A Question of Cindy

A Question of Cindy

Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane were in the Pizza King, celebrating their graduation from Lawndale High earlier that day.

“So, dazzling academic achievement, eh? What a sellout,” Jane said.

“I know. And then I had the perfect opportunity to beat Ms. Li senseless with my trophy, and what do I do? Give a heart-warming speech,” Daria said, with her usual amount of thick sarcasm.

“You're getting soft around the edges, Morgendorffer.”

“Maybe, or maybe you've got glaucoma.”

“To college! I can't wait! What do you think we'll find when we get there?”

“Hmm. That the students are shockingly ignorant, the professors self-centered and corrupt, and the entire system geared solely to the pursuit of funding?” Daria said, inwardly hoping that it wouldn’t be like that.

“Hmmm, yes. You know that thing I said about you getting soft?”

“I take it back,” Jane said. She and Daria then clinked their cups. ‘To the future, may we stay friends no matter how old we get!’ Jane thought.

A few moments later Daria looked to the door and saw one of the former students of Lawndale whom had graduated with her and Jane enter the Pizza place. “Hmm.”

“What’s up?” Jane asked.

“Do you know that girl?” Daria asked. She had seen her around the school, but couldn’t recall her name. (Indeed, Daria was sure that she knew less than 25% of the student body, and that there was a lot that went on in the school that she didn’t know about and she preferred it that way.) ‘Jane may know. I don’t want to ask Quinn.’

“Not really, All that I can tell you is that her name is Cindy Brolsma and that she is into computers. Why?” Jane asked.

“Jane, she graduated with us this afternoon,” Daria pointed out.

“She did?” Jane exclaimed.

“And the last that I can recall, she was in Quinn’s classes. She was in the Language Arts class that I taught during the Strike,” Daria said, referring to the Teachers Strike held two weeks after their previous summer vacation had ended.

Jane thought for a moment “Oh yeah,” she said.

“I am going to talk to her,” Daria said. ‘It would likely be the only chance that I’ll get,’ she thought.

“Are you sure?” Jane said, wondering what good that will do. She saw Cindy ordering a pizza at the counter.

“Yes. I would like to know,” Daria said, as she got up.

“Just don’t antagonise her, ok?” Jane said. ‘If so, I think she won’t tell her anything,’ she thought.

‘I will try not to antagonise her,’ Daria thought as she went towards the other bespectacled teen.

Cindy Brolsma had just ordered a pizza when she turned around and noticed Daria Morgendorffer coming towards her. ‘This is definitely unusual,’ she thought.

“Cindy?” Daria asked.

“That’s me,” Cindy said, quite puzzled.

“Would you like to sit with Jane and myself?” Daria asked.

Cindy hesitated. Why was Daria Morgendorffer, one of the most anti-social teens in Lawndale, with the reputation to match, asking her to sit with her? “Um, sure,” she finally said.

“Good,” Daria said, as she turned to go back to Jane.

“I will be there when I get my Pizza,” Cindy said. ‘Hopefully that will quell the butterflies in my stomach.

“Sure,” Daria said.

“That was rather quick, and you didn’t get to the point!” Jane said, when Daria had sat back down.

“Jane, if I did antagonise her, she wouldn’t have told me anything,” Daria said without hesitation.

“That’s true,” Jane said as she took a bite.

“I invited her to sit with us,” Daria said.

“So both of us can ask her?” Jane asked. ‘Certainly better than Daria by herself asking her,’ she thought.

“Yes.”

Six minutes later, Cindy sat with Daria and Jane.

“Ok, why did you ask me to sit with you and Jane, Daria?” Cindy asked, as she opened her pizza.

“Direct, aren’t you?” Jane said.

“When I need to be,” Cindy said.

“Um, you graduated from Lawndale High this afternoon, right?” Daria asked.

Cindy nodded, she knew that other students at Lawndale would be confused by her early graduation, but she hadn’t expected be asked about it students whom she did not associate with.

“How did you pull that off?” Daria asked.

“Why are you asking me this?” Cindy asked, wondering if Daria was going to chew her out like she did most others she crossed paths with.

“Curiosity,” Daria said.

“We are going to college and we don’t know everything about Lawndale?” Jane asked with a mischievous tone.

“Actually, I am beginning to wonder if I had overlooked other like minded people whom attended Lawndale High. Anyone who can graduate High School early is a good person in my book,” Daria said.

‘At least she is asking politely. She is also not chewing me out.’ She decided to tell her and Jane about how she had managed to graduate from Lawndale High early anyway. ‘At least someone besides Kristen knows,’ she thought.

“Well, I attended advanced classes via concurrent enrolment Post Secondary Enrolment Option programs at Lawndale Community College,” Cindy said tentatively. ‘Best to tell them about that first,’ she thought.

“Ms Li mustn’t have been pleased about that!” Jane said.

Cindy chuckled, she knew that the principal tended to keep tight tabs on the school’s budget. “She still isn’t,” she said.

“That wouldn’t do it. You would still have to do the full four years,” Daria said, the curiosity showing (only slightly) in her voice.

“I have been doing advanced placement classes since seventh grade. I also did the International Baccalaureate,” Cindy said.

“Interesting,” Daria said, feeling a little jealous. Despite her straight A record she had never been able to get her mom to allow her to take the advanced classes. ‘My lack of socialisation may have had something to do with that,’ she thought.

“Is that all?” Cindy asked, wondering what else the so called outcast duo would want to ask her.

“You are going to College, right?” Jane asked.

“Of course. I wouldn’t do all that and not go to college. This Fall, goodbye Lawndale, hello Boston!” Cindy said.

“Boston?” Daria asked wondering. ‘It has to be a coincidence; there are many tertiary institutions in Boston,’ she thought.

“Yeah. I am going to Raft,” Cindy said.

“Raft?” Daria asked, almost in shock.

“What is wrong with that? Raft has a great reputation!” Cindy retorted.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Daria said.

“What then?” Cindy asked.

“She is also going to Raft,” Jane said.

“You are?” Cindy asked.

Daria nodded.

Cindy relaxed; “At least I’ll know somebody,” she said.

“I won’t be the only one,” Daria said.

“You won’t?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah. Jane will also be in Boston. But not until next Spring,” Daria said. ‘If she knows I am going, she has to know that Jane is too,’ she thought.

“Daria!” Jane exclaimed.

“She would find out anyway,” Daria said.

“What?” Cindy asked, wondering why Jane would be touchy, about going to Boston in Spring.

“I applied to BFAC late. I wouldn’t be going to college, if it weren’t for Daria encouraging me,” Jane admitted.

“Boston Fine Arts College? I have heard that you are a good artist, but wow. BFAC has a really good reputation in the art world,” Cindy said.

Jane looked at Cindy “How would you know that?” she asked. ‘I haven’t heard that she is interested in art,’

Cindy grew quiet. “My mom went there after school. She now works in the Lawndale Art Museum. So what are you doing at Raft, Daria?”

“Double Major English and History, I will be trying to be a writer and a historian. And yourself?” Daria asked. She had no idea of what Cindy may be interested in, besides what Jane had said earlier.

“Computer Science. In your face, MIT!

“Interesting,” Daria said.

“Do you have anything against MIT?” Jane asked.

“There are more males than females, although I heard that is improving. Besides, Raft is almost as good as MIT as regards Computer Science,” Cindy said.

“Cool, I guess,” Jane said.

“It definitely is,” Cindy said.

The trio continued to talk for the next half hour, before they left the Pizza King to head home.