Set-up: As the school year ends, Jane decides to color her hair in time for her trip to Ashfield. What will Dorian think about her new look? Also, with Jane leaving, Dorian needs to start to think about how to spend his summer. Stay tuned!

Legal: Daria and her compadres are owned by MTV/Glenn Eisher

Scenes from Dye! Dye! My Darling! will be used and quoted.

Hair Dye On The Highway (Part 1)

As the last few weeks of school flew by, Jane was getting more and more excited about her trip to Ashfield. The only time she calmed down was when she thought about Dorian and being away from him for eight weeks. Jane sat down on her bed and stared at the painting she had done of Dorian staring in the mirror at Daria. They're encouraging me to go to this camp so it would look good on my college applications. This isn't just for my future, but our future. Jane shook her head and began to focus on the blank canvas in front of her.

She had been toying with the idea of changing her look ever since she accepted the art camp's invitation. It was during a sister/brother bonding trip to the zoo while staring at the bengal tiger that inspiration hit the young artist. Lifting her brush, Jane began to create a self-portrait but instead of her signature black bangs, there were blonde stripes running through them. Setting her paint brush down, she stood and admired her work. Giving herself a slight nod, Jane walked over to the phone and called Dorian. He told her that he would have to wait until after dinner to come over. It was almost seven by the time Dorian arrived. Ringing the door bell, he was greeted at the door by Trent.

"She's up in her room - she wanted me to tell you that she would be down in a minute," Trent said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Okay - ummm Trent - can I ask you something?"

"Yeah - what's on your mind?"

"Are you okay with the whole she and I dating thing?"

Trent shrugged, "I don't have a problem with it."

"What if I still was Daria," Dorian's voice dropped.

"All I care about is Janey being happy. So really it wouldn't matter to me, as long as she is good - then I am good."

"Thanks, Trent."

Jane came bounding down the stairs, took Dorian's hand, and ran back up to her room. Dorian stared at the picture Jane had drawn of herself and felt his knees go weak. Turning to Jane, he pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her. After breaking the embrace, Dorian looked back at the painting.

"I was thinking about trying this look out for when I leave for Ashfield," Jane said as they stood there admiring her work.

"It'll look great. When you're ready to dye it, let me know and I will send Quinn and Stacy over here to help you," Dorian replied as he kissed her cheek.

When Dorian arrived back home, Quinn was talking on the phone with Sandi. They were mapping out the agenda for that week's blush-a-thon. When Quinn hung up the phone, she looked at her older brother. She could tell there was something on his mind.

"Is everything okay Dorian?"

"Yes - look, you know how you said that you owed me for stopping you from going out with Bobby? Well, I just found out a way you can pay me back."

"How?"

"Jane wants to put blonde streaks in her hair and I was kinda hoping you and Stacy could help her," Dorian answered.

"Absolutely - Stacy is one of the best dyers in school. Even Sandi's mom lets Stacy color her roots. We'll make sure Jane looks perfect," Quinn replied with a smile on her face.

Jane was working on Kristen's summer window display. She informed the shop owner that she would be gone most of the summer, and went into detail about the Ashfield Art Camp. Kristen congratulated her and made a note to wait until August before giving Jane's number out to more clients. While at Kristen's shop, Jane and Quinn talked about the dye job. Dorian was picking up the painting that afternoon and bringing it over to the Morgendorffer house so that Quinn and Stacy could study it.

As Jane and Quinn got ready to get off work, Dorian pulled up in Helen's SUV. Jane raised an eyebrow when she saw Stacy getting out of the vehicle as well. Then, she realized that there was someone else in the passenger seat. Stacy walked into the shop and Quinn began to give her a tour of the shop. When Dorian got closer, Jane noticed that his hands and face were covered in black soot. A look of curiosity came over her face.

"Stacy's mom car died in front of Drugs-N-Stuff. We tried to get the vehicle to start to no avail. The tow truck just hauled the car to the shop. So, I offered to take them home," Dorian said.

Quinn and Stacy followed Dorian and Jane out the door. Stacy introduced Jane to her mom. Jane was amazed at how much Stacy looked like her mother. Stacy and her mom complemented Jane on the job she had done on the window display. Ten minutes later, they arrived at Stacy's house. Her mom thanked Dorian for the ride as Stacy ran inside to get her overnight bag. Once they arrived at Schloss Morgendorffer, Dorian pulled the portrait and easel out of the trunk.

Quinn and Stacy had Jane sit beside the easel and began to study both intently. After several minutes of intense observation, Quinn and Stacy walked into the kitchen. Jane got up and sat next to Dorian on the couch. Ten minutes later, Quinn and Stacy returned to the living room. Stacy was holding a sheet of paper in her hand.

"The striped idea would look good, but the chances of it getting messed up are extremely high. I can do it, but I think this might look better," Stacy said as she held up the sketch she had made of Jane's face. Instead of the stripes, a couple of blonde streaks were drawn into each bang. Quinn picked up her mirror as Stacy grabbed sections of Jane's bangs. "I think a streak here and there would really stick out and make your hair look amazing."

Jane looked at the sketch. It wasn't the stripes she was looking for, but the streaks looked smoother, more defined. She thought about what Stacy said about the possibility of the stripes coming out horribly. Handing the picture over to Dorian, he stared at it.

"What do you think?" Jane asked.

Oh **** - What do I say? Well, which one do you like more? If it was me, I would have to agree with Stacy. "The stripes would look good, but I think the streaks are the way to go."

Jane handed the paper back to Stacy. "Okay, let's do this."

The four teenagers piled back into the SUV and headed back to Drugs-N-Stuff. Quinn and Stacy stared intently at the several different shades of blonde hair color. Getting severely bored, Dorian started to roam the store. As he approached the magazine aisle, Dorian saw Jeffy in the school supply section stocking the shelf. Jeffy looked up and smiled.

"Hey Dorian - what are you doing here?"

"Quinn, Stacy, and Jane are looking at beauty products. I am playing the role of driver today. I didn't know you worked here."

"My dad runs this store - I help him out when he gets a delivery. Have you talked to Coach Smith today?"

"No - but then again, I've spent most of my day out of the house," Dorian answered.

"He's going to be doing a morning football camp over the summer. He's trying to get the entire team to join," Jeffy said.

Well, that would partially solve my what I am going to do over the summer problem. "What time will the camp run from?"

"Eight until noon. Eight to ten will be on the field, ten to noon will be in the weight room and gym. I hope you decide to come. You were really catching on by the end of the season. Well, I better get back to work. Later, Dorian."

"Later," Dorian said as he walked towards the front of the store.

Jane, Quinn, and Stacy were standing in the long check-out line when Dorian walked out of the store. The sun was beginning to set over the roofs of the shops on Dega Street. I really miss watching sunsets. I'm sorry - I'll try to keep that in mind. Thanks. He leaned against a street lamp and stared up at the sky. Enjoying the peace of the moment, he didn't notice that Jane was standing beside him until she began tapping his shoulder. Dorian blushed slightly and unlocked the vehicle. He drove home in silence.

While Stacy worked on Jane's hair, Dorian sat on the porch and finished watching the sunset. Quinn stepped outside with the phone in her hand. Coach Smith was on the other end of the line. Dorian agreed to take part in the training camp and the coach in return told him about a friend of his from college who taught a creative writing class at Lawndale Community College was offering to high school students in the evenings. Dorian made a mental note to talk to his parents about it when they got home. Dorian walked back into the house and gave Quinn back the phone. Jane, Quinn, and Stacy were talking about episodes of "The Twilight Zone" while they waited for the dye to set. Dorian was going to stay, but was shooed out of the room by his little sister.

Since when did Quinn like "The Twilight Zone? I don't know - I'm a little ticked about being kicked out of the kitchen. They don't want you to see it yet. Just remember, we as in you are the official opinion board for this project. What if it turns out bad or I don't like it? Run - run as fast as you can and get the hell away from here.

Dorian turned on the television while he waited for Jane to come out of the kitchen. He could hear the three girls talking, but decided not to try to eavesdrop. A few minutes into a really good episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the phone rang. Dorian was a little surprised when Quinn asked him to answer it. They must almost be finished. Helen and Jake were on the other end of the line. They were calling to let Dorian and Quinn know that the marriage seminar was running late, so they weren't going to be home until tomorrow. Ran late my foot, I heard them packing this morning. He was about to yell into the kitchen when he heard a series of oos and ahs coming from that direction. Then, he heard footsteps.

Oh **** - they're coming in here. Calm down, from the reactions we heard, it can't be that bad. I know Quinn can be a little snarky sometimes, but she gets serious when it comes to her work with matters of appearance. Dorian drew in a large, deep breath. Quinn and Stacy walked out of the kitchen first, both sporting huge smiles on their faces. Staring at the entrance way to the kitchen, Dorian became so nervous, he didn't even realize that his leg was bouncing up and down.

"Come on out, Jane - before my brother blows a mental circuit," Quinn smirked.

A few moments later, Jane walked into the living and Dorian's mouth went dry. Stacy had shaped Jane's bangs to fit a little more around her face and the subtle streaks of blonde through-out made Jane's hair glisten in the light. Dorian was quickly losing the battle with his hormones, he glanced down and quickly ran upstairs. Jane studied him for a moment as he dashed past her.

"I don't think he liked it," Stacy started to frown.

"Actually - he liked it a little too much," Jane said as she began to laugh.

Catching on to what Jane meant, Quinn blushed. "Ewwww - that's my s-brother you're talking about. I guess we know how Dorian feels about your new 'do, the bigger question is - do you like it, Jane?"

"Yes, I do - Quinn, Stacy - thanks a lot. You did a fantastic job. Umm, I guess we should talk about payment ..."

"Don't worry about, Jane. Both of you helped with the Fashion Club float and I really liked hanging out with you at the hotel, so let's just say that this is just another thing friends do as a bonding experience," Stacy said with a smile on her face.

"I'm cool with that - as long as this means that I don't have to try to be friends with Sandi," Jane said.

"Don't worry - we like you too much to do that to you," Quinn said as the three women laughed.

While the three girls were talking downstairs, Dorian was pacing back and forth in his room. She looks so damn good with her hair like that. I have to agree that style fits her. I wonder if she'll keep it like that, even after the art camp? That's something you'll have to ask her later. Twenty minutes later, their mental conversation was stopped by a knock on the door.

"Dorian - umm is everything okay?" Jane asked through the wood.

"Yeah - give me a minute," Dorian gave himself a quick glance-over before opening the door.

"Your sister said because I was the one that broke you, I had to be the one to make sure that youre not up here babbling to yourself," Jane smirked.

"Very funny, Lane, very funny," Dorian said, followed by a short kiss.

"You look absolutely amazing," he whispered.

"Thank you," Jane's voice dropped. A few moments later, their lips connected again, for a much longer, more passionate kiss. Several kisses later, Jane leaned away from him. "Actually, the real reason I was sent up here was to see if you wanted to watch Total Recall with us."

"Okay," Dorian said as he and Jane left his room.

When they arrived downstairs, Quinn and Stacy started giggling and pointing to Dorian's face. Dorian took a napkin and wiped Jane's lipstick off his cheek.

"Jane- remind me to show you some really good smudge-proof lipstick," Quinn said.

Dorian rolled his eyes as he started up the movie. About halfway through, Quinn looked up at the clock.

"I though mom and dad were due home hours ago."

"They were, but they called when you and Stacy were working on Jane's hair. The seminar they were attending ran late ..." Dorian replied while making quotation marks with his hands, "... so they're spending the night at the hotel that was hosting it," Dorian's eyes enlarged as he saw Jane's reaction to the news.

Fifteen minutes later, Jane leaned over and whispered into Dorian's ear. His face instantly began to blush. Standing up, Dorian turned in Quinn's direction, but his eyes stared down at the floor. "Ummm, Quinn ..."

"Don't worry, Dorian. Stacy and I are going to be down here all night watching a Julia Roberts movie marathon."

As Dorian and Jane headed up the stairs, they could hear the sounds of giggles behind them.

Monday arrived and as Jane was met by a flurry of compliments. Kevin even called her a "babe", which made Brittany smack him in the middle of the hallway. Right before lunch, Sandi remarked at how good it looked and complementing her on spending a lot of money on professional grooming assistance. When Quinn told her that Stacy was the one who had done Jane's hair, Sandi huffed and called it a sub-standard job. Dorian and Jane watched as Stacy's head and shoulders slumped.

"That bitch is about to piss me off," Jane growled.

"I think I know a way to take care of her, but I have to apologize first for what I'm about to do, okay?" Dorian said.

"Mmmm ... I forgive you, I guess."

"Thanks," Dorian walked away from Jane and towards the Fashion Club. As he got right up beside them, he poked Stacy's shoulder. When she turned to see who it was, he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Sandi's face contorted in a fit of jealousy.

"I just wanted you to know that I think you did a great job on Jane's hair. Thank you soo much for helping her out," Dorian broke the embrace and walked back up to Jane who was smirking. They watched as Stacy's mood and posture instantly changed. Quinn turned back to them, and gave them a small smile and a thumbs up.

"Okay - the look on Sandi's face was definitely worth the pre-incident forgiveness. However, that little stunt just cost you pizza and a movie tonight," Jane laughed.

"Deal," Dorian took Jane's hand and headed towards the cafeteria.

Jodie and Mack flagged Dorian and Jane down. Jodie was amazed at how good of a job Stacy had done. Then, Jane told them about Sandi's remarks and Dorian's solution to the problem. Jane then did her best impersonation of the look on Sandi's face. The four of them couldn't help but laugh. The rest of the day went by quickly. Dorian and Jane headed towards Pizza King. Much to their surprise, Tom was just sitting down. Seeing Jane's new look, Tom almost dropped his slice. Watching Dorian and Jane pick a booth, Tom decided to make his way over to them.

"Hey Dorian, hey Jane. I like the new look," Tom said trying to sound as friendly as possible.

"Thanks, I'm going to the Ashfield Art Camp over the summer and wanted to try a new look. How are you and Fiona?"

"We broke up last week, she's going to Grove Hills next year and decided that she didn't want a long distance romance," Tom said with a hint of sadness.

"I'm sorry to hear that. What are your plans for the summer?"

"Well, my dad wants to work at his office a few days a week. Then, I'm going to be attending a creative writing class at Lawndale Community College."

Dorian's chest tightened. "The one being taught by Professor Davis?"

"Yeah - how do you know about it?" Tom asked.

"I signed up for that class, too." Dorian strained to get the words out of his mouth.

"Really - at least I know I'm not the only person who signed up for the class now. I figured Daria would be the writer. Do you have a specialty?"

"I like to write science fiction. There is just something about going into the details of an alien's gut exploding that puts a smile to my face," Dorian said.

"Dorian, I can't wait to see you in class then. Jane, good luck at Ashfield," Tom stood up and walked back to his booth.

Jane felt the tension that had been building up in Dorian slowly slip away. However, she had been impressed that he had made through the entire conversation with-out acting protectively. Still, Dorian's sudden and abrupt silence had caused her to get concerned.

Jane looked over at Dorian and could see that his face had gone expressionless. "Promise me that you won't end up in jail for killing Tom while I am away," she whispered.

"I promise you that the only way I will be killing him is on paper. It will be a slow, painful death caused by a flesh-eating virus."

As the last two weeks of school approached, Dorian found himself tutoring the football team and cheerleaders once again. This time, a few other students were in attendance. Andrea and Jane were there for math help, while Quinn and Stacy wanted some pointers for English. Dorian noticed several of his teammates staring at Jane. It was all he could do to stay calm and relaxed. Every so often, he would clear his throat to get them to refocus on their studies. All of the teachers, with the exception of Ms. Barch was impressed with the progress Dorian had made with the group. Dorian asked Ms. Li if he could use the stadium for one last session on Saturday. Knowing that it could mean for the first time in three years, none of the team would start the season on academic probation, Ms. Li agreed. Mr. DeMartino, Coach Smith, and Ms. Barch agreed to supervise.

The Saturday session lasted two hours longer than Dorian expected. By the end though, he felt as though everyone had a good chance of doing well on their exams. As they left the stadium, the players and other students walked up and thanked him. Andrea, Jane, Quinn, and Stacy were the last to leave. Quinn and Stacy saw Jeffy and Jamie waiting for them, so after giving Dorian a hug, they left. Andrea invited Dorian and Jane out for pizza, which surprised them, and they in turn accepted. While at lunch, Dorian found out that Andrea would also be attending the writing class. I remember she likes to do some pretty dark poetry, that should make the class a little more interesting.

"I remember when you read some of your poetry at that coffee shop's opening - you should have a pretty good time in that class," Jane said.

"Thanks - but Daria's story really kicked ass. It's a shame you didn't get to see it, Dorian. She had every member of the football team who was there ready to riot. It was brilliant!" Andrea laughed.

Dorian felt a warmth come over him as though the Daria side of him was blushing. If I seem to recall, Andrea was right there with them. Dorian smiled as he listened to Andrea and Jane talked about that night from their sophomore year. About an hour later, Andrea looked at her watch and sighed. She needed to head home and change to go to work. Leaning towards Jane, Andrea whispered something as she stood up to pay the bill. Dorian and Jane sat for a few minutes longer before leaving.

"What did Andrea say to you?"

"Oh, she wanted to thank me for not telling any one where she works," Jane said.

"That's cool. Hey, Amy and Lillian want us to come over around six for dinner tonight. Quinn told them about your hair and they want to see it," Dorian paused for a moment. "Just to let you know - I can understand now how you feel when other girls look at me," Dorian lowered his head. "I caught a couple of the guys on the team giving you a stare down as I was tutoring them. I had to stop the urge to kill them several times over."

"Yeah - I kinda noticed. I was very impressed that you didn't lose your temper. Ready to leave? I need to make sure Trent is up. He has a gig at eight and I don't want him to be late. Plus, I want to shower and change before we go to Amy's."

"Jane - it's already three. I thought he had to be up by two in order not to miss an eight o'clock show?"

"Damn - you're right. Better stop by a convenient store and buy a bag of ice."

They arrived at Jane's and headed for her room. Once inside, she dropped the bag of ice and handed Dorian a pair of earplugs.

"Trust me, you're gonna want to use these," Jane gave him a hug before leaving the room.

Dorian had just finished putting the second plug in his ear when a splash followed by Trent's scream echoed through the house. Then the sounds of footsteps running towards the room. Jane dashed into the room, slammed the door, and leaned against it. Dorian winced at the pounding noise on the other side.

"You have a gig in five hours and Dorian and I won't be around to help you guys load up and set-up - so I suggest you get in gear and start getting ready. I'll even throw your blanket and sheets in the dryer," Jane said in between fits of laughter.

Dorian and Jane had a good time at Amy's. Both of the older women remarked at how good Jane's hair looked, then teased Dorian about his reaction. Amy asked them about their summer plans. Amy thought the writing class Dorian signed up for would be a good thing. Jane talked about the brochure Ashfield had sent her and started to name some of the artists who were teaching classes. Lillian winced when she heard the name Daniel Dotson. Jane turned her head in curiosity.

"Jane - what ever you do, don't listen to that egotistical hack job. You have more talent in your pinky fingernail than he has in his entire body," Lillian smirked.

The exam week arrived and every student at Lawndale High was stressed out. During lunch, Dorian went up and sat on the roof. This was something he hadn't done since the change. Staring out into the sky, he wrapped his arms around his knees and folded his hands together. Although he brought food with him, he wasn't that hungry. The roller coaster ride that had been the past six months replayed in his head. Lost in thought, he didn't feel the pair of arms wrap around his shoulder blades.

"Are you okay? You've haven't been up here since ..." Jane's voice trailed off.

Dorian refused to look at her, but nodded. He felt Jane's arms let go of him as she sat down and leaned against him. Despite her urge to push him to open up, Jane stayed silent. Every so often, Jane would look over at his face to try to read what was going on. After a couple of minutes, he placed an arm around her.

"Thank you for keeping me from falling apart over the past six months. I have no idea how I would have been able to deal with all of this without you," he whispered.

"Thank you for deciding against Buxton Ridge. We better get going, we only have two days to go. The last thing we need is for us to be late to Ms. Barch's exam and her decide not to let us in the room to take it," Jane said as she stood up.

Dorian scrambled to his feet and they arrived in the room just before the bell rang. Ms. Barch scowled at the two as they took their seats. Dorian finished the exam early was about to go back to his seat when Ms. Barch told him to start cleaning and boxing up the lab equipment. Not wanting to spend his last two days of school in detention, Dorian began the task. He placed the last microscope in it's box just as the bell rang. Dorian could feel the science teacher's glare as he walked out of the room.

The last day of school arrived and Dorian woke up ready to take his last two exams and call done. Jake and Quinn were already in the middle of breakfast when he walked into the kitchen. Smiling at his son, Jake offered to make breakfast, but Dorian refused. Grabbing two packs of Pop Tarts and pouring two mugs of coffee, Dorian wished Quinn good luck on her English exam and left. Jane was already walking out of Casa Lane as Dorian strolled up the driveway. Jane's eyes lit up when she saw the two giant mugs in Dorian's hands. As they headed to school, they talked about their plans for the evening.

The last two exams were History and Math. When Dorian and Jane walked into the room, Mr. DeMartino greeted them with a rare smile. Brittany and Kevin entered the class and Dorian wished them good luck. The exam was fairly easy, and after Dorian turned his in, he sat back and read. When the bell rang, Brittany, Kevin, and the rest of the football team thanked Dorian for his help. Mr. DeMartino pulled Dorian to the side and told him that he would have them graded by the end of the day. Dorian thanked the teacher and asked him what his summer plans were. When Mr. DeMartino mentioned Mr. O'Neill's Okay to Cry Corral, Dorian cringed and told him to have a good summer. The math exam proved to be easier than expected. When the final bell of their junior year rang, Andrea and Jane both felt confident that they had raised their grades to low Bs.

As they were about to leave the school, Ms. Li asked Dorian to come into her office. Shrugging he agreed and saw Coach Smith waiting for him. The football team exams scores were in and for the first time in several years, none of the team would be starting the year on academic probation. Coach Smith and Ms. Li congratulated him on a job well done. Dorian walked out of the office with a Mona Lisa smile of satisfaction on his face. Good job, Dorian. Thanks.

That night, after Dorian returned home from seeing Mystik Spiral at the Zon, he knocked on his parent's bedroom door. His dad opened the door and moved so that Dorian could enter. Helen looked up from her paperwork and stared at her son.

"Is everything alright, Dorian? Did you and Jane have a fight?" Helen asked.

"No, I just wanting to let you know how much I've appreciated all that you have done for me over the past six months," Dorian answered.

"Anything for you kiddo," Jake smiled.

Dorian returned the gesture and left the room. Helen put away her briefcase and turned off the light. As she slid back into bed, Jake wrapped his arms around her. Several kisses later, Jake looked over at Helen as the moonlight began to filter into the room.

"You don't think he's being nice because he wants a car do you?" Jake asked.

"No, Jakey."

End