Quinn's Code - Cafe Geekdale - Part 3

“Um, I thought you were fighting,” Quinn said diplomatically.

“We weren't. I was just asking your sister about her music,” Kristen answered.

“Oh, she almost never talks about her music,” Quinn said.

“I got that impression. She hasn't told me very much,” Kristen said. 'But it is enough to know that Daria is quite withdrawn and moody,' she thought.

“Quinn, Kristen, you can leave now!” Daria said.

“What is your problem? We were about to leave!” Quinn said.

“My problem! You are my problem!” Daria almost shouted.

“Oh really?” Quinn began. Kristen slipped out of the room.

“Yes!” Daria shouted.

512 Grandstaff Drive

The Fashion Club were having a sleepover at club president Sandi Griffin's house. After dinner they had all gone up to Sandi's bedroom.

“There is a reason why I asked you to stay over tonight. We have to, like, do something about Quinn,” Sandi said.

“Why?” Stacy Rowe asked. The Fashion Club didn't usually do sleepovers.

“Sta-cy! We need to stop the Geekiness of that Geekendorffer from getting any more popular!” Sandi exclaimed.

“Why?” Stacy asked.

“Tori?” Sandi asked, turning to the Vice President, Tori Jericho.

“According to my sources, whom I have asked in the last week, the popularity of various science fiction and fantasy media amongst Lawndale High students has gone up drastically,” Tori said. She took a bar chart out of her bag. “According to this, the popularity of Stargate Atlantis has gone up by 33%!”

“Is that all?” Stacy asked. 'That is nothing to be concerned about. Even if he's a brain and a jerk, that McKay guy is cute.'

“What do stars and gates have to do with a ci-ity that saaank in the oce-an?” Tiffany Blum-Deckler asked.

“That's not all, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and by association, the other Narnia books, by 50%,” Tori said.

“That's probably due to the movie which is coming out in a couple of months, not due to Quinn,” Stacy said.

“Sta-cy!”

“Eep!”

“I wasn't finished,” Tori said.

“Sorry,” Stacy said.

“Futurama, 10%. Lord of the Rings, 30%. Halo,75%. World of Warcraft, 95 %. The Matrix, 80%. Battlestar Galactica 45 %. Wheel of Time, 25%. Redwall, 55%. Back to the Future, 70 %.” Tori then listed a few more; some not even sci-fi or fantasy.

“I get the point!” Stacy said, even though she liked some of the stories listed.

“Yes. Tori, I see that the games have become very popular. That is why we need to destroy the Geekendorffer's popularity!” Sandi said.

“I have an idea,” Tori said.

“Then tell us, Tori!” Sandi said.

“Today, some of the sophomores were saying that Mr. O'Neill plans to open an old style coffee house for performances,” Tori said.

“The point being?” Sandi asked.

“The point being, Sandi, that it is a venue we can use to discredit Quinn! We can write a speech denouncing her Geekiness!” Tori said.

Sandi thought about it. That was a very good idea. She smiled. “Excellent!” she said, subconsciously copying the mannerisms of Montgomery Burns from The Simpsons.

'Oh no!' Stacy thought. “But there is a problem,” she said.

“What is that?” Sandi asked, turning to Stacy.

“Only the sophomores will be performing at the Coffee House.”

“Oh, Really? I will see about that. I will ask Mr. O'Neill to allow freshmen to perform,” Sandi said.

“Great idea, Sandi,” Tori said.

“Yes, it is,” Sandi said.

Back at the Morgendorffers, Helen went upstairs to find Cindy and Kristen waiting outside Daria's door with concerned looks on their faces. “What is going on?” she asked.

“Mrs. Morgendorffer, Quinn and Daria have been arguing for around ten minutes,” Kristen said.

“Oh my! They usually get tired of arguing after five minutes!”

“I knew something was up,” Kristen said.

Cindy nodded.

“Don't worry. They don't usually come to blows,” Helen said, although her voice showed some apprehension.

The door opened and Quinn came out, visibly sweating. She closed the door and said; “I don't want to talk about it.”

“Are you sure?” Helen asked.

“Something is up between you and your sister,” Cindy said.

“Most of the issues are on her side anyway. You would have to ask her. Good luck with that!” Quinn said as she headed back to her room.

“I would still like to know,” Kristen said.

“I'll tell you when I'm ready. Not right now,” Quinn said as she went into the room.

Cindy followed Quinn into the room. “We don't need to know now. But we can be there when she wants to tell someone,” she said as she stopped at the door.

“True,” Kristen said, as Cindy entered the room. She remained in the hallway for a few moments longer.

“I wouldn't worry overly much. Quinn is strong, although a little obsessive sometimes,” Helen said.

“I know, on both counts,” Kristen said. “Thanks, Mrs.Morgendorffer.”

“You're welcome,” Helen said as her daughter's goth friend went back into the room.

Tuesday, October 19. 2005

Daria entered the kitchen for breakfast to find her mother waiting for her. “Didn't you have a 7:00 AM meeting?” she asked.

“When I called Eric for directions, he said that the meeting was canceled,” Helen said.

“Oh!” Daria said.

“You know, Daria, it wouldn't hurt if you got involved in some after school activities once in a while.”

Daria just grabbed a box of breakfast cereal.

“I'm serious. When you apply to college, they're going to be looking for that sort of thing.”

“They're going to be looking to see whether I can pay for school. This might be a good time to talk about setting up a trust?”

Helen sighed. “I just want you to think about it, Daria. That's all I ask.”

Daria just poured some milk on her cereal.

“Otherwise we might have to make it up over the summer. Send you to some kind of camp.”

“You wouldn't,” Daria said.

Helen just gave her daughter a poignant look.

“You would. But I would have to interpret it as punishment for doing something, very, very, wrong.”

“Nonsense. It would just be an easy way of getting some extracurricular activity on your college applications... If you weren't able to come up with any on your own.

“You're good. When you put your mind to it, you're very, very good.”

“You'll find something to get involved with. It'll be fun.”

“Swell,” Daria said.

“I also heard that you were involved in another argument with Quinn last night,” Helen said.

That brought Daria up short. “Who told you that? I know Quinn didn't.”

“Kristen did. She and Cindy are close to Quinn and want to know what is going on between you two.”

Daria just took a bite of her cereal.

Helen sighed.