"And that's why it would be simpler if they just gave me the degree and saved the professors their humiliation." Daria finished as she took a drink of the soda before her. Jane gave a smirk and leaned back in the booth watching her best friend.

"But Daria ,think of all of the things your peers will miss about you in your classes. Your sparkling personality.."

"Not to mention the guys that cheat off your paper during tests.." Jesse murmured in a strange moment of awareness. Trent gave his usual chuckle at this, and looked at his girlfriend Daria. While she was going to college the band still kept going, and Jane was taking classes at the nearby art school. They were all quite content, and for once things were going right in their lives. Naturally however, things couldn't possibly stay this way.

"Let's head back to the apartment, I should get some sleep before the next gig." Trent said getting up and offering his hand to Daria. She gave a smile and followed after him.

"But isn't your next gig Thursday night?"

"Exactly…I've been working on keeping a schedule. Maybe one day I could even keep a nine to five.." He began to chuckle as they left and Daria rolled her eyes.

"So Jane…." Jesse began to talk but his eyes darted away from her a moment to the window at the front of the local Pizza King the group had located. A woman stood there, and as their eyes met he instantly froze. The curtain of black hair, the way her fingers twitched as she pushed her hair back. Jane hadn't noticed his gaze and snapped her fingers towards him.

"You've finally gone brain dead. Thank God I had you sign that release to use your organs for art supplies…I can cement our brief relationship into a statue of molding tissues." She watched as he didn't reply and put a hand on his head. "Come on, if this is a ploy to get another piece of pizza it won't work…I'm broke enough as it is.."

"I just…song lyrics have to see Trent." Jesse got up immediately and left his girlfriend confused and staring at the pizza a moment sniffing it as though checking for poison or some sort of brain stimulant.

Daria answered the door with her glasses off, rubbing her eyes. She had been writing an essay for class about the nature of children versus their parents, and had gone a little overboard on the length. Jesse looked as though he'd run the whole way, which was most surprising since she doubted she had ever seen the man run before.

"You need to wake Trent up. It's important." Jesse caught his breath looking around a moment before staring back at her. She blinked her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know as well as I do you can't wake a Lane up when they've gone to bed. Is it about Jane or something..I could try to…give you some advice maybe."

Jesse brushed past her and walked into the apartment. He moved past the couch and into the bedroom where Trent was passed out already. Jesse shook his shoulder, standing over him. Daria followed resting her head against the doorway trying to gather what was going on with her best friend's boyfriend.

"Trent…I saw Effy man…get up.." It was an obscure thing to say, and Trent sat up rubbing his head.

"I told you cough syrup and cigarettes don't mix…Effy's with Dad right now.." He murmured rolling over. Daria however wanted to know what was going on and sat on the bed, helping to aid in the waking of her boyfriend by shaking him furiously.

"No man, I saw her outside the Pizza King….and I was sober!" Jesse explained. Trent sat up and realizing Daria was there tried to move over things as smoothly as possible though a bit of concern passed his face.

"Jesse…we'll talk at the gig. Is Janie here?" He looked around but Daria was not accepting her curiosity being let down.

"Who's Effy? Is she like…your Dad's girlfriend or something?" Daria couldn't imagine Vincent Lane cheating on Amanda, but the family was so off beat sometimes she wondered if they did accept something like that in their hippie cultured ways.

"Photography assistant…Jesse used to be friends with her right." Trent looked at Jesse but both males looked so grim that Daria knew that it was something else. She pulled her green coat on and pushed her hair back with her fingers.

"Right…well I'm going to go find Jane and get another piece of pizza while you two talk. Jesse if you fall asleep try to do so on the couch this time alright?" She stepped out with her wallet in hand, and the two guys looked at each other both unsure if she bought the excuse or not.

"It was her man, she looked exactly the same." Jesse began to muse over the song lyrics they had written over the subject manner years ago. It was an odd moment considering his memory rarely went that far back. "All she wanted was fame, but she couldn't be tamed…"

Trent rubbed his head a second and then sat up. "Wait, where did you see her Jess?"

"She was like, outside the Pizza King."

"Where's Janie?"

Both guys looked at each other and headed out the door.

Jane was still in the booth when Daria came in. Jane smiled and waved her over, pointing to the empty plate and cup of soda. "Jesse and Trent doing some male bonding?"

"Yeah, Jesse woke him up like it was important. Something about your Dad's photography assistant?" Daria sat down and pushed her coat off, waiting to see Jane's reply. Jane raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"As if Dad could afford an assistant….besides it would stifle the creative process…"

"Trent and Jesse seemed to know her..and…" Before Daria could continue she saw Tom outside of the door. He seemed to be signaling to someone and headed inside looking around. He spotted Jane and Daria and walked over, trying to appear casual.

"So, do you often show up at restaurants where your two ex-girlfriends are having pizza…or are we a special exception?" Jane took a bite of her pizza watching him over. He looked a little concerned, but kept his usual façade on.

"A little of both…Jane is your brother around?"

"Wow Daria…your boyfriend is one popular guy. First Jesse leaves us for him…and now Tom. Maybe we should use the same cologne as him to keep the men around longer.." Jane said giving a smirk towards their ex. However Tom looked serious and then his cellphone began to ring. He opened it and stared a moment before sitting by Daria.

"Never mind…why don't I buy the pizza and the three of us can catch up?"

"Fine….but no funny stuff Sloane." Jane watched Daria and wondered what was going on so late on a Thursday night.

Trent and Jesse had almost hit her with the ever famous 'Tank'. She had seen them and simply walked into the street with a simple casualness to her. She had long black hair and green eyes, and wore a pair of tight jeans and a grey tank top. Trent got out of the Tank and walked over to her offering his hand. She took it and looked up at him with a small smile.

"Trent.." She jumped up and hugged him tightly. "I wanted to get you alone first…Dad says hi."

He hugged the woman to him and stared at her as if unsure. "You look…." He was not sure how to proceed, and as Jesse got out she forgot he was speaking.

"Jesse…I guess if I tried to kiss you it wouldn't be fair. I think you look nice with Janie…after all, I promised Trent we'd keep you in the family right.."

"Come on Effy…before we cause an accident or something…" Trent heard the cars honking behind the Tank and pulled the young woman into the van. She sat up front while Jesse sat in the back, watching her as though she were a ticking bomb. She didn't notice however, and began to hit the window tapping out a beat. Trent stared at her when the van stopped at the stop light and wondered how he could bring it up to Daria…and even worse Janie.

"So, any new outcast warming your bed at night?" Jane said rather boldly as she ate her second slice of free pizza. Daria had been silent and so Jane tried to distract her with comments at Tom. He also seemed a bit distracted though and so an idea popped into the black haired woman's mind. "Why don't we all go out for drinks…I mean hell, it's a long weekend anyway."

Tom gave a little shrug. "Why not…what do you think Daria?"

"I guess…maybe we'll find the guys there anyway.." Daria got up and followed the two outside, her mind naturally wondering if enough liquor could identify who this Effy chick was.

"Ef, maybe a bar's a bad idea…I mean if Dad sent you to stay with us getting you shit-faced could make things worse.." Trent said to his sister's request as they drew closer to the bar. Really he was driving around to think of something to say, it had been several years. The woman next to him however could hardly keep from desiring to head toward the bar, pointing eagerly.

"Oh come on Trent…I'm only staying a day. Besides I'm totally better….I mean Jesse must think I look better he's actually made eye-contact at me once or twice tonight." Effy pulled a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket and lit up as Trent hesitantly pulled into the parking lot. They all got out and she waited against the building staring over the cars a moment. One in particular caught her eye as she looked back at Trent. "So, do I get to see Janie or are you the only sibling I have willing to stay in a room with me now…"

Jane waited until they had managed a few shots into Tom before blowing his mind. "So Tom, your car smelled suspiciously of perfume..escaping the little woman by chasing old flames around?"

"No, actually my girlfriend wanted to stop by so she could see an old friend. You'd…really like her she's smart, funny.."

"So you came all the way here to brag to us about your girlfriend…that Sloane aptitude for looming over the lesser people is astonishing.."

"Daria shut up you're drunk…" Jane laughed, she always found Daria's light tolerance for alcohol amusing though she could feel her own buzz. They were sitting in the corner and she watched as his eyes kept glancing away. She noticed a necklace tucked slightly into his shirt and reached to pull it out. "Oh look, you've got great taste in jewelr.." She stopped before she could finish and stared at the guitar pick that hung from his necklace. It was melted towards the end, and had the letter E carved into it. She led it as if it would kill her simply to look at it and gazed towards Tom.

"You son of a bitch.." She murmured pulling him by it. He fell forward and Daria watched trying to pull her friend back.

"Jane…we can't let him get us banned from the places that pays for the Tank's frequent fixes…Mystik Spiral will be banned from playing here.."

"Trent." Jane stopped and stood up letting go of Tom to look back at Daria. "Where did he and Jesse go.."

The two men in question walked in both looking rather thoughtful. It was a strange sight for both women but especially when Trent came over and put a hand on Jane's shoulder. "Janie…we have to talk. A serious talk to, not like I need gas money talk. You get what I'm saying?"

"Trent, have you talked to Wind or Dad because I think our…" She stopped as a woman walked in. Daria was helping Tom up with a lot of trouble, only to have him pulled by a skinny black haired woman who had a familiar expression. The girl kissed Tom rather contently and the two made a strange sight as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Tom, I found my brother. I'm so glad we came out here…oh." The woman looked at Jane's astonished face and tilted her head. "Wow…this is rather funny isn't it Janie. After all, I was never the sober one of us.."

A/N--Just a little fanfic idea I had from a dream..REVIEWS=LOVE