Kinesha抯 first Kwanzaa
Daria sat quietly on the loveseat thinking about what was about to happen. Alone in the tiny room, she looked up in time to see Trent walk through the foyer. Breathing a sigh of relief, she was happy he didn抰 see her yet. Slowly, she let her mind wander.
It was her second day at Lawndale High. The day before hadn抰 gone very well and now she was sitting in a classroom after school had let out listening to her English teacher drone on about self-esteem. Trying to make the best of a bad situation, she began taking notes. Scribbling his ramblings in her notebook, she finally had to interrupt. The exchange about 搑ealizing her acuality?confirmed her suspicions; it was going to be a long few weeks. After Mr. O扤eill resumed his delivery, she heard a voice from behind her.
揓ust pretend to listen. I抣l fill you in later. I抳e taken this course six times.?/span>
Turning to where the voice was coming from, she saw a skinny guy with dark hair. In a voice barely above a whisper, Daria said, 揢h. Okay. Thanks.?/span>
After the class let out, the guy introduced himself.
揌ey. I抦 Trent.?/span>
揑抦, uh, Daria.?Pulling on her pack, Daria asked, 揝o you抳e taken this class six times already? Why??/span>
Trent shrugged.
揅an抰 stay awake.?/span>
揙h.?Daria said. 揝ee you Thursday then.?/span>
揝ure.?/span>
They saw each other earlier than that. As it turned out, they had several classes together. After seeing each other all morning, they finally hooked up at lunch. Being the only two at the table, Trent filled her in on all the details of how self-esteem class worked. Daria soon realized the class wasn抰 very much and decided to change the topic to something more interesting.
揝o what do you do when not taking self-esteem classes??/span>
揘ot much. Me and some guys are in a band.?/span>
Sipping her cola, Daria was a little amused at the slight embarrassment he was showing at telling her about his musical activities. The more she looked at him the cuter he got to her. Realizing what was happening; she shook the thought out of her head. It was too early to fall for a guy. That would make her too much like Quinn and that was NOT going to happen if she had anything to say about it. Putting the glass down, she asked, 揜eally? Have you guys played anywhere??/span>
Trent抯 face turned red.
揓ust the basement of my house. We抮e really not that good.?/span>
揈verybody抯 got to start somewhere.?Daria said. 揑抦 sure you抣l get better.?/span>
揑 hope so. I really like making music.?/span>
Before the conversation could continue, the bell rang and they had to return to class. Separating, they didn抰 really talk again until lunch the next day. Soon the routine became comfortable, lunch every day and esteem class every Tuesday and Thursday. Soon though the weeks were up and they got their certificates of esteem. Walking out of the classroom, Trent said, 揟hanks for helping me stay awake, now I that I don抰 have to come back I can practice more with the guys.?/span>
揝ure. Happy to help?Daria said, 揥ell, see you tomorrow morning.?/span>
Stopping for a moment, Trent said, 揢m Daria.?/span>
Daria turned to look at him.
揧es??/span>
揘ow that class was over, I was wondering厰
揥ondering what??Daria asked.
揥ell we抳e been practicing.?/span>
揥ho抯 we??/span>
揗e and Mystic Spyral.?/span>
Daria抯 eyes got very wide at the mention of those words.
揗ystic Spyral??/span>
揙ur band.?Trent said.
Daria nodded. 揙h I see.?In her mind, she asked, 揥here did they come up with that name??/span>
揂nyway.?Trent continued, 揥e want to get an opinion of how we抮e doing. We wanted to know if you抎 like to come over tomorrow afternoon and hear us.?/span>
揢h. Sure. When??/span>
揌ow about we meet after school? I抣l walk with you to my house.?/span>
揝ure.?Daria said. 揥ell, see you then. Bye.?/span>
揕ater.?/span>
The next afternoon, Daria and Trent met in front of the school. All the way to his house, he and Daria talked about the various things going on in each of their lives. As the journey progressed, he began to realize how at comfortable he was with her. Usually he was a basket case with girls but she was easy for him to be around. Stopping where he was, he took a second to clear the thought from his brain. He had enough to worry about right now without falling for someone. Standing there, it took a second for him to hear Daria抯 voice.
揟rent??/span>
Turning to look at her, he said, 揌uh??/span>
揂re you okay??/span>
Deciding a lie was the best action, he told her, 揧ea. I just thought about a lyric.?/span>
揙h. Okay. Hope you抣l remember it until you get home.?/span>
Trent smiled.
揘o problem there.?/span>
Once at his house, they started toward the basement door. 揟he other guys will be here in a minute.?He said. 揑抦 gonna go down and start setting up. You can hang here or go with me.?/span>
Just then, a thin young woman with dark hair came downstairs.
揟rent??she asked. 揑 thought I heard you. Have you had anything to eat yet??/span>
Closing the basement door, Trent said, 揘o. It抯 early. I just got in. The guys are coming over to practice so I was just getting ready.?/span>
揑 know. That抯 why I made extra sandwiches. They抮e in the fridge.?Finally seeing Daria, she asked, 揥ho抯 this??/span>
揙h yea.?Trent said. 揓ane This is Daria. Daria, this is my sister, Jane.?/span>
Jane shook Daria抯 hand.
揌i Daria. Trent抯 mentioned you once or twice. It抯 nice to meet you.?
Glancing over to see her little brother抯 face turn red from embarrassment, Jane knew she had done well.
揘ice to meet you too.?Daria said. 揢h, I hate to impose but where抯 your bathroom??/span>
Pointing, Jane said, 揟here.?/span>
揟hanks.?/span>
Once Daria was out of earshot, Jane went over to her brother.
揝he抯 cute. Where抎 you two meet??/span>
揑n self-esteem class. She抯 the one who helped me pass.?/span>
Smiling, Jane said, 揂h. So she抯 the one. You抳e picked a winner here. Cute and smart.?/span>
Trent was shocked.
揌ey. It抯 not like that. We抮e just friends.?/span>
Jane laughed slightly.
揥hatever you say. Look, I have a date with Evan but I抣l be back early. You can practice a little later than usual but I want the gang gone before I get home.?/span>
揙kay.?Trent said.
Jane continued, 揙h yea, and be a gentleman and walk Daria home. Girls like that stuff.?/span>
Before Trent could one again argue the point that they were just friends, the bathroom door opened and Daria returned.
Knowing Jane could easily take the opportunity to make things even more awkward for him, Trent took a deep breath to reinforce his nerves.
Luckily, before Jane could say anything else, the doorbell rang. Opening it, she gave Evan a quick kiss and turned to look at Trent.
揜emember what I said, the sandwiches are in the fridge and no later than nine. Okay??/span>
Trent smiled, mostly out of relief it was over, but also out of gratitude to his sister taking such good care of him. 揙kay.?He said.
揕ater bro. Nice meeting you Daria.?/span>
揘ice meeting you too.?Daria said.
Soon after Jane left, the rest of the band began showing up. To Daria it seemed the majority of practice involved plugging in and tuning the instruments. Eventually though, all four had everything set up. Looking at Daria, Trent asked, 揂re you ready??/span>
Shrugging, Daria said, 揧ea. I guess.?/span>
Trent smiled. 揅ool.?Looking at Jesse, Max, and Nick, he said, 揙kay let抯 do it.?/span>
From the first chord, Daria knew why they hadn抰 played any gigs yet. They were REALLY bad. Practice was definitely required. She did note though that they did seem sincere in wanting to get better. That allowed her to at least be able to sit through that ear wrenching set. It was with great relief that she noted it was after eight and Jane said they should be gone by nine. Taking her cue, Trent nodded for the guys to start breaking everything down.
Later that evening, Jane returned to see Trent laying on his stomach on the sofa. One arm was hanging off the cushion holding the neck of his guitar. Looking at the peaceful scene, she knew what had to be done.
Trent suddenly jumped off the couch in shock.
揌EY!?He screamed. 揇ammit Janey. I hate it when you stick ice down my shirt.?/span>
Chuckling, she said, 揙ver the years I抳e learned it抯 the best way of waking you up fast.?Sitting in the chair, she asked, 揝o how did practice go??/span>
Putting his guitar in his lap, he slowly strummed it and said, 揙kay I guess. We still suck but hopefully we抣l get better soon.?/span>
Jane smiled.
揑抦 sure you will.?Stopping for a second, she changed the subject. 揝o did you walk Daria home like I said??/span>
Nodding, Trent said, 揧ea. I did.?Before she could say anything to embarrass him, he continued. 揂nd let抯 leave it at that. Okay.?/span>
As the school year progressed, it became a common scene to see Daria sitting in the basement as Trent and the guys practiced. Her regular visits allowed her to see that they were getting much better with every rehearsal. Trent told her it was because they finally had an audience to let them know how they were doing but Daria didn抰 feel her sitting there doing homework was really that much feedback. Still, she took the compliment in stride and continued to be an audience of one for her friends.
Eventually, school was coming to an end and practice took a back seat to everyone studying for exams. Sitting at the lunch table, Daria looked across at Trent and asked, 揝o are you ready for your algebra final tomorrow??/span>
揧ea.?Trent said, 揜eady to fail. I抳e never been any good at math. I抦 barely passing right now. The test tomorrow will sink me for sure.?/span>
Daria sighed.
揕ook. Why don抰 you come by my house this afternoon? I抣l help you study. Mom and Dad won抰 be back till late and Quinn will be out at the Fashion Club annual something or other so we can study in quiet.?/span>
揂re you sure it抯 okay??/span>
揧ea. I抳e been in your house enough. It抯 time for you to be in mine some.?/span>
Smiling, Trent said, 揅ool. Thanks.?/span>
That afternoon found Trent sitting next to Daria at her kitchen table going over formulas. In spite of really being bad at math, her patient tutoring seemed to be sinking in. The longer she worked with him, the more confident he felt that the test tomorrow would be not as challenging. Looking at her, he wanted to thank her for all she was doing, before he could though, a voice broke his train of thought.
揌ellooo. Daria? Are you home.?/span>
Sighing again, Daria said, 揧es. I抦 in the kitchen.?/span>
When Helen saw Daria was with someone she almost dropped the grocery bag out of shock.
揇aria. Who抯 this??/span>
Fearing this would happen, Daria finally had to own up to her friendship.
揗om. This is Trent. I抦 helping him study for an exam.?/span>
Going over to the table, Helen shook Trent抯 hand.
揌ello Trent. I抦 Helen, Daria抯 mother. It抯 nice to finally meet one of her friends.?/span>
Trent smiled.
揘ice to meet you too.?/span>
Getting up, he closed his books and started to gather everything together. 揑t was really nice meeting you but I better get going. I need to study a little by myself and get something to eat.?Pausing to put his books under his arm, he continued. 揌opefully there抯 still a sandwich in the refrigerator.?/span>
揑s that all the food in your house??Helen asked.
揧ea.?Trent said. 揗om and Dad are gone again and Janey is busy trying to get into grad school so grocery shopping has been low on the priority list.?/span>
Helen crossed her arms.
揧oung man. Put your books down and get back to studying. You抮e eating dinner with us tonight. Then you can go home. Do you like lasagna??/span>
Trent smiled. While it wasn抰 his plan to eat here, he liked the idea of a hot meal for a change.
揧ea. Thanks.?/span>
Helen smiled.
揗y pleasure.?/span>
It wasn抰 too much longer that Jake showed up. After another round of introductions, all four sat down to dinner. While it wasn抰 the whole family, Daria was quietly relieved that Quinn wasn抰 there to complicate matters any more. In spite of a few embarrassing stories and a few even more embarrassing questions, things seemed to be going reasonably well. Eventually dinner ended and Trent decided it was time to go home. Thanking Jake and Helen for dinner he left for Casa Lane.
After he was gone, Helen looked at her daughter.
揇aria. Why didn抰 you tell us you had a friend??/span>
Not really having a good answer, Daria said the first thing that came into her head.
揑t never really came up I guess.?/span>
揥ell don抰 be shy about inviting him over. We抎 like to get to know him more.?/span>
Knowing there was no real way to say no, Daria said, 揙kay. I need to go to my room and study some more. Mr. O扤eill抯 test is tomorrow so I need to go over some notes.?It was a lie of course. O扤eill抯 class was a breeze but it would help her escape an awkward situation.
揙kay Sweetie. If you need anything you抣l let me know. Right??
揢m sure. Thanks?
As Daria headed up the stairs, Helen stopped her.
揇aria??/span>
揧es??/span>
揇id Quinn say when she抎 be coming back in??/span>
Shaking her head, Daria said, 揘o. She just said she抎 be at Sandi抯 for a while and be home as soon as possible. Now I really need to get to studying.?nbsp;
揤ery well.?/span>
Once Daria was out of sight, Helen picked up the phone and called Sandi抯 house. If Daria had a test the next day Quinn must surely have one too. Playtime with her friends would have to be postponed a few days.
Walking home, Trent thought about his evening. Daria had a nice family. They were a little high strung but considering how his parents were, they seemed almost normal. Jake was a little more out there than Helen but he seemed sincere. He wondered why Daria was so reluctant for him to meet them. Guessing that was something he抎 never truly understand he tried to keep his mind on his exam the next morning.
Then next day at lunch, Daria asked, 揝o how did the test go??/span>
揑 think I did okay. Your help really paid off. I managed to remember most of what you showed me. We抣l know for sure how much I remembered tomorrow.?/span>
揥ell Good luck.?/span>
揟hanks.?Trent said. Looking at her tray, he asked, 揂re you going to eat those??/span>
Giving her patented smirk, Daria lifted her tray and raked the peas onto his.
The following day, Daria sat alone at the table. She wondered where Trent was. She had seen him earlier in Mr. DeMartino抯 class so he had made it to school. Why had he skipped lunch? Whatever it was had to be important for him to pass up his most complete meal of the day. When she saw him later, he抎 probably tell her. Figuring there was nothing she could do about it, she went back to her burger.
Four hours later, the final bell rang for everyone to be dismissed for the year. Walking along the corridor toward the exit, Daria finally saw Trent running towards her. When they met up she noticed his very large smile.
揟rent??She asked. 揂re you okay??/span>
Nodding madly, Trent said, 揧ea. I抦 great. Sorry I missed you at lunch but I was waiting for my algebra score.?Giving Daria the slip of paper he had been holding, he said, 揅heck it out. I passed. The score was high enough that I won抰 have to take summer school. Thanks for your help.?/span>
Before he could think about his actions, he reached over and hugged Daria. Quickly realizing what he was doing he let go. Looking at Daria, he could see her face was bright red. He figured his was as red if not redder.
揢h. You抮e welcome.?Daria said. 揑抣l see you later. Okay.?/span>
Before he could say anything else, Daria ran out of the school.
Later that evening, Mystik Spyral gathered for their first rehearsal in two weeks. Standing there, the guys asked Trent where Daria was. Not wanting to tell them what happened, he tried to come up with an excuse for her but when they didn抰 buy any of his reasons they pressured him into calling her house to invite her over.
Helen answered the phone.
揌ello. Helen Morgendorffer speaking.?/span>
揙h hi Trent. Yes Daria抯 here.?/span>
揙ne moment.?/span>
Going upstairs, Helen knocked on Daria抯 door. From the other side, she heard her oldest daughter抯 voice.
揧es??/span>
揇aria, It抯 Trent. He wants to talk to you.?/span>
揟ell him I抦 in the shower.?/span>
揑s there a problem??/span>
揘o. I just don抰 want to talk to him right now.?/span>
Confused, Helen took her hand off the mouthpiece and put the phone to her ear.
揟rent. Daria can抰 come to the phone right now. Can I take a message??/span>
揙kay. I抣l tell her as soon as possible. Bye.?/span>
Hanging up, Helen knocked on Daria抯 door again.
揇aria. May I come in??/span>
From the other side, Helen heard a loud sigh.
揑 guess.?/span>
Opening the door, Helen walked over and sat at the foot of Daria抯 bed.
揝weetie? Is something wrong??/span>
Putting her book down, Daria looked up at her mom and said, 揘o. Why should there be??/span>
揥ell you抮e avoiding Trent. Did something happen between you two??/span>
Seeing the sincerity in Helen抯 eyes, Daria decided she might as well talk to her. She might be able to help her figure out what抯 going on. Putting the book away, she turned and sat next to Helen.
揟oday after school Trent showed me his score for the exam I helped him study for. After showing me how he抎 done he厰
Helen was getting concerned now. Perhaps Trent wasn抰 as nice as he seemed. 揌e what??She asked.
Daria bowed her head and said, 揌ugged me.?/span>
揟hat抯 it??Helen thought. Smiling at Daria, she asked, 揥ell how did it happen??/span>
揌e showed me his grade, told me it meant he didn抰 have to go to summer school, thanked me, then he hugged me.?/span>
Turning to get a better look at her little girl, she said, 揥ell it sounds harmless enough. Why are you so upset??/span>
揑 really like Trent.?Daria said. 揃ut as a friend. What if this hug meant more than that to him? I don抰 want him to get the wrong idea.?/span>
揑 don抰 think you have anything to worry about.?Helen said. 揑t sounds like he was just grateful for your help.?Looking at Daria, she smiled again. 揃esides. Avoiding him won抰 make things any easier. You need to see him again. Then you抣l be able to know what his intentions are. If they are anything serious you can handle it from there. If they weren抰, then you can let things go back to normal.?/span>
Daria nodded slightly.
揑 guess you抮e right. What did he want anyway??/span>
揌e said rehearsal was about to start and the guys wanted to know here their audience was. He said if you get free, your seat was waiting.?/span>
Allowing herself a brief smile, Daria said, 揥ell I can抰 turn down an invitation like that. I抣l be at Trent抯 house for a little while.?/span>
Following her daughter out of her room, Helen said, 揑t抯 getting dark out. Why don抰 you let me drive you? When you抮e ready to come home, Jake or I will pick you up.?/span>
Figuring it would be better than walking all the way there, Daria said, 揙kay. Thanks, but厰
Smiling, Helen reassured her daughter.
揇on抰 worry, I抣l just drop you off. I won抰 stick around.?/span>
揟hanks for understanding.?/span>
揧ou抮e welcome Sweetie. Just answer me one question.?/span>
Daria eyed her mother with suspicion.
揥hat??/span>
揇o you think Trent抯 sister has bought groceries yet??/span>
Pulling up in front of Casa Lane, Daria slid out of the SUV.
揟hanks for the ride.?Sliding the box out of the back seat, she continued. 揂nd thanks for the pizza. I抦 sure they抣l like it.?/span>
Looking through the passenger side door, Helen said, 揗y pleasure. Now remember to call us when you抮e ready to come home. Okay??/span>
Closing the door, Daria said, 揙kay. Bye.?/span>
After Helen was gone, Daria went to the front door and rang the bell. Figuring it was a futile exercise for anyone to hear over the din in the basement she was shocked when Jane answered the door.
揓ane??/span>
揌ey Daria. Didn抰 think you were coming over tonight.?/span>
揘either did I but Trent called and invited me.?/span>
揥ell you almost missed it. Practice is being cut short tonight.?/span>
揥hy??/span>
揑抦 studying for my GRE. I need quiet.?/span>
揋otcha.?/span>
Finally, Jane noticed Daria had a flat box in her hands.
揑s that food??/span>
Daria nodded.
揧ea. Mom bought it for the band.?/span>
揥ell come on in. I抣l get the guys. Is it okay if I have some too??Jane asked.
揙f course.?Daria said.
揋reat.?Jane said. 揋o on into the kitchen. I抣l drag the guys away from their dream and be back up in a minute.?/span>
Once the band learned there was food in the house, practice was officially over for the evening. Due to the crowd, Daria and Trent never had a chance discuss what happened earlier that day. While both were tense for a little while, things began to get back to normal and before the evening ended they were back to their old selves. Neither one ever brought up the hug again.
The summer soon progressed into a routine that they both enjoyed. After taking her graduate exam, Jane had gone off to an artist抯 colony so Trent was alone most of the time. His days were often spent hanging out with his friends either practicing or talking about their dreams for the Spyral and many of the evenings were spent at the Morgendorffer抯 eating dinner and talking with Daria. Things had become very good for both of them. Daria had become comfortable with her parents getting to know Trent and Trent had come to feel at ease around Jake and Helen. It helped that Jake and Helen accepted Trent into their house with open arms but that was because they really liked him too. Eventually the joyride ended and it was time for school to start again.
Junior year started off much better for Daria and Trent. Unlike the year before, they managed to swing sitting next to each other in the classes they shared. While it wasn抰 much, they did seem to feel more comfortable in class sitting next to each other. As the months progressed, the routine once more fell into place. After school was usually spent at Daria抯 house studying. Then, on several nights, they would spend a few hours at Trent抯 with the band trying to get it right. For the duo, life was good. Things felt right and nothing could make them feel better. Sadly, they weren抰 aware that抯 when life likes to throw a curve ball.
On a rare evening alone, Daria was sitting her room reading when Quinn came in with the phone.
揌ey Daria. It抯 Trent. Could you guys be quick? I抦 expecting an important call from Sandi.?/span>
Taking the phone, Daria looked her sister in they eyes and said, 揝ure. I just need to read a few chapters from 揟he Great Gatsby?to him. That should only take about an hour, two at the most.?/span>
Quinn crossed her arms and stared back.
揜eal funny. Just be quick. Okay.?/span>
揓ust go. Sis!?/span>
Quinn clenched her fists and let out a groan. 揂rrgh.?Then turned and left.
Putting the phone to her ear, Daria asked, 揟rent??/span>
揌ey Daria. Great news.?/span>
揜eally?What is it??/span>
揥e got our first gig!?/span>
揥hat!??/span>
揝omebody抯 letting us play at their club. And it抯 for free!?/span>
Daria was officially confused.
揕et me get this straight. You抮e excited about performing and not getting money for it??/span>
揌ey. It抯 better than the other places.?Trent said. 揟hey wanted us to pay them. So by my math we come out ahead.?/span>
揑 guess. So when and where is this musical extravaganza going to be??/span>
揊riday at the Zon. Do you know where that is??/span>
Daria thought for a second.
揑t抯 on Dega Street. Right??
揧ea. We抮e playing one set and the guys want you there. Can you come??nbsp;
揃y they want me there, does that mean I抦 being drafted to move equipment.?/span>
揙f course not. They know you better than that. They just want you there for our debut.?Pausing for a second, Trent resumed. 揗ore than that. I want you there for our debut. You抳e stuck with us through the worst. Now I want you there to see us shine.?/span>
In the privacy of her room, Daria allowed herself a big smile.
揑抣l be there. When is your set supposed to be??/span>
After a long moment of silence, Trent said, 揑 don抰 know. I forgot to ask. I抣l call when I find out. Okay??/span>
揝ure. Bye.?/span>
揃ye.?/span>
After hanging up, Daria sat there and thought about the conversation.
揝ee us shine??she said to herself. 揂t least they don抰 lack confidence.?/span>
Friday evening came and Daria kept her promise. When she showed up at the club, Trent and the guys were almost ready to go. After ordering a soda, Daria sat down in the back and waited for them to begin. Soon after, Trent walked up to the microphone. Looking out at the nearly empty club, he said, 揌ey we抮e Mystik Spyral.?After no reaction, he added, 揃ut we抮e thinking of changing our name.?Nodding to the gang, they began their set.
Sitting in the back listening to the all too familiar songs, Daria quietly sipped on her drink. In her concentration, it took a second for her to notice the tall man standing next to her table.
揌ello.?He said. 揑 haven抰 seen you in here before.?/span>
Setting her drink down, Daria looked up at him and said, 揢m yea. I抦 a friend of the band. I just came to see them play.?/span>
The man smiled.
揝o you抮e Daria then. They hoped you would show up.?Holding out his hand, Daria shook it. 揑抦 Ted. I run the place. It抯 nice to meet you.?/span>
揢h nice to meet you too.?She said. 揗ind if I ask you a question??/span>
Ted smiled.
揂sk away.?/span>
Gesturing to the stage with her head, Daria began.
揘o offense but they aren抰 that good. I should know. I抳e been to almost every rehearsal for a year. If you don抰 mind me asking, why did you let them play here??/span>
Laughing, Ted said, 揌ey they抮e not as bad as some bands I抳e heard. Plus everybody needs a chance to start somewhere. They have potential. This is a way for them to get a feel for performing without any real risk. I抳e been where they are. This will help them get better faster. Plus it抯 early. They抣l be gone and my house band will be in before the regular crowd shows.?/span>
揟hat抯 really nice of him.?Daria thought. Out loud she said. 揂h.?/span>
Ted looked at her again.
揥ell I have other things to attend too. It was nice meeting you and come back anytime. Not just when you抮e with the band.?/span>
揟hanks. Bye.?/span>
Sitting back in her chair, Daria nursed her drink until the band was finished.
After the show, She watched them break everything down and pack up. Once they were finished, all of them went back to Casa Lane to celebrate. Because of the size of Trent抯 car, it was so packed with equipment that only one other person could fit into it. Since Daria didn抰 trust the look of Nick抯 car, she chose to ride with Trent. On the way back home, Trent asked, 揝o what did you think??nbsp;
Daria feared this moment. She thought they had done okay but she hoped Trent didn抰 want the truth. Hoping she would give the right answer she said, 揧ou did okay. It was a good show.?/span>
Trent smiled. 揅ool. I guess the Spyral is on it抯 way.?/span>
The remainder of the evening was spent in the basement with Trent, Jesse, Nick, and Max talking about their dreams for the band. Daria sat back next to Trent eating pizza, listening to them ramble on and enjoying just being there.
As time moved on the guys did play the Zon more and more. Sure enough, Ted was right. The more they played on stage the better they got. Eventually they were allowed a second set. One Friday though, something happened. The first set was ending and Daria got up to get a refill before going over to hang with the guys during their break when a tall guy in a sweater came up. Standing next to her said, 揌ey. You like the band??/span>
Stuck there waiting for her glass to be refilled, Daria figured she抎 be polite. 揧ou could say that.?She said. 揟hey抮e my friends. I抦 here for almost every performance.?/span>
揂h.?The guy said. 揝o you抮e the official groupie.?/span>
Seeing the look in her eyes, he knew he had said the wrong thing. Hoping to rectify his gaffe, he thought carefully before saying anything else.
揝orry. That was a bad joke. Let me pay for your drink to make it up. Please??/span>
Daria nodded.
揙kay. But don抰 say anything like that again.?/span>
Raising his hand, he said 揑 promise.?Lowering it he offered it to her.
揑抦 Tom by the way. And you are??/span>
Sensing he was harmless enough for the moment, Daria shook his hand.
揑抦 Daria.?/span>
揘ice to meet you Daria.?/span>
揢h yea.?/span>
Before the conversation could go any further the band finished their song and started their break. Going over to Daria, Trent asked, 揥ho was that guy you were talking to??/span>
揓ust some guy.?Daria said. 揌e seemed nice enough.?/span>
Looking at Tom sitting at the table. Trent wondered what his motives were.
揑f you say so Daria. Just be careful.?/span>
Daria jabbed her elbow into Trent抯 ribs.
揙kay Dad. I抣l be a good girl.?/span>
Rubbing his side, Trent said, 揌ey watch it. That hurt.?/span>
Later on, after the band started back up, Tom came back over and started talking to Daria again. As they spoke, it became clear they had many common interests. It didn抰 take long for Daria to really start to like him. As Trent played, he watched the events from onstage. Worried about what his friend was doing, he felt helpless to do anything from his vantage point. After the show he went over to where the two were sitting.
揌ey Trent.?Daria said. 揟his is Tom. Tom this is Trent.?/span>
Nodding to acknowledge each other, Tom began the conversation.
揧ou guys are good. You have a unique sound.?
揢h Thanks.?Trent said. 揥e抳e been practicing. Daria can vouch for that. She抯 at almost every one.?/span>
揧ea that抯 what she said.?/span>
Looking over at Daria, Trent changed the subject.
揝o we抮e going to be ready to go in about fifteen minutes. You wanna go ahead and order the pizza? We can pick it up on the way back to the house.?/span>
Daria suddenly became uneasy, 揢h Trent.?She said. 揟om invited me to go to get a hamburger. I hope you don抰 mind.?/span>
Trent did mind but he didn抰 want to seem like a jerk. 揙f course not.?He said. 揑抣l tell the guys. You two have a good time. Well if you抣l excuse me, I need to help break down. See you later Daria.?/span>
揙kay. Bye Trent. I抣l call you in the morning.?/span>
Going back to the stage. Trent wondered if Daria knew what she was doing. She barely knew the guy and she was running off with him. He hoped she would be okay. When he turned around to look at the table again, he saw they had already left. Realizing it was now out of his hands, he went to helping his bandmates pack up.
As time passed, Daria saw more of Tom. While Trent was happy that Daria had a boyfriend, he was also upset at the thought that Tom seemed to be taking away his closest friend. They still saw each other at school and at study sessions in the afternoons but most other free time was spent apart. Trent truly missed her company. While he felt he should say something to her, a few things prevented him from doing so. For one thing, Daria seemed genuinely happy around Tom, combined with the fact that Tom seemed like a genuinely nice guy and the fact the band was really beginning to take more of his free time and the sad fact was he never said anything to her.
Eventually love struck Trent too. One night while playing a paying gig at the Zon he met a girl named Monique. As it turned out she was starting a band of her own. This one common interest sparked a small romance that seemed to come and go as the mood of each changed. While to others it seemed Trent and Monique weren抰 right for each other, it turned out they enjoyed each other抯 company. Breaking up was a routine they liked because it meant they could reconcile after a token separation.
The school year ended and the summer passed with Daria and Trent getting together only occasionally. Each had different lives now and in spite of wanting to spend time with each other, they somehow never seemed to find the time to hook up. Eventually vacation ended and school started back.
As senior year began, Trent once more started having trouble in class. Seeing him struggling was the perfect motivation Daria needed to reestablish their study sessions. Although they had been apart more often than not lately, the moment each sat at the kitchen table it was as if nothing had changed. Slowly the year moved on. Soon though graduation loomed closer. While Daria looked forward to graduating and moving on to college, she feared the moment that she knew would soon be coming.
Trent knocked on the front door, when Quinn answered, he asked, 揥here is she??/span>
Pointing up the steps, Quinn said, 揑n her room.?/span>
揟hink she抎 mind if I went up??/span>
Quinn shrugged.
揚(yáng)robably not. Go on up. I抦 sure she抣l tell you if she wants to be left alone.?/span>
Trent went upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door. From the other side, he heard a weak voice.
揧es??/span>
揅an I come in??/span>
Daria recognized Trent抯 voice. She didn抰 want him to see her like she was. Taking a tissue, she blew her nose and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. When she was ready, she said. 揧ea. Okay.?/span>
Trent opened the door and went over to the bed. Standing there he looked at Daria. He could tell she had been crying, he could also see she was trying to hide that fact. Knowing her well enough, he didn抰 say anything about it being obvious. Instead he said, 揑 heard. I抦 sorry.?/span>
Moving over so he could sit on the bed too, she said, 揟hanks. It was going to happen. I mean he抯 going to school across the country. Both of us knew the day was coming.?Pausing for a second, she continued, 揑 just didn抰 think it would hurt so much.?Looking at Trent she asked, 揇oes it hurt like this when you break up with Monique??/span>
Trent shook his head.
揘ah. It抯 part of our relationship to break up every six weeks. The painful thing would be for us to stay together for more than three months.?/span>
Daria couldn抰 help but laugh slightly at Trent抯 comment. 揕eave it to his honesty to make me feel better?she thought. 揑 guess.?She said.
Sensing that she was feeling a little better, Trent decided to see if he could pull her out of her depression a little more. 揌ey we抮e doing our regular set tonight. Why don抰 you come to the club with me??she asked. 揟ed said he hadn抰 seen you there in weeks. I figure he抎 even comp you for your drinks tonight.?In his mind he said, 揑f he doesn抰, I抣l buy them. You don抰 need to be alone right now.?/span>
Daria thought about it for a minute. Looking at the smile on his face, she knew he meant well. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, she decided time away from her room might be nice. Nodding, she said, 揙kay. How long till you have to leave??/span>
揘ot for a while.?He said. 揥hy.?/span>
揘o reason. Just curious.?Picking up the remote, she asked, 揥anna watch some TV for a while? I don抰 want to be alone right now.?
揝ure.?/span>
Pressing the button, she found a channel showing music videos and they sat there saying nothing, letting the music fill the void.
A few weeks later, graduation came. Naturally, Daria graduated at the top of the class and, thanks to her tutoring, Trent managed to make it through fairly near the top too. Seeing that college was looming on the horizon for him too, Trent broke up with Monique for good. Although it wasn抰 as difficult for him as breaking up had been for Daria, it still hurt and Daria took the opportunity to repay the favor Trent had done for her all those weeks ago. Now that they were both single again, Each spent the summer hanging out with each other and getting ready to move on to the next stage in their lives.
Because Trent wasn抰 sure he would do well on his own, he managed to attend a college in the same town where Daria was going to school. This way she could still tutor him when necessary. The band was doing well but he knew if they didn抰 make it as musicians he would need an education to fall back on. The rest of the band either attended junior colleges in the same area or got day jobs to pay the rent so Mystic Spyral could still keep trying for the big prize but for Trent it was college and the band. Not one or the other. That made it rough but with Daria抯 help he knew he could make it work.
Sure enough, the four years went off without a hitch. He did have trouble at times and didn抰 have the best GPA but he still managed to graduate. That made Trent feel more comfortable about his prospects no matter what his future held. Even though he was done with school, Trent and the guys stayed in the area. They had come to love the city and the band had developed a local following so they decided to stick around a little while longer. Another reason was Daria was still in graduate school and Trent wanted to stay around to make sure she was okay.
One afternoon, Trent was taking a rare nap between work and the gig when the phone rang. Reaching down, he picked up the receiver.
揌ello??/span>
It was Brenda, Daria抯 roommate.
揟rent? Could you come over? Daria needs you.?/span>
Trent could tell from the sound of Brenda抯 voice things weren抰 right. Sitting up, he asked, 揥hat抯 happened??/span>
揇aria抯 father just died.?/span>
He didn抰 need to hear any more. 揑抦 leaving right now.?He said. 揑抣l be there as soon as I can.?/span>
Hanging up, he grabbed his shoes and slipped them on. Rushing out the door, he got in the car and sped to the apartment. Once there, Brenda opened the door to let him in before he could even knock. Not giving her a chance to say anything, Trent asked, 揥here is she??/span>
Brenda pointed down the short hallway to the end room. Nodding, he went to the door and knocked lightly before opening it. Peeking in, he saw Daria sitting on her bed. Unlike when she and Tom had separated, she didn抰 hide her tears. Walking over, he sat next to her on the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. That was all it took. Daria turned around and hugged him tightly. Hugging back, Trent heard the sobs and swore to himself that he抎 sit there holding her as long as she wanted him to. Eventually, Daria released him. Sitting there with her best friend, the two talked for a long time about what had happened, what Jake meant to each of them, and what they should do. Eventually Daria excused herself and went to the bathroom. Once she was gone, Trent got up and went into the kitchen.
揝o what抯 going on??Brenda asked.
Gesturing to her, Trent said, 揑抣l tell you in a minute.?Picking up the phone, he dialed. A few rings later, he said, 揓esse. I need you to cancel our gig this week. I抳e got to go back to Lawndale.?/span>
揧ea I know what this gig meant but this is more important.?/span>
揧es. It is. Daria抯 dad just died. I抦 taking her home.?/span>
揙kay. I抣l tell her. Later.?/span>
Hanging up. Trent looked at Brenda.
揥e抮e leaving in a few minutes. When we know more I抣l call you. Okay??/span>
Brenda nodded this was acceptable and went to help Daria pack what she needed. Within a half hour, Daria was in the passenger seat of Trent抯 car as he chauffeured her back to the grim task ahead. Most of the journey neither of them said anything as they were wrapped up in their own thoughts but about halfway home, Trent broke the silence.
揟he guys wanted me to let you know they抮e coming in tomorrow.?Trent continued. 揟hey need to get our stuff out of the club so the replacement band can come in other wise they抎 be in tonight.?/span>
揜eplacement band??Daria asked. Suddenly she remembered. 揟his was your big audition for that house band gig wasn抰 it? Why did you give it up??/span>
揟here抣l be other gigs.?Trent said. 揜ight now I wanted to be with you. You抮e more important to me than a job. I thought you knew that.?/span>
Trent抯 words made her feel a little better. The pain was still there but she was comforted knowing she wasn抰 alone. She looked at her oldest and dearest friend for a few minutes then turned her attention to the scenery passing by.
With four years of reminiscing to go, Daria抯 thoughts were interrupted by Quinn coming into the room.
揌ey Sis, It抯 time.?/span>
揟hanks.?Daria said.
Getting up, She let Quinn adjust a few things on the gown. As Quinn started to lower the veil Daria stopped her. Looking at Quinn, she said, 揙ne second. Could you get Trent??/span>
Quinn gave her a confused look.
揢m sure. Why??/span>
揓ust get him please?/span>
揙kay.?nbsp; Quinn said and left. A moment later she and Trent came into the room. Looking at her sister Daria asked, 揅ould you leave us for a minute??/span>
Not sure what was happening, Quinn said, 揙kay but don抰 take too long. You抮e the star of the show. We can抰 start without you.?/span>
Daria nodded and Quinn left them alone. Once she was gone, Trent looked at Daria.
揥hat抯 this about??/span>
Daria looked at him, smiled and said, 揟his.?Standing on her toes, she kissed him on the cheek.
Blushing at the first and likely only time Daria would ever kiss him, he asked, 揥hat was that for??/span>
揊or being my friend all the times I needed one.?She said. 揑 never really thanked you and just wanted you to know how I felt.?/span>
Trent smiled.
揑t was nothing. You were there for me too. And rest assured. I抣l always be around. You can count on that.?/span>
Looking into each other抯 eyes, neither had to say anything else. Sadly, the moment was spoiled when Daria抯 maid of honor stuck her head in the room.
揙kay you two, break it up.?Quinn said. 揟he organist is getting tired. Let抯 get going.?/span>
Nodding slightly, both went into the foyer, Quinn finally pulled Daria抯 veil down and everybody got into formation. Soon after, the fanfare played and, in the absence of Jake, Trent escorted Daria down the aisle to stand next to her groom.
The End.
As always, Daria belongs to MTV. This was written for my own amusement.