ANZAC Day

     They shall grow not old,

    as we that are left grow old;

    Age shall not weary them,

    nor the years condemn.

    At the going down of the sun

    and in the morning

    We will remember them.

    Response:

    We will remember them

    Lest we forget

Church notes - 21st April 2024

 21st

Psalm 63

Psalms

vs 13

Compare with: 

Philippians 2:11

The God to Whom David Prayed

Why David prayed.

How David prayed

2 Samuel 7

David

- Acknowledged there is no one like the Sovereign LORD.

- Acknowledged God redeemed people from slavery to be His people.

- Declared God would make a great Name for Himself.

- Acknowledged God became God to those people.

- Called Himself God's servant.

- Asks God to do what lasts forever - an eternal blessing.

Not just the present generation, but all generations.

In the desert of Judah.

- a wilderness

David calls to the greatest authority.

Acknowledges Him as the one who rules in his life.

Declares he will look no where else.

vs 1

He is concerned for his soul.

David's response

- God's love is completely satisfying.

- Words and raised hands.

- As long as he has breath.

- Exalt God's Holy Name

vs 5

Not strictly emotional and physical needs.

David's Confession

- Reminding himself

- The things of God

- The things God has done

- The characteristics of God.

vs 7

The battle isn't against David, but against God.

David's conclusion

- The King will rejoice in God.

- All who swear to tell the truth will praise Him

- Liars will be silenced.

Spider Quinn 08 The Three Misfits: Part 3

 

Then there was an interruption

 

“Quinn!” It was Ted Dewit-Clinton, who had just entered the store.

 

“Ted?” both sisters asked at once.

 

“Hey Daria. Quinn. Ms. Li wanted me to talk to you about your project.”

 

“It’s called a project now?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes! Quite interesting,” Ted said.

 

“For the Lowdown?” Quinn asked, referring to the school paper.

 

“Yes. And for the yearbook. But for the Lowdown at first,” Ted answered.

 

“Oh,” Daria said.

 

“About, the project,” Quinn said. “It hasn’t had a good a start as I would have liked.”

 

“What do you mean?” Ted asked as he sat down.

 

Quinn then repeated what she had told Daria about Gerald running off.

 

 

“I see,” Ted said when Quinn had finished.

 

“But I still have Anna and Ben.”

 

“That’s true,” Ted said.

 

“So, you want to do an interview?” Daria asked.

 

“Not right now,” Ted said. “Tomorrow.”

 

“That would be best. Would after school be good?” Quinn asked.

 

“That would be good.”

 

“In any case. I want to be going. I need to think about things,” Quinn said.

 

“Sure,” Ted said.

 

“Are you sure?” Daria asked.

 

“I’ll see you at home,” Quinn said.

 

“OK.”

 

 

Quinn then got up and left.

 

“And how are you, Daria?” Ted asked. “I realise I haven’t talked to you since your father passed away.”

 

“I’m coping,” Daria answered with her usual slight smile. “But it’s my mother and Quinn I’m more worried about. Mom has thrown herself into work more than before. And as for Quinn, I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened with the Fashion Club.”

 

“Of course. But isn’t that a good thing for her, being away from Sandi?”

 

 

“In a way,” Daria responded. “But she’s also spending a lot of time by herself.” But what she didn’t want to mention to Ted was that she had seen Quinn sneaking out at night sometimes.

 

“I see,” Ted said. “Also, Jane isn’t here.”

 

“No, she isn’t,” Daria said. “She’s doing her own thing.”

 

“But you’re still friends, right?” Ted asked.

 

“Of course we are. She has stuck by me after what happened, happened.”

 

 

SpiderGirl swung away from the Pizza place, towards Dega Street. She had heard the beginning of Daria and Ted’s conversation. ‘I know you’re concerned, Daria,’ she thought. But there wasn’t much she could do about that. She thought about the situation with Gerald again. Daria did have some good ideas. ‘I’ll see if Ms. Li agrees.’ But whether it would be the Planetarium or something else. ‘I’ll find out tomorrow.’

She then saw Anna, or rather, Felicia on the street.

 

“SpiderGirl!” she called.

 

“Really?” SpiderGirl asked as she landed.

 

“Yes,” Feli said.

 

“What’s up?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“Um, something unexpected. The principal has my friend and I in a peer support program,” Feli said.

 

‘Little does she know…’ SpiderGirl groused to herself. “Go on.”

 

“Like, completely unexpected!”

 

“But you think it’s a good idea?”

 

“Yes. But there’s another person, who flaked,” Feli added.

 

‘I see that she’s annoyed about Gerald too,’ SpiderGirl thought. “So, you think it won’t work?”

 

“It depends,” Feli paused. “On how the one running the program handles it.

 

“Well, I suppose that Li wouldn’t choose someone incapable.”

 

“But I don’t completely trust Quinn!”

 

“What do you mean?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“I mean, she admits she was looking for an extracurricular. I would have trusted Daria more.”

 

“But would this other girl have done it?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Feli answered.

 

“There’s not much more I can say,” SpiderGirl said, feeling uncomfortable.

 

“Oh,” Feli said. “I guess I will just have to see how things go.”

 

“Yes. I’ll be off.”

 

“Wait!”

 

“What? Another lift?” SpiderGirl asked incredulously.

 

“Yes. I liked it yesterday.”

 

“Fine! But where?”

 

“Cranberry Commons,” Feli answered, referring to one of Lawndale’s Malls.

 

“Sure,” SpiderGirl said.

 

 

Said Mall lay to the southwest of the downtown. It didn’t take the superheroine long to take the weird blonde there. She landed on the edge of the grounds, there being a dearth of trees around it. ‘I’ll have to figure out how to swing into it at some point,’ she thought. “This is as far as I can swing,” she said.

 

“What about around another way?” Feli asked.

 

“I tried that. If it was the Lawndale Mall, I can reach it from behind.”

 

“Oh, you’ve explored all the routes through Lawndale?”

 

“Not all,” SpiderGirl admitted. “But most. Seven Corners is another difficult spot. But I can get across the Creek and into the Business Park. But getting out of Lawndale is the difficult part.”

 

“Oakwood?”

 

“Yes. There’s a lot of farmland in that direction. The Interstate and the State Route don’t have many telegraph poles.”

 

“I see,” Feli said. “I’ll see you later.”

 

“Bye,” SpiderGirl said. She looked around before swinging away in the direction she had come from.

 

 

She headed back to the downtown. And just in time, as she saw a mugging in progress near a closed storefront on Third Street. “Oh great! Haven’t you got the message!” she quipped as she swung down.

 

“SpiderGirl!”

 

“That’s me. Protector of the innocents in Lawndale!” she said as she webbed him up. She turned to the would be victim.

 

“Thanks, SpiderGirl,” the girl said, a fellow student at Lawndale High, in Daria’s year. “A bit hard to believe this kind of thing is happening in Lawndale more. I thought it was safe!” she said vehemently.

 

“Unfortunately. It’s happening,” SpiderGirl responded.

 

“Do I know you?” the girl asked.

 

“You know who I am,” SpiderGirl responded.

 

“I do?”

 

“I’m your friendly neighborhood SpiderGirl!” she said just before swinging away.

 

 

Tananda Watts watched as the vigilante swung away. She wasn’t sure what to make of that exchange. She sighed. She would be more careful. She didn’t want to be in such a position again.

 

 

SpiderGirl thought more in the situation with Gerald as she patrolled. “I’ll ask him about the field trip idea,” she decided.

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Thursday, December 17, 1999

Is SpiderGirl a teenager?

 

 

Quinn got to school early after an uneventful early morning patrol as SpiderGirl.

 

She decided to talk to Ms. Li right away.

 

“Ms. Morgendorffer?” Li asked as they both came to the office at the same time.

 

“I started the mentoring, yesterday,” Quinn started.

 

“Something happened?” Li asked.

 

“Yes,” Quinn answered with a nod. “One of them ran off in the middle of the session.”

 

“Which one?” Li asked, as if she wasn’t surprised.

 

“Um, Gerald. The nerdy one.”

 

“Not surprising Ms. Morgendorffer. I will talk to him later in the day. But first, what about the other two?”

 

“They stayed, duh! I think it’s going well with them.”

 

“Good.”

 

“But I have an idea,” Quinn said.

 

“What is this idea?”

 

“A field trip. It will allow us to spend time together.”

 

“Really? Ms. Morgendorffer. Do you have any idea how much that would cost for just four students?”

 

Quinn sighed. “I suppose the Planetarium would be out of the question.”

 

“Yes. But why that idea.”

 

“Because one of the trio had picked a book on Astronomy.”

 

The Principal paused. “Let’s start from the beginning. You met in the library and then?”

 

“We introduced ourselves to each other and then I asked them to grab a book that showed what they were interested in.”

 

“I see. And what were they interested in?”

 

“Irish folklore, forensic medicine and Astronomy. And I chose a book on drawing and design,” Quinn answered.

 

“I can see who chose what. But why this field trip idea.”

 

“Because Gerald ran off when I was sharing and we started talking about recent events. You know…”

 

Li knew what she meant. “I see. I doubt a field trip would make him any more amenable to hearing about that.”

 

“I know. But it would allow the four of us to connect more.”

 

The Principal sighed. “Maybe not the Planetarium. But some other science related field trip will be acceptable.”

 

“Thanks Ms. Li!”

 

“I know you’re trying your best. I will call him in early in the day. I’ll let you know how that goes. Good Day, Ms. Morgendorffer.”

 

 

Angela watched the eager student go. She had meant it when she said that Quinn was trying her best. ‘It seems her grief has allowed her to turn a new leaf, as it were.’ She switched on her computer. As she waited for it to boot up she wrote down some notes on what she and Quinn had talked about.

 

 

Quinn sighed in relief after she left the Principal’s office. She hoped that some kind of field trip would be allowed.

 

 

“Gerald Brown, report to the Principal’s Office Immediately!”

 

“What now?” Gerald asked himself. ‘And straight after leaving Homeroom again!’

 

This time he powerwalked towards the office as fast as the crowds of fellow teens allowed.

 

 

“Come in, Mr. Brown,” the Principal said.

 

“What is this about?”

 

“It’s about you leaving the peer mentoring program early yesterday.”

 

“What did Quinn say?” Gerald asked.

 

“How do you know that it was she that said anything?”

 

“I don’t think the other two would have complained to you about it.”

 

“Yes, it was, Ms. Morgendorffer!” the Principal said. “She said you left the ‘icebreaking’ activity while she was talking about herself.”

 

“It was uncomfortable, her talking of her father passing away,” he breathed deeply. “It reminded me of one of my grandparents passing away a few years ago. It wasn’t as sudden, but it was still a shock.”

 

Li nodded. “I see. In any case, Ms. Morgendorffer has suggested a science related field trip. I cannot sanction one to the Planetarium, but something else can be arranged.”

 

‘Of course the Planetarium is out of the question given how stingy she is!’ Gerald groused to himself. “I see,” he said.

 

“You will catch up with Ms. Morgendorffer and the others later today.”

 

“Of course!”

 

 

Gerald left the Principal’s office annoyed. It was like both the Principal and Quinn were conspiring against him! ‘A field trip, but not the planetarium. Why can’t I just be alone at school? Is that too much to ask?’

 

 

Quinn found Anna and Ben at Lunch. “There you are!” she said.

 

“What’s up?” Ben asked.

 

Quinn noted that he was nibbling his plain sandwich very carefully, while leaving most of it wrapped in the tin foil. “Just letting you know that I talked to Ms. Li about what happened yesterday.”

 

“Oh,” Anna responded.

 

“So, what did she say?” Ben asked.

 

“If we are going on a field trip, it wouldn’t be to the planetarium,” Quinn answered. “And that she would be talking to Gerald sometime today.”

 

“Right,” Anna said.

 

“But that means it would be outdoors!” Ben groused.

 

“I’ll figure something out,” Quinn said.

 

“I hope so!” Ben said.

 

“So, what’s next?” Anna asked.

 

“We’ll see if Gerald comes to the library this afternoon,” Quinn said.

 

“OK.”

 

 

The rest of the school day went as usual. The Principal let Quinn know that she did talk to Gerald. Thus she entered the library at the end of the day hoping that reclusive boy would be there.

 

She saw Anna and Ben, but not Gerald. Anna had another book of Irish folklore and Ben had another text on forensic medicine. “I looked for one on Welsh folklore, but the school doesn’t have one,” Anna said.

 

“I guess that happens,” Quinn said. She knew that Daria would have an opinion on that.

 

“He’s coming,” Ben said.

 

Quinn turned and saw that Gerald was coming in.

 

“I apologise for what happened,” he said quietly.

 

Quinn wasn’t sure that apology was genuine, but she would take it. “Apology accepted.”

 

“Ms. Li said something about a field trip?” Gerald said.

 

“Yes. Any field trip, just not to the Planetarium,” Quinn said.

 

“I can see why,” Anna said.

 

It was then that Ted entered the library. “I haven’t come at a bad time have I?” he asked.

 

“Not at all,” Quinn said.

 

“Wait,” Gerald said.

 

“What?” Quinn asked.

 

“This is for the Lowdown?” Gerald asked.

 

“Yes,” Ted answered.

 

“No!” Gerald said.

 

“Oh great!” Quinn groused.

 

“I’m not getting interviewed,” Gerald said.

 

“I see that is a bad time,” Ted said.

 

“Not at all,” Quinn said. “I’m sure Ms. Li just intended for you to interview me about it.”

 

Ted looked to be in thought for a moment. “That’s true.”

 

“Right,” Gerald said. It didn’t look like he relaxed, but it didn’t look like he was about to run off either.

 

“But first we’re talking about field trip ideas,” Quinn said.

 

“Oh,” Ted said.

 

“So, grab a map of Lawndale and it’s surrounding areas from somewhere?” Anna asked.

 

“Good idea, Anna,” Quinn said.

The Picture

The Picture

FF: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14348491/1/The-Picture

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55314373

Church notes - 14th April 2024

 14th

Ephesians 4:29

Philippians 4:9 - 20

vs 13

We need to be brave and daring for God. He will back us up.

But there is a bigger message.

Paul had chosen to be a servant. He had learned to trust God no matter what his circumstances were.

Paul did anything to reach as many people as possible.

Learning to be content in whatever circumstances God places us in is important.

God is with us and is taking care of us.

God appreciates our gift.

vs 18 - 20

Spider Quinn 08 - The Three Misfits Part 2

 Almost immediately after homeroom ended, Li called the first of the three to her office. “Anna Coultard, please report to the Principal’s Office.”

 

“Oh!” Anna said. She had wanted to get to History as quickly as possible. “Great!” She added as she changed direction.

 

 

It didn’t take her long to reach the Principal’s office. “Ms. Li? What’s going on?” she asked.

 

“Welcome Ms. Coultard. Please, take a seat,” Ms. Li said.

 

She took a seat. “So…”

 

“It has come to my attention that you’re not reaching your potential.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You’re not involved in any extracurricular activities and you also have B+ average,” the Principal answered.

 

“I’m not interested in extracurriculars,” Anna responded.

 

“And you don’t have many friends,”

 

“I can’t argue against that,” she said quietly.

 

“So, you and a couple others will be mentored by another student,” Li said.

 

“I see,” Anna said. “Who will that be?”

 

“Quinn Morgendorffer.”

 

“Quinn?”

 

“Yes. She was looking for another extracurricular activity after a previous one had ceased,” Li said.

 

‘That’s one way of putting it.’ Anna thought. There were many rumors about what happened to the Fashion Club and she wasn’t sure what to believe. “I agree.”

 

“Very good, Ms. Coultard. I will inform her later today.”

 

“OK,” Anna said.

 

“Here is a hall pass.”

 

 

Anna then rushed to History and heard the next call.

 

“Ben Harrod, please report to the Principal’s office!”

 

That wasn’t surprising to Anna. ‘I doubt Quinn would be able to help with the Hypochondria.”

 

 

Ben was worried. Why would the Principal call him? Was it to do with why Anna was called? But he was sure that they didn’t do anything wrong.

 

 

The two took different paths through the school, and so missed each other.

 

 

“Sit, Mr. Harrod,” the Principal instructed.

 

“Why am I here?”

 

Li then told him the same thing she had told Anna.

 

 

“I see,” Ben said. “But Quinn might have something.”

 

“Nonsense Mr. Harrod, other than her recent bereavement, Ms. Morgendorffer is healthy.”

 

“Right. I suppose I can use help with some of my studies.”

 

“Very good. I’ll let her know later today.”

 

“Cool,” Ben said.

 

“Here’s your hall pass.”

 

 

“Gerald Brown, please report to the Principal’s Office!”

 

Gerald was heading to Mathematics when he heard the call. “Why now?” he groused. He didn’t want to miss Mathematics. He jumped as he turned. He noted several others staring. “What are you looking at.”

 

 

“What?” Gerald said. “What do you mean I’m not reaching my potential?”

 

“Your grades in Science and Math are very good, but your other grades are low and you don’t have any extracurricular activities.”

 

“There aren’t any good science related clubs.”

 

“The point is, I’m offering a mentor for you and a couple others,” Li said.

 

“Who?” Gerald asked.

 

“Quinn Morgendorffer.”

 

“Don’t you mean Daria?”

 

“No, Mr. Brown. I mean Quinn. She was looking for an extracurricular activity after her previous one had ended,” Li responded.

 

The rumors surrounding the end of the Fashion Club were impossible to avoid. “She just wants to stay popular.”

 

“I think she does want to help,” Li said.

 

“How do you think this will help?”

 

“It will help you make friends, and broaden your horizons.”

 

“Friends…” Gerald said. He doubted it would work, but it was worth a try.

 

“What is your response?”

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

 

Ms. Li sent Quinn a message during lunch saying that the three students would be waiting in the Library after school.

 

Quinn didn’t know what to expect, but she certainly didn’t expect Anna to be the girl she had helped the previous afternoon as SpiderGirl. ‘Then why did she give her name as Felicia?’ she wondered. “I’m sure the Principal has told you who I am,” she said.

 

“Yes,” one of the boys said.

 

Anna nodded.

 

“Quinn,” right, the other boy answered.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Please introduce yourselves,” Quinn said.

 

“Anna Coultard.”

 

“Ben Harrod.”

 

“Gerald Brown,” the last one said quietly.

 

“What do you want to get out this?” Quinn asked.

 

“Not sure,” Anna said.

 

“The same,” Ben said.

 

“Friendship?” Gerald asked. “But I’m not sure that would work.”

 

Quinn sighed. She wasn’t sure what to do. ‘What does Ms. Li expect?’

 

“What now?” Anna said.

 

Something came to Quinn. “Go and grab a book on a subject you like, and then come back. I’ll do the same.”

 

“Sure,” Anna said, perking up and smiling.

 

“Certainly,” Ben said.

 

“Of course,” Gerald said.

 

Quinn did the same. She wasn’t sure where to go at first. ‘Is it comic books? Or a book on the history of Lawndale?’ She wasn’t sure. She then found that she had wandered into the Art section. ‘This will do,’ she thought as she picked up a book about sketching. The process of designing her SpiderGirl suits had awakened something in her, such that she wanted to sketch things, and not just clothes. She wanted to improve her technique before going to Ms. Defoe about extracurricular lessons. ‘Would Li allow that?’ she wondered.

 

 

Anna found herself at the end of the 200 section. ‘Pagan mysticism’ she considered. But she knew her reputation for weirdness and wasn’t sure what Quinn would think of her reading such a book. She thought for a moment, before veering into the 300 section and then picked up a book on Irish folklore.

 

 

Ben couldn’t help it. He found himself in the Medical section. ‘616. Something,’ he thought with a sigh. He stepped aside ‘614… forensic medicine. He knew that he wanted to put his medical knowledge to some use, but knew he wasn’t cut out to be a doctor. He grabbed such a book. But he knew what Anna would say.

 

 

Gerald knew what he would get. A Science book. But which science? He wasn’t sure. ‘Which one?’ He wondered as he looked about the 500 section. ‘Astronomy!’ He then grabbed a book on the planets of the Solar System.

 

 

Quinn and Anna came back to the table at the same time. “Irish folklore, interesting,” Quinn commented.

 

“Yes. I find it interesting,” Anna said. “It seems I like all those old stories.”

 

“I admit I haven’t really read them,” Quinn said. “Like, Leprechauns look so, creepy, ugh!” She added with a shudder.

 

“Well, there’s more to it than Leprechauns,” Anna said.

 

“Of course,” Quinn added.

 

“I suppose that I have been interested since I saw Darby O’Gill and the Little People when I was young.”

 

“Is that a movie? I haven’t seen it.”

 

“It’s an old Disney movie,” Anna explained. “It has Sean Connery in it. I think it was before he was Bond, but I’m not sure.”

 

“OK,” Quinn said.

 

It was at that moment that Ben came back. “Oh! That Connery film again, Anna?”

 

“You’ve seen it?” Quinn asked.

 

“Too many times,” Ben groaned.

 

“I see,” Quinn said.

 

“But it is worth seeing once,” he added.

 

“I’ll consider it,” Quinn said. ‘In between everything else. School, being SpiderGirl, watching Anime with Stacy, dates, now this mentoring thing…’ She shook her head and saw Gerald approaching.

 

 

Gerald sat and saw that Ben and Anna were already familiar with each other. ‘Of course they are. I can see that they’re going to be a clique and Quinn’s going to focus on them.’ He knew that such things happened all the time.

 

 

“Now, Anna started talking earlier about Irish folklore,” Quinn said.

 

“Not just Irish,” Ben said.

 

“Oh?” Gerald said in an annoyed tone.

 

“Celtic stuff in general,” Anna said.

 

“So, Welsh and Scottish too?” Quinn asked.

 

“And Galicia in Spain and Brittany in France,” Anna added.

 

 

As Anna  continued to tell of how she became interested in Celtic folklore, Gerald felt uneasy. He was sure that he didn’t want to open himself up to three others he barely knew.

 

 

Anna finished.

 

“That’s good, Anna,” Quinn said. She turned to Ben. “Ben. I know you are hypochondriac, but that’s not a fair description.”

 

“It isn’t. But It has lead me to be interested in medical related topics,” Ben said.

 

“That’s certainly true,” Anna said with slight laugh.”

 

“So, forensic medicine?” Quinn asked with slight interest.

 

“Yes. The sciences of investigating the causes of trauma or death,” Ben explained.

 

“I knew it was something like that,” Quinn said. “Before my father died, he had had a heart attack and I had looked at medical texts during that period.”

 

“Oh!” Anna said.

 

“I’ll say something more about that. That I’m still deep in grief,” Quinn added.

 

Gerald had had enough. If Quinn was going to pour her heart out. “I’m going…”

 

 

“Wait!” Quinn called after Gerald.

 

“Sorry, I can’t do this,” Gerald said as he left at a rapid pace.

 

“Great,” Quinn said, as she turned back the other two. “We’ll continue.”

 

“Are you sure?” Anna asked.

 

Quinn nodded. “Anyway, Daddy died and I found myself drawing and sewing more.” That it was mostly SpiderGirl related, she kept to herself, but she did have other pictures she had drawn and clothes she had made. It wasn’t something she hadn’t told Stacy and Tiffany (as well as Tori) either.

 

“Do you have any of these drawings here?” Ben asked.

 

“One or two,” Quinn said.

 

She took a couple of her bag. One was of SpiderGirl, but the other was a sketch of the house from the rear. The gave the first to Anna and the other to Ben.

 

“This is very good,” Anna said. “You must have seen her yourself.”

 

“Yes,” Quinn said carefully. “More than a few times.”

 

“Where is this?” Ben asked.

 

“At home,” Quinn answered.

 

“So, it’s a view of your house?” Anna asked.

 

“From the back, yes,” Quinn responded.

 

“This is good too,” Ben said.

 

“Thanks!”

 

“So, is it true?” Anna asked.

 

“What is true?”

 

“That you fell out with Sandi?” Anna answered.

 

“It’s more that she fell out with us,” Quinn answered. “It was just a long time coming. It’s just that me being in grief brought it about.”

 

“Grief does change people,” Ben added.

 

‘There’s something there,’ Quinn thought.

 

 

They talked for another ten minutes before Anna had to go and Quinn grew antsy.

 

“See you later,” Anna said as she left.

 

“I better go too,” Ben said.

 

 

Soon, SpiderGirl left Lawndale High from above the library. She headed to the south, towards downtown. She wasn’t sure what to make of Gerald leaving when he did. What was it that he refused to hear? She wasn’t sure. ‘But what can I do to connect with him and to help him connect to Anna and Ben?’

 

She needed a second opinion. She paused and turned to the west, to head towards the Pizza place.

 

 

Daria was alone at the Pizza place again, when Quinn entered. “The same?” she asked as she came up to her sister.

 

“Jane was here, but she had to leave early,” Daria said.

 

“Oh.”

 

“But that isn’t why you’re here, is it?”

 

“No,” Quinn admitted.

 

“Was it to do with those ‘misfits’?”

 

“Yes. It’s going well with Ben and Anna, but not Gerald.”

 

“What happened?” Daria asked.

 

“Like I did an icebreaker thing, meeting them in the library and asking them to find books they were interested in.”

 

“You got one on fashion?”

 

“Close,” Quinn said with a slight giggle. “One on drawing.”

 

“Got it,” Daria said. She saw that Quinn was shifting her interests.

 

“But that wasn’t the problem.”

 

“One of them didn’t want to share.”

 

“Oh, he shared,” Quinn said.

 

“When you shared,” Daria said.

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see.”

 

“It hurt too, because I was about to say something about my grief,” Quinn said.

 

“How did that come up?” Daria asked.

 

“Ben is interested in forensic medicine and I brought up how I was looking at medical texts after his heart attack.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“So, he then dashed off!” Quinn said in a sad tone. “What can I do?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Daria admitted. “What was he interested in?”

 

“He had a book on the Solar System,” Quinn answered.

 

“So, either science in general or Astronomy in particular.”

 

“From what I got. I’m not sure.”

 

“Then I’m not sure how to help. If he doesn’t want help…” Daria said.

 

“Or maybe he thought I was unloading on them.”

 

“There is that too,” Daria said. “But I could suggest some kind of field trip, if Ms. Li would allow it.”

 

“Maybe she would. But where?”

 

“If Astronomy in particular, the planetarium.”

 

“Oh! Duh!” Quinn said.

 

“But if science in general. There are forests around Lawndale as well as the Zoo and arboretum.”

 

“All good ideas,” Quinn said as she took notes.