Chapter 1
"Good morning chickeritas! It's Bing and the Spatula Man on Zeeee 93!!! Rise and Shine for another Beeeautiful Lawndale morning." The insipid morning duo droned on as a lone hand desperately searched for the snooze button. Wait... Wait... thought the owner of the hand, got it. Make a mental note, find a new radio station. That was number one on what was sure to be a long list. Sigh. A new town, a new school, a new life. The old life wasn't great but at least it was under control, thought Lawndale's newest resident while preparing for school. Well, at least I can still wear my boots. That has to count for something.
Let's see, locker 290. 283. 285. 287. Ah 290. Great a bottom one. Mental note #2, ask for a new locker. Left 42, right 0, left 19 .. Open... Success. Put away my lunch and off to find homeroom. Let the games begin. History with Mr. DiMartino. History, how bad could it be?
"Excuse me."Eric looked to his left and saw a pair of legs. More precisely a pair of knee caps. Following the legs upwards, he found himself staring into the eyes of a bespectacled brunette. Studying her face, he could see she didn't wear any makeup but she did possess a pair of bright, piercing eyes which were giving him the once over. It felt like being given the once over by a drill instructor searching for any little flaw. The brunette's full lips began to move, she isn't like any drill instructor I've ever seen thought Eric.
"Excuse me, I need to get to my locker"Eric blinked hard and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me lock up and I'll be out of your way." Trying to cover the embarrassment he felt over staring at this girl, he asked, "could you tell me the way to Mr. DiMartino's class?"
The girl looked to her left and nodded, "Go to the end of the hall, turn right, third door on the left hand side."
"Thanks" Eric answered as he walked away.Damn! 15 minutes at a new school and you embarrass yourself by ogling the first girl you meet. This has the makings of a very long day. Following the girl's instructions, Eric found Mr. DiMartino's class without a hitch. Entering the classroom, he found it unremarkable. Half of the class was already present and randomly seated about the room. Searching for a seat close to the front, he saw a seat to the left of a girl with black hair wearing a red jacket and black shorts.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" he asked the girl.Eric took out his notebook and started to date the pages in preparation for class. He then began to study his class schedule. Science with Ms. Barch next, then English Lit with Mr. O'neil. Ugh literature. Lunch then Study hall. Economics with Ms. Bennet, Trig, then football. Hopefully I can make the Varsity squad and get to play. If not, it would make for a long season as a bench warmer."Yes," she replied, "but the one behind me is free." Observing the close cropped hair and stocky frame, Jane thought, Great another dumb jock.
"Thanks," replied Eric as he took the indicated seat.
While Eric was studying his schedule, he didn't hear the rest of the class or the instructor enter. Mr. DiMartino scanned the room and checked the roll against his seating chart. Ah the new student took the closest available seat to the front. Perhaps, Anthony thought, he would have another participant in class and not another vegetable. Time to find out.
"ERIC CHOU!"The class erupted in laughter. Great, Eric thought, I embarrass myself for the second time today and this time it's in front of the whole class.Startled by the sound of his name being called, Eric reacted instinctively and leapt out of his seat, came to attention, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "SIR, YES SIR!"
"At ease, Mr. Chou," replied Mr. DiMartino, "you may take your seat." A former military school student, thought Anthony, this could prove interesting.Eric took a quick glance around the room as he retook his seat. Only 5 people weren't laughing at his performance. The instructor, well that was to be expected. The girl who sat in front of him but she was still wringing her ears. A male and a female african-american student held bemused smiles on their faces but kept silent. Finally, the same brown haired girl from this morning was giving him a side long glance but an otherwise expressionless face.
The rest of the period went quickly enough, the time being spent reviewing a test which had been given the previous week. Since Eric had nothing to do with it, he spent the period watching the verbal grilling of the class and their reaction to it. The brown haired girl from this morning was obviously smart. She easily answered the questions posed by the instructor but could not help making flip comments with each answer. The instructor either liked them or had learned to live with them because it didn't phase him a bit. This was not the case with two other students, a well endowed blond cheerleader and a very strange guy in a complete football uniform sans helmet but with a football. Each time the instructor spoke to these two, his right eyeball would bulge out and the more he dealt with them, the further it would bulge. No wonder, Eric thought, he puts up with that girl's comments when he has to deal with two brain deads like these.
The bell rang ending class and Eric left for science class. Ms. Barch's. I wonder what she is like? Hopefully not quite as high strung as Mr. DiMartino.
Jane and Daria left Mr. DiMartino's and headed back to their lockers.
"So what do you think of G.I. Joe?" Daria asked.Chapter 2"What?" replied Jane, "I'm still trying to get my hearing back"
"Well, he gives me the creeps"
"Why?"
"His locker is beneath mine and before class at the lockers he gave me the once over. It felt like he was undressing me with his eyes."
"Ooh La La, it sounds like Tom has some competition."
"Funny, Lane"
"Seriously, Daria, the guy probably transferred here from military school. An all boys military school. You were probably the first girl he has been that close to since he realized there is a difference between boys and girls. Why don't you wait and see if it continues"
"Okay, I'll give him a couple of days to find his feet but after that if he makes me feel like a pork chop again I'll sick Ms. Barch on him. Speaking of which, let's go to class."
After dinner, Eric retreated to the comfort of his new room. Mental note #34, find a good pizza place. Aunt Julie was very nice but she couldn't cook to save her life. Must be all that time she spends on the road for work. Aunt Julie had been kind enough to remove most of her more feminine nick nacks from his new room except for a picture of his mom and dad in a lace trimmed frame. Well, if it was a little girlish so what, he liked the picture. It was taken when his mom and dad were still dating. Eric couldn't believe how much he looked like his father at that age. Well, dating would be one thing he wouldn't have to worry about. Not after today's performance at school. By tomorrow he was sure it would be all over the place. Eric booted up his computer and checked his email.
Let's see, junk, junk, junk, get out of debt. Hey, one from Pat! Eric opened the letter from his best friend from military school.With a slight smirk, Eric hit the reply button and began to type.Hey Eric,
Just checking in with you. How's life in the civilian world treating you?
Later, Pat
Hi Pat,Chapter 3 - Approximately one month later.....Thanks for the note. It's good to hear from a friendly voice. Where to begin. Well, I'll start with the good news first. I'm still alive. The football coach is letting me practice with the squad while he evaluates me. The defense doesn't have much depth so I should be able to play. The QB for the varsity squad is the biggest knuckle head I have ever seen. His name is Kevin and he wears his football uniform all day long. Even his cleats. The only things that are on his mind are football and apparently making out with his girl friend the head cheerleader. They are a perfect match. She wears her uniform all day too and her head is as empty as his. She has only two redeeming qualities which she proudly displays with her tight uniform.
That's the good news. The bad news is I haven't done the best job at making a seamless transition to the world. It began almost immediately when I was dumbstruck by the first girl I met. Then in my first class I responded like a cadet when my name was called for the first time. I don't think the science teacher likes me very much. I had to write "Stupid males shouldn't interrupt class" 50 times on the blackboard when I asked the guy next to me what chapter we were on. I have an English Lit class, enough said. Then to top it all off, I was summoned to the principal's office during study hall.
She said it was just a get acquainted interview but she seemed quite obsessed with the fact that I went to military school. She kept asking me if I ever handled weapons, what kind of weapons, how did I feel about weapons, and did I get along with my fellow students. After our little "talk", I was sent to the school shrink for evaluation. I got the full treatment, word association, ink blot test, and a moral and ethical behavior questionnaire. She said I could return to class but I could come by any time to discuss my "rage issues".
And that is how I spent my first day in the world.
Write back soon,
Eric
"Well class, this concludes our look at the classic poets. Next class we begin on the modern poets", said Mr. O'neil with a lilt in his voice.As the bell rang, Mr. O'neil approached Daria and began to speak.
"Daria, if you have a moment I would like to speak with you."Later that afternoon, Daria caught up with Jane at Pizza King."Sure. Um, Jane, I guess I'll see you later."
"Okay, I'll meet you at the pizza place."
"Um, you wanted to see me Mr. O'neil?"
"Yes Daria, I have a student in my third period class who is having trouble with our unit on poetry. He asked me if I could recommend a tutor for him and I immediately thought of you. He is willing to pay for your services if you are interested."
Well, thought Daria, the Montana Cabin fund could always use another donation. "Okay, what's his name?"
"His name is Eric Chou, why don't you come by after third period tomorrow and you two can discuss terms."
"Hey, Daria, what did Mr. O'neil want with you?"Chapter 4"Mr. O'neil wanted to know if I would be willing to tutor someone, I'd get paid. I said I would do it"
"Who is it?"
"G.I. Joe from history class"
"That guy? I thought he was just a dumb jock."
"Well, he must be one of the rare ones who cares about his grades because he asked Mr. O'neil for help."
"So does he still give you the 'look'?"
"Nah, I guess you were right. He just needed some time to adjust to his new environment. He ignores me like every other male on this campus. Come to think of it, I don't seem to remember him interacting much with anyone."
"Well, what does it matter to you? You have young Thomas."
"Um, yeah. Jane about that. Can I ask you something?"
"Depends, what did you want to know?"
"When you and Tom were going out, did he ever seem possessive to you?"
"Not that I can say. Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's just when we're out sometimes he'll give other guys dirty looks if they look in our direction. Once he almost got into a guy's face for asking me directions to a pay phone. I'm not real sure how to interpret his actions. He says he is looking out for me, but I'm not sure."
"I don't know Daria, he never acted that way with me but perhaps you tap some protective emotions of his."
"I hope I'm just imagining it, but enough about this. What is up for tonight?...."
"Well, Eric, I have found someone who would be willing to tutor you. She will be here in a few moments. She is my best student, if anyone can help you, she can."Eric turned to meet his tutor. He already knew who it was, the girl from the locker. Since that day at the locker, Eric had been working assiduously to maintain a calm demeanor around her. He didn't think he was attracted to her. Except for his initial embarrassing reaction to her, he hadn't thought of her. Of course, he hadn't been thinking of anyone else either."Thanks Mr. O'neil, I appreciate your help."
"Ah, here she is. Daria Morgendorffer."
Putting on his best stone face, he turned toward her. She was looking at him with that same blank expression as she did on the first day. Also present were the bright intelligent eyes.
Must concentrate on the task at hand, thought Eric, Must suppress all emotion.Daria turned and left the room. Inwardly, Eric breathed a sigh of relief. That wasn't so bad. She had a good firm handshake. Her hands were smooth and soft with beautiful slender fingers. Eric shook his head. Where did that come from?"Hi, Daria", said Eric while extending his hand.
"Hello" she replied. Daria grasped Eric's hand for one quick shake and let go. "I charge $15 an hour. Minimum session is one hour. If you miss a session without notifying me 24 hours in advance, you still owe me for that session. Failure to pay will terminate our arrangement. Payment is due upon completion of each session. Are there any questions?"
"Your terms seem fair, what is your availability? I would like to start as soon as possible."
"I'm free this afternoon if that is good for you."
"How about this evening, I have practice until 5:30. So say 6:30-7:00?"
"7:00 then, but at my house. Here is the address and my phone number." She handed him a slip of paper.
"Agreed. See you at 7:00."
Chapter 5
Eric looked at his watch as he walked up to the front door of the Morgendorfer residence. 6:56, perfect timing he thought as he rang the doorbell. Nice house. Nice neighborhood. Daria's folks must do okay.
"Quinn, your date is here" Jake yelled up the stairs.Jake opened the door and looked at the young asian man standing there."I don't have a date tonight daddy"
"I'm sorry son, she doesn't feel like going out tonight. Better luck next time."Daria and Eric walked into the kitchen while Helen came down the stairs."Sir, I believe I have a 7:00 p.m. appointment with Daria."
"I got it Dad. Right on time I see. Why don't we go into the kitchen to work. Follow me."
"Who was at the door Jakey?"Curious, Helen pretended to go into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. "Oh, Hellooo.""Some boy for Daria."
"It wasn't Tom?"
"No, they went into the kitchen."
Daria rolled her eyes as she answered. "Hi mom. This is Eric Chou. I'm tutoring him in English."
"Pleased to meet you ma'am."Chapter 6 - The next day walking to school with Jane"I must say, your English seems fine to me."
"English Literature mom."
"Oh My. I'm very sorry, Eric, if I have offended you in any way" stammered a now red faced Helen.
"That's all right, ma'am, none taken."
"Well, I'll leave you two to your work. Nice meeting you, Eric."
"Same here, Mrs. Morgendorffer."
"Um, sorry about that. Can I get you something to drink before we get started?"
"Thank you, just some water please."
"So, what do you think is your problem with poetry?" asked Daria as she got two glasses of water.
"Well, in all honesty I read them and I understand the literal meaning of the words by I don't feel them. Mr. O'neil is always talking about the strong emotions and feelings they stir. I just don't get it. I was hoping you could help me interpret them and show me what I'm missing."
"Let me ask you something, do you have the same problem when you read novels or short stories?"
"No. With those I find I can climb inside the characters skin and see what it is they are feeling. But with poetry, the concepts and references are too abstract. I can't put myself into the picture."
"Is that everything?"
"Well not exactly." He was starting to get uncomfortable with all the baring of souls . "Many of the poems deal with love or the loss of love and frankly it doesn't resonate with me."
"Are you saying you have never been in love? Not even a crush or infatuation?"
"Yes. Daria, I've been at an all boys military school since I was twelve. Until the day I saw you at the lockers, I had never been that close to a pretty girl before. It kind of threw me off balance."
It was now Daria's turn to feel uncomfortable. "Well, I think I have heard enough to formulate a game plan. Why don't we start with Byron. He is one of Mr. O'neil's favorites." With that the two of them got to the matters at hand.
"So how was your evening with G.I. Joe?"Several weeks later"His name is Eric. Not that bad. He isn't your typical football player. He has a very sharp and logical mind. He is well read in history, economics, and the sciences. Also, he is very honest and straight forward, almost painfully so."
"Painfully so? This coming from the queen of realism. What did he say to you?"
"Basically, he said you were right. That day at the locker was because he had never been that close to a pretty girl before, he was off balance."
"Pretty girl, he thinks you're pretty, Daria? Well, Well, Well."
"It's not like that Lane. His problems with poetry stem from the fact he has no concept of what romantic love is."
"And you are going to be the one who teaches him?"
"No. But I can teach him how to think about it in other terms. Terms he can understand."
"I see. So when Tennyson is saying 'it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all' he isn't talking about only love but anything that means taking a chance where there is risk of loss. Because you are better off even if you try and fail than not to try and wonder what might have been."Chapter 7 - Saturday night of the same week. Tom and Daria are walking hand in hand towards Pizza King."Exactly, he uses love because it is the most universal of emotions and the most powerful. But if you broaden things out and look beyond the word love, you can relate to what he is saying."
"Thanks, Daria, you've really helped me. I think I'm ready for Mr. O'neil's test tomorrow."
"So what do you feel like doing after pizza, Daria? They are showing an Ingmar Bergman film at the Nu Art."Tom ordered their usual dinner fare while Daria grabbed a table. It was Saturday night in Lawndale so space was at a premium. Tom brought their drinks to the table."No, I really don't feel like seeing a movie tonight. I kind of wanted to talk to you. How about we go up to the lake and talk?"
"Sounds good to me" Tom said. It sounded very good to him. Ever since they started going out, Daria's kissing had only gotten better. Her burgeoning skill coupled with the intrinsic passion of a writer made her hell on wheels. Combine those things with her intelligence and she was the perfect woman. If any of the myopic guys who surrounded her ever figured that out, he'd have to beat them off with a stick. Daria was a diamond in the rough and he was going to keep her all to himself.
"Hey, I'll be right back. I need to wash up. We're #38."Daria slowly twirled the stub between her fingers as she waited for Tom. How do I say this to him she thought. How do I tell him his jealous behavior is making me uncomfortable. I'm not even sure if he is acting that way. He really hasn't done anything overt but I can't shake this feeling either.
Eric walked toward Pizza King to grab some dinner. Daria was right. They did have the best pizza in town and they were cheap, always a good combination. It had been a pretty good week for Eric. With Daria's help he had gotten an A- on Mr. O'neil's test. If it wasn't for that goofy "How does poetry nurture my inner flower" question he would have gotten an outright A. That was all water under the bridge now.
In addition to the test, the coach had played him for the entire second half of today's game. He even got to stuff Oaklawn's running back on the final drive to help save the win. Yes, it had been a very satisfying week. Now for a some dinner and maybe off to the arcade for a little R&R. He couldn't go to the rifle range anymore but the sniper video game was fun. The game even simulated the kick of a real rifle. He ordered a medium combo pizza and a soda and turned to find a place to sit. Eric saw Kevin and Brittany in the corner booth and desperately searched for another place to sit. Too much time with them would spoil his good mood. The place was packed. He was still searching for a place to sit when he spotted Daria. Hey, this is the perfect chance to thank her for all her help and let her know how I did on the test.
Still lost in her own thoughts about Tom, Daria didn't see Eric approach her.
"Hey, Daria, got a minute?"Tom came out of the bathroom smiling. This would turn out to be a very good night, he would get to spend some time alone with Daria by the lake. Who knows where this could lead? He was smiling as he came out of the hallway leading to the bathrooms. His smile quickly disappeared when he turned towards Daria. A smiling football player was talking to her. Worse, she was smiling back at him. This was a nightmare come true. All he could see was red before his eyes. Tom half ran towards the table, his arms outstretched. The big dumb jock was hitting on Daria and she seemed to like it. Tom blind sided Eric with a shove in the back.A slightly startled Daria looked up and caught sight of Eric. "Hi, Eric, how are you?"
"I'm doing great. I just wanted to thank you for all your help. I got an A- on Mr. O'neil's test. I couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks."
"An A-, congratulations" she replied with a slight smile. "You deserved it, you worked really hard."
Caught unawares, Eric fell forward towards Daria but caught himself on the back of the booth. Quickly regaining his balance, he turned to face his attacker. Eric didn't recognize him but he looked like he was getting ready to charge again. Ready for it, Eric was able to dodge Tom's wild lunge. Eric could hear Daria scream, "Tom! Stop! What are you doing?"
Tom? thought Eric, the guy Daria was dating? He had heard her mention his name once to her friend Jane by their lockers. Eric didn't want to fight this guy. He didn't even know him, but Tom wouldn't stop. He had to end this before someone really got hurt. This time Tom came out swinging, leading with his right hand. Eric dodged to his left and caught Tom's arm then he kicked him behind the right knee. The training from Basic Hand to Hand Combat class worked perfectly. Tom fell to the floor with Eric still holding his right wrist, twisting Tom's arm into an awkward position behind his back. Eric put his left foot on Tom's shoulder blade to hold him to the ground. Eric felt his heart in his throat, his lungs felt like they were going to burst.
Eric looked up from Tom and into Daria's face. Her usually impassive face was a mask of horror. That was bad enough, but when he looked into her eyes he felt his stomach turn into a heavy lead ball. Those bright, piercing, and intelligent eyes were filled with sadness and despair. He couldn't stand looking into those eyes. Eric looked at Daria and said simply, "he just wouldn't stop."
With that, Eric let go of Tom's arm, picked up his duffle bag and left. As he left, he could hear Kevin yell from his corner seat, "All Right, football rocks!" With that statement, Kevin managed to strip away the last bit of good feeling Eric had that day.
To Daria, the evening had turned into a nightmare. She had been truly happy to hear Eric had done so well on his test. Unlike some people, he not only wanted to get a good grade but he honestly wanted to understand the material. For that reason alone, he had Daria's respect. Then she could see Tom charging from behind. She tried to cry out, to warn Eric of the sneak attack, to call Tom off but it happened too quickly. The next thing she knew Eric was falling towards her. Somehow Eric was able to recover and regain his balance. As Tom prepared for his next attack, she pleaded for him to stop but he wouldn't. He was like a wild animal. Eric managed to avoid Tom's next attack without hurting Tom. But Tom was undeterred, he came out swinging. This time Eric stood his ground. As Tom got closer Eric dodged slightly and before she knew what happened Tom was on the ground with Eric twisting his arm in a painful grip. Eric looked up at her, his warm brown eyes full of remorse. He quietly said, "he just wouldn't stop." With that, Eric then let go of Tom, picked up his bag, and fled the restaurant.
Watching Eric's retreat, Daria felt he had the look of a man who had lost everything. Daria went to Tom's side and helped him into the booth. A nasty bruise began to appear above Tom's left eyebrow from where he hit the floor, he was also limping slightly and rubbing his right arm.
"Tom, what were you thinking? Why would you attack Eric like that?"All eyes were on Tom and Daria as they walked out in silence."I was afraid he was trying to take you away from me. I love you Daria. I was afraid someone else had figured out how special you are and was trying to get you for himself."
"Tom, I would never leave you just because someone else started to pay attention to me. Let's get out of here, the walls are starting to close in on us."