A Disclaimer: These characters are the property of MTV, and the intellectual property of the creators of Daria. I appreciate their indulgence in letting me build a world around them. I am doing this for love, not money, so please do not get your panties in a twist about it. Thanks.
Sealed with a Kiss
Ruthless Bunny
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let us take out fill of love till morning.
Proverbs 7: 17-18
Daria looked around the office for the last time. She had been working at Vitale, Davis, Horowitz, Riordan, Schrecter, Schrecter and Schrecter all summer. She started out as the emergency replacement for the relief receptionist, but she had done the job so well, they asked her to stay on all summer. Daria was grateful for the work, it kept her out of Mr. O'Neill's cheesy day camp, and the pay was decent. Helen stopped by her desk and helped her gather up the few things she had accumulated in the nearly three months she had spent at the firm.
"Daria, is this all?" Helen asked her daughter as Daria put the last of it in a small box. It was mostly books and magazines.
"Mom, what do you think? I was only here for a few weeks, I didn't move in." Daria picked up the box, made some pleasant good-byes and they left the office together.
Helen looked at Daria. She seemed different, and it wasn't just the office attire and the ponytail. Daria was more confident, more adult, Helen suspected the cause, but she didn't want to delve into Daria's personal life. Besides, Tom was off in New England, and it didn't seem that Daria was pining away, so Helen put the thought out of her mind. On the ride home Helen was consumed with details of Daria's eminent move to California.
"So tomorrow, you and I are shopping for your school wardrobe. I don't want to hear anything about it. I've seen you drag around in thrift store stuff for four years. Humor me Daria, you'll be thousands of miles away, you can wear what you want and I'll never know the difference, but I just want to send you off with something nice."
"Mom, who's objecting?" Daria pointed out. "I need some new stuff, and if you want to pay for it, I'm not going to stop you." Daria smiled to herself, she thought about her bank balance, thought about her new adventure in California, thought about the next week. She had a ton of stuff to take care of but it was the excited bustle of starting a new life, so each errand had it's own charm. She was trying to think of minutiae to keep her mind off of Trent, there was no talking to her when she was thinking about Trent.
"Great, Cashman's is having a sale, I could use a few new things as well, so we'll do a whole day." Helen visibly perked up at the thought of shopping.
When they got home, they both went to their respective bedrooms, Helen to change out of her clothes, Daria to change into her evening outfit. Daria was meeting Jane for dinner, and she had some things she wanted to discuss with her. Trent was on her schedule for much later that evening, but she was trying not to think about that. Daria needed to focus.
Daria made it to the restaurant just in time. Jane had already snagged a table and was waving to her from the back.
"Hey, whatcha all dressed up for?" Jane asked.
"What do you mean?" Daria looked down at her outfit, a T-shirt, skirt and sandals.
"You know, you aren't all decked out in your usual gear. My God, you have feet!" Jane gestured with her fork.
"Hey, it's a bit hot for a jacket and boots. Besides, what are YOU all decked out for? I notice you've got your feet on display too."
"I'm hooking up with Bobby later, I wanted to be cute." Jane explained.
"Big-headed Bobby?" Daria asked, somewhat incredulous.
"Yeah, I ran into him at The Zon the other night. He's a good kisser, besides, why not?" Jane said. "Oh, I already ordered for us, I got you your usual? Ok?"
"Sure. Speaking of people we're hooking up with, I've got something I need to discuss with you. I'm not sure how you're going to take it, but I thought you should know." Daria sipped her water and looked at her best friend. Their relationship had weathered some stormy times, but each crisis made it stronger. Daria didn't have a reason to think that what she was about to tell her friend was going to be a problem, but emotional stuff was still new to her, and you never knew what was going to set someone off.
"Damn, don't tell me you've been dating Big-headed Bobby too." Jane said, joking but with enough vitriol in the sarcasm to cut Daria.
"No, he's all yours. You know, if you're going to be like that, then I can tell this savory bit of gossip to my other best girlfriend."
"No, no, if it's savory gossip, I'm all over it. I'll be nice, I promise." Jane conciliated.
"Ok then, that's better." Daria took a deep breath. "You know your brother?"
"Which one? I have two." Jane quipped
"Trent, stupid." Daria laughed, this was easier than she thought it was going to be. Silly definitely worked for her.
"Trent? I have a passing acquaintance with Trent, although lately he has been fairly scarce. Hey, wait a minute, are you telling me that you two…?" Jane moved her fork back and forth horizontally.
Daria furrowed her brow in mock confusion, "Well if the movement of your fork indicates fornicating excessively, then yes, yes we are." Daria giggled.
Jane just looked at her. "Daria, are you giggling? Did you just come right out and admit that you're doing my brother? Who are you? What have you done with my friend?"
Daria shrugged. She thought that after she had been with Trent that she had some kind of neon sign around her neck announcing it to the world, she felt that changed. She would look at herself in the mirror, trying to see if there was some visible manifestation of her complete sexual fulfillment. Daria decided that it was in her bright eyes and her constant smile.
"Ok, so you've just put it all together for me. So…what was it like?" Jane leaned in close, to get all the details.
"You know." Daria looked Jane in the eyes and raised her eyebrows. "Don't you?"
"Daria, who? Tom?" Jane asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"Why not? I almost did." Daria said matter-of-factly.
"Well I almost did too, but I guess I didn't want him to be my first." Jane said.
"We have loads in common. That's why we're friends." Daria observed. "Gee, I kind of wish I had some of the action on this, what do you suppose the odds were?"
"I'm thinking astronomical, but no offence to either of us." Jane said, digging into her salad.
"Yeah, but to answer your question, Trent is a genius." Daria finally found her famous blush.
"Ok, thanks for that, and never bring it up again." Jane said, dramatically dropping her fork onto the salad plate.
"You asked." Daria replied.
"I asked in a more generic way, I definitely didn't want the specifics on…my brother. Ew." Jane stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"Sorry, ok, so now you know, you aren't all freaked out or anything, cool. My work here is done." Daria smiled as she picked up an olive and transferred it to Jane's plate.
"Yeah, but Daria, what about next week. We're all out of here, what happens then?"
Daria sighed. "Well, Los Angeles isn't that far away from Berkeley. Besides, who knows really? I'm just taking it one day at a time. We'll all have new lives, new people, new friends, new lovers. I'm trying to be casual here."
"Daria, you're not a casual person." Jane noted.
"Yes, it turns out I can be. Besides, there's nothing for me to do, except what I planned to do. So that's what's going to happen." Daria stated firmly.
Jane had her doubts, but it wasn't really any of her business. The only problem was it concerned two of the people she loved most in the world. Daria and Jane lingered over their dinner. Discussing class schedules, vacations and who was going to visit whom first. It got late, Daria had planned to catch Trent at a gig so they both went their separate ways into the night.
Mystik Spiral was doing their final gigs at The Zon this weekend. They had managed to book themselves across the country all the way to Los Angeles. Their reputation had not preceded them. The trip would take them about four weeks, barring unforeseen Tank repair issues.
Daria had managed to cadge a table in the back, under the a/c vent. The bar was empty since the crowds didn't usually show up until around eleven. The crew was milling around, as usual. Daria found it hard to believe that she might never see this place again. She spent so many nights here, some happier than others, she was growing nostalgic. Sure it was a dump, but it was her dump. Tears welled in her eyes, but she attributed that to the sentiment of her eventual departure from Lawndale, not to anything she was feeling about, well, something else.
The guys were setting up. Trent came by holding a roll of electrical tape and gave her a peck on the cheek. "So, how did dinner go?"
"Well, your sister is scarred for life." Daria said, caressing his cheek.
"Great! So now I can kiss you in public as much as I want." He planted a big juicy one on her. Daria, as much as she hated to lose control, couldn't help herself when she was in his arms.
"Hey, break it up, don't make me get the hose!" Nancy called from the bar.
Trent sat with Daria as long as the band would let him get away with it. He went back to work, and Daria settled in for yet another evening hanging out. When Trent performed, he lost himself in the music. It bothered Daria, how could he concentrate? She couldn't concentrate at all, she was consumed with desire for him, all the time. She sat in the club, watching Trent, thinking about being with him later. Finally, it was time to go. They piled into his car and drove off to their favorite place.
"You know, now that Janey's hip to us, we could go to my house." Trent said, as he headed out of town.
"Yeah, maybe later, but there's something about that spot." Daria stuck her head out of the window as they drove up the old road. It was about to rain, the humidity had brought the sweet smell of the earth into the evening. There was a hint of coolness in the air. Daria loved the way the wind blew her hair around. Trent watched her as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of the current. The serene look on her face pierced his heart. He wanted her to be that happy forever. He wanted to be around to see it forever. He knew that, for now, it couldn't be that way. Over the roar of the wind, she couldn't hear it, but Trent sighed.
Helen poked her head into Daria's room. "Honey, wake up, it's nearly ten. Stores are opening soon."
Daria quickly got ready for their day of shopping. She brought a list with her. Helen was surprised but impressed. Daria really did have a grip on everything that she would need for California. The first thing on the list was underwear, actually, lingerie. Daria had never liked white cotton underwear, not even as a child. Five years ago, when she and Helen had gone shopping for her first bra, she told the fitter, "Black, I want one in black." Helen was concerned, but capitulated. It had been as much as she could do to get her daughter to the store. As she got older, Daria's taste in undergarments hadn't changed. She liked the filmiest, finest, sexiest things. Helen did too, so she chalked it up to genetics. Daria spent time checking everything out, and selected far too many items for a young woman off to college, but Daria never let Helen splurge on her, so Helen whipped out her credit card and happily paid.
The rest of their shopping went off without a hitch. Jeans and sweaters for Daria, new fall suits for Helen. It was almost dark by the time they got home, laden with shopping bags. Quinn was home and wanted to review everything. The three of them spent over an hour looking over the new clothes. Jake was sitting on the sofa, he liked how excited they all seemed, and Daria looked especially happy. Jake had always worried about Daria. He would look at her, and she would seem so sad and lonely, but now, she glowed. Jake finally relaxed about Daria. She was going to be all right.
Jane and Daria spent the evening together, watching bad movies. Daria knew that they would be doing this for the rest of their lives, and it comforted her. She needed one fixed point in her changing life. They were both falling asleep on the sofa, and Trent was still at the club. The two girls went up to bed. Daria went to go to Jane's room, like she had every time before, but Jane directed her across the hall, to Trent's room.
"Jane, no way, I don't want to go in there. Not alone." Daria was remembering the few times that she had been in Trent's room. Daria felt sure that the health department should have condemned it.
Jane reached beyond her to push the door open and gave her a bit of a shove. The room was spotless. It even smelled good. "Go on, he did it for you. Smell the sheets." Jane shut the door behind her.
Daria looked around in amazement. She turned on the stereo, for company, and looked around the room. The duck phone, the posters, the incense burner, it all was his. She really looked at everything, taking in what was his, wanting to see how she fit into his world. Trying to see what it was about her, that made her right for this environment. Finally, sleep overtook her, she slipped out of her clothes and crawled into Trent's bed. She wanted to catch a hint of his scent, but the sheets had been perfumed. It smelled soothing and exotic. Daria stretched out, her mind was making a map of every memory. Every sight, smell and sound.
The CD in the changer was hypnotic, it lulled Daria into sleep. While she slept, she dreamt of him. He was caressing her, kissing her, holding her close. She could hear his deep voice in her mind, telling her that he loved her, that he needed her, that he adored her. Daria felt herself floating, halfway between waking and slumber, she slowly realized that it wasn't a dream, he was here with her. They were together, and in the most sacred of rituals, they became one person. Daria was thinking his thoughts, breathing his breath, causing his heart to beat.
At daybreak, Daria woke in the arms of her lover. Tears were damp on her cheeks, but she wasn't aware of having cried. Then she realized, they weren't her tears. Trent was still sleeping. She tenderly wiped his face, and kissed him softly. She cradled him in her arms, and thought about the future. Was a distant future worth giving up this glorious present for? It was easy now, with prospects and new experiences on the horizon, to say, why not? Why not stay like this forever? But Daria knew that they couldn't freeze this moment, except as a memory. Instead of cursing fate, she felt blessed by this love. To have known it, was to know that there could never be another like it.
She fell asleep again. "Daria, wake up." Trent was nudging her awake.
"Hmmmm, why?" She asked, refusing to open her eyes to the bright sunlight.
"Come on, I want to talk to you. Please?" He was begging. It made her smile.
"How can I resist?" She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself staring into his face. She was rewarded with a kiss.
"Daria, I think we have a problem." Trent seemed very serious.
Daria panicked. "Did it break?"
"Huh? No, not that kind of problem."
"Thank God, here I was trying to simplify my life, and I almost bought myself a big-time complication." Daria was relieved. "What's the problem?"
"Daria, I'm in love with you." Trent stated this like it was a national emergency.
"Trent, you were already in love with me, remember?" Daria was hoping that teasing him would help.
"Yeah, but that was different. That love was small, this love is…" He was groping for a word.
"Monumental?" Daria offered.
"Bigger than that." Trent smiled at her.
"Okay, I don't need a simile, I know what you mean. I love you too, also on a grand scale."
"But Daria, shouldn't we run off, get married, be together? Something?"
She sighed. "Oh, that would be lovely, but what about every other aspect of our lives?"
"Does that matter?"
"Of course it matters. We don't love each other in a vacuum, we are people with lives, other things going on, other interests. This love isn't going anywhere. It'll keep. We have to do the other stuff first, then we can be together."
"Why? Why does it have to happen in that order?"
"It's not the order, it's the nature of our plans. It's what we do. It's part of who we are. This is our one opportunity. There is plenty of time for," she gestured at them, naked in bed, "this."
Trent didn't know what to do with the information. She was steadfast. She was right. "You know this is going to be Hell, right?"
"Please don't talk about it. Let's just enjoy what we have, right here, right now. The future takes care of itself eventually." Daria caught him up in an embrace, holding him, clutching at him, knowing that soon enough he would only be a memory.
Days sped by, taken up with details and agendas. Preparations for the next part of her life. Daria contemplated adulthood. No privilege comes without responsibility. Daria knew that she was not the only person who could get hurt, she had a responsibility to Trent as well. She shared everything about herself with him, and he did the same, they would always have a part of one another.
Helen and Jake, loving their daughter very much, wanted to spend as much time with her as they could, before she left them, in some ways, left them for the rest of her life. There were many demands on her time and attention, Quinn, Jane and Trent. Daria had managed to balance everyone. The last week she spent in Lawndale was one long expression of love. Before she knew it, Daria was at the Airport, with Jane, boarding the plane to Northern California, transporting herself to another world
Jake, Helen, Quinn and Trent stayed at the airport, waving at the plane, until the vapor trail had evaporated.