The sky was a dull grey when Daria Morgendorffer woke from a restless sleep. There was an angry knock at her bedroom door.
"Daria, get up or you'll be late for school," Her mother's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
With a groan Daria pushed herself up into a sitting position. She reached over to her bedside table and felt around blindly for her glasses.
She slowly trudged out of her room and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Mornin' kiddo," Jake said as Daria sat down with her cereal.
"Daria, good, you're finally awake." Helen said as she entered the kitchen, fiddling with her earrings. "Hurry up and get dressed!" She exclaimed rushing from the room again.
Daria sighed heavily as she stuffed a pop tart into the toaster. When the sugary pastry popped out of the toaster, Daria grabbed it and shoved it in her mouth before making her way back to her room to get dressed for school.
"God, Daria!" Quinn exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. "Maybe you should chew that. You could choke, you know." The younger girl paused a moment, then flipped her long ginger hair over her shoulder. "On second thought, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea."
Daria glared at her sister, lifting her hand to show Quinn her middle finger, before continuing on her way.
The wind blowing through the town was quite chilly today. Daria wrapped her green jacket tighter around her slim frame as she made her way to Jane's house. She walked up to the door of the Lane house, pausing to tuck a strand of brown hair behind her ear and push her round glasses further up the bridge of her nose, before she pushed the little doorbell and a light, airy jingle rang through the air. Daria could hear the sound of someone running down stairs inside the house, before the door opened to reveal a sleepy looking Jane Lane.
"Are you early or did I just not sleep well?" Jane asks and follows it up with a hearty yawn.
"You didn't sleep well," Daria says, flashing the other girl a rare, fond smile. "And on the contrary, I'm actually kind of late."
"Daria Morgendorffer," Jane says with mock surprise. "You little miscreant. Now your bad influence will rub off on poor little innocent Jane Lane."
"Jane," Daria says warningly, mock punching her friend in the arm, her smile growing.
"Oh my god, was that a smile? Did I just make you smile?" Jane yells, her eyes going wide.
"Yes Jane!" Daria exclaims with a laugh.
"And a laugh! It must be my lucky day." Jane says, throwing Daria an appreciative grin.
Daria grins back, and is quite surprised to find herself blushing and a nervous feeling in her stomach. She shrugs her shoulders, and ignores the feelings all together.
"God, what is that guy's deal." Jane groans as she and Daria exit Mr O'Neill's classroom.
"Who knows," Daria says, finding herself staring into Jane's bright blue eyes. She quickly looks away as she continues. "It's best not to dwell on such things. It might end up sending you insane."
"What, you mean like him?" Jane says, thrusting a thumb in the teacher's general direction.
Daria chuckles and nods as she turns to open her locker.
"Man, I can't wait to get home and sleep!" Jane exclaims. "Hurry up with that so we can go and my dreams can come true."
"Okay, impatient person." Daria says as she closes her locker. "Let's go then."
The walk home was a silent one. Daria had realised as she and Jane were leaving school grounds that she was developing feelings for her best friend. Her female best friend. Who is a girl. She was feeling weird and insecure, not trusting her voice or her brain right now. Unfortunately, Jane seemed to understand what Daria was feeling.
"Look Dar," Jane said as they reached the Lane house. "You've been acting weird all day. What's up."
"Oh, um… nothing." Daria mumble, not looking Jane in the eye.
"Daria Morgendorffer," Jane said, grabbing Daria's chin and raising it so the shorter girl met her eyes. "I know."
Daria blinks in surprise. Knows what? How she feels? God, she hopes not. Before Daria can respond, Jane is leaning closer. She stops just in front of Daria's face, giving her plenty of time to protest. Blue eyes find grey eyes. Jane closes the gap, kissing Daria slowly, gently. She cups Daria face in her left hand and runs her right through the girl's soft brown hair. Daria places her hands on Jane's hips. As they kiss, a little ball of heat unfurls in Daria's stomach, and reaches all the way down to her toes and up to the top of her head. She's sure Jane felt it too, because when she pulls away, her face is slightly flushed.
"You should have told me what a good kisser you are, Morgendorffer." Jane says with a teasing smile. "I would have done that a lot sooner."
Daria says nothing. She just smiles fondly at her friend, reaches her arms up and gives her a hug.
"I'll call you." Jane says with a smile.
"You'd better." Daria replies.