Chapter 3 - Stone Power

As Daria came down for breakfast, Quinn glanced up then back to her yogurt then up at Daria again.

"Double take, Quinn? Are prepping for an audition as Juliet? The first time she sees Romeo?"

"Don't trick me, Daria. I know it's Hamlet and Juliet, because that rhymes. It's easier for the actors to remember who's who that way."

Daria rolled her eyes as she prepared her sugar tart and on impulse heaped it with yogurt and blueberries for extra healthy good measure. Quinn stared at the monstrous concoction, the reaction Daria was seeking, before bringing up the subject which caught her attention.

"Is that the necklace Berit gave you? It looks good on you, Daria. Oh, this could be the start of you caring about your appearance, I mean, besides wanting to dress as boring as possible, I mean. Yes, let's get Mom to take us to the mall and we can coordinate outfits around your new accessory. You're really supposed to do it the other way around but I can work with this."

Daria did not respond being a bit embarrassed and not wanting to give Quinn a clue that she had taken some time that morning planning her attire around the quartz. The crystal almost disappeared in the background of the ribbed white pullover but then it would catch the light and send eye-catching sparkles onto the white shirt and around the room.

Daria thought the black leather cord she'd chosen complemented her black jacket. Or so she believed, not being used to thinking much about her clothes beyond comfort and a calculated amount of drabness.

As they headed out the door, Daria paused to look at herself in the hall mirror. Quinn was about to complain that Daria was delaying her own longer and more necessary primping but Quinn stopped herself, relishing this sight of Daria apparently concerned about her looks.

Daria bopped her head gently admiring the way the pendant swung and enjoying the weight around her neck. She wasn't sure she could feel it giving power to heart and mouth as Berit suggested but it was pretty.

In the first period homeroom her last name put her in the middle of her the girl from science and her cronies. She usually would shrink in her seat and bow her head in futile efforts to remain unnoticed. Today she sat up straight and looked around with interest. Wow, was the map on the wall really that out of date? She was pretty sure it hadn't been called 'Rhodesia' for years. Was the teacher always this late to take attendance? No matter, if they started on time or not the day would stretch just as long.

"Look everybody," chief tormentor Claire McCandry started in. "Morgendorker's trying to spice up her wardrobe. Hey, Derriere, did Batty Fungus give you that cheap rock?"

For emphasis, McCandry swung her gold necklace weighted by a shiny blue stone.

"I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and barf out something brighter than that." Daria said without giving much thought to her retort.

"Yipe, did I really say that? Hm, not bad but I have to read up on my Shakespeare for something artsier. Then again, the strumpet would not understand it."

Even so for her own emphasis, Daria locked her round-lensed stare onto Claire's blue eyes.

McCandry jerked back in surprise that her target had actually responded and with a cutting remark at that. Her lips tightened and she was about to reply when the teacher finally made an appearance hefting his usual extra-large coffee mug.

"This isn't over," McCandry mouthed to a frightened Daria who somehow maintained her new poise. Her posse glared at Daria banefully.

Daria hustled to her locked immediately after first period happy that she did not share second period with any of Claire's hangers-on.

"I don't like the way you talk to Claire."

Daria stiffened and turned to see an aspirant to Claire's circle approach. The girl towered over her. She seemed undecided on what to do next and so went with the tried and true technique of pushing Daria's books to the floor. This was always good for a laugh as the short girl with thick glasses would go scrambling on her knees for her books.

Daria wasn't sure what happened next as she gripped her books with one hand while dipping and dodging out of the girl's lunge. Her other hand shoved the girl into the lockers with a satisfying clang.

Students were used to seeing and ignoring the tiny girl being bullied but the resulting clang brought the other students' attention to the pair. Claire's hanger-on sprang up ready to counter-attack the now-cringing Daria. And then two teachers swooped in.

A few minutes later Daria found herself and the other girl in the office of Principal McVicker. Her heart pounded. This was her first experience of a junior high trip to the office. It must be much worse than being told not to use Shakepearean English on her teachers in sixth grade.

"Please don't call Mom. Please don't call Dad."

As he poured the contents of a packet into water and watched it start to fizz, McVicker regarded the two balefully. He took a slow sip.

"Dara," He began. "I never expected to find you here on other than pleasant circumstances."

"It's Daria," she said softly. Normally she would be annoyed at a school official getting her name wrong but she was always afraid of scaring McVicker into a heart attack and she actually liked the man.

He managed a more menacing gaze on the other girl. "Kathy, we meet again. This is getting to be too much of a habit. Shall we call your step-father again?"

"She started it, Mr. McVicker," Kathy began with a point Daria could not necessarily deny. Still, Daria thought Kathy was cowed by McVicker's threat.

The man shuddered and waved a hand. "Principals aren't supposed to play favorites but I happily will. You're lucky you got into it with Morgendorffer, Kathy. I'm going to forget I saw either of you in here today. Don't let me see either of you here again unless you're picking up a student of the month trophy."

He shooed them out of his office muttering something about his transfer to high school principal surely being easier.

Daria's crystal sparkled in the hall lighting as she watched Kathy stalk off. She glanced down at it and smiled.

"Oh yeah, rah for the placebo effect. Wait, does it count if I was wishing for it? Have to do more research."