fardell24 | Entries tagged with malled

Brittany saw Daria and Jennifer come out and bounced over to them. “You got something?” she asked.

“Yes,” Jennifer answered.

Daria took out a book.

“Sarum,” Brittany read with a twirl of one of her pigtails.

“It sounds quite interesting,” Daria replied with a hint of nervousness.

“Maybe when you’re finished you can tell me about it,” Brittany suggested.

“Sure.”

Quinn and the others finished their snacks. “Let’s go,” she said.

“Sure,” Xavier said.

“But where?” Sam asked.

Quinn took out the map she had grabbed earlier. “Let’s see. There are several department stores.”

“But we can’t look in all of them,” Xavier complained.

“Of course not!” Quinn said.

“So, which ones?” Sam asked.

Quinn looked at the map closer. “This one,” she said pointing at the closest.

“Sure,” Jessie said.

( Jennifer looked at Daria and Brittany as they walked over. )

It took a while but Mrs. Bennet had found the Mall executive offices. However, while the meeting started out well, it soon went downhill.

“How about you? How many times a year do you go to the mall?” one of the executives asked.

Daria could see through him and his colleagues. “Don't people usually get paid for participating in market research?”

“Research?” the executive asked in a strangled tone.

Mrs. Bennett interrupted. “Now, Daria, these busy executives have been nice enough to give their time to help educate us on mall economics. Tell us about flow, would you?”

“OK,” one of the executives said.

“I bet that is a two-way mirror,” Daria said.

“You don’t say,” Jennifer said. She reached for a light switch. “You mean if I do this…” She flicked off the light, revealing that the mirror Brittany had been posing and examining herself in front of was a two-way mirror.

“The focus group is, um, a very important tool in mall management…” another of the executives began.

“I feel used. I feel abused. I feel that this is not a fun mall after all and the media should be made aware of it,” Jodie said.

“Alright, little lady,” the first executive said. “Here is a coupon for a free frozen yoghurt.”

“Don’t insult me,” Jodie said.

“Make it a ten-dollar merchandise coupon?”

“It’s still an insult!” Brittany pointed out.

The executive covered his ear in discomfort at her shriek.

“Okay, a twenty-five-dollar merchandise coupon for everyone in the class.”

“You don’t get it. There is a principle involved,” Daria shot back.

“No, there isn’t,” Jodie said.

“So, much for idealistic youth,” Daria said.

“For twenty-five bucks...” Jennifer mused. “But this is something you can use!”

“Of course,” Daria responded. “But the blame may be placed on our Fuzzy Wuzzy Weebit loving teacher.”

“It’s a start,” Jennifer pointed out.

Daria gave a small smile.

( Read More )

( 17th )

Total: 695

( 15th )

Total: 477

( 14th )

Total: 300

( 13th )
Total: 482

( 12th )
Total: 583

( 11th )

Total: 490

( 9th )

Total: 480

( 2nd )
Total: 483

Part 3
Ronnie wasn’t that surprised when the teacher called her to her desk. “Yes, Miss Lane?”

“Do you know why Sam Griffin isn’t here today?”

“No.”

“I know you two have become fast friends since you started.”

“She didn’t say anything the last time I saw her.” Technically true, but also an omission.

“I’ll just mark her as absent then.”

Xander had quickly gotten bored. Mostly due to the ‘Three Js’ (as most in his grade called them) talking endlessly, but also due to the Interstate being an almost perfect driving surface. They were about halfway when he heard Quinn say something to him. “What was that?” he asked.

“I said, what are you going to buy at the Mall of the Millennium?” she asked.

“Um, I haven’t really thought about it,” he lied.

“Really?” Sam asked.

“I haven’t!” he said defensively. He didn’t want her, and Quinn, to know what he was going to buy. ‘I hope there is going to be enough space in the trunk.’

Xander’s perception of the Interstate’s smoothness was biased by the far superior suspension in his father’s car. Daria’s motion sickness only got worse the further they got from Lawndale. ‘I’ll have to find another way back,’ she decided. Maybe if she found Quinn and her friends, they would take her with them. ‘But there wouldn’t be enough room in the car.’

( Quinn saw the Mall of the Millennium first )

Mega Mall, Mega Problems
Lawndale didn’t have everything. That was the issue that had vexed Quinn Morgendorffer over the past few weeks. Of course it had more things than Highland did (and she was thankful that her family had finally got out of that place.

“There’s that Mall of the Millennium,” her friend Jessie Brown suggested as they left the High School one Monday afternoon.

“I have heard of it,” Quinn admitted, “but isn’t it out of the State?”

“It’s only 100 miles away,” Jessie said.

“I suppose that isn’t too far,” Quinn decided. “I’ll see what my parents will say.”

“Good luck,” Jessie said. Quinn had told her what her mother was like.

( Read More )

Brittany placed the 'Doo Dad' that Kevin had 'shrinkaged' back on the shelf. “No more, shrinkage, Kevvie!” she said.

“But Babe, Mrs. Bennett wants us to do it!” Kevin said.

Brittany glared at him. “No, Kevvie, She meant something else!”

“Really, then what?”

Brittany twirled her hair in thought. “To examine its effect on something,” she said.

“Oh.”

“Its impact on economic performance?”

“Ok.”

Andrea waited outside the Insensory store for Upchuck. 'He had better come and go quickly!' she thought. Then Upchuck turned a nearby corner and approached her.

“You said you wanted to swap coupons, you feisty maiden of darkness?” he said, sleaze dripping off most of his words.

“Yes, you creepy casanova!” She held out the coupon that she had been given, hoping to get this encounter over with!

Upchuck grabbed that coupon and immediately placed the Insensory coupon into the palm of her other hand. Andrea then dashed into the store with a rather hasty and barely audible “Thanks.”

“Feisty.”

( Jodie and Mack met at one of the food courts. )

After five minutes, Daria and Quinn came to an agreement. “Here's the deal; I will do most of Daria's chores for a month, She gets an additional 20 megabytes a month and we will take her, Jane and Jennifer back to Lawndale with us,” Quinn said.

“It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can manage it,” Koichi said. He looked at the equipment. “Even with the equipment.”

“Has to be better than the bus,” Jane said.

Jennifer gave a small smile.

“I certainly won't get sick,” Daria said.

However, there was trouble. “Well, well. If it isn't like, the Geekendorffer!” Sandi said as she approached, with the rest of the Fashion Club behind her.

“Of course she would be here!” Quinn said. “Murphy's Law and all.”

“Uh, oh!” Jennifer said, remembering the happenings at the coffee house.

“I see you skipped school too!” Sandi said.

“Only for today,” Quinn said with a hard edge to her voice.

Sandi looked at the trolley filled with equipment. “Only you would like, go to a Mega-Mall for computer equipment,” she said.

“I'm sure others would!” Quinn said in retaliation.

Sandi stepped closer to Quinn. “No they wouldn't!” Sandi said.

“I would,” Jennifer said.

“What did, like, Burnout Girl, say?” Sandi asked.

Jane stepped back, knowling what would happen next. So did Tori, and Stacy ran off to a nearby table.

“I hate that name!” Jennifer exclaimed.

“She said that she would also go to a Mega-mall for computer equipment,” Jane said.

“None of your business anyway,” Daria said.

“Whatever!” Sandi said. She turned her attention back to Quinn “Now, Geekendorffer, tell me why you think that you can be popular!”

Quinn glared at Sandi “You already know that. My whole side of the debate at the Coffee House!”

Sandi stared at Quinn.

Quinn stared back.

“This is going nowhere,” Tori said with some exhasperation.

“Oh really, then perhaps you can ask her, as President of the Fashion Club!”

“No Sandi, I wouldn't replace you, but this confrontation is going nowhere,” Tori said.

Jennifer timidly moved beside Quinn in a show of support. Wolfgang also moved next to her.

Sandi glared at Jennifer, who, after a few seconds, ducked behind Quinn.

Jane quickly replaced her. 'You are not getting away with what you're attempting,' Jane thought as she added to Quinn and Wolfgang's stares upon Sandi.

( Read More )

Quinn, Xavier, Wolfgang and Koichi left Cuter Computer, with the three boys carrying most of the hardware.
'Great! Why did I have to pay nearly a hundred dollars for a share of Quinn's stuff?' Xavier wondered. He saw that the three of them had paid for just over half of the price of the computer equipment. 'I hope she pays it back...'

“Right, the Walmart should be in C Orange Four,” Quinn stated as they started moving away from the store.

“That doesn't sound right,” Wolfgang objected.

“Oh?” Quinn asked.

“It was something else,” Xavier said as he thought.

“I think it was B Amber Five,” Wolfgang said.

“Or was it D Tangerine Three?” Koichi added.

“One of them. Look for that general shade of color, then for the number,” Quinn said.

“I think the shade of color is multiple floor spanning,” Koichi said.

“Then we will look for the numeral and then the shade of color,” Quinn said.

“That will work,” Xavier said.

As they left the vicinity of Cuter Computer they didn't notice the Fashion Club coming out of Angejarni in the other direction.

( Read More )

Guy drove the car away from the gas station.

“You didn't have to fill the car up,” Guy said.

Sandi turned to him “I want to get to the Mall of the Millennium as soon as possible, like with a minimum of delay. We have already been in rush hour traffic, like back in Baltimore!”

“We still have plenty of time, Sandi,” Tori said.

“But not as much as we could have had!” Sandi said.

“I guess not,” Tori said.

“Right,” Guy said, his eyes on the road. He saw a destination sign on the side of the road.

Crossbro, 30 Mi

( Crossbro, Delaware )

Ten minutes later, the cell phone rang. “Who could this be?” she said prior to taking the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Quinn, it's Wolfgang.”

Quinn moved the cell phone from her ear and covered the microphone with her hand “Oh, dear!” she said. She then placed it back at her ear. “Um, I have already arranged with Koichi to go to the Mall of the Millennium with him.”

“Oh!” Wolfgang's voice sounded slightly hurt.

“You're welcome to come with us if you want,” Quinn said, with a slight agitated giggle.

“What are your plans?”

“Koichi is going to pick me up at 8:15 and be out of Lawndale by 8:30,” Quinn said.

“Ok,” Wolfgang said.

“We could pick you up; it wouldn't do to have your car parked on the street near my house all day.”

“No problem there, your house isn't that far from mine. I can walk.”

“Are you sure? We could go by your place.”

“I'm sure.”

“Cool, I'll see you at 8:10 then?”

Wolfgang agreed and hung up. Quinn hoped that the situation wouldn't go out of hand. As she placed the phone down it rang again. 'I guess that this is Xavier!' she thought with slight agitation. “Hello?”

“Quinn, I hope I am not too late!” Xavier said.

“Depends how you define 'too late.'”

“I am too late, aren't I?”

“Yeah, you are, Xavier, but you can still come with if you still want to skip school,” Quinn said sweetly.

“That would be good. What time can I come around?”

“About eight, but not any later.”

“About eight?”

“Yes.”

“I can do that.”

“Cool,” Quinn said.

“So, who is picking you up?” Xavier asked.

“Koichi.”

“Oh, OK.”

“Is that alright?”

“It's alright, I wasn't expecting it is all.”

Friday, October 29, 2005
Quinn saw Daria leave the house at 7:50, heading towards Jane's house, from one of her bedroom windows. She had heard her parents leaving for work earlier. She then left the room to get breakfast.

Xavier found the Morgendorffer's house at 8:00. 'Eleven-Eleven, this is the place. Quite a large house,' he thought. He rang the doorbell.

Quinn opened it soon afterwards. “Hi, Xavier, the others aren't here yet,. You can come in and wait,” she said.

“Sure, Quinn,” he said. He stepped inside and took in the sight of the living room... “This is quite large,”

“It is, isn't it?”

Wolfgang arrived at Quinn's house slightly early. He knocked on the door. Quinn opened it “Hi, Wolfgang, we're just waiting on Koichi now,” she said.

“How soon?” Wolfgang asked as he came inside. He saw Xavier watching the news on the TV. “Hi.”

“Five to ten minutes,” Quinn said.

“Cool,” Wolfgang said.

When Jennifer arrived at Jane's house she could see that Daria and Jane were waiting for her.
“So, ready for the mall trip?” she asked.

“As I'll ever be,” Daria said.

“Same here,” Jane said.

“You don't usually wait out in the front,” Jennifer said.

“I want to get there early,” Daria said.

“Ok,” Jennifer said.

“Sure,” Jane said.

At 8:25 Koichi drove his mother's SUV out of Lawndale on Maryland State Route 276. Quinn was sitting in the passenger seat and Xavier and Wolfgang were in the back. “We should be at the Mall of the Millennium by 11:00 at the latest, Quinn,” he said.

“Very good, but it would be good idea to keep the radio on to listen for traffic conditions,” Quinn said.

“Sure, Quinn,” Rob said.

“I'm not sure it would make much of a difference,” Wolfgang said.

“Why?” Quinn asked.

“There is only one bridge over the bay,” Wolfgang said.

“I meant for within Baltimore,” Quinn said.

At 8:35 the Fashion Club also left Lawndale on the same route, being driven by a male victim escort.
“Why did we have to do this again?” Stacy asked.

“Because, we had to take up this opportunity!” Sandi said.

“Right!” Stacy said.

“I don't think that answers the question, Sandi,” Tori said.

“I think it does, Tor-ri,” Sandi said.

Tori grumbled.

Maryland/Delaware Border
The Fashion Club stopped at a gas station immediately on the Delaware side of the border.
“Why are we stopping here?” Sandi asked.

“We need gas!” Guy, the Fashion Club's driver, said.

“Didn't you fill it up back in Lawndale, like, before you picked us up?” Sandi asked.

“No, you were insistent on leaving so quickly!”

“Right! I'll fill it then!” Sandi said. She went to the pump herself.

After school Quinn walked up to one of her fellow Computer Club members. “Um, Xavier? I'm wondering if you could drive me to the Mall of the Millennium on Friday?”

Xavier Daldon thought for a moment. “Isn't that in southern Delaware?” he asked.

“So?” Quinn asked. 'What's wrong with Delaware? At least it's not Texas...'

“I will have to think about it,” he said.

“You don't have to answer right away,” Quinn said.
“I will give you my answer by Thursday night.”

“Cool,” Quinn said.

Jennifer drove Daria and Jane towards Jane's house.
“There's no way we can get out of this field trip, is there?” Jennifer asked.

“No,” Jane said.

Daria sighed. “I'm sure it won't work, but I will ask Mrs. Bennett tomorrow to call off the field trip,” Daria said.

“I'm not sure that will work,” Jane said.

“I'm going to ask anyway. I can be quite stubborn,” Daria said.

“We've both seen that,” Jennifer murmured as she turned into the Lane's driveway.

Wednesday, October 27, 2005
Quinn entered the Programming Club meeting, followed by Wolfgang Shuhardt “I could drive you to the Mall of the Millennium, Quinn,” he said.

“How did you know about that?” Quinn asked with surprise.

“I was talking to Xavier in Computer Studies; he mentioned that you had asked if he would drive you there,” Wolfgang said.

“Oh?” Quinn asked. 'He should really have not told Wolfgang,' she thought.

“He said that he wasn't sure that he would go.”

“If you can take me that would be great!” Quinn said.

“I'll see if I can borrow my mother's car.”

“You can get back to me by tomorrow night,” Quinn said. 'Cool,' she thought, hoping that Wolfgang's mother's car was something relatively new (or a classic like Jennifer's).

“I hope I will be able to.”

After school, Daria knocked on the faculty office door. The head history teacher, Mr. Anthony DeMartino, opened the door. “Ms. Morgendorffer, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he said.

“Is Mrs. Bennett here?”

“She is, I'll send her out.”

Mrs. Bennett soon came out.
“What is it, Daria?” she asked.

Why are we going on a field trip to the Mall of the Millennium?” Daria asked.

“I stated the reasons in class,” Mrs. Bennett said.

“Yes, but there are malls much closer,” Daria said.

“Malls that you are familiar with, Daria. Take a chance, make a small mistake, but minimise the mess, we're going on the field trip.”

Daria tried to argue.
“Is it the place of the school to preach the consumerism aspect of our culture?”

“I don't know what you mean, Daria,” Mrs. Bennett said.

“I mean what I said, Mrs. Bennett!” Daria said.

“And so Mrs. Bennett wouldn't change her mind. The only way I can think of to make a real protest would be to blog about it,” Daria said as she and her two friends ate pizza at the Pizza King.

“Absolutely,” Jane said.

“But there would be no way for it to get on Slashdot. Although maybe Technorati,” Jennifer said quietly.

“Somehow, I don't think it's meme-worthy enough,” Daria said.

“So, we're going to the Mall of the Millennium. No big deal,” Jane said.

“It just won't be enjoyable,” Daria said.

“I agree with that,” Jennifer said as she took a bite of pizza.

As Stacy went to bed she wondered what the trip to the Mall of the Millennium on Friday would be like. 'I hope Sandi will allow me to shop where I want!' she thought as she went to sleep.

Thursday, October 28, 2005
Quinn entered Mr Fun's Games, Cafe and Internet 15 minutes after leaving school. “Quinn?” Koichi 'Rob' Robazaki asked.

“Yeah?” Quinn asked.

“I can take you to the Mall of the Millennium, Quinn,” Rob said.

“How did you know about that?” Quinn asked, surprised. 'Does everyone know that I'm going to the Mall of the Millennium?'

“Jenna told me,” Rob said.

“I should have guessed,” Quinn said, knowing that Jenna and Rob were close. (How close, she wasn't sure.)

“Yeah,” Rob said.

“I'm still waiting to hear from a couple other people,” Quinn said.

“Ok, who?” Rob asked.

“You don't need to know,” Quinn said.

“I don't?” Rob asked with a frown.

“I will hear back from them tonight. I'll give you a call if I don't,” Quinn said.

“That's cool,” Rob said as Quinn went towards one of the arcade machines.

Later that night, Quinn waited for Wolfgang and/or Xavier to call whilst doing her homework.
The clock on her Windows PC changed to 10:00.
She stood up. “Ugh! I will have to call Rob, after all,” she said as she grabbed her cell phone.

“Hi, is this Quinn?”

“Yeah, Koichi?”

“Yeah, Quinn?”

“You can take me to the Mall of the Millennium tomorrow.”

“That would be very good, Quinn.”

“I would like to leave Lawndale by 8:30, so there will be plenty of time for shopping when we get there.”

“That is ok. I usually leave home by 8:00, so I will be at your place by 8:15 at the latest,” Rob said.

“Cool,” Quinn said.

“I will see you in the morning,” Rob said.

“See you then, bye,” Quinn said, and hung up. She then continued her homework.