Uhh sorry for the confusion, what I meant was Daria and Jane are sophomores which makes them 16 and the rest of the band are seniors so they're 17/18.
Here's chapter 3! Standard disclaimers apply.
Come Monday morning, Daria Morgendorffer wakes up to the sound of a hairdryer.
Quinn.
She thought to herself grudgingly. She slowly reached out to grab her glasses and sat up. Yawning, she stretched her arms meekly and got up.
"Time to face the inevitable…"
She stated to no one in particular and knocked on the bathroom door.
"Quinn. Other people need to use the bathroom for hygienic purposes." Daria called out, already starting to get annoyed.
"Oh Daria! You don't need to use the bathroom, you just put on your glasses and that ugly jacket and you're good to go. I on the other hand-"
With a sigh, Daria walked down the stairs to be greeted with the sight of Jake reading the newspaper and Helen sipping her coffee while talking on the phone. For some reason, the sight irritated her even more.
"Oh hey Kiddo!"
"Mmm." Came Daria's less than enthusiastic response.
"Hey… Why aren't you ready yet?" Jake asked, finally taking notice of Daria's messy appearance. Just then, Quinn sauntered into the room.
"O-kay, Daria! The bathroom is all yours." She walked towards the kitchen counters, grabbing an energy bar from one of the cupboards.
"Hey girls! Quinn, don't you think you need more than an energy bar for breakfast for your brain to function properly for school?" Helen asked, feigning concern in her usual motherly tone.
"I doubt there will be much use for her brain anyway. Assuming there is on in there."
"Daria!" Helen snapped at her. Just then, her phone rings and she answers it on the first ring.
"Hellooo? Why, yes! Yes, of course- Daria! Why aren't you ready for school yet?"
With an aggravated scowl, Daria rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs to the bathroom. After taking a shower, brushing her teeth and dressing up in her usual ensemble, Daria was ready for school. She could hear voices from the living room. At the sound of her name being mentioned, she scooted closer to the door by instinct.
"All I'm saying is Quinn it wouldn't hurt for you to just accompany your sister, even just on the first day of school."
"Mo-om! Why do I have to sacrifice my potential popularity for her?"
Quinn's high-pitched voice echoed to the living room where Daria stood. Her eyes narrowed but couldn't help listening in anyway. She heard the phone ring and Helen's defeated sigh.
"Alright, how much is this going to cost?"
"Fifty dollars." Quinn answered, suddenly perky again.
"Jake. Jake!"
"Wha-?! What?" Jake's confused voice quipped up.
"Can you drop the girls off today? I'm really busy this morning." Helen quickly replied and answered the phone before he could protest or ask questions.
"What? But where am I suppose to take them?"
Daria closed her eyes. It was just so damn typical for her mother to bribe her sister like that. With a frown, she quickly walked towards the front door and quietly closed it behind her. What a pleasant way to start the day. She thought bitterly and started her walk towards Lawndale High. It was of walking distance and there was still an hour left before classes started. A few blocks ahead, she saw the familiar black hair and red coat that belonged to Jane. She was walking down the pathway from her house with a small backpack and immediately noticed Daria walking alone.
"Yo Daria!" She jogged towards the redhead.
"Hi."
"Woah. Ease up on the perkiness I can only handle so much. You're not much of a morning person, huh? We Lanes are the same."
"Mmm." Daria replied passively.
"Mind if we walk to school together? In my 16 years of existence in this town, I'm 99.9% sure there ain't no other high school in Lawndale."
Daria shrugged which Jane took as a definitive yes.
"Do you need a lift home? I can drop you off your house or we can hang out at my place, order some pizza then waste our teenage youth watching mindless TV shows." Jane asked.
They had practically hung out the whole day since they had Art, P.E., English and History together. School was finally over and they were both just arranging things in their respective lockers. Daria closed hers and raised a brow.
"Drop me off? I appreciate it Lane, but I don't think your shoulders were built to carry another human being's weight." Jane chuckled at Daria's sarcasm despite her monotone voice. She was starting to get used to it.
"I mean drop you off in a licensed vehicle, Morgendorffer."
"I didn't know you had a car. Why didn't you just drive to school?" Daria asked and they both walked towards the school's entrance doors.
"Well, I don't have one. But my older brother has. I would've came with him on the way here but I couldn't afford to be late again."
"Heavy sleeper, huh."
"You wouldn't believe. So what do you say? Wanna hitch a ride in the company of adolescent males in a crappy car?" Jane asked, pointing with her thumb to a blue car parked by a tree. Daria thought about going home and being bombarded with questions and hearing Quinn yap about how her day had gone. She cringed the slightest bit.
"Actually, I think I'll take up your offer of pizza and mindless TV."
"That bad, huh?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Daria and Jane shared a small smile and then walked towards the car. As they approached, they noticed people were already inside. Jane knocked on the driver's seat's window. Loud metal music was blasting from the car stereo and two guys were bobbing their heads to it. The car's window frames and the air freshener on the rearview mirror shook and Daria felt dizzy just looking at it. Jane knocked harder and started yelling.
"Yo Trent!" She yelled even louder and 'Trent' finally noticed. He rolled down his window but not before turning down the radio, to which she heard the other guy protest a "Hey!"
"Hey Janey, what's up?"
Daria stared at the two and concluded they were definitely related. They resembled each other with their laidback attitudes and physical appearance.
"You guys care for some pizza?"
"Hmm. Sure, if you're paying."
"I kinda figured as much." Jane shrugged then gestured for Daria to get in the car. When they were settled in, Trent started up the engine which took a while.
"So Janey, who's your new friend?" Trent asked his arm draped around his seat as he turned around to look at Daria. He had a cigarette on his ear and his dark black eyes looked her over, Daria couldn't help feel a bit self-conscious and intimidated by him in that 'older guy' kind of way.
"So you finally noticed, eh? This is Daria. Daria this adolescent male is Trent and the other…"
Jane gestured towards Jesse.
"…who seems to be in another dimension, is Jesse." Daria's vision followed the direction Jane was pointing and saw Jesse playing an imaginary guitar with a passion, complete with sounds from his mouth and synchronized head bangs.
"Hey Daria." Trent said directly to her, his eyes looking straight at her's. Subconsciously, she blushed a light shade of pink.
"Hi Trent." Trent smiled.
"Okay, Pizza King it is."
The short drive to pizza king consisted mainly of Jane and Jesse holding up the conversation, Trent driving and humming to the music and Daria sitting at the back, staring out her window.
"Alright. We're here guys." Trent stated which seemed to make the other two realize they had arrived. He turned off the engine while the other two were already out the door then turned to look at Daria who was still figuring out how to unlock her door.
"Here, lemme do that for you. That door's busted." Trent reached out from his seat and jiggled the door open.
"Uhh thanks." Daria squeaked out and quickly got out. Trent did the same and they walked in the diner together.
"Hey, over here man!" Jesse yelled.
"Don't worry, we already ordered for you guys." Jane said.
"Thanks Janey."
"No problemo. Sooo, did you guys come to school late today?"
Jane asked casually, taking a bite of her pizza. She sat across Jesse who sat beside Trent who was across from Daria.
"Well actually, it was pretty late when I got up so me and the band figured we'd just skip it."
"Yeah. Nothing ever happens on the first day anyway. They just give us that boring orientation they always do."
Jesse shrugged, reaching out for a second slice. Daria thought of the orientation they had which was the reason why they didn't have first period. An Asian principal gave a long speech on school rules and other welcome formalities then had an intermission number from the Lawndale Cheerleading Squad. After that, Mr. O'Neil their English teacher came on stage to recite an emotional poem about the first day of school which triggered a laugh from the student body and smirks from the two girls.
"True." Jane agreed then started a conversation with Jesse. Daria reached out for second slice, feeling awkward since she just met the two guys.
"So Daria, Janey tells me you scared off the Fashion Club."
At this, Jesse turned towards her.
"Hey! Those bitched totally insulted my vest like two months ago."
Jane chuckled while Trent looked down in an attempt to hide a smile while he shook his head.
"Really? I see no reason for them to insult your vest. It just screams 'high fashion'. Those girls just don't know how to appreciate high class couture." Daria commented dryly, in her usual monotone.
"Hey thanks, Daria."
Jesse smiled then squeezed himself off the booth to get some more hot sauce. Jane and Trent burst out laughing.
"Good one, Daria." Trent had finally stopped laughing and coughed into his hand.
"Yeah, too bad the band wasn't here to witness that." Jane quipped.
"I'm glad we can all share unified laughter at the expense of our dear friend Jesse." Daria said, gesturing towards Jesse who spilt some sauce on his pants. Jane chuckled while Trent coughed into his fist.
"I'm starting to like you already, Daria."
"Yeah, well…" Daria blurted incoherently and looked down, focused intensely with her pizza. Jane noticed this and raised a brow. Daria was quiet the rest of the time in Pizza King and the ride home. Once they were safely inside her room, Jane faced her.
"Welcome to Casa Lane!" Jane said with fake enthusiasm.
"The TV's right over there, you can unwind on my bed if you want." Jane handed her the remote.
"Aren't you watching TV with me?" Daria asked, already surfing through the channels.
"Nah. I got this new idea for a painting on the ride home." Jane said as she grabbed some paint tubes and various brushed with different sizes.
"Okay." Daria replied; eyes glued to the television set.
"At top secret orgy group, discreetly planting subliminal ideas in kid's TV shows called the Illuminaughty; next on Sick, Sad World."
Jane waited a few minutes a couple of minutes before deciding to talk with her new friend. They had only begun hanging out so she wasn't quite sure how to gauge things with her and what her reaction would be.
"Soo Daria…" Jane trailed off, not knowing how to continue without sounding like she was prying.
"Yes?" Daria turned towards her.
"Soo… You were pretty quiet back there. Is something wrong?" Jane picked her words carefully, knowing she could mean a while ago at Pizza King or this morning when she seemed kind off glum.
"Uhm no. I guess I'm just not one for many words." Jane scoffed.
"Right. And you call yourself a writer."
"Says the girl who claims to be an artist, yet can't picture out her brother being early for anything."
"Hey I have right reason to say that because well… It is true." Jane blurted out. Then a smile crept on her face.
"So what are your thoughts on my brother, Trent?" Jane asked suggestively and got a slight blush from Daria.
"Uhm. He's cool." Was all Daria managed to say. Jane raised a brow once again.
"I see."
"What are you implying, Lane?" Daria asked with an edge to her voice.
"Woah. Easy on the accusations there, Morgendorffer! I was just asking."
Realizing how she had reacted, Daria blushed deeper and focused on the TV. Jane smirked, adding a new element to her painting.
"Daria? Is that you?" Helen asked from the kitchen just as Daria walked in the front door, backpack slung over her shoulder. Jane had walked her over, claiming she was planning on going to the art supplies store anyway. Jane waved from the sidewalk and Daria gave a small wave back before closing the door.
"Daria? Who was that?" Helen asked, wiping her hand on her apron. What the hell? Since when does she have time to cook?
"Uhm. Just someone I met in school."
The bespectacled girl dismissed the conversation on her own terms and walked pass her mother to the stairs.
"Daria! We're not done yet." Helen's voice raised the slightest bit, struggling to sound more authoritative. The tone only annoyed her as she spun around to face Helen, waiting for her to continue.
"Where were you? You just missed dinner with the family." Helen asked in an accusing tone.
Really mom, I should ask you the same question since you're never around. Daria's eyes narrowed.
"Jane offered to hang out after school. We just went for pizza and watched some TV at her house." Helen's brows shot up.
"And who exactly is this Jane person?"
"I'm sure you have a fair idea since you just saw me wave bye to her a few seconds ago." Helen ignored her daughter's somewhat rude response.
"Well you should have called Daria. I made dinner for four, now we have too many leftovers." Helen sighed.
"Really." Daria monotone, an uninterested look on her face.
"Really." Helen mimicked.
"Well I guess you forgot to mention it to me during breakfast. Oh wait, I don't think you even noticed I wasn't there. Or maybe you did, since you paid Quinn to pretend we're related for one day."
Daria's usual monotone raised the slightest bit in her anger and spit out her sister's name in annoyance. She then stormed up the stairs, leaving an open-mouthed Helen at the bottom.
"Daria! Hold on!" A door slammed and Helen sighed. She knew shouldn't have bribed Quinn but she was worried Daria wouldn't fit in again but knew that still didn't justify what she did. Her guilt escalated when she thought of this 'Jane' person who she assumed was Daria's first friend. With so many law firms she was working for and struggling to make partner, Helen could hardly keep up with her family. She had hoped making dinner would make up at least some of her absences, but clearly it took more than that. Helen took off her apron and sunk down sofa defeated. She was exhausted from seeking approval from her bosses and co-workers and doing the same at home. Her eyebrows knitted with stress, walking up the stairs and down the hall to Daria's room.
"Daria I need to speak with you."
No answer came. Helen tried again bit eventually got the hint her first born wanted to be alone. Daria removed the pillow over her head when she heard the click of her mother's heels walking away from her door. She sighed. She was tired too. Tired of how her family was making it hard to be herself. She was tired of her own achievements being overshadowed by Quinn's mere presence, tired of her mother who wasn't around enough and of her father who was but didn't seem to care enough to know what the hell was going on. She had thought what with moving, things would change but the realization finally hit her that she had given too much false hop in wishful thinking. She had betrayed her cynicism for once even though she knew she would most likely get disappointed and Daria could find no one to blame but herself. How ironic. She thought, finding it funny that she was the cause of her own disappointment. She knew it was pointless to mope around about how things were at home. I'm 16 years too late for that. Daria grinned coarsely. She sat up, her hair disheveled. Her phone vibrated and she reached out to grab it.
Godamnit Morgendorffer! I left my wallet at home. Your irony has finally penetrated my barrier of optimism. I blame you.
Just as Daria was about to click reply, her phone indicated another message was received.
Pizza after school again tomorrow?
A rare Mona Lisa smile graced her lips. At least if she was to survive this torture they called growing up, she would not be alone.
Thank you for reading ^_^