DISCLAIMER: I do not own Daria or any of it抯 characters. I just like to borrow them now and then. Any and all feedback is welcome.
WHATEVER IT IS
[SCENE 1]
(The Lane house. Daria walks in the front door. She is wearing jeans and a black T-shirt that says 揚andora抯 Books?across the chest. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail and she looks hot and tired.)
DARIA: Damn, it抯 hot out there.
(
DARIA (unlacing her boots): Well it feels like 110.
JANE (walking in from the kitchen): You know it would be a lot cooler if you抎 just buy some shorts. It抯 not like it would be any different than you wearing a skirt.
(Jane is wearing her shorts from high school, minus the tights, and a red tank top.)
DARIA: I told you. I need to go buy some new jeans, and then I can cut off my old ones.
JANE (rolling her eyes): And why do you have to go through all that? They sell them pre-cut you know.
DARIA (disgusted look): And have you seen the length of them? They barely cover anything!
DARIA (blushing): Not a word Jane. (Bt)
And you are not helping
JANE: You抮e the one who抯 gonna suffer, not me.
DARIA (sighing): I know. Let me get a shower and change out of my work clothes. (grimace) And then we can go shopping.
JANE: Atta girl. You know, we
could try
DARIA: True. (thoughtful) Maybe that retro shop would have something.
JANE: The Funky Doodle?
(Jane raises an eyebrow as Daria blushes and holds up a hand.)
DARIA: Don抰 ask. (Bt) Why don抰 you go find your boots while I kill your brother.
JANE (grinning): Alright, but I抦 determined to have you as a sister-in-law. I think Wind is single again?/p>
JANE (walking upstairs): Well I don抰 think Penny and Summer are her type.
(Daria rolls her eyes as she steps out of her boots and walks over to the couch.)
DARIA: She抯 your sister.
DARIA: Temporary insanity.
DARIA (shrugging): She grows on you after a while.
(Daria sits on the couch near
DARIA: You did?
(
DARIA (raised eyebrow): Wandered? Lindsay?
DARIA (smirking): That sounds more like my niece.
DARIA (settling against him and closing her eyes): Yeah, if there抯 one thing Quinn does right, it抯 make cute kids.
(Daria抯 eyes immediately fly open
and she tenses up.
DARIA (thought VO): Damn. (out loud) Oh?
DARIA: What do you want me to say
DARIA (sighing): It抯?complicated.
DARIA:
DARIA: No.
(Daria wriggles free and turns so that she抯 facing him, he lets one leg drop off the couch to accommodate her. She places her palm on his cheek.)
DARIA: Absolutely not,
DARIA: That was just a couple of days,
DARIA: That too. Point is, you weren抰 dating their daughter. (Bt) This is a whole new ball game.
DARIA: Don抰 change the subject.
DARIA: You really want to go, don抰 you?
DARIA: Because they抮e my family. They were put here to make my life hell.
(There抯 silence for a few moments as Daria
studies
DARIA: So that抯 what this is about.
DARIA (sigh): I抦 trying to protect you. (Bt) But if you really want to go?/span>
JANE (coming down the stairs): Go where?
DARIA: Quinn invited
JANE (smirking): Nice knowing ya Trent. Can I make a memorial sculpture out of your guitar?
DARIA (smirking over her shoulder): Not so fast. I抦 gonna need backup to make sure they don抰 eat him alive. (Bt) You抮e going too.
JANE: Damn!
DARIA (kissing
(Daria stands and moves towards the stairs.)
DARIA: You two discuss battle plans while I shower. (Bt) And no Jane, we are not giving them all fatal heart attacks.
JANE: Double Damn!
DARIA: Just think of ways to keep Mom from putting
JANE: Get out of my head Morgendorffer!
DARIA (smirking): Trust me, I'm trying.
[SCENE 2]
(Lane House, Penny抯 room. Daria
stands in front of a full length mirror studying herself
critically. She is wearing a pair of khaki capris and
a black tank top. On her feet is a pair of black Converse sneakers. The bed contains
a few outfits like the one she抯 wearing in different neutral and dark colors.
DARIA (jumping): EEP! (blushing) Dammit
DARIA: You should really learn to knock.
DARIA: What if you had walked in while I was changing?
DARIA (blushing): Did you want something?
DARIA: Sure, when are we leaving?
DARIA: Alright, just let me change.
DARIA (frowning): I at least need to put on my hoodie. Forgot to buy some shirts to go over the tank tops. Maybe I抣l just change into a t-shirt?/p>
(Daria walks to the closet,
starting to rifle through her clothing.
(Daria makes a face and
DARIA: Because I haven抰 seen a pig with wings yet.
DARIA (rolling her eyes): I抦 sure you say that to all the girls.
(Daria sighs and leans her forehead against his chest.)
DARIA: I know. It抯 just?/p>
DARIA: I抣l-
JANE (yelling O/S): Yo Lovebirds! Get your clothes back on and let抯 go. I抦 hungry!
DARIA (looking up at him): Would you still like me if I killed your little sister?
?/span>(He steps away, releasing her and holds out his hand. She takes it, giving him a small smile as they walk to the door.)
[SCENE 3]
(Lane House, upstairs hallway.
(A slow smile spreads across his face as he moves towards the bed. He quietly strips down to his boxers and sits, reaching out to stroke Daria抯 hair. She stirs giving him a small smile.)
DARIA (groggy): Mmm. Welcome home. Hope you don抰 mind.
(He leans down and kisses her forehead. She scoots away and throws back the sheet, revealing that she抯 sleeping in one of his t-shirts. His grin widens as he lies down beside her.)
DARIA: Did laundry (yawn) Forgot to put my nightshirt in the dryer?S抩k?
(Daria frowns and
DARIA (sighing): No?no it抯 not wrong.
(She snuggles against him and starts to drift back to sleep.
[SCENE 4]
(
DARIA: Am I drooling on your pillow or something?
DARIA: Couldn抰 sleep? Did I snore?
DARIA: Why?
DARIA (rolling her eyes): You act like you抮e never going to see me again after school starts.
DARIA: I抦 going to
DARIA: And then what?
DARIA (shrugging): I抦 not sure yet. I might use some of my savings to take a trip. Or I might jump right into a job.
DARIA: I don抰 know yet?Why does it matter?
DARIA (irritated): What happened to cherishing what we have now?
(Daria抯 eyes get wide and she just stares at him for a minute. She realizes he is waiting for a response and reaches out to touch his cheek.)
DARIA: You know I care about you Trent-
(
(He rolls over and sits up, grabbing a pair of jeans off the floor.)
DARIA:
(He reaches for one of his t-shirts, then drops it, grabbing a tank top instead. Daria sits up in the bed, grabbing her glasses.)
DARIA: Where are you going?
DARIA:
(
DARIA:
DARIA:
(He gives a soft mirthless chuckle.)
(He walks out, closing the door softly behind him. Daria flops back on the pillow and sighs.)
DARIA (thought VO): Way to go Morgendorffer. How are you going to fix this one?
(A small smile spreads across her lips.)
DARIA (thought VO): Maybe?/p>
[SCENE 5]
(Lane kitchen. Daria sits at the table across from Jane. Both have steaming mugs in front of them.)
JANE (shaking her head): Sorry amiga. I don抰 think there抯 an easy out on this one. You抮e just gonna have to tell him how you feel.
DARIA (sighing): That抯 a lot easier said than done. You know I have trouble with emotions. Why can抰 he understand that?
JANE: He抯 a sensitive soul Daria. Maybe it抯 because he抯 a musician, or maybe he got burned by that bitch Monique one too many times. (Bt) Either way, he needs to know that he抯 not wasting his time being set up for another heartbreak.
(Jane leans forward, looking at Daria earnestly.)
JANE: He抯 not is he?
DARIA: Of course he抯 not. (Bt) I do care about him Jane. But I can抰 just come out and say it. Every time I try, my tongue stops working and my brain shuts down.
JANE (shrugging): So then don抰 say it.
DARIA: And have him quit talking to me?
JANE (rolling her eyes): I mean, find another way to show him.
DARIA (irritated): Jane, sex does not solve everything.
JANE (smirking): What a dirty little mind you have. (Bt) I meant do something that shows him how you feel. Write a poem, buy him a special gift. You know, something to show him how much you care.
DARIA: I抦 afraid my style of writing may not be suited to love poems.
JANE: You抳e heard 揑ce Box Woman?right?
DARIA: He considers that a love song?
JANE (nodding): Wrote it for some girl he had a crush on in 9th grade.
DARIA: I guess he is a bit off the beaten path. (Bt) Wait a minute?/p>
JANE: What?
DARIA: A love song.
JANE: As long as it抯 not Celine Dion.
DARIA (making a face): I want to show him how I feel, not make him jump out a window. (thoughtful) And I think I know just the song too.
(Daria stands giving Jane one of her rare smiles.)
DARIA: Thanks Jane.
JANE: Anytime.
[SCENE 6]
(
(He notices a piece of paper taped to the back of the case. It simply reads 揟rack 10?Shrugging, he tosses it into his stereo and finds the desired track.)
(
(He reaches out and pushes a button, restarting the track. This time he pays attention to the lyrics.)
Aye Aye Aye Aye
Aye Aye Aye Aye
Aye Aye Aye Aye
Aye Aye Aye Aye
You say I'm stubborn
and I never give in
I think you're stubborn 'cept you're always softening
You say I'm selfish, I agree with you on that
I think you're giving I think way too much in fact
I say we've only known each other one year
You say pfft I've known you longer my dear
You like to be so close, I like to be alone
I like to sit on chairs and you prefer the floor
Walking with each other, think we'd never match at all
But we do, But we do do do do
do do do
But we do, but we do do do do
do do do
I thought I knew myself, somehow you know me more
I've never known this, never before
You're the first to make up whenever we argue
I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you
You're so prerogative, I'm so conservative
You're so adventurous, I'm so very cautious,
Combining you抎 think
we wouldn抰
We do
But we do do do do
do do do
But we do, but we do do do do
do do do
Aye Aye Aye Aye
Aye Aye Aye Aye
?
Favouritism ain't my thing
But in this situation
I'd be glad
Favouritism ain't my thing
But I'd be glad to
make an exception
You say I'm stubborn and I never give in
I think you're stubborn 'cept you're always softening
You say I'm selfish, I agree with you on that
I think you're giving I think way too much in fact
I say we've only known each other one year
You say pfft I've known you longer my dear
You like to be so close, I like to be alone
I like to sit on chairs and you prefer the floor
Walking with each other, think we'd never match at all
But we do
(A small smile spreads across
[SCENE 7]
(Morgendorffer living room. The room has been decorated for a child抯 party and is currently filled with a dozen or so toddlers and their parents. The doorbell rings and Helen answers it. It opens to reveal Daria and Jane.)
HELEN: Hello girls. Where抯
JANE: Getting his guitar out of the car.
HELEN (overly sweet): Well hello
(
(Quinn walks over carrying Aiden,
who is reaching for
QUINN: Lindsay! What have I told you about that? You are not a football player, it抯 rude to tackle guests.
(Quinn gives
QUINN: Oh you brought your guitar! Maybe you can keep them entertained for more than a second.
(The group moves into the living room where Daria and Jane stop dead, looks of shock on their faces.)
DARIA: Ms. Barch?
MS. BARCH: Not for much longer. I抣l be Mrs. O抧eill soon. Skinny! Grab Angela, she抯 pulling Anthony抯 hair again.
MR. O扤EILL: Oh dear.
(Mr. O抧eill pulls a sandy haired girl of about 3 off of a boy that looks a lot like her.)
MR. O扤EILL: Now Angie, it抯 not nice to hurt your brother like that. Tell him you抮e sorry and give him a hug.
(The little girl glares at him and reluctantly mumbles an apology before hugging the boy.)
MR. O扤EILL: That抯 a good girl, now go play with the other children.
(Mr. O抧eill chuckles as both of the children run off.)
MR. O扤EILL: She抯 got her mother抯 strength and willpower.
MS. BARCH: Good, then she won抰 get trampled on by any loser with a-
MR. O扤EILL: Janet?children.
MS. BARCH: Sorry Skinny. (smiling) So Jane, Daria. How are you girls?
JANE: Umm great.
QUINN: Mr. O抧eill runs the daycare center down the road. The kids and I go there for Toddler Tumbling and Mini-Me Yoga.
DARIA: Wow, what made you leave Lawndale High?
MR. O扤EILL: Well when Janet got pregnant with the twins, we decided we didn抰 want our children to be raised by strangers.
MS. BARCH: But on the pittance that Li pays, we couldn抰 afford for one of us to quit.
MR. O扤EILL: So Janet and I started brainstorming. After all the years I spent running a summer camp for kids, a daycare couldn抰 be that hard. Now I have a job that I love, and I get to take my children to work with me every day! What parent wouldn抰 love that?
JANE: So Anthony and Angela?
MR. O扤EILL (nodding): Our little angels.
DARIA: Congratulations.
(Lindsay runs up, tugging on Daria抯 hand)
LINDSAY: Aunt Dawia, Twent needs his guitaw.
DARIA: Duty calls.
(She wanders over and hands
DARIA: How is it after all this time I抦 still a roadie?
(Daria blushes and
DARIA: No thanks, I抣l take my usual spot in the back. Easier to escape and harder for you to see my earplugs.
(She smirks at him and then moves back to stand by Jane.)
MR. O扤EILL: Say, didn抰 that gentleman with the guitar go
to
JANE: Yep that抯 my brother Trent. He helped you with the protest song.
MR. O扤EILL (brightly): Oh yes! I remember. Is he going to play for us?
DARIA (smirk): Yes, he抯 been commanded by the birthday boy抯 big sister.
MR. O扤EILL (chuckling): Lindsay is a spirited one.
(All of the children are seated on the floor in front of the
center sofa where
(He grins and then begins playing 揗ary Had a Little Lamb?encouraging the kids to sing along. After playing several kids tunes, he smiles.)
(He looks pointedly at Daria as he
begins to play. She blushes and Jane elbows her as
TRENT: When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
When the evening shatters and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
I'd go hungry I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
Know there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet
I could make you happy make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love
To make you feel my love
(All of the adults in the room are a little misty eyed as he
finishes. Mr. O抧eill is openly weeping on Ms. Barch抯 shoulder. The children all clap and
QUINN: Who抯 ready for cake?
(All of the children cheer and jump up to follow her into the dining room. Everyone leaves except Daria and Trent. He sits on the couch, lightly strumming his guitar as she studies him.)
DARIA: So I take it you liked the CD.
DARIA (walking across the room):
No I didn抰. (smirk) I抦 sure that was a bit closer to
his version than Adele抯.
DARIA: Sounded better than both of them.
(
DARIA: Why?
DARIA: There抯 nothing dull about a man with a tattoo that means 揑 got this tattoo out of a magazine?
(They share a smirk.)
DARIA: I抳e been thinking about us a lot these past few days.
DARIA: And I can抰 make any guarantees
DARIA: But I wanna try.
DARIA (nodding): I抳e loved you for so long
(
DARIA: Yes I know I just used that word. (takes
a deep breath) I love you
(He leans in and kisses her just as Lindsay comes running into the room.)
LINDSAY: Aunt Dawia! You gonna miss da cake!
(She grabs each of the chuckling adults by the hand and drags them towards the dining room.)
[SCENE 8]
(
(He hangs the phone up on the third try and groans, running his hands over his face.)
(CUT TO: The Lane kitchen, Jane is sitting at the table
sketching when
JANE: Look at you all spiffed up.
TRENT (shrugs, pouring a cup of coffee): Going to lunch. (taking a sip) Where抯 Daria?
JANE: She抯 at work until 2.
(
JANE: So where are you going to lunch? Got a date?
JANE: No, she wouldn抰 care.
JANE: Now Daria on the other hand, might be a little curious?/p>
(Jane gets up and grabs the phone, dialing quickly.)
JANE: I think we have a problem.
[SCENE 9]
(A diner. We see
HELEN: Yes, well I thought you and I should have a little one on one time.
(A waitress wanders over.)
WAITRESS: What can I get ya?
HELEN: I抣l have a Caesar salad, easy on the dressing. Oh just put it on the side and I抣l do it myself. And a diet Ultra Cola.
(The waitress raises an eyebrow, but nods and turns to
WAITRESS: Usual
WAITRESS: Johnny.
(Helen raises an eyebrow as the waitress walks away.)
HELEN: I guess you do know the place.
HELEN: So you are still in that band?/p>
HELEN: DJ? Hmm. Well at least it抯 a job.
HELEN: And in five years do you still see yourself as a DJ
in
(
HELEN:
HELEN: A foot in the door to what?
HELEN: Well that抯 nice, but-
LINDSAY: GAMMA!!!!!
(Lindsay scrambles into the booth beside Helen giving her a hug. Quinn follows her, pushing Aiden in a stroller. He is fidgeting wildly to be set free.)
QUINN: Mom, Trent! What are you doing here?
HELEN: We were just having lunch darling. (suspiciously) What are you doing here?
QUINN (getting Aiden out of the stroller): Oh the kids and I come here all the time. It抯 on our way home from the daycare center and Lindsay just loves Johnny抯 Mashed Potato Surprise. Mind if we join you?
HELEN: Of course not, how can I say no to lunch with my grandchildren.
(Connie brings over two booster seats. Helen places one
between her and the wall of the booth, placing Lindsay in it.
CONNIE: Usual hon?
QUINN: Yes please.
CONNIE: I抣l see if I can get Johnny to step it up so I can bring everything at the same time.
QUINN: Thanks. (turning back to Helen) So what brought on this meeting of the minds?
HELEN: Well I just thought that Trent and I haven抰 spent very much time together.
QUINN:?Mm-hmm. (to
HELEN: Quinn!
QUINN: Muh-omm! Why beat around
the bush? We all know why you抮e here so let抯 get to it.
QUINN: There, was that so hard?
HELEN: Quinn! (to
HELEN: And once she graduates, she抯 going to have a lot of options. (sternly) Not all of which are going to be here.
(Connie brings over their food. Quinn抯 is a salad just like
her mother抯 and
QUINN (grinning): Looks like the kids aren抰 the only ones who like the mashed potato surprise.
(Connie hands Quinn and Helen sodas, the kids
milk and
QUINN: How are you so skinny?
(
QUINN (chuckling): When they are bouncing off the walls tonight I抦 bringing them to the studio.
(The three adults share a chuckle.)
HELEN: While we抮e on the subject?have you and Daria thought about starting a family?
QUINN: But you have known eachother forever! Things happen a lot faster when you start as friends. Trust me.
HELEN: And it can be so hard for a young woman to balance starting a career and a family at the same time.
QUINN: Writing is a career she could do from home?/p>
HELEN: You know how hard it is finding five minutes to write a grocery list? How could you even begin to have the time to write a novel?
HELEN: Well some people would say that you can mold someone into a domestic.
HELEN (small, satisfied smile): I抦 glad we can agree on
that
(Trent and Quinn share a smirk. As Helen fishes her phone out of her pocket.)
HELEN (irritated): Marianne can this wait? I抦 in the middle of lunch with my- (cheerful) Oh Hiii Eric! (Bt) No of course, I was just finishing.
( Helen tosses some money on the table and blows air kisses to the children, scurrying out of the diner. Quinn moves to take her place.)
QUINN: Well that was fun. In the future, never agree to meet my mother alone anywhere.
QUINN: Remember that in a few years when she抯 helping plan your wedding.
(
QUINN: So you think you could give us a ride home?
QUINN (waving dismissively): Jane transferred the seats to your car when she dropped us off.
(She gives him a smirk that looks a lot like Daria抯 and turns to wipe Lindsay抯 mouth.)
QUINN: Oh and could we stop by the gas station at the corner? I promised the kids a sucker if they didn抰 tell Grandma that we usually come here with Grandpa?or that Johnny let抯 Grandpa in the kitchen.
QUINN: Who do you think came up with Mashed Potato Surprise? It was the only way Daria and I would eat any veggies when we were kids.
(Quinn gives him an 揂re you kidding??look.)
(
[SCENE 10]
(Lane kitchen Jane, Daria, Quinn,
and
QUINN: Are you sure you don抰 want me to put him on the couch with Lindsay?
QUINN: He looks out to me.
(Quinn gets up and starts to take Aiden,
who instantly grabs
QUINN: Alright Mr. Know-it-all.
DARIA: He can抰 be all that bright. He went to lunch with Mom (Bt) by himself (Bt) voluntarily.
DARIA, QUINN, JANE: You抣l get over it.
(The girls all look at eachother and smirk.)
DARIA: What we mean is, it抯 nice that you are making an effort. But if you jump at Mom抯 every command she will walk all over you. In the end, you抣l just be another whipping post for her.
JANE: If you wanna make a friend, try Jake.
QUINN: Only if you like stories about Mad Dog and Ellenbogen?/p>
JANE (shrugging): As long as you can play 揥hat抯 that over there??you抮e fine.
DARIA: Besides, Dad抯 mellowed out a little. I think Jamie抯 help with the company has eliminated a lot of stress for him.
QUINN (grinning): That and knowing he抯 almost done paying tuition.
(Daria smirks at her as someone knocks on the door.)
JANE: I抣l get it
(Jane leaves the kitchen and returns a few seconds later with Jamie. Jamie leans down and kisses Quinn抯 check.)
QUINN: Hi hon.
JAMIE: Sorry I抦 so late. We抳e got a big meeting with a potential client tomorrow.
QUINN: No problem. I don抰 get to have dinner with my sister that often.
DARIA: There抯 a plate for you in the fridge.
JAMIE: Thanks. (to Quinn) Should we get the midgets home to bed?
JANE: I don抰 know, (nodding towards Aiden) that one seems pretty comfortable.
(Jamie chuckles, moving to take Aiden from
QUINN: Careful, he抯 kind of attached to
DARIA: Literally.
(Aiden makes some fussing sounds and tightens his grip. After a bit of coaxing and prying the toddlers fists loose, Jamie is able to take him. The toddler glares at his father for a moment before snuggling into his chest with a small huffing sigh.)
JAMIE: Oh I抳e got my own set, but we can toss them in the trunk.
(Quinn stands then leans down and hugs Daria. Daria looks a bit shocked and responds a bit awkwardly.)
QUINN: Thanks for dinner Daria. We should get together like this more often.
DARIA: Yeah we should.
(
DARIA: Not a word Lane.
JANE (smirking): I wasn抰 gonna say anything.
DARIA (standing): Mm-hmm.
(Daria starts clearing the table and Jane gets up to help.)
[SCENE 11]
(
DARIA: Yes
DARIA: I think I抎 like that
(The pair lays in silence for a moment.
(
DARIA: No matter where I go, you抣l always be welcome to visit me Trent.
(
DARIA: As long as you don抰 tell either of our families where I live厖
THE END