"Can you believe it!" Finn was extremely excited when the family sat down at the dinner table. "It's so incredible I can barely breathe."

"We only need to push him over the edge. All together now." Daria sniped. She was in no mood for her brother's cheerfulness tonight.

"Oh, come on, Daria, even you can't see the bad about this new mall. The Mall of the Millenium, can you believe it. It's practically the largest mall in the country!"

"It's also almost two hours away, Finn." Helen lectured. "You can get all of your shopping done at the mall in town anyway."

"Not all of it. I mean, most of the things I wear on my dates can be gotten there, but a lot of the more casual stuff aren't sold just anywhere, and the stuff that is there just doesn't fit well. I mean, I have a very particular waist and it needs a well-tailored pair of camo pants." Finn protested "You can't just wear the cheap stuff."

"Finn, you're not going." Helen delivered.

"But it could be a reward! I mean, we're cleaning house in football." Finn pleaded. It had been about a month since Brittany's party, and Finn's life was a blur of parties and dates. Homecoming would be coming shortly, and Finn was already finalizing plans for Aunt Rita to attend, all without his mother's knowledge, of course. If Finn planned this well, Mom and Aunt Rita would never see each other. Those two feuded far worse than he argued with Daria, for at least Daria would just say something Finn wouldn't understand and shut up. No matter how many times Finn begged them, neither of the two would back down from each other.

"And just wait until November, Dad." Finn turned to Jake, whom he hoped would be his ally in this. "The guys and I have been practicing our fighting. When you see me in the ring, you're gonna be proud." Finn chuckled. Joey was an incredibly destructive, if crude, fighter, and he knew how to knock people out. Although Jamie and Jeffy weren't planning on joining the boxing team, the three men sparred frequently, and Finn found himself learning many new ways to fight effectively. Those three liked to fight, that much was true, and Finn found himself enjoying the fun, if a little off-put by Jeffy's extremely competitive nature, and Joey's violent one.

"I'm already proud, son." Jake praised.

"And you know, the mall doesn't have to be just about me, Dad. I'd actually love it if we went together. You know I think blue is a good color for you, but I think we can really bring out your jawline and complement your hair with a tea green shirt and a navy jacket. I can smell the clients." Jake's eyebrow raised.

"From what I've read, there's a store there for every sport you can think of. I know you've been looking for new clubs." Finn smiled genuinely. Although his principal goal was to get to the mall, he would have been delighted to help out his father choose a new wardrobe. A happy Jake always made Finn feel good inside. Jake actually looked intrigued. He looked at Helen, who returned his gaze with a fierce iron stare.

"Absolutely not." Helen returned.

"C'mon, Mom. I'm sure you'd dazzle the courtroom with..." Finn started, but Helen glared at him.

"It's not going to work, Finn." Helen returned. "We'll talk about it after you bring up your grade point average."

"Grade point average?" Jake asked.

"Agh!" Finn left the table in a huff.

Finn seethed in his room for a moment. How could his family not want to go to a mall like this. Even Daria would be bound to find something to interest her; there had to be bookstores of some kind there. But Daria would say she didn't want to go just to screw with him.

"Dammit." It always ended like this. No fun could be had at all with Helen Morgendorffer around. He briefly thought of calling Aunt Rita, but she wasn't going to be home. He just had to go, this was the shopping experience of the millennium, and he wasn't about to let something measly like his grade point average or his mother get in the way of it.

"Besides, she wouldn't let me go even if I had Daria's perfect grades. I gotta think of my own way to do this. But how?"

At school the next day, Finn decided, after booking a date with Tanya Crawford, that his buddies would be the best person to ask. Both Joey and Jeffy had cars, but, given that it was a hundred miles away, the group of them would have had to skip school to actually go there. That didn't bother Finn, he had skipped school a few times back in Highland. He didn't do it often, Lord knows his mother would have gotten suspicious, but perhaps three times a trimester, Finn would take a "mental health day." This was a perfect time to take one.

The real hard part would be getting the guys to skip. They did worse on their schoolwork than Finn did, and they may not have been able to afford it. And Finn had no idea if the guys would be interested in going to the mall. It wasn't as if there wouldn't be something for them to do; there were plenty of sporting goods stores and a huge-ass arcade.

But would they go for that? It couldn't hurt to ask.

"Dude, no way!" Joey stated once the group was in study hall. He didn't want to talk about it in class lest someone else eavesdrop on his plans. If Daria found out, Finn would be in hot water.

"Come on, dudes, it'll be fun. Skipping school, hitting the mall, scoping out the honeys." He asided the last one to Jamie, who was governed by all things girl-related.

"I've already been there." Jeffy stated. "It's not that great. I got so lost there it took me thirty minutes to find out where I parked."

"Hey, with all of us going, we could find it easy." Finn stated.

"Sorry, dude." Jamie stated. "It's not worth the risk. If my parents find out, I'm dead. They'd never listen to me if I was caught. Or anytime."

"Well, I guess I don't want to get you all in trouble with your folks. Don't worry about it, then." Finn sighed. He got up in order to get himself a soda. As he was at the machine, he was approached by none other than Sandi Griffin.

"Finn, I couldn't help but overhear. I understand you want to go to that new mall, the Mall of the Millennium."

"Yeah, but it looks like I'm outta luck. I'm not gonna ask my buddies to get in trouble for me if they don't want to."

"Finn, you don't have to worry. I was planning on doing the same thing with the Fashion Club. After all, staying on top of all the latest trends is more important than Mr. O'Neill mixing up the seating charts and thinking Tiffany was that disgusting weird girl you know." Finn chuckled.

"So it would just be us four?" Finn asked.

"Actually, there would be five, we got this guy I know to give us a ride there in his car. I'm certain we can make room for one more. After all, I do have the smallest waist and butt of all the girls in the club. I think Stacy needs to increase her workouts."

There was no way in hell Sandi was the thinnest in the club, but Finn let it slide. A trip to the new mall was here, and no one would be the wiser.

"I've called this meeting of the Fashion Club to order." After school, Sandi Griffin spoke to the two other members of the Fashion Club. Stacy eagerly sat and took notes, while Tiffany vacantly looked in a mirror and applied her eyeliner.

"I've invited someone else to join us on our trip to the Mall of the Millennium."

"Is it Brooke?" Stacy asked.

"Stacy...no." Tiffany stated. The pigtailed girl whimpered.

"Gee, Stacy, you must think that an outing with the Fashion Club can be given to anyone. Brooke has potential, but she is not even a junior member of the Fashion Club. No, I am of course talking about the handsome Finn Morgendorffer."

"Oh, really!" Stacy was enchanted.

"Of course, Stacy. Clearly a stylish man like Finn would definitely want to keep his wardrobe current. After all, it's not like Finn would wear something that was dated." Sandi emphasized the last syllable to make Stacy whimper again, reminded her of some of the things Stacy still kept in her closet.

"Maybe...he'll want to shop...for us." Tiffany did not take her eyes off of the mirror.

"Such desperation is not attractive, Tiffany. It makes you look like a golddigger." Sandi chided again. Now both women were in their place.

"I have a plan." Sandi stated. "There is an absolutely fantastic salon at the mall. We'll schedule hair and nail appointments for all three of us, and stagger the times so that Finn will be with each one of us. After all, Finn needs to know not only the Fashion Club, but it's members."

"Oh, Sandi, that's a great idea. You're so smart!" Stacy gushed. Sandi smiled.

"These two won't know what hit them. You're all mine, Finn." Sandi thought to herself. The first phase of her plan was complete.

When the day rolled around to hit the mall, Finn was eager. His parents and Daria would have already left for work or school, and he'd take a leisurely stroll to Sandi's house. Once all were assembled, they would head out to the mall and arrive around ten. Apparently, the girls had scheduled a day of beauty, but since their appointments overlapped, he'd have about half an hour with each of them individually.

This was perfect. The Fashion Club, like many other girls, had been sending him gifts like the others, but they were all generic things. Team t-shirts, flowers, and those sorts of things. They hadn't dated him yet, so he didn't blame them. But now was the time to remedy that. After all, if the girls knew his dimensions, they'd know exactly what clothes to pick out.

"Neck, sleeve, height, waist, inseam. I think that should do it." Finn thought. These girls were clearly looking to score some points with him, and he wasn't about to begrudge them that. He just hoped they were more interesting in person than they were as a group.

"What will you do, Stacy?" The pigtailed Stacy Rowe had been on Finn's mind a lot lately, moreso after Brittany's party. There was no doubt in his mind that Stacy was nice. Pleasant and friendly, she was the only one of the Fashion Club to directly engage Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie, and had a unique nice thing to say about each of them, even though she was obviously more interested in Finn himself. But she clammed up so quickly whenever Sandi so much as breathed in her general direction. Finn had tried to speak to her alone before, but whenever he tried, Stacy clammed up just as easily, and when she did speak, ended up saying something stupid, and then immediately started belittling herself.

Finn had no desire to date her, that he knew. But he had no desire to string her along like he did for the other girls. Other girls played games and tried to manipulate men into fighting for them, causing havoc and pain merely because they wanted to feel hot. But not Stacy, Stacy would never let people fight.

"I suppose I'll figure that out when we get to the mall."

Finn wanted the drive to the mall to be quiet, and for the most part, the girls obliged. Tiffany was too busy applying her makeup to notice anything else in the world. Stacy was smiling pleasantly in the backseat, clearly enjoying the idea of spending the day together with the group. Sandi was surprisingly very quiet, which was the biggest mystery of all. Normally, Sandi was sniping or flirting. While the quiet was not unwelcome, it was a little terrifying.

Finn had never met the fifth member of the party, and he declined to speak or even introduce himself.

"Must be a hell of a conditioning, Sandi." Finn chuckled to himself. Finn rode shotgun and tried to mull over what clothes he wanted to garner out of this trip. At first, Finn offered Sandi shotgun, as this was her trip, but she declined, and gave it, surprisingly, to Stacy, off all people.

"After all, we'll want to save as much space as possible since there will be three of us sitting in the back. I think the largest of us should get her own seat." Sandi's statement had made Stacy whimper so much, it actually pissed Finn off.

"It's a nice compliment." Finn was able to calm himself down. "But I've got the biggest butt out of all of us. It's okay, I'll admit it. Why don't I take the front, then?" Although Finn's statement did not calm down Stacy, he didn't intend to at the time. After all, Sandi would probably just shoot her with another snipe if he did.

"It's huger than I could have ever imagined." Finn noted. The mall was freaking gigantic, easily the largest building Finn had ever seen.

"I didn't even think that many stores existed." Tiffany stated.

"It's beautiful." Stacy actually looked to have tears in her eyes.

"Let's stop by the salon first." Sandi stated. "That's the only set plan we have today."

"Good idea." Finn stated, as he picked up a map. His lip started to tremble as he read it.

"I have no clue where anything is." Finn wondered if he was even holding the map right side up.

"I can help you!" Stacy came in close to look at the map.

"We're going to Scissor Wizard, which is area 4, section burgundy, level 4. You should really get a burgundy bandana, Finn, it would make the perfect neck accessory!"

"Stacy, you are going to make us late." Sandi stated. "I believe that the Fashion Club has already had a meeting regarding the importance of punctuality the last time Finn joined us." Stacy whimpered yet again.

"And besides." Sandi stepped closer to Finn and placed a finger on his neck. "It should be quite obvious that alizarin would be a more appropriate color for Finn. Burgundy is so dated."

"Yeah...don't you know that?" Tiffany stated.

"Weren't there going to be hair appointments?" Finn asked. This had gone on long enough. He lead the way into the mall, briefly forgetting he still had absolutely no idea how to get to the store.

The appointments had been scheduled so that Tiffany was to go first at the salon. Stacy's appointment was booked very close to Tiffany's, which meant Stacy had to wait in the salon. After everything was clear wit h the sylists, Finn and Sandi left the store.

"Where shall we go first?" Finn asked.

"There is a marvelous store that sells high quality accessories only in the colors black and white. I need to pick up a new purse, and I'm certain there will be much we can get for you, Finn."

"I have been wanting a new scarf."

"The art of scarves is lost on men today. I am so glad to see that it is still alive. Let's waste no more time." Sandi led Finn down a veritable maze of hallways and finally led him to a store called White Horse, Black Box. True to it's name, it carried nothing other than the colors black and white.

"May I help you?" A woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in a black business suit and a set of white pearls, addressed the duo.

"Why, certainly. The two of us are looking for a few accessories." Sandi, to Finn's surprise, was actually polite to the woman.

"Look no further, the two of you are in the right place. Looking to be a matching couple?" The woman asked.

"My friend Sandi is looking for a new purse. I saw a few in the window as we came in." Finn quickly jumped in. He did not want this woman, even though he did not know her name, and he might not ever see her again, to think that he and Sandi were an item.

"Certainly. Let me get a few for you. Please, take a seat, help yourself to some water." The woman darted off, and the two took a seat.

"Wow, Finn, you are such a gentleman. Normally when I am out with Stacy and Tiffany, they always get their own accessories first. They can be so selfish at times." Sandi poured two glasses of water.

"Sandi, your mother seems to be a very professional woman." Finn commented.

"Mom is a very poised person, and I learned a lot from her." Sandi seemed genuinely, and Finn wondered if Linda Griffin was close to her daughter. Did that make her a heartless witch too?

"And your father? I never met him."

"My father is an accountant." Sandi stated.

"I think your family has a lovely house." Finn smiled at her. His charms were working in overdrive.

"Gee, Finn, you are the most considerate man I have ever met. My dates never ask me questions about me or my family." The saleswoman returned with purses.

"Here are a few made in Milan." She eagerly showed off some merchandise.

"Such a fantastic city." Sandi eagerly looked at the purses. "Unfortunately, it seems as though these purses were designed in the ghettoes there." The sales lady looked a bit aghast at Sandi's antagonistic reply.

"Uhh...Sandi, that one purse with the silver clasp would go great with a light colored dress."

"Perhaps." Sandi seemed surprisingly mellowed out when Finn spoke to her. "But the strap is too thick. Perhaps you have something similar to this one with a spaghetti strap?" The sales lady disappeared again. Finn sighed. It almost seemed as though Sandi could be halfway decent, but her total cruelty of the sales clerk set Finn the wrong way. Everyone knew that a good relationship with sales clerks led to discounts.

"Finn, it truly is a pleasure to see you have such a thorough eye." Sandi praised. "Stacy and Tiffany would never have noticed that."

"Stacy and Tiffany are not here. We don't have to discuss them." Finn replied, desperately trying to avoid the contempt Sandi had for the two of them. The sales lady returned again with a new purse.

"This is the closest one in the store." She held it up timidly. Sandi placed it on her shoulder.

"That's actually pretty good, Sandi." Finn was determined to end this quickly, lest another outburst to the sales lady make things even more insufferable.

"Very well." Sandi replied. "I think this is the best that can be done. Now, Finn, are you ready?"

"Yeah. I need a scarf, a white one, to go with an outfit I'm planning to wear on a date soon."

"What are the colors." In contrast to the associate's demeanor with Sandi, she was quite eager with Finn.

"Black and tan." Finn replied. "It looks great, but it's missing something. Needs some contrast, and it won't be accommodated with a tie. Thus, scarf."

"You do know your apparel." The woman replied. "Right this way." She led Finn over to the section with the whites, and eagerly showed him scarf after scarf. He settled on one quickly, lest Sandi evoke another response from the sales lady.

"This will be all, then." Sandi stated. "To the register, then." Sandi headed over to the register, while Finn started to fumble for his wallet.

"Finn, do not worry about the cost. It would be terribly rude of me not to treat my guest."

"Oh, Sandi." Finn smiled. "That's really not necessary. It would be bad form of a guest not to treat his host."

"I insist." Sandi returned. "After all, I do not wish your opinion of the Fashion Club to drip. Stacy and Tiffany can be quite ungracious, and I wanted to make sure you at least had somewhat of a high opinion of our class. Consider it as a thank you for being my personal shopper."

"Well, I can't let you leave completely empty-handed." Finn replied. "Tell you what, after you pick a dress for that purse, we'll head to that Italian place to show off. Just you and me."

"Oh, my, Finn, that sounds positively delightful. Let us check our schedules later." Sandi handed the clerk her mother's credit card. Finn laughed again as the two of them walked back to the boutique. Sandi was now like every other girl: shallow, vain, content to ruin others. How could the other two girls endure such insults from her? She was worse behind their backs than she was to their faces.

But it no longer mattered now. Sandi was now another gift-giver to add to the pile. Although his mercenary tactics for getting gifts was legendary, Finn sometimes knew he had to spend money in order to make money. A date for two, particularly for such a waifish girl, would be far less than the prizes received as a thank you, not to mention the later gifts he would receive as she begged for another.

Back at the salon, Sandi switched places with Tiffany. Finn had a few ideas on what else he wanted to buy, but Tiffany was only interested in checking out this mall's Cashman's and their Junior 5 division. Finn wondered if Tiffany would notice that the clothes here were the same as they were back home.

"What do you think...of my hair?" Tiffany asked once the two of them were browsing women's wear.

"It's lovely." Finn stated.

"What about...my nails." Tiffany showed up her now-styled nails.

"They're a lovely length, and the color is a good choice."

"Do you think I look good in shift dresses?" Tiffany asked.

"Uhhh...yeah, your waist works well for it."

"Should I cover my neck, or expose my neck?" Finn was starting to get annoyed with Tiffany's questions. Between her low, slow voice and her constant neurotic personal questions, Finn wondered if he had adopted an infant. Tiffany soon grabbed her selection and headed to the fitting room to try it on.

"Does this make me look fat?" Tiffany asked as she emerged from the fitting room in an orange and blue combination.

"No." Finn replied sincerely. Tiffany went back into the dressing room.

"Does this make me look fat?" Tiffany emerged in a shift dress.

"No." Finn stated. "Come on, we gotta head back." Tiffany went straight back into the dressing room.

"Do I look fat in this?" Tiffany emerged again with yet another outfit on.

"Tiffany, I gotta use the bathroom, can we hurry this up." Finn was clearly agitated with the entire experience. She stared at him vacantly as if she didn't hear him.

"No, Tiffany, you don't look fat." Finn stated. Tiffany returned to the dressing room yet again.

"You are freaking kidding me!" Finn stated. Tiffany emerged from the dressing room in half-a-dozen different outfits. By the time the 6th one came around, Finn could no longer differentiate.

"Why don't you keep on trying outfits, I've got to use the bathroom and pick up Stacy." Finn pleaded. He darted off without another word.

"No way. No. Freaking. Way. You couldn't pay me to go on a date with that bitch." Finn dashed out from the store as quickly as he could. It wasn't too hard to get away; Tiffany probably didn't even notice he had left.

Finn had dated some pretty shallow girls in his time, but this one took the cake. Even Sandi could inflect her voice and talk about other people, even in insults.

After a quick stop at the bathroom, he made a quick dash to Scissor Wizard to pick up Stacy.

"Hi, Finn." Stacy smiled. "Where's Tiffany?"

"She's...uh...still trying on something. Must be complicated. We'll get her later. Where should we go?"

"Well...what do you want to do?" Stacy reversed pleasantly.

"I think we should follow your idea. Didn't you say I needed a bandana?" Finn stated.

"Oh, that was an awful idea." Stacy said sadly. "I'm sorry, Finn, I should have known burgundy was out. I'm so stupid!"

"Hey, hey, Stacy, it's fine. I'm sure when we get to the store, you'll be able to pick it out just fine."

"Oh...but I'll just mess up, I know it." Stacy shook like a palm tree in a windstorm.

"Let's just get moving." Finn sighed. He hoped this wasn't indicative of her as a shopping partner.

Bandana Explosion was a store that solely marketed such headwear. Finn didn't even think it was possible to have a store that sold just that. But, sure enough, floor to ceiling was stocked with bandanas in just about every color Finn could imagine.

The sales associate was dressed garishly in a punk rocker fashion. He looked almost with disdain at the two people coming in.

"May I help you?" He asked.

"I need a bandana, I hope I'm in the right place." Finn cracked a joke, but the man did not seem amused.

"Try 'em on." The man stated. "Let me know when you're ready to purchase." Finn decided to steer away from the red-shaded bandanas, lest Stacy have another outburst.

"Let's look at blue ones." Finn stated. Stacy nodded.

"What do you like, Finn?" Stacy asked. Finn picked up bandanas in his hand, and held them against his shirt sleeve to test the colors.

"Hmmm...sapphire's nice, but I like this Air Force Blue. Which is better, Stacy?" Finn asked.

"Anything looks good on you, Finn." Stacy smiled.

"Thanks. But which looks best."

"Umm..." Stacy started to get nervous again.

"Never mind." Finn sighed. He was getting irritated.

"I'm so sorry!" Stacy apologized profusely. That was getting annoying too, Finn thought, but if he continued, she'd just be apologizing all day.

"So, Stacy, tell me something." Finn kept looking through the bandanas. "Why do you hang around the Fashion Club?"

"Because everyone loves us. We tell them what's wrong with their outfits." Stacy replied. "That's what Tiffany says, at least."

"Does Sandi always say things like she did about your choice of bandana?"

"Of course!" Stacy was cheerful, which caused Finn to cock an eyebrow. "That's how I know Sandi cares, because she's always correcting me."

"You can't be serious." Finn thought. But Stacy's eyes told Finn that yes, she was indeed.

"Stacy, when was the last time Sandi went on a date?" Finn asked. This girl had to see just how toxic her "friendship" with these girls was.

"Just last Friday." Stacy eagerly replied.

"And Tiffany?"

"Last Wednesday."

"And you?" Finn got to the question he wanted to ask. Stacy paused.

"Well...uhh...it was...oh God!" Stacy exclaimed again. "I'll never be as popular as they are! I didn't have a date on my 14th birthday!" Stacy was close to tears.

"Well, Finn, you're just on fire today." Finn chastised himself. "Go ahead, make her cry. You got time before Sandi's done."

"Look, Stacy..." Finn started, but the girl was too far gone to listen to him, sniveling him and belittling herself in a muttered tone. He had no idea what to do next; guys never acted this way. He felt genuinely bad about his careless handling of the situation. He had to get her to stop. He quickly picked both bandanas and paid for them without a word.

"Stacy, everything's all right. Here, take a look. I got the Air Force one for me, because sapphire looks better on you." He tried to placate her using the cheesiest, sappiest come-on lines he could think of. It would be a good color to match Stacy's skin tone, although it was not a good idea to wear it with this outfit..

"Really?" Stacy got out between sobs.

"Yes. Now, let's get some food. You look hungry." Finn smiled.

"Oh, God, I am fat!" Stacy moaned again. Finn slapped his hand to his head. This girl was a piece of work.

Finn didn't want to stop by the salon to get Sandi, but he realized that he would have to; she was the one who knew the guy driving. After getting her, the group settled down at the food court.

"Hey, where's Tiffany?" Stacy asked. She had cleaned herself in the bathroom, and now looked like nothing ever happened in the bandana store.

"I am certain she shall be along." Sandi was eager to minimize competition. "Stacy, I surely hope you remember your best table manners. We wouldn't want Finn to be embarrassed with your elbows on the table." Stacy left out more whimpering, her trademark noise.

"So, what're we getting?" Finn asked. He was starved, and eager to have food in Sandi's mouth, as it would stop the annoying insults. The girls went in line for salads while Finn settled for a burger and fries.

"Well, well, look who we have here." Finn heard a cold, familiar voice. He spun around fast to recognize Daria and Jane.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" Finn asked.

"What about you?" Daria returned. "We're here on a school trip."

Finn huffed. He wasn't about to get out of this one.

"We skipped school to come here." He admitted.

"Wow. Incredible. After Mom made such a big deal about your grade point average." Daria teased.

"Okay, name it. What's it going to take?"

"Wow, I never thought your brother was so direct with bribes." Jane commented.

"It's an acquired talent." Daria commented. "But sorry, you don't have anything I want. At least not something as valuable as the satisfaction of you being punished."

"I'll buy your damn cheese fries." Finn sighed.

"It's a start." Daria stated.

"I've only got thirty bucks left." He stated, opening his wallet to prove his point.

"Well, give me what's left after you buy the food, that'll work." Daria smiled. She clearly was enjoying this.

"You enjoy torturing your own flesh and blood?" Finn stated. Daria didn't answer.

"Fine, what do you want?"

"First off, I want a ride home. I'm not getting back on that bus." Daria stated.

"Okay, easily done." Finn stated.

"And second, there are a few chores around the house I need done."

"I already mow the lawn, take out the garbage, and clean the bathroom. You get the wimp chores." Finn returned.

"Then it shouldn't be hard." Daria folded her arms. Finn groaned.

"Alright. Done. Be ready in 15 minutes."

"You in that much of a rush to get out of here?"

"I was just shopping with Tiffany. Right now, I'm looking for any excuse." Finn stated. He ordered food for Daria and Jane, and went back to his table. He was now in no mood for conversation, and did not listen to Stacy or Sandi.

But he realized he was going to have to speak to them to get Daria and Jane a ride home.

"Hey, girls. I'm thinking this venue is tapped." Finn stated.

"Oh, why?" Stacy fidgeted. "Was it the shirt I wore, is that upsetting you, Finn? Because I told the cashier I wanted an all..." Stacy started into another rant.

"Stacy!" Sandi silenced her. "I think Finn has had his fill of the walking fashion disasters filling this mall. All of these old people are so disgusting. Very well, Finn, let us depart."

"Yeah, and I...err...we need to give my sister and her friend a ride back."

"Your sister?" Stacy asked.

"She was the girl you gave the makeover to at Brittany's party."

"Why would that weird girl be riding with us."

"Because she's got our number, and she's blackmailing us." Finn stated. He informed them of the field trip Daria's class had taken.

"Get revenge later if you want, but right now, we need to worry about not landing in hot water." Finn stated.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Finn." Stacy said sympathetically, and Finn smiled at her.

"Very well, we shall do this as a favor for you." Sandi stated. "And I'm sure an appropriate revenge may be given to that weird girl for you later."

"Looking forward to it." Finn smiled an evil smile.

"Ummm...do we really need revenge?" Stacy asked. "I mean, she is your..."

"Stacy." Sandi glared at her, and Stacy shut up quickly.

It was difficult to squeeze back into that guy's car with Daria and Jane. Finn wondered privately if they should have just left Tiffany back at the department store. She didn't even notice Finn had left her. Sandi took the front seat, while the rest of the group had to squeeze into the backseat.

"This may not have been one of my more brilliant plans." Daria admitted. Finn said nothing, lest she try to get more chores out of the deal. Once he got himself into a halfway decent position, he stared out the window and his mind started to wander. But this thoughts soon drifted back to Stacy, just as they had when he was going to the mall. This time spent alone with her hammered in the truth that she was certainly no friend to Sandi Griffin. She was a toady, or whatever the word was, a whipping girl. Finn had a chance to appraise her looks while at the bandana shop, and it was clear to him that Stacy had the potential to be infinitely more attractive than Sandi, and she could be the one with the most dates. But Stacy's clothes, although fashionable, almost seemed dumpy on her. Her attire was probably decided by Sandi, who assuredly would be making sure that Stacy did not look hotter.

But that wasn't what was bothering Finn. What truly concerned him was that he was feeling this way in the first place. Stacy flew in the face of everything Finn had known about girls. She wasn't cruel like Sandi, or unpleasant like Daria. She didn't have ridiculous standards like Finn's mother, and she wasn't so ridiculously self-absorbed like Tiffany. Aunt Rita was the only other woman like that, but Aunt Rita and Stacy were different. As much as Finn loved his aunt, she would fight with his mother every time they were in the same room, and Finn hated that. He hated that they fought, because his name came up frequently.

"That's your thing, isn't it, Daria." He condemned his sister mentally. But Stacy did not fight like Aunt Rita. She had a kind word for everyone, even for Sandi. Perhaps there'd even be one for Tiffany too. It didn't make sense to Finn. Guys were like that: they didn't play games or screw around. If you and another guy had a row, you either had a man-to-man about it, or you took it outside and spoke with your fists. And then it was done, there was no reason to discuss it further. It wasn't exactly like that with Stacy either, and Finn found himself fascinated.

Sandi dropped off Daria, Jane, and Finn at the Morgendorffer residence. The two of them walked down the street, presumably to Jane's house. Finn, however, immediately went upstairs and changed so he could work out. These...feelings he was having were troubling him, and he wanted to be too exhausted to think. He had no idea what to do anyway.