The start of something... strange

It was the first day of senior year, the big final year, one more round of torture before they graduated and either went to college or headed off into 'the real world'.

Jane still wasn't sure what that meant.

Hell, her siblings were all adults and they were all leading their selfish lives in defiance of convention, or making money.

But as she and her friend Daria sat on the grass just outside the entrance to Lawndale High, she did wonder where she was going to wind up.

Daria had unintentionally stolen her boyfriend from out underneath her, and privately she wasn't really over it, but she didn't have anyone else to talk too.

"Besides," Jane had conceded privately, "Daria has no real experience with these things, she didn't know what was happening until it happened."

The logic was sound, but it still didn't make her feel better.

She then heard the purr of another car engine as it pulled into the LHS parking lot, but something about it made her lift up her head.

"Whoa!" Jane breathed, "Look at that."

Daria followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know they made purple Lamborghinis."

A figure got out of the car, Jane could see the top of his slicked back green hair and as he got closer she could see that he was wearing a purple shirt with white pants and black dress shoes, only when he got close enough for her to notice that he had tattoos on his hands did she and Daria realize who that was.

"Upchuck?!" they both exclaimed in total surprise.

"Hello ladies," he replied with a smile, one of his teeth clearly having been replaced with a metal one, "How are you doing today?"

"Expecting the usual boredom until you showed up like this." Jane answered honestly, "What happened?"

Upchuck answered with, "A lot happened this summer, oh, and I prefer Charlie, not Upchuck."

His eyes had a strange gleam in them when he said it, like he was playing some sort of joke, but neither girl could figure out the punchline.

Against all logic, Jane found herself almost hypnotized by those eyes.

"Oookay, Charlie." Daria spoke up and broke the spell, "Are you going to elaborate?"

Charlie smiled like an alligator, "In time Ms. Morgendorffer, in time. But we've got to get to class."

He then walked away with a strange strut, like he owned the very ground he walked on.

"Wow." Daria said with a shake of her head, "The story behind that has to be impressive."

"Indeed," Jane replied while feeling something in her coat pocket, she quietly pulled it out and discovered it was a note that Charlie had somehow slipped her without either girl realizing it.

It read; 'Wanna take a ride?'

Ignoring Daria's curious look, Jane found herself pulling out a pen and writing something on it before slipping it back in her pocket.

At the end of first period, Charlie went back to his locker to find a note stuffed in the door, he pulled it out to find his note to Jane with something written over it.

'Yes, think you can handle me?'

"Oh yes, Janie." Charlie said with a mad grin, "Yes, I think I can."