fardell24

Kristen wasn't online. 'I guess I have to call Jane,' Quinn thought. She decided to find the Lane's phone number

Trent Lane entered his younger sister's room where she was engaged in her usual artistic activities. “Hey, Janie, phone.” He handed her the cordless.

“Who is it?” Jane asked.

“Someone named Quinn, says she's Daria's sister.” Trent's voice showed curiosity. He'd thought that Daria was an only child.

“I'll take it,” Jane said, wondering why Quinn would call her.

“Hello, Quinn?” Jane said.

“Jane?”

“This is she, why are you calling?”

“Daria's playing her music at full volume!”

“And...?” Jane asked, wondering if Quinn would get to the point.

“So, I'm wondering if you could ask her to turn the music down.”

Jane could see why Quinn would ask that. The music in question was quite prominent in the background. “Why can't you?”

“There would be an argument! She won't listen to me. She certainly won't turn it down for me.”

“I see. I'll think about it. How did you get this number anyway?”

“I looked it up online, duh!”

“Of course,” Jane said.

“So you won't ask her today?”

“Probably not.”

January 23, 2006
Daria met her two friends outside Lawndale High, shortly before homeroom.
“I had a strange experience yesterday afternoon,” Jane confided.

“What kind of experience?” Daria wondered.

“Quinn called, asking if I would ask you to turn the music down.”

“She was quite annoyed yesterday,” Daria said with a smirk.

“She was quite annoyed, to call me. She even googled my number!”

“She always goes to the net first for answers.”

Jane decided to change the subject. “You annoyed your parents too.”

“Yes, I beat them in Scrabble and Monopoly.”

“There's something more there, I'm sure,” Jennifer commented.

“I also annoyed Dad with the music.”

“I see,” Jennifer said.

“How was the first weekend of grounding, Daria?” Jodie asked after first period.

“I had fun at others expense,” Daria answered.
“How?”

“Winning boardgames and playing music at full volume.”

“That's what I would do.”

“Huh?”

“The boardgames that is. Not the music.”

“Of course.”

“If I tried playing loud music while grounded. It would only serve to extend the grounding.”

“I'm trying to do the opposite,” Daria said.

“Trying to bore your parents?”

“Exactly.”

“I heard that you got grounded?” Jenna Swartz asked Quinn.

“Yes. But it's over the top! A month for two late nights in a row! It's too much. I can't do any shopping!”

“You shop a lot?” Jenna asked.

“There's always something new out,” Quinn replied.

“That's true. New programs, new games, new DVDs...”

“Exactly.”

“Your room must be bursting at the seams!”

“True.”

“Anyway, you must be bored.”

“They didn't forbid me to go online.”

“So you could buy things there.”

“It's not the same!” Quinn said.

“I guess not.”

“But I'm going to sneak out and go to the Roller Hockey game.”

“It would be worth it if you do,” Jenna said with a laugh.
“You liked it last year?”

“Absolutely. I've even entered the DeMartino pool.”

“So have I.”

Jenna laughed. “So I take it that you're not coming to the meeting after school tomorrow?” she asked, reffering to the club that she was president of, the Anime Club.

“I'm afraid not.”

“Don't worry. I will give you a copy of the minutes.”

“That would be good.”

January 24, 2006
At lunch Daria was surprised when she was approached by Brittany Taylor. “Yes, Brittany?”

“Um, there have been some rumors going around that you'r parents have, like, experimented on you.”

“Oh?”

“That they give you generic makeup! Also subject you to, like, Jury Pruce Dancing?”

“Brittany, who told you this?”

“Kevin, also the other cheerleaders. Kevin for the generic makeup. Like, eep!”

Daria interrupted. “Brittany, Kevin misunderstood something. I'm sure that happens all the time.”

Brittany twirled one of her pigtails around her finger. “You're right,” she eventually admitted.

“All that is happening is that I unfairly got grounded.”

“Grounded, what for? Wait, what about the Jury Pruce Dancing?”

“First it's not Jury Pruce Dancing. It's jurisprudence. Like in court. That's how I got grounded. A misguided attempt at including court procedure in parental discipline!”

“Oo-oh!”

“You understand?”

Brittany twirled her hair again. “I think so.” Daria sighed. “Your Mom's a lawyer, right?”

“Yes,” Daria answered, sure that Brittany had at least understood some of what she had said.

“So she decided to put, like, her work in practice at home?”
“Exactly.”

“So what did you get grounded for?”

“Being out late two nights in a row,” Daria admitted knowing that Brittany may keep pressing, if she didn't answer.

“So, you we'ren't late, like, two nights in a row?” Brittany asked with a twirl.

“No! But Quinn was. It's partially her fault that I was grounded!” Daria as said. She banged her fist upon the table.

“I see,” Brittany said.

January 25, 2006
As she arrived at school, Quinn met Jenna. Jenna gave her a copy of the minutes from the previous day's Anime Club meeting. “Cool, thanks, Jenna.”

“You're welcome,” Quinn said.

“How's the grounding going?”

Quinn grumbled. “There's only so many times I can play Monopoly and lose to Daria!” she said vehemently.

“Is it that bad.”

“It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't so smug about it!”

“Annoy her back,” Jenna suggested.

“You mean subject her to anime she doesn't like?”

“Exactly,” Jenna said.

“That's a good idea,” Quinn said with a slightly devious tone.

“What of your parents?”

“They usually loose first, although Mom wins sometimes.”

“I can see that,” Jenna said.

“I knew you would.”

Daria walked with Jane and Jennifer between classes. “The rumors concerning your grounding have dropped off today,” Jane said.

“Good, let them talk about DeMartino,” Daria said.

“What I have heard is closer to the truth,” Jane said.

“I guess Brittany has quashed the other stuff.”

“Brittany?” Jennifer asked.

“She came to me yesterday at lunch. I refuted the rumors.”

“Must have been rather good refuting,” Jane said.

“She understood it better than I thought she would.”

“I guess so,” Jane said, after some thought.

“So, what are they saying about DeMartino?” Daria asked.

“That he's been working out all week. He really wants to defeat Rock 'N' Roll Randy,” Jane said.

“I imagine after last year he really wants to win the rematch,” Daria said.

Jennifer laughed.

“Same here,” Jane said.

Indeed, all through Lawndale High, whereever students met between classes, they were discussing how well their head History teacher would do against his DJ rival...

After school, Quinn walked home with her friends. “I'll see you online,” she said as she arrived at the house.

“See you then,” Cindy said.

“I'll be on when I get home,” Kristen said.

“Sure,” Quinn said as she opened the door.

January 26, 2006
Daria was annoyed. Quinn had asked her to watch an anime with her.
“No, Quinn.”

“This is a good one, It's about a card game, that's more than it appears.”

“No!”

“At least one episode?” Quinn asked.

“Only one,” Daria said. It was only 20 or so minutes, afterall.

January 27, 2006
Before School, Quinn met her friends. “So, Daria watched some anime?” Cindy asked.

“Some Yu-Gi-Oh but she only watched one episode,” Quinn said.

“Should get her to watch One Piece,” Kristen suggested.

“I will tomorrow,” Quinn said.

“I hope she likes it,” Kristen said.

“She may. But I'm not sure. I'm getting tired of her playing her music all day. I thought it was bad before. Now it's worse!”

“We'll have another game tonight then?” Cindy asked.

“Definitely,” Quinn aggreed.

Daria met her friends at lunch. “Quinn's subjecting me to Anime.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Jennifer commented.

“It would depend on the anime in question I suppose.”

“Anime about card games!”

“Yu-Gi-Oh, I suppose,” Jennifer said after taking a bite from her sandwich.

“It's worse than my parents attempting to play different card games after they had lost the board games.”

“So you found it boring?” Jennifer asked.

“Of course! Tomorrow, she's going to make me watch some pirate anime.”

“Depends on how well it's presented, I guess,” Jane said.

“If it's the one I think it is, it's worth it, Daria,” Jennifer said.

“If I like the first episode, it'll be worth it.”

Jennifer smiled. Daria wondered what that pirate anime would be about for her to be interested.

After Dinner, Kristen went to her room. “Gaming again, Kristen?” her brother Keith asked.

“Yes, Quinn's grounded, so we can't go to the Pizza place.”

“What did she get grounded for?” Keith asked.

“Being out late.”

“How long?”

“A month,” Kristen answered.

“That seems harsh.”

“You're telling me,” Kristen said as she opened the Guild Wars client.

January 28, 2006
Daria was playing her guitar (loudly) when she heard knocking on the door. She stopped playing and went to the door. It was Helen. “Come down, Daria. Quinn has the DVD of the anime ready,” she said.

“I hope this is good.”

“I've seen it. It is rather good. A good story.”

“I'll come down.”

“Good!”

Daria came down. “I'm ready for the pirate anime, Quinn.”

“Great!” Quinn said as she started the first episode of One Piece...

After watching two episodes of One Piece, Daria played Monopoly yet again with her parents. Jake was losing, yet again...
“Uhhh, okay... let's see... one... two... eh, twelve... seventeen... I have seventeen dollars.”

“Any property?” Daria asked.

“It's all mortgaged.”

“Care to make a deal?”

“I'd need infinite free passage through all your properties...”

“I can do that.”

“...five thousand dollars...”

“Keep talking.”

“...and all your railroads.” The doorbell rang.

“I believe we can do business.” Daria went to answer the door.

“Jake! You cannot revoke Daria's grounding.”

“But I'm losing!”

Daria opened the door. “See? She's okay,” Jane said.

“I guess so,” Jodie said.

“Although the clothing would disguise any electrodes below the neck...” Jane said.

“What are you talking about?” Daria asked.

“There are more rumors about what you're going through,” Jane said.

“I guess DeMartino isn't enough to keep their attention,” Daria said. “It has been more board game hell.”

“When does it end?” Jodie asked.

“It ends on Monday,” Daria lowered her voice. “I'm busting out. I'm going to the Roller Hockey Game.”