Daria knocked on the Lane
front door. A tall lanky young man answered it. “Hi, you must be
Daria, Janie is waiting in the kitchen with Jennifer,” he said.
“You must be Trent,” Daria said, recalling Jane's
description of the younger of her two older brothers.
“Yes,” Trent said.
'He is handsome. Did I just think that?!'
Daria walked into the kitchen, blushing. Jane noticed
the blush. “I see that you have met my brother,” she said.
“Go to hell, Lane,” Daria said, with a slight
embarrassed tone “How old is he anyway?” she asked.
Jane didn't answer, but Jennifer did “21,” she said.
“I'm not even 16 until next month!” Daria said.
“True,” Jane admitted. Daria was quite embarrassed.
She didn't expect it to be 'crush at first sight'.
“Are you ok?” Jennifer asked.
“I will be,” Daria answered.
“Good,” Jennifer said.
“So, how are we going to the Party?” Daria asked.
“I'm thinking that Trent can drive us to the Party,”
Jane said.
“Trent?” Daria asked.
“It can't be that bad,” Jane said.
Jennifer held back a sigh. Instead she asked; “Why
Trent?”
“Where can we leave your car?” Jane asked.
Jennifer thought for a moment. “Good point,” she
said.
“What about afterwards?” Daria aked.
Jane shrugged. “We can walk, the area between Crewe
Neck and West Lawndale is well lit, and there is very little crime in
West Lawndale,” Jane said.
“Generally true,” Jennifer said, agreeing with Jane.
“So we can walk, or catch a lift with one of the other
partygoers,” Daria stated.
“Yes, if we must,” Jennifer said.
“What about Quinn?” Jane asked.
“She would be making her own arrangements,” Daria
stated, flatly, though Jennifer was sure that she detected a hint of
hostility.
'What is it between those two?' she wondered, not for
the first time.
“Ok,” Jane said.
The trio continued to talk for a while before going to
wake up Trent.
Keith pulled his car up in front of the Brolsma/Robinson
house.
“We will be ten minutes at most,” Kristen said, as
she got out.
“Ok,” Keith said, as he turned off the engine.
Kristen went towards the house.
The sound of the doorbell resounded as Cindy finished
putting on a red dress that she hadn't used since the beginning of
the previous summer.
“I told you that you would look great!” Quinn said.
Cindy
looked at herself in the mirror yet another time. She did look great.
“Thankyou, Quinn. This isn't what I call overboard,” she said,
and did a pirouette.
“Thanks. I do have great color-sense. You look great,
Cindy. Boys will notice you,” Quinn said.
“Hopefully, not the wrong sort of boys. Like the
football team, or Upchuck,” Cindy said.
“I don't think the latter would be there, but Joey,
Jeffy and the other one aren't that bad,” Quinn said.
“I wouldn't be surprised that Upchuck found a way to
get invited,” Cindy said.
Quinn's would be reply was interrupted by Cindy's mother
announcing Kristen's arrival.
“Hi, Kristen,” Quinn said.
“I see you have redecorated since I was last here,”
Kristen said, taking in the many new posters on the walls.
“Uh,
yeah,” Cindy said, embarrassed as she stepped in front of one of
the many World
of Warcraft
posters. Quinn glanced at a Baldur's
Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
poster.
“That's ok, I should have visited since last year
anyway. You look good in that dress, by the way,” Kristen said.
“Thanks, Quinn helped me pick it out,” Cindy said.
“Cool,” Kristen said.
They talked for another minute before leaving to go the
the party.
At Casa Lane, Trent walked into the kitchen. “Are you
and your friends ready to go, Janie?” he asked.
“Of course we are,” Jane said.
“Do you know the way?” Daria asked quietly.
“Um, sure. Crewe Neck, right?” Trent asked.
“Yes, Trent,” Jane said.
“Cool,” Trent said.
“I'll move my car out of the driveway,” Jennifer
said.
“No need, I can drive on the lawn,” Trent said.
“No, Trent, remember the last time you tried that? You
almost hit the scupture, and the mailbox, and almost crashed into the
house!” Jane said.
“Actually, that was Jesse,” Trent said, in defense.
“Really?” Jane asked.
“Yes,” Trent said.
“I'll move the car anyway. Just in case,” Jennifer
said.
15 minutes later, the three teens got out of the ageing
Plymouth close to the main Crewe Neck gate/entry.
“Are you sure that you don't want to crash?” Jane
asked as she got out.
“A high school party? Please. Don't you think I'm a
little mature for that?” Trent asked, prior to Daria and Jennifer
getting out.
“Don't do anything I wouldn't,” Trent said as he
drove away.
“Bye,” Daria said.
“Nice Conversational Skills,” Jane said.
Jennifer rolled her eyes.
