First Day of Summer - Daria's Day - Part 2

 Daria and Jane got off the bus near the intersection between Dega Street and Main Street.

 

“Where would you like to start? Go along Dega Street, or along Main?” Jane asked.

 

“I doubt there would be anywhere I would want to work at along Dega,” Daria said. ‘I’m not going to be a barmaid at the Zon!’

 

“There is that magazine that Monique works at.”

 

‘No way.’ “Isn’t she Trent’s ex-girlfriend?”

 

“So?”

 

“Wouldn’t that be, awkward?”

 

“Not that awkward! At least give it a shot!”

 

“Ok. But that is all we are doing on Dega!”

 

“Deal!”

 

‘I hope so,’ Daria thought as they started going along that street. She looked up the street, trying to see anything that would be of interest.

 

 

Daria looked at the Dega L’dale Gothic Magazine building as she and Jane approached it. It was a well-kept building that dated from the early 1930’s and still had much of its Art Deco looks. “You called ahead while we were at the Mall, didn’t you?” she asked.

 

“You know me too well.”

 

Daria sighed.

 

 

“So you would like a job for the summer, Daria?” Monique asked when Daria had sat down in her sub-editor’s office.

 

“Not by choice. But a job here would be at least related to what I will be studying in College,” Daria said.

 

“So, what are you studying in College, and where?”

 

“Double Major of English and History at Raft.”

 

“Raft has a very good reputation. You have done well, Daria, I barely got into Lawndale State.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Toughest four years of my life, but it was worth it!”

 

“No doubt,” Daria said. ‘I imagine that her music paid for all her expenses whilst she was in college,’ she thought.

 

“That’s how I got the job I have now. The Harpies were going nowhere. We still play at the Zon occasionally though.”

 

“Um, yeah,” Daria said, afraid that she would mention Mystik Spiral and set Monique off by accident.

 

“Sorry, went off track there,” Monique apologised. “There are a few positions available. Many of them are a good compliment for your College choices.”

 

“You think so?” Daria asked.

 

“Certainly for English,” Monique said.

 

“True,” Daria admitted.

 

Monique handed Daria several application forms. “Have a look at the positions, and you can return them, filled in, in the morning,” she said.

 

“Thank you for your time, Monique,” Daria said after giving each form a brief look over. All of them were of some interest.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

“I better get going, before Jane organises another interview behind my back,” Daria said as she opened the door.

 

Monique quietly laughed. “That’s Jane for you,” she said.

 

Daria flashed a Mona Lisa smile before leaving the room. ‘Although I’m not sure where she would be organising such an interview.’

 

“Where are you going next?”

 

“Main Street.”

 

 

Daria and Jane waved goodbye to Monique as they left the building. “See, that was constructive,” Jane said.

 

“Yes, I have five application forms from one company, on top of what I have from the Mall,” Daria said, as they walked back towards Main Street.

 

“Next, you can apply for a job at Dan’s Stationers,” Jane suggested.

 

“Isn’t that the place where you met Nathan?”

 

“Oh, yeah.”

 

“I will look there. But if we run into Nathan...”

 

“I don’t want to run into him anyway!”

 

‘Good!’ She didn’t want to think about what would happen if Jane did run into Nathan. Even after six months it was a sore spot.

 

 

Daria and Jane exited Dan’s Stationers without seeing either Nathan or Tom. (Not that they expected to see the latter, Daria just remembered that Tom was with them when Jane had met Nathan...)

 

Dan’s Stationers hadn’t had any positions available, nor did the next few stores they looked at.

 

 

Fifty minutes later, Jane and Daria had lunch at the Pizza King. “So on top of the Mall, and the Gothic Magazine, what do we have now?” Jane asked.

 

Daria placed the application forms next to her Pizza. She put the Mall and Gothic Magazine forms aside.

 

“Viv’s Videos,” she said.

 

“The clerk was surprised when you asked for the application form.”

 

“That put it lightly,” Daria said.

 

Jane laughed.

 

Daria removed the Viv’s Videos form and placed it on the other forms. “Lawndale Second Hand Bookstore.”

 

“Go for it,” Jane said encouragingly.

 

Daria smirked and continued to the next form. However, they were interrupted by Brittany Taylor...

 

“Hi, Daria. Hi, Jane!”

 

“Hi Brittany,” Daria said, annoyed at the former head cheerleader.

 

“What are you up to?” Brittany asked.

 

“Looking for summer jobs. At least Daria is,” Jane said.

 

“Oo-oh,” Brittany said.

 

“What are you doing?” Daria asked.

 

“Nothing, wandering around Lawndale.”

 

“You miss Kevin, don’t you?” Jane asked.

 

Brittany sat down next to Jane and started crying. “We have been going out since middle school!” she said.

 

Daria winced at Brittany’s higher-than-usual squeaking. Awkwardly she tried to reassure her. “There, there,” she said.

 

“I knew his grades were low, but not that low!”

 

“Don’t worry, Brittany. You’ll find someone in college,” Jane said.

 

“You think so?” Brittany said.

 

“Of course,” Daria said.

 

Brittany thought for a moment. “Yes, I will, but I still miss Kevie!”

 

“Of course you will miss him, but you can’t spend the rest of your life pining after him,” Jane said.

 

‘I’m not going to pine after Tom. I know that,’ Daria thought.

 

Brittany twirled her hair in thought. “You’re right,” she said.

 

They sat in silence for a few moments. “So, what jobs are you looking for?” Brittany asked.

 

“Something that will not send me insane,” Daria said.

 

“A place that is not like that nut place,” Jane said.

 

“Oo-oh,” Brittany said.

 

“Something which will prepare me for college,” Daria said.

 

“You got into Raft, right?” Brittany asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria said, wondering what Brittany was asking now.

 

“Great Prairie State doesn’t have as good a reputation,” Brittany said.

 

“Was that your only choice?” Jane asked.

 

“No, I had Lawndale State as a safety, but Raft was my first choice!”

 

“Oh!” Daria said. ‘I don’t know how I would have reacted to Brittany going to Raft,’ she thought.

 

“At least you are going to college in the Fall. I have to wait until next semester,” Jane said.

 

Brittany gave Jane a confused look.

 

“Late entry. I initially didn’t want to go,” Jane said.

 

“Oh, So where...”

“BFAC. Boston Fine Arts College.”

 

“Is that good?” Brittany asked.

 

“One of the best in the New England States,” Jane said.

 

 

After they left the Pizza King (after Brittany left), Jane and Daria made their way to the town library.

 

Daria walked up to the main desk. “Are there any job vacancies for former High School students during their summer prior to College?” she asked.

 

The librarian looked surprised. “Wait a moment,” she said. She went and checked a nearby computer.

 

She soon came back.

“Actually, there are two positions for assistant librarian and a position for an archivist’s assistant,” the librarian said.

 

“I would like a form for both positions,” Daria said.

 

The librarian winked at Daria.“I knew that you would want both,” she said. She went to get the forms.

 

 

Daria and Jane sat at a table between the Fiction and Non-Fiction sections of the library to wait for Cindy and Kristen. Daria looked over the library application forms prior to grabbing a copy of Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall whilstJane read a book on the life of Leonardo da Vinci and how it influenced his paintings.

 

 

30 minutes later, Daria heard Cindy say “Here they are.” She looked and saw Cindy and a girl matching Cindy’s description of Kristen.

 

“Hi,” she said.

 

“Hi, Daria, Jane,” Kristen said, uncertainly.

 

“Hi,” Jane said.

 

‘I guess that my reputation precedes me,’ Daria thought. She remembered meeting Andrea at Payday over a year before.

 

“Andrea?”

 

“Well, you found me. Now you can make fun of the pathetic Goth chick whose parents make her work at a crappy job in a stupid warehouse store. Go on, cut me up like you do everyone else.”

 

“I just want a shoe lace.”

 

“Oh, shoe laces. Aisle 197b.”

 

“Thanks. Um, we never saw you.”

 

 

Daria came out of her remembrance. “Hi, Kristen,” she said, with slight warmth.

 

“I must thank you for last night, Daria. Cindy has been worrying that she won’t know anyone when she starts at Raft,” Kristen said.

 

“Really?” Jane asked.

 

“Yes,” Cindy said.

 

“OK,” Daria said.

 

“So your sister isn’t going to Raft?” Jane asked.

 

“No, Kelly’s truancy means that she barely passed senior year, and so she is going to Lawndale Community College,” Kristen said, with annoyance.

 

“I hardly know Kelly anyway,” Cindy said.

 

“I guess so,” Jane said.

 

‘Of course,’ Daria thought.

 

“I am happy to know that I will know somebody when I go to Boston this fall,” Cindy said.

 

Daria smiled her Mona Lisa smile “And I won’t have to wait until spring to have someone I know close by.” She shot an apologetic look at Jane.

 

Jane shrugged.

 

“Your reputation precedes you, Daria. I expected someone more, brusque,” Kristen said.

 

“Um, yeah, I guess I have softened up over the past year,” Daria said.

 

“A certain boy has had an influence, I guess,” Jane said with a smirk.

 

“More like I have matured,” Daria said with her usual snarkiness.

 

Cindy and Kristen exchanged a look. “That’s the Daria I’ve heard of,” Kristen said.

 

Cindy nodded before saying. “A boyfriend?”

 

“We have broken up,” Daria said, with a slight indication of sadness.

 

“Sorry,” Cindy said.

 

“No problem., I was the one who broke it off,” Daria said.

 

“Oh,” Cindy said.

 

“They were going in completely different directions,” Jane said.

 

Daria glared at Jane.

 

“So he wasn’t going to Raft, or any other Boston college. That wouldn’t have been the end of the world,” Cindy said. She noticed Daria’s look. “Or would it have been?”

 

“No, he’s going to Bromwell,” Daria said, pronouncing the school’s name in a posh tone.

 

“Bromwell! You mean he was a Fielding boy?” Kristen asked.

 

Daria nodded.

 

“And not just any ‘Fielding boy,’” Jane said.

 

“Jane!” Daria warned.

 

“Right, too much information, too fast,” Jane murmered.

 

“I’m not one for gossip anyway,” Kristen said.

 

“I guess I will found out in Boston,” Cindy said.

 

“Maybe, or maybe sometime this summer,” Daria said.

 

“Sure,” Cindy said.

 

‘I wonder how she would react,’ Daria wondered.

 

 

After waving goodbye to Cindy and Kristen as they walked away from the library, Daria looked at the clock on above the check in desk. “4:20. Jane, we need to hurry if we are to get to the rest of Lawndale before close of business.”

 

“Right after you, Amiga,” Jane said as she came out of the library. She took out a copy of the map of Lawndale. “Ok, we have done the Lawndale Mall, Dega Street, Main Street and the Library.”

 

Daria looked at the map. “That leaves Cranberry Commons, the various stores on First, through to Fourth Streets and the various neighbourhood stores scattered around town, we wouldn’t be able to get to all of them.”

 

“Well, Cranberry Commons is only a couple of blocks away...” Jane said.

 

“Let’s go,” Daria said.

 

“It should be quick,” Jane said.

 

‘It should be,.’

 

 

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. They had to cross Burnstein Road, one of the main routes through town that lead towards the crazy intersection that the locals called Seven Corners. As such they lost about 10 minutes waiting for a gap in traffic.

“This is crazy,” Jane said after five minutes.

 

“And somehow the city council doesn’t see a need for a zebra crossing.” Daria said.

 

“That’s one thing you can do this summer,” Jane suggested.

 

Daria grumbled.