Episode 11: But Now She's Found

Daria sits in class with Mary. "So, you and Tony?"

Mary nods. "Thanks for the advice. I waited another week and that time he said yes."

"That's good. Sorry I didn't talk to you since Saturday. I had to work on the romance story."

"I saw you turn it in on Monday. Did she tell you what you got?" Daria shakes her head. "Why did you turn it in early?"

"If I didn't I would have crumpled it up and thrown it away."

"Why?"

"Um, because." Daria looks away. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Tony and I are going to the arts building tonight. Dantanius and Amalia are having a paint off. It should get interesting. You?"

"Nothing."

"Then come with us."

"I might. What time should I be there?"

"Seven." Mary smiles. "I'm glad you're out of what ever funk you were in."

"Yeah, me too."


Mack is on campus talking with a cheerleader. "Yeah, we broke up."

"I can't believe she said no. But that means you're back on the market." She smiles brightly. "And I'd love to go out to eat tonight. After practice."

"Same here."

"I'll call you when I'm ready."

Mack hands her a piece of paper with his number on it. "If I don't answer then practice ran long."


Mr. Rowe is on the phone with an old friend. "Yes, of course. I think she's ready for NARCA. I know there are only two races left in the season but Pink Flag is already over. Yeah, she finished fourth. Oh no, in the race not in the points. She wasn't old enough until past the mid point in the season. But she never finished worse than ninth."

Stacy opens the door after getting home from school and hears her father talking to some one. "Daddy?"

Mr. Rowe puts a hand over the phone. "Hey honey! One second I'm on the phone." He removes his hand. "Yes, Atlanta, got it. We'll be there." He hangs up the phone.

Stacy enters the kitchen where her father was. "Who was that?"

"An old friend. A manager from the NARCA series."

"NARCA?"

"North American Race Car Association."

"Oh. Um, isn't the season over?"

"Not for NARCA!" He picks up a form off of the counter. "I just confirmed that you are not only allowed but wanted in the next two races."

"Why wouldn't I be allowed?"

Mr. Rowe hides his frown. "Because NARCA is an old boys series. But my friend says a little feminine touch could spruce up the track." Not to mention get some women in the seats. "What do you say? We will have to miss a couple days of school but if you do well enough in the next two races they could invite you in for next season."

"Next season? But I'll be in college then."

Mr. Rowe puts his hands on her shoulders as he leans forward to look her in the eyes. "You won't need college. Last place in NARCA pays better than first in Pink Flag. Heck, if you do well enough maybe even make it in to the big leagues! It has been years, decades, since F2, IRA, or ASCRA has had a woman driver. Could you imagine racing in the Brickyard 400? Or Daytona? Last place at those races is more than any crap job you'd be working while in school."

Stacy sees the look of excitement in her father's eyes. She hadn't seen him look this happy since she first said she wanted to race. Before that... She couldn't remember him smiling at her like this.

He had wanted a son to carry on the family tradition. Starting back to the early nineteen hundreds when his great grandfather raced.

When his wife had difficulties with Stacy and the doctors warned against having another child he thought the family history of racing would die.

When Stacy first started getting in to cars he was optimistic. When she asked if she could race he almost cried. If only his father could see how well she handled the wheel.

"It's in your blood. You could make history." She nods. "Yes! I'll fill out the form and tell the team to get ready."

"But, what about the car?" It had been two weeks since her last race. The new car was stripped for parts and materials to make the old one better.

"Don't worry. My friend has one for us. The cars we have aren't going to pass NARCA inspections."

"Wow. He really wants me there?"

He nods. "I won't lie to you honey. A girl driver will be huge. He'll, parade you, for the cameras. I'm a little uncomfortable with it but you'll be in your racing suit so won't be so bad."

"If I get on camera more then I can talk about our sponsors more! Then maybe we can get more." Stacy thought about how she got shot down from other companies she tried but now that she'd be in a bigger league maybe she could write them again.

"Yes, I forgot about the sponsors." He goes to his little black book next to the phone and opens it. "When the season ended our contract ended. But if we get them to sponsor us then we might be able to lean on my friend a little less." He finds the number he needed and dials.


Daria picks up the phone and dials a number she hadn't since her friend Mary had been in trouble. "Uh, Luke?"

"If you're calling me by my first name then you're a friend not an informant. I don't recognize the voice so we haven't talked in a few. Daria?"

Daria smiles a second. "Good detective work."

He laughs at her joke. "I'm not a detective yet. How are you? You aren't in trouble are you?"

Daria can't help but smile a little longer. "No, for once. Um, some friends are doing a painting thing and I was wondering if you wanted to come?"

"A painting thing?"

"A couple of artists here at Raft are having a paint off. It should be fun."

"I guess I could stop by. Hang out with a bunch of college kids."

"You're barely old enough to be a graduate."

He chuckles. "And we'll finally get to see each other in a circumstance that doesn't have a cloud hanging over our heads."

"Yes, that too." She looks at her alarm clock. "It starts at seven."

He looks at his watch. "Plenty of time to get out of this uniform and in to some civvie clothes. Where should I meet you?"

"Uh, at the gates?"

"You got it. If I'm a little late I'll let you know. See ya."

"Yeah, bye." She hangs up the phone feeling a little nervous.

As the time drew close to seven she paced in front of the gates. You already know him. It isn't a date. Just hanging out with some friends and he is a friend. "He saved me. I could have ended up in jail and he decided to give me a ride back here. Doesn't mean he likes me like that." Then why is he hanging out with you now? "Shut up." Except she knew the only way to make it shut up was some thing she wasn't going to do.

She sees a beat up old green car pull in to the parking lot.

It parks and she sees Luke step out. "Is that a car or a dumpster?"

He kicks the car. "A dumpster probably goes faster."

"Don't they pay you?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I'm still just an officer. Sure, I run the DUI division out of the station but that's like being head janitor." He smiles at his joke. "So where are we going for this paint deal?"

"Art building. Prepare for fumes. No open flames please." The two walk on to the campus from the parking lot.


Helen finally gets home. She wasn't stuck at the office like usual. This time she had been at the doctor's office. After getting some news she couldn't believe she stopped at the pharmacy on the way home.

She goes up to the bathroom. "I can't believe I'm doing this. That doctor had to be an idiot." She follows the instructions on the box.

She stares nervously at the stick in her hand. "It can't be positive. I'm too old. Not that forty ei-, six is old but it is too old for this." She hears the door close downstairs.

"Helen! You'll never believe it!" It was Jake.

"He has no idea." The symbol on the stick had come up positive. "Jakey?"

"Helen! We're up six points! Sacks says if he wins he'll take me to Washington! Little Jakey Goes To Washington. The old man never thought I'd be good enough for that did he?! I'll be in with the big boys! Making more than he ever thought of!"

"We might need it." She goes to the door and opens it. "Jake?"

"Helen! There you are." He looks down at her hand and sees the stick in her hand. "What's that?"

"Jake, I'm pregnant." He drops his briefcase.


Daria and Luke are watching Amalia and Dantanius paint. Luke watches as Amalia flicks red paint on her canvas. He leans over to Daria and whispers. "I've seen a few crime scenes that looked like that."

She whispers back. "I've wanted to make my sister's room look like that before."

Dantanius is using orange and black reminding Daria of Jane's Lady or the Tiger.

The others shout suggestions. Dantanius and Amalia try and change their paintings to make it as much like the crowd wanted.

After over two hours of cheering, suggestions, and paint flinging every where the two artists step away from their masterpieces.

Both canvases are chaotic messes of wild colors and shapes. Dantanius had some semblance of balance with the top and the bottom half of the canvas being two of the loudest suggestions. On the top were a pair of... Bursts, while the bottom was a blood geyser with smudges that could be people around it. "The imagery speaks for itself."

None of the women in the crowd were amused. The men who were smart enough to hide a laugh gave Dantanius a foul look. "Come on! It is brilliant! You wanted blood, women, and men being grateful. So I have a woman, blood, and a bunch of men grateful she isn't pregnant."

The group look at Amalia's painting. A man falling from a sky with blood raining around him. Below him was a bunch of...

Daria has to get closer. "Are those?"

Amalia smiles, laughs, and nods her head. "He's grateful for what he is falling in to." A bunch of round, soft, supple... Bursts.

After much laughter and talk, Amalia was declared the winner, by a wide margin. "This was an interesting evening." Luke and Mary were talking. "How is your community service going?"

"Um, good. How is being a cop?"

"Blood, guts, drugs, and a few idiots thrown in. Thankfully not as many drunken idiots since the last big bust was on the news."

Mary looks away as she knows she was one of those drunken idiots.

Daria speaks up to save Mary. "I'm glad you liked it. I've never done any thing like this either. I didn't know you could paint competitively."

Amalia hears her. "Of course you can! You just have to make it interesting." She looks over at Dantanius. "About twenty large interesting."

Luke clears his throat as Dantanius hands Amalia a twenty. "What?"

Luke gives them his best stern cop look. "Gambling?"

Amalia and Dantanius look stricken.

After a few seconds of an icy cop stare from Luke his face cracks with a smile and he starts to laugh. "I'm not busting you for twenty dollars. I tend to let the small things slide." He turns to Daria. "Like drunk in public since it is better than driving while drunk."

She looks away for a second blushing lightly.

Mary goes back to Tony and whispers to him. "See? She's not gay. Luke is super cute and super manly. Short of being a soldier or firefighter they don't get much manlier than cop."

Tony smiles. "I guess she hid it better than I thought."

She nudges him with her shoulder. "And stop thinking about any fun with both of us."

He puts an arm around her shoulders. "Never crossed my mind."


Quinn is in class on Thursday when Tiffany and Sandi show up. "Where's, Stacy?"

"She has a race in Atlanta." Quinn was making sure to take better notes for Stacy. "Her race will be on Sports Channel 3."

"I don't, get that, channel."

"I do. You're all invited. She'll need all of our support on Saturday."

Sandi give Quinn a look. "Sitting at home on a Saturday night? She won't be able to hear us any ways."

"She'll need us!"

Mr. DeMartino looks up from his desk. "What is so important you feel the need to interrupt my class?"

Quinn has a second to think of her response. She stands up from her desk. "I'm inviting every one who wants to come to my house to watch Stacy's race on Saturday night."

She sits back down and smirks at Sandi. "Now we won't be alone on Saturday night."


Stacy is nervous as she pulls out on to the track. This was her first time in the car. Thankfully practice was a time the other drivers would be going a little slow just testing lines on the track and the cars. "Daddy, this car is a little bigger and faster."

"Yes it is honey but it has the best safety equipment money can buy. I could have bought a better car for you for the Pink Flag series except I spent all that I could on safety equipment. Those HANS devices aren't required but they can mean the difference between life and death."

Stacy goes a little faster and gets a little closer to a car. "Why couldn't I keep my 3?"

"Only The Man can use that number once you get to this level. Of course I would have picked a different number but this is what my friend had." Mr. Rowe looks down from the spotter booth at his daughter's car. The sixty nine car.


Helen and Jake are sitting in the bedroom after Helen took another test. "Still positive." Neither had told any one.

Jake was still trying to figure out what he was going to do. When Congressman Sacks came to him for ideas Jake figured it would be work for a few months. But Congressman Sacks liked him and wanted to keep him for the future. Once he became a Senator he would run for reelection. Or maybe even for President. Between then and now he would need a good campaign manager who would connect with the people. A man like Jake.

Helen wasn't sure what to do either. She was so close to making Partner. If she got pregnant again she would have to cut back. Cutting back meant looking bad to the higher ups and losing her chance at Partnership. But what could she do?

They hear the door slam shut. "Mo-om! I need to ask you a favor!" Quinn goes up the stairs happy and excited for Saturday night. If she could get her parents to agree to hosting a party.

She opens the door and sees her parents on the bed. "Um, I didn't interrupt any thing, did I?"

Helen holds the test behind her back. "No Quinn. What do you need?"

"Stacy has her big race on Saturday and it is on television. But not every one has Sports Channel 3 so I invited a few people over to watch it."

Helen narrows her eyes. "How many is a few?"

Quinn looks down at her feet. "A few, few. Many few."

"How many?"

"Twenty, thirty people, tops!"

"Will there be boys coming over?" Quinn nods. "As long as you don't mind your parents keeping an eye on things then yes. You really care for Stacy, don't you?"

"She's my friend, of course I care." Quinn smiles as she all but skips down to her room. She had a few calls to make and needed to figure out what outfit to wear.


On Friday night Daria is meeting up with Tony, Mary, Lindsey, Skaz, and Luke. "Where is he?" She looks around for his craptacular green car.

"Anxious about your date, Daria?"

She turns and glares at Lindsey. "It isn't a date. He's just a friend."

Mary leans over to Tony. "Ok, so maybe she is gay. But she never hit on me so I still don't think she is."

He leans back. "What if you aren't her type?"

She elbows him hard. "I'm not good looking enough?" Every one turns to the two. "Uh, nothing."

Daria finally sees the poor excuse for a car roll up. As Luke gets out of the car he kicks the car. "Sorry I was late. The Old Girl decided she needed a nap on the way here."

He walks over to the group and stops next to Daria. "So what are a bunch of college kids looking to do on a Friday night?"

"Movie!" Lindsey was almost jumping out of her shoes. "They have the new movie that sounded really cool. Requiem for a Dream."

Mary raises an eye brow. "What is it about?"

"Four people who do stuff. I don't know. The commercials looked cool. So who wants to see it?"

Every one agrees and pile in to two cars. Tony, Mary, and Lindsey get in Skaz's truck while Daria and Luke get in Daria's SUV.

Luke looks around her SUV. "Pretty nice ride. Gift from the rents?"

"Kind of. Since I got my scholarships I didn't need as much of my college fund. So they used some of it to get me this." She follows the other car.

"Lucky. I just went in to the force like every other male in the family." He leans the seat back and relaxes a little. "My sister is actually going for some history deal. Archeology or paleontology. One of those ology deals."

"You sound like you had to become a cop. Couldn't you have done some thing else?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "It is family tradition. And I like being a cop. I can change things from the inside. Maybe make people like cops a little more by not being a dick with a badge." He turns to Daria. "You seem to like me well enough."

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Her heart starts to beat a little faster.

They pull in to the theater, get their tickets and food, and then find seats.

Daria realizes how it seems. Two rows ahead of her were Skaz and Lindsey. A few rows back were Tony and Mary.

She sat alone with Luke. Her heart starts to beat fast. She tries to control it by slow breaths but her heart keeps racing.

As the movie plays Luke puts his arm around Daria's shoulder. Oh crap oh crap oh crap. Don't try and kiss me. Don't try and kiss him.

Daria watches the movie and sees some similarities with her recent experiences. Four drug addicts whose lives fall apart. She thankfully stopped before she ever got to the point the characters in the movie had.

As the dramatic conclusion finishes she feels Luke squeeze her shoulders with his arm. "So, did you enjoy the movie?"

Her heart starts racing again. "A little over dramatic. And no sub titles."

"Not artsy enough for you? Not enough explosions for me." He laughs at the look on her face. "You look terrified." She bites her lower lip and looks away.

He removes his arm from her shoulders. "Uh, sorry. I didn't think putting my arm around you was being too forward." He laughs again. "But then again the last time I went on a date I was just out of training." He picks up the empty box of popcorn. "Been working on moving up and snagged the DUI spot when I could. It isn't flashy like homicide but I'm still too fresh for that. They stuck me in the so called college station to get my feet wet." He starts to get up from his seat when Daria puts a hand on his arm.

"It wasn't you. You were, nice. I just haven't dated much and I'm still not sure what I'm doing. You're a really nice guy and tonight was fun." She grabs her empty soda and stands up. "Maybe we could do this again." And maybe my heart won't beat out of my chest then.

"Sure. I'm not exactly an old pro at this either. Been busy with work. It will give me time to unrust my dating skills." He leads her out of the theater where they meet with the others.

"I can't believe how dark that movie was." Lindsey holds Skaz's hand. "Maybe we should have seen a different one."

Skaz puts his arm around her waist. "I'll protect you from any bad dreams."

Daria gives them a look. "Not in our dorm room." The others laugh.

"Any one want pizza?" Tony pulls out his wallet. "On me."

Mary looks up at his wallet. "How do you always have money for pizza? I have to wait til next week for my parents to send me some money."

Tony goes a little pale but Daria saves him. "His grandparents like him most I guess. My grandmother on my mom's side favors my cousin Erin. Spent who knows how much on her wedding." He smiles at her.

Luke pats his pocket. "I can pay for myself. And Daria."

The group pile in to their cars and drive to the Pizza King.

They have to move two tables together since the booths would only handle four comfortably.

Luke, Tony, and Skaz go to the counter to order leaving the girls behind to gossip. "So how much of the movie did you miss?"

Lindsey laughs a little. "Not enough. I think I'll have nightmares. What about you, Mary?"

"What movie?" The two girls laugh together.

Mary turns to Daria. "So, how much did you miss?"

"None."

Mary and Lindsey share a look before Mary leans over to Daria. "So, uh, are you, like your friend Jane? I'm ok with it if you are I'd just like to know."

Daria grabs the end of the table trying to send her anger in to it. "I'm not gay." She glares at Lindsey. "I blame you for this stupid rumor."

"I didn't tell any one. Well, I told Skaz about your friend Jane. And you shot down Tony and you said it yourself, Luke is just a friend."

"So Skaz told some one who told some one who told some one. And now I'm stuck turning down girls and guys." Daria feels her appetite and mood turn sour.

She pushes away from the table and walks over to the door to leave the restaurant.

Luke sees this and follows after her. "What's wrong?"

"Idiots! My roommate and her boyfriend started a rumor and then Mary must have heard it."

He reaches her as she throws her door open and catches it in his hand so she can't close it. "What rumor?"

Daria kicks the underside of the steering column with her boot. "Just because I don't date the first few guys who asks me out they think I'm gay. Just because my friend Jane, heck, she's not even sure. This is almost as bad as high school." She had heard the rumors about her and Jane but they all went away when Jane started dating Tom.

"So a bunch of guys asked you out? I guess I should feel lucky." She glares at him. "Not a date. Just two people hanging out."

Her shoulders slump as she feels her anger start to disappear. "I'm not, like, leading you on. You are a nice guy. I do like you. I'm just not big on dating. I only dated one guy seriously and even then that was just high school stuff. This is college, this is more, this is,"

Luke puts his other hand on her arm. "This is just two friends hanging out." He gives her arm a squeeze. "If it becomes more than that then it does. You're a cool girl. You're a lot more responsible then any of the people in there. One of them is doing community service."

"I could have been her."

He shakes his head. "You walked. You didn't turn your SUV in to a deadly weapon. Yes drunk in public is a crime but I saw what it meant." He smiles and laughs a little. "Walking eight miles may not have been my first choice but it was better than driving."

"I didn't drive that night. Mary did. I wanted to go home and she blew me off."

"And?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know. I remember her, walking, you, that's about it." Luke can't hide the concern on his face. "What?"

"Are you sure you weren't drugged? You seemed mostly coherent when I talked with you that night. You made a joke that while ill advised was quick. If you drank so much as to black out you wouldn't have been walking or joking."

"I had a lot that night, I think."

"Or you were drugged. That happens a lot more than people think. You could have been hurt or worse that night if you hadn't gotten out."

She hears the concern, the caring, in his voice. "You make cops look good."

He smiles brightly and poses a little. "I make any profession look good." He is surprised by her laugh. "You don't do that a lot, do you?" She shakes her head.

He looks back at the others through the window. "Want to go back in? We did order three pies."

She nods and gets out of her car. "Thanks."


Jodie is with a tall African American college student at a play. "This is nice, different." She leans against him while watching. "We didn't really have plays back in Lawndale."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it." He puts his arm around her. "I'm even happier that you said yes."

Miles and miles away, Mack was with the cheerleader. "A weekend off." He stretches a little. "I'm still sore from practice but no game."

"You're flying west to play against Boise next week." She makes a noise of disgust. "I'm glad we only cheer at home games."

"If only the football team only played home games." Both laugh.

"If you win then the team will be undefeated four games in. I don't think Vance has ever done that before."

"I don't think so either." The two walk through a park as the stars twinkle above them.


Daria and Luke are in her car on the drive back to Raft. "Thanks for the pizza."

"Thanks for the company." He stretches out on the reclined passenger seat. "I've been hanging out with co workers far too much. It is nice to talk with people who won't some how find a way to bring up the latest bashed in hooker or drunken rich kid whose daddy comes in and saves the day."

"You enjoy being a cop?"

He laughs a little. "I might bitch about it but that is work. Even the happiest employee will find some thing to complain about. It's human." He makes a noise that makes Daria scooch away a little as he continues to stretch. "Seats that recline. Is there any thing better?"

Daria's lips turn in the slightest smile. "Why don't you get a better car?"

"The Old Girl gets me where I need to go." He sits up and leans over to her to whisper. "Don't let her know I've been saving up for a new car."

"You act like your car is spying on you."

He looks around as if there might be listening devices in her SUV. "She is. Every time I talk about getting a new car some thing goes wrong with Old Girl. She knows if some thing breaks I'll have to repair it since I can't afford a new car."

Daria looks over at him and sees the look on his face. She can't help but smile a little bit more. "Don't they pay you?"

"Sure. Between my apartment, utilities, insurance, gas, food, and gym membership, I get to keep about twenty bucks a week." He laughs. "I'm kidding. I get to keep five if I'm lucky." He laughs more and gets a quiet laugh from Daria. "I actually make pretty good money. Boston pays us more than some small time cop would get. I just don't want to spend six grand on a used car that will have me back in the same situation in a couple of years and I have no credit so I can't get a loan."

Daria thinks about what six grand would get back in Lawndale. "Where have you looked? My parents got this for just under seven."

"Really? Wow." He sets the seat back up to its original position. "Every thing works?" She nods. "Maybe I should go to your dealership."

"If your car can make it six or seven hours of highway driving."

He frowns. "She barely makes it the four miles I go from home to work. I could probably hitch hike faster."

"Just wear a cowboy hat and bring a guitar." He gives her a funny look. "Long story."

He looks up and sees the entrance for Raft. "A story you'll have to tell me next time." He puts a hand on her arm. "There will be a next time, right?"

She has to swallow the eep that almost leapt out of her. "Um, yes, I would like a next time."

"Cool." He leans over and kisses her on the cheek. "Remind me to stop and get some rustoleum to spray on my dating skills."

She blushes lightly. "They aren't that rusty."


That Saturday night, Quinn has the volume up as loud as it can get. She tried to be a good hostess while also watching her friend Stacy's race.

Through the past couple of days, practices, and qualifying, Stacy had found most of the other drivers indifferent to her. The one or two who gave her a hard time were balanced by the one or two who gave her extra help.

Only a few laps in one of the drivers who gave her a hard time tried to hit her. Her father saw it coming and warned her in time. She was able to maneuver and get back far enough that when the driver came down to hit her his back tire hit the side of her front bumper cutting the tire.

After it blew the car spun and went in to the grass having to be towed out of it. Every one watching could clearly see he was the one who went down and hit her and was clearly at fault. "As we have our first caution of the night I must say what a great move by the sixty nine car! Even a skilled driver could get caught in a wreck after that but she knew to slow down enough to dodge the car as it spun."

"Because I told her too." Mr. Rowe calls down to the crew chief. "Check that side for damage and change right side tires only."

"Got it, boss."

Quinn had sat down on the couch and was leaning forward. "She's ok. Her car is ok."

Jaime, Jeffey, and Joey stand behind her. "Uh, Quinn, do you need another drink?"

"Do you need another pillow?"

"Do you need more crackers?"

"Be quiet!" She was regretting having so many people over now. With the talking, feet moving, and other backround noises she struggled to hear the television.

Halfway through the race a spotter walks over to Mr. Rowe. "Your daughter is right behind my son. He likes the low line but he needs a partner. I noticed during qualifying your daughter ran low. Wanna team up?"

"Sure." Mr. Rowe switches signal to connect with Stacy. "When I say to, drop low, and stay behind the nineteen car."

"Ok Daddy." Stacy waits for the call.

The pack of cars exits turn four for the front stretch. "Now."

The nineteen and sixty nine car drop from the line of cars together. Holding the draft and finding a little more speed in the lower line they move a few spots up.

Quinn sees this and jumps from the couch. "Go Stacy!"

Several people look over at her and then at the television. "Whoa, is that Stacy?" A few get closer to the screen as the scroller at the top of the screen shows Rowe moving up several spots.

After pitting together the nineteen and sixty nine car head back out under green. "Did we have to pit early?"

"You spent more time on those left tires than any one else on the track and nineteen hadn't gotten a full tank of gas on the last pit stop. You two should be good now."

Stacy stays close to the nineteen as the see other cars drop low to start green flag pits.

Quinn sees the lap count drop to twenty. All of the races she had been too got more dangerous the lower the lap count got.

She moves from the couch and stands closer to the television with other students who had gotten interested in watching their classmate.

At seventeen to go Stacy and the other driver switch spots to give her some clean air and cool her engine. They had slowed down a little and let a few cars pass them as they did so but they had too as her engine was starting to overheat.

Ahead of them four cars go in to turn three trying to pass the other making it four wide. "They can't do that! They can't go four wide! Some one has to back off before," The announcer's warning was too late as the top car hits the wall and bounces down in to the next car causing a chain reaction.

"Go low! Go low!" Mr. Rowe sees the pile up ahead of his daughter. "Go in to the grass, down pit road, what ever, just go low and go slow!"

Stacy presses on the brakes as she dives towards the apron of the track. She could now see the near dozen cars that had piled up ahead of her.

The nineteen car goes around her before his spotter tells him the same thing and he slows down to get behind Stacy.

Having switched positions less than a lap earlier had them back far enough that they hadn't been caught up in the wreck.

"Daddy, do I need to go in?"

"No. You have the fuel and the tires aren't that old. Watch for others though. They get new tires and suddenly think they can fly." Mr. Rowe looks over at the other spotter he had been working with. "Does your car need any thing?" He shakes his head. "You two are staying out."

Others pit giving Stacy the lead. The first lead of her racing career. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, calm down Stacy. You can do this." Her father hears this but sees she is doing a good job herself and lets her continue.

When the green flag waves Stacy hits it as the nineteen car moves down behind her. With clean air, the low line, and a partner, she shoots up ahead of the rest of the pack.

With less than ten to go more and more people gathered around the television set. Quinn bites on a finger in worry and excitement as she watches her friend and her partner move farther and farther away from the other cars. "She always did good going low."

Mr. Rowe focuses less on the track and more on the other spotter. He knew it was coming. He just had to know as soon as it was coming to warn his daughter. Soon the other spotter would tell his driver to break the draft and try and pass Stacy.

At three to go Mr. Rowe sees the spotter move a hand up to block his mouth. "Stacy, he's breaking the draft. I'll tell you which way he goes so you can block him."

The nineteen car starts to go high. "Up! Move up." Stacy does and the nineteen car bumps her slightly. "Down!" She moves down blocking the nineteen car again.

Mr. Rowe sees the other cars start to catch up. "Hit the gas and go! You have the whole track to yourself, use it!"

Quinn starts bouncing on the balls of her feet as she watches the white flag come out. "One to go! Go Stacy!"

Stacy sees a red light turn on. "Daddy, we're overheating!"

"Doesn't matter you have less than a lap to go. Stay calm and blow that engine if you have to just go."

Every one in the stands is on their feet as the sixty nine car makes a wild slide out of turn four. It almost grazes the wall as water shoots out from near the right side of the hood. "It looks like the sixty nine car is blowing up but can they make the finish line before they do?!" Every one wondered the same thing the announcer had.

Stacy screams as smoke blows from her engine blinding her. She coughs and coughs but keeps her foot on the gas.

The nineteen car behind her lets up as the driver is blinded by the smoke.

The sixty nine car makes it over the finish line blowing smoke, water, and other fluids from the engine. "Hit the brakes! Hit the brakes! Stacy, slow down! You made it!"

She hits the brakes but the car doesn't slow down. "Daddy, it isn't working!"

"Turn sharp! Better to spin a few times than hit the wall head on!"

Quinn screams as she sees Stacy's car turn down in to the grass spinning out after doing almost four full spins. "She won! She won!" She jumps up and hugs the nearest person to her. "She won!"

"Yes, she did, win." Tiffany makes a noise as Quinn hugs her harder.

Stacy climbs out of her car hacking and coughing. Her lungs burn as she drops to her knees continuing to cough.

An ambulance drives on the track stopping across from Stacy's car. Two men get out and jog over to her to make sure she is ok.

Mr. Rowe is making his way down the stairs to the medical center. It was mandatory for a racer to go there after a wreck.

Before he gets there he sees cameras. "Perfect." He calls out to them. "I'm the spotter and owner of the winning car!" They go over to him for interviews.

Stacy drinks from a water bottle and then wipes her mouth. "Thank you." She was still a little in shock. Had she really won? She couldn't see any thing because of the smoke but she heard she had won. "Can I leave?" The man nods.

As she opens the door she is blinded by cameras flashing and the lights on the video cameras. "How does it feel to be the first woman to win a race in NARCA since nineteen seventy two?"

"How did you keep calm even as your engine blew?"

"Do you plan to attend the last race in a couple of weeks?"

She smiles and soaks in the attention. She was getting more attention from this moment than she ever had from the Fashion Club.


On Sunday morning, Daria woke up to her phone ringing. "Hello?"

"Daria!" Daria pulls away from the phone as she hears her sister yell. "You'll never believe what happened!"

"Aliens abducted Ms. Li to take her home?"

"No! Stacy won! She won a NARCA race!"

It takes Daria a few seconds for her waking brain to piece together what was being said. "Stacy Rowe won a race? Congratulations."

"This is huge! She now has a week off and then the last race of the year all the way in Ohio!"

"Ohio, great." Daria looks at the time. "Quinn, it is still before noon. How are you this perky?"

"I haven't slept! I'm waiting for Stacy to get home!" Quinn looks over at the four mugs of coffee and several cans of soda. "This is awesome!"

"Yes, yes it is." Daria yawns and looks over to see her roommate was missing. "I'm letting you go so I can brush my teeth and take a shower."

"Ok, have fun!" Quinn hangs up on her.

"Not the word I was thinking of." Daria puts the phone back on the jack.

A/N A non-date for Daria and Luke. Easing in to it as best she can. And more of Daria dealing with the rumors and what happened at the party. Luke, being an officer, has dealt with the aftermath of enough college parties to recognize the signs.

And WOO! Stacy wins. As her engine blew. Her first NARCA(North American Race Car Association) race and her first win. Basing it off the ARCA series racing based on Toledo, Ohio. And ASCRA(American Street Car Racing Association) is based off of NASCAR.

Also, I looked up what movies aired in 2001 and Requiem for a Dream fit with the timeline so a little more realistic, I guess. Then again in a series with a musical hurricane and holidays being real... So maybe shouldn't be so worried about keeping it realistic?