Prologue
The morning started like any other. The sun was shinning in a cloudless sky and the birds were chirping their morning music. Helga rolled over in bed, her eyes searching for the bright neon red numbers of her digital clock. 11:00 was the time she read.
"Damitt!" she shouted.
Across the room a girl sat at her vanity mirror applying some lipsticks. At the sound of her roommate's voice she shot Helga a glance and smiled.
"What seems to be the problem THIS time?" she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Crimeny ... why did I drink so much at that sorority party last night? That was so out of character for me."
"Well, I'd say that it's your new boyfriend being a bad influence." The girl stated without a second thought.
Helga stuck out her tongue at her roommate in a child like manner, "Just say whatever comes to mind, don't you, Daria?"
"That's me!" Daria replied with a toss of her long brown hair.
Then as if remembering herself Daria picked up an envelope from her desk. "This came in our mailbox yesterday, it says Helga Gerladine Pataki on it, so I assume it's for you."
Helga rolled her eyes and crept out of her bed. Her legs were a bit wobbly and to steady herself she held onto the bed post.
"Here." Daria tossed the letter to Helga and then left their dorm room.
The hungover girl scanned the handwriting on the envelope. "A letter from Bob? That's odd." she said to no one in particular and tore at the top to pull the out the letter from inside.
Helga,
I have some bad news. Your sister Olga was killed yesterday while driving home. She was hit by a drunk driver and didn't survive. Her funeral will be next week, on the 17th.
Helga looked at her calendar. It was the 16th.
"Thanks for the notice, Bob," Helga muttered bitterly. She crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the wastebasket beside her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daria entered her dorm room to find Helga sitting up in bed, wearing her pink pajama's from the night before and watching 'Arthur'. It was 4 in the afternoon. Something must be up, Daria thought.
"Didn't go to class today, huh?" she sat down on her roommate's bed. Helga hugged her legs up to her chest and let out a long sigh.
"That bad?"
"You have no idea." Helga said without taking her eyes of Arthur and his gang.
Daria reached for the remote and turned the television off.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Helga didn't reply, but instead walked over to the vanity mirror and looked at herself. She studied her reflection and moaned. She was a mess. With frustration built up inside, Helga let out a long sigh.
"I was never that good looking was I, Daria?"
Walking up besides the distraught girl, Daria smiled, "Since when have you become so superficial?"
Helga picked up a brush and began de-tangling her blond hair, "Since my perfect looking and much better at everything sister died."
Daria's mouth dropped, "You have a sister?"
"Had ... her funeral is tomorrow and I'm leaving tonight on a plane and be there." Helga said non nonchalantly.
"You never told me about a sister."
Helga raised her arms exasperated and began to rant. Daria was used to this it was what made Helga ... Helga.
"Well, maybe that's because she is absolutely everything I have ever hated in the world. Ever since I was little it was always 'Olga is so great ... why can't Helga be more like Olga?' and now I have to go and pay my respects for a sister I never acknowledged as my own. I have to see my parents who couldn't even call to tell me Olga died, but had to write me a freaking letter. How pathetic!"
Daria's lips parted as if to say something, but then thought otherwise. She glanced at the waste basket and saw the letter that Helga spoke of and pulled it out. "Maybe you should read this letter again, before you say anything else. I'm sure there is something in there that you missed."
Daria's roommate gave her a disgruntled look and groaned. She took the crumpled letter from her friend's hand and scanned it once more.
"Oh looks like I did miss something! They bought me an e-ticket and the plane leaves in 3 hours." Helga gasped.
Unfazed, Daria half smiled, "Well, let's get packing."
The morning started like any other. The sun was shinning in a cloudless sky and the birds were chirping their morning music. Helga rolled over in bed, her eyes searching for the bright neon red numbers of her digital clock. 11:00 was the time she read.
"Damitt!" she shouted.
Across the room a girl sat at her vanity mirror applying some lipsticks. At the sound of her roommate's voice she shot Helga a glance and smiled.
"What seems to be the problem THIS time?" she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Crimeny ... why did I drink so much at that sorority party last night? That was so out of character for me."
"Well, I'd say that it's your new boyfriend being a bad influence." The girl stated without a second thought.
Helga stuck out her tongue at her roommate in a child like manner, "Just say whatever comes to mind, don't you, Daria?"
"That's me!" Daria replied with a toss of her long brown hair.
Then as if remembering herself Daria picked up an envelope from her desk. "This came in our mailbox yesterday, it says Helga Gerladine Pataki on it, so I assume it's for you."
Helga rolled her eyes and crept out of her bed. Her legs were a bit wobbly and to steady herself she held onto the bed post.
"Here." Daria tossed the letter to Helga and then left their dorm room.
The hungover girl scanned the handwriting on the envelope. "A letter from Bob? That's odd." she said to no one in particular and tore at the top to pull the out the letter from inside.
Helga,
I have some bad news. Your sister Olga was killed yesterday while driving home. She was hit by a drunk driver and didn't survive. Her funeral will be next week, on the 17th.
Helga looked at her calendar. It was the 16th.
"Thanks for the notice, Bob," Helga muttered bitterly. She crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the wastebasket beside her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daria entered her dorm room to find Helga sitting up in bed, wearing her pink pajama's from the night before and watching 'Arthur'. It was 4 in the afternoon. Something must be up, Daria thought.
"Didn't go to class today, huh?" she sat down on her roommate's bed. Helga hugged her legs up to her chest and let out a long sigh.
"That bad?"
"You have no idea." Helga said without taking her eyes of Arthur and his gang.
Daria reached for the remote and turned the television off.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Helga didn't reply, but instead walked over to the vanity mirror and looked at herself. She studied her reflection and moaned. She was a mess. With frustration built up inside, Helga let out a long sigh.
"I was never that good looking was I, Daria?"
Walking up besides the distraught girl, Daria smiled, "Since when have you become so superficial?"
Helga picked up a brush and began de-tangling her blond hair, "Since my perfect looking and much better at everything sister died."
Daria's mouth dropped, "You have a sister?"
"Had ... her funeral is tomorrow and I'm leaving tonight on a plane and be there." Helga said non nonchalantly.
"You never told me about a sister."
Helga raised her arms exasperated and began to rant. Daria was used to this it was what made Helga ... Helga.
"Well, maybe that's because she is absolutely everything I have ever hated in the world. Ever since I was little it was always 'Olga is so great ... why can't Helga be more like Olga?' and now I have to go and pay my respects for a sister I never acknowledged as my own. I have to see my parents who couldn't even call to tell me Olga died, but had to write me a freaking letter. How pathetic!"
Daria's lips parted as if to say something, but then thought otherwise. She glanced at the waste basket and saw the letter that Helga spoke of and pulled it out. "Maybe you should read this letter again, before you say anything else. I'm sure there is something in there that you missed."
Daria's roommate gave her a disgruntled look and groaned. She took the crumpled letter from her friend's hand and scanned it once more.
"Oh looks like I did miss something! They bought me an e-ticket and the plane leaves in 3 hours." Helga gasped.
Unfazed, Daria half smiled, "Well, let's get packing."