The lump under the covers stirred, squeaking as it yawned and started grumbling. Out emerged a half-asleep Jane Lane, squinting to look at her clock.
"There's a 6am now? Who the hell invented 6am?" Jane grumbled as she fell out of bed, scuffing towards the bathroom, just managing to avoid shattering her sleepy body into the doorframe. Everything was still blurry, but she could make out her reflection. A combined morning look of flailing hair and smeared make-up from the night before.
"Ain't you attractive…" Jane smirked at herself, proceeding with her morning routine, although earlier than usual. "Stupid Trent." She mumbled as she washed away her brother's latest shaving from the sink before brushing her teeth and re-applying her trademark black eyeliner and dark red lipstick, her raven hair brushed to it's usual straightness and parting. "Wait a freakin' minute, why am I getting ready for school? School's not for 3 and a half hours…" She sighed in annoyance with herself, but proceeded to throw her clothes on and eat breakfast. "Today had better be worth it."
"Lawndale High. How I loath thee." Jane prepared herself for another day of tormenting teachers and the sheer stupidity of her peers. She noticed a blue Lexus parked just outside the school, a ginger-haired figure propelling herself from the vehicle towards the gathering crowd and was immediately gobbled by the fashionistas and male counterparts. "Fantastic, another one of those shallow-minded, self-centred…" Jane trailed off as a second girl dragged herself out of the Lexus in a dreaded fashion, ignored entirely or given daggers. Brunette hair and a facial expression that screamed misanthrope whilst hidden behind a bold pair of circular spectacles, traipsing as she clutched a thick leather-bound hardback as if her life depended on it. Jane couldn't stop staring at the newest specimen. She was mesmerised. Even as the girl disappeared, Jane continued to stare on in the direction she went, unsuccessfully urging her legs to go move. Her thoughts were dashed as the wretched bell rung to signify that her shift in hell had commenced. Jane pushed herself to make her way to her first class. Every time she thought of the mysterious girl, she found her stomach fluttered. She hoped she would be in her first class…hoped that she was even in the same grade. Alas, there was no sign of her figure sitting in the room. Jane took her place among her peers, not paying a single attention to the drone of her teacher who clearly dreaded being here as much as the class did. Still, she could doodle her mind, and her mind was set on the female who set her stomach a-fluttering. She had delved far into her own world, refusing to willingly exit until the bell rang for her second class.
History. Ah, the beloved classroom of Mr DeMartino. She could already hear him barking at the students who had dared to enter his class already. He meant well as a teacher, but with the brainless blobs that sat before him each and every day, Jane wasn't surprised that he hadn't already lost it. She took her place near the back of the classroom, her humble abode away from most of the idiots that surrounded her. She settled back into her artistic mind, continuing her doodle from the previous class when she was thrown back out of her mind by Mr DeMartino barking about something she'd longed to hear.
"Class, we have a new STUDENT joining us today. Please welcome Daria Morgendorffer. Daria, raise your hand, please." Mr DeMartino barked at the girl before him.
'Daria, huh? A pretty name to go with a pretty face…what am I talking about?' Jane shook her head, clearing the thoughts away.
"WELL Daria, now that you have your hand raised," he sniggered at the fresh meat, believing her to be another idiot, "last week we began a unit on west world expansion, perhaps you feel it's UNFAIR to be asked a question on your first day of class."
"Excuse me?" Daria said, clearly annoyed that he was implying she was lazy or stupid.
"Daria, can you concisely and unemotionally sum up for us the doctrine of Manifest Destiny?"
"Manifest Destiny was a slogan popular in the 1840s. It was used by people who claimed it was God's will for the U.S. to expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean. These people did not include many Mexicans." Daria said coolly.
"Very good, Daria. Almost...suspiciously good. Alright, class. Who can tell me which war Manifest Destiny was used to justify?Kevin, how about you?" As Mr DeMartino began to victimise his students, Jane continued to gaze at Daria. She couldn't help but wonder about her. It continued to be this way for the rest of class. Mr DeMartino tensed as each minute passed, struggling to contain his inner temper. By near the end of class, he'd ranted that he would issue double homework and a quiz if no one could answer his question. Daria raised her hand after a sigh of defeat, realising that she was the only one who was even going to bother trying.
"DARIA STOP SHOWIN' OFF!" Mr DeMartino growled, causing Daria to jump.
'She isn't stupid, either. But…she gets shot down, anyway. Poor kid.' Jane tapped her fingers on the table softly and celebrated silently in her mind as the bell rang. Daria ran off and was nowhere to be found during break, much to Jane's dismay. She hoped she'd be in some of her other classes. She had to see her, again.
Ah, the end of another hellish day in that prison. Jane got out as soon as she could, spying the blue Lexus as Daria marched into it, slamming the door behind her. The ginger-haired girl pranced into the passenger seat. Clearly someone had a great day. Jane, headphones on, walked home to the beat of the songs that danced into her ears. She entered her home and proceeded to the kitchen, expecting her brother to still be sleeping in his cave.
"Trent! What are you doing up, it's 4pm. You're up early." Jane was surprised to catch her brother sitting at the kitchen table, contently sipping a hot beverage, clearly half-asleep.
"Couldn't get back to sleep after I woke up about a half hour ago, so I decided to just get up. This coffee doesn't seem to be helping me get up, though." Trent mumbled. Jane looked at the supposed coffee.
"Trent. Did you actually pour any coffee into that mug? All I see is hot water in a brown mug." Trent looked at his beverage, realising that Jane was right.
"Oh. I guess I forgot to turn the machine on…this is what happens when I wake up early." Trent flashed his sister a sheepish smile as she turned the machine on and began rummaging for a snack. "Anything interesting happen, today?"
"You've never asked me about my day, before. Who are you, Mom?"
"Mom would never ask about your day."
"True. Well, we got newbies. Some ginger-haired kid I don't know, and this other girl who's in most of my classes with these glasses. She's clearly not stupid, and she seems pretty cynical, anti-social, snide-"
"So she's the perfect person to be your friend?" Trent joked.
"Shut up, Trent. She seems nice enough. I kind of want to talk to her."
"That ain't like you. You never want to associate with anyone in that craphole, why now?"
"I dunno, something's just drawin' me to her. I don't know. She seems alright." Jane poured Trent his coffee. "I'm going to head upstairs. Mother Nature calls to me.
"Thanks for the image. See ya, later." Trent stirred his coffee as he watched his sister leave the room. Jane finished up in the bathroom and plopped herself onto her bed, switching the TV.
"We all know that dogs like to eat human food. But what about humans who like to eat dog food? Half-reincarnated grandmas next on Sick Sad World."
'Humans are stupid,' Jane thought to herself, mindlessly watching her favourite show. 'She was…she was kinda pretty. Gorgeous, I should say. Beautiful, if I dare, along with a lovely name and such a damn soothing voice. I wonder if, one day, I could ever talk to her.' Jane sat bolt upright and slapped herself on the face.
"Ow. I'm an idiot." Jane rubbed her cheek.
'There's no way in hell I have feelings for her. I mean, come on, I couldn't. Could I? Oh, Janey, stop thinking like that. You can't possibly have feelings for her. It's just a mistake. It'll be gone by tomorrow. Yeah, it'll be gone very soon.' Jane wasn't so sure of herself. She was scaring herself with these thoughts, but decided to shrug it off, convinced that they would be gone by tomorrow.