Daria's first class at Fielding - mathematics - was a real eye-opener. At Highland High School, Daria was in an "advanced" class - trigonometry - with a bunch of seniors. Here, trig was a sophomore level class, and Daria was now taking pre-calculus. In junior year, she'd be ready for calc.
The professor - the "profs" as they were called - was the very animated Mr. Anderson, a young black man with short cropped hair. He would attack the board with a fury for a few seconds and then lecture to the class for five minutes before returning to his pride and joy, to covering the board with mathematical arcana.
There were a few kids in class that looked interested. Many looked bored. At least, thought Daria, they got that part of the school experience right.
Daria's attention was drawn to a young woman with long brown hair in the front of the class. At Fielding one wore class blazers, but even so, there was some unwritten protocol regarding what should be worn and how it should be worn. Daria guessed that she would never "pass" but this girl looked like she belonged at Fielding. She seemed to be paying very close attention to Mr. Anderson.
Daria covered the blank paper in her binder in the same manner that Anderson covered the blackboard, taking notes furiously. There was only one other person taking notes; the rest of the class gave Anderson various levels of attention. As Daria turned to the right, she noticed Long Haired Girl with some sort of all-day sucker in her mouth. Long Haired Girl became Lollipop Girl in her mind's eye.
She had noticed it in other classes. Kids would bring candy or soda to class, and as long as they minded their matters, they could snack or drink during a "lecture". It certainly seemed that the girl, whoever she was, was minding her matters. She wasn't making a lot of noise. Daria wondered if she should have brought something to eat.
That was when it happened. Slowly..and quite deliberately...Lollipop Girl moved the sucker all the way to the back of her mouth...and then, holding it by its paper stem, moved it all the way out to her lips, embracing the round ball with her lips sensually and slowly, rhythmically drawing it out, before sending it back in again, sometimes rapidly, sometimes slowly.
Lollipop Girl kept her eyes locked on Anderson the entire time. Her eyes said just as much as her mouth was saying. My God, thought Daria, is that girl...fellating that lollipop?
Lollipop Girl caught the eye of Anderson up at the front of the room. Daria watched the quick interplay between the two of them. Lollipop Girl gave Anderson a high-beam look and her work with the sucker would have levitated the back tendons of an eighty-year old scoutmaster.
Anderson, embarrased, turned away. Lollipop Girl smiled. Daria wanted to crawl under the table.
(* * *)
"Oh yeah," said Elsie, "Sue Bentley. She was fucking with Anderson." Daria enjoyed the way that Elsie said "fucking", never dropping the g and always putting the emphasis on the final syllable.
"You know, I always like to see if I can make a teacher cry, but that wouldn't be my optimum strategy."
"Oh, you'll see worse," said Elsie. "You know you're lucky. You have a chance to be invisible."
"What?"
"Let me see your notebooks," said Elsie. Elsie looked at Daria's notes. "Aha. Just as I suspected."
"Do they give off the smell of poverty?" Daria asked. "Am I Little Nell?"
"No. I'll show you my notes at home, and you'll understand. You shall come see me at home?"
I haven't been invited to anyone's home since grade school. But Elsie seems cool. "Sure. But I don't have a car so I don't have any way of getting there."
"Don't worry," said Elsie. "I have a ride."