"Uh-oh," Jane muttered. "Trouble at two o'clock."
"What's the matter?" Tom Sloane was curious. He never saw his girlfriend so nervous.
"Nothing. Let's just get out of there."
"Jane, I'm not going..."
"Please, Tom!" Jane was almost begging.
When they were outside the club and Rustmobile started with a cough, Tom turned to Jane, "So what's the big deal? You looked like you saw a horde of hungry zombies."
"Worse. I've seen Military Club."
"Come again?"
"Military Club," Jane said through clenched teeth.
It took a lot of time and prodding to convince Jane to talk. According to her, a new girl who just moved to Lawndale from Texas, was pressured by her parents into joining one of the clubs. But she wasn't interested in anything Lawndale High could offer. Instead she started her own club.
"I don't understand what's so special with a bunch of boys and girls practicing hand-to-hand combat and shooting each other with paintball guns?"
"Girls. It's girls only club. That's how she convinced Lee in the first place - she used Mrs. Barch as mediator."
At first the new club wasn't noticed by the majority of students, but then the head cheerleader Brittany Taylor shocked everybody by throwing away her pom-poms and joining Military Club.
Jane finished with lopsided smile, "Cheerleading squad is still fighting for her former position. But Brittany is as popular as before, even more. I have to admit - guys really dig chicks in uniform."
His eyes grew wider as Jane recounted the accomplishments of Military Club. The most impressive were the visit of mercenary General Conroy, the destruction of Fashion Club (it imploded after Stacy Rowe was caught reading Sun Tsu) and the arrest of Principal Lee after Military Club secretly gathered the evidence of her embezzling school funds.
"Fascinating. What about the girl who started it?" Tom felt there's more.
Jane's voice was colorless as she replied, "Her name is Daria Morgendorffer. She was my best friend."
"Was?"
"I had a choice - my art or the duties as Coordination Officer. I thought Daria understood that art is my life. She is a writer, if she can't understand, who can?"
"Let me guess. She couldn't."
"She kicked me out of the Club, I became even bigger outcast than before, and she refused to tutor me at math anymore. Thanks to her I had C+' with occasional B's, now I'm struggling with C'."
Jane looked at Tom, her blue eyes were red. She had been crying.
"I'm tired, Tom, I'm so tired. And I'm scared. Daria is stubborn as mule and vengeful. Everything is black and white, with us or against us. What if she decides to make an example of me? What if something happens to Trent?"
"Is she really that bad?"
"Her grandfather was Mad Dog Morgendorffer, and the apple doesn't fall far from tree."
On the other side of parking lot a pair of eyes was watching Jane and her boyfriend intently. "Dire" Daria Morgendorffer felt a twinge of regret.
Regret is a weakness you can't afford. You can't be weak. You are Morgendorffer.
"Traitor!" she heard the hiss of "Blondie" Brittany Taylor, Vice-President of Military Club. "What are we gonna do about her, D?"
"Nothing. Fear is a powerful weapon; Lane is already a nervous wreck. I doubt we'll see her at graduation ceremony."
"Graduation?" Andrea Hecuba, the Intelligence Officer, chuckled. "Fat chance. I've heard from my mole in self-esteem class that Lane flunked her math test... again."
"Serves her right! Traitor!" Brittany's blue eyes were full of righteous anger.
"We are NOT talking about Lane anymore," Daria ordered, "Hecuba, keep an eye on her, just in case. I want the anniversary of Military Club to be flawless. Granddad promised to come and see it."
Military Club was ecstatic and unaware of a whirlwind of emotions behind their leader's steel mask.
I'm true Morgendorffer, not a spineless coward like my father. No weakness, no hesitation, no emotions to cloud your judgment.

I'll make Granddad proud.


Author's Note: this short story was response to Iron Chef's challenge Mad Dog Gets Therapy.