[ACT 2: SCENE 2]

[START SCENE 2]

[SCENE: the garage, seconds after the end of SCENE 2.  TRENT and JANE are standing near the 'stage', staring in shock at MAX, NIC and JESSE who are staring at DARIA.  DARIA is standing on stage, still frozen in the pose]

[CAMERA PAN TO: DARIA, releasing the microphone - it twirls once before clattering to the ground.  DARIA straightens, opens her eyes and then stares in shock at MAX, NIC and JESSE]

DARIA: [TRENT's V/O: "Eep."]

[Silence stretches]

Jesse: Hey.  [beat]  Didn't know you could sing Daria.  [beat]  Cool.

Jane: [JANE's V/O: "Sometimes, you just want to *hit* him."] Yo.  You guys are early.

Nic: [shrugging] Jesse needs some time to learn lead guitar.  [beat]  What's going on? [staring at DARIA]

Jane: Ah.  .  .  [Jane's V/O: "Crap."]

Daria: .  .  . 

[JANE is staring frantically at TRENT]

Trent: I can't sing.  [DARIA's V/O: "I would be making a sarcastic aside at this point if I was me rather than him."  [beat] "Well.  At least I finally got the tenses right."]

[There is silence as JANE, DARIA, MAX, JESSE and NIC stare at TRENT.  After several moments it's obvious that TRENT isn't going to say anything more.]

Nic: Why not?

Max: Sore throat never stopped you before, man. 

Jesse [slow drawl]: Yeah.  [JANE glares at JESSE who looks a little surprised] [to JANE; confused] What?

Trent: I - [fakes cough - badly] can't sing.  Nothing sounds right.  [beat] And ah - I - [beat] yeah.  [beat; bad imitation of TRENT's drawl] You know how it is.  [stiff shrug] [DARIA's V/O: "If they believe that I'm going to sell them Texas."]

Max: So Daria's gonna sing instead of you? [stares at DARIA who is standing there, eye's wide] Cool.

[CUT TO: shoulders-up shot of DARIA - Mona Lisa smile]

[END SCENE 2]

[COMMERCIAL BUMPER: microphone falling to floor; JANE glaring at JESSE, DARIA's eyes going wide, MAX saying 'cool']