A loud giggling awakes her to the fact that something is wrong. Since Ruby, Dianne hasn't been a particularly good sleeper, having gone to have a nap before her daughter was back, so she could see if she had a nice night at the cinema. Thirteen-year-old Luca had gone out with some friends, Joe and talked Dianne into it, she thought 10:30PM wasn't an appropriate time for her daughter to stay out, but somehow, she found herself agreeing. She had wanted to pick her up, but her daughter told her in no circumstances was she to-do that. Thankfully, she had compromised with her that Theo, who was back for the weekend, would to pick her up.
She follows the noise to find her husband, only son and youngest daughter in the kitchen, a glass of water in front of her. From the moment she got in, she realised something wasn't quite right. 'How was the movie?' She asks her daughter, who looks over to her with glass eyes. 'Luca?' Her daughter lets out a laugh.
'Movie?' she raises an eyebrow. 'Oh yeah, we went to a movie?'
'What did you see?' She demands, trying to confirm if her suspicions are right. Her daughter looks at her dad, who is there trying to cover up the fact that he is finding this funny. Trust him to play good cop, she knows that he would try and be her friend, making light of the fact that their youngest daughter is in their kitchen absolutely fucked.
'A docucumeatr-'
'You mean a documentary?' She nods enthusiastically. 'And what documentary's do they broadcast in the multiplex cinema?'
'Blue Whales.' She pauses, laughing to herself. 'And saving the sloths.' She burps a little, causing her to laugh again. 'It was very interestering.'
'You mean to tell me, you went to the cinema to see a documentary about blue wales. And you got this excited.' She catches Joe's eyes, he can see how unimpressed she is. 'Luca Amelia Sugg, you don't like Whales.'
'Oooh look whose walked it?' Dianne watches as the cat moves to her bed. 'It was very interesting.'
'We aren't looking at the cat. You were telling me about your insightful blue wale documentary.' She doesn't know why she is keeping this up. 'What did you learn?'
'Uhhh.'
'Nothing.' Dianne pester. 'You didn't learn a single thing because if you were at the cinema, which I highly doubt, you were there drinking.' She pauses. 'By the smell of you, vodka.'
'And tequila.' She brags.
'How much vodka?' She shrugs, Dianne doesn't know what to do. 'Was it more than one shot?'
'I had it in one of those big glasses.' Luca brags, as Dianne cringes. 'Jake and I went through a whole bottle of absolute vodka.'
'I've told you about hanging out with Jake and Matthew.' The two troublemakers her daughter has made friends with. Both Maddie and Ruby had lots of female friends, Luca's more of a tomboy with all but three of her friends are guys. Joe reassured Dianne that it was harmless, but she wasn't so sure.
'That I-' She pauses, making a funny sound. 'That.' That's when she throws up all over the breakfast bar and both herself and Dianne. She sits there a panicked expression staring at her mum. 'I don't feel good mummy.' Dianne rolls her eyes, no shit sherlock. The small of vomit is hitting her, and she doesn't like it. All three of her older kids, at some point, had come back and been sick because of the alcohol, Luca was the first one to throw up on her mum.
'I can tell.' She stops as her daughter makes the same noise. 'Pass the recycling bin.' She shouts to Joe, as he passes the empty bin to her, just in time for her to throw up in the bin. 'Do you think you can stand up?' Her daughter nods, trying and then falling into her dad, hand covering her mouth.
'Come on.' Joe speaks to the first time, grabbing the bowl Dianne has got out. 'Let's get you up to bed. Di do you want to go and change your shirt?' Dianne shakes her head.
'Once she's in bed I will- she's as likely to be sick again.' They manage to get her into the guest bedroom, not wanting to brave the stairs after she told them she wanted to sleep on them. 'Theo, can you go and get the pyjama's out of the pile on the top of the tumble dryer?' He obliges, coming back with a glass of water too.
'Thanks.' She's practically fallen asleep on Joe. She's in super skinny jeans which must be so uncomfortable to sleep in. 'Can you take her trainers off?' Joe nods, starting to untie the hi-tops.
'She could have chosen something less complicated.' Joe sighs, as he pulls off one of them. Dianne gently tries to shake her once the pair of shoes are off, she is met with a groan.
'Come on baby girl, we have to get you changed, you've been sick on yourself.' When she was younger, and smaller, it was far easier. Joe and Theo leave the room, respecting the young girl's privacy. She's sick on her again. 'Am I okay to take your t-shirt off? Or can you do it?'
'You do it?' She murmurs, 'want to sleep.' She tries to move her daughters' arms, but she's met with a dead weight. 'Come on work with me.' She says, slipping off her daughters top and managing to put the top half of the pyjamas on, before slipping her bottoms on and calling the other two back in, to help her put her in the recovery position.
'I'm glad you thought that was funny.' She snaps at her husband, as she climbs into bed.
'She's a teenager, she had a bit too much to drink.'
'Joe it's illegal, she could have done some real damage.'
'She was with her friends.'
'Anything could have happened to her, she's lucky all it was, was a bit of ill-timed vomiting.' He shakes his head, pulling the cover down over him.
'The other three did this at some point.'
'She's thirteen.'
'I know what this is about.' He says quietly, as she swallows the words she was about to say. 'We will have very serious words with her in the morning. There was no way you could have a comprehensive conversation with her in that state.' He pauses. 'But she has to live her life Dot.' She shuts up, turning away from him. He pulls her in close. 'She isn't Ruby, she knows the dangers.'
Dianne and Joe are up way before their daughter, when she does arise at 2PM she looks worse for wear. 'Feeling okay, are we?' Joe asks her, as she flings herself down on the sofa. Dianne was pretty sure that the grey sofa matched her face.
'No.'
'That is what Vodka and Tequila do to you.' Dianne shoots at her daughter, 'Take these.' She passes two paracetamol and a glass of water towards her. 'And eat this banana, seriously it will make you feel better.'
'Am I in trouble?' She asks, sipping on the water. 'I didn't mean to be sick over you.' Dianne shakes her head.
'No, but you need to be safe with drinking.' She looks at her mum, as Dianne goes and sits with her daughter. 'You got lucky in the fact that all that happened is that you threw up all over me.' She smiles weakly, bringing her daughter in close, the way she used too when she was ill and all she wanted to-do was cuddle her mum. 'You know drinking killed our Ruby.' She nods, turning away a little.
'I know, and I'll be more careful next time.' Dianne smiles down. 'Now, about those boys you hang out with.'
