“Look, two types of chips,” Daria said in a tone of fake
excitement.
“Flat or ridgy? You make the call,” Jane said. She then
saw someone approaching. “Uh oh!”
“Chuck Ruttheimer, here. And you are...?”
“Jane, But I know that you know that!”
“Esmerelda.”
“I was there in DeMartino’s class,” Chuck said.
“Of course,” Daria said.
“Your answer on Manifest Destiny was quite good.”
“I didn’t answer that way to get hit on,” Daria retorted.
“Feisty!”
“How did you get invited?” Daria asked.
“I dissected her frog,” Chuck admitted.
‘That would do it,’ Daria thought.
Brittany grabbed a bullhorn. “The surfing competition
will start shortly! If you wish to participate please come up to the far end of
the pool. Thank you!”
“I suppose that’s my call,” Jane said.
Daria sighed. “Go for it!” she said.
“Would you like a tour of the premises?” Chuck asked once
Jane was out of earshot.
“No,” she said as she followed Jane towards the pool.
The surfing competition began well, with Angie starting
off.
“This is Spatula Man out at Crew Necke for the
Taylor’s Beach Party and the surfing competition is about to begin. If
you want to know who wins, keep listening to Z-93, Lawndale’s Hippest Radio
Station!”
Daria sighed. ‘Of course.’
“First competitor is Angie Zammit.”
Angie soon finished. The judges all gave her 9s.
She bowed.
“Up next is Nikki Dowling, another of Lawndale High’s
Cheerleaders.”
Daria noticed that Chuck had followed her and Jane over.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I’m sure! Leave us alone!”
“Feisty!” Chuck exclaimed before making himself
scarce.
Nikki’s score came close to Angie’s. “It is a stiff
competition this afternoon…” Spatula Man said.
“I doubt it,” Jane said a she put her name down on the
sheet. There weren’t very many names there yet. ‘Mack is the only guy!’ she
thought. She overheard Brittany trying to dissuade Kevin from joining in.
“Kevie, maybe you should try limbo instead,” Brittany
argued.
“You think I would wipe out, don’t you,” Kevin said in an
accusative tone.
Brittany tried to deflect. “I just think you would do
better at limbo,” she said.
“But I still would like to surf? Wasn’t that why you had
the wave pool put in?”
Brittany twirled a pigtail. “Um, no.”
“Oh!” Kevin said.
Taking advantage of the pause, Brittany grabbed her boyfriend’s
hand and dragged him away from the wave pool.
Jane smirked as she watched the cheerleader drag the QB
away and stepped aside to allow Tori Jericho to put her name down.
“What are you doing here?” Tori asked her once she had
done so.
Jane shrugged. “What can I say?” she started
rhetorically. “Brittany invited someone, then I came as their plus one.”
“Right,” Tori responded dubiously. “But you’re still an
outcast!”
Jane scowled. She saw Daria turn as she heard Tori’s
remark.
Daria looked at the antagonistic blonde as she approached.
She was ready to support Jane, if she needed it.
“Not an outcast,” Jane declared. “Just nonconformist.”
“You are outcast!” the blonde said as she wrote her name
on the list. She then went off in a huff.
“Miss popular!” Jane complained behind her back.
“Quite familiar,” Daria murmured.
“There are girls like her at every high school,” Jane
said with annoyance.
“Including Quinn.”
“And just for that I’m going to try my best!”
“Don’t over do it,” Daria said with a slight warning
tone.
“Now up, Jane Lane!” Spatula Man announced.
“Oh, the gall!” Tori complained.
“What gall?” Sandi asked.
“Brittany didn’t invite her!”
Sandi rolled her eyes.
Jane paddled out to the wave and started to surf. However,
there was trouble. Tori had entered straight after her and was dropping in on
her. “Hey! We’ll both wipe out!”
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