Daria is a Turkish name and Turkey is a Muslim country. They speak languages including, but not limited to, Turkish, Arabic, Kurmanji, Karbadian, Zaza, and so on.

Daria

December 20th, 1983

"Nico's coming home tomorrow," I say, holding the phone to my ear. Aly's on the other end.

"My brother Josh is already home," she says.

"Oh," I say. I feel a hand on my shoulder as I speak. I look around. It's Dad. That means he wants me to get off the phone. "I'll talk later." I immediately hang up and get out of the chair I was sitting in.

"Daria," Dad says, still keeping his hand on his shoulder, "you need to talk a bit less on the phone with Aly. I think she's a bad influence."

I turn around. "How is Aly a bad influence?" I shout. I don't get it. Dad wants me to have friends. He always keeps talking about growing up in the 50s and 60s friendless because his mom was Turkish and his dad was English. His parents are dead now.

"You do bad things sometimes, kid. I don't want you doing stuff like what you did back a few weeks ago."

Great. He still brings up the 'kill yourself' thing. I thought that was over.

"Do you have to keep bringing that up?" It's so boring how he brings that up all the time. I wish he'd stop.

Dad puts his hands on his hips and sighs. "You don't get it, do you?"

Not another rant from Dad again.

Aly

"Josh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. We were sitting in front of the Christmas tree, with a couple of gifts beside Josh. "I missed you. How's college?"

"Relax, Als," Josh ruffled my hair. It was around a few weeks before this time that he got his mullet haircut, which he still has. I never really thought about the fact many people think it's hideous, and I still don't. "College is great, but it is a bit lonely without you guys. How's school?"

"It's not bad," I said, sitting in Josh's lap like I did when I was in kindergarten.

"Aren't you too big for this?" Josh mutters, pushing me off his lap. Ever since I turned ten, he would push me out of his lap every time I sat in it, whether it be because I just wanted to or I really wanted to annoy him.

"No," I said. At least that's what I think I said. Josh smiled.

"Aly, I forgot to bring you a gift, so here's a deal." I remember sitting in my Christmas sweater crisscrossed, with big, fluffy pink and brown hair and a mesh tie to go with it, right in front of Josh. "I can buy you a gift today, or I can take you to visit British Columbia in the summer. I'll give you until dinner to think about it."

Get me a gift or take me to British Columbia? Which should I choose? Last year I picked to get a gift from Josh, because he'd forgotten that year as well. Should I be choosing that this year, or should I go to British Columbia?

I'll tell you something I've learned since then, kids. I don't regret the decision I made that winter.

Randall

"Well, Randy, it'll be Christmas soon. What do you wish for?" I remember Grandpa Cromarty's wide, cheeky smile. Whenever it was Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa Cromarty would treat it as a birthday, so I'd get to make a wish on Christmas and my birthday.

"I don't know, Gramps," I said. I'd say that every time he asked me that because I really had no clue what I wanted.

"When I was your age, I got a copy of Anne of Green Gables," Gramps said after a while. I remember how thoughtful he sounded. "I gave your dad that copy I owned when he was your age. Because he bit the dust ten years ago, he won't get to give it to you. So I will do that in his place. He would've wanted you to have it."

I remember as I watched Gramps go to get the copy, I was just thinking, what was Dad like? I really wanted to get to know him, but I never did. I kind of hated that fact. Most kids grew up with their parents instead of grandparents. It kind of made me feel isolated, along with the fact that I was embarrassed about how my grandparents acted.

There's another reason why I thought my grandparents were bogue. There was a teacher I had, and I don't remember her name. That was because I called her the Betty, and I remember very well that she mocked me for the way my grandparents acted. "Randall," she would say, "you make me feel embarrassed about teaching at this school because your grandparents act like they are mentally ill."

Those were her actual words. This is something I've never liked talking about when it comes to my grandparents. If a teacher said that today, they'd be gone before you could say 'entitled.'

Back then, I thought that to keep myself from getting hurt by other people, I would have to become tougher. Looking back, I guess Jack, Cass, and Marco were kind of right about me being a big jerk. I actually was a jerk. I'm not lying about it.

Jack

"I made you this cake, son," Mom says, as she lays the pineapple upside down cake on the table. It may be covered with red, green, and white frosting, but I can tell it burned. Mom's going to want me to eat it, even though I'm going to end up really ill because of it. And I might end up a blar as well.

"It's...bombdigity," I say, looking at it with my jaw wide open. I don't actually think it's bombdigity. In fact, it's one butt ugly cake. I feel bad for even thinking it.

"I'm glad you think it's bombdigity," Mom says, sitting down across from me, "though I'm not sure what that means."

Of course she doesn't. Mom spends a lot of time crying and sleeping these days. I can't remember when she didn't do that.

"Anyhow," she says, leaning on the table. "Your father is going to take you to a candy shop today. He'll be here in an hour."

Come to think of it, I feel like I haven't seen Dad in a while. Even though the last time I saw him was...

When was the last time I saw him?

Marco

"Here, Marco," Kandyce says, holding out a present. "I bought you an early Christmas present." I take it only to be polite because Dad's watching. Dad makes a very big deal over being polite. If he hadn't been there, I wouldn't be taking it because I'm still buggin' about that one time a week ago Kandyce forgot to wash her hands after using the bathroom. Mom thinks I'm going through some weird phase thing. So does Dad. In fact, they're trying to get me out of it.

"Thanks," I say as Kandyce sneezes. She gets sick every time Christmas comes around for some reason. Then again, wash your hands.

Dad looks at me and nods. I quickly run to my bedroom and wash my hands. Then, I go back to my bedroom and with rubber gloves on my hands (hey, hygiene's important), I open the present. As soon as I get the whole thing unwrapped, I pull it out. It's a copy of Def Leppard's new album Pyromania.

Okay. That's a bit shocking. I've kind of wanted that album since forever. Me, Jack, Cass, and Rando listen to loud music, which is the bulk music.

I leave my bedroom carrying the record and I begin playing it on our vinyl record player. All I can say is this: It's clutch.

Cass

"Caaaaaasssss," Eloise whined.

"Fine," I shouted, throwing my hands up, giving in. Pretty frustrated that day, I was. Didn't wanna play Candyland or Hungry Hippos that day with Eloise. Heck, I was sleepy like a cow. Fell asleep late that night, from what I remember. Spent the whole night staring up at the ceiling for reasons I don't remember. Must've been one of those days when I was hyper.

Eloise's face cracked into a smile. "Let's play Hungry Hippos."

Well, for a weird reason, I loved that crucial game. Guess I was kind of a creep, as the bulk Radiohead song goes. Kids, this old man still is a creep. Ha.

I got out the game from underneath my bed (we were in my bedroom that day, Eloise and I) while my sis just watched. As soon as it was all up and ready, we started playing. Don't remember it too well, but as Randall always says, the details fade over time. Like an old photograph, Daria says. Was meant for that path she chose, Daria was, in her own way. We all are meant for our own paths.

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