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Church notes - 17th May 2020
May. 17th, 2020 02:54 pm
( 17th May )May. 17th, 2020
( 17th May )
19th April: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/04/church-notes-19th-april-2020.html
26th April: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/04/church-notes-26th-april-2020.html
3rd May: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/05/church-notes-3rd-may-2020.html, https://twitter.com/fardell24/status/1256791072619073536
10th May: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/05/church-notes-10th-may-2020.html, https://twitter.com/fardell24/status/1259353434324561920
26th April: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/04/church-notes-26th-april-2020.html
3rd May: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/05/church-notes-3rd-may-2020.html, https://twitter.com/fardell24/status/1256791072619073536
10th May: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2020/05/church-notes-10th-may-2020.html, https://twitter.com/fardell24/status/1259353434324561920
The Fifty Second Day of Isolation
May. 17th, 2020 06:26 pmFifty Second Day – The twelfth livestream church service. The ninth online morning service. There isn’t an evening service tonight (and probably not for another two weeks), but it probably needed to be off so it can be improved. The same caveats regarding the morning service still apply, but it was good that there was still a dedication regardless of the lack of interaction. Even so, I asked my nephew if he would join in on Sunday School. But first, the message was on Nehemiah and the fact that he prayed to God about the situation in Jerusalem before acting.
A rather topical message. Just acting without praying wouldn’t be a good idea. But Sunday School was good too, with the lesson being about the Battle of Jericho. Despite the instructions being unusual, the Israelites obeyed God and captured the city. Even though he was restless my nephew learned some things. He is going to be re-reading the memory verse (Joshua 1:9) through the week with the help of his grandmother, so that’s good too. Hallelujah.
A rather topical message. Just acting without praying wouldn’t be a good idea. But Sunday School was good too, with the lesson being about the Battle of Jericho. Despite the instructions being unusual, the Israelites obeyed God and captured the city. Even though he was restless my nephew learned some things. He is going to be re-reading the memory verse (Joshua 1:9) through the week with the help of his grandmother, so that’s good too. Hallelujah.
Chapter 2 – Plan of the Drahvins – Part I: Invasion
29 September 2018, The Azores Autonomous Region, Portugal, just outside the city of Ponta Delaga
The Doctor and her companions were still behind the trees in the park as they watched foot soldiers march out of the Drahvin starship. Felicia was worried. “What are we going to do?”
The Doctor thought for a moment. “We will have to find the leader. Then I’ll have to improvise.”
Daniel gave this some thought, before asking; “Are we just going to march onto that ship?”
“I haven’t any other ideas, Dan. We need to find out why the Drahvins are invading Earth in this time,” she answered. “And why they're starting in the Azores.”
“I see that, but how are we going to get on board?” Sigrun asked.
“We will have to wait until all of the soldiers get out of the ship,” the Doctor answered. “Then we hope they won't find us here in the meantime.”
Soon the soldiers had left the ship, and the door remained open. “Ok, now, everyone. Run!” The Doctor directed.
The Doctor and her companions darted out from behind the tree, and ran towards the Drahvin starship. The starship looked the same as all other Drahvin ships she had seen, made out of a trashy tin-alloy that could easily be punctured by weapons fire or micrometeorites.
The Doctor bounded up the debarkation ramp, followed by Felicia, Daniel, Jia’hale and Sabir with Sigrun bringing up the rear.
“Ok, we need to find the bridge,” the Doctor said.
“Why?” Daniel asked.
“The leader is most likely to be there,” the Doctor answered.
“Wouldn’t that be at the top of the ship?” Sabir asked.
“You have been watching too much Science Fiction,” the Doctor objected “Most often the bridge isn’t on the top, but in a more protected position within the ship.”
Sigrun reflected for a moment. “Wouldn’t it be worth a try?”
“Absolutely. Otherwise we wouldn’t know,” the Doctor replied.
“Let’s go then,” Daniel said. The Doctor lead the way along the corridor and soon found a service shaft that lead upwards. She started climbing, followed by Daniel, Felicia, Sigrun, Jia’hale and Sabir. They soon found themselves on the top deck of the Drahvin transport.
“It's clear,” the Doctor said. “Let's go.” Her companions followed her out into the corridor, and followed her towards where the sonic screwdriver was indicating the bridge was.
They soon arrived at a door, which was locked. “Deadlock seal, the sonic screwdriver is useless,” the Doctor said.
“We could try a ventilation shaft?” Sabir suggested.
The Doctor thought for a moment. “There's no guarantee that it would be big enough.”
“But we could try,” Daniel said.
“Of course, Dan,” the Doctor said. They then looked along the corridor for any openings to the ship's ventilation shafts.
They soon found one, about 10 meters from the bridge door. This time the Doctor could open it with the sonic screwdriver. It clanged down onto the floor.
“Ok, I'll go first,” Daniel said.
“No, Dan, I'll go first. You don't know what would be in there. It could be booby trapped!” the Doctor said.
“Of course,” Daniel said, the Doctor usually went first into dangerous situations like this.
“You can bring up the rear” the Doctor said. The Doctor then entered the ventilation duct, with Jia'hale following.
Sabir, Felicia and Sigrun followed, and Daniel came last.
The Doctor leapt out of the ventilation shaft onto the Drahvin Bridge, where many Drahvins were waiting.
“Hello Doctor!” one of them, who seemed to be in charge, said. The Doctor looked up straight, and her companions carefully exited the shaft.
'Of course it has to be her!' the Doctor thought to herself. “Hello, Kellira.” She had met this particular Drahvin many times before.
“You know her?” Daniel asked.
“In a way,” the Doctor answered.
Kellira made a signal and suddenly every Drahvin on the bridge were pointing their guns at the Doctor and her companions. It appeared they were outwitted.
“We are in trouble now,” Jia’hale said in an exhasperated tone.
“What do you have planned now?” Daniel asked. Sabir, Felicia and Sigrun were speechless with shock.
“I have no plan,” the Doctor admitted. “I probably could have contacted UNIT or Torchwood.”
Kellira made another signal and one of her soldiers stepped forwards.
“Silence!” she shouted.
“There is nothing you, or the Earth organisations you referenced, can do Doctor!” Kellira objected. “Our plan is proceeding perfectly. The Azores will be ours and we can then interfere with Earth's history to our ends!”
“You can’t do that!” Jia’hale said.
“Yes we can,” Kellira said.
“You Drahvins are all the same! You use anything as a weapon.,” the Doctor said. Whatever your plan is, it will fail!”
“But you have no plan! Every time we met before, I could see that you had some kind of plan, you obviously didn't think that the bridge would be heavily guarded,” Kellira said.
“I have almost lost count of the times when I didn't have a plan and still defeated my opponent,” the Doctor said. “And as I once told a Dalek Emperor; doesn't that scare you to bits?”
Meanwhile, Sabir was edging along towards a computer console; all of the soldier's had their eyes on the Doctor...
“What is your plan?” Sigrun asked.
“Wouldn't you and your Time Lord friend like to know. You will not find out!” Kellira said.
“What is the point of taking over the Azores anyway?” Daniel asked. ‘They are quite isolated.”
“I am not answering that question,” Kellira said.
Unnoticed, the Doctor grabbed her sonic screwdriver and changed the setting...
The setting hadn't been used for a while, but she was sure it would work. She activated the setting. Bizzzzt, bizxewt, wizzzte.
“What was that?”Kellira said as she heard the Sonic screwdriver.
Sabir whirled around to the nearest computer station. Amongst other things the sonic screwdriver had brought up a directory listing.
“Call up their plan” he heard Felicia call out.
“That is what I am doing!” he shot back as he began looking through the files.
Jia’hale and Sigrun had flanked the Doctor, and they both charged at Kellira, ready to take her down...
Outside the city, the TARDIS waited patiently for the Doctor and her companions. It then received the signal from the Doctor, via the communications system of the Drahvin starship that she was in. She knew her thief was in trouble.
She sent a few messages to allies of the Doctor via the worldwide internet and then set into motion, homing in on the Doctor's signal.
Sigrun and Jia’hale had knocked Kellira over but it wasn't long before she recovered and fought back. Her soldiers did shoot in the direction of two companions, and the Doctor, but most of the shots went wild and some of them fell victim to friendly fire.
Kellira stood up again. “Feisty are you two? But I am a highly trained Drahvin warrior, you stand no chance!” she said fuming and charged at Sigrun, who promptly twisted her onto her back.
“I am also trained; in Terran Eastern Martial Arts. What do you say to that?” Sigrun then said.
“That just makes it more of a challenge! It will make no difference in the long run,” Kellira said.
Sabir had called up the file containing the plan. “Of course it would be encrypted!” he said, however he knew how to get around that.
“Yes, Kellira, I summoned my ship,” the Doctor said. “I can then use it to further the destruction of your plan.” The TARDIS finished rematerialising and she clicked her fingers, opening the doors.
“I haven't decrypted the file yet, but it can be accessed from the TARDIS,” Sabir as he ran from the computer panel towards the TARDIS.
“Guards, surround the Time Lady's ship!” Kellira ordered.
Many of the Drahvin soldiers tried to surround the TARDIS. But there was an interruption. Jia'hale lashed out, all feet and fists, and cleared the area near the door. Sabir unlocked the door and dashed inside.
“Feeling inadequate now?” Daniel goaded.
This only added fuel to Kellira's rage. “I am more than 'adequate' obligatory male companion. Not even the TARDIS can decrypt that file!”
“You seen very confident for a Drahvin who has just been outwitted, unless you pilfered some encryption software from a derelict Dalek ship,” the Doctor rejoined.
“I wouldn't think even you would risk that.”
Kellira called for the guards again, but found none were answering. While Daniel and the Doctor were talking to her, they had either been caught in their own crossfire, or had been knocked out by Sigrun and Jia'hale.
“You're still very confident, Doctor. The Drahvin forces are still as of this moment taking control of the city of Ponta Delaga, and I am still confident that you cannot change that fact, or decrypt that file,” Kellira said.
“Sigrun, Jia'hale, you hold Kellira here while Felicia and I help the TARDIS and Sabir crack the file.”
29 September 2018, The Azores Autonomous Region, Portugal, just outside the city of Ponta Delaga
The Doctor and her companions were still behind the trees in the park as they watched foot soldiers march out of the Drahvin starship. Felicia was worried. “What are we going to do?”
The Doctor thought for a moment. “We will have to find the leader. Then I’ll have to improvise.”
Daniel gave this some thought, before asking; “Are we just going to march onto that ship?”
“I haven’t any other ideas, Dan. We need to find out why the Drahvins are invading Earth in this time,” she answered. “And why they're starting in the Azores.”
“I see that, but how are we going to get on board?” Sigrun asked.
“We will have to wait until all of the soldiers get out of the ship,” the Doctor answered. “Then we hope they won't find us here in the meantime.”
Soon the soldiers had left the ship, and the door remained open. “Ok, now, everyone. Run!” The Doctor directed.
The Doctor and her companions darted out from behind the tree, and ran towards the Drahvin starship. The starship looked the same as all other Drahvin ships she had seen, made out of a trashy tin-alloy that could easily be punctured by weapons fire or micrometeorites.
The Doctor bounded up the debarkation ramp, followed by Felicia, Daniel, Jia’hale and Sabir with Sigrun bringing up the rear.
“Ok, we need to find the bridge,” the Doctor said.
“Why?” Daniel asked.
“The leader is most likely to be there,” the Doctor answered.
“Wouldn’t that be at the top of the ship?” Sabir asked.
“You have been watching too much Science Fiction,” the Doctor objected “Most often the bridge isn’t on the top, but in a more protected position within the ship.”
Sigrun reflected for a moment. “Wouldn’t it be worth a try?”
“Absolutely. Otherwise we wouldn’t know,” the Doctor replied.
“Let’s go then,” Daniel said. The Doctor lead the way along the corridor and soon found a service shaft that lead upwards. She started climbing, followed by Daniel, Felicia, Sigrun, Jia’hale and Sabir. They soon found themselves on the top deck of the Drahvin transport.
“It's clear,” the Doctor said. “Let's go.” Her companions followed her out into the corridor, and followed her towards where the sonic screwdriver was indicating the bridge was.
They soon arrived at a door, which was locked. “Deadlock seal, the sonic screwdriver is useless,” the Doctor said.
“We could try a ventilation shaft?” Sabir suggested.
The Doctor thought for a moment. “There's no guarantee that it would be big enough.”
“But we could try,” Daniel said.
“Of course, Dan,” the Doctor said. They then looked along the corridor for any openings to the ship's ventilation shafts.
They soon found one, about 10 meters from the bridge door. This time the Doctor could open it with the sonic screwdriver. It clanged down onto the floor.
“Ok, I'll go first,” Daniel said.
“No, Dan, I'll go first. You don't know what would be in there. It could be booby trapped!” the Doctor said.
“Of course,” Daniel said, the Doctor usually went first into dangerous situations like this.
“You can bring up the rear” the Doctor said. The Doctor then entered the ventilation duct, with Jia'hale following.
Sabir, Felicia and Sigrun followed, and Daniel came last.
The Doctor leapt out of the ventilation shaft onto the Drahvin Bridge, where many Drahvins were waiting.
“Hello Doctor!” one of them, who seemed to be in charge, said. The Doctor looked up straight, and her companions carefully exited the shaft.
'Of course it has to be her!' the Doctor thought to herself. “Hello, Kellira.” She had met this particular Drahvin many times before.
“You know her?” Daniel asked.
“In a way,” the Doctor answered.
Kellira made a signal and suddenly every Drahvin on the bridge were pointing their guns at the Doctor and her companions. It appeared they were outwitted.
“We are in trouble now,” Jia’hale said in an exhasperated tone.
“What do you have planned now?” Daniel asked. Sabir, Felicia and Sigrun were speechless with shock.
“I have no plan,” the Doctor admitted. “I probably could have contacted UNIT or Torchwood.”
Kellira made another signal and one of her soldiers stepped forwards.
“Silence!” she shouted.
“There is nothing you, or the Earth organisations you referenced, can do Doctor!” Kellira objected. “Our plan is proceeding perfectly. The Azores will be ours and we can then interfere with Earth's history to our ends!”
“You can’t do that!” Jia’hale said.
“Yes we can,” Kellira said.
“You Drahvins are all the same! You use anything as a weapon.,” the Doctor said. Whatever your plan is, it will fail!”
“But you have no plan! Every time we met before, I could see that you had some kind of plan, you obviously didn't think that the bridge would be heavily guarded,” Kellira said.
“I have almost lost count of the times when I didn't have a plan and still defeated my opponent,” the Doctor said. “And as I once told a Dalek Emperor; doesn't that scare you to bits?”
Meanwhile, Sabir was edging along towards a computer console; all of the soldier's had their eyes on the Doctor...
“What is your plan?” Sigrun asked.
“Wouldn't you and your Time Lord friend like to know. You will not find out!” Kellira said.
“What is the point of taking over the Azores anyway?” Daniel asked. ‘They are quite isolated.”
“I am not answering that question,” Kellira said.
Unnoticed, the Doctor grabbed her sonic screwdriver and changed the setting...
The setting hadn't been used for a while, but she was sure it would work. She activated the setting. Bizzzzt, bizxewt, wizzzte.
“What was that?”Kellira said as she heard the Sonic screwdriver.
Sabir whirled around to the nearest computer station. Amongst other things the sonic screwdriver had brought up a directory listing.
“Call up their plan” he heard Felicia call out.
“That is what I am doing!” he shot back as he began looking through the files.
Jia’hale and Sigrun had flanked the Doctor, and they both charged at Kellira, ready to take her down...
Outside the city, the TARDIS waited patiently for the Doctor and her companions. It then received the signal from the Doctor, via the communications system of the Drahvin starship that she was in. She knew her thief was in trouble.
She sent a few messages to allies of the Doctor via the worldwide internet and then set into motion, homing in on the Doctor's signal.
Sigrun and Jia’hale had knocked Kellira over but it wasn't long before she recovered and fought back. Her soldiers did shoot in the direction of two companions, and the Doctor, but most of the shots went wild and some of them fell victim to friendly fire.
Kellira stood up again. “Feisty are you two? But I am a highly trained Drahvin warrior, you stand no chance!” she said fuming and charged at Sigrun, who promptly twisted her onto her back.
“I am also trained; in Terran Eastern Martial Arts. What do you say to that?” Sigrun then said.
“That just makes it more of a challenge! It will make no difference in the long run,” Kellira said.
Sabir had called up the file containing the plan. “Of course it would be encrypted!” he said, however he knew how to get around that.
“Yes, Kellira, I summoned my ship,” the Doctor said. “I can then use it to further the destruction of your plan.” The TARDIS finished rematerialising and she clicked her fingers, opening the doors.
“I haven't decrypted the file yet, but it can be accessed from the TARDIS,” Sabir as he ran from the computer panel towards the TARDIS.
“Guards, surround the Time Lady's ship!” Kellira ordered.
Many of the Drahvin soldiers tried to surround the TARDIS. But there was an interruption. Jia'hale lashed out, all feet and fists, and cleared the area near the door. Sabir unlocked the door and dashed inside.
“Feeling inadequate now?” Daniel goaded.
This only added fuel to Kellira's rage. “I am more than 'adequate' obligatory male companion. Not even the TARDIS can decrypt that file!”
“You seen very confident for a Drahvin who has just been outwitted, unless you pilfered some encryption software from a derelict Dalek ship,” the Doctor rejoined.
“I wouldn't think even you would risk that.”
Kellira called for the guards again, but found none were answering. While Daniel and the Doctor were talking to her, they had either been caught in their own crossfire, or had been knocked out by Sigrun and Jia'hale.
“You're still very confident, Doctor. The Drahvin forces are still as of this moment taking control of the city of Ponta Delaga, and I am still confident that you cannot change that fact, or decrypt that file,” Kellira said.
“Sigrun, Jia'hale, you hold Kellira here while Felicia and I help the TARDIS and Sabir crack the file.”
Chapter 2 – Plan of the Drahvins – Part 2: Malware of the Daleks
They found Sabir hunched over the console looking at the encryption of the Drahvin plan file with confusion...
“Kellira may have some reason to boast. I can't make heads or tails of it. Neither I, nor the TARDIS can make headway,” he said. “It is way too complex.”
The Doctor then had a look at what Sabir and the TARDIS together had attempted in decryption. She didn't like what she saw. “You may be right there, Sab, but I doubt that the Drahvins would be so stupid as to use a Dalek encryption program.”
“What if they did?” Felicia asked.
The Doctor did not like that possibility. Not at all. “The Daleks, as you know, are arrogant genocidal maniacal supremacists, and as such would not want anyone else hijacking their technology, and so they put in safeguards,” she explained. “Generally, this is widely known. However, I see that the Drahvins would be arrogant enough to believe that the risk was worth taking.”
“So, what would these ‘safeguards’ be?” Felicia asked. She dreaded what the Doctor's answer could be. A harbinger of doom, not only for the Drahvins, but also for Ponta Delaga.
They found Sabir hunched over the console looking at the encryption of the Drahvin plan file with confusion...
“Kellira may have some reason to boast. I can't make heads or tails of it. Neither I, nor the TARDIS can make headway,” he said. “It is way too complex.”
The Doctor then had a look at what Sabir and the TARDIS together had attempted in decryption. She didn't like what she saw. “You may be right there, Sab, but I doubt that the Drahvins would be so stupid as to use a Dalek encryption program.”
“What if they did?” Felicia asked.
The Doctor did not like that possibility. Not at all. “The Daleks, as you know, are arrogant genocidal maniacal supremacists, and as such would not want anyone else hijacking their technology, and so they put in safeguards,” she explained. “Generally, this is widely known. However, I see that the Drahvins would be arrogant enough to believe that the risk was worth taking.”
“So, what would these ‘safeguards’ be?” Felicia asked. She dreaded what the Doctor's answer could be. A harbinger of doom, not only for the Drahvins, but also for Ponta Delaga.
Quinn's Code - Cafe Geekdale - Part 7
May. 17th, 2020 07:48 pmThursday, October 21, 2005
Through the day, many of the students of Lawndale High, thought about what they might be seeing if they went to the Coffee House, or in a minority of cases, what they would be performing...
During lunch, Brittany was reading over the scene from Romeo and Juliet. 'Is that Caplet or Capulet?' She was excited about performing at the Coffee House, but she didn't know how Kevin would perform. 'At least he promised he would learn the lines.'
Jodie came up to Daria as they left Science. “Mr. O'Neill told me that you are doing something at the Coffee House,” she said.
“So?” Daria asked.
“So, I would like to know what you are going to do?”
“You will find out when everyone else does,” Daria said, as she walked off.
Jodie sighed. She had been hoping that she would be able to help Daria with whatever performance she had planned.
“What's wrong?” her boyfriend, Michael 'Mack' Mackenzie, asked as he came up.
“Nothing,” Jodie said.
Mack didn't believe that, but he didn't press.
After school, Quinn met Andrea as she left the school building. “There will be a meeting of the Programming Club tomorrow,” Andrea said.
“Yeah, Laurence told me,” Quinn replied, referring to another member of the Programming Club.
“One of the things we will be discussing will be the coffee house,” Andrea said, as she started walking.
Quinn followed her. “Why?” she asked.
Andrea looked back “You will find out,” she said.
“I'll be there,” Quinn said.
“Good,” Andrea said.
'What is she up to?' Quinn thought yet again.
When Daria arrived with Jane and Jennifer at the Pizza King, many of the patrons were discussing the Coffee House. “Is that all they can talk about?” Daria asked.
“It's Lawndale. There's not much else to talk about,” Jane said.
“I guess so,” Daria said, as she went to order a pizza.
“Touchy, isn't she?” Jane asked Jennifer.
“Definitely,” Jennifer murmured, as she remembered what Jodie told her about at lunch.
Griffin residence
The Fashion Club was in Sandi's room, they were nearing the end of their regular official meeting.
“Motion approved?” Sandi asked.
All three other members put up their hands.
“Motion carried,” Sandi said.
Tori smiled.
“Coool!” Tiffany said.
“Last topic for this afternoon; tomorrow night's opening of the Coffee House,” Sandi directed.
Stacy fidgeted as she entered the topic into her notebook, betraying her agitation about Sandi's antagonism towards Quinn.
Sandi noticed the fidgeting. “Sta-cy, is there, like, a problem?”
“Eep! No, Sandi. No, problem!” Stacy said quickly.
“Good. Now, I have written a speech in which I eloquently state the reason why Geeks, especially, like, that Quinn, should not be popular,” Sandi said. She took a sheet out of the right drawer beneath her computer.
“Are you going to read it to us?” Tori asked.
“Sure,” Sandi said. She then read the speech to the club.
“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons...”
Later
“Opinions?” Sandi asked, looking at Tori.
“Quite argumentative. Most people will support us,” Tori said.
“But, Sandi -,” Stacy began to say, but she was interrupted by a glare from Sandi.
“No buts!” Sandi said.
“Sandi! What will Mr. O'Neill say?” Stacy asked.
Sandi snorted “Puh-lease, like Mr. O'Neill will do anything more than say 'Oh dear!' He won't say anything negative. He certainly won't say anything to Ms. Li,” she said, imitating Mr. O'Neill when she said 'Oh dear!'
“That's riiight,” Tiffany said.
'That seems to be true,' Tori thought.
“Maybe,” Stacy said, more subdued.
Sandi smiled. “That concludes this meeting. Stacy, concluding time?”
Stacy looked at her watch and at Sandi's bedroom clock. Both were within two minutes of each other. “5:45, for a duration of 1 hour and fifteen minutes,” she said, averaging the time between the two time pieces.
“Usual length of meeting, plus time to, like, read the speech,” Sandi said.
Stacy wrote the concluding remarks down and closed the notebook.
Unknown to the Fashion Club, Sandi's mother, Linda, had listened to Sandi make the speech. She smiled a wicked looking smile. 'Very good, Sandi,' she thought. It was exactly as she had hoped. Sandi was following in her footsteps.
Friday, 22 October, 2005
Sandi awoke at 7:20. After getting ready, she took the speech and went to the bathroom.
“Sandi Griffin, Fashion Club President,” she said, scrutinizing her near perfect appearance.
“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons, I have prepared this statement to tell you that Geeks are not welcome, like as members of the popular cliques,” she began.
…
“Thank you for your time.” After this conclusion she was silent for a moment before looking at herself again. “You will be triumphant! Quinn, that Geekendorffer will not, like come back from this.”
There was knocking. “Come on Sis! I need to go!” her brother, Sam said.
'Of course he would,' Sandi thought. She folded the sheet with the speech on it and opened the door. “All yours, you brat!”
“Finally!” he said as he dashed into the bathroom past his sister.
Helen was preparing to leave for work when the door bell rang. “Who could that be?” she wondered. She went and opened the door. “Oh, Hi, Jennifer! Are you here for Quinn or for Daria, neither of them have come down for breakfast yet.”
“Hi, Mrs. Morgendorffer. For Daria. I am helping her with her performance at the Coffee House this evening,” Jennifer said.
Helen opened the door wider, allowing the quiet girl in. “It is great that she is participating in an extra-curricular activity. She is still quite anti-social and stubborn,” Helen said. 'I see that you have been a good influence,' she thought.
“I had to encourage her,” Jennifer murmured. She knew what it was like to be shy and emphasized with Daria.
“What was that?” Helen asked, not quite hearing what Jennifer said.
“Yeah, it's great,” Jennifer said with a little sarcasm.
“You can go right up,” Helen said, pondering Jennifer's tone.
Jennifer knocked on Daria's door.
Daria quickly opened it. “Hi, are you ready?” she asked.
“I am. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.”
Daria smirked briefly, prior to letting Jennifer into the room.
“Close the door. I don't want Quinn complaining about the noise.”
“Sure,” Jennifer said, as she closed the door and glanced at the padded walls. 'Excellent soundproofing,' she thought.
Daria grabbed her guitar, carefully swung it around and began to play.
15 minutes later, Daria had gone through her performance twice.
“That's a little better. Mr. O'Neill will still react to it though,” Jennifer said.
“I want him to react,” Daria said.
“Make him think that the Coffee House is a bad idea?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes,” Daria simply said.
Jennifer shook her head in good humor.
Quinn and Jenna were talking as they approached Lawndale High.
“...And then Jennifer said that Daria doesn't want the Coffee House to succeed,” Quinn said.
Jenna stopped. “She wants it to fail?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I hope that her song, whatever it is about, won't be that bad.”
“Well it's metal music, so I think it might be borderline,” Quinn said with a nervous laugh, as they came to the front of the school.
“I will try to convince Mr. O'Neill to have the Anime reviews first,” Jenna said.
“I have my Ghost in the Shell review.”
“That's good!”
Quinn smiled.
Quinn approached the Programming Club meeting with aprehension. “Why are you so apprehensive, Quinn?” Wolfgang Schuhardt asked.
Quinn turned to the nerdy boy. “Have you ever thought that Andrea may be a hacker or something?” she said quietly.
Wolfgang stopped and looked around. “I have, but only after others have told me their suspicions,” he said.
“No one has told me, but she gives off that vibe, you know,” Quinn said uneasily.
“She does give off an unfriendly vibe, but I don't think that means that she is a hacker.”
“What of the network share at her house?”
“You don't have to share files there if you don't want to.”
“I guess not,” Quinn said.
Wolfgang opened the door. “Girls first,” he said.
“Thanks,” Quinn said.
Through the day, many of the students of Lawndale High, thought about what they might be seeing if they went to the Coffee House, or in a minority of cases, what they would be performing...
During lunch, Brittany was reading over the scene from Romeo and Juliet. 'Is that Caplet or Capulet?' She was excited about performing at the Coffee House, but she didn't know how Kevin would perform. 'At least he promised he would learn the lines.'
Jodie came up to Daria as they left Science. “Mr. O'Neill told me that you are doing something at the Coffee House,” she said.
“So?” Daria asked.
“So, I would like to know what you are going to do?”
“You will find out when everyone else does,” Daria said, as she walked off.
Jodie sighed. She had been hoping that she would be able to help Daria with whatever performance she had planned.
“What's wrong?” her boyfriend, Michael 'Mack' Mackenzie, asked as he came up.
“Nothing,” Jodie said.
Mack didn't believe that, but he didn't press.
After school, Quinn met Andrea as she left the school building. “There will be a meeting of the Programming Club tomorrow,” Andrea said.
“Yeah, Laurence told me,” Quinn replied, referring to another member of the Programming Club.
“One of the things we will be discussing will be the coffee house,” Andrea said, as she started walking.
Quinn followed her. “Why?” she asked.
Andrea looked back “You will find out,” she said.
“I'll be there,” Quinn said.
“Good,” Andrea said.
'What is she up to?' Quinn thought yet again.
When Daria arrived with Jane and Jennifer at the Pizza King, many of the patrons were discussing the Coffee House. “Is that all they can talk about?” Daria asked.
“It's Lawndale. There's not much else to talk about,” Jane said.
“I guess so,” Daria said, as she went to order a pizza.
“Touchy, isn't she?” Jane asked Jennifer.
“Definitely,” Jennifer murmured, as she remembered what Jodie told her about at lunch.
Griffin residence
The Fashion Club was in Sandi's room, they were nearing the end of their regular official meeting.
“Motion approved?” Sandi asked.
All three other members put up their hands.
“Motion carried,” Sandi said.
Tori smiled.
“Coool!” Tiffany said.
“Last topic for this afternoon; tomorrow night's opening of the Coffee House,” Sandi directed.
Stacy fidgeted as she entered the topic into her notebook, betraying her agitation about Sandi's antagonism towards Quinn.
Sandi noticed the fidgeting. “Sta-cy, is there, like, a problem?”
“Eep! No, Sandi. No, problem!” Stacy said quickly.
“Good. Now, I have written a speech in which I eloquently state the reason why Geeks, especially, like, that Quinn, should not be popular,” Sandi said. She took a sheet out of the right drawer beneath her computer.
“Are you going to read it to us?” Tori asked.
“Sure,” Sandi said. She then read the speech to the club.
“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons...”
Later
“Opinions?” Sandi asked, looking at Tori.
“Quite argumentative. Most people will support us,” Tori said.
“But, Sandi -,” Stacy began to say, but she was interrupted by a glare from Sandi.
“No buts!” Sandi said.
“Sandi! What will Mr. O'Neill say?” Stacy asked.
Sandi snorted “Puh-lease, like Mr. O'Neill will do anything more than say 'Oh dear!' He won't say anything negative. He certainly won't say anything to Ms. Li,” she said, imitating Mr. O'Neill when she said 'Oh dear!'
“That's riiight,” Tiffany said.
'That seems to be true,' Tori thought.
“Maybe,” Stacy said, more subdued.
Sandi smiled. “That concludes this meeting. Stacy, concluding time?”
Stacy looked at her watch and at Sandi's bedroom clock. Both were within two minutes of each other. “5:45, for a duration of 1 hour and fifteen minutes,” she said, averaging the time between the two time pieces.
“Usual length of meeting, plus time to, like, read the speech,” Sandi said.
Stacy wrote the concluding remarks down and closed the notebook.
Unknown to the Fashion Club, Sandi's mother, Linda, had listened to Sandi make the speech. She smiled a wicked looking smile. 'Very good, Sandi,' she thought. It was exactly as she had hoped. Sandi was following in her footsteps.
Friday, 22 October, 2005
Sandi awoke at 7:20. After getting ready, she took the speech and went to the bathroom.
“Sandi Griffin, Fashion Club President,” she said, scrutinizing her near perfect appearance.
“Good Evening, Students of Lawndale High and other Coffee House patrons, I have prepared this statement to tell you that Geeks are not welcome, like as members of the popular cliques,” she began.
…
“Thank you for your time.” After this conclusion she was silent for a moment before looking at herself again. “You will be triumphant! Quinn, that Geekendorffer will not, like come back from this.”
There was knocking. “Come on Sis! I need to go!” her brother, Sam said.
'Of course he would,' Sandi thought. She folded the sheet with the speech on it and opened the door. “All yours, you brat!”
“Finally!” he said as he dashed into the bathroom past his sister.
Helen was preparing to leave for work when the door bell rang. “Who could that be?” she wondered. She went and opened the door. “Oh, Hi, Jennifer! Are you here for Quinn or for Daria, neither of them have come down for breakfast yet.”
“Hi, Mrs. Morgendorffer. For Daria. I am helping her with her performance at the Coffee House this evening,” Jennifer said.
Helen opened the door wider, allowing the quiet girl in. “It is great that she is participating in an extra-curricular activity. She is still quite anti-social and stubborn,” Helen said. 'I see that you have been a good influence,' she thought.
“I had to encourage her,” Jennifer murmured. She knew what it was like to be shy and emphasized with Daria.
“What was that?” Helen asked, not quite hearing what Jennifer said.
“Yeah, it's great,” Jennifer said with a little sarcasm.
“You can go right up,” Helen said, pondering Jennifer's tone.
Jennifer knocked on Daria's door.
Daria quickly opened it. “Hi, are you ready?” she asked.
“I am. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.”
Daria smirked briefly, prior to letting Jennifer into the room.
“Close the door. I don't want Quinn complaining about the noise.”
“Sure,” Jennifer said, as she closed the door and glanced at the padded walls. 'Excellent soundproofing,' she thought.
Daria grabbed her guitar, carefully swung it around and began to play.
15 minutes later, Daria had gone through her performance twice.
“That's a little better. Mr. O'Neill will still react to it though,” Jennifer said.
“I want him to react,” Daria said.
“Make him think that the Coffee House is a bad idea?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes,” Daria simply said.
Jennifer shook her head in good humor.
Quinn and Jenna were talking as they approached Lawndale High.
“...And then Jennifer said that Daria doesn't want the Coffee House to succeed,” Quinn said.
Jenna stopped. “She wants it to fail?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I hope that her song, whatever it is about, won't be that bad.”
“Well it's metal music, so I think it might be borderline,” Quinn said with a nervous laugh, as they came to the front of the school.
“I will try to convince Mr. O'Neill to have the Anime reviews first,” Jenna said.
“I have my Ghost in the Shell review.”
“That's good!”
Quinn smiled.
Quinn approached the Programming Club meeting with aprehension. “Why are you so apprehensive, Quinn?” Wolfgang Schuhardt asked.
Quinn turned to the nerdy boy. “Have you ever thought that Andrea may be a hacker or something?” she said quietly.
Wolfgang stopped and looked around. “I have, but only after others have told me their suspicions,” he said.
“No one has told me, but she gives off that vibe, you know,” Quinn said uneasily.
“She does give off an unfriendly vibe, but I don't think that means that she is a hacker.”
“What of the network share at her house?”
“You don't have to share files there if you don't want to.”
“I guess not,” Quinn said.
Wolfgang opened the door. “Girls first,” he said.
“Thanks,” Quinn said.
