"Girls, I just want you to know your mother and I realize it's not easy moving to a whole new town… especially for you, Daria, right?" said Jake Morgendorffer towards his eldest daughter while driving his blue Lexus.
Especially for you, Daria, right? Of course because I'm only a socially retarded Quinn, right, Dad ? Thought the girl with glasses, sitting in the backseat, before saying , "Did we move?"
"I'm just saying you don't make friends as easily as... uh, other people."
"Quinn, for instance?" Said Daria while glaring at her younger, redhead sister.
"That's not what I meant... necessarily. The point is, the first day at a new school is bound to be difficult..."
"Not for me. Unlike someone , I'm beautiful and friendly. I'm sure I'll have a lot of friends." Said Quinn.
"That's great princess…" said Jake, who, clueless as always, didn't notice the insult launched by Quinn to her older sister. "However, what I wanted to say was, don't get upset if it takes the other kids a little while to warm up to you."
Meanwhile, the car arrives at the school. Quinn exits and is immediately surrounded by the other students .
"Hi! You're cool. What's your name?" Asked a cute girl with pigtails.
"Quinn Morgendorffer."
"Cool." Said a girl in overalls.
And, as expected, Quinn is immediately the center of the attention. Thought Daria.
"Don't worry dad, I'll try to help her through this difficult period of adjustment." said Daria with her voice full of sarcasm. And at the same time, I'll try not to choke her.
"Thanks kiddo! See you this evening." With that he pulls his car into back gear and pulls out of the driveway.
Thanks kiddo? How the hell can he be so clueless? Thought Daria as she headed towards the school's entrance ignored by other students.
Daria stood with her sister and other new students in a hallway of Lawndale High while listening to the speech by Ms. Li, the school principal.
"As you have been able to see, our Lawndale High students take great pride in their school, therefore I remind you that each student is warmly recommended to attend at least one extra-curricular activity. I would also like to remind you that at Lawndale High we do not tolerate vandalism or criminal behavior; each infraction of the rules will be severely punished. However, in this school we believe that prevention is better than cure; that's why you'll each be taking a small psychological exam to spot any little clouds on the horizon as you sail the student seas of Lawndale High."
Gee, look at the time. Is it 1984 already ? Thought Daria.
"Eh ! No one told me about a test ! "
"Don't worry. It's a psychological test. You'd need a brain to take it."
Quinn glares at her sister.
-
"Now, Quinn... what do you see here?" asked Ms. Manson, the school psychologist, to the redhead girl while holding up a picture.
"It's a picture of two people talking."
"That's right. Can you make up a little story about what it is they're discussing?"
"Sure. Let's see... they've been going out for awhile and he's upset because other people keep asking her out, and she saying she can't help it if she's attractive and popular, and besides, nobody ever said they were going steady, and if he does want to go steady he's got to do a lot better than movie, burger, back seat, movie, burger, back seat, because there are plenty of guys with bigger back seats waiting to take her someplace nice!"
"Very good, Quinn! Now, Dora, let's see if you can make up a story as vivid as your sister's."
"It's Daria."
"I'm sorry... Daria. What do you see in the picture, Dara?"
Stupid quack.
"Um... I see a herd of beautiful wild ponies running free across the plains."
"Uh, there aren't any ponies. It's two people."
"Ms. Mason don't listen to her; she says this phrase every time she goes to a psychologist."
"Daria have you been visited on other occasions?" asked a worried Ms Manson.
"Well..." started to say Daria.
"Yes she was. And a lot of times. She's like depressed or something."
"I'M NOT DEPRESSED." shouted a very angry Daria snapping from the chair.
"Oh yeah? You're always locked in your room reading those stupid depressing Russian novels."
"What's stupid are those fashion magazines you read!"
"Girls please calm down." cried Ms. Manson.
They stop.
"Quinn, I don't need you here anymore. Here's a pass for your next class. You are free to go."
"Thanks! Bye!"
Quinn leaves the room, smiling evilly .
" Now Daria…" started to say Ms. Manson.
"I'm not depressed." Daria said. "My sister was lying."
"Relax darling. I'm pretty experienced. I know when people are lying."
Thank goodness. Thought Daria while she sits down on the chair and heaved a sigh of relief.
"However, I would like to know more about this psychologist..."
Crap. "Look, Ms. Manson it isn't anything important."
"Let me decided that. I am a professional after all."
"Excuse me but a psychologist doesn't deliberately provoke a patient by saying their name wrong for two times consecutively."
"Well, I admit I have not been very professional with you, and for that I apologize."
"Ok, fine. Apology accepted."
"But now, please, could you tell me why you were visited by a psychologist?"
" You have no intention of giving up, right ? "
" Exact . "
" Ok. Well. As I have said it's not anything important. When I was six, I was examined by the school psychologist as to why I did not socialize with other children."
"And why didn't you socialize?"
Oh well, now we are dancing so I might as well dance... "Because I hated the other children."
"You hated them?"
"Yes , you've got it right."
"Why?"
"Because they always mocked me... and before you can say that is something that all children do, let me say that it wasn't so. It was much worse. Although I was one of the oldest kids in my grade, I was the shortest... and I had these glasses. Add that to the fact that I was and still am more intelligent than my peers then you can see the kind of life I've had so far."
"Weren't you able to find one friend?"
"No. No one wanted to be friends with a brain and I didn't want to descend to their level."
"Not even a boyfriend?"
"No, and I'm happy for that. Guys at Highland went out with the popular and pretty girls or with sluts. Moreover they had the bad habit of impregnating their girlfriend. I remember a classmate of mine, Gina. She was always making out with a guy that was six or seven years older than us. "
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. Can we change the subject? I don't like to talk about my past at Highland."
"Sure, Daria. So, are you really as Intelligent as you say?"
"Yes, I am. My IQ is 180."
"WHAT ! 180! That is not written on your school curriculum!" Exclaumed a very surprised Ms. Manson while rummaging through some papers.
"I know, but trust me. A few years ago my Auny Amy sent me one of those tests used to measure your IQ and my results were 180. It's not that hard to believe since my GPA is 4.0."
She isn't lying, but it's better to be safe. Thought Ms. Manson.
"Then it is true that you read Russian novels?"
"Yes. I've read Tolstoj, Dostoevskij, and many others including Solženicyn's The Gulag Archipelago."
"Remarkable." said Ms. Manson.
"Thanks , however I haven't read only Russian authors, I also read The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid, The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri and The Prince of Machiavelli and these just to mention a few." said Daria smirking .
"Really impressive Daria."
"Thanks. So, now that I've told you what you wanted to know, what will happen to me? Will I have to attend some rehabilitative class? I wouldn't be surprised if there's something similar here; between ourselves, Ms. Li could easily be Mao Tse Tung's daughter."
Ms. Manson giggled a little and then said, "Well, to be honest…"
"Well, to be honest we have something similar at Lawndale High."
"What ? Really ?"
"Yes, but don't worry. I've got something different in mind for you."
"You want to go directly to brainwashing ?" joked Daria .
"No. From tomorrow I'll make you attend only AP classes."
Daria stared at Ms. Manson in disbelief. After a few seconds she said, "Really?"
"Absolutely. It would be a waste to make you attend only mainstream classes . Moreover, I think that you're one of those people that needs smart people around them in order to get their best efforts."
"Thanks." said Daria, unable to say any other words.
"It's nothing. Well, I think that we're done here. Take this pass and go to your next class. I'll call your parents this evening to tell them the news . Have a nice day."
"You too, and thanks again."
Daria left the room with a big smile on her face. Once Daria had gone, Ms. Manson exhaled deeply and took off her glasses. Only then did she allow the memories that resurfaced during the chat with Daria to fully manifest themselves.
We see a little girl sitting on a carpet reading a book. Suddenly a woman comes, the girl's mother, who says: "Damn it Margaret, how many times have I told you not to waste time reading books? You're a girl, play with dolls." The woman rips the book from the child's hands.
The scene changes. We see Margaret in a schoolyard, she is surrounded by a group of kids who throw a pair of thick glasses back and forth to each other.
"Please give them back," the girl begs.
A boy trips her as she moves forward. "Here are your glasses, bookworm."
The scene changes again. Years have passed. Now Margaret is a fairly cute teenager. She has just asked the QB of the football team to take her to the school dance.
"Are you kidding?" he said. " I wouldn't go to the dance with a flat, ugly bookworm like you. Not even if you was the last girl on the Earth."
"But you promised me that you'd take me if I did your homework."
"Ahahahaha, you know what? For being a brain you're really stupid, Margaret Manson . I was lying . I'm going to the prom with Kate, you know her right ? The head cheerleader... Tall, blonde, with beautiful, big boobs. Clearly your exact opposite."
He walks away laughing, loud, and leaving the girl in tears.
Her memories end there. Ms. Manson gets up from her chair and looks at the door from which Daria just left.
"Good luck, girl."
-
Leaving Dr. Manson's office, Daria headed for DeMartino's class. But suddenly she realized that she had no idea where that class was. After touring for a few minutes, Daria saw coming towards her a chubby, goth girl.
"Excuse me?" Said Daria.
"Yes? " answered the girl.
"I'm looking for DeMartino's class, could you tell me where it is?"
"I can do more, I can show it to you. I'm going there."
"Thank you. I am Daria Morgendorffer."
"Andrea Hecuba. So, this is your first day at Lawndale High?" Said Andrea as she resumed walking.
"Exactly."
"First impressions?"
"Well I haven't seen much, but I can say it feels like a gulag; one run by a woman obsessed with control and affected by a serious delirium of omnipotence."
Andrea giggled, "What gave it away? Was it the sniffer dogs or metal detectors?"
"Those, plus the fact that there are cameras everywhere."
"Do not worry, soon you'll get used to it. Here we are."
Andrea and Daria enter into the classroom.
"Welcome back among us, Andrea." Said a man in his late 40's. Noting then Daria, he said, "Hi young lady, who're you?"
"I'm Daria Morgendorffer, a new student. I'm coming from Ms. Manson's office , here's the pass."
DeMartino takes the paper and after having read it, crumples it up and tosses it into the trash.
"All right. Daria welcome to Lawndale High. You can sit next to Andrea."
Daria goes to sit down.
"Well, Daria! before you came, I tried to ask your classmates if they could tell me the meaning of Manifest Destiny. But apparently they're still sleeping, so now I will ask it to you; Perhaps you feel it's unfair to be asked a question on your first day of class."
"Excuse me?"
"Daria, can you concisely and unemotionally sum up for us the doctrine of Manifest Destiny?"
"Yes, Manifest Destiny was a slogan coined in 1845 by by journalist John O'Sullivan. In his essay entitled Annexation, O'Sullivan urged the U.S. to annex the Republic of Texas, not only because Texas wanted it, but because it was the Manifest Destiny of America to expand on the continent. Later it was used by people who claimed it was God's will for the U.S. to expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean. These people did not include many Mexicans or native Americans."
"Very good, Daria. Almost... suspiciously good. I must thank you, your response has made sure that this day was not a total waste of time. Now Kevin can you can tell me which war Manifest Destiny was used to justify?"
"The Vietnam War?" said a guy wearing a football uniform.
"That came a little later, Kevin...a hundred years later. A lot of good men died in that conflict, Kevin. I believe we owe it to them to at least get the century right. Why? Why don't you try to study at least a little bit?"
"Mr. D., why should I study? I'm the QB, besides I don't want to be a loser brain like this new chick." said Kevin pointing at Daria.
"Hey, pile of muscle, maybe you don't have a brain developed enough to understand what I am going to tell you, but it is not wise to call your future employer a loser." said Daria.
"My future employer? You want to become the owner of a football team?"
"No. The owner of a fast food chain." Said Daria while a Mona Lisa smile appeared on her lips and some laughter rose in the air including, Daria was pleased to note, those of Andrea.
-
When the class ended, Andrea turned to Daria and said,
"Hey Daria, Jane and I are going to eat in the cafeteria, do you want to join us?"
"Gladly, but who is Jane?"
"Me."
Daria turned to where the voice had come and saw a thin girl...with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.
God, they look like two sapphires. Daria thought while Jane approached.
"My compliments Morgendorffer, it's been a long time since I've heard a joke like that."
"Thanks, just the voice of the experience. At my old school there were a lot of people like that Kevin, and a pair were even dumber."
"Dumber than Kevin? I can't believe it." Said Jane.
"Neither I believed that there were people so dumb, but then I met Beavis and Butthead."
"Beavis and Butthead. Come on Daria, you're fooling us. There can't exist people with those names." said Andrea .
"Oh, really?" asked Daria . "Then let me tell you a couple of stories."
And so during the lunch break, Daria entertained her two new friends telling them everything that B&B had done. When they left the cafeteria, Andrea and Jane were crying with laughter; even Daria, to her great surprise, let escape a couple of laughs.
-
"Well Jane I must tell you, your room is really cool."
"Thanks, but you should see Andrea's, it seems the haunt of a witch." Jane said, joking.
"You are always, as usual, exaggerating. One can't hang a pair of fake spider webs without being immediately accused of sorcery." replied Andrea joking.
"You two seem very close-knit. How long have you known each other?" Asked a curious Daria.
"Well we've known each other since elementary schools..." began Andrea.
"But we became friends only last year." Jane continued.
"How did it happen?"
"Oh well, you know how it goes, little Andrea has a big crush on my older brother Trent."
Jane barely had time to say the words before Andrea's fist hit her arm .
"Ouch." Cried Jane.
"I don't have a crush on your brother! It's all in your head!" Said Andrea, but the embarrassment was clear in her voice as well as in her red cheeks.
"Oh really? Then how is it that every time the Mystik Spiral plays at the Zon, you are always in front of the stage?"
"It means nothing." Andrea said with a bit of anger in his voice, "I come to see the Spiral because you go too, and I stand in front of the stage because it's the place where you can hear the music better."
"Ok, ok. Don't get mad. You don't have a crush on my brother," said Jane as she rubbed her arm.
"Finally." Said Andrea.
"You have a super crush." Said Jane before Andrea lunged at her with a pillow.
Seeing the girls jokingly fighting, Daria felt a pang of sadness, she had never been able to do anything like that. She had never had a friend.
Maybe things could work with them. Daria thought before starting to laugh.
Hearing the laughter, Jane and Andrea stopped "fighting" and turned to Daria.
"Are we so funny?" Asked Jane.
"Well, to be honest a little bit." Said Daria
Jane and Andrea looked at each other, smiled wickedly, and then threw themselves on Daria.
"No ... stop ... damn .." said Daria before taking a pillow and responding to the attack.
And so the three girls continued their pillow fight until Trent, awoken by laughter, got out of bed to find the source of the noise.
"What's going on here?" Said a dazed Trent.
The girls stopped wrestling and turned toward the source of the voice. Daria saw a tall, thin man with a goatee and a tribal tattoo on the left forearm. He was wearing only a tank top, which emphasized his muscles, a pair of torn jeans and three earrings in each ear.
Well he's sexy no doubt about it. Daria thought.
"Oh, hi Trent." Said Jane, "I'm sorry if we woke you. I, Andrea and Daria were having a little discussion."
"Daria? Who is Daria ?"
"The last time I checked, I was Daria." Joked the girl with glasses.
"Trent, Meet Daria Morgendorffer, an expert in sarcasm come to Lawndale from Texas. Daria, meet Trent Lane, founder of the band Mystik Spiral and King of the sleepers." Said Jane.
"Hi." Daria said. "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine." Said Trent who, then, turning to her sister, told her, "Jane I'm out tonight with the band, I left you the money for a pizza on the kitchen table."
"Thanks Trent, I've already got it, but tonight I'm having dinner and sleeping at Andrea's. See you tomorrow after school."
"Ah. Ok. See you tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye." chorused the three girls.
Trent turned and began to leave the room before turning back to say, "Oh, hi Andrea."
"Hi Trent." Blurted the goth girl while blushing.
"Sorry if I have not greeted you before, but I'm still sleeping."
"No problem." Said Andrea all the time growing more and more red.
"And thanks for letting Jane stay at your home. Thank your parents for me."
"Ok." Blurted the girl, with eyes fixed on the floor.
"Bye, again." Trent said before returning to bed.
"Bye." Repeated the three girls.
After Trent had left, Jane asked Daria, "So, what do you think of my brother?"
"Well of course he's sexy... in a narcoleptic sort of way." Daria said with a smile.
"Interested in the goods?"
"No thanks. He's not my type, moreover, Andrea has precedence." Joked the bespectacled girl.
"I don't have a crush on him." Said the chubby girl while resuming her normal complexion .
"Sure." said Daria sarcastically, "And my sister isn't a shallow fashionista."
"You have a sister?" asked Jane .
"Unfortunately, yes. Her name is Quinn, she's a freshman; although, first grade would be a better place for her. She is narcissistic, superficial, spoiled and, despite her claims to be an expert in fashion, always wears a pink shirt that is like a punch in the eye since she has red hair."
Andrea and Jane giggled but then suddenly stopped and exchanged a knowing glance. A look that communicated embarrassment and indecision.
"Girls, what happened?" Said a worried Daria.
"Well here..." Jane, began to say.
"Jane, wait a minute." Andrea said, "maybe it's someone else."
"I don't think so, from the description, it sounds like her."
"Girls can you tell me what you're talking about?" Said an slightly irritated Daria.
"Yes, of course. But first I have a question for you Daria." Said Andrea.
"A question?"
"Yes. What clothes did your sister have on today?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Please respond Daria, I know it sounds weird ..." Jane said.
"It does." Daria interrupted.
"...but we need to be sure." Andrea finished.
"Ok. Fine. This morning my sister had on a pink shirt with a smiley face printed on it and a pair of blue jeans. Now will you tell me why you wanted to know that?"
"Well you see Daria, today, Andrea and I saw your sister while she was talking with a guy."
"I don't see anything strange. She is like a magnet for them." Said Daria , not understanding where her two friends wanted to end up.
"Yes , but the fact is that , while they were speaking, your sister said that ... well she said ..." Andrea started to say.
"She said that she's an only child." Finished Jane.
-
Strange. This was the only way to describe the silence that was in Jane's room. She and Andrea hadn't expected this reaction from Daria. Usually if you say to your friend that her sister has said that she is an only child, you expect that your friend will get very angry. Instead Daria didn't do anything like that, and after a few seconds she just shrugged and said, "That's all? I thought she said something really bad."
"Are you alright in there ?" Jane exclaimed .
"You're not angry ?" Andrea asked.
"No."
"But how is that possible?" Jane said.
"Jane, it's simple. I'm used to it."
Andrea frowned and said, "Used to it?"
"Exactly. See girls it's been three years since Quinn started denying being my sister. So far, she has said that I am: her cousin, the maid, a foreign student... and this is absolutely my favorite... a member of the witness protection program. In a sense, I admire her for her tenacity. In the same way I could admire Attila the Hun's focus."
"Three years!" said Andrea.
"Yeah." Daria's voice got quiet. "Everything started when were sent to a summer camp. The bitch found three other girls like her and since then, since I am shameful to her, she denied being my sister."
"But how could she do that and not feel guilty?" Jane asked.
"I guess to her it's justified. She is ashamed of me and despises me. Moreover, she wants everyone to think she is beautiful and popular even if it means she has to have the personality of a Barbie doll. To her, having me as a sister , someone who is intelligent, disinterested in fashion, and doesn't care about what other people think of her , must seem like being related to the antichrist."
"What a bitch." said Andrea.
"But how can you not be angry?" shouted Jane.
"Jane, it's very simple. I'm not angry because I don't care. Not anymore at least. Quinn is ashamed of me and does not want to be my sister? Fine. If she does not want me as a sister then she is not my sister. For what it's worth I now consider myself an only child. The only reason I don't deny being her sister is that I don't want to stoop down to her level."
Again a strange silence fell over the room. Andrea broke it by saying, "Well Daria, I have known you just a day but I can safely say one thing."
"What?" Daria asked.
"Your si ... I mean Quinn is just a poor fool. I'm an only child and I would consider myself lucky if I had you as a sister." Said Andrea approaching Daria and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks." Daria said, as a small smile appeared on her face.
"Anytime ." said the goth girl.
"The same goes for me. You're much funnier than my two sisters." said Jane .
"You have two sisters?" Daria asked curiously.
"Yep, and another brother. Summer, Penny and Wind. They are all older than Trent, and do not live here, so I don't see them very often."
They are too busy with their own lives to worry about their little sister, thought Jane as her face was veiled, for a moment, with sadness.
Daria didn't fail to notice her expression. She had seen it too many times in her own reflection in the mirror. It was the expression of those who feel lonely and abandoned.
"I'm sorry." Daria said, turning to Jane.
"Don't worry about me. I've got Trent and Andrea, and that is enough. Not to mention that now there's you, amiga." Jane said, smiling.
"Oh yes." Daria said, returning her smile. "Call me selfish if you want, but I've waited 10 years for someone intelligent to be friends with and since you two fit the description, you will not get rid of me easily."
"Don't worry, we will not even try." Andrea said.
"The number of smart people in Laaawwwwwndale High is so small that people like you are a godsend." said Jane, imitating Ms. Li.
Daria smiled at Jane's imitation and said, "Heck girls, you make me feel important."
"Do not get used to it. It's just because this is your first day here," Andrea joked.
"Starting tomorrow you too will fight the hordes of demented teens that infest our school." said Jane.
"Let them come forward. I have survived Highland. Nothing can stop me."
"Speaking of demented things, Sick Sad World is about to begin." Andrea said .
"Dammit, you're right." Jane said.
"Sick Sad World?" asked a surprised Daria.
"Yes. Have you seen it before, Daria?" asked Jane.
"Please. I haven't missed an episode in all my life."
"Great."
-
"This was a truly wonderful episode. Too bad it only lasts for an hour." said Daria.
"Oh yes!" Jane cried.
"Daria, it is fortunate that you came to Lawndale. Jane and I like making fun of the news, but it's better with three people."
"Anytime, Andrea. Anyway, I'm sorry but it's almost dinner time and I must go home."
"Ok. We'll see you tomorrow at school." Jane said.
"But wait a second Daria... What classes are you in?" asked Andrea .
"I honestly don't know yet. Today, Manson told me that I would only attend AP classes. So I don't know if we will spend any time together."
"Only AP classes?" Jane said with some surprise. "Hell, you must be a genius."
"Nah. I'm not a genius . I've only got a 4.0 GPA." Daria said with mock modesty.
"4.0 ?" said a very surprised Andrea. "Well congratulations Daria. However, you don't have to worry. I think that we'll spend at least some time together in class."
"Really?"
"Yes. I have AP English Literature and AP French, while Jane has AP Art and Spanish." Andrea said with a smile.
"Oh well, this time it's my turn to congratulate you girls. You know? I think that this year will be really fun."
"I think so too," said Jane.
"Ditto," said Andrea.
"Ok." With a somewhat sad tone, Daria said, "Well girls, thanks for the nice afternoon. Wish I could stay, but I have to go home."
"Bye," chorused Andrea and Jane.
Daria began to leave the room but stopped suddenly and turned to her friends.
"Wait a minute... Jane, does your computer have an internet connection?"
"It does. Why?"
"Do you mind if I send an email to my Aunt Amy?"
"Your computer isn't hooked up to the internet?" asked Andrea.
"Not yet. The technician won't come until tomorrow."
"Help yourself." Jane said, pointing to the PC.
"Thank you. You saved me a trip to the library."
"Library? Couldn't your email wait until tomorrow?"
"Unfortunately the problem is bigger than just waiting for a technician, Jane."
"So what's the big deal?" asked Andrea.
Daria exhaled heavily as she wrote to her aunt, then she said, "You see girls my mother and my aunt hate each other. A lot. Every time they see each other they end up in a terrible fight. Because of this hatred my mother doesn't want me or my sister to see or even speak to aunt Amy. But I don't care. I want her to be a part of my life. I can't visit her because she lives in Boston, but at least I can write to her."
"So you're not using your computer ..." Jane began to say.
"... Because I'm scared that my mother might discover me writing to her. She won't let me get away with as much as my sister, so I can't take that kind of risk." Daria finished writing the email and sent it.
"She must be really important to you." Andrea said.
"I love her. She is the only person in the world with whom I feel an affinity. At least she was." Daria said as she smiled at her friends.
"Your aunt must be a really cool person." said Jane.
"Oh yes. Incredibly cool. I have a picture of her with me, do you want to see it?"
The two girls said "Sure" and "Why not?"
Daria lowered the zipper of her jacket and from an inner pocket took out an old photo.
"This is me and my aunt on my seventh birthday." Daria handed the photo to Andrea and Jane.
The two girls looked at the photo and almost immediately their eyes widened in surprise.
Seeing the expressions of her friends Daria said, "We look like two peas in a pod, right?"
"You mean two clones." said Jane.
"Are you sure that she is not your mother?" Andrea asked.
"Unfortunately... no. She is not my mother," Daria said with sadness in her voice. She took the picture and gently slipped it back in her pocket. "Now excuse me but I have to go home. My dad is cooking tonight and I want to help him." And so prevent him to sets fire again the kitchen , Daria mentally added .
"Ok . See you tomorrow at school." said Jane .
" Bye . " said Andrea .
"Bye , girls ." said Daria while leaving the room .
-
Only child , Quinn ? Well too bad for you. You'll pay dearly for this , thought Daria as she walked home.
-
Daria came to her house about twenty minutes after leaving Jane's home. As usual there was no sign of her parents. Not that she was sorry. The less time she spent with them, the better.
Good, Dad is not back yet. It means that tonight instead of his usual concoctions, we'll eat frozen lasagna, Daria thought as she climbed the stairs to her room.
Once she arrived in there, Daria took advantage of the momentary calm to do what little homework that was assigned. She spent less than half an hour on it, after which she began to read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, one of the last books that Amy had given her, always in secret so Helen wouldn't know.
Her reading was interrupted when her sister came home and turned on the stereo at full volume. Disturbed by the noise, Daria lifted herself out of bed and headed towards Quinn's room. Her sister was in front of three mirrors trying on combinations of clothes.
Daria stayed at the door to watch the spectacle. She had always found it amusing to watch her sister go crazy trying to choose a look matching the color of the car of the idiot of the moment she went out with.
It took a while for Quinn to become aware of her sister, but when she saw her reflection in the mirror, she turned around and said, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing important," Daria replied nonchalantly. "I've been watching."
"Looking at what you could never be? " Quinn said with derision while stroking her slender body.
Daria smiled as she thought, Quinn, you are a poor misguided fool. I'm beautiful as you are and more. The only difference is that I don't need to show off as much as you to feel fulfilled.
"To be honest, I was watching you because you don't look like one of those people," said Daria.
"What people? " asked a confused Quinn.
"You know ... lonely people like you. Since you're an only child." Daria said, while a grin of satisfaction appeared on her face.
Quinn was shocked. How the hell did she know ? she thought before saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh yes you do. " Daria said. "And soon mom and dad will know too."
"You can't prove it. "
"Oh yes, I can. I have the testimony of my two friends."
Quinn laughed. "Oh please, be serious. You don't have friends."
"I didn't have friends. But now I have two friends that heard what you said."
Quinn struggled with her memory and recalled that when she was talking with ... Tom? Duncan? whatever ... that boy in the corridor,two girls had passed them, a fat goth and a thin ravenhaired weirdo both dressed in a horrible way. She's probably talking about them, Quinn thought before saying, "Well go ahead. This will not change the fact that I am their favorite daughter."
"Yes, you are their favorite daughter. But try to think for a moment ... ah yes , you're not able to. Then I'll try to explain it. Even though Mom hates Aunt Amy and Aunt Rita she has never denied that they were her sisters. But you've done it today, therefore, unlike all those other times when you said I was your cousin or whatever, you will not get out of this easily." Daria ended her threat with a smirk.
Damn, she might be right. Better not risk it, Quinn thought.
"Ok. How much?"
"What?"
"Don't pretend to be innocent. How much do you want to keep your mouth shut?"
"What makes you think that I want money?"
"Simple. If you wanted to spill to mom and dad, you wouldn't come to talk to me first. "
"I'm impressed Quinn. So there are a couple of neurons in your rotten head. How must they feel, so alone."
"Do not waste my time. How much?"
Daria raised her index and middle fingers.
"Twenty bucks?"
"Two hundred," Daria said coldly.
"WHAT ? TWO HUNDRED ? ARE YOU CRAZY ?" yelled Quinn.
"Au contraire. I'm perfectly sane."
"Don't try to confuse me with French. I'll never give you all that money."
"Really? Ok, well, too bad for you," Daria said leaving the room and standing in the hallway.
"3 ... 2 ... 1 ..." Daria counted.
"Ok fine!" Quinn yelled hurrying out of her room. "Wait here while I get the money."
With that said, Quinn closed the door of her room.
It's useless, Quinn. I know that you keep the money in your face-shaped pillow. However everything's going as planned. Even though Aunt Amy has set aside a substantial college fund, within three years I will need as much money as possible . Moreover, even if I had ratted you out to mom and dad, they would not have done anything. If they were able to say those things about me, they wouldn't have cared about the fact that Quinn has said she is an only child, thought Daria, sadly.
Meanwhile, Quinn left her room with money in hand.
"Here your money, blackmailer."
"Thanks. It's a pleasure doing business with you ... sis."
" F#^ you."
And with that the two sisters returned to their respective rooms.
-
"And then they asked me to join the pep squad. They said I did not have to try out, but I said, 'Look, I'm new here. Give me a chance to get used to things.' So, for now, I'm vice president of the Fashion Club, and that's it," Quinn said to her family as they sat down to dinner.
"Sounds like a well-thought out decision, honey," Jake said.
"As long as you can join pep squad later .. if you want. Never know how much we can handle till we try, though," Helen said while eating her portion of lasagna.
Jake asked his eldest daughter, "What about you, Daria? How was your first day?"
That's strange, Dad. Now even you are interested in what I do, Daria thought, before saying, "Well, compared to being in Highland today was very quiet. No shootings, no fights and stuff. Except for this: I've met these two girls, Jane and Andrea. They are very cool and funny. We became friends immediately." Daria said this with a very monotonous tone of voice, the one that she always used with her parents.
"That's great, kiddo!" Jake exclaimed.
"Your father is right, Daria. Erm, just to be safe, they are not like those two, right? " Helen asked, referring to the two mutants of Highland.
"No mom, relax. There's no uranium in the water here," Daria said.
The phone rang, and Helen got up to answer it.
"God, I hope that's not the booster society again," said Quinn.
Helen answered the phone. "Hello? Yes ... Uh, yes, she's my daughter. ... Really? ... That's awesome ... Thanks for the news. Bye. "
Helen turned to face her family.
"Daria I'm so proud of you." Helen said while hugging her eldest daughter.
"Hey, hands off." Daria said as she walked away from her mother's hug.
"Helen what happened?" asked Jake.
"It was the school. They told me that Daria will attend only advanced courses."
"Really? That is awesome kiddo. Why didnt you said anything before?"
"Must have slipped my mind."
"Daria, this is great news. Please tell us how it happened," Helen said.
"Well it's pretty simple. After having a psychological examination, Dr. Manson has asked me to stay in her office. We talked a bit and at the end she told me that I'll only attended AP classes. I must say I am relieved. At last someone has noticed what I am worth," said Daria throwing a swipe at her parents.
"But why did Dr. Manson ask you to stay?" Jake asked.
"Well, I think it is due to the fact that Quinn told her that I'm depressed."
"WHAT? " shouted Helen. "Quinn is this true?"
"No. She's lying," Quinn lied.
"Quinn, I want the truth. Don't force us to call the school. Right Jake?"
"Well, here ... I gotta go throw out the garbage." Having said this, Jake ran out of the kitchen.
"Jake wait!" cried Helen. "However Quinn, tomorrow I'll call the school and if I find out ... "
At that moment the phone rang again.
"Hello," Helen said with anger in her voice.
"Oh, hi Eric, excuse me if I sound rude, but could you call back?... What? But that's absurd! This is not an acceptable proposal," Helen said as she went out from the kitchen, still talking into the phone.
Quinn laughed. "You tried to get me in trouble, Daria, but once again I've escaped. "
The doorbell rang and Quinn jumped up from the table."That's my date . Bye bye." she said with derision as she left the kitchen.
Left alone, Daria got up and went to her room. Experience had taught her that Quinn wouldn't have received a punishment and that soon the whole thing would have been forgotten by her parents.
Well, new life, same as the old life, Daria thought. But then she remembered Andrea and Jane and a smile appeared on her lips.No, not this time.
THE END