The Ruin of Quinn
"No, no, no!", Quinn stomped her foot hastily on the floors of Lawndale's crowded halls. Of course while every other student watched out for head on collisions, she knew her preppy, pretty girl status kept her clear of anyone's accidentally bumping into her. It seemed as if she stood inside of an invisible, spacious barrier which separated her from society. That being popular and everything else."It's cleanse, tone, THEN moisturize! How many times do I have to tell you?"
The three girls who stood before her nodded in amazed and adoring succession towards their mentor. Helen on the far left had been writing it all down word for word, she knew a moment like this was far too rare to take for granted. Christy in the middle cast a blank, faintly comprehending look towards Quinn, yet she must have been drowning in the fact of mere association. Tran on the far right darted her eyes from here to there, lifting her finger up to her face every now and then to scratch a blackhead or whatever mess lay within her skin.
"Wow Quinn. You're so smart. How do you know all these things?" exclaimed Christy who'd finally waken up from her trance. She took a few steps towards Quinn, Quinn took a few back. Ah, inferior realizes where she stands and leaves superior to stay at her desirable distance. "Well I'm so glad you took the time to share your beauty knowledge with us. Oh but it's not a surprise at all that you should know so much I mean you ARE beautiful!"
"I am aren't I?", Quinn replied acting as if she had never in her entire life known or thought so. She looked around the hall and saw the fashion club nearing her from the distance. Have to get away from these freaks, she thought to herself. "I have to go now. Urm... Remember my advice and like... Well bye."
At that Quinn walked towards her group and resumed the day in her usual, airy manner. The three girls giggled uncontrollably with excitement at her departing them.
"I'll never forget her advice!", Christy yelped as her hands shook wildly.
"At least I was smart enough to write it down!", Helen closed her notebook and started away from the two.
Daria and Jane happened to be walking nearby and heard what the commotion was all about. Daria snorted and mumbled one of her common remarks on behalf of her sister. It's faint sound reached Jane's ear and she turned to Daria.
"Do you ever get jealous of Quinn, Daria?", Jane's words were reluctant yet almost willingly said. Though she wished she hadn't said this when Daria reddened with a look indistinguishable between disbelief and anger.
"WHAT did you say?", her already reddish face nearly turned to pure crimson. People began to look at her and whispered insults began to echo throughout the hall. "How can I possibly be jealous of her? What does she have that I don't?
Jane flashed one of those mocking looks and Daria realized Quinn had more than she could possibly want. That is, if she wanted it. In this case, she didn't have the slightest wish.
"It's just a hypothetical question. No need to get hysterical. Calm down," Jane patted her on the shoulder and Daria's face returned to it's normal, bland color. But her eyes remained insulted, she'd never been asked such a thing in her life.
"Maybe if I wanted to be pretty and popular I'd be jealous of her," Daria protested and reddened once again. Although this time, to a tolerable shade. She bit the inside of her mouth and let out a sigh. "Do you actually think I'm shallow?"
"No it's just that well...", Jane was stopped short as Daria advanced ahead and walked abruptly into Physics class.
Jane looked at the ground for a moment then seeing a school authority emerging from the end of the hall she began to quicken her pace as well.
* * * * *
Jealous. Jealous of Quinn. Why would I be jealous of Quinn?, Daria thought as she searched for something edible in the refrigerator. She snatched a jello cup and opened the dishwasher to get a spoon. The phone suddenly rang and it startled her making her drop her jello. Quinn stormed into the kitchen and answered it. Daria groaned and bended down to recover her snack. She sat herself at the table and began to take small spoonfuls out of it.
"Well.. no.. not really.. Yeah I'm sure," Quinn ran her fingers through her long auburn hair which fell down to her hips. For a minute Daria took the time to actually look at her sister while she ignored her mindless chatter. She was beautiful. Pretty face, shiny hair, clear skin, and to top it all off she had a nice body. She stared at Quinn's bust for a second or two, and felt compelled to look down at hers, although not quite pleased. Daria ran two fingers through her hair, but it stopped short in a tangle. Then it happened, she never thought it would but it did. Daria actually envied Quinn. A strange, unknown feeling stirred inside of her. It was the worst feeling she had ever known, it rendered her helpless and irritated. Quinn finally hung up the phone and glanced at Daria who looked down and depressed. "Is there something wrong, Daria?". For once there seemed to be a hint of sisterly affection in Quinn's voice.
"Wrong? Funny you should even know of the word, Quinn," Daria stopped eating and slowly got up from her chair. "Considering it never had anything to do with your life."
"Just because I look seemingly perfect doesn't mean I don't have my own problems," Quinn pouted and placed her hand on her hip. In an effort to look intimidating, she looked like the next Cosmopolitan cover girl.
"Oh really? What kind of problems?", Daria sneered and looked up at Quinn. She cursed her giant platforms, they were pretty much the same height without them. "When mascara clumps on the wand? When you accidentally curl your hair in the wrong way? When you can't decide on what you want to wear?"
Quinn wished to disagree but she couldn't deny that it was all so true. Those were her only problems. Nothing else concerned her half as much as how she presented herself. To her, image was everything. Her eyes blurred a bit and in as much as a minute tears began to gather in her lashes and slowly streamed down her cheek. Daria expected black streaks but to her surprised Quinn hadn't been wearing makeup at the moment. Daria sighed and began to apologize but Quinn pushed past her and ran upstairs.
"It just isn't fair...", Daria muttered to herself as she threw away the barely eaten jello. "She acts like she's queen of the world. I tell her so and she can't even answer to her own ill behavior."
That night Daria could hardly sleep. On her way back from the bathroom she stood near Quinn's door and listened. Faint, choking sobs obviously muffled from a pillow could be heard. Remorse swept Daria's heart and she knocked on the door. No reply. She turned the knob in hopes of opening it. Locked. Another sigh and off to her room she went.
The room felt stuffier as usual. It hadn't been aired out for quite awhile. She thought of what she said to Quinn. It was harsh but at the same time true. I just wish she could feel how it is to be unpopular, thought Daria as a yawn escaped her lips, then she'd know how hard it is. A few more thoughts regarding Quinn and Daria fell asleep.
The next morning she woke up to a scream loud enough to shatter all the windows in the house.
What happens next awaits you in Chapter 2. Coming soon.
"No, no, no!", Quinn stomped her foot hastily on the floors of Lawndale's crowded halls. Of course while every other student watched out for head on collisions, she knew her preppy, pretty girl status kept her clear of anyone's accidentally bumping into her. It seemed as if she stood inside of an invisible, spacious barrier which separated her from society. That being popular and everything else."It's cleanse, tone, THEN moisturize! How many times do I have to tell you?"
The three girls who stood before her nodded in amazed and adoring succession towards their mentor. Helen on the far left had been writing it all down word for word, she knew a moment like this was far too rare to take for granted. Christy in the middle cast a blank, faintly comprehending look towards Quinn, yet she must have been drowning in the fact of mere association. Tran on the far right darted her eyes from here to there, lifting her finger up to her face every now and then to scratch a blackhead or whatever mess lay within her skin.
"Wow Quinn. You're so smart. How do you know all these things?" exclaimed Christy who'd finally waken up from her trance. She took a few steps towards Quinn, Quinn took a few back. Ah, inferior realizes where she stands and leaves superior to stay at her desirable distance. "Well I'm so glad you took the time to share your beauty knowledge with us. Oh but it's not a surprise at all that you should know so much I mean you ARE beautiful!"
"I am aren't I?", Quinn replied acting as if she had never in her entire life known or thought so. She looked around the hall and saw the fashion club nearing her from the distance. Have to get away from these freaks, she thought to herself. "I have to go now. Urm... Remember my advice and like... Well bye."
At that Quinn walked towards her group and resumed the day in her usual, airy manner. The three girls giggled uncontrollably with excitement at her departing them.
"I'll never forget her advice!", Christy yelped as her hands shook wildly.
"At least I was smart enough to write it down!", Helen closed her notebook and started away from the two.
Daria and Jane happened to be walking nearby and heard what the commotion was all about. Daria snorted and mumbled one of her common remarks on behalf of her sister. It's faint sound reached Jane's ear and she turned to Daria.
"Do you ever get jealous of Quinn, Daria?", Jane's words were reluctant yet almost willingly said. Though she wished she hadn't said this when Daria reddened with a look indistinguishable between disbelief and anger.
"WHAT did you say?", her already reddish face nearly turned to pure crimson. People began to look at her and whispered insults began to echo throughout the hall. "How can I possibly be jealous of her? What does she have that I don't?
Jane flashed one of those mocking looks and Daria realized Quinn had more than she could possibly want. That is, if she wanted it. In this case, she didn't have the slightest wish.
"It's just a hypothetical question. No need to get hysterical. Calm down," Jane patted her on the shoulder and Daria's face returned to it's normal, bland color. But her eyes remained insulted, she'd never been asked such a thing in her life.
"Maybe if I wanted to be pretty and popular I'd be jealous of her," Daria protested and reddened once again. Although this time, to a tolerable shade. She bit the inside of her mouth and let out a sigh. "Do you actually think I'm shallow?"
"No it's just that well...", Jane was stopped short as Daria advanced ahead and walked abruptly into Physics class.
Jane looked at the ground for a moment then seeing a school authority emerging from the end of the hall she began to quicken her pace as well.
* * * * *
Jealous. Jealous of Quinn. Why would I be jealous of Quinn?, Daria thought as she searched for something edible in the refrigerator. She snatched a jello cup and opened the dishwasher to get a spoon. The phone suddenly rang and it startled her making her drop her jello. Quinn stormed into the kitchen and answered it. Daria groaned and bended down to recover her snack. She sat herself at the table and began to take small spoonfuls out of it.
"Well.. no.. not really.. Yeah I'm sure," Quinn ran her fingers through her long auburn hair which fell down to her hips. For a minute Daria took the time to actually look at her sister while she ignored her mindless chatter. She was beautiful. Pretty face, shiny hair, clear skin, and to top it all off she had a nice body. She stared at Quinn's bust for a second or two, and felt compelled to look down at hers, although not quite pleased. Daria ran two fingers through her hair, but it stopped short in a tangle. Then it happened, she never thought it would but it did. Daria actually envied Quinn. A strange, unknown feeling stirred inside of her. It was the worst feeling she had ever known, it rendered her helpless and irritated. Quinn finally hung up the phone and glanced at Daria who looked down and depressed. "Is there something wrong, Daria?". For once there seemed to be a hint of sisterly affection in Quinn's voice.
"Wrong? Funny you should even know of the word, Quinn," Daria stopped eating and slowly got up from her chair. "Considering it never had anything to do with your life."
"Just because I look seemingly perfect doesn't mean I don't have my own problems," Quinn pouted and placed her hand on her hip. In an effort to look intimidating, she looked like the next Cosmopolitan cover girl.
"Oh really? What kind of problems?", Daria sneered and looked up at Quinn. She cursed her giant platforms, they were pretty much the same height without them. "When mascara clumps on the wand? When you accidentally curl your hair in the wrong way? When you can't decide on what you want to wear?"
Quinn wished to disagree but she couldn't deny that it was all so true. Those were her only problems. Nothing else concerned her half as much as how she presented herself. To her, image was everything. Her eyes blurred a bit and in as much as a minute tears began to gather in her lashes and slowly streamed down her cheek. Daria expected black streaks but to her surprised Quinn hadn't been wearing makeup at the moment. Daria sighed and began to apologize but Quinn pushed past her and ran upstairs.
"It just isn't fair...", Daria muttered to herself as she threw away the barely eaten jello. "She acts like she's queen of the world. I tell her so and she can't even answer to her own ill behavior."
That night Daria could hardly sleep. On her way back from the bathroom she stood near Quinn's door and listened. Faint, choking sobs obviously muffled from a pillow could be heard. Remorse swept Daria's heart and she knocked on the door. No reply. She turned the knob in hopes of opening it. Locked. Another sigh and off to her room she went.
The room felt stuffier as usual. It hadn't been aired out for quite awhile. She thought of what she said to Quinn. It was harsh but at the same time true. I just wish she could feel how it is to be unpopular, thought Daria as a yawn escaped her lips, then she'd know how hard it is. A few more thoughts regarding Quinn and Daria fell asleep.
The next morning she woke up to a scream loud enough to shatter all the windows in the house.
What happens next awaits you in Chapter 2. Coming soon.