Story 7: The Grounded Geek
Lawndale, MD, USA
January 17, 2006
It was late at night, Daria Morgendorffer was late. It was the latest she had been out, in Lawndale or in Highland. She silently urged the driver to go faster. Eventually she arrived home. “Thanks,” she said as she emerged from the car. It then drove away. She checked her watch. Almost midnight. She tip-toed up to the front door. Or at least she tried to. Her sister, Quinn appeared to the side of the driveway. “Hold it, young lady,” she said.
“Funny, Quinn,” Daria responded.
“What are you doing out so late?”
“What are you doing out so late?”
“What do you mean? I'm always out this late,” Quinn answered.
Daria wasn't sure of the truth of that. “You want to tell me how to sneak in, don't you?” she asked. 'Of course she does.'
“Stop tip toeing around like a nerd! Gosh! Have a little dignity, Daria!”
Not wanting to wake their parents, Daria kept her voice low. “I have dignity, Quinn! I'm not going to let you try and teach me how to be cool.”
Quinn grumbled.
Then there was the sound of their father, Jake, saying from the parent's bedroom on that side of the house. “What's going on down there!”
Then their mother, Helen, saying. “More threatening.”
“Let me handle it. Darn it, what's going on down there!” Jake said.
“Jake, you sound like such a nerd!”
Turning her back on Quinn, Daria quickly unlocked the door...
She tried sneaking up the stairs but found her mother at the top. “And why are you out so late, Daria?”
“No comment.”
“You're not getting away that easily.”
'Of course not!'
January 18, 2006
Around dinner time, there was a family meeting in the living room. “Is this going to take long. I'm supposed to be somewhere,” Quinn said.
“Oh? Is there a games sale on at the Mall?”
“Don't start, girls. Your father and I are very upset that you broke your curfew last night.”
“Strange, I didn't know we had a curfew,” Daria said.
Jake spoke up. “Well, that's interesting, Daria; I didn't, either. But according to your mother... “
Helen interrupted. “Jake! The point is, you were out way too late, which is why tonight we're going to...”
Quinn then interuppted. “Destroy my social life with extra rules and regulations? I can't breathe! Mother, I can't breathe!”
“Don't be melodramatic. We just need to set some,” Helen paused. “Boundaries. And we'd like your input.”
“Well, late curfews can go to those who can use them. Like popular people who can respond to others' computer troubles late at night,” Quinn said.
“Who said that? Jefferson? Gates? Jobs? Torvalds? Stallman?”
“Dar-i-a!”
“It can't be Jefferson...” Jake pondered.
“Of course not! Jefferson predated even Babbage,” Quinn said.
Helen was annoyed at the change in topic. “All right, girls. Forget the input.” She then produced a couple of large tablets, in a similar design to the popular conception of the Ten Commandments. They were covered in various rules.
'Cool!' Daria thought. “Hey, does this mean we get to wander in the desert for forty years?”
“After much hard work, your father and I have come up with a set of guidelines I think we can all live by.”
“That's right! A lot of thought went into this.” He whispered to Helen. “Do I have to read these?”
“Later!” Helen whispered back.
“Wow, it seems interesting,” Quinn said. 'And rather annoying,' she thought to herself.
“Oh, brother,” Daria said.
“But right now, I have to go. I have a date,” Quinn said.
“You can't go out on a date. It says right here that we don't permit that on a school night. Rule Eighteen,” Helen said.
Quinn changed tack. “You're probably confused by the word 'date.' I have a date to meet, uh,” she paused as she came up with an excuse. “My Shakespeare study group.”
“Oh, well, that sounds okay,” Jake said.
Helen considered what Quinn had said. “All right. But as per the procedure outlined in Rules Twenty-One through Twenty-Six, make sure you sign in when you get back.”
“Bye. Don't wait up. You know how these study groups are...” Quinn said as she dashed off.
“Good for you, Quinn! Study hard!” Jake said.
“Am I the only one who sees what's going on around here?” Daria asked. 'I know Quinn isn't that interested in Shakespeare.'
“Rule Number One: persistent questioning of parental judgment is punishable,” Helen pointed out.
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