Mysteries of Lawndale - The First Party - Part 1

 

Mysteries of Lawndale 02: The First Party Part 1

Lawndale – Wednesday, 1 October 1997

Lunch time at Lawndale High. “Ugh! I hate it when the trays are wet,” Brittany Taylor complained.

 

“ ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger,’ ” Daria Morgendorffer quoted.

 

“Is that from a song?Hey, thanks for helping me out in art.” Daria had helped her to comprehend one point perspective.

 

“No problem,” Daria answered.

 

“Maybe I could help you out in something.”

 

“Well, you could show me how to twirl hair around my little finger and look vacant.”

 

“I don't know if that's something you can teach,” Brittany said while doing exactly that.

 

“I know what you mean... and that scares me.”

 

“Hey, even though I'm much more popular, we have some things in common.”

 

“Breathing?”

 

“I mean, you're not popular, but you're not so unpopular that you couldn't come to my party Saturday night.”

 

‘Interesting,’ Daria thought. “Is that an invitation?”

 

“Yes! Just this once, though.”

 

“Gee, Brittany. I'm overcome with emotion.”

 

“You need a napkin? Anyway, I promised the other cheerleaders that I wouldn't invite any more really attractive girls.”

 

‘No mystery there,’ Daria thought. “Now I'm especially flattered.”

 

“Don’t mention it!” Brittany said as she walked away.

 

 

That afternoon, Daria was looking through Jane Lanes’s book of life drawings she had brought over. “These are really good. When did you study for this?”

 

“Last summer,” Jane answered.

 

Daria turned a page. ‘Wow!’ “You're really bursting out of the picture plane here.”

 

“Oh, yeah. That particular model was quite bursty. I think she had her bursts done.”

 

“Speaking of which... Brittany invited me to her party.”

 

“No kidding? Are you going?”

 

“Of course, how could I pass up an opportunity to learn more about our peers and so come closer to solving the mysteries that seem to define this suburb?”

 

“True,” Jane said.

 

 

Half an hour later, Daria wheeled a bike out of the garage. “You’re seriously going to ride that while, Jane, Quinn and I walk?” Stacy Rowe asked.

 

“Actually, I’m running,” Jane said.

 

“OK, but I don’t run very fast,” Stacy admitted.

 

“That’s OK, Stacy,” Daria’s sister, Quinn, said. “They’re going to go on one side of the street, and we, the other.”

 

“Oh,” Stacy said.

 

“Besides, this bike has special equipment,” Daria said.

 

“Like, the triscooter? Could we use that instead?” Stacy asked.

 

“I guess my name for it spread,” Jane said with a wry tone.

 

“I like it,” Quinn said. “Better than Daria’s bland ‘Three person scooter’ description.”

 

“Exactly,” Daria said. “What we are doing is going along a few blocks towards downtown and then spending three quarters of an hour, going along the street, looking for anything unusual.”

 

“Along this street, Glen Oaks Lane?” Stacy asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered.

 

“It’s a fairly normal street, I mean, I don’t think there is anything unusual here,” Stacy said.

 

“Since I have arrived here, I have noticed many unusual things. Mainly at the school...”

 

Stacy interrupted. “That’s obvious, compared to the Middle School, anyway.”

 

“....But also elsewhere,” Daria added without missing a beat.

 

“You mean, everywhere in the town?”

 

“Yes, but whatever it is, seems to center on the school,” Daria said.

 

Jane scoffed.

 

“What?” Daria asked.

 

“All I’m saying is that your observations are biased.”

 

“Because I spend most of my time there?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“That’s true, but I have to start somewhere, and I so I have, at the school. However this is additional,” Daria said.

 

“Let’s get started,” Quinn said.

 

 

Corey Bateman saw Quinn walking (with Stacy) along the street and rushed out of the yard. “Quinn!”

 

“Corey?” Quinn replied. Corey had given her his address, but she hadn’t thought about it when Daria had asked her and Stacy to help her in her investigation of Lawndale that afternoon.

 

“What are you doing this afternoon?” she asked.

 

“Helping my sister investigate this strange town,” Quinn answered.

 

“She thinks it’s strange?” Corey asked.

 

“Yeah, she does. It was the school that is the strangest, according to her, anyway.”

 

Corey thought for a moment. “That’s right,” he said. Ms. Li’s strange need for security was creepy...

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Nothing important.” He had an idea. “Could I join you?”

 

“I don’t see why not,” Quinn said.

 

“Cool, I’ll just be a few minutes.”

 

 

While Quinn and Stacy were meeting Corey, Daria and Jane were a block ahead. They ran into another fellow student of Lawndale High. “Hi, you’re the president of that new Mystery Club, aren’t you?” he asked.

 

“Yes, And you are?” Daria asked.

 

“Jason,” he answered. “Jason Tanner,” he elaborated. He remembered seeing Daria get out of her father’s Lexus on her and Quinn’s first day at Lawndale High.

 

Jane knew Jason a little from elementary and middle schools, an inquisitive sort of fellow... “So you want to join?” she asked.

 

“Of course,” Jason answered.

 

“Sure, just go to the office and get the paperwork in the morning,” Daria said.

 

“Sure,” Jason said. “Could I join you in your mystery search?”

 

“I don’t see why not,” Daria answered. She wondered if Jason had similar motive to Jane, but decided to answer that question later. “Let’s go.”

 

So Jason joined Daria and Jane in their exploration...