she’d kept a lot of the frustration she felt inside the past month. Now that Diana was letting it out with her, Araminta figured she might as well vent with her. The feeling of Diana tucking her hair behind her ear was slightly comforting and she let out a long sigh. “This whole D thing is such a pain in the ass. Who does he think he is?”

She sniffed. “I know. I know they’re great, but—no one was supposed to find out,” she said, bringing a hand up to wipe her cheek. “I was so careful keeping it secret, I don’t know how anyone could just…” She trailed off, wondering if this was one of those things in Dante’s notebook. How could he have even known? “It was after Ezra, you know.” Diana had seen what a wreck she’d been then. “I was so stupid. I chipped a tooth, Diana. I chipped a tooth over a stupid boy, and he doesn’t even know that and I never want him to know that, and that post just brought it all back when it’s supposed to be this small thing from the past that I’m over and just—” She took a deep breath. “Fuck D.”

Diana just shook her head, almost at a loss for words. Who did D think he was? Or she. Or they. Whoever D was, they were clearly stepping over the line. “I’m pretty sure what they’re doing is illegal,” she muttered. “It’s, like, harassment and blackmail. You can go to jail for that.” Diana huffed. “I hope they catch the fucker, make him pay.” Make him pay for hurting Diana’s friend like this. 

“I couldn’t tell,” Diana insisted, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. She imagined what kind of place Ara had been in when she had chipped her tooth, how upset she was after the breakup. She’d probably cried, all alone, for hours. “And- and it was a fucked-up and petty thing to tell everyone, and... And I’m so sorry, babe. I’m sorry everyone knows that now.” She pulled Araminta closer to herself, awkward in the confines of the tub. “Fuck D. Hope he burns in hell.” 

A look of genuine concern grew on the blonde’s face. “Are you sure? I can cover, really, it’d be a little weird for me to have this and then you don’t even have your milkshake anymore. Ooh!” Her eyebrows witched up at her idea. “Maybe another milkshake?” Alice wasn’t trying to be pushy, but she wanted to make sure Diana was having a good time, and also wouldn’t feel awkward just watching Alice eat.

“No, no,” Diana insisted, already feeling awkward about this whole situation. “I’ll... I’ll just get a Coke Zero. You have Coke Zero, right?” she asked the server, who nodded. Just so she could get something to placate Alice. “Perfect, I’ll get that.” Eager to change the subject, Diana asked, “Did you know Aaron Sorkin wrote The Social Network? It's one of my favorite movies. Fascinating story, isn't it?” 

“Yeah, he’s a genius, I loved West Wing too,” Alice gushed. “I feel like when we do finally hang out near a TV, it’ll just be us showing eachother things we like.” Alice realized that she had accidentally suggested one of her ideal first dates. She pushed that thought away before giggling at Diana’s reaction. Wow, that was… adorable. “Do you want to order something?” As if on queue, the waitress came back with Alice’s benedict. Alice thanked her before saying “Oh, and can you bring my friend a menu back, please?”

“We should do that sometime,” Diana insisted; it sounded genuinely fun. Alice was definitely not the type of person Diana normally wanted to hang out with, but something about her was so... magnetic. “Oh, no,” Diana waved the waitress off. “No, that’s fine. I have to leave room for dinner with my parents tonight.” Technically, they were supposed to eat dinner together every night, but it never seemed to happen. Dinner would probably be Diana eating her steak salad in her room while watching The Perfectionists. 

“I can see it,” she nodded before pursing her lips to the side and looking up in thought. “See, the first two are hard, but my favorite color is periwinkle. It’s a pretty color, and really fun to say.” She giggled before deciding “Okay, my favorite show is The Newsroom. Have you seen it? It was on HBO like seven years ago but it’s soooooo good. And my favorite food… hm. I guess I could say peanut butter, since it’s my favorite flavor of anything? Does that count?”

Diana was pretty sure the point of colors was to like looking at them, not to like saying them. She decided against voicing that opinion, though. “I’ve heard of The Newsroom. It’s an Aaron Sorkin show, right? I should check it out; I loved The West Wing. Peanut butter counts, surely; I’m pretty sure that’s food.” She took another sip of her milkshake, only for her straw to give a loud slurp. Diana looked down to realize she’d finished her shake. “Goodness, guess I was hungrier than I thought.” Goodness? Where the fuck did that come from? 

Alice tilted her head. “A Scorpio? Really? I would’ve guessed you were a fire sign,” she mused before shrugging. “I’ve never seen How to Get Away with Murder, but I know I need to, since I love shows like it.” She then pretended to get serious. “I want to know… what’s your favorite color?” She giggled at her own dumb joke.

“I think I have Sagittarius... somewhere,” Diana said with a shrug. Cath had done her full natal chart back in middle school, so the memory was pretty fuzzy. Diana got nervous for a moment at Alice’s serious tone, and laughed in relief, heart getting light at Alice's own giggles. “Red, obviously. What about you? Fave food, TV show, and color.” 

She nodded, her smile getting a bit more genuine. “Yes, actually, that would probably help, thanks,” she agreed, taking another sip before brightening up significantly. “Let’s go back to talking about you! We’ve been in classes and debate together for years and I still feel like I barely know you.”

Diana took another pull of her milkshake. Herself was easily her least favorite topic, but how could she say no when Alice was smiling at her so sweetly? “Well, I’m a Scorpio, my dad is Irish and my mom is Bavarian, my favorite food is Caprese salad, my favorite show is How to Get Away with Murder...” She shook her head, at a loss for harmless subject matter. “What else do you want to know?” 

Alice gave her a sad smile, her cheeks getting warm at the contact. “Thanks, it’s… it’s just a big part of my family, so I’m a bit of an outcast. My parents met as Windsors, both siblings were Windsors, and I don’t regret my decision to turn them down, but… I just didn’t know it would…” She shook her head, chuckling sadly to try and keep herself from getting too sad. “Wow, I’m being such a bummer. I’d hate for you to think I’m nothing but a sourpuss.”

Diana knew what it was like to be treated like an outcast in your own family, though she was starting to get the feeling that whatever was plaguing her was more hereditary than anything else. Brosnans hurt, and then they drank to pretend they didn’t. “I understand,” was all Diana said on that subject. “Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re a sourpuss. Would talking about something else make you feel better?” 

Dani let out a small smile at Diana’s reaction to her collection to the drinks. She picked a seat and watched as Diana chose between the different types. “ What can I say? I aim to please.” She said dramatically, raising her hand to her chest.” That’s a good one.” Dani remarked at Diana’s choice before laughing at how much Diana poured. “ Save some for me.” She jokingly called out from her seat.. At Diana’s question, Dani stopped to think before looking up at Diana.” Why don’t you surprise me?”

Diana shrugged, before pouring Dani a glass of the rose, as well. She’s said it was a good one, so she hoped it would suffice. “Tell me when.” Once it was filled, she transferred the glass to Dani’s waiting hands. “So,” Diana managed once they were settled. “How are you feeling? And don’t you dare lie.” She took a long pull from her glass; Dani certainly had good taste, but honestly Diana wasn’t picky as long as it could get her drunk. 

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Wow, um.. no, I haven’t,” she admitted. “I really only heard about the Windsors from my parents and brother and sister.” She took another sip before giggling at her joke. “I mean, that’s a better shadow though, right? You just said you pleasantly surprise professors. All my professors were ready for me to be a Windsor and in some sort of leadership position. Tor-Victoria was head cheerleader, Harry was president, and… then there’s me.” She shrugged once more before shaking her head. “Sorry, I guess I’m in a weirder mood than I thought I was.”

Diana tsked. “Pity. She was a legend, and wouldn’t have it any other way.” She took a long draw of her milkshake as she listened to Alice speak. “Don’t-.” Her defense came quickly, surprising even herself. “Don’t feel ashamed for not being a Windsor, of all things. That petty little mob exist to do nothing but exclude others and terrorize the school. And you,” she made to reach across the table, to touch her hand, but froze for a moment, and went with an awkward pat instead. “You and your accomplishments are nothing at all to be ashamed of.” 

“I think she said she would quit if he ran for governor, but I’m not sure,” she admitted with a shrug. “Who knows? Love supposedly conquers all, right?” Alice liked to believe that, but then again, she was an optimist to a fault. She tilted her head in curiosity. “Oh, was your sister a trouble maker?”

Diana would like to believe that: love conquers all. But she knew that was more likely a beautiful lie. Love didn’t conquer; it destroyed. “Right,” she said. Diana tried not to look too shocked. “A troublemaker? Alice, my parents had to buy Houghton a whole new wing just to keep her from being expelled. She was kind of infamous. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of her.” She took a sip of her milkshake. “I mean, hate to brag.” 

“Exactly!” Alice smirked before picking up her milkshake glass in a toast. “Cheers, to poor Pippa.” She giggled before taking another sip and shaking her head. “No, she’s a political correspondent for WJLA. You can see her on TV all the time if you visit DC. They met when she was covering the Romney campaign and David was interning for Romney’s campaign manager.” She shrugged. “So she’s got a bit of fame, but if she gets more famous, I might not be able to escape her shadow.” Wow, that sentence came out way heavier than she expected, so she tried to cover it up with a smile. “But yeah, she’s really excited for the wedding.”

Why were Alice’s cheeks heating up when Diana called her cute? Obviously she was talking about a young Alice, which wasn’t her currently, so it didn’t really mean anything, but why did she care that it didn’t mean anything? “Thanks, I guess I was,” she acquiesced.

“I know, right?” Alice beamed at Diana’s approval before taking another sip and shrugging. “I’ve just seen the scrutiny the first families get, and I just don’t want every decision I make to be judged more than it already is. Does that make sense?”

“Oh, yes, entirely,” Diana assured. “I was just teasing. It’d be like being Pippa Middleton, dragged into the spotlight for a decision your family made.” Then again, wasn’t that the burden of every child of a famous family; thrust into the spotlight because of a decision their parents made? Diana certainly didn’t ask to be born a Brosnan. “Is your sister a lawyer, too?”