Chapter 8

Having gotten used to being an outsider,Daria was surprised--and,she had to admit,pleased--to find a steady stream of people coming to see her during her stay at Lawndale General.The rest of that night and most of the following day,she had visitors almost every hour,and even those who couldn't come in person made time to call her with their best wishes.She received so many flowers,cards,and gifts that at one point they took up more than half her room.

To everyone's relief,the doctor's examinations turned up no further symptoms in Daria except for a headache stemming from her concussion;her parents' attention could now focus on helping her cope with the cast she would wear while her arm mended and finding her a suitable physical therapist once the cast came off.After scheduling her for a followup visit in three weeks,the doctor signed her discharge papers and prescribed Tylenol doses every four hours to treat the headache.

As for Joey,Jeffy,and Jamie,they were conspicuously absent from Lawndale High the day after the crash--and that was just as well as far as most of their classmates were concerned.Though their names had been withheld by police from the local paper,word of their involvement in the crash had still reached the school grapevine courtesy of a freshman who lived right across the street from Jamie and had heard him getting royally chewed out by his father when they finally came home from the police station.

Thus both Daria and the Three J's would find themselves in for some eye- opening experiences when they returned to school Monday morning...

Lawndale High,the Monday after the crash

As they walked through Lawndale High's main doors for the first time since the crash,Joey,Jeffy,and Jamie had the uncomfortable feeling that they were venturing into hostile territory--a suspicion quickly confirmed when Jamie overheard Brittany Taylor tell Kevin,"I can't believe those creeps have the nerve to show their faces here after what they did to Daria!I hope the judge puts them in jail forever!"

"You said it,babe."Kevin nodded."That could have been you or Mack Daddy they hit--or even me.I could kick myself for nominating that loser Jamie to take over as team captain next year..."

Jamie glared at Joey and muttered,"I thought you said the paper didn't print our names."

"It didn't!"Joey whispered defensively."I checked!"

"Well then,how does Brittany know--" Jamie's question was cut short by the THWACK! of an algebra textbook bouncing off the back of his head."Ow!"he moaned,clutching the spot where the book had hit him.He turned to get a look at his attacker but only saw the heel of someone's shoe.

"School is gonna suck."Jeffy complained."Everybody hates us now."

And sure enough,as they continued walking to their homeroom,most of their classmates either coldly ignored them or shot venomous glares at them.They also heard some kids calling them things like "alkie","jailbird",and "loser" behind their backs.One kid even flipped them the finger,for which he got two weeks' detention from Ms.Li.

It was only a desire to avoid getting detention themselves that kept the rest of the class from beating Joey,Jeffy,and Jamie to a pulp the minute they walked in.Mr.DeMartino,not the most amiable man in the first place,gave the trio a look one would normally reserve for cockroaches scuttling across the floor."So nice of you gentlemen to JOIN us today."he said sarcastically.

As they took their seats in the back of the classroom,a feeling of depression settled over them.In just four short days they'd gone from being three of the most popular guys at Lawndale High to three of the most despised.Jamie almost wished he was back at the police station;anything would be better,he mused bitterly,than having to live with the fact that he and his friends were now basically outcasts.

Daria's own return to school was a much different story.As she walked to her homeroom,with Quinn and Jane beside her to help carry her books,it seemed she could hardly go two feet without one of her classmates coming up to her to offer their assistance or wish her well on her first day back at Lawndale High.It was nice,but at the same time a little embarrassing;broken arm or not,she'd been hoping to slip back into her regular class schedule as quietly as possible.

"Sure I can't talk you guys into letting me the walk the rest of the way by myself?"Daria asked Jane.

"Nothing doing,amiga."Jane answered."You're stuck with us.Doctor's orders-- and more importantly,your mother's."

Glancing at her watch,Quinn said,"That reminds me,Daria--Mom told me to make sure you remember to take your Tylenol at lunch this afternoon.Oh,and don't forget to call Dr.Pollard's office to confirm your follow-up appointment."

Daria cast a wry glance at her sister."Yes,Miss Ratched."

"Allow me,ladies."Chuck Ruttheimer III,a.k.a. Upchuck,stepped forward and opened the homeroom door for them. Daria's eyebrows arched in surprise;his usual sleazy leer was noticeably missing.For a moment she didn't know how to respond.Finally,however,she looked at him and said,"Thanks,Chuck."

"Think nothing of it."Upchuck replied."I'm only too glad to lend a helping hand during your recuperation."

"Just as long as that hand doesn't try to pinch our butts."Jane told him.

Upchuck emphatically shook his head."The furthest thing from my mind,I assure you.I've always prided myself on being a perfect gentleman."