Missing distributor cap or feelings hurt as much as those paintball thingies

"I'm sorry for shooting you with those paintballs at such close range," Helen Morgandorffer said to her husband as they made their way to the paintballing complex's car park.

"It's okay honey," Jake replied. "I mean what was I thinking, drinking on a school field trip."

"I shouldn't have asked you to come," Helen said.

"Oh I get it old Jakey isn't responsible enough..."

"No Jake that's not it," his wife interrupted. "I should have been more sensitive to how this might of reminded you of military school."

"Lousy no good, soul sucking..." he began. "Hey isn't that one of Quinn's friends?"

Indeed it was one of the girls who had been wearing fashionable fatigues and a hairstyle to avoid helmet hair. Said helmet was discarded on the ground and her fatigues covered in mud. As Helen and Jake got closer they could see the girl had been crying and indeed was trying to dry fresh tears emanating from her eyes.

"Sandi?" Mrs Morgandorffer asked. "Why didn't you go back with the other students? Are your parents picking you up?"

"Why would they even bother?" Sandi wailed. "The fashion club didn't hesitate to leave behind a loser like me, why wouldn't my mother do the same?"

"Sandi?" Mrs Morgandorffer asked again this time with a tone of shock. Jake Morgandorffer just shuffled uncomfortable on his feet.

"I bet they thought I was looking for the bathroom only to fix my make up," she said. "Thank god I found one in time or what little respect I have left would be gone."

"Now I'm sure this is the fault of that awful Ms. Li," Mrs Morgandorffer said. "I mean what kind of a workplace allows employees to end up like Mr. Demartino."

"By respect?" Mr. Morgandorffer asked. "Do you mean from your friends or for yourself?"

"What friends?" Sandi asked. "I've scared Stacy into sticking around so she doesn't get hurt by some loser who thinks he's smarter than her, Tiffany only cares about looking good and that includes having good looking acquaintances like me and as for Quinn..."

"I know for a fact Quinn values your friendship," Mrs Morgandorffer said.

"That's not how I see it," Sandi explained. "She immediately saw I was top of the popularity chain, so she infatuated herself with the fashion club. Something I was at first happy about. After all any relationship with Quinn would only make me more popular. Then I realised she could actually get people to like her. She can actually care about what other people are doing. She's like Stacy but with the ability to know when some one is trying to hurt her. She could easily oust me, but she just pretends to be content with the vice presidency to mock me."

"Well I suppose I could talk to Quinn," Mrs Morgandorffer said. "But Sandi is this what it's really like at school for you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Sandi said.

"Don't they have counsellors and that kind of thing for kids to talk to these days?" Jake asked. "All I had was corporal..."
"Jake!"

"And end up in self esteem class with the other losers?" Sandi asked. "I don't think so. Besides when that football guy died Ms. Mason was worthless. Everyone went to that girl who lives with Quinn."

"You mean Daria? Our other daughter?"

"Not that Quinn will admit that they're sisters," Sandi added. "Best ten dollars I ever spent when I asked her about my cat. You know even though they're unpopular I envy her and that girl with the piercings she's always with. I haven't had friend like that since the first time I went through third grade."

She had mumbled that final musing.

"What was that?" Helen Morgandorffer asked.

"Nothing," Sandi lied. "Can you give me a ride back to Lawndale Mr. and Mrs. Morgandorffer?"

"Sure thing Kiddo," Mr. Morgandorffer replied cheerfully.

"Not to your house?" Mrs Morgandorffer asked.

"I can walk home from the strawberry," Sandi explained. "Mother wouldn't like it if I was colluding with one of her rivals."

"How about you come to our place first then? It's closer."

"I can't let Quinn see me like this."

"Then how about Stacey's or Tiffany's," Mrs. Morgandorffer suggested as the three of them got in the car. "No Stacey would probably blab, unintentionally, about your emotional state."

"Tiffany's is acceptable," Sandi decided. "I can distract her with eye shadow and lipstick combinations. When Stacy was mad with her once she mentioned Tiffany had never truly grown out of playing dress up."

"Damn it," Jake Morgandorffer yelled. "The car won't start."

"Angela Li's obviously done something to it," Helen Morgandorffer said her experience and intuition as a lawyer firing on all cylinders.

"Its probably the distributor cap," Sandi offered. "I've done the same thing to dates who wanted more that I'm willing give."

Jake popped the hood and got out to check complaining all the while.

"Boys don't cook unless its wartime Jake, you'll have to learn about engines, well guess what dad because of on-board computers you need to pay someone just to get your oil changed.."

"While I'll be she's right," he said after his tirade.

"You taught Quinn and the others how to do this?" Mrs Morgandorffer asked her daughter's friend.

"Of course it's part of the fashion club by laws in regards to dating."

"Perhaps you do have the potential to be real friends," Helen suggested. "But while we wait for the auto club to get here we'll pass the time by think about what to buy after we win a big fat law suit against Ms. Li."

"It would be my pleasure Mrs. Morgandorffer."