"When In Doubt"
6/13/12

Quinn crouched in the darkness, eyes darting from side to side, and worked the lock with skilled fingers. She held a slim slip of metal between her lips, and slowly slid it into the lock beside a second piece. She worked for only a few seconds before the lock popped with a satisfying click.

Petal pink lips curled into a smile.

Gloved fingers turned the knob, and she was through the door.

A penlight held in her mouth provided the only illumination, and Quinn worked quickly, going through drawers in search of her prize. Working from the bottom, she searched the dresser drawers until finally, she pulled something from the top drawer with an internal crow of triumph.

Quinn bounced out of the room and closed the door behind her.

o.o.o

Daria returned at four o'clock to find her parents waiting for her. Quinn smirked from the couch beside their mother.

Helen held a familiar spiral-bound notebook in her hands, opened to the previous weekend's entry.

"Daria," Helen greeted, voice firm. "We need to talk."

After shooting a glance in her sister's direction, Daria sat, expression carefully blank.

"I've raised my hourly rates," Daria deadpanned. "So unless you have eighty thousand dollars to burn, I'd appreciate it if you make this quick."

"Daria, this will take as long as it needs to."

"Hey, it's your dime."

Helen took a deep breath, as if to calm herself, and raised the notebook.

"Quinn found this in your room this afternoon, when she went in to borrow a book."

Daria raised an eyebrow at her sister, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"The short leg on your desk wobbling again?"

"I was looking for something to read!"

"I'm sorry, we don't carry pop up books."

"Girls!" Helen barked. "Daria, I read some of the things you've been writing in this 'journal' of yours. And I'm quite bothered."

Quinn's smile was bright with expected triumph.

"Threesomes at Jane's, Brittany Taylor in the girls' locker room, Mr. Demartino in the teacher's lounge when you were supposed to be having detention?"

Jake's eyes popped out and his face went red with what looked like a stroke.

Helen slapped the book down on the coffee table.

"If you're going to leave a decoy journal lying around, you could at least write something somewhat believable!"

Quinn gaped, and Jake stopped choking.

Daria made a show of checking her watch.

"Well if we're done here, you can settle your bill with a pizza and owe me the other seven thousand dollars. Cash is preferred."

Daria picked up her backpack and adjourned to her room.

o.o.o

Jane dropped her pencil in her geometry book and reached for the trilling phone.

"Yo."

"Quinn went snooping again. My lock was picked when I got home today. Mom read my journal."

Jane's china-blue eyes went wide.

"Should I forward your mail to the military school, or the nunnery?"

"Neither. They thought it was a decoy."

Jane laughed, shaking her head in incredulity. "You left your real journal in the decoy spot?"

"Of course. Who would ever believe the truth?"

Jane grinned and leaned back in her chair. "So we're still on for Burning Sunday?"

"You provide the acid. I'll bring the toys."

La la LA la laaa