Love, War, and Daria Morgendorffer
Chapter 4::
A silence broke between the two as Helen stared on in disbelief at her daughter. Daria looked back up at her, trying not to make eye contact with Helen. She looked down as if ashamed.
"Say something," she begged in a low voice as she continued to stare at her feet.
"Well, Daria," her mother began with a sigh as she placed a hand over her chest. "There really isn't much to say to this."
"You hate me," her daughter's voice rang out. Daria continued to look down as Helen stood up with her hands on her hips.
"Hate you?" she asked in a angry voice. "I don't hate you, Daria! I'm disappointed. Extremely disappointed in you. How could you, Daria?" Helen asked as she stood up and waved her arms around. "How could you go out and have sex? The least you could have done was use protection!"
"You think I wouldn't have if I wasn't drunk?!" Daria demanded to know as she stood up to defend herself. "I bet you were my age when you had your first time!"
"I didn't get pregnant on my first time," Helen shot back in anger.
Daria looked down and took a deep breath. Her mind raced as she knew that she wasn't going anywhere with his argument. "I'm sorry," she muttered in a low voice, hoping Helen would respond in a positive manner.
"Yeah? Well, so am I," Helen blurted out. "For raising such a ignorant daughter like you."
Daria's head shot up in the spur of the moment and her eyes gazed at Helen. Daria felt as if knives had stabbed her from every direction at the same time. Slowly, she took a few steps back, while gazing at her mother with a remorse look on her face as she began to shake her head.
Helen had immediately gazed over in shock at her own words. She began to walk towards her, only to have Daria walk further away. "No, Daria!" she began with a regretful look. "I didn't mean it!"
"Is that what you think of me?" Daria asked as she began to grit her teeth. "Go to hell, then!"
"Daria!" Helen called out just as her daughter walked out. Helen gazed
around and clenched her fists. "Damn!" Quickly, she turned to the door
and followed Daria.
*****
"Pregnant!?" Jake shouted as he stood up just as Daria ran down the stairs. "I don't believe this! I'll kill that Trent! You hear me! Kill him!"
"Ew!" Quinn shouted as she gave Jane a disgusted look. "I can believe she slept with him."
"How could my baby do this to me?" Jake asked as he fell to his knees. "What did I do wrong? Oh god!" He gazed up that ceiling as if talking to it before bending back over and sobbing into his hands.
Jane and Quinn looked at each other just as Daria ran down the stairs with a loud thud, catching both of their attentions.
Daria?" Jane called out just as she disappeared out the door. A moment later, Helen emerged with a exasperated look on her face. "What did you say to her?" Jane asked, immediately over at Helen's side.
"I think, I might have over did it," Helen began with a worried look on her face. "I told her she was stupid."
"How could you?" Jane asked with a sour look. "Daria is anything, but stupid."
"Well, I would say that Trent is the bigger idiot in all this," Helen muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. "Sorry to have to tell you that, Jane."
"Trent?" Jane asked in a angry manner. "How could you say such a thing? My brother is getting a real job for the first time in his life for them! For Daria!"
"You mean, he's not walking away?" Jake asked, standing up and walking over to them. "He's staying in their lives?"
"Believe it or not," Jane muttered as she gave Helen a stale look. "Daria wants him there. And, he wants to be there."
"Well, I don't know how anyone can be so calm about this," Quinn replied, breaking the tense silence. "Daria is pregnant. With your grandchild. I'm too young to be a aunt!"
"And, I'm too young to be a grandmother," Helen replied with a low voice. Slowly, she walked up the stairs, not saying anything more to anyone.
"When you guys change your minds," Jane began, talking to Jake as she opened the front door. "You know where she'll be."
Jake and Quinn looked at each other as the door closed. A look of worry
and sorrow filled their faces as Quinn shrugged and headed up the stairs.
*****
Jane closed the door behind her and sighed. With a shake of her head, she turned around to see Daria sitting down on the curb. Slowly, she approached her friend. "Daria?" she called out, almost afraid to interfere with her.
"She hates me," she softly replied as she hugged her knees. "They both hate me."
"They just need time to let it sink in," Jane replied as she sat down beside her. "They'll come around when they realize what it will mean to them to see your child."
Daria sat straight up and looked at her best friend. "You know, I can't believe I'm going to say this," she began before looking back toward her house. "But, I want them with me right now..."
"Hey," Quinn's voice rang out from behind. The best friends looked over their shoulders to see a hesitant Quinn behind them. "Are you alright, Daria?" she asked in sincerity.
"I'm alright," Daria replied with a light smile. "What does not kill us, makes us stronger."
"Yeah," Quinn meekly replied. "Listen, don't believe what Mom said," she replied. "She's just angry. It'll blow over."
"See, even the make up queen thinks so," Jane pointed out as she gazed at Daria. "Everyone just needs time."
"What about Tom?" Quinn asked as she sat down by Daria. The two were silent for a moment until Quinn let out a groan. "He doesn't know? God, Daria!"
"I'm working up the nerve," Daria began as she stood up. "I'll tell him soon."
"God, Daria! You better tell him soon!" Quinn replied as she and Jane
looked at Daria.
*****
Trent walked up and down the streets of Dega Street. He wanted so much to find a job and impress Daria and her family. To show that he could handle responsibility. Suddenly a store caught his attention and made him stop and look at the window filled with apparel.
Trent studied the baby outfits. A smile filled his lips as he had a picture in his mind of his unborn child being boy. It be nice to have a Trent junior, he thought with a laugh. But, even better if it was little Daria.
"Trent!" Jesse's voice filled the air from behind.
"Hey Jess," Trent greeted his long time friend as he ran up to him, breathless. "What's going on?"
"Earl's Music! It's going out of business!" He shouted while still trying to catch his breath. "Come on, let's go!"
As Jesse grabbed his shirt and began to drag him, Trent did all he could to hold back. "But, I'm suppose to be finding a job!" he reminded him.
Jesse stopped and turned to his friend. "You don't understand," he began. "He's retiring. Which means, if he doesn't find someone to take over then he's shutting the place down."
"Oh, damn!" Trent shouted as he began to run. "Let's get going, Jess!
What are you waiting for?"
*****
"So, what Quinn said before," Jane began as they walked down the streets of Lawndale. "She's right, you know."
Daria continued to look down. "Yeah I know," she answered with a sigh. "I just," she stopped, not knowing what to say. "It took me so long to admit that I liked him and look what I did?"
"Yeah," Jane replied with a smile on her lips. "Two months into the relationship and you are already pregnant. Not with his child. The child of your old crush."
"Gee, thanks for reminding me," Daria muttered as she gave a stale look.
"I'm just saying that this would make a good soap opera episode," Jane joked. "But, seriously. Do you still like Tom?"
Daria stopped at the question, making Jane stop right after. She stared at Jane for a moment or two. "I don't know..."
"Well, you don't like my brother, do you?" Jane asked, not knowing what to expect for a answer. "Daria?"
"No," Daria breathed out, feeling knots being to form in the pits of
her stomach. "I love him..."
*****
Tom walked up toward Daria's door. A hesitant look crossed his face as he held up his hand to knock. Should I really be doing this? he asked himself. She did say if she ever needed space that it was for a good reason. Shaking his head, he began to knock, hoping for Daria to answer.
Unfortunately for him, Quinn answered with a phone in hand. "Can you believe her? I'm still shocked," she spoke into the phone. Her face paled at the sight of Tom and then muttered into the receiver about calling back. "Tom!" she exclaimed, dropping the phone down to her side. "What are you doing here?"
"I came here to see Daria," Tom replied with a somewhat worried look on his face.
"Why would you want to see her?" Quinn asked with a disgusted look. "After what she did to you," she said to him. Quinn gazed at Tom, seeing his confused face. "Oh my god!" she shouted as she placed her hands over her mouth. "She still hasn't told you?!"
"Told me what?" Tom asked, growing impatient. Quinn looked down, wondering if it was her place to tell him or not. "Quinn, what is going on?" Tom demanded to know. "She's my girlfriend. I have a right to know."
Quinn moved away from the entrance to let him through. "Tom, why don't
you come in and I'll tell you the whole story."
***** LA, la la LA la *****
Quinn is going to tell Tom! Guess what his reaction is going to be?
:p
