Chapter 1:
She stood atop of the large old building and watched the city below.
The busy street was illuminated by passing cars, neon shop signs and the occasional burst of color from the clubs lasers that spilled out into the night. The hypnotic, droning hum of the club's sign was silenced by the steady bass that permeated from beneath. It was well past 2a.m; the band had bowed out, the D.J had taken the stage on the lower floor and conducted the crowd within. A vision of the thrashing sweaty limbs to the synthesized melody flashed through her mind. The song itself was indecipherable from her position and she relied on the moments of musical clarity when the doors were opened and the punters spewed out onto the street. She glanced down at the latest group to exit; an intoxicated group of college students began to stagger into town.
She raised her head to the sky, she would never care to admit it; she missed many things from her home town, but the one that left her the saddest was the inability to gaze upon the bountiful, dark heavens to catch a glimpse of an elusive shooting star.
She sighed heavily and drained the remainder of her Corona and tossed the empty bottle in the makeshift bin beside her. It hit the bottom of the can with a hollow thunk; a sound that signified its solitude.
She turned and sat against the roof's edge.
What have I done?
********************
Daria sat next to Jane in the school's auditorium; it was the informal graduation assembly. Organised by the freshman years and co-ordinated by the Fashion Club, Daria had little doubt in her mind that this was going to be a complete waste of time. A majority of the the senior graduating class of Lawndale High had been involved in an 'altercation' with their rival school. The students were detained for several hours for vandalism, destruction of property and defiling of the school's cherished mascot. As punishment the senior prom had been cancelled and the formal assembly deferred indefinitely with the offending students facing expulsion.
An uprising from the student body ensued; wealthy parents backed their children; many of who were generous contributors to the school. Ms Li was forced to initiate a compromise; a prom was to be organised off campus without school involvement and the students were to give an informal assembly with graduation papers to be posted.
So far the compromise of the assembly consisted of a few in house jokes with the popular crowd and an hour long speech of the upcoming fall's fashions. Daria groaned inwardly as she slid deeper down into the moulded hard plastic chair. She grabbed Jane's wrist and glanced at her watch.
Half an hour to go
The room darkened and a large white projection sheet unfurled over the heavy red velvet curtain behind the four girls on stage.
"And now for a bit of fun." Sandi's bored voice echoed through the expansive room.
"We surveyed the school asking who you thought were the most memorable, gifted, beautiful people; this only applies to the graduating class folks- so all those votes for me were void." Quinn giggled "So without further ado. The biggest achiever, Jodie Landon." The Fashion Club applauded as a large yearbook photo was projected onto the screen behind them. "Jodie has achieved great success the past few years and has immersed herself in high school life; having been made president of like, a heap of extracurricular groups including....."
Daria closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the chair.
Maybe I can catch up on a little shut eye. Daria mused as she felt Jane do the same beside her. Daria managed quite successfully to block out the whiny drone of her sister's voice, as it continued down the list.
"And finally most clichéd; Daria Morgendorffer, original ice queen a friendless bookworm." Sandi's spiteful tongue brought Daria out of her slump. She cautiously sat upright in her chair as she listened; unable to intervene.
"In a school of Jocks, Cheerleaders, Beauty queens, Sluts, Emos and Geeks, Daria has been voted by her peers as the biggest cliché." She finished with a throaty hack of a laugh and sneered to the audience before regaining her composure.
Daria had fled the darkened hall and rushed down the empty corridor, unable to bear witness to the remainder of the scathing review.
A large knot began to grow in her stomach; slowly it clawed its way to her throat. She swallowed hard in a bid to abate it, however her body had betrayed her; her mouth was dry and the knot rose slowly. Her face throbbed as the anger pulsed through her veins; it burned like battery acid, her hands shook and her jaw clenched, before her clouded brain had time to register what she was doing she was running.