Kevin looked hungrily as a new girl came into the room before speaking out loud. "Who's the new babe?"

Students around him were unsure if he was speaking his thoughts out loud, or if he was speaking to Mack. Mack was included in that line of thought. Brittany sat in a state of bewilderment that he could be that empty headed, to say that right in front of her, like she didn't even exist. She punched him in the ribs much more force than a girl her size should be able to produce, and he doubled over.

"Why are you hitting me babe!?"

She almost started screaming at him, but then she remembered that he only had one brain cell, and it was split between her and football most of the time. "Why are you being a jerk?"

"How?"

Brittany punched him in the ribs again and made him groan before sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms. He would probably get it in a few minutes. The rest of the boys and girls in class watched her take her seat completely separate reasons. The girls saw competition, the boys wondered who she was. Some were simply waiting for Daria to come in and kick this girl out of her seat with some soul crushing sarcastic comment. Maybe they were friends and she was taking notes for her? She had a giant book out before class like Daria does so that was something they had in common.

A few minutes later Mr. O'niell came in and began asking questions about the homework. He gave them a week to read some book that recently came out, it was beneath their grade level, but had a "positive self esteem message." Called "The New You" by Kathleen Leverich.

"Kevin, what did you think the message of the story was?"

Kevin stared at the ceiling for a second, he was trying his hardest to think about the book. Emphasis on trying. "Uh, that women are bad with directions and memory and stuff?"

Mr. O'niell sighed with exasperation. He pretended not to see anything when Kevin got punched in the ribs.

Kevin groaned louder this time. "Why do you keep punching the same spot?"

O'niell moved on. "So what did you think the meaning of the book was Da-" He caught himself. Jane was there, Daria sits next to Jane. Right? He grabbed his seating chart. Yes, she should be in that seat, but she wasn't. She looked like one of the popular girls. Maybe one of Quinn's friends or a cheerleader? He flopped around between charts for each class.

"Sandi?"

"No."

"Stacy?"

"No."

"Tiffany?" He said hopefully.

She let the silence hang awkwardly for a few seconds before responding. "Now you're just insulting me. It's Daria."

Several students shifted in their seats to look at her. That was the misery chick? She looked almost as good as her sister. Actually, some might prefer her look. Still….it was kinda hard to believe. She had on a plaid black skirt with a hanging belt instead of her normal one, and she didn't have on the jacket, just a gray sweater. It was a little strange seeing her dressed normally.

"Uh are you sure you're Daria? You don't even have the..." Mr. O'niell made two circles with his thumb and forefinger on both hands and put them around his eyes. The cold dead look he received from her made it obvious. "It is you, how wonderful! You're finally coming out of your cocoon and are turning into a beautiful butterfly."

"Is this going to be an SVU thing?"

Timothy laughed nervously. "No-no. I'm just surprised that's all." He coughed into his hand. "Moving on….tell me what you thought it was about miss Landon."

Jodie gave Daria a side eye that lasted a bit too long before responding. "I think the story is about a young woman with low self esteem, and how her just being herself instead of trying to hide behind a certain look or certain actions can make her happier."

"Very good Jodie." Mr. O'niell said before turning around to prepare their next assignment. Jodie gave Daria a smile, and Daria gave her a knowing smirk back.

Quinn had called a Fashion club meeting in the girls bathroom during lunch. Really it's not like any of them ate much beyond a salad anyway so that left them with another forty five minutes after eating before their next class.

"Before we start this meeting, Quinn, I must say, it's amazing the change you have put into your Au Pair or whatever. She almost looks like a normal girl now. If only you could fix her attitude, or how she insists on keeping almost all of her skin the same color." Sandi said

"No makeup. Burrrrr."

Quinn giggled nervously. "She doesn't like makeup that much so I only put on the minimum. The clothes and contacts were the major thing. And letting her know that I didn't think she was shallow or whatever for not being colorblind when putting on clothes…."

"Well, she can look however she wants. She's still a brain. That makes her a loser."

Quinn stiffened. "She's not a loser, she's actually pretty easy to understand if you put the time in, her priorities are just on other things."

Sandi grew a slight frown. "Gee Quinn, the way you're defending her it sounds like she's important to you. Maybe a more familial connection."

Quinn clinched her fists like Arthur in that cartoon and closed her eyes. It was time. "I am defending her."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said Sandi. And maybe it seems like we have a familial connection because we do. She's my sister."

Sandi was too dumbstruck by Quinn's appalling behavior to remain angry. Tiffany did a little smile and Stacy was almost bouncing around in excitement. Quinn noticed this and was internally happy herself. This might be easier than she thought it would be.

"Did you call this meeting just to inform us that you were part loser Quinn? Your standing in the fashion club might be in danger. We can't have a brain in our midst."

Quinn took this chance to perform her last gamble. "I am a brain."

There was a collective gasp by the other fashion club members, then she further explained. "I've been slacking off the past few years and just getting by on test grades. I'm not Daria smart, but I am a brain. I probably have a partially photographic memory or something."

"She's even using brain words!" Sandi said. That's it. "We need to have a vote to decide her standing. Now! You have two minutes to plead your case Quinn." She decided to be nice and give Quinn one last lifeline. Hopefully she would end this stupidity.

Quinn turned to Stacy. "Stacy, I don't care if I stay in the fashion club. I just want to keep our friendship."

"Really Quinn?" Stacy said, almost in tears.

"Really, and if we stay friends I won't judge you no matter who you want to date."

She gained a serious look. "No matter who it is?"

"No matter who it is."

They both smiled together. "I can't wait to tell Charles how I feel."

"Upchuck!?" Sandi said with a horrified look on her face.

"He's really sweet when we're alone. I can make him stop pretending in public for attention."

"Whatever makes you happy Stacy." Quinn said before dropping her hands and grabbing the treasurer's. "Tiffany."

"Quiiiiiinnnn."

"You already know I won't judge your dating choices, so I won't bother with that. But I want to promise you something else."

"Whaaat?"

"If you stay friends with me I'll use all my spare brain power to find out what learning disability you have and help you out."

"I can be smart toooo?"

Quinn gripped her hands even tighter, it hurt so much to watch Tiffany suffer all these years. She even struggled to read on a grade school level. "Yes. You can be smart too."

"Friiiieeeends."

Quinn smiled widely. She had Tiffany and Stacy, now just one last member. Sandi only understood two languages. Manipulative and bitchy. She stared at her a few seconds as she had her arms crossed and tapped her foot.

"Under section V article IX of the fashion club code…."

"Sandi, before you finish that sentence, I want you to think about what a good friend I've been to you." Sandi scoffed, but Quinn continued. "In fact, I've been such a good friend that if your little brothers were to...say…. give me pictures of you with braces and teeth straightening headgear in middle school that I wouldn't show anyone else. Because you and I are so close. Right?"

Sandi bowed her head. "Right." Sandi looked around her. Quinn had won. All because she thought things out a little bit and had foresight. Maybe being a brain, or at least being near one, wasn't such a bad thing after all. "Meeting adjourned."

La La La La La

Oddly enough after school Lapis decided to third wheel with them to Jane's house, and Daria allowed it. Usually he wanted to go home if they didn't have a date so he could brood or something. She thought it was odd that he continuously maintained such a melancholy mood given that he had such happy parents, but she was really not the person to judge someone for being a stoic.

As they entered the Lane household Jane shooed him away in a rather blunt fashion to make sure he understood. "Hey Lapis, why don't you go up and say hi to my brother. If he's sleeping just wake him up. Daria and I need some girl talk time."

"Okay." He said in the most deadpan way possible, and he started walking towards a room she described to him after giving Daria a peck on the lips. Her friend made fun of her a little but he just enjoyed her soft lips and light blush from the embarrassment. She really did take his breath away every time he looked at her.

His sisters assumption had been correct, he was sleeping when he entered. Actually, he was sleeping after he entered. Lapis analyzed his surroundings to try to get a feel for the guy before he woke him up. His room didn't have a tv but they didn't exactly appear to be hurting for money, the room was filled with guitars, amps, records, etc. Mostly rock, although he couldn't really hazard a guess as to what kind. Likely not heavy or trash metal since he couldn't recognize any of the names. He didn't really seem like the cleaning type, yet the room wasn't the dirtiest he had ever seen, so he probably didn't spend much time here when he wasn't sleeping. He probably had a decent amount of friends, or lady friends at least. Lastly he looked at a poster hanging on his wall. Mystik spiral. With a k. A picture of himself and presumably his bandmates/friends was present in the background. Ah. He was in a bad.

He decided that Jane's brother was in all likelihood an extremely chill dude, so there wasn't any harm in a conversation with him. He poked the top of his head and he seemed to stir awake. Rather slowly given a stranger was in his room, but he digressed.

Trent squinted for a second. "Hey bro. What's up?"

"I'm Lapis, a friend of Jane's."

Trent gave a weak smile. "You're Daria's boyfriend."

"Yup." Lapis said while collapsing into a bean bag chair. "And you are?"

"Names Trent. Janey's told me a lot about you."

"Good things?"

Trent thought for a second. It was hard to remember since sometimes Jane talked a lot. "Uh, I think the worst thing she said was that you were kinda weird like Daria. Daria is her best friend though, so maybe not a bad thing? Not sure."

Lapis chuckled to himself. It was nice to speak to someone besides Daria and Jane that was blunt for once. "Thanks man. I appreciate your honesty."

"I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Little weird, but okay. About what?"

"About Daria."

Lapis took a deep breath and waited for him to finish his statement. He was really hoping it wasn't something derogatory about her, or worse some douchey remark about her being his territory so he needed to lay off. The second remark just might have gotten him punched in the throat. Mainly since it would just be creepy given his age.

"Treat her right. She's a great girl. She's really cool for a kid in high school."

Lapis shook his head and smiled as Trent went to his closet. Jane was right. He really was a cool dude. "I will."

Trent turned with a giant bong in his hand and his stash of grass. "You smoke?"

Jane silently painted while waiting for Daria to open up. She used this tactic a lot with her. Daria seemed more comfortable with opening up when she felt as if you weren't listening to her very closely. She wasn't a psychologist or anything but she would guess it's because she never felt heard as a kid by her family or peers.

Her own face appeared stoic, but internally she was beyond interested in Daria's new look. As a realistic artist she always noticed that she had some nice features, she just didn't go out of her way to…..well to be honest she put no effort into accentuating her features. Sometimes she couldn't tell if she was doing it on purpose, if she just had terrible fashion sense, or if she just never learned how to do simple makeup she could do in five minutes. Right now she wouldn't hesitate to say that her friend looked beautiful.

"Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Do I look…..weird to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean does my appearance make you think less of me? Some of the reactions were funny or nice I guess, but I feel kind of…."

"Shallow?" Jane said with a smirk, but wiped it away when she saw Daria lower her head. She looked like a puppy that was just kicked. "Alright, alright, stop. Jeez. What made you decide on the new look today? I'm surprised you even know how to do makeup." She felt the need to clarify when she saw Daria's blank expressionless face "No offense."

"I let Quinn dress me this morning actually. The makeup probably didn't even take her five minutes though. I have to admit it takes some skill."

Jane burst out laughing, until she realized this wasn't one of Daria's deadpan jokes. "You can't be serious. You let that self centered narcissistic b-"

"Jane!"

"Moving on, does this have something to do with us hearing her finally claiming you as a sibling in the bathroom earlier from the roof?"

"….Maybe."

"I'm intrigued, continue." She said as she resumed painting.

"I never thought about things from her perspective, and once we talked I actually began to get her…..The worst part is she told me a few times before and I just never listened. Not really."

Jane looked at her contemplative look as she rested her chin on her hand. She almost looked like the thinking man. "What about her could you possibly understand that would let you allow this?"

"That she feels inferior to me and I wasn't helping by constantly talking down to her about the one thing she was good at that I wasn't."

"And that explains…..?"

"And she helped me understand taking ten minutes to work on my appearance per day didn't make me shallow, or vain. It made me a person with feelings like everyone else."

"I'm glad that you….."

"She also that I may have been using a plain look as an excuse to help stay invisible since as a child I felt like I wasn't being heard."

Jane stared at Daria plainly for a second who resumed looking off into space. She couldn't believe an analysis like that could ever come out of Quinn's mouth. "Well, that's nice I guess."

Jane took this moment of silence to admire her friend while she finished her work. She was proud of her. Daria was very moral and pragmatic most of the time, but her introspection was a little lacking to say the least. She was glad that she got to understand herself a bit better now, and form a healthier relationship with her sister. Even if personally she didn't quite trust her, yet.

She turned her canvas at her friend and they both smirked at each other. It was a simple yet romantic piece, at least she thought so at least. Daria was holding an umbrella while her and Lapis kissed in the rain. He had his arms wrapped around her as if she was the only anchor he could hold onto to stay in this reality, which wasn't too far off from how he seemed to feel about her. It was sweet.

"Do you smell something?" Daria peered her head out into the hallway. "I think it's coming from Trent's room."

Jane watched as Daria walked at a brisk pace out her doorway. She rolled her eyes and followed. She knew that smell all too well. When they arrived at Trent's door they saw him and Lapis smiling like morons sitting in bean bag chairs. Both taking hits from Trent's obscenely large bong. It took a few seconds for them to notice them standing in the doorway.

Lapis stared right at Daria before speaking to Trent. "Man this is good stuff. I'm actually seeing an angel right now."

Daria noticed he didn't laugh or grin when he said it. He was deadly serious. She shook her head and kissed him on the forehead. At least she knew he wasn't putting her on the first time they talked. He just had bad eyesight or something.

This is my stop….

Author's note: I tried to keep things in the spirit of the show and not wrap everything in a perfect little bow, since that's just not how life or the show usually works. Some things take time to fix, some things only take a short conversation that some people aren't willing to have. Still, I hope you found the ending satisfactory and the writing not too boring. I had a stacy and upchuck story idea but I'm not sure if anyone wants to read that. Let me know if you have your own ideas you want me to possibly write within this fandom.

Thanks for reading. .