Is this how you plan on handling problems in a relationship? Real mature Tom! You could have killed someone!

Daria used the cold cloth that Jane had given her to wipe at Tom's face as best as she could with him turning as though trying to get away from the cool rag. Trent had deposited the drunken teenager on the sofa and wordlessly retreated to the kitchen doorway adjacent to Jane. Daria stood and turned to face them both.

"Now what?" Daria asked of no one in particular.

"Well he can't go home like that." Jane spoke first.

"He can crash here." Trent stated rather detachedly. "Someone should call his folks or something."

"I'll call Elise and get her to help," Jane spoke up heading for the phone down the hall.

Daria went to stand before Trent. He studied her from lids trained to be half closed to disguise what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry about all of this."

"It's not your fault."

"It, kind of is though…"

They looked at each other for a long moment.

"Oh, for fucks-" Tom's voice came from where he was struggling to sit up while also trying to focus on Daria and Trent, "I've got to get out of here-" he tried to stand, but failed miserably and fell back into the couch into a further slouching position.

Daria went to help him get a bit more comfortable.

"Tom don't. You'll hurt yourself."

Couldn't be any worse than anything I already feel.

Tom reached out putting a hand on her shoulder heavily.

"Why'd you have to do it?" Tom slurred.

Daria ignored him and pushed him back into a reclining position.

"You need to sleep it off," she tried rearranging the cover that kept balling up as he twisted one way then the other. "Tom-" she snatched the cover, "stop it!" she took a calming breath. "You're drunk."

"Yeah, I am." He agreed and let his head drop back against the sofa with a gentle thud. "BUT," he spoke, eyes still closed, "-I know-"

"…yeah…"

"Were- were-" he took a breath treating her to the nauseating smell of the scotch that he'd pilfered from his father's stash, then tried speaking again, "Were-" he shook his head. "We are," he enunciated. Satisfied that he'd overcome that obstacle, he continued, "we are compatible…." He seemed to lose his train of thought but found it in the next moment. "We have intellectual fun…" he seemed to suddenly grow very tired and very sad. "why couldn't that be enough?"

Daria looked at him. She had no answers. Luckily… or not depending on how you looked at it, Tom had drifted back off in a slumped heap. She put his legs back on the sofa and stood looking down at him.

"Why'd you have to do it Daria?" he asked again, eyes closed and sounding deflated. "Why'd you have to- why can't you be more like Jane?"

Sleep it off Tom… we'll talk in the morning… of course I have no idea what I'm going to say…..

"Jane would never be like this…" Tom's voice was low and clear. His eyes remained closed. It was as though his thoughts were simply pouring fourth as they came to him. So, he rambled. "Jane was a good girlfriend- great really. She's so smart…"

Daria turned away but could not bring herself to look at Trent.

He's right. I'm a cheater. If I ever hurt Trent… I never wanted to hurt my best friend but look how that turned out.

Tom was still rambling in his slumber.

"Pretty- she's pretty too…. I'm surry- sorry I hurt her. She didn't deserve that…and this is my punishment." He tried to laugh but ended up snorting and dozing off.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Trent's kind eyes.

You don't need to stand there and hear that.

He cocked his head gesturing for her to follow him into the kitchen. Neither saw that Jane had walked back up and had seen and heard just about everything.

Geesh guys; if he's seeing you guys look at each other like that… sorry Tom…

Trent pulled her to him in once they were in the kitchen. She was stiff but for a moment before allowing herself to relax into his embrace.

"He's drunk." His hands rubbed her back soothingly.

"Doesn't mean he's not right."

"Yeah, it does." He held her tightly. "If he believes that you would ever hurt him on purpose like that- then he doesn't know you at all."

She said nothing. She allowed the certain strength that he offered to flow through her.

"Um, guys," Jane spoke from the doorway. They turned towards her. "Elise is going to cover for him tonight and Daria I told your dad that you were sleeping over because I needed some help with the up coming math test- not a lie by the way."

"Thanks Jane." Daria spoke and silently gave thanks that she had stashed an extra change of clothes here since the unfortunate paint spill incident.

"Tom looks like he's out cold for the night and you know where your room is, so…" Jane exited with a concerned look towards all parties as she left.

Daria brought her eyes back to Trent's face.

"I've made quite the mess, haven't I?"

"We- and no, what we have… I could never classify it as a mistake. Poor timing for some maybe, but not a mistake."

She gave a weak smile. He hugged her close to him and she let him.