The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Something shattered and clanked. Diana bolted upright, listening to the familiar drunken cursing of her mother. She glanced at the bedside clock. Just after midnight—it was early for Faye. She made no effort to be quiet as she stumbled around, but then she never did when she brought the party home. Diana hurried down the steps in her thin pajamas, expecting to see half a dozen people smoking and drinking. She was relieved when she only saw Faye.

“Mama, you’re home early.”

Faye wobbled on her spiked heels. She reeked of cheap booze and weed. She yanked open the old, rotted cupboards in the dingy kitchen. They were mostly bare of food. “Where’s that sister of yours?”

Diana wanted to snap, “Asleep of course, it’s after midnight, which is where I should be.” But that would earn her a cuff, as her mama never would never stand for any backtalk. “She’s asleep mama,” she answered.

“Lucky for her. Damn social worker came sniffing around today when you were at school, asking a whole lot of questions about Louisa, about you. Demanding to see her. Never know what’s going to come out of that kid’s mouth. You been talking to any of them counselors at school again?” Diana felt her face tingle as she struggled to think what she may have said. She was always careful at school, never saying much every time they pulled her out of class. Last time she had inquired about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and what help there was, but she was positive she hadn’t mentioned Louisa.

“You don’t answer, girl?” Faye swayed and stumbled closer, most likely ready to strike.

“No mama, I haven’t talked to anyone. You know how they are. Single mother; they’re looking to dig something up.”

Faye swayed again, obviously satisfied with what she’d said. The strap to her barely decent sequined top was ripped. Diana saw that her skirt was stained with something brown as she stumbled to the table, sinking into a chair. Dropping her head on her arms, she burst into tears and screeched as if someone were trying to kill her. This was always a killer for Diana; she couldn’t take her mama’s tears. Before she knew it, she hovered and pressed her hand to her mother’s hair, petting softly. Her mama whimpered, then turned her pale, creamy cheek into Diana’s hand.

“Do you think I’m beautiful, baby? Desirable?”

She knew what her mother wanted to hear, and it wasn’t the truth. “Of course you are, Mama. Any man would be lucky to have you. You know that.”

Faye smacked her hand away. Sitting up, she tossed her head back and snorted a deep, throaty laugh. Diana hated when her mama got like this. Her moods would swing high and low, worse when she was drinking; worse still when she smoked whatever she would get her hands on. Tonight, Diana could tell she’d done both.

“Mama, are you hungry? There’s leftover dinner in the fridge. I can heat you up some.”

“No, I don’t want no dinner. I want something to drink. Where’s the liquor?” She started to get up and staggered, losing her balance and dropping back on the chair.

“Mama, I’ll get it for you. You just sit there.” Diana hurried to the cupboard and yanked out a half bottle of gin. She put it down in front of her mama with a glass.

“You’re a good girl, Diana, but that damn i***t sister of yours is bringing trouble to my doorstep, having social workers sniffing around, as if they really cared about her. Stick her in some home with some pedophile, and nobody would care. But not you, you always look after me. If it weren’t for you I’d pack up and leave. Yes I would.”

Diana turned her head, blinking back tears. She didn’t know what she’d do if her mother abandoned her, and she feared that, one day, she wouldn’t come home. And Louisa, so defenseless—she wondered if the little girl knew how much her mother disdained her. And she feared her mother was right if a social worker took Louisa. So Diana did everything she could to keep her mother happy, to keep them together. But it wasn’t easy because her mama was a mean, vicious drunk who got her kicks from hurting others; if she saw the hurt in Diana, she’d move in for the kill. Surprisingly, her mama had a sixth sense for picking up on someone’s misery. It was a darkness inside of her she wished would go away. So Diana turned away and started cleaning, it always helped. After a while, she heard her mother refill her glass and sigh, and she knew that she could safely sneak away, as it wouldn’t be long until her mother passed out. She was thankful that tonight, there’d be no party.