[ACT 2: SCENE 1]
[SUPER at bottom of screen in white]
[SUPER:]
1st of January, Senior Year
[SCENE: 10 pm, full moon. TRENT's Plymouth is waiting outside the Morgendoffer's house. DARIA
is standing uncertainly, staring up at TRENT]
Daria: It was - interesting. [V/O: "If you find not talking and sitting in bars that have no
central heating *or* cooling, surrounded by sweating, heaving bodies and possibly inhaling enough
smoke laden with drugs to get high 'interesting'."]
Trent: Sorry about the beer.
Daria [staring down at her jeans, which look curiously wet]: I have another pair. [V/O: "That
smells of peanut butter. But between peanut butter and beer I'll take peanuts anyday."]
Trent [oblivious]: I'll see you tomorrow.
Daria: [V/O: "Tell him."] Um. Yeah. See you. [V/O: "Coward."]
[DARIA watches, a little dejectedly as TRENT gets into the Plymouth and rides away. She turns
and walks into the house]
[SCENE: Morgendoffer kitchen, HELEN and JAKE are sitting at the table. HELEN has her work spread
all over the surface while JAKE is reading a book ("How to sell How To Books"). The sound of a
door slamming is heard.]
Daria [off-screen/voice only]: I'm home.
[JAKE looks at his watch]
Jake: Hey! It's gone ten! Why is Daria coming home so late?
Helen: [looking up tiredly] She was out on a date Jake. She's been *dating* that Trent Lane boy
for the past five months. [goes back to scrawling notes on a legal pad. Mutters] Damn Eric for
switching back to manual. *I* thought the intra/extranet system was working *fine*.
Jake: Daria dating - my little girl *dating* a - [pause] Who is she dating?
Helen [not looking up]: Trent Lane. Jane Lane's older brother. A musician. [She continues
writing as JAKE goes into a tirade] [V/O: "God. This happens at least once every three weeks.
He's as regular as -"]
[SCENE SWITCH: Daria's room. DARIA is lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling]
Daria [low voice]: Does he even *like* me or is he just. . . Dating me because - [pause]
because he doesn't know how to end it? [V/O: "And why am I still going out with him when I'm not
even sure -"]
[Abrupt stop, its obvious that she doesn't want to finish the thought]
[SCENE SWITCH: Lane House]
[SCENE: Jane is sitting on the stairs as TRENT walks into the house. The lights are off. TRENT
closes the door and flips the switch, heading for the kitchen. He is cut off by JANE who steps
in front of him. JANE looks angry.]
Trent: Oh hey Janey.
Jane: Don't hey me you idiot.
[TRENT blinks in surprise]
Trent: You aren't still annoyed because I was late are you Janey? You know what I'm like with
deadlines and all that sort of stuff. [trails off and yawns, looks sleepy]
Jane: Yes - though god knows why *I* am the only one. God Trent - what are you doing to Daria?
Trent: [cough] That isn't any of your -
Jane: The hell it isn't! She's my best friend -!
Trent: And she's my *girlfriend*. What we do is -
Jane: It *is* my business when you're hurting Daria! She's my best friend and you're my brother.
I wanted the two of you to get together but not if it means you're going to dump Daria and break
her heart -
Trent: I'm not breaking her heart Janey. [looks insulted] I asked her, Daria said everything was
fine. [says it as if it was proof]
Jane: If you think she was telling the truth then you're more of an idiot than I thought. But if
you *accept* what she told you as the truth, after knowing her for the past two years, then you
*deserve* to loose her. [stalks up the stairs]
[TRENT stares after JANE and then continues into the kitchen]
[FADE out to: Lawndale High entrance, afternoon.]
[SCENE: DARIA and JANE are sitting beneath their usual tree]
Jane: - beer? [beat. Attempting to bring some humour into the conversation] Well at least it
wasn't something else. [beat; makes a face] Oh *yuck*. Forget I said that. There's
*somethings* even *I* draw the line at imagining.
Daria: At least beer comes out better than peanut butter. [beat] I was sheduled for another
shopping expedition this year anyway. This way I can convince Mum to let me go get two pairs of
jeans by myself rather than loosing more storage space when I have to 'loose' the pink stuff in
my oh-so-crowded closet.
Jane: You'd think she would get a clue after four bi-annual events.
Daria: Mum lives in hope. [beat] Trent did me a favour. I could see that predatory look in her
eyes all yesterday during the four seconds she managed to say something to me between yelling at
Quinn, shouting at Dad and chirping at Eric.
Jane: Clothes-hunting in the wilds of the suburbian Mall.
Daria: [deadpan] Daughters who kill their parents over a pink t-shirt. Next on Sick Sad World.
[They sit in silence for several seconds]
Jane: [curiously flat voice] I never thought I'd see the day.
Daria: Excuse me?
Jane: He's killing you isn't he Daria? Little by little - I've never seen you sacrifice your
ethics before. Not for academic achievement. Not for getting it a little easier. Not even for
companionship. You don't give an inch - ever. [beat; JANE is visibly searching for how to say
what she is about to say] Trent's my brother - and I love him - but he's an ass.
[DARIA stares at JANE in shock, speechless]
Jane (cont): He's my brother [sigh] you're my best friend. The only one I've ever had.
[continues in an off-beat almost sarcastic tone with underlying seriousness] It should have been
a match made in heaven.
Daria [attempt at humour]: Or some derived, negative-bearings substitute there-of.
Jane: [beat] As your sole friend, tell me honestly, how much longer before you do what you should
have done the second you started hating the way he ignores you, forgets about you for periods of
time and shows little to no drive for anything? [beat, in a serious tone] I've never seen you
like this before Daria. You even gave up a perfectly good opportunity to drive Mr. O'Neil to
tears this morning! [beat] Not that you needed to since he did it five seconds later when Andrea
read out her piece. [beat] Seriously Daria - I've never seen you act like this before. [beat.
Attempt at humour] And it's scaring me.
Daria [serious, low]: You've never seen me with a boyfriend before. Hell - *I*'ve never seen me
with a boyfriend before. [beat] I - I can't hate him, but I can hate the way he's treating me.
Jane: He doesn't mean to - I don't think he realises. This is the way he's treated all of his
girlfriends. Hell, this is probably why Monique dumped him so often.
Daria: Don't you think I *know*? But what do I say? [deadpan] 'Hey Trent - pay attention to me or
I'll start throwing pointed objects and wielding sticks with nails in them'?
Jane [chuckling]: Might help. [serious] What are you going to do?
Daria [serious]: I don't know. Maybe Monique's approach was right - dump him. Hurt him. Make
him notice me. Then he'll pay attention for a little while. [trails off. Silence. Attempt at
humour] I just said words - and they were in sentences. But the meaning scares me. [beat] I
can't do that to him.
Jane: I know. [pause] On both counts.
Daria: This is ridiculous - I'm not suppose to fall into like - or love. Or obsession. [attempt
at humour] I'm cynical, realistic and an agnostic. Love and romance is *not* part of my
personality.
Jane: Neither's compassion. [pause] You're probably the only reason why Trent isn't still dead
drunk and Mystic Spiral exists at the moment Daria. [beat] Do a Monique on Trent. You don't
deserve this.
Daria: I wish I could.
[bell rings]
[SCENE SWITCH: Trent's room]
[SCENE: TRENT is strumming on the guitar, reading off a sheet of paper - ZOOM on paper, it's
covered with musical notation and DARIA's handwriting. ZOOM OUT: TRENT starts singing]
Trent: Hiding from myself/Can you see who I am?/Beneath the words/Beneath the smiles/Can you see
who I am?/Golden lights/Gleaming hair/You can't see can you?/I can see into your mind./I know
what you think./You see me -/Underneath it all/There's nothing there. [pauses and scribbles on
the sheet of paper and starts playing again this time to a different rhythm].
[TRENT looks up as his door is opened. MONIQUE is standing there. Sunlight from the hall
windows stream into the room. MONIQUE looks very thin, there are bruises running up her arms and
shadows underneath her eyes]
Trent: [blinking in surprise and from the sunlight] Monique? [beat] What happened -
Monique: [cutting off TRENT. Urgency in tone of voice. Drawling] Hey lover. [grins] I just hit
town and thought I'd look you up. [beat; frowns] Aren't you happy to see me?
Trent: Sure Monique but -
[The view switches rapidly to behind Monique as she steps into the room and shoves the door
close. We see just before the door slams close, MONIQUE's blouse hitting the floor and TRENT's
wide eyes]
[END ACT 2: SCENE 1]
[SUPER at bottom of screen in white]
[SUPER:]
1st of January, Senior Year
[SCENE: 10 pm, full moon. TRENT's Plymouth is waiting outside the Morgendoffer's house. DARIA
is standing uncertainly, staring up at TRENT]
Daria: It was - interesting. [V/O: "If you find not talking and sitting in bars that have no
central heating *or* cooling, surrounded by sweating, heaving bodies and possibly inhaling enough
smoke laden with drugs to get high 'interesting'."]
Trent: Sorry about the beer.
Daria [staring down at her jeans, which look curiously wet]: I have another pair. [V/O: "That
smells of peanut butter. But between peanut butter and beer I'll take peanuts anyday."]
Trent [oblivious]: I'll see you tomorrow.
Daria: [V/O: "Tell him."] Um. Yeah. See you. [V/O: "Coward."]
[DARIA watches, a little dejectedly as TRENT gets into the Plymouth and rides away. She turns
and walks into the house]
[SCENE: Morgendoffer kitchen, HELEN and JAKE are sitting at the table. HELEN has her work spread
all over the surface while JAKE is reading a book ("How to sell How To Books"). The sound of a
door slamming is heard.]
Daria [off-screen/voice only]: I'm home.
[JAKE looks at his watch]
Jake: Hey! It's gone ten! Why is Daria coming home so late?
Helen: [looking up tiredly] She was out on a date Jake. She's been *dating* that Trent Lane boy
for the past five months. [goes back to scrawling notes on a legal pad. Mutters] Damn Eric for
switching back to manual. *I* thought the intra/extranet system was working *fine*.
Jake: Daria dating - my little girl *dating* a - [pause] Who is she dating?
Helen [not looking up]: Trent Lane. Jane Lane's older brother. A musician. [She continues
writing as JAKE goes into a tirade] [V/O: "God. This happens at least once every three weeks.
He's as regular as -"]
[SCENE SWITCH: Daria's room. DARIA is lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling]
Daria [low voice]: Does he even *like* me or is he just. . . Dating me because - [pause]
because he doesn't know how to end it? [V/O: "And why am I still going out with him when I'm not
even sure -"]
[Abrupt stop, its obvious that she doesn't want to finish the thought]
[SCENE SWITCH: Lane House]
[SCENE: Jane is sitting on the stairs as TRENT walks into the house. The lights are off. TRENT
closes the door and flips the switch, heading for the kitchen. He is cut off by JANE who steps
in front of him. JANE looks angry.]
Trent: Oh hey Janey.
Jane: Don't hey me you idiot.
[TRENT blinks in surprise]
Trent: You aren't still annoyed because I was late are you Janey? You know what I'm like with
deadlines and all that sort of stuff. [trails off and yawns, looks sleepy]
Jane: Yes - though god knows why *I* am the only one. God Trent - what are you doing to Daria?
Trent: [cough] That isn't any of your -
Jane: The hell it isn't! She's my best friend -!
Trent: And she's my *girlfriend*. What we do is -
Jane: It *is* my business when you're hurting Daria! She's my best friend and you're my brother.
I wanted the two of you to get together but not if it means you're going to dump Daria and break
her heart -
Trent: I'm not breaking her heart Janey. [looks insulted] I asked her, Daria said everything was
fine. [says it as if it was proof]
Jane: If you think she was telling the truth then you're more of an idiot than I thought. But if
you *accept* what she told you as the truth, after knowing her for the past two years, then you
*deserve* to loose her. [stalks up the stairs]
[TRENT stares after JANE and then continues into the kitchen]
[FADE out to: Lawndale High entrance, afternoon.]
[SCENE: DARIA and JANE are sitting beneath their usual tree]
Jane: - beer? [beat. Attempting to bring some humour into the conversation] Well at least it
wasn't something else. [beat; makes a face] Oh *yuck*. Forget I said that. There's
*somethings* even *I* draw the line at imagining.
Daria: At least beer comes out better than peanut butter. [beat] I was sheduled for another
shopping expedition this year anyway. This way I can convince Mum to let me go get two pairs of
jeans by myself rather than loosing more storage space when I have to 'loose' the pink stuff in
my oh-so-crowded closet.
Jane: You'd think she would get a clue after four bi-annual events.
Daria: Mum lives in hope. [beat] Trent did me a favour. I could see that predatory look in her
eyes all yesterday during the four seconds she managed to say something to me between yelling at
Quinn, shouting at Dad and chirping at Eric.
Jane: Clothes-hunting in the wilds of the suburbian Mall.
Daria: [deadpan] Daughters who kill their parents over a pink t-shirt. Next on Sick Sad World.
[They sit in silence for several seconds]
Jane: [curiously flat voice] I never thought I'd see the day.
Daria: Excuse me?
Jane: He's killing you isn't he Daria? Little by little - I've never seen you sacrifice your
ethics before. Not for academic achievement. Not for getting it a little easier. Not even for
companionship. You don't give an inch - ever. [beat; JANE is visibly searching for how to say
what she is about to say] Trent's my brother - and I love him - but he's an ass.
[DARIA stares at JANE in shock, speechless]
Jane (cont): He's my brother [sigh] you're my best friend. The only one I've ever had.
[continues in an off-beat almost sarcastic tone with underlying seriousness] It should have been
a match made in heaven.
Daria [attempt at humour]: Or some derived, negative-bearings substitute there-of.
Jane: [beat] As your sole friend, tell me honestly, how much longer before you do what you should
have done the second you started hating the way he ignores you, forgets about you for periods of
time and shows little to no drive for anything? [beat, in a serious tone] I've never seen you
like this before Daria. You even gave up a perfectly good opportunity to drive Mr. O'Neil to
tears this morning! [beat] Not that you needed to since he did it five seconds later when Andrea
read out her piece. [beat] Seriously Daria - I've never seen you act like this before. [beat.
Attempt at humour] And it's scaring me.
Daria [serious, low]: You've never seen me with a boyfriend before. Hell - *I*'ve never seen me
with a boyfriend before. [beat] I - I can't hate him, but I can hate the way he's treating me.
Jane: He doesn't mean to - I don't think he realises. This is the way he's treated all of his
girlfriends. Hell, this is probably why Monique dumped him so often.
Daria: Don't you think I *know*? But what do I say? [deadpan] 'Hey Trent - pay attention to me or
I'll start throwing pointed objects and wielding sticks with nails in them'?
Jane [chuckling]: Might help. [serious] What are you going to do?
Daria [serious]: I don't know. Maybe Monique's approach was right - dump him. Hurt him. Make
him notice me. Then he'll pay attention for a little while. [trails off. Silence. Attempt at
humour] I just said words - and they were in sentences. But the meaning scares me. [beat] I
can't do that to him.
Jane: I know. [pause] On both counts.
Daria: This is ridiculous - I'm not suppose to fall into like - or love. Or obsession. [attempt
at humour] I'm cynical, realistic and an agnostic. Love and romance is *not* part of my
personality.
Jane: Neither's compassion. [pause] You're probably the only reason why Trent isn't still dead
drunk and Mystic Spiral exists at the moment Daria. [beat] Do a Monique on Trent. You don't
deserve this.
Daria: I wish I could.
[bell rings]
[SCENE SWITCH: Trent's room]
[SCENE: TRENT is strumming on the guitar, reading off a sheet of paper - ZOOM on paper, it's
covered with musical notation and DARIA's handwriting. ZOOM OUT: TRENT starts singing]
Trent: Hiding from myself/Can you see who I am?/Beneath the words/Beneath the smiles/Can you see
who I am?/Golden lights/Gleaming hair/You can't see can you?/I can see into your mind./I know
what you think./You see me -/Underneath it all/There's nothing there. [pauses and scribbles on
the sheet of paper and starts playing again this time to a different rhythm].
[TRENT looks up as his door is opened. MONIQUE is standing there. Sunlight from the hall
windows stream into the room. MONIQUE looks very thin, there are bruises running up her arms and
shadows underneath her eyes]
Trent: [blinking in surprise and from the sunlight] Monique? [beat] What happened -
Monique: [cutting off TRENT. Urgency in tone of voice. Drawling] Hey lover. [grins] I just hit
town and thought I'd look you up. [beat; frowns] Aren't you happy to see me?
Trent: Sure Monique but -
[The view switches rapidly to behind Monique as she steps into the room and shoves the door
close. We see just before the door slams close, MONIQUE's blouse hitting the floor and TRENT's
wide eyes]
[END ACT 2: SCENE 1]
