Chapter 4

"So, how does it look?"

"Jane, if I show you, I think I'll have to kill you."

"C'mon, it can't be that bad."

They had gone to a clothing store called Sweet, Sexy & Plain Dirty on Dega Street. The name explained everything.

"No!"

"Daria, either come out yourself or I'll drag you out kicking and screaming."

"Fine. But if you laugh, I will personally slit your throat."

"Deal."

Daria walked out. She was wearing a vinyl halter neck, which fitted her perfectly, except that the bust space was looking a little empty. The leather skirt was a little too big for her small stature. All in all it looked like a terrible ill-fitting, mismatched outfit.

"Hmmm...I guess you weren't kidding." Jane said, suppressing laughter.

Daria gave her a dirty look.

"Okay, okay. No need to look like that. Here I got you another outfit, which will probably look better anyway." She handed Daria what she had picked out.

"Jane, remind me why am I going through this torture again?"

"Um. Because you want to go to this party...to see Trent play?"

Daria sighed as she went back into the fitting room. "Even that reason is pretty void, if you consider what happened last time I was alone with him. And then everything else afterward." She muttered.

"What was that?" Jane called from outside.

"Nothing."

Jane waited for a few minutes before calling out again. "So, any better?"

"Define better. Hold on a minute."

Daria came out for the second time, and Jane was amazed. It was definitely a total transformation. The outfit consisted of a shiny, black, lycra off- the-shoulder top, with large red patch-like stitches randomly scattered across it. It also fell two inches above Daria's belly button and hugged every available curve in its path. The skirt was red vinyl, biased cut, so that one side fell to Daria's knee, while the other only made it to the middle of her thigh; also very figure-skimming. Her combat boots complimented the outfit perfectly.

"Well, well. Who ever thought Miss Daria Morgandorffer had a delectable, little body hidden away under all that drapery?" Jane commented, smirking.

"Ha ha. I feel like a prostitute in this get-up."

"Don't worry. You'll look practically tame in comparison to a lot of the other people who'll be attending."

"And I'm meant to be reassured by that?" Daria's voice dripped sarcasm.

"Oh, come on, no one we know will be there. At least no one that we don't want to be seen by. But in your case-"

"Okay, I'll buy the outfit. On one condition."

"Hmmm.?"

"I don't want to hear Trent's name, if it has anything to do in conjunction with me, until after the party. If ever again."

"Aw, and take away one of my only sources of entertainment?"

"Take it or leave it."

"Well...okay. But only until after the party."

"That'll have to do for now. One slip and I am bringing everything back."

"My lips are sealed." Jane made the motion of closing a zipper across her lips. "I wouldn't want to miss Trent's reaction for the world!"

Daria still looked a little wary. "Have you got your outfit yet?"

"Nah, I don't need to buy one. I've got something at home that will be good enough. Plus I already made our masks too."

"So you're telling me we just wasted this perfectly good day? Shopping? For nothing?"

"I wouldn't say 'nothing'. We got you a little sexy something to wear."

"Hm, Jane Lane, you are still the master of conniving, little acts of supposed self-righteousness."

"Why, thank you, I try my best."

"Whatever, I'm hungry. I'm gonna get changed, pay and then it's pizza." Daria said, her voice muffling as she went back in the stall once more.

"You're the boss."