The Loneliness of Alex Part 2

 Part 2

Later in the afternoon, the 'Esteem-a-Teen' 'course' had started. Alex sat there, bored out of her skull as Mr. O'Neill droned on.

 

“Esteem... a teen. They don't really rhyme, do they? The sounds don't quite mesh. And that, in fact, is often the case when it comes to a teen and esteem. The two just don't seem to go together. But we are here to begin realizing your actuality...”

 

'Exactly the same,' Alex thought.

 

However, the girl in front of her, whom she recognised from the previous morning, put up her hand; “Excuse me. I have a question.”

 

“I want to know what 'realizing your actuality' means.”

 

“It means... look, just let me get through this part, okay? Then there'll be a video!”

 

Alex looked around. Everyone else had ignored her. (Except for the artist girl, but she was on the other side of the room.) So she leaned forward. “He doesn't know what he is saying. It's all a script.”

 

“Then how am I supposed to follow him?” the other girl asked in a monotone.

 

“I have notes, somewhere. I have taken this course six times.”

 

 

After the class, Alex and her new acquaintance, Daria, heard the artist girl, call out, “Wait!”

 

Alex and Daria turned, and waited as the artistic girl effortlessly jogged up to them. “Yeah?” Alex asked.

 

“I also have notes. I know where they are,” she said.

 

“Sure...” Alex said.

 

The other girl extended her hand and said. “Jane Lane.”

 

Daria shook her hand. “Let's go and discuss our situation,” she said.

 

 

Soon, they were walking through Lawndale towards Jane's house.

 

“...So, then, after the role-playing, next class they put the girls and the guys in separate rooms and a female counsellor talks to us about body image,” Jane said.

 

“Like, totally unnecessary,” Alex put in.

 

Daria glanced at Alex and her slightly pudgy figure. She couldn't tell if she was being facetious. “What do they talk to the boys about?” she asked.

 

All three paused. “Nocturnal emissions.”

 

“Uh!” Alex said as she shuddered,

 

“I don't get it, you both have the course memorised. Why not just pass the test?” Daria asked.

 

“I could pass the test, but I like having low self-esteem. It makes me feel special,” Jane said.

 

“Gives me an excuse to have a lazy afternoon,” Alex said quietly.

 

They then remained silent until they reached Jane's house.

 

 

After dealing with a foreclosure attempt on the Lane's property (solved by Jane finding a stash of signed cheques in one of the not-so-empty rooms of her wandering siblings), the trio settled in Jane's room to skim over Jane's notes.

 

 

After that Alex headed home. Even with the extra time spent walking to Jane's house and then home (with the former further away from the school than the latter) and the time spent at the former, she got home before her mother did. She used the time to do her homework. (Especially the history homework, DeMartino seemed to be getting tougher.)

 

 

Linda arrived home at the usual time. She found her daughter doing homework in the living room. “You were at that self-esteem class?”

 

“Yes,” Alex answered. “I have started a plan on exiting it.”

 

“Good,” Linda said as she went back to the kitchen.

 

 

The Morgendorffers were having dinner. “...And so that is how I came up with the name, the Club of Cute,” Quinn said.

 

“That's fascinating,” Helen said.

 

“A great name, honey,” Jake said.

 

“Sounds like Brainy stuff,” Daria commented.

 

“Dar-i-a!” Quinn objected.

 

“The Japanese cartoon bit, does,” Daria said, trying to stir Quinn up.

 

“Daria!” Helen admonished.

 

“It sounds great,” Jake said, wondering why Daria didn't like it.

 

Daria remained silent.

 

“How that class, Daria?” Jake asked.

 

“It's full of helpfulness,” Daria answered.

 

“That's great!”

 

“Jake!”

 

“I have met two people who may become friends.”

 

“That's a step in the right direction, Daria,” Helen said.

 

 

At the Griffin's dinner... “So, besides the class, how was school?” Linda asked.

 

“The same,” Alex deadpanned.

 

“What is your plan for escaping the class?”

 

“I'll tell you when I have, like, carried it out,” Alex mumbled.

 

Linda held back a sigh. She hoped that Alex actually had a plan, and wasn't simply lying about it.

 

 

 

Wednesday, September 7, 1997

Daria, Jane and Alex met after the first class of the day. As they walked down the hall, they passed Quinn, who was talking to a possible dating partner. “So... like, what do you like, to do after school?”

 

“Oh, nothing special. Go to the movies... or like a theme park... or out for a really fancy meal now and then,,, or maybe go to a concert, if, like I know somebody's got good seats and is renting a limo and stuff,” Quinn answered.

 

“You hear that?” Jane commented. “He hasn't got a prayer.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Daria said. “That's my sister.”

 

“So, you've got any brothers or sisters?” the guy asked.

 

“I'm an only child,” Quinn said.

 

Daria got a sour expression on her face.

 

“That's not right!” Alex spoke up.

 

“That wasn't the first time,” Daria said.

 

 

The self-esteem class was held again after school.

 

“So, what are we talking about when we talk about ourselves?” Mr O'Neill asked. “Anyone?” He pointed to a boy in the class.

 

“We're.... talking about us!”

 

“Excellent! When we are talking about 'ourselves', we are talking about 'us'. Now guys, I've got a little challenge for you. Today we talked about turning our daydreams into reality. Tonight, I want each one of you to go home and do just that. What do you say?” O'Neill said. “Um... You.” He pointed to Daria. “What's a daydream you would like to come true?”

 

“Well, I guess I'd like my whole family to do something together,” she answered.

 

“Excellent!”

 

“Something that will really make them suffer.”

 

That gave O'Neill pause. “It's healthy to air these feelings... I think.” The bell rang.