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The Youngest Barksdale - Part 5
First class was Language Arts
“And so, in The Sound and the Fury, Faulkner give us a veritable kaleidoscope of P.O.V.s -- points of view. Of course, the title itself is from Shakespeare. Can anyone tell me which of the Bard's tragedies?” Mr. O’Neill asked. “Jodie?”
“MacBeth.”
“That's right. The ‘Scottish play’! ‘Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then... is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’” He saw Val raise her hand.
Andrea sighed.
“Yes, Val?” the teacher asked.
“I'd be happy to take a few questions.”
“Oh. Okay, sure,” O’Neill said.
“Val, how'd you get started?” Brittany asked.
“Well, I was a bit like Andrea. I wrote all the time. I was smart, I was cool...”
Kevin interrupted. “But Andrea’s not cool.”
“Anyone who writes like that is cool in my book. And my book is called Val, on sale at your local newsstand. Next?”
Jodie raised her hand.
“Yes.”
“Don't you think Val could try harder to present a multicultural, multi-ethnic, less brain-dead point of view to enlighten girls instead of just marketing to them?” Jodie asked.
‘A very pertinent answer,’ Daria considered.
“Jodie, you've got great sassy energy! Now let me turn it back on you. Pea green nail polish: edgy or icky? What do you guys think?”
“You didn’t answer the question,” Jodie said after a few moments of silence.
“I’ll consider it,” Val said in a tone that implied that she wouldn’t.
Andrea looked like she wanted to disappear. “Any other questions?” she asked.
“Nobody?” Val asked. “Now, who has a dating problem they would like to discuss?”
O’Neill raised his hand and most of the class groaned.
Andrea was even more annoyed as they left Language Arts. She was wondering why Ms. Li was allowing this farce to take place.
“I was so good in there!” Val said. “I should be doing this on TV. I could have my own show.”
“Undoubtedly you’d call it Val,” Andrea groused.
“Cool, Drey!” Val responded. “I’m so down with that. I better phone my agent. This being a typical high schooler for a day is so fun!”
Andrea stepped closer to Daria and Scarlett. “I don’t think real high schoolers have agents.”
“No, they don’t,” Brittany mused.
“Hi! Val,” said a voice Daria didn’t expect.
“Quinn?” she asked.
“Daria,” Quinn said quietly before turning to Val. “These are my fellow Fashion Club members.”
“Hi,” one of the Fashion Club members drawled.
“How goes it?” another said haughtily.
“Hi,” the last one with her hair in twintails said nervously.
“Finally, some popular people,” Val said. “Just kidding, Drey!”
“Val, we've dressed to show the best of Lawndale chic,” Quinn “Note the simplicity, the bounciness, the overall cuteness.”
“Oh brother,” Daria said to Scarlett with an eyeroll.
“You guys aren't wearing yellow and blue,” Val stated.
The haughty one stepped forward. “Um, Val? Sandi Griffin, Fashion Club president. If I may?”
“Yes?”
“Mixing primaries during daylight hours? Not done.”
“It isn't? Um, excuse me. I'll be right back,” Val said before dashing off.
Andrea breathed a sigh of relief.
“So, we’ve managed to shake her?” Scarlett asked as they left the next class.
“No one can survive an assault by Sandi Griffin and her fashion drones,” Andrea commented.
However, Val then turned a corner and said, “Hi, Drey!”
“I spoke too soon,” Andrea groused.
“Do you think it's flighty to keep changing my outfit? Or is it one of the inalienable rights that come with being a teenage girl in the U.S. of A.?” Val asked once they had got their lunch.
“Seems a little crazy,” Andrea murmured.
“So, Listen, Drey, I've been getting like, this vibe around here. Am I to understand that you're not popular at all?”
“No,” Andrea said. “Just with Scarlett and a couple of others, maybe Daria.”
“Got it,” Val said, although it sounded like she didn’t.
“Sure,” Daria said, as she gave a smile in response.
“Andrea Hecuba-Thorne, please report to the principal's office immediately. And if, um, you happen to have anyone with you -- a guest or something -- of course they're welcome to come, too,” Ms. Li said over the intercom.
“Jiggy!” Val responded.
“Of course!” Andrea moaned. She hoped that Ms. Li wouldn’t take out her frustration on her.
“I can see why Ms. Li would want this,” Daria said as Andrea and Val left the cafeteria said.
“Same,” Scarlett agreed.
“More publicity for the school, or more pertinently, for herself.”
Scarlett nodded.
“But why this way?”
“I have no idea,” Scarlett said. “But it’s better than last year. when modelling agents came on campus.”
‘That’s something I’ll have to look into,” Daria decided.
“If it helps, your niece was involved,” Scarlett said.
“Of course,” Daria groused. “But I’ll have to be careful in my approach.”
“And so, in The Sound and the Fury, Faulkner give us a veritable kaleidoscope of P.O.V.s -- points of view. Of course, the title itself is from Shakespeare. Can anyone tell me which of the Bard's tragedies?” Mr. O’Neill asked. “Jodie?”
“MacBeth.”
“That's right. The ‘Scottish play’! ‘Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then... is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’” He saw Val raise her hand.
Andrea sighed.
“Yes, Val?” the teacher asked.
“I'd be happy to take a few questions.”
“Oh. Okay, sure,” O’Neill said.
“Val, how'd you get started?” Brittany asked.
“Well, I was a bit like Andrea. I wrote all the time. I was smart, I was cool...”
Kevin interrupted. “But Andrea’s not cool.”
“Anyone who writes like that is cool in my book. And my book is called Val, on sale at your local newsstand. Next?”
Jodie raised her hand.
“Yes.”
“Don't you think Val could try harder to present a multicultural, multi-ethnic, less brain-dead point of view to enlighten girls instead of just marketing to them?” Jodie asked.
‘A very pertinent answer,’ Daria considered.
“Jodie, you've got great sassy energy! Now let me turn it back on you. Pea green nail polish: edgy or icky? What do you guys think?”
“You didn’t answer the question,” Jodie said after a few moments of silence.
“I’ll consider it,” Val said in a tone that implied that she wouldn’t.
Andrea looked like she wanted to disappear. “Any other questions?” she asked.
“Nobody?” Val asked. “Now, who has a dating problem they would like to discuss?”
O’Neill raised his hand and most of the class groaned.
Andrea was even more annoyed as they left Language Arts. She was wondering why Ms. Li was allowing this farce to take place.
“I was so good in there!” Val said. “I should be doing this on TV. I could have my own show.”
“Undoubtedly you’d call it Val,” Andrea groused.
“Cool, Drey!” Val responded. “I’m so down with that. I better phone my agent. This being a typical high schooler for a day is so fun!”
Andrea stepped closer to Daria and Scarlett. “I don’t think real high schoolers have agents.”
“No, they don’t,” Brittany mused.
“Hi! Val,” said a voice Daria didn’t expect.
“Quinn?” she asked.
“Daria,” Quinn said quietly before turning to Val. “These are my fellow Fashion Club members.”
“Hi,” one of the Fashion Club members drawled.
“How goes it?” another said haughtily.
“Hi,” the last one with her hair in twintails said nervously.
“Finally, some popular people,” Val said. “Just kidding, Drey!”
“Val, we've dressed to show the best of Lawndale chic,” Quinn “Note the simplicity, the bounciness, the overall cuteness.”
“Oh brother,” Daria said to Scarlett with an eyeroll.
“You guys aren't wearing yellow and blue,” Val stated.
The haughty one stepped forward. “Um, Val? Sandi Griffin, Fashion Club president. If I may?”
“Yes?”
“Mixing primaries during daylight hours? Not done.”
“It isn't? Um, excuse me. I'll be right back,” Val said before dashing off.
Andrea breathed a sigh of relief.
“So, we’ve managed to shake her?” Scarlett asked as they left the next class.
“No one can survive an assault by Sandi Griffin and her fashion drones,” Andrea commented.
However, Val then turned a corner and said, “Hi, Drey!”
“I spoke too soon,” Andrea groused.
“Do you think it's flighty to keep changing my outfit? Or is it one of the inalienable rights that come with being a teenage girl in the U.S. of A.?” Val asked once they had got their lunch.
“Seems a little crazy,” Andrea murmured.
“So, Listen, Drey, I've been getting like, this vibe around here. Am I to understand that you're not popular at all?”
“No,” Andrea said. “Just with Scarlett and a couple of others, maybe Daria.”
“Got it,” Val said, although it sounded like she didn’t.
“Sure,” Daria said, as she gave a smile in response.
“Andrea Hecuba-Thorne, please report to the principal's office immediately. And if, um, you happen to have anyone with you -- a guest or something -- of course they're welcome to come, too,” Ms. Li said over the intercom.
“Jiggy!” Val responded.
“Of course!” Andrea moaned. She hoped that Ms. Li wouldn’t take out her frustration on her.
“I can see why Ms. Li would want this,” Daria said as Andrea and Val left the cafeteria said.
“Same,” Scarlett agreed.
“More publicity for the school, or more pertinently, for herself.”
Scarlett nodded.
“But why this way?”
“I have no idea,” Scarlett said. “But it’s better than last year. when modelling agents came on campus.”
‘That’s something I’ll have to look into,” Daria decided.
“If it helps, your niece was involved,” Scarlett said.
“Of course,” Daria groused. “But I’ll have to be careful in my approach.”