"Ms. Morgendorffer, it is your third year in the education program, and even though it is
only your minor, we do require that you become a teacher's assistant."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. We strongly recommend that you chose a path that has something to do with
your course of study. Like maybe English, seeing as you are in a journalism major."
"Can I do this at my old high school?"
"Well yes, but we do have some great professors here at Raft."
"No thank you, I would like to work back at my old high school if that is possible."
"Of course, I will have a list of teachers drawn up by the end of the day."
"Great, I'll call the parents and tell them I am coming home."
"Jake, Daria will be here any minute. What on earth are you doing?"
"I'm building a ship in a bottle!"
"Well stop."
"Mom, Dad, I'm home."
Helen rushed to the door to greet her daughter with a giant hug. "Welcome home
sweetie."
"Hey, kiddo."
"Hi, Mom. Could you let go?"
"Sorry, it's just so exiting that you are home."
"Daria, why did you choose to come back here to learn to teach?"
"Well Dad, I figured that if I could handle the brain dead morons of Lawndale High, I
could handle any student."
"Well, you room is just the way you left it." Helen said with a smile.
"I would hope so. I just left for college two weeks ago."
Her mother laughed nervously as Daria headed up the stairs.
Daria set her bags down as she looked at her bedroom. Padding still on the walls, just the
way she left it when she headed off to Raft. Tomorrow she would be back at Lawndale
High, the thought sent shivers down her spine. Working with the teachers that she hasn't
seen in three years and actually having to teach the students. It all made her wonder why
she chose education as a fall back.
Opening her closet she looked at all her old clothes. Just the difference in them showed
how much she had changed. At college she had many friends, worked hard, and a few
guys showed interest in her too. Just being in a different atmosphere had her change the
way she looked and acted. Being around people that liked her for her intelligence made
her more open. Wondering what the next day had in store, she plopped down on her bed
and started writing an email to Jane.
Monday morning hit her like a ton of bricks, with her alarm going off at 6 A.M.
Groaning, she pulled herself out of bed. Sifting through her clothes she wondered if she
should wear the clothes she always wore in high school. 'No, I want to be a little different
then what they remember,' she thought to herself. After finding simple clothes she
headed downstairs to grab coffee. Since her first year of college coffee had become her
best friend. As she poured herself a cup her mother rushed into the kitchen.
"Oh, hi Daria, I've got a big case and have to head into the office early. Being partner is a
big responsibility. Your dad and I packed you a lunch."
"Thank you. Now I get to head out and look at the blank mindless faces of tomorrow, in a
history class room."
"That's great. Have fun. Bye."
This coffee smells really good, she thought as she downed the last of it. Grabbing her bag
she headed out the door.
Lawndale was just the way she remembered. She felt out of place, like she was pulled
back in time. She could almost here the Fashion Club, or Brittany and Kevin arguing. She
somewhat expected Jane to just pop out of the shadows, and start walking down the hall
with her. Shaking her head to get rid of these thoughts, she headed towards Ms. Li's
office. When she entered she was startled by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"Hello, Ms. Morgendorffer, and welcome back to Lawndale High."
"Hello, Ms. Li, Mr. DeMartino."
The two looked the same, except that they both seemed to have gotten more gray hair.
"We would like to remind you that you are being graded on this, and the school now has
new rules in place."
'God, she is still a tyrant,' Daria thought as Ms. Li continued.
"One of them is, we would like you to hand over your bag for a search."
Daria let out a sigh and pulled her bag off her shoulder. Ms. Li seemed to take to much
pleasure in searching through her things, and showed a look of disappointment when she
found nothing. "All seems to be well. Now I will hand you over to Mr. DeMartino."
"I trust you remember where the class room is."
"Yes."
"Good, then follow me," he said, leading her out of the principal's office.
"Now Ms. Morgendorffer, why did you decide to do this class at Lawndale?"
"Well, teaching is my fall back, and I figured Lawndale is the best place to meet the brain
dead first hand."
"You still have your wit about you."
Daria smirked. He held open the door to the class room, and motioned for her to enter.
"The students, if you could call them that, are to arrive soon, just enough time for me to
fill you in."
"Sounds good."
"You will make lesson plans, grade papers and attend faculty meetings."
"Anything else?"
"Nothing I can think of at the moment."
Daria nodded and headed over to the desk that was set up for her. As she was pulling
things out of her bag she remembered, 'There will be no Kevin or the Fashion Club.'
Soon a smile was sneaking across her face.
"What are you so happy about?"
"There will be no Kevin."
"Don't get your hopes up. The new Quarter Back is just as bad." he seethed.
'Could the students get anymore stupid?" Daria thought as the lunch bell rang. Mr.
DeMartino sat down heavily behind his desk. He looked overly stressed, Daria felt
obligated to do something. She had never seen her teacher like this, it was different.
"I'm heading to the teachers room for lunch, want to come?"
"Sorry, Ms. Morgendorffer, I don't eat the food this hell serves."
"Neither do I. I have an extra sandwich you can have."
He looked up to her face. It was stoic, not betraying anything. "Alright, Ms.
Morgendorffer."
In the faculty lunch room Timothy O'Neil and Janet Barch were sitting close together on
one side of the table.
"Hello."
"Why Daria, I heard you were back. It's so exiting to see you," Mr. O'Neil exclaimed.
"Daria, why you would want to work for a man, I'll never know," Ms. Barch said eying
her up as she handed Mr. DeMartino her sandwich.
Daria chuckled quietly, as it seemed this school would never change. Almost like these
people were stuck in time. The constant bickering went on as Daria was left to her
musings.
"So Daria, I thought that you were studying journalism," Mr. O'Neil commented.
"I'm an education minor."
"But wouldn't you have rather been an English teachers assistant?" He said with a
hopeful look in his eye.
"Well, Mr. O'Neil," She was trying to think of a way to put it gently. "I study so much of
the English language, and even though I am here, I still have to take my journalism
classes. I figured that English would be too stressful."
"Oh yes, I can see how that would be taxing for you. If you need any help with your
classes, I'm always here for you," he said with a large smile.
"Well, Tim, lunch is almost over and there is something that I would like to show you in
my class room."
"Alright, well good bye Anthony, Daria."
"Hurry it up, Skinny!"
Daria let out a laugh. She couldn't believe that relationship was still going on. Anthony
DeMartino looked at his assistant, like he never looked at her before.
"You have changed quite a bit Ms. Morgendorffer."
She stared at him blankly. "Three years at Raft will do that to a person, along with
writing for their newspaper."
"Really, what do you write?"
"I cover political stories, and I do an advice column."
"You give advice?"
"The editor wanted someone with a dry wit to write it, so he chose me."
It had been two weeks sense she had started her work at the high school, and everything
seemed to be going smoothly. She had already met with Trent a few times, and was
invited to the next Mystik Spiral concert that Saturday. Working with Mr. DeMartino was
too hard for her. He reminded her of her father a lot, at least in his temperament. 'Most
likely he was sent to military school too,' she thought, as she read her new email from
Jane. Anthony sat at his desk and stared at Daria. She was still the same, even though she
had changed quite a bit. She still had her wit, her drive, and her sense of morals. But now
she was more a woman than a teenager. He had a burning question but didn't know quite
how to ask. Finally he mustered up the courage to walk over to her and ask
"Ms. Morgendorffer."
"Yes?" She said looking up from her laptop
"Have you ever had any babysitting experience?"
"A few times, why?"
"I was wondering if you could help me tomorrow night. I have to watch my niece's
children."
"Tomorrow is Friday, so it's no problem, as long as I can bring my homework and a
cattle prod. I find that they work best when trying to get children to go to bed."
"Heh, very funny. Of course you can bring your homework. We can head to my house
right after school."