Nanowrimo 12

[fardell24]

Quinn's Code 05: Morgendorffers vs. Amazon
"Maybe," Daria said.


As Jennifer drove home, she gave Daria's sister Quinn's friend Cindy Brolsma a lift home.

"Thanks for taking me home," Cindy said as Jennifer pulled out of the Morgendorffer family's driveway.

"That's quite alright," Jennifer said.

"You know, Daria, right?" Cindy asked.

"Somewhat, I know Jane more," Jennifer said.

"That's mostly what Quinn said a few weeks ago. I thought it might have changed," Cindy said.

"It hasn't," Jennifer said.

"Oh," Cindy said, as Jennifer turned off Glen Oaks Lane.

"Did you have a pont?"

"Yeah, do you know why Daria is hostile towards Quinn?"

Jennifer was silent for a moment as she thought. "She hasn't said anything," she said.

"Quinn hasn't either," Cindy said as she thought.

"So, what were you doing tonight?" Jennifer asked.

"We watched a couple episodes of One Piece."

"That's the pirate anime, right?" Jennifer asked, wondering.

"Yeah, about this boy who wants to be King of the Pirates."

"Sounds cool."

"The way Quinn described it, yes, and those episodes support that," Cindy said.

Jennifer smiled as she turned another corner.

Cindy pondered the situation as the Beetle approached her house.


Tuesday, November 8, 2005
"Is Mr. Thoreau really turning his back on the world by moving to Walden Pond, or is he, by his example, trying desperately to save the world after all?" Mr. O'Neill asked.

Brittany Taylor raised her hand.

"Normandy?" Mr. O'Neill asked, confused.

"Brittany. He wasn't on Walden Pond because he hated the world. He was just mad at Jane Fonda. You know, he was her father in real life too."

Mr O'Neill didn't have time to correct Brittany before there was an interruption in the form of the Principal, Ms. Li, entering the room.

"Good morning! I hope I'm not disrupting the learning process," she said.

"Oh... no," Mr. O'Neill said.

"I've got some exciting information for you all. A team of talent scouts from Amazon Models will be here this week as part of their national talent search, and the most promising Lawndale High student will receive a professional modeling contract," Ms. Li said.

'Uh oh!' Jennifer thought.

"They got my letter!" Brittany said, exitedly.

'I guess that explains why they are here,' Jennifer thought.

"Why here?" Jodie Landon asked.
"I guess they found out what a good looking group you are," Ms. Li said. She laughed. "But, seriously, this is a great opportunity for you, and the even greater good of Lawndale High."

"Excuse me?" Daria asked.

"Yes?" Ms. Li asked.

"Isn't modeling about dropping out of school to pursue a career based solely on your youth and your looks, both of which are inevitably declared over by age twenty-five?"

'Good point, Daria,' Jennifer thought.

"Do you have a point, Ms. Morgendorffer?"

"And don't fashion people squander their lives loudly worshiping all that is superficial and meaningless while the planet keeps riding a roller coaster to hell?" Jane asked.

"Modeling is a competitive field, yes, but the financial rewards are great. As principal, I'd be cheating our student body if I didn't allow them every opportunity to fulfill their potential," Ms. Li said trying to emphasise the advantages...

"Excuse me. Can we assume the financial rewards are great for the school as well?" Daria asked, sure that the principal was getting something out of it.

"That is really none of your business!"

"But I don't want to miss a lesson in applied economics. I'm trying to fulfill my potential," Daria said.

'Good one, Daria,' Jennifer thought.

"The school is receiving a fee for its cooperation, but every cent is going to capital improvements! We're finally going to get those bulletproof skylights for the swimming pool."

'Really?' Jennifer thought.

"Well, I for one am very excited about this. I can feel myself getting into the modeling spirit," Jane said with sarcasm.

"Excellent!" Ms. Li said.

"May I be excused? I'd like to go to the girls' room and vomit up breakfast."

"Ms. Lane! Eating disorders are a serious matter!"

"Then why are you bringing in people who might encourage that sort of behaviour?" Jodie asked with a shake of her head.

"Nonsense, Ms. Landon, Amazon encourages those who attain their standards with a minimum of risk," Ms. Li said.

Jodie and Daria each raised an eyebrow at this statement.
"Not according to what I've heard," Jodie said.

"Then the source was probably wrong," the principal said.


"...Now, can somebody, tell me the name of the Emperor who invaded Britain in the 1st Century AD?" Mr. DeMartino asked.

"Claudius," Cindy said.

"Very good, Ms. Brolsma..." Mr. DeMartino began. However Ms. Li chose that moment to enter the classroom...

"Good morning! I hope I'm not disrupting the learning process."

Mr. DeMartino growled and gritted his teeth. 'I get an intelligent answer from a promising student and she has to interrupt!'

The principal noticed the history teacher's agitation. "I take it that I am Interuppting?"

"Yes, Angela!"

"You can get back right to it after this announcement."

"What is the announcement?" he asked.

"I've got some exciting information for you all. A team of talent scouts from Amazon Models will be here this week as part of their national talent search, and the most promising Lawndale High student will receive a professional modeling contract," Ms. Li said.

There was some murmering amongst the class.

"Really?" Stacy Rowe asked.

"Cool!" someone else said.

"Yes," Ms. Li said.

"Is that such a good idea?" Quinn asked.

"What do you mean, Ms. Morgendorffer?" the principal asked, wondering if both sisters were going to object to the classes.

"I think she means; should a school really be pushing something that may be bad for those whose body images aren't the best?" Kristen asked.

"What are you getting at Ms. Bell?" Ms. Li asked, remembering Jane's remark.

"Should the school be having Modelling classes at all?" Cindy asked.

"Not you too, Ms. Robinson-Brolsma!"

Cindy just looked at the Principal.

"Is it the place of the school to be pressing modelling on their students?" Quinn asked.

"I'm giving students every opportunity to achieve their goals!" Ms. Li said.

"Even if the goal is something that will not last more than a decade at most?" Quinn asked.

"Nonsense, there are models in their thirties and fourties!" Ms. Li said.

"But those are very rare," Kristen grouched.


Daria, Jane and Jennifer were eating lunch when Jodie came up to them.
"Where's your lunch?" Daria asked.

"I ate during student council," Jodie said.

"Come on, you're not fooling anybody. You fed your lunch to a stray dog. She's gonna have that modeling contract sewn up before we even get a chance," Jane said.

"Very likely," Jennifer said.

"You really ought to stick to mineral water and parsley," Daria said.

"You know, you don't always have to be against everything. If a kid wants to take a modeling class, you can't tell her no," Jodie said.

"Maybe not, but you don't have to let the fashion mob push the classes on school grounds, either," Daria said.

"Yeah, it's not fair to the drug dealers. They have to wait behind the parking lot," Jane said.

Jennifer shook her head at Jane's statement.

"It's completely voluntary. What's the problem?"

"No problem. But why stop at modeling? Maybe there's a go-go bar downtown that would like to come here and recruit lap dancers," Daria said.

"That wouldn't be good," Jennifer said.

"Don't mention that idea to Brittany," Jodie said.

"No way!" Jennifer said.

"Of course not," Daria said.


"This modelling idea is not cool!" Quinn said at lunch.

"Totally! It could make some people go over the edge in regards to their self image!" Kristen said.

"Ms. Li is miguided!" Cindy said.

"We have to do something about it," Quinn said.

"I agree, but what?" Samara Collins asked.

"Um, no idea," Quinn said.

"We will have to wait and see," Tania Kingston said.

"I guess so," Kristen said.

"We watch and find out what they are up to," Quinn said after some thought.

Cindy nodded.


That night Sandi Griffin looked in her mirror after cleaning her teeth. 'I'll will win that modeling contract! The Geekendorffer will not get it!!' She decided to find a way to sabotage Quinn's chances. 'There is no way that she will be allowed to win,' she thought with a slight frown. It may have had contradicted her decision after the debacle at the Mall of the Millennium to leave her alone, but she couldn't have known that modelling agents would be coming to the school.


Wednesday, November 9, 2005
"The fashion industry may be considered a perfect implementer of marketplace psychology. The business insures its own survival by training consumers to focus on arbitrary styling distinctions, rather than quality and durability," Mrs. Diane Bennett said in economics.

Some laughter announced the arrival of the representatives from the Amazon Modelling Agency.

"Huh. You must be the representatives from the Amazon Modeling Agency," the teacher said.

"Well, I would hope so. We're a little long in the tooth to be attending high school," the male, dressed in a halter top, said.

"Speak for yourself, grandpa-pa," the (older) female said.

After they had talked to Mrs. Bennett for a short while; Brittany spoke up. "This is the most exciting day of my life! Being a model is all I've ever wanted to be."

"Uh, hey..." Kevin began to say.

He was interuppted by Brittany; "mean besides being the girlfriend of the cutest guy on the team! Oh, and winning the national high school cheerleading championship! Oh yeah, and helping the starving kids in the desert, or wherever."

The lady held Brittany's chin and examined her face. "Well, let's have a look! Hmmmm... lovely. What is your name?"

"Brittany? Is that okay? Because I was thinking of changing it to... Blue."

"Can you take off your coat and walk for us?" the male asked.

"Just slip out of that jacket and do a little runaway, sweetie,"

Brittany took off her jacket revealing that she wasn't wearing her usual outfit of a cheerleaders uniform. Rather she was wearing a pink strapless gown. She then starts walking in the classroom as if she was on a catwalk.


"...so then Ms. Li admits they're doing this to pay for new bulletproof skylights. The whole thing's enough to turn your stomach. Which I guess is good if you want to be a model; eases the transition to bulimia," Daria said, talking to her parents, shortly before dinner.

"You really feel strongly about this," her mother, Helen, said.

"What do you mean?" Daria asked.

"Well... you're talking to us," Helen said.

Daria had to admit that she did.
"I'm glad you feel strongly about it, Daria, and for the record, I agree with you," Helen said.

"So do I!" Daria's father, Jake, said.

"These people sounds like opportunists feeding off the vanity of naive young people. I pity the kids who get sucked in by them, and I pity their poor parents," Helen said.

Quinn then entered the kitchen. "Mom! Dad! The most terrible thing is happening at school!" She said.

"You mean the Modelling Classes? Daria told us," Helen said.

Quinn nodded. "You need to do something about it," she said.

The phone rang. Helen picked it up. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to the mother of Quinn Morgendorffer? " came Romonica's voice from the phone.

"Yes, this is Quinn's mother."

"This is Romonica... " She then let out a sharp squeal. "Romonica DeGregory, with the New York Amazon Fashion Agency. Have I called at a bad time, Mrs. Morgendorffer?"

"Please, call me Helen," Helen said wondering when Romonica would get to the point. "What can I do for you, Monica?"

"Please, call me Romonica. Helen, your daughter has been selected along with a mere handful of girls to participate in a complimentary class in the Lawndale High auditorium."

"A complimentary class?" Helen asked dubiously.

"Absolutely complimentary, Helen, and an experience that we expect will generate many compliments. "

Helen interrupted. "But Quinn hasn't shown any interest in the modeling classes and she already has extracurricular activities."

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but we feel that Quinn is something quite special! "

"We think she's pretty special, too, but so is my other daughter, Daria. She hasn't got any extracurriculars."

"Daria, but she is so plain! "

"That's my final offer," Helen said.

Then the phone was disconnected from the other end...

"Mom, what were you saying about me and extracurriculars?" Daria asked warily.
"You are going to join those classes, keep an eye on what Ms. Li is intending. It would also give you an extracurricular activity."
Daria grumbled.

Words: 2232

Star Trek: Voyager: An Alternate Journey: Time of Mystery
"Keep up the scans, Seven," Janeway said. She hoped that the wormhole did lead to Federation space, or at least bring Voyager a lot closer to home.

"Yes, Captain," Seven said.

Janeway tapped her commbadge. "Janeway to Bridge."

"Bridge here," Chakotay said.

"Increase speed to Warp 9.2. We need to get to the wormhole so we can determine whether it leads to the Alpha Quadrant.

Words: 65


Star Trek: Voyager: Time of Mystery (Version 2)
"Report, Seven."

"It certainly is a wormhole, Captain. Unfortunately I am unable to determine the status of the other end of it," Seven said.


The wormhole collapsed.


"The wormhole has collapsed, Captain," Harry Kim said, disappointment showing in his voice.

"Maybe that small ship can tell us something about it. Run a scan on it, Harry," Janeway said.

"Aye, Captain," Harry said. The scan results came back moments later. "There are two human, life signs. They're unconscious. The ship itself has no warp engines, or at least none that we can recognise."

"Beam them to sickbay and tractor the vessel into our shuttlebay," Janeway said.

"Aye, Captain," Kim said.

Words: 117

Total: 2414