Brittany - Party Time - Part 2

 Brittany – Party Time Part 2

Donna saw Andrea come into the kitchen. “You’re here. Good,” she said.

 

“Your father asked if I was here for your sister,” Andrea said to Daria as she sat at the table. She looked at the food on the table. “Carrot sticks.”

 

“One way of annoying her. Dad can get confused. He also thought Brittany and Donna were Quinn’s friends.”

 

“That explains that,” Andrea said. “So, you’ve started planning the party.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Cool,” Andrea said.

 

“Donna and I will buy the food and drinks,” Brittany said.

 

“As you usually do,” Andrea said with slight mirth.

 

“Of course,” Donna said.

 

“And Daria can help with the set up.”

 

“I can do that,” Daria said, seeing that Brittany was easing her into the idea.

 

“Very good,” Brittany responded.

 

“Another thing,” Donna said, as she picked up another carrot stick. “Do you want Quinn to come?”

 

“If you want to be party to another humiliation, then yes,” Daria answered.

 

“How much of a humiliation?” Andrea asked.

 

“Enough for her to stop denying that I’m her sister,” Daria answered.

 

Donna thought about that. It seemed that it would have the opposite effect, that it would reinforce Quinn’s behaviour rather than cause it to stop. “So, Quinn’s coming,” she asked Brittany.

 

“She’s coming,” Brittany said.

 

“So, what is Andrea doing?” Daria asked.

 

“Choosing the music,” Andrea answered. “You’ll find that Lawndale teens favour a wide mix of genres, rather than just Pop,” she then said to Daria’s look of surprise.

 

“I see,” Daria said.

 

Donna smiled. ‘Another way Lawndale has surprised her.’

 

“So, it will be on Saturday night?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes. Ashley-Amber will still be home on Friday night,” Brittany answered.

 

“Oh, so you don’t want them to know?” Daria asked.

 

“In case it does get out of control,” Brittany added.

 

“Of course.”

 

 

They talked more about the party before just talking as the friends they were, with Daria slowly coming out of her shell more. This camaraderie was interrupted by Daria’s mother coming into the kitchen, having come home half an hour after Andrea had come over. “Oh, you must be Andrea, Brittany and Donna,” she said.

 

“Yes, I’m Brittany.” She indicated both Donna and Andrea in turn introducing them to Mrs. Morgendorffer.

 

“I’m happy Daria has made friends,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said. There was something about her expression that made Brittany think that there was more to the statement than she let on. She looked to Daria, but she had her usual neutral expression.

 

“Yes. I think she has found Lawndale to be better than she expected it to be,” Andrea said guardedly.

 

“She has said that,” Mrs. Morgendorffer said whilst glancing at her daughter.

 

“Although your husband was a little surprised that we were her friends. He thought we were Quinn’s,” Donna said.

 

“He did?” Mrs. Morgendorffer asked.

 

Brittany nodded.

 

“Well, consider that Daria hasn’t really had friends until now. And Quinn is rather outgoing.”

 

“That’s understandable,” Andrea said.

 

“In any case, it’s time to begin preparing for dinner.”

 

“Don’t we usually just have frozen lasagne?” Daria asked.

 

“We’ll be having that, but there will be frozen vegetables too,” her mother said.

 

“Of course.”

 

Quinn then entered the kitchen. “Mom. Sandi says there’s a party on this Saturday night.”

“Word is already spreading,” Donna whispered.

 

Mrs. Morgendorffer perked up on hearing both Quinn and Donna. “What was that?” she asked both of them, although she was mostly looking at Quinn.

 

‘She didn’t miss that,’ Brittany noted to herself. ‘Certainly more on the ball than Ashley-Amber is.’ That wasn’t to say that Ashley-Amber was just a dimbo of course.

 

“A party this Saturday night. In Crewe Neck,” Quinn answered.

 

“I see,” Mrs. Morgendorffer responded. She turned back to Donna. “What do you know about this?”

 

“Actually, Mrs. Morgendorffer, it’s Brittany’s party,” Donna clarified.

 

“Is it?” Quinn asked.

 

“So, Daria is going to this party?” Mrs. Morgendorffer asked, glancing between Daria and Brittany.

 

“I’m going to be helping Brittany with it,” Daria answered in a wary tone.

 

Mrs. Morgendorffer smiled. “Good, Daria. We’ll talk more about this later,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

 

Daria nodded.

 

“And, this party isn’t going to get out control, is it?” Mrs. Morgendorffer asked Brittany.

 

“No, Mrs. Morgendorffer. I have learned my lesson,” Brittany answered.

 

“I hope so. I know how uncontrolled those parties can get.”

 

 

Brittany arrived home at the same time as her father. “Late practice?” he asked.

 

“No, I was at a friend’s place.”

 

“Daria is it?” her father asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s good then.”

 

 

Ashley-Amber saw Brittany enter the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready soon,” she said, turning from the steaming pot on the stove.

 

“That’s good. It’s been a long day.”

 

“I know you’re planning something for this weekend.”

 

“Of course, but it will be small,” Brittany said.

 

But Ashley-Amber knew that Brittany did not do those things small. “Just make sure the house isn’t a mess,” she said quietly with a smile on her face. She remembered what it was like to be that age.

 

 

The next morning, Daria met Brittany at the door. “Good Morning.”

 

“Good Morning, Daria.”

 

“Mom says I have to watch Quinn at the party, make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.”

 

“Is she likely to?” Brittany asked.

 

“Not that likely. She knows how to look after herself,” Daria said. ‘May as well tell her,’ she thought. “It’s more likely that she’ll cause boys to fight over her.”

 

“Oh!” Brittany said. “Don’t worry. Andrea can break them up. She may not like doing so, but she can.”

 

“And seeing her squirm when Mom laid down the law about it was worth It,” Daria smirked.

 

“No doubt.”