Daria sat in the back seat beside her sister in the large red SUV. She sighed as she rested her forehead against the window and studied the passing scenery, as they coasted down the exit ramp off the freeway. This was the third time they had moved in as many years, their previous location had been the dusty suburb of Highland. Daria watched the blur of trees and focused on the rain that trickled slowly across the window, as she pondered their new home. The differences between their previous and current towns of residence were quite stark; a meer twenty-four hours prior they had bid farewell to their old town in a balmy ninety five degrees sunshine. As they neared Lawndale's outer city limits the temperature had dropped dramatically and the weather seemed to reflect Daria's apprehensiveness toward the relocation, and implications that it involved.
"Ugh, I cant believe this weather, hello its August." Quinn whined, as she bent forward to locate her purse amongst the clutter of personal effects that were littered at their feet. She began to search through it, retrieved her compact and opened it with a sigh. " I'm going to have to get a whole new wardrobe to accommodate the climate and I don't even want to get started on skin care products, by the looks of this summer weather I doubt I'm going to need my intensive moisturiser for hot dry climates."
"Quinn, you have plenty of clothes to accommodate the change in temperature for now." Helen muttered, her eyes set firmly on the open briefcase that rested on her lap. "Acquittal of the charges due to police negligence? Not if I have anything to do with it...incorrect filing of warrant application? Guh!" Daria turned to watch her mother in the passenger seat, as she leafed through the files. "Judge Shnider? Hmmm, this is going to take, JAKE WATCH THE ROAD!"
Jake had diverted his attention from the road ahead, to the rustle of paper to his right. He watched his wife with bemusement. He hadn't noticed the car had started to drift to the side of the road, and veer dangerously close to the embankment on the muddy, makeshift curb.
"AHHH! Damn it."
The car shook momentarily, as the back end swerved out violently to compensate for the vicious steering methods in the front. Daria grabbed hold of the armrest tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut and her body went rigid as she prepared for a collision.
The car hit a large puddle of water and aquaplaned, sending them into a three-sixty spin. With a screech of tires the car shuddered to a halt. The four occupants sat in a stunned silence.
"Jesus Jake, would you watch where your driving, it would be nice to get to our new home in one piece." Helen exclaimed, her annoyance was evident.
Their latest move to the rainy town of Lawndale, was due to Jake's latest breakdown. It was a well publicised event, since his violent outbreak occurred in the middle of the company's biggest shareholder meeting of the year. After weeks of intensive therapy sessions Jake had had an epiphany; the cause of his anguish and subsequent emotional and very public outbursts was due to childhood traumas and the solution to his problems was to relocate to his childhood home to confront his demons.
Daria had failed to see the logic in moving to Lawndale, after all Middleton had been Jake's childhood home and the apparent cause of his 'episode' determined by his very Freudian psychiatrist was his father. A hard, military man who currently resided on the outskirts of Middleton in the towns cemetery. She sighed once more, rested her head against the cars window and watched her breath fog the glass with disinterest.
Daria woke before her alarm. It was the first day of the school term and her and her sister's first day at Lawndale High. Daria felt nervous, first days at new schools never seemed to bode well with her.
"Not exactly the most socially adept person in the world." she mused out loud, as she examined the contents of her closest.
She retrieved her black combat boots, a pair of dark grey leggings, a short black pleated skirt and a fitted long army green three quarter sleeve shirt. She dressed and went down to the kitchen for breakfast.
Daria sat in silence at the kitchen table as she picked at her breakfast and tried to block out her sister's fretting.
"I can't believe you wouldn't let me buy a new outfit for school, I'm going to be extradited for a fashion faux par."
Helen raised her eyebrows expectantly at Daria and waited to interject her witty retort, moments passed and Daria hadn't bitten. Helen frowned slightly then directed her attention back to her youngest.
"Honestly Quinn, extradition for a fashion slip? I think that's being a little melodramatic." she said as she stood and cleared her breakfast dishes.
"Pul-ease, Mom no offence but this isn't the carefree era of your youth, kids are cruel, especially the popular ones. If the numerous moves have taught me anything, it's that you only get one chance at a first impression and to do it in last seasons winter attire? Ugh." Quinn grimmaced.
Helen crossed her arms and surveyed her daughters. "Right after school I'll take you both to get a few things considering the weather here," She answered, before she collected her briefcase and headed for the door. "Jake, you can drop the girls off at school right?" She called over her shoulder.
"Sure thing Hun, I'll take my girls to school, show an interest in their lives. I wont leave them to sit in the cold rain or make them walk the twenty-two miles home to build character..."
"JAKE." Helen called, cautioning him back from yet another rant on the neglected parental techniques of his youth.
From the outside, Lawndale High was like every other public high school. Daria sat in the front passenger seat of her father's Lexus, as she watched the students file into the large front doors. A few stragglers loitered on the front steps as they enjoyed the break from the rain. Daria cast her eyes back to Quinn, who also studied the students of their new school, obviously staking out the popular crowd.
They both exited the car and ignored the upbeat beeping of their fathers car, as he pulled away and drove down the road.
"You know the drill right?" Quinn turned to her sister and eyed her seriously and placed one hand on her hip.
"No communication or reference to each other unless deemed appropriate by the "in" crowd." Daria deadpanned, she air quoted 'in'.
"Right, cousin?"
"Hmmm, can we try out the wayward foster kid, stunned to silence after she maliciously slayed her family?"
"Uh, why wouldn't you be in jail instead of a foster family?"
"Technicality." Daria shrugged, a slight malevolent smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she shot a glance at Quinn.
"Whatever, foster kid probably is better anyway, at least that means no one has to know we actually share any DNA." she scoffed and accompanied it with a dismissive wave as she began to walk toward the school's entrance.