Quinn's Code - The Invitation - Part 2

In Quinn's 'hacker cave' of a room, Andrea Hecuba looked at the Javascript code on the screen as Quinn typed. “You want my opinion on what to do?” she asked.

“Of course,” Quinn said, as she continued typing.

“Just sneak them in,” Andrea said.

“Huh?” Quinn was confused.

“Brittany will be focused on the party. She won't notice two people whom she didn't invite,” Andrea said.

“How do you know that?” Quinn asked, she knew that Brittany and Andrea didn't hang out.

“We were friends in Elementary School,” Andrea said, with some bitterness; “two rough and tumble tomboys having fun.”

“Rough? Brittany seems nice,” Quinn commented.

“Not as rough as I was,” Andrea said, with a tone of lamenting regret.

Quinn could hear the regret in Andrea's voice. “What happened?” she asked.

“A long story,” Andrea said, in a tone that reminded Quinn very much of Daria.

7 years earlier

Nine year old Andrea and Brittany, dressed in boys clothes, were playing with Lego in Brittany's bedroom. They stopped as they heard Brittany's mother, Vivian, yelling at her father, Steve.

Brittany twirled her finger in her short blonde hair “It is happening again!” she said with slight panic in her voice.

“Do you know why she is yelling at him?” Andrea asked, as she nervously ran a hand through her mid-length, dark brown hair.

“She says that he needs to be at home at night every night, or something,” Brittany said. Andrea could hear the certainty that Brittany felt that her mother wasn't telling the whole truth. Brittany leaned against the bedroom door to listen. Andrea also leaned next to the door, next to her friend, to offer support if required.

They winced as they heard a door being slammed downstairs.

End of Flashback

Quinn typed slowly, waiting for Andrea to speak after saying “A long story.”

A minute passed.

“Sorry,” Quinn said. 'Must be rather unpleasant memories,' she thought.

Andrea snapped out of her reminiscence. “Right,” she said.

“You were saying that Brittany won't notice Cindy and Kristen?” Quinn asked.

“She won't. You can just sneak them in,” Andrea said.

“Ok,” Quinn said, thinking.

It was a usual Morgendorffer dinner. Jake was reading the paper (the Lawndale Sun-Herald), Daria was reading the book she had purchased on the life of Mozart 2 weeks previously (she was almost finished), Quinn was reading a game guide (the game in question being a RPG on the X-Box) and Helen was wondering if there would ever be any family interaction at dinner. “Did anything interesting happen at school today?” she asked.

Quinn put the game guide down. “I was invited to a party this weekend,” she said.

“A party, where?” Helen asked.

“Brittany Taylor's. Actually it was her boyfriend who invited me,” Quinn said.

“That's fascinating!” Helen said.

“Yeah. My first party in Lawndale!” Quinn said.

Helen turned to Daria. “Have you heard of this?” she asked.

“Brittany invited me, I haven't decided if I am going to go or not,” Daria said.

“You can't go, you will embarrass me,” Quinn said.

“Touché,” Daria said.

“You should ground her because...” Quinn said. She groped for a reason; “her room is a mess!”

Helen looked at Quinn, knowing that her 'hacker cave' was as messy as her sister's unusual room.

“If I go down for that one, I'm taking you with me!” Daria said.

Helen sighed. Before Quinn could come up with a retort she said; “I think it's great that you two are going to be spending time together. Dad and I would be happy to drive you to the party and pick you up.”

“No!” the sisters said in unison.

“There are another two days of school before then, I'll find a way to get there,” Quinn said, she finished her vegitarian lasagna and left the kitchen nook.

Once Quinn was gone, Helen said; “Daria, I would like it if you would keep an eye on Quinn at this party.”

Daria looked at her mother “As if!” she said.

Helen sighed. “She doesn't have to know about it, Daria!” she said.

Daria ignored her mother, as she chewed on the tasteless lagagna.

“Daria, answer me!” Helen demanded.

“I don't know what I did, but it couldn't have been that bad,” Daria said.

“I just want you to keep an eye on her,” Helen said.

“Is this a way of acknowledging how much more trustworthy I am?” Daria asked.

“It's my way of saying that if you don't do it, I'm sending both of you with a babysitter.”

“I'll take that as a ringing declaration of parental approval,” Daria said, in her customary monotone, she then finished her lasagne and left the kitchen nook.

Helen sighed.

Thursday, October 7, 2005

Daria arrived at Casa Lane. She could see Jennifer's Beetle parked behind Trent's Satellite. 'I see that Jennifer takes better care of her car than Trent does,' she thought as she passed the unusual lawn ornament. She knocked on the door. Jane answered it. “Hi, Daria, come in,” she said.

Jennifer had brought Jane some takeaway breakfast, as the Lane fridge and cupboards were rather empty (It seemed that Trent hardly did any grocery shopping).

“So, Brittany invited you to the party?” Jennifer asked, as she took a bite out of a muffin.

“Yeah,” Daria said. “And Kevin invited Quinn, as I am sure you have heard,” she continued.

“You are not thinking of going, are you?” Jane asked.

“My Mom has roped me in as a babysitter, Now I have to go,” Daria said.

“Ouch,” Jennifer said. 'About as bad as having to babysit my cousins in middle school,” she thought.

“Bummer!” Jane exclaimed.

“I don't want to go with Quinn alone,” Daria said.

“You want us to come with you?” Jennifer asked.

“Yes,” Daria said.

“Someone has to ensure that you don't embarrass Quinn too much, I guess. I'll come.” Jennifer said, shyly. She really did not like parties. “But how are we going to get past the guards?”

“Actually, I have some life drawings that may come in handy,” Jane contributed.

“You did life drawings?” Daria asked.

“Last summer,” Jane answered.

“Interesting,” Jennifer said.

“There is time before school. You want to have a look?”

“Sure,” Daria said.

“Your art always gives me a laugh,” Jennifer said.

“Cool,” Jane said, as she stood up. 'All this time, and she never told me,' she thought.