Finn was seated in Jane's room. She was on her knees with a power drill applying it to a piece of black wood, while he watched her from the bed. Helen had planned for a "family" dinner tonight, whatever that meant, and, after the whole incident with the job at the pet store, Finn had been avoiding any sort of family togetherness time with her. She didn't need to keep up the pretense: She kept the family fed and warm at night, and that's all Child Services cared about.
"Heh. If we were doing it at our house, Mom would be spying from the doorway because I had a girl in my room, and Daria would be at my sports drink with the poison." Finn chuckled to himself. He did nothing but watch Jane at her work.
While Finn still didn't feel any special romantic stirrings for Jane, there was still something...different about her that intrigued him. Much like Stacy, she wasn't like other girls. But, while Stacy was kind and sweet, like an apple, Jane was bold and rich, like a piece of gourmet dark chocolate. Or blunt as a baseball bat. Either way, Jane was very satisfying to be around, and Finn enjoyed his time with her.
Part of Finn was disappointed that Jane didn't stick with track. By now, she would have easily joined the "girl-jock" clique, and would hang out with his crew in public. But then, Finn realized that the hurdle in their friendship was Daria. She was pretty vicious to him in her everyday, boring way. Finn could only shudder at the idea of actually giving her an excuse to hurt him. Not that it made sense anyway: How, exactly, was being friends with Jane Lane so bad. But it was Daria, who would say night is day if it meant screwing with Finn.
Jane took a break from her drilling to step back and look at her handiwork.
"Hmmm..." She pondered aloud, but then she heard a door shut from downstairs.
"Is that Trent?" Finn asked.
"I couldn't imagine him putting that much force in shutting a door."
"Your mom is home, isn't she?"
"I can still hear her stereo from the basement." Jane returned. "She'd shut it off if she went upstairs. Must be a family visit." Jane looked at the drill in her hand, as if wondering whether to greet the family member or continue her work. Ultimately, she put the drill down after her deliberations, although Finn wondered if he caught a glimpse of disappointment in her eye.
Finn followed her downstairs. She went into the kitchen, although Finn was pretty sure "kitchen" was just a word in the Lane house, as there was never food there of any kind.
"No wonder you scam stuff at my place." Finn thought. There were two young men in the kitchen. One of them was Trent, and the other was someone Finn had never seen before. He was older then Trent, with long blonde hair. He seemed pleasant and friendly, but Finn caught a hint of fatigue in the man's face, as if he hadn't been sleeping well.
"Trent!" The man gave Trent a hug.
"Hey, Wind." Trent noted. So this was Wind, Jane's other older brother.
"Janey!" Wind smiled at his sister and kissed each of her cheeks. He then turned to regard Finn.
"Oh, we have a new little brother and I never saw him?" Wind seemed perplexed.
"No..." Jane started, but Wind continued to speak to Finn and did not seem to hear her.
"You'd expect a little brother you haven't seen for fifteen years?" Finn thought. But, then again, he had never seen Wind, or any member of Jane's family other then Trent, or the rare glimpse of the Lane matriarch, Amanda. Perhaps they did disappear for years at a time, and might expect the same from their other siblings. Even the minors.
"No, Wind, this isn't a new little brother, and please, don't run that idea by Mom." Jane replied.
"Oh." Wind paused a minute, then he smiled a sly smile.
"Jane, look at you. You've got a man already."
"Huh?" Finn stated.
"Is the thought that scary?" Jane noted.
"No...err...no, of course not." Finn scratched the back of his head.
"Relax, Finn. Just teasing." Jane patted him on the back.
"So..." Wind started.
"Wind, this is Finn. He's a friend of mine." Jane stated.
"Nice to meet you." Finn extended his hand for a handshake, but Wind gave him a big hug.
"Any friend of my little Janey's is a friend of mine." Wind stated warmly. "Hey, you go on a lot of dates?"
"I like girls, thanks."
"Not that, I mean, you seem like the kind of guy who dates a lot."
"Well, yeah." Finn replied.
"Well, then maybe you can give me a little advice." Wind started to sniffle a bit. "Well, you see, I just cleared out of my houseboat with Katie and..." Then Wind started to bawl, and grabbed Finn by the collar, starting to sob into his shirt.
"Oh, Katie, why won't you let me love you!" Wind stated.
"O...kay." Finn was confused.
"Don't answer him." Jane whispered in Finn's ear. "It's a trap." Jane helped Finn peel Wind off him. Surprisingly, Wind didn't even seem to notice. The two left Wind with Trent and headed into the living room.
"Sorry about that." Jane noted.
"His relationship is that bad? Why doesn't he just dump her and find someone who appreciates him? I'd never take that crap from someone who kicked me out of my houseboat." Finn replied. "Now I want a houseboat."
"Well, Wind did try that, once. But then he got saddled with alimony. Twice."
"What does he do to pay for that?" Finn asked. Jane was silent.
"You know, I think I've been meaning to ask that." Jane noted. Finn was about to reply, but then the doorbell rang. Jane moved over to the door to answer it. Standing there was a woman with short fiery red hair, holding a cage and a backpack. Finn found her slightly attractive, but Jane was prettier, not to mention closer to his age.
"Penny?" Jane stated in shock. Finn remembered that name: She was another of the Lane siblings, who made crafts in third world countries.
"Oh, it's Jane." Penny noted. "You haven't ventured out into the world yet?"
"I'm still in high school."
"Poor you. High school blows." Penny moved into the house, and stopped when she regarded Finn.
"I really haven't been back in a while." Penny noted as she regarded the football player."I had no idea Mom had another kid. Kinda cool, to have another little brother. Where's she been keeping you?"
"Penny, this is Finn, he's a friend of mine." Jane noted.
"Nice to meet you." Finn started to offer Penny a handshake, but as his arm got close, a loud screeching sound from the cage caused Finn to retract his hand.
"Careful, Chiquito doesn't like to share." Penny replied in a serious tone. "So, Jane, you got yourself a boyfriend. Just take some womanly advice and don't end up like Wind. Do I hear him sobbing in the kitchen? Guess Claudia had her fun with him. Bitch."
"We're not dating. We're just friends." Finn clarified. Penny shrugged, and moved further into the house.
"So, that's the one who was in Costa Rica?" Finn asked once Penny disappeared.
"Was that were it was..." Jane puzzled, but then the doorbell rang again. Jane opened the door to discover a tall, wiry gentleman.
"Dad?" Jane asked.
"Janey! Give your father a hug!" The man introduced. Without asking for approval, he hugged his daughter. After letting her go and shutting the door, he regarded the newcomer in his midst.
"Err..." The man started.
"Dad, don't you remember me? I'm your youngest child, Sky." Finn teased. "I'm fifteen, now.."
"Oh!" The man actually seemed surprised for a moment. Finn caught Jane smiling at his joke.
"Wait, even I know that's not right..." The man started. "Anyway, I don't have time to figure it out now. I've got some prints to develop."
"Oh, you're finished with the rock formations?" Finn asked.
"You knew about that?" Jane asked.
"You told me."
"Oh yeah."
"That's a good boy, Sky." The man stated. "Now, I've gotta get this stuff all unpacked." The man slung his backpack over his shoulder and went up the stairs.
"I take it you weren't expecting all of your family to show up like this." Finn noted to Jane when the two of them went outside to the backyard.
"Wind might show up on occasion, but Dad and Penny? That came out of left field." Jane noted. "Anyway, it looks like Mom is the one going to be in for a shock."
"Wish I knew she was here. Wonder if I could pull Sky Lane over on her. Fifteen years worth of birthday presents is a pretty sweet gig all at once."
"I would think she'd remember pushing them out, but it just might work." Jane teased. "Anyway, it looks like I'm in for hell for a while."
"Well, if I can help, let me know."
"I might have need for a bouncer." Jane smiled.
"Well, I gotta head home. See ya." Finn smiled and started the walk back home.
Helen sighed as she sat on the couch. Jake was engrossed in a basketball game. She heard the door open, and saw Finn step in.
"Oh, Finn, where were you?" Helen asked.
"A friend's." Finn replied tersely.
"I thought we made plans to have a family dinner together."
"No, you told us to show up for a family dinner. You didn't ask if we had made plans." Finn expertly construed.
"Besides, I'm finished all the magazines I had. I don't have enough reading material for a family dinner. Well, I'm gonna work out." Finn went upstairs without another word.
Helen sighed.
"Honey, something the matter!" Jake said energetically, still watching the TV. Helen shut it off without another word.
"Jake, are you worried we're losing the children?" Helen reflected sadly.
"Of course not. They're right upstairs. Is Daria upstairs?" Jake noted.
"I try to make myself available." Helen looked at the ground. "I try to talk to them, but Daria just blows me off with a sour comment. And Finn, I'm surprised he still comes here to sleep."
"Oh my God, did I just say that?" Helen thought. It was true that Finn had been extremely angry about something as of late, and had made a conscious effort to avoid her.
Helen was sure this would just blow over. Perhaps she missed a football game that was important to him, or tried to offer a suggestion he was too stubborn to realize would be good for him. But that didn't mean his anger didn't bother her.
"Oh, Finn's fine!" Jake stated. He moved for the remote, but Helen grabbed it first.
"What else can I do to get to know them better."
"Hidden cameras?" Jake asked.
"Jake, do you even know the basic facts about our children?"
"Sure! Finn's favorite team is the Packers, his position is the..." Jake started.
"Jake, there's more to Finn then his athletics. Do you know his blood type? Or Daria's."
"Ummm...let's see, blood type is the one where it's a letter....D?"
"Jake, what is Daria's shoe size?" Helen posed.
"Errr...four?"
"Jake, do you remember our anniversary?" Helen stated. Jake started to visibly sweat.
"Dammit, Jake, how can you be so oblivious." Helen stormed up to her room in anger. Jake looked up at the stairs, then sighed and returned to the game.
The entire Lane family coming together at the same time had it's novelty wear off soon after Finn left. Jane wasn't sure if it was when her father commandeered the bathroom to rinse off his prints, or Penny's yelling into the phone with whoever it was in Costa Rica she was talking to. Apparently, a volcano wiped out her craft stand, and she was trying to be compensated.
"I don't think Costa Rica has that kind of insurance, and I'm sure if they do, there's fine print that will cut out volcanos." Jane thought. This was hell. It was bad enough to go to a family reunion with extended relatives Jane wouldn't even consider talking to in normal circumstances. These were her own flesh and blood; there was nothing more horrific.
Jane wondered what exactly she would do in regards to this. Trent had a problem like this once where he lived in a tent in the yard. Jane had been in charge of taking him food, and, for the life of her, Jane still didn't know why exactly he had done so. Trent had told her he was "waiting for someone to invite him back into the house," but Jane reasoned that he was trying to avoid the rest of the family.
"Now I need a plan." Jane thought. She wasn't about to sleep in the yard: Wind could still sneak into the tent and sob. And Jane didn't exactly know anyone's place she could crash at besides Daria's, and that presented it's own sort of problem: It would be impossible to avoid Finn. While she and Finn had been extremely discrete regarding their relationship, they had never be together close to Daria; Finn always just passed her in the hallway.
Jane reasoned that she probably could have just avoided Finn, and Finn would probably even understand, but Jane didn't like that arrangement. Daria would probably bad-mouth her brother, and expect Jane to be fire in tandem. And Jane would not do that. When Jane took the time to get to know Finn, she found that Daria's hatred of him was not well-deserved. Maybe he was different behind closed doors, but Jane could not believe that Finn deserved unilateral hatred.
Jane reasoned she could probably talk to her mother about this sort of thing. Amanda Lane would probably get frustrated with the family too. At least, she would as soon as Penny started revamping her business with her kiln.
"Hey, Mom?" Jane went downstairs to find her mother at the pottery wheel, gently sculpting a vase.
"Hello, Jane." Amanda Lane greeted her daughter with a smile.
"I wanted to ask you about the whole family sticking around here." Jane replied.
"Isn't it grand?" Amanda noted. "So rarely do I get to see even one of my beautiful children. Now I get four of them."
"Please, for the love of everything holy, do not get the idea to invite Summer." Jane thought of the last Lane sibling, who was probably tracking down one or more of her children, who ran away so frequently, they were probably home as often as Jane's own parents. And they disappeared for months at a time.
"At least it keeps her busy." Jane thought.
"What is it, dear?"
"Well, I don't know how to put this, but Dad's been using the bathroom as his darkroom. It's getting rather aggravating to go in a bottle."
"Oh, Jane. There is no need to worry. Things will return to their natural course soon enough."
"That's not soon enough." Jane remarked. "I lack the parts to just go behind a tree, and I don't trust those neighbors of ours not to look."
"Jane, the family will return to their own lives eventually. We should enjoy what little time we have together.'
"Enjoy? Everyone's still doing their own thing. Even when you're here, Mom, it's rare I even get a hello. I don't mind, but what's there to enjoy about this?" Jane thought. Her mother returned to her pottery, and Jane went back upstairs to her room. Inside, she found Wind sobbing on her bed.
"Wind, can't you take that in your room?" Jane asked. Wind started bawling even more.
"Oh, even my own sister doesn't love me!" Wind cried. Jane would have felt bad if Wind hadn't been soaking her sheets. Instead, Jane turned to her easel, and her eyes widened in horror as Chiquito, Penny's pet parrot, had perched itself on her palette, ruining the mixed color Jane labored extensively to create.
"That's it, I draw the line at painticide."
After dinner, Daria was reading alone on the couch, reading the book she had started during dinner. It was a rare moment of peace in the Morgendorffer household. The family had just finished another family dinner, and the book really helped distract Daria from the probing questions her mother was asking. Thankfully, after catching the hint, she had turned her discussion to Finn, who blew her off much the same way with an exercise magazine. And now, dinner was over, and Jake Morgendorffer was snoring on the couch. Helen Morgendorffer was probably off talking with that boss of hers, who called for whatever reason popped into his head. And Finn was upstairs in his room, performing his daily ritual of appeasing the gods by picking up heavy things and putting them down again.
It was too peaceful in the house, and Daria almost suspected a trap. True enough, the doorbell rang a moment later. Daria gently set her book down to answer the door. She heard Finn start to descend from the staircase, but Daria reached the door first, and opened the door to discover Jane, holding her easel and a backpack.
"Yo." Daria stated. It wasn't common, but not unusual, for Jane to show up randomly. Though not with her easel.
"Can I come in?" Jane asked. Daria nodded, and invited her into the living room.
"I don't have a date tonight. Who could that..." Finn started to complete his descent.
"Jane!" Finn seemed surprised to see her here. Why would be anyone's guess: Finn wasn't privy to the details of her schedule.
"Oh, hey, Finn." Jane replied coolly. Finn seemed to regain his composure, and simply wave while he moved his way into the kitchen. As he went there, Helen, with a date book in her hand, emerged from the kitchen.
"Oh, Jane?" Helen also seemed surprised. "You're here kind of late."
"Yeah. I was just wondering if I could delve into the world of the normal teenage girl and have a sleepover."
"Huh?" Helen stated. Finn soon peeked his head back from the kitchen. Daria was surprised too.
"What's going on?" Daria asked.
"My family has all decided to come home together under the same roof. I'm surprised I made it out in one piece. Or without murdering Penny's parrot." Jane explained.
"Jane, with your family?" Helen seemed aghast
"Mrs. Morgendorffer, have you met my family."
"I know your mother."
"I'd encourage you to visit them for yourself, but even I'm not that cruel." Jane remarked.
"Sure, why not!" Jake energetically agreed from the couch, only having recently been awoken.
"Jake! You can't make those kinds of decisions just on..." Helen started.
"Eh, whatever." Finn shrugged. "She wants to stay, fine."
"Finn? I know that Jane is..." Helen started.
"Mom, we don't need some story. And besides, don't you have Eric on hold? I say she does whatever." Finn shrugged before heading back upstairs to continue his workout.
"That was unusual." Daria noted to Jane.
"Hey, I'll take Finn's support if it means I don't have to spend a night back there."
"Well, Jane, if you're alright with it, then you're welcome to stay with us for a night or two." Helen stated before returning back into the kitchen where the phone had been left. Daria soon heard the sounds of Helen talking about some case. Jake returned to the couch, and, with Daria no longer occupying it, he kicked off his shoes, placed the newspaper over his face, and was snoring again within a minute.
"You know, I think I like your family's idea of family togetherness." Jane commented.
When the day was warm enough, Helen liked to start all of her days with a speedwalk. As she walked down the road, she saw Jane jog past her.
"Oh, Jane!" Helen called. Normally, she did all of her speedwalking alone, but Jane was in a very unique position among anyone Helen had ever known: She knew both Daria and Finn. Helen had already known that she was Daria's friend, but Helen had caught the rare glimpse of Finn and Jane together a few times. While Finn never spoke about it, Helen was willing to wager that both of her children shared a similarity in friendship with this girl.
"Oh, hello, Mrs. Morgendorffer." Jane stated.
"I must say that I rather enjoy the idea of you staying with us for a while." Helen praised. Jane eyed her warily, as if they were predators waiting for the other to strike first.
"Well, you're Daria's best friend, and you know Finn very well, and it's hard to talk to either of them about anything..."
"Finn? I think you're mistaken, Mrs. Morgendorffer. I barely know Finn."
"Jane, I'm not stupid." Helen returned with a glare. "Finn wouldn't take just any girl with him to the shooting range, even if it was to help you keep a steady hand." Jane paused for a moment, and sighed.
"I'm not criticizing you." Helen assured. "I just wanted to ask, well, it's so hard to talk to either of them..."
"Three questions max. No betrayals. Complete secrecy required, in every sense of the word. And you know what I mean by that. And one person per question."
"Agreed." Helen stated quickly.
"Does Daria do any drugs?" Helen asked.
"I can tell you what it is once I find out the secret ingredient in the pizza grease. Other than that, just caffeine."
"Does Finn have any body image issues?"
"I'd think the amount of time he spends working out classifies, but he doesn't have an eating disorder."
"Okay, and now the last." Helen paused. She thought of the question in her head, and wondered whether or not it would be a weakness to say it aloud.
"Does Finn love me?" Helen thought. Would Jane even know the naswer? Would she tell Finn she asked it?
There were other ways to ask that question. Did Finn know she cared for him, what did Finn think of her.
"How can I get Finn to open up to me." Helen muttered, not realizing she had said it aloud.
"Truth serum." Jane jabbed sarcastically.
"Did I just ask that out loud?" Helen wondered.
"I'll just forget about it." Jane was about to pick up her speed when Helen grabbed her by the wrist.
"Well, I've already asked it. You said you'd answer."
"Ask your husband." Jane replied. "This falls under the category of no betrayals." And Jane sped off, while Helen's gait slowed. She couldn't even speedwalk. It took most of her effort just to sigh.
There was no school on a Saturday, so soon after Jane's jog, she started to head up towards Daria's room. She heard the shower running, and she wondered which of the two siblings were using it. Her question was answered a moment later, when she saw Finn's door swing open and out stepped the younger Morgendorffer sibling. He appeared to have just woken up, and it was clear to Jane once she saw him that Finn was not a morning person, and that surprised her a bit.
Jane smiled. It was nice to see him with Daria nowhere in sight, so she didn't have to be rude to him. The fact that he was wearing only his boxers also made her smile.
"Jane!" Despite Finn's bleary eyes, he reacted very quickly to seeing her react in a casual manner.
"Relax, Daria's in the shower." Jane returned.
"Oh, yeah." Finn yawned a bit, and stretched.
"Sorry."
"Hey, I'm cool." Jane remarked. "Hey, listen, when I was jogging this morning, I ran into your mom."
"Yeah, she speedwalks. What the hell is the point of speedwalking?"
"I mean she knows that we're friends." Jane remarked.
"Oh. Well, I knew that. Mom won't mention it to Daria. They never discuss you other then the fact that you're friends." Finn noted. Jane nodded, but then started to wonder if maybe she should tell Finn about the question his mother had asked her.
"How can I get Finn to open up to me?" Jane knew that Finn did not have a very high opinion of his mother. While he never complained about her, the fact that he often came over to Jane's to avoid her spoke volumes. Perhaps they did have trouble communicating.
Jane knew she would not prod into their relationship, but would it be prudent to tell him his mother reflected that. Jane required secrecy from Helen, but the reverse did not hold true.
But ultimately, Jane decided not to press it. Daria made the decision for her by shutting the water off.
"Oh crap, not a whole lot of time, huh?" Finn cracked. Jane didn't say anything.
"Relax. Just follow my lead." Finn smiled. When Daria opened the bathroom door, she saw Jane and Finn arguing about his workout music being too loud. Finn was a convincing actor, but Jane felt miserable inside.
The entire day passed, and Jane spend most of it with Daria. They went out to Pizza Palace for lunch, and played a mind game on Kevin and Brittany while there. After that, they headed back to the house. Jane briefly thought of stopping by casa Lane to check on Trent, who no doubt would be as aggrieved with the wacky Lanes as she was, but reasoned against it when she saw Courtney, one of Summer's children, running in the front yard.
Summer was probably not present, but Courtney was a hellion in her own right, and if she was there, it probably meant Adrian, another of the brats, wasn't far behind. There would be no chance of stopping there anytime soon.
"Perhaps a nuclear weapon is necessary. Or with my luck, they'll feed on it and create more siblings." Jane thought as the two of them walked back home.
Jane offered to set the table for dinner. She called it "upkeep" to Mrs. Morgendorffer, but in truth, the family had very thick napkins, which made them perfect for shaping into birds like origami.
"Thanks so much, Jane!" Mr. Morgendorffer noted. "And I must say, it must be hard being thrown out of your family home."
"Well, I wasn't really thrown..." Jane started to talk, but Mr. Morgendorffer was no longer listening to her. He was starting to rant, as both Daria and Finn had remarked to her. She quickly distracted him.
"Say, uhh...Jane, you're, uhhh...close to Daria and all..." Mr. Morgendorffer started.
"Three questions, no betrayals, only one of your children per question."
"Huh?" He stated. Jane quickly pieced it together and reasoned he didn't know that Finn and Jane were friends. She didn't press it.
"Just ask."
"Height?" He asked. Jane's eyes widened. Did he truly not know?
"Daria's 5'2", Finn's six feet." Jane remarked that such a harmless observation would not go undetected, certainly not by the Morgendorffer patriarch.
"Great! Ummm...shoe size?"
"Six and a half for Daria, twelve is Finn."
"Let's see...ummm..."
"Daria's seventeen, one hundred ten pounds, her favorite color is black, favorite food is pizza, ice cream flavor is chocolate, and drinks her coffee black. Finn is fifteen, one hundred-eighty-five pounds, his favorite color is green, ice cream flavor is pistachio, and he doesn't drink coffee." Jane remarked.
"Thanks! Uhhh...did I use all my questions?" The man asked. Jane chuckled inwardly. No wonder Finn thought so much of his father. Even Daria had nothing bad to say about him.
At dinner, Jane found herself somewhat eager to wonder how a supposedly normal family ate dinner together. When she noticed Daria bringing a book with her to the table, however, she found they were pretty much as silent as eating by herself. Finn was engrossed in a magazine, that, according to the date on the cover, was months old, while Mr. Morgendorffer had a newspaper.
"Think I could scam a section of that?" She asked the man.
"Why does Otto wear the uniform like Sarge does?" Mr. Morgendorffer ignored her.
"So, it seems like everyone else is engrossed, Jane." Mrs. Morgendorffer started to engage. Seeing danger, Jane immediately snatched Finn's magazine from his loose grip.
"Hey!" Finn called.
"Wow, I wish my thighs looked like that." Jane remarked.
"Tell me about it." Helen sighed. "So, Finn, you appear to be..." Mrs. Morgendorffer turned her gaze to her son, who immediately grabbed the first thing he could find to read: the milk carton.
"I love these!" Finn commented. Helen sighed again.
The doorbell rang a second later, and Daria excused herself to answer it. When she returned, Finn noticed that she was accompanied by Trent.
Finn wondered if Trent, who could not understand subtlety in the slightest, would, accidentally or no, sell out his secret relationship. Finn resolved to keep his mouth shut.
"Trent!" Jane stated in amazement. Luckily for them both, Trent would be here for her, not Finn.
"I just wanted to let you know that Courtney and Adrian stopped by." Trent remarked.
"With or without Summer?" Jane asked. Trent did not respond, and Jane knew she didn't need to ask that question anyway.
"Since they're staying in the tent, I figure I might as well crash in the Tank."
"The Tank!" Finn exclaimed. He knew that van, and it was not an environment suitable for human life.
Then he noticed Daria's widened eyes.
"How do you know about The Tank?" She asked.
"Don't be stupid, Daria. It's a tank, what else would it be! That's kind of cool, to live in a real tank."
"Finn, it's not a real tank." Jane expertly covered. "You could've called."
"With Penny and Wind, I couldn't get a moment. Hey, you got any cash? I figure I should eat something today. Figure you won't need to eat out when you got good stuff like this in front of you."
"Trent, my man, you can stay for dinner if you like." Jake eagerly invited.
"Hey, cool!" Trent thanked the man genuinely. Finn supposed that Trent, being a musician for this kind of band, would be used to bumming food or a couch off of a fan after a show, and knew how to show appreciation without getting thrown out.
"This probably would be better than eating cold Chinese in the tank." Trent remarked. "And I won't have to be crammed up next to all those instruments."
"Trent, why don't you stay here tonight? You can sleep on the floor in Finn's room." Helen warmly invited. Daria, Finn, and Jane's eyes all widened.
"Thanks, Mrs. M!" Trent smiled.
After the most awkward dinner in the universe, Finn retreated upstairs to his room. He had a date tonight, just a simple movie and coffee, and he had to make sure he looked good for it. Not long after he got started, Trent came up into his room.
"Hey, man." Trent replied.
"Yo." Finn noted.
"You got a lot of posters on your walls." Trent replied.
"Yeah, athletes, role models." Finn remarked.
"You gotta date tonight?"
"Yep."
"So do I."
"Nice. What's her name?"
"Monique. She's in the Harpies."
"I've never heard of that."
"You never go to the shows." Trent remarked. "You should, sometime."
"Well, with Daria...well, it's a complicated situation." Finn remarked. "Uhhh...Trent, did Penny's bird crap in your hair?"
"Huh?"
"Look in the mirror." Finn offered. Trent stood in front of it. Sure enough, there was a small white splotch on the top of his head.
"Aw, damn!" Trent cursed. "Hey, dude, can I borrow..."
"A towel?' Help yourself." Finn eagerly gave him one.
"Can I use the..."
"Go ahead."
"Wow, you guys are so nice." Trent slaggered off towards the bathroom. After he left, Finn returned to the mirror, and decided that he wasn't liking the way his outfit matched up.
"What is wrong with my color sense today?" He thought. Then he smiled, why not ask Jane? She would know color well, being an artist.
"Plus, you've been wanting to hang out with her since she got here. If it wasn't for Daria..." Finn thought bitterly before donning a T-shirt and pants and going down to Daria's open door. The two girls appeared to be engrossed in a game of Scrabble.
"Hey, Jane, you know those art paint things, right?" Finn asked.
"It's just paint, not a thing." Jane remarked.
"So, if someone had, say, skin tone just like mine, what would compliment a pair of navy blue pants well?" Finn cocked an eyebrow. Jane smiled.
"I'd have to see..."
"Alright!" Finn grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off.
"Leave my Q alone, dammit." Jane instructed Daria before the two ran off to Finn's room.
"Finn, you're going to get us so busted." Jane remarked.
"Not really. I do need to pick out a good outfit." Finn remarked before pulling his T-shirt off. It was too hot for layers.
"Well, if those were the pants, I'd say go for dark green. That's your favorite color."
"You know me way to well." Finn smiled as he went into his closet.
Daria sat in her room, waiting for Jane, seething silently that Finn would drag her off for, of all things, color advice for his wardrobe.
This was taking far too long for them to choose an outfit, and, with Trent off in the shower, Jane would have no reason to stick around any longer than necessary in that little slice of Hell. Picking herself off the floor, Daria crept down to Finn's room, and peeked in through the doorway.
She couldn't see anything from her vantage point, but she could hear the two of them talking.
"You like to date, don't you?" Daria heard Jane ask.
"Well, it's something to do. Movies are boring by yourself." Finn replied.
"Yeah, I hear that." Jane agreed. Daria pushed the door a little further, and could see Finn near his closet.
"You know, it's really cool to have your commentary on things." Finn remarked. Daria nearly broke the door down as he emerged, shirtless, from his closet.
"When you speak to my friend, you bastard, you keep your clothes on!" Daria seethed. What was his plan? Try to get Jane to spill juicy secrets about his sister? Inspire lust so he could get the worthy gift of her art? Or was this just another plot to take something of hers away from her? As if Jane was the last popsicle in the freezer.
"Hey, that's what friends are for." Jane remarked. Daria's eyes widened even further. And it was working! It couldn't be. While Jane always had an eye for male beauty, she couldn't be that foolish, could she? She had heard what she said about Finn before.
"You know." Jane commented. "I really like that shirt you have, but not with those pants. You need lighter ones." Finn looked down at the shirt in his hands, and held it against his legs.
"Yeah. Damn, I knew I was right in asking you." Finn threw the shirt out of Daria's line of sight towards his bed. And then, to her horror, Daria watched as Finn's hands went to his zipper. He unzipped, then pulled his pants down to his ankles.
Daria pushed the door open a little further, then adjusted her angle to see if she could see Jane. There she was, on the bed, clearly liking what she saw.
"Take your time." She said in a teasing manner.
"You women." Daria heard Finn dismiss. "Why does everything always have to be about my butt?"
"That's only when you're not wearing pants."
"Hey, it's weird, come on."
"Oh, come on." Jane continued to tease. "It's not like I haven't seen you in your boxers before."
And that was enough. Daria pushed open the door into her brother's room.
"What the hell is going on!"
"Daria!" Both Finn and Jane cried out the intruder's name.
"What the hell are you doing?" Daria accused her brother.
"I'm getting changed for a date. Jeez, I would think that would be obvious."
"With Jane in the room?" Daria delivered.
"She was giving me color schematics."
"And you couldn't wait until she left the room to take your pants off? Gee, this doesn't have the word "seduce" written all over it."
"Hey, Daria, relax. Nothing happened." Jane returned.
"You don't need to defend him, Jane." Daria returned.
"I'm not defending him, I'm not held here against my will." Jane faced her friend.
"Come on, Jane, I'll just..."
"Daria, we weren't finished." Jane remarked. Daria's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Jane, you're being used. You're being seduced, and soon he'll sink his hooks into you, and you'll be...God, I can't even finish it. Come on, you know better than this."
"No, I know that only because you told me." Jane countered. "I did my own damn research and found out your brother is actually a decent person."
"You can't honestly think he gives a damn about you!" Daria countered.
"Hey!" Now Finn was getting in on the fight. "I care about Jane plenty."
"Stay out of this!" Daria ordered. "God damn it, Finn, there's just no satisfying you, is there. Does every girl in Lawndale need to be under your spell?"
"Daria, get over yourself!" Jane interrupted, placing herself between the two yelling siblings. "I like your brother, he's a good guy and not the monster you want to make him out to be."
"How can you be so stupid, Jane? You've seen him in action."
"Yeah, I have. But Finn has never done that to me, not even once. You're wrong about your brother; he's not the person you've told me he his."
"Of course he is. Jane, you've never been around him like I have. He uses people, squeezes everything out of them, and then leaves them. He's a parasite. I won't let him hurt you like that."
"So is that it?" Jane accused. "Am I just the thing that Finn wouldn't go for? Is that all you see me as?"
"No!" Daria protested. "You're my best friend and I won't let this monster hurt you!"
"There's only one monster in this room, and it's not the male here." Jane stormed off out the door.
"Where are you going?" Finn asked.
"For a walk."
"In your boots?" Finn asked, but there was no answer. Just a slamming door.
"Nice going." Finn crossed his arms across his chest as he quickly threw on the first clothes he could grab.
"Don't you even start with me!" Daria stated angrily.
"You have some nerve." Finn remarked.
"It just wasn't enough, was it?" Daria accused. "It wasn't enough to be prettier than me, or more popular, or to have all your stupid little girlfriends buy you things, or your football buddies to worship you like the mindless husks they are."
"Hey, bitch, say what you feel like about me, but you leave those guys out of this! You've never met them." Finn aggressively returned.
"You just couldn't leave well enough alone. I couldn't have one friend that you didn't think of stealing."
"I never tried to steal Jane from you." Finn returned. "We kept the relationship a secret because you would freak out, and by the looks of it, we were right."
"You bastard!" Daria cursed. "Like you'd ever consider someone else's feelings."
"You know, I used to always wonder why you couldn't have even one friend." Finn snuck in his own accusation. "And now, I know. God, Daria, you don't care about anyone, do you? For all that crap you give me about it, people are just possessions to you."
"I am not like you!"
"No, you're not." Finn returned. "I care about others. Look around you. You've had one friend your whole life, and now you're losing her because you can't bear the idea that she can have a friend other than you. Now, get out!" Daria left the room per the instructions, and it was a good thing she did. Finn was so furious with her he was willing to forget the fact that she was a girl. In all his time around Daria, despite her pranks and cruel behavior, he had never struck her. But he felt like he was about to do that now.
Jane did not go for a walk like she had advertised. Instead, she leaned against the wall of the Morgendorffer house. She was angry and frustrated, angry at her supposed best friend. In truth, Daria was her best friend, and Finn was always just a friend; that gave Jane no pause. But now, Jane had to question everything about their friendship.
It was true that, even before Daria, Jane would know better than to get suckered in by someone like Finn like those other stupid girls at school. But there was another man behind the sleazy con artist, and even that sleazy con artist was disappearing, changing into a still-rather-vain, but kind and considerate, young man.
"And Daria thinks he's a demon." Jane thought. Jane knew that Daria made her smile like no other. They had fun together. Daria had no pretenses, and Jane could just hang around her and be herself, not that she'd want to be any other person, and the world just didn't feel as harsh, when there was someone else around.
But now her two friends were feuding, and Jane was concerned at the idea of having to choose between the two of them. She didn't want to. If she chose Daria, she'd have to write off Finn, and if she chose Finn, Daria would never speak to her again.
The decision seemed easy in her head, but it made Jane really sad. She sniffed, and tried not to sob. She managed to compose herself quickly after letting out a few.
And upstairs, looking down from the bathroom window, Trent saw his little sister cry for the first time in ages.
Daria seethed as she went back into her room. She had no idea where Jane was, but she would return soon enough. She was not the type to leave things unfinished, and her easel was still here.
"How could she be so stupid." Daria thought. Wasn't she paying attention when she was told of Finn? How could they, possibly, be friends. Finn cared nothing for other people, only their wallets.
She saw her door push open, and thought maybe Jane had returned. But Trent, toweling his wet hair, was the culprit.
"Hey, Daria." His voice was flat as always, and Daria wondered if he had heard anything from the shower.
"Hey, Trent." Daria calmed herself down by speaking to him.
"You seen Janey?"
"She said she was going for a walk."
"At night?" Trent wondered. Daria didn't reply. Trent sat on the bed.
"That was some fight I heard."
"Oh." Daria was surprised.
"You and your brother don't get along, do you?"
"You try getting along with a manipulative sociopath."
"A who?"
"Finn's a greedy little bastard who thinks of other people only as tools."
"Huh. I've seen him around the house a few times."
"No one had the decency to tell me." Daria remarked. It didn't surprise her that Trent knew about the relationship and didn't tell her about it: Jane was remarkably good as shushing her brother, and Trent was rarely conscious to speak to when Daria was around.
"You're worried about nothing." Trent stated.
"Huh?"
"I've seen him around Janey. He makes her happy."
"That's part of his plan." Daria noted. She knew how Finn worked.
"Plan?"
"Finn makes people smile, then he gets them to buy him breakfast, or something he was browsing at in a store."
"Janey's never done that." Trent remarked. "It's kinda normal. She paints and he watches. She asks him something, he answers. It's kinda like you."
"Finn and I are not the same!" Daria protested.
"Whoa, issues." Trent commented. Daria was about to protest, but she held her tongue. Trent had a way of telling her things that crept up on her, things she wouldn't normally consider if someone else had said them.
"Finn and Janey are friends."
"Finn's just trying to get her away from me." Daria stated resolutely.
"Why?"
"Because I can never have something he has."
"So then, why was he keeping it a secret from you?" Trent asked. Daria paused again. That didn't make sense. If Finn was trying to steal her, he'd make his attempts more obvious.
"Your brother's all right." Trent stated, almost definitively. Daria couldn't bring herself to believe that. She knew Finn, better than Jane and Trent put together. He couldn't possibly be anything other than a monster.
"But...even I know that's not true anymore." Daria admitted to herself sadly. She brought her knees to her chest. Finn was not the same guy he was when high school started. And she knew this; she was part of the reason why. She made sure to chime in at the right time to encourage the proper aspects.
"Was...it was because I wanted Jane all to myself. I didn't want to lose the first friend I ever had." Daria sniffed. Now she felt awful. It may very well have been that Jane's influence curbed Finn's monstrous qualities.
"Hey, Trent..." Daria called over to him. Trent, however, looked around the room.
"This is a really warm room." He commented. And without another word, he lay down on the floor and fell asleep.
After dinner, Helen had gone outside to fix a mistake Jake had made while setting the alarm system. While she was outside, Eric had called her on her cellular. The weather was balmy, but pleasant, and rather than go inside, Helen simply paced around the porch while Eric spoke to her.
However, Helen had to put Eric on hold for a minute when she saw Jane storm out the front door and make her way to the back yard. The girl looked equal parts angry and hurt, and Helen was willing to bet she knew what happened: Daria found out that she and Finn were friends.
"Honestly, I don't see the problem." Helen thought. While Finn was quite the seductive creature, Helen never saw any packages of any kind from Jane, so he simply did not pull his tactics on her.
"Perhaps you'll get the idea that a woman is more than just a purse, Finn." Helen thought to herself. Still chatting pleasantly with Eric, she walked into the house. She found Finn lying on the couch, watching TV.
"Where'd Jake go? Wasn't he sleeping on the couch?" Helen wondered. But then she reasoned that Daria and Finn would have been arguing, and the sounds of such a bedlam would drive Jake to the attic or garage, somewhere to wait out the storm.
"Finn?" Helen told Eric to hold on for a second while she addressed her son.
"Yes?" He replied in his angry tone.
"Did something happen earlier today?"
"Nothing you'd be interested in."
"Finn, you and your sister were arguing, weren't you?" Helen noted. Finn did not reply, he simply kept his gaze on the TV, showing that show about that girl who killed vampires, whatever her name was. Biffy, Buffy, whatever.
Helen shut the TV off.
"Finn, what happened?"
"Daria had a freaking heart attack. Go ahead and yell at her. I didn't do anything." Helen bit her tongue at the thought of her protest: That arguments were never one-sided. But it would not serve it's purpose.
"Where is Daria?"
"Up in her room, I guess."
"Is she with Jane?" Helen tried to engage her son, seeing if maybe he'd open up about his own feelings regarding the situation.
"No. I saw Trent go into her room though."
"Oh, that's lovely." Helen remarked. Then, the words sank in.
"You mean to say that Daria...is upstairs in her room...alone...with a man in his early twenties? Finn, when did he do that?"
"I saw him go in when Buffy started. So, I dunno, they've been there for a good twenty minutes. At least. Don't know where I am since you..." Finn started to talk. Helen immediately handed Finn her cell phone.
"Talk to your aunt!" She instructed.
"Mom, you were talking to..." Finn started, but Helen had already bolted up the stairs. Finn sighed before going back to the cell phone.
"Hello!" He stated into the phone. "No, this is Finn, her son. Eric, it's kinda late for...Huh? Sue the Red Cross? Aren't they a charity? Really? Well, still, the word non-profit sends some pretty strong...oh, wow, that is a lot of money per class. And they have to take it every year?" Finn picked up the phone and moved into the kitchen.
Helen bounded up the stairs towards her daughter's room. She breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw the door partially open, and even more when she noticed Daria, fully dressed, sitting on her bed. Trent was in the room, but he was also fully dressed, and dozing off on the floor.
"Daria?" Helen asked.
"Oh, hi, Mom."
"Where's Jane?" Helen asked pleasantly.
"Probably off with Finn." Daria commented sourly.
"Finn's downstairs watching that vampire girl on TV. Jane's not with him."
"Oh." Daria sighed, and laid down on the bed. "Then I don't know where she is."
"Isn't she your guest?" Helen prodded. She may not have known how to get Finn to open up, but she did with Daria.
"I don't even know that. She and Finn are close."
"I already knew that." Helen replied.
"You did!" Daria bolted up.
"It was spring last year."
"That was...that was when Jane joined track." Daria realized.
"So that's who he was training." Helen remarked.
"He was training her?"
"Wouldn't that be a person to ask?"
"I...suppose." Daria grimly admitted. "Still, to keep that a secret..."
"Daria, have you ever really asked yourself what the problem is with this?" Helen asked.
"Easy. Finn's a jerk, and he's going to make her miserable."
"Daria." Helen glared at her. "What a thing to say."
"It's true."
"No, it isn't. If she was miserable, why wouldn't she have come to you to get rid of him?" Helen pointed out. Daria didn't answer, she had none to give.
"Mom, you know how Finn is."
"And I know how you are." Helen countered. "You're letting your anger at Finn get in the way of your better judgment."
Daria opened her mouth for a quick protest, but stopped. Helen knew that Daria wouldn't be able to reply to this. As smart as she was, she was still a young woman, and her emotions got in the way of her sense sometimes, as it did with all people.
"Daria, being around Finn makes Jane happy." Helen noted.
"I wouldn't know."
"Use your head." Helen instructed. "You know Jane better than I do. Would she continue to hang around someone that made her miserable?"
"Depends. What would Finn be wearing?"
"Huh?"
"Well, I guess Jane's not that stupid." Daria admitted.
"So what is the problem? Finn and Jane are friends and they make each other happy. What does it have to do with you?"
"It's Finn we're talking about. He's trying to..." Daria started to say something else, but she stopped. Helen thought she knew the reason. She realized for herself that something wasn't the case.
"Ah, hell."
"Daria, I realize that you and your brother have disagreements. But everything your brother does is not just to mess with you. He's his own person. I know you were trying to protect Jane, but she doesn't need it. She can be friends with the both of you, it's not a contest."
"But that's just weird." Daria commented. "To be friends with people who hate each other."
"Not as weird as you'd think. You'll understand that when you get a career. But why do you have to hate Finn? He is your brother."
"Don't you hate Aunt Rita?"
"That's...complicated." Helen remarked. "Anyway, why do you have to hate him? Jane likes him, and she's got a decent head on her shoulders, doesn't she?"
"Mom, this is Finn we're talking about."
"Daria, I've known the two of you your whole lives." Helen remarked. "And I know well enough to know what happened between you two was not a one-way street. You were quite the terror to him, too."
"He deserved it."
"And you didn't?" Helen remarked. "If you're going to play that game and wonder if Finn deserved every bad thing you gave him, ask yourself if he had the right to retaliate. It will get you nowhere, Daria, I'll tell you that right now." There was silence between the two of them.
"Ask yourself, something, Daria. Does your friendship with Jane mean more to you than your hatred of Finn?" Helen posed. Daria was silent.
"If you'd rather hate Finn, then let the two of them be friends." Helen remarked. "It clearly doesn't mean anything to you. But if you'd rather be friends with Jane, then you need to learn to accept their friendship."
"And maybe when you realize the world doesn't have to hate him just because you do, maybe you two will stop doing that too." Helen kept the final part of her logic to herself.
"I...gotta go find Jane."
"She'll be back here soon enough." Helen replied. Daria picked up the cluttered remains of her game of Scrabble and headed out the door. Once she was alone, Helen smiled at the snoring Trent, and wondered if he was the one who calmed her down: Daria would certainly not be able to reason with her mother if the fight had just happened.
But Trent continued to sleep as if nothing ever happened at all.
Jane realized she would have to go back inside the house soon enough. She didn't like the idea of sleeping outside. She went back into the Morgendorffer household, and the house was quiet. No one was in the living room. When Jane looked in the window earlier, she had seen Finn watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but he appeared to have left now.
Feeling parched, Jane decided to go get a soda. When she entered the kitchen, she saw Daria sitting there. Jane tried to ignore her.
"Hey." Daria acknowledged.
"Yo." Jane replied flatly.
"I thought about you and Finn." Daria replied.
"I figured you would. So, what now?" Jane asked.
"It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. How people can be friends with him, how girls can be friends with him."
"It's the same reason why Jodie and Brittany are friends, even though they're nothing alike."
"I wasn't trying to hurt you, it's just..."
"You knew Finn all your life for the colossal ass that he is. Something like that?" Jane remarked.
"Listen, if you want to be his friend, fine. I'll just get used to getting pizza by myself."
"Daria, it doesn't have to be that way. I was friends with you both before."
"So, you don't hate me?"
"No." Jane admitted, almost bitterly.
"You...were right. I was just worried about you."
"Daria, we're just friends. Yeah, your brother is hot, and I like being around him, but that's it. It's never...gone further."
"That's what Trent said."
"I thought he had a date with Monique. She must be late."
"With those two?" Daria sniped. Both girls laughed.
"So, we just stay as we were, except for the whole secret thing?"
"Yeah. So we're still friends?"
"Yeah."
"And you and Finn?"
"Still friends. I'll have to talk to him about it. You know, Daria, I meant what I said. Your brother is not a bad guy."
"I think I'm starting to get that." Daria spoke words Jane never thought she'd hear her say.
After Helen spoke to Daria, she reasoned she'd have to do the same thing with Finn. He was clearly angry when he was watching TV. She wanted to help Finn get over his sister. After all, if Daria merely stopped, the diffusion would not work properly unless it was both ways.
She found Finn in his room, pacing back and forth, with her cellular.
"What? You've been talking to Eric this whole time?" Helen was aghast.
"I'm just saying, Eric, that you're in your forties now. Things are different for men at that age. That's no reason to be embarrassed about taking your shirt off at the pool. What? No, Eric, that's what geeks do." Finn chatted into the phone, then he noticed his mother in the doorway.
"Take. Him. Now." Finn cupped his hand over the phone and handed it to his mother.
"Eric, I'm going to have to call you back. I'm running out of battery on this phone." Helen said into the receiver before hanging up.
"Wow, I wish I thought of that." Finn remarked.
"Finn, I talked with Daria."
"Good." Finn replied. "Hope it worked."
"Finn, are you..." Helen started, but there was a knock at his door. Jane was standing in the doorway.
"Jane!" Finn immediately ignored Helen and went to her.
"Ummm..." She looked towards Helen.
"Mom, I think we need to talk." Finn indicated himself and Jane. Helen saw the determination in her son's eyes, and knew there was no way she could win. She silently sighed and left the room.
"So, I think I finally got Daria to understand." Jane noted once she and Finn were alone.
"Well, that's great. I mean, no need to be secretive." Finn replied.
"You seem disappointed."
"I"m not. Just surprised."
"Don't lie." Jane commented.
"I'm really surprised." Finn returned. "In all the time I've known Daria, I've never known her to give an inch. Not without some elaborate plot in the works."
"Finn, do I have to tell you the same thing?"
"Hey, I was okay with you two being friends." Finn replied.
"That isn't what I meant." Jane noted. "I mean that Daria is not the monster you think she is."
"You...you don't understand." Finn started to protest.
"Seriously. I get along with her."
"The first person to." Finn commented.
"Finn." Jane's voice lowered. "Look, I just spend all night upset that I'd have to choose between the two of you, and now when I think the end is in sight, you slam it shut. Your sister is not a monster. You know that, just as she knew you weren't one."
"I..." Finn paused.
"You know it." Jane chimed in. Finn paused.
"Yeah." Finn admitted, almost as bitterly as Daria.
"What the hell is your story?" Jane asked. "I can get Daria, but you I don't understand. You'd never care what some brain would say about you."
"Didn't I answer this."
"You just said she didn't do it to you." Jane commented. Finn's hands started to ball into fists.
"Dad..." Finn commented softly, but Jane heard him. She bit her tongue, for she didn't know Mr. Morgendorffer well enough to comment. The relationship between Daria and her father was the same as the one with her mother, but Finn's opinions of his parents were completely different from each other.
There was one other person who heard the word "Dad" escape Finn's lips. Eavesdropping outside the doorway, Helen racked her mind. Was this the break she was looking for? What did Daria ever do to Jake to hurt Finn so badly?
She didn't know, but she resolved to not call back Eric tonight and figure this out.