Just as Daria lay down in her bed, there was yet another knock.
"Hi, Daria" it was Jay
"I guess we never did finish our conversation" Daria remarked, and the two of them left to find somewhere to chat, by themselves.
la-la-la-la-la
Just rip it off, like a band aid Daria thought to herself.
"I have thought a lot about this, and I think we should just be friends" Daria said
"Okay, I understand" Jay said, calmly. Daria was impressed with how calmly he was taking it.
"Should I explain my reasoning or..."
"That's okay. I think I understand"
"Well, that was much easier than I was expecting" Daria remarked
"Break ups don't always have to be dramatic or fought"
"I suppose so"
"But since you're here, there's something else I'd like to ask you"
Daria's eyebrow curled in curiosity.
"No, nothing like that. Its just that, since we've got finals coming up, I thought you'd like to study together"
"Oh" Daria hadn't been expecting that "I appreciate the offer, but finals is when I'm busiest. So many students needing last minute exam prep and all that. I've got about a million emails to get through, and I intend to answer them all"
"Good luck" Jay said
"And to you"
la-la-la-la-la
Daria did indeed have a full inbox, not to mention a full voice mail box. She managed to spend the next few weeks whittling them down. Realising, she couldn't help everyone, she turned some away, but still spent a ridiculous amount of time helping unprepared students though their finals, papers, presentations and so forth. She didn't get enough sleep, nor did she allocate any time to study herself. On the plus side, however, she was making money hand over fist. She wasn't sure if her mom would be impressed or applauded by it, so she decided not to tell her.
The stress took its toll on her, and while her students didn't notice, her friends did, and they began to worry about her. One day, she discovered the four of them, Jessica, Jane, Jay and Joe (the four Js) sitting on the floor of her dorm room, upon her return one day.
"Is this an intervention?" Daria asked
"In a way" Jessica said
"It hasn't escaped our attention that you're working really hard" Jane said
"Around the clock" Jay said
"And its affecting you adversely" Joe said
"Damn, and here I thought I was hiding it so well" Daria said, half jokingly
"So, we've put together an impromptu group study session" Jessica explained
"But most of us don't study the same thing" Daria objected
"And I don't even go here" Jane said, echoing a line she'd once seen in a movie
"But that doesn't matter" Joe stated "Here are the rules, pick up a book, relating to one of our fields of study and ask that person a question. Then that person gets to ask a question of someone. Any questions?" Joe explained
After several awkward seconds, Daria said "I guess I have no choice" in a somewhat annoyed tone, but the others realised that she didn't entirely mean it.
"Okay, who goes first" Daria asked, taking a seat on the floor. Everyone stared at her.
"I guess its me" she said, picking up a book
"Joe, Which Anarchist Trade Union were a key player in the Spanish Civil War?"
"The CNT"
"Which Stands for?"
"I don't know the Spanish, but in English, its something like National Labour Confederation"
"Good enough"
"Jessica, in what year was the Democratic Party founded?"
"1792"
"I'm sorry, the answer is 1828"
"I was probably thinking of its predecessor" Jessica picked up a book of her own "Jay, which religious/legal process was the story The Pit and The Pendulum based on?"
"The Spanish inquisition"
"Correct. Bonus question, was it historically accurate"
"Not even close, but it was never intended to be" Jay then picked up a book "Joe, which union was the first to ever attempt organising prison labourers?"
"I believe that would be the IWW, or International Workers of the World"
"Bonus question, what is their nickname"
"The Wobblies"
"Correct"
Joe picked up a book "Jane, in what city state of modern day Italy was Leonardo DaVinci born?"
"That's easy, Florence."
"Correct"
Jane picked up a book "Daria, which 19th century novel helped codify most of literary vampire lore?"
"Bram Stoker's Dracula"
"Correct, and what year was it published in?"
"1892"
"Affirmative, Amiga"
"Jessica, which sitting president finished third in the US Presidential Election of 1912?"
"I believe that would be Grover Cleveland"
"I'm sorry, the answer we we're looking for was William Howard Taft"
"Damn. Jane, which part of his body did Vincent Van Gogh famously sever"
"His left ear"
"Yes, and in what year?"
"1888"
"Ding ding"
"Jay, who wrote the Telltale Heart?"
"That would be Edgar Allan Poe"
"Correct. Bonus question, according to the story, what was the murderer's motive?"
"We never find out. Its deliberately ambiguous"
"Yes"
"Jane, how did Vincent Van Gogh die?"
"He shot himself"
"Indeed" Jay replied
"Jessica, which linguist popularised the theory of Universal Grammar"
"That would be Noam Chomsky"
"Correct"
"Joe, what is the largest labour organisation in the United States?"
"The AFL-CIO"
"And what does that stand for?"
"The American Federation of Labor and…. Damn. I used to know this"
"American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organisations"
"Jessica, which linguistic theory is often contrasted with Universal Grammar?"
"That would be the Sapir Whorf Hypothesis?"
"Also known as…?"
"Linguistic Relativity?"
"Correct. Bonus question, which Amazon rainstorm tribe provides the strongest evidence of said hypothesis?"
"Damn, I don't remember"
"The Piraha people"
la-la-la-la-la
Several hours later, the study session came to an end, and Jay, Joe and Jane prepared to leave. But before they did, Daria decided to address them briefly
"I just wanted to say that, I've been though a lot this year, and I probably couldn't have gotten through without each of you. So, thanks" Daria said, her volume falling quite significantly towards the end.
"Back at you, Amiga" Jane said
What Daria didn't know was that this would be the last time she would ever see one of them.
la-la-la-la-la
Daria returned from her final exam for the semester feeling exhausted, but relieved it was over and confident about her grades, and the future. The study session had done its job and everything would be downhill from here (or so she thought). In a few days she would be back in Lawndale with her family.
Upon returning to her dorm room, she instantly recognised the look on Jessica's face.
"What do you want?" Daria asked
"What makes you think I want anything?"
"Because I know you. So whatever it is, out with it" Daria insisted
"Okay, here it is" Jessica began
TO BE CONTINUED
Notes: From here, the story will continue with A Cynical Journey, followed by Alternate Season 5/Daria's Creek the College Years. This story will be book-ended by another story called Daria: Final Year, which I will eventually get around to writing.
I wanted there to be a chapter entitled: College Bored (the name of season 1, episode 3), but the opportunity never came up. But I'll try to use it somewhere in a future story.
If you enjoyed the story, please like, comment on/review and share it, feel free to DM me here, or email me: 3285 and please recommend it to anyone who you think would enjoy it.
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