Daria's first semester in the grad program at U. Chicago had been taxing, and the winter break promised mostly prep for an arduous second semester. Still, the lack of classes meant she had some time to relax in front of the television in her tiny, but private, room.
At the sound of a knock, she shouted, "Come in," and took a handful of chips from a bowl in front of her. The door opened, revealing her boyfriend, Allan. He gave her a cheery smile and slid in next to her on the couch, as she munched away contentedly at her chips.
She and Allan had been together since the beginning of their senior year at Notre Dame. It was only a coincidence that they'd both ended up at Chicago, but they'd been happy to take advantage of their continued proximity. Daria was definitely starting to feel like he was The One, and she was pretty sure he shared the sentiment.
"Watching the old alma mater?" he asked, as he grabbed some chips.
"Yup," she said. The Cotton Bowl broadcast did indeed feature the Fighting Irish in their traditional gold helmets and navy blue jerseys. "After all, it is a bowl game."
"And the Cotton is one of the big ones, I think," he added, putting an arm around her and getting comfortable.
Within a couple of minutes, Notre Dame scored on a long pass play off a scramble by the quarterback. Allan gave a fist pump with his free hand, but without any special enthusiasm. Daria merely quirked her characteristic half smile. After the point after touchdown, the screen flashed the quarterback's stats.
"Kevin Thompson," Allan said. "You know him, right? I heard you tutored him for awhile."
Daria thought back on that wild time. They'd been good together, and good for each other too. She remembered the poison that her breakup with Tom Sloane had left on her soul, the bullshit with Bryce, and Eddie's hate-contorted features. She thought about the way she and Robbie just drifted apart. They'd lasted almost a year, but in the end, she had little in the way of memories beyond a pair of dreamboat eyes.
And she remembered Kevin introducing her to his bubbly blonde girlfriend Suzie, the same Suzie she thought he would probably marry. "I hope you don't mind, Daria, but I really value your opinion. I like her, but if you don't think she's good for me, I won't pursue it."
She'd talked to Suzie and found that despite a superficial resemblance to Brittany Taylor, this blond had a lot on the ball. She was a nursing student, and her sweet nature hid a core of steel resolve. Daria had felt weird about the whole thing, but she'd been happy to give her assent, since she was sure that Suzie would never let Kevin turn into his father.
And now she was here, and she was in love and on the way to fulfilling her goals. She didn't hesitate to give herself credit—for finding a goal, for working hard, and for being open to the changes life offered—but she also knew that Kevin Thompson was a big part of why she was here and sane and happy today.
"Yes," she said, settling more comfortably into Allan's embrace. "I tutored Kevin back when we were both sophomores. He taught me everything I know."
Author's Note:
I've had this complete in draft on my hard drive for more years than I care to count. I have no idea why it took so long for me to do a last editorial pass and put up the rest, but it did and I'm sorry. Thank you to all the folks who've stuck with this story since I started posting it here and the people who stuck with it when I was serializing it over at PPMB.
One quick continuity point for those not familiar with college football eligibility: Kevin's still eligible to play for Notre Dame even though he's technically in his fifth year because he did what's called "redshirting." He didn't play for varsity as a freshman, so that doesn't count against the four years he's eligible to play college sports.
Disclaimer: Daria and all characters are copyright 1997–2002. I own nothing and am still merely along for the ride.