Chapter 1:
I'm thinking back to our move just a few days ago from Highland, TX to Lawndale, MD. It was a hell of a drive. Mom constantly on the phone, Dad cursing everything, Quinn being a nuisance. I'm sitting in the back seat of the car on the way to school, Quinn in the front, and Dad driving.
"Girls, I just want you to know your mother and I realize that it's not easy moving to a new town- especially for you, right, Daria" Dad asked, sounding both coached and sincere at the same time.
"Did we move?" I asked, in a monotone joke.
Dad laughs. He states nervously, "I'm just saying you don't make friends as easy as, um, some people…,"
Qui turns the radio up, seeming to sense the awkwardness.
"People like Quinn for instance" I ask, adding a small bite to my toe.
"Um, that's not what I meant, necessarily," he started, turning the radio off. "The point is, the first day at a new school is oud to be difficult…"
I lean through the middle and turn the radio on and up, "Speak up Dad, I can't hear you!"
He turns the radio off. "Uh, where was I? Oh, yeah… Don't get upset if it takes a while for the other kids to warm up to you," he says as we pull up to the school. Quinn gets out of the car, all heads turn to her.
"Hi! You're cool. What's your name" a girl with brown hair, a green shirt and blue overalls asks.
"Quinn Morgedorffer," she responds, flipping her hair.
"Cool name," the girl quipped back.
"Will you go out with me?" A random boy shouts.
I in a sarcastic monotone tell dad, "I'll try to help her through this difficult period of adjustment." I start to exit the car.
"That's my girl!" he starts as I shut the door. "Wait a minute…"
"See ya dad," I wave him off. And walk inside the building meeting up with a small group of students and Ms. Li, the principal. When everyone meets up we start our tour.
"As you can see, our Lawndale High students take great pride in their school. That's why you will all be taking small psychological exam to spot any little clouds on the horizon as you sail the seas of Lawndale High," Ms. Li says. I swear she puts such a weird emphasis on Lawndale High.
"S.O.S. girl overboard," I speak quietly in my sarcastic monotone, thus causing the girl next to me to kind of shy away.
As per usual, I thought to myself. Probably won't make any friends here either. We walk towards the guidance counselor's office. When we get there Quinn and I are put in at the same time. Aren't these supposed to be confidential?
"Ow, Quinn…," Mrs. Manson starts, "what do you see here? '' She holds up a white paper with a lack picture.
"It's a picture of two people talking," Quinn says with a bored tone.
"That's right!" Mrs. Manson exclaims. "Can you make up a little story about what they're discussing"
"I'm not even supposed to be taking this test. I'm exempt," Quinn informs.
"You won't be graded."
"Oh, okay then," Quinn starts. "Let's see here… they've been going out for a while, and he's upset because other people keep asking her out, and she's saying she can't help it if she's attractive and popular, besides nobody ever said they were going steady, and if he does want to go steady, he's got to do a lot better than movie - burger - backseat - movie - burger - backseat, because there are plenty of other guys with bigger back seats waiting to take her someplace nice."
"Very good, Quinn!" Mrs. Manson shouts. "Now, Dara, let's see if you can make up a story as vivid as your sisters."
"It's Daria!" I bite back, my voice slightly altered with annoyance.
"I'm sorry, Daria. What do you see in the picture, Dara?" she says putting emphasis on both versions of my names.
"Um… I see herd of beautiful wild ponies running free across the plains," I say, a sarcastic smirk pulling onto my face,
"Um, there aren't any ponies. It's two people."
"Last time I took one of these tests, they told me they were clouds. They said they could be whatever I wanted," I replied with a fake sad tone.
"That's a different test dear," she said, slightly worried. "In this test, they're people, and you tell me what they're discussing."
"Oh, I see. All right then. It's a man and a woman and they are discussing… how one of their daughters is always pulling herself away from her peers and just putting her face in her books, so they put her in situations where she should be able to make friends, summer camps, and camps, school activities. They constantly compare her to the other sister who has so many friends she can't remember all their names, who is constantly changing the guy's arm that the parents just don't even bother about asking their names anymore. So the girl becomes even more of a loner hoarding whatever book she can get because at least those are the only things that can't do anything to her," I finish, with a small growl.
She slowly lowers the photo with a scowl on her face and Qui has a look of discomfort and I smirk.
Chapter 2:
"Class, we have a new student joining us today," my new history teacher, Mr. DeMartino said, his eye bulging occasionally, and putting random emphasis on random parts. "Please welcome, Daria Morgedorffer. Daria please raise your hand."
I raise it to my shoulder.
"Well, Daria! As long as you've got your hand raised," he chuckles, I think trying to sound evil. "Last week we began a unit on westward expansion. Perhaps you feel it's unfair to be asked a question on your first day of class?"
I was startled as I ask, "Excuse me?"
"Daria can you precisely and unemotionally sum up the doctrine of Manifest Destiny?"
"Manifest Destiny was a slogan popular in the 1840's," I start in an even tone. "It was used by people who claimed it was God's will for the U.S. to expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Those people did not include many Mexicans."
He stares at me for a moment. "Very good, Daria. Almost… suspiciously good. All right, class. Who can tell me which war Manifest Destiny was used to justify" he looks at the class, eyes locked on a kid in a football uniform."Kevin! How about you"
"The Vietnam War" the boy, Kevin, answered in way of another question.
God, it's going to be Highland all over again, I think to myself frowning.
Mr. DeMartio looks affronted, "That came a little later, Kevin...a hundred years later. A lot of good men died in that conflict, Kevin. I believe we owe it to them to at least get the century right!"
"Uh… Operation Watergate?" Kevin asks again.
I'm ever going to escape these damn idiots.
"So, promise me that you'll come back and see me someday when you have the Heisman Trophy and a chain of auto dealerships, and I'm saving up for a second pair of pants! Will you promise me that, Kevin" Mr. DeMartino exclaims sarcastically.
"Sure!" Kevin agrees.
"Can I come too? I mean if Kevin and I are still together" a blonde cheerleader asks, twirling her fingers in one of her pigtails.
"We will be, babe," Kevin reassures.
"Ahh… Brittany," he starts condescendingly, as if speaking to a small child. "Can you guess which war we fought against the Mexicans over Manifest Destiny"
"Mm… No," she says chirpily.
Losing his patience he asks, "Please try, Brittany."
"Uhhh… the Viet Cong war" she asks.
"Either someone gives me the answer, or I give you all double homework and a quiz tomorrow. I want a volunteer with the answer now!" Mr. DeMartino asks.
I raise my hand with a sigh.
"Daria, stop showing off!" He asks again.
I look down with a frown etched on my otherwise unemotional face, and lower my hand.
The rest of the day continues on in a blur, meeting Ms. Barch, Mr. O'Neal, Mrs. Bennett, Ms. Defoe, and Mrs. Morris.
I begin my trek home thinking about everything, being grateful that tomorrow is Friday, and I can just do whatever I want after this.
I get home and set about doing my homework, easily getting done with everything in about an hour. I lay on my bed with a book and lose track of time until I hear dad call out it's time for dinner.
It's a few minutes, all of us settled in with our usual lasagna as a side of green beans when Quinn starts about her day.
"They asked me to join the pep squad. They said I didn't have to try out or anything, but I said, 'Look I'm new here. Give me a chase to settle in and get used to things first.' So for now, I'm Vice President of the Fashion Club, and that's it," She sums up.
"Sounds like a well-thought out decision, honey," Dad supports.
"As long as you can join pep squad later - if you want. Never know how much we can handle until we try though," Mom tries to push encouragingly.
"What about you, Daria? How was your first day?" Dad asks.
"Well, my history teacher hates me because I know all the answers, but there are some interesting idiots in my class," I inform being rather forward with my opinion for a change.
"That's great!" Dad chimes, prolly not catching what I said in the least.
"Jake!" Mom scolds.
"I mea-" Dad starts but is interrupted by Mom.
"What your father is trying to say, is to not judge people until you know them. You are in a brand new school in a brand new tow. You don't want it to be Highland all over again" Mom asks.
"Oh, is there uranium in the drinking water here too?" I quipped back.
"I'm talking about you making a friend or two. Don't be so critical. Give people the benefit of the doubt," Mom says as if trying to encourage me.
"It all boils down to trust," I sarcastically sum up.
"Exactly. It all boils down to trust," Mom says, either ignoring or not catching onto my sarcasm.
"Mom, Dad, you're right," I start before smirking ad asking; "Can I borrow your car"
"No," both respond simultaneously as the phone rings.
Quinn chimes in with, "God I hope that's not the booster society again."
"Hello," Mom asks into the phone. "Yes. Uh, yes she's my daughter. I see. Listen, will this require any parent teacher conferences or anything, and if so, is this the sort of thing my husband can handle Okay, great. Bye," The one sided conversation ends as Mom hangs up the phone. "You girls took a psychological test at school today?"
"They said we wouldn't be graded!" Quinn shouts angrily.
"Daria, they want you to take a special class for a few weeks," Mom starts. "Then they'll test you again."
"You flunked the test!?" Quinn asks in excitement, probably ready to tell her friends her cousin or whatever is stupid.
"She didn't flunk anything. It appears she has low self-esteem," Mom informs.
"What!" Dad exclaims. "That really stinks Daria."
"Easy Jake. Focus. We tell you over and over again that you're wonderful and you just don't get it," Mom says stabbing her food with her fork, her other hand hitting the table in a fist. "What is wrong with you!?"
Quinn decides to chime in with, "Is she gonna have, like, a breakdown or something? Cause that could really mess me up with my new friends."
I sigh, "Don't worry I don't have low self-esteem. It's a mistake."
"I'll say!" Dad shouts.
"I have low esteem for everyone else," I state sarcastically.
A/N:
I've wanted to do a Daria Fanfiction forever and I was finally inspired to. I decided to take a spin on the series and see what it would be like if Daria was more sarcastic, slightly confrontational, and met Trent first.
-EyeMidight