fardell24

“I just wanted to make sure your visit to Lawndale High has been everything you hoped it would be,” the Principal said.

“This place rocks!”

“Also, I was wondering... what's Garth Brooks really like?”

“Don't know him -- but check out Skeet's underwear spread in my next issue.” Val said. “We're talking hot. How do you want yours signed?”

“Oh, any old way. ‘To Angela Li. To my friend, Angela Li. To a good friend and a great educator, Angela Li.’”

“Cool,” Val responded. “Andrea, you’re taking notes, right?”

“Yes, Andrea, this is an educational opportunity for you.”

“Oh, I’m definitely learning!” Andrea said in a sarcastic tone.

Val’s phone then rang. “Excuse me.”

“Go ahead, you got Val. Oh, hey, Nonie, honey. What? What? He what? With Gwynnie? That slut! Are you sure? No, of course you had to tell me.”

Andrea didn’t care, although it seemed the Principal did. “Everything all right?”

“I am Val, as in Val. I am Val, as in Val. Fine... fine.”

She certainly didn’t seem it, but Andrea remained silent. She was close to her limit of tolerance. She was certainly going to write something that night. Something the Principal didn’t expect.

“Now, you'll note the school spirit evidenced by the blue and yellow outfits. Where does that school spirit come from, you say? In my years as an educator...”


( Li was interrupted... )

Daria arrived at Lawndale High the second time to find Scarlett waiting for her. “Scarlett?”

“I thought I’d meet you out here,” Scarlett responded.

“Sure,” Daria said with a smile.

“Today will be good.”

“Huh?”

“Wait and see,” Scarlett responded.

‘Something’s certainly happening,’ Daria thought.


They entered the school and saw that most of the students were wearing the school colors, yellow and blue. “So, what’s happening?” Daria asked.

“Someone won a contest that they were entered into by Mr. O’Neill,” Scarlett answered.

“I see,” Daria said. “But that’s not all, is it?”

“No. They were entered into the contest without consent, and now they have to play host to a vapid magazine editor visiting the school,” Scarlett explained. She looked around. “Here they come now.”

Daria saw the magazine editor immediately. She was wearing clothing entirely inappropriate for her age and had dyed blonde hair. That was in contrast to the student she was accompanying, who was wearing dark clothing and Eye of Horus makeup and looked quite annoyed.

The student ran up to Scarlett and Daria, the magazine editor powerwalking behind. “Scarlett!” she said.

“Andrea,” Scarlett said. “This is Daria, she started here yesterday.”

“Hi, Daria, I saw you in class, but I was preparing for Val’s visit,” she said in apology as she indicated the magazine editor who had caught up with them.

“Hey, Drey, introduce me to your friends, would you,” the magazine editor, Val, requested.

“This is Scarlett, and that’s Daria.”

Val put out her hand to take Scarlett’s. “Hi! I’m Val! As in Val!”

‘Great! She named the magazine after herself,’ Daria thought. “Hi.”

“Are you Drey’s friend?” Val asked.

“No. I just started here yesterday,” Daria answered.

“I see,” Val responded. “Do you like it so far?”

“It seems rather like a cookie-cutter suburban town, typical of this region of America.”

“I see,” Val said. She turned to Scarlett. “You’re Drey’s friend, right?”

“Yes,” Scarlett answered.

“Jiggy!” Val exclaimed.

Andrea groaned at that.

“So, I think our strategy should be we basically just hang, and I'll come up with some ear candy, and you'll write about your day with me, Val, and I'll write about Val's day with you, and we'll really get at the hidden heart of high school. Are you with?”

“Certainly!” Andrea said in a sarcastic tone.

“Question, why are most people wearing blue and yellow?” Val asked.

“It’s school colors day,” Andrea said. “A random event brought up by the Principal to inspire school spirit. It definitely doesn’t have anything to do with your visit.”

“You should have told me! I want to fit in while I'm here,” Val exclaimed as she took out her phone.

“Just one difference between us!” Andrea murmured.

“George, I'm going to need a wardrobe change. Pull something yellow and blue and jiggy. I don't know -- call a courier or ask the concierge.” She then hung up. “I hope no one acts differently around me, but you'll let me know, right, Andrea?”

Andrea sighed.

( Daria saw Brittany approaching... )