Hey there Daria fans, this is Baelparagon coming to you with a One-shot story. This is done for Joemerl's Iron Chef challenge the Random Pairings generator. After I do this one shot I will begin writing the next chapter for Daria's World. So sit back and enjoy the story.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon, a time when most of the students would be fleeing the hell known as Lawndale High. For those few who would remain they'd either head to their various clubs and activities, or considering the intellectual level of the school, would be heading to their various sports.
Jodie herself normally would have been in one of these clubs. She was the head editor for the school newspaper, as well as the head of the school year book club. After that she would have a meeting with the student council and then she would "help" Brittany get the prep rally ready for tomorrow before the big game. Any teacher in the school would tell you she was more responsible for keeping much of the school running efficiently than any of the faculty, including Ms. Li. Her activities brought her the approval of her parents as well as her fellow students, and would make getting into college a breeze.
Jodie smiled bitterly as she walked towards her home, all of these accomplishments feeling like ash in her mouth considering what had happened earlier today.
-3 Hours ago
"Jodie." At the mention of her name Jodie looked to her side, a smile on her face as Mack stood next to her. "Hey Mack, how's it going?" Jodie leaned in to give him a kiss, only for her to crease her eyes in confusion as mack turned away, his face both nervous and sad looking.
"Is something wrong Mack?" The large African teen nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Jodie, we need to talk." Jodie nodded her head, closing her locker and leaning back, a bad feeling sitting in her stomach. Mack hesitated for a moment before he began speaking.
"Jodie you know that I like you, and I respect you and the activities you participate in. But it's been over two weeks since you and I have even had a chance to speak together, let alone hang out."
"The last few weeks have been busy, you've been involved in football and I've been stressing myself out to get the Prep rally and home coming parade organized. After this is all over we'll spend time together." Jodie said trying to assure him.
"No we won't, Jodie for the years we have been dating things have always been the same. Both of us are busy during the times the other isn't, and what few times we do get to spend with each other is at public functions or appearances. And after that we barely see each other for weeks." Mack said, some of the frustration he had been feeling for years pushing through his calm façade.
Jodie could see where this conversation was going, though she never imagined she would be on the receiving end of it. "Wh-What are you saying Mack." Mack was quiet for a minute, before the dreaded words slipped out of his lips. "I think we should break up, this isn't working between us and I can't pretend it is anymore. I can't subject myself to being a part time boyfriend, and I can't do the same to you either."
Jodie felt sick in her stomach, so many things running through her head that she wanted to say. She wanted to reason with him, to beg him, yell at him or even cry at him. In the end though the only thing she said was "I understand." Then she turned and walked away, promising herself she wouldn't cry.
She kept that promise up until she made it to the bathroom where she finally broke down.
-Flashback end
Jodie sighed as she walked home, a small tear running down her ear. She was still upset that her relationship with Mack was over, but after thinking about it she saw his point. It wasn't fair to either of them to keep this up when nothing could be gained from it. Mack would be alone for a little while before the hordes of popular junky girls moved in on the football captain.
At this point Daria would probably say something about lord of the flies, maybe it wont be so bad to be on my own for a while. WHROOOOOM.
Jodie turned and looked around her at the sound of something similar to a power generator, but saw nothing around her. As far as she could tell she was alone.
Thinking it was just her nerves she turned around to walk home, only for a beam of light to fall around her. Jodie ran to get out of it only to run into a barrier. She pounded her fists on it and yelled for help, only to stop when she realized she couldn't hear her own voice. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted up, her body turning to see a giant ship above her, as well as a bright light which blinded her. Just as indistinct shapes began reaching out to her she passed out, everything going black.
Jodie awoke with a groan, a massive migraine pounding in her head. She sat up and rubbed her forehead. She sat up expecting to see herself in her room or perhaps on the side of the road.
"Hello there HMHMMM." Jodie screamed and swung her head forward, headbutting the redhaired teen who had been looking at her face. The boy fell backwards blood dribbling from his nose.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jodie yelled at him once the pain subsided. The boy sat up, hand holding his nose shut tight to stem the red flow. "Sorry, just I've never seen them take a girl before."
Jodie was going to ask what he meant when the memories from before she passed out came back to her. Looking around she saw they were in a strange room, the walls were dark with the occasional glowing glyph moving across them. "This-This can't be happening."
"Oh a first timer, yeah I remember the first time they took me I was pretty freaked out as well. They did all these weird expirements on me, and then they made me lose my job. I'm Artie by the way." Jodie looked strangely at him considering how normal he was acting. The panic in her heart was soon filled with anger, the girl standing up from her position on the floor.
"Alright you've had your fun, ha-ha you scared me. Now send in Ashton Kutcher and let me go home." Jodie almost yelled this last bit out. Artie walked over to the girl a confused expression on her face. "Who are you yelling at, and what are you looking for?"
"I'm yelling at your dick directors, and I'm looking for the cameras currently broadcasting me as an idiot to National Television." Artie almost immediately began laughing, drawing an angry glare from the girl. "Your weird, this isn't a TV show, we've been abducted by aliens."
"Oh please." Jodie said exasperated with the super geek. "Cut the act, do you seriously expect me to believe that we're in a space ship hanging over Earth?"
"Well…we're not exactly over Lawndale anymore." Artie said suddenly looked nervous, the teen walked over to the side of a wall, moving his hands over the rune in an incomprehensible manner. This caused a sheet of metal to shoot up into the wall. Jodie could only stare as she saw Earth rotating in front of her, North America just going over the horizon.
"Th-That doesn't p-prove anything, i-it could just be a tv screen." Artie nodded at this, hands automatically going over the sigils. "Maybe, but how about this?"
A humming sound which Jodie hadn't realized was there stopped, and at first didn't notice anything. She turned to yell at him again, when her voice caught in her throat.
The movement had caused her feet to rise from the ground and she wasn't coming back down. "AHHHHGH MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP?" She yelled as she tried to get back to the floor, only to end up twisting her body around more.
"What are you serious?" Artie said as he floated by the wall, subtly moving himself with an ability the girl was currently envious of. "The first time I learned how to do this I didn't want to leave. Plus didn't you say at a speech once you'd love if people could fly."
"THAT WAS METAPHORICAL, AND TO HELL WITH WHAT I SAID. TURN IT OFF!" Jodie yelled as she started to float higher. "Okay okay, jeez." Artie moved himself back to the wall and made some movements with the sigils. Gravity returned and Jodie breathed with relief as she came back down.
This quickly turned to a yelp as Gravity returned in full, dropping her the last three feet onto her stomach forcing that breath out of her lungs. "Oh, sorry I should have warned you about that. Hey are you okay?"
After a few seconds of wheezing Jodie struggled up into a sitting position, arms wrapped around her legs. With a shudder she began quietly sobbing, bitter words flowing out of her mouth. "My boyfriend broke up with me, I live a life dictated by my parents, my ribs are killing me and I've been abducted by aliens. How the hell do you THINK I'M DOING?!"
Artie shrunk back a little at the tone of her voice. With an arm behind his back he began muttering, looking down at his feet. "If it makes you feel better we won't be here forever, they just want to do some experiments on us then they'll send us home. We'll be here for a day at the most."
Jodie looked up at the teen, feeling guilty for the harsh way she had been treating him. "Look, Artie was it?" The redhead geek nodded, still sharing at his shoes. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you. This just has been a crappy day, and one frankly I have doubts about being real given the circumstances. So umm… How do you know so much about the aliens?" Jodie asked, both trying to bring him up as well as satisfy her own curiosity.
"Oh well these guys have snatched me up before yeah. The first time I was coming home from this awesome Sci-Fi convention…"
Artie had preceded to talk for almost an hour, and despite some of his more noticeable geeky tendencies Jodie had begun to warm to the teen. He was a kid with a lot of confidence in himself despite his obvious deficiencies and some of his mannerisms made her laugh on the inside.
"And after they removed the electrodes they flash some type of lightin your eyes and next thing you know your back home in your bed." Artie said, falling on his back and acting like someone who suddenly woke up. Jodie laughed at this, feeling in better spirits than during the whole day (and she had to admit, in some time). "Your parents must think you have a great imagination, considering all the cool things you've seen and done."
At this Arties face transitioned to something akin to sadness, the boy rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. "Actually…they don't. I'm…not exactly everything they wanted in a son and tend to focus on my younger brothers. To be honest they didn't even notice I was gone the first time."
Jodie was saddened by this, immediately regretting that she brought the topic up. "Oh Artie, I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have brought it up."
Artie shrugged his shoulders, turning away as he stretched a kink out of his back. "Don't be, you couldn't have known. I've kind of learned to grow up without them, being a loner in school helps you transition to being independent really quick. In a year I'll graduate and then can move out on my own, and they won't have to deal with their loser son anymore."
Jodie looked at the kid, a silence settling over the two as they sat there. Poor kid, to go through such things and not even be noticed by his parents. I mean, I may not always enjoy my parent's interference with my life but at least I know they're looking out for me.
Artie was about to turn and try and break the silence when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, Jodie sitting next to him. "Your not a loser Artie, you're a nice guy who has dealt with an amazing situation without freaking out. If your parents can't see that then that's their loss. And your not alone, I'll be your friend if you'll let me." Artie who was unused to physical contact felt his cheeks blushing.
"Thanks Jodie, I appreciate that." The two looked at eachother for a moment before turning away, both feeling blood rush to their cheeks. Neither had time to contemplate this though as the room began to fill up with mist.
"Artie, Whats…?" Artie sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. "It's antiseptic gass, they're going to study us now, here take this." Artie placed something in Jodie's hand though her fogging vision made it hard for her to see. "What is it?"
Jodie never got the chance to hear his response as her vision faded and everything went black.
"Jodie dear, honey are you awake?" Jodie came out of unconsciousness to see her mother standing over her, a concerned expression on her face. Jodie slowly sat up to find herself in her bed. I'm back in my room, was it all a dream? "Mom, what's going on?"
"I was hoping you would tell me dear, your principle called and said you skipped out on your extracurriculars, is everything alright?" Jodie sighed, pulling her legs up and resting against the headboard of her bed. "Mack and I broke up today, I…I needed some time to myself." Her mother looked sadly at the girl, sitting down next to her.
"Honey I'm sorry, I know you were fond of that boy. Do you want to talk about it?" Jodie shook her head, looking down at her lap. "We'll if you want to talk I'm here for you. I'll tell your father and get dinner started dear." Michelle laid a kiss on the girls forehead and left the room.
Jodie for her part decided to get up and moved her legs off the bed. As she did this she noticed a piece of paper flutter to the floor, it's almost glowing green color sticking out like a sore thumb. She reached down and picked up the small paper and scenned it. After a second a big grin pulled across her face.
It was a ticket to a sci-fi convention this weekend.
I hope you all enjoy it, this was more fun than I thought it would be.
