Spider Quinn 07 Ashes to Ashes Part 4

 

Even so, Sandi continued to spread her rumors…

 

“I heard that you and Stacy are together,” Brooke said to Quinn as they met between classes.

 

“Who told you that?” Quinn asked. She definitely didn’t like Stacy that way. She was also sure that Stacy didn’t lean that way.

 

“Sandi,” Brooke answered.

 

“Well, it’s not true,” Quinn said.

 

Brooke just smirked before making herself scarce.

 

Quinn grumbled and turned towards where her next class was.

 

 

Indeed, Daria and Jane heard one rumor at the end of the next period.

 

“What was that?” Jane asked.

 

“That Quinn is just using Dad’s passing as an excuse to act out,” Daria said.

 

“Sandi!” Jane said, annoyed. “Just like her!”

 

“Jane?”

 

“It is likely to be her, right?”

 

“I know, but there is more.”

 

“Later, after school.”

 

“Sure.”

 

 

Quinn, Stacy and Tiffany met Tori at their usual table, at Lunch.

 

“So, Sandi is maliciously spreading rumors,” Stacy said, in a dejected tone. “What else is new?”

 

“This has happened before?” Quinn asked.

 

“Yes,” Tori said. “She did it to me, in middle school.”

 

“And me, for a while,” Stacy said.

 

“But, I fought back,” Tori said. “By insisting on the truth.”

 

“And I thank you for that again,” Stacy said.

 

“You’re welcome,” Tori said.

 

“So, we insist on the truth,” Quinn said.

 

“Yes. I have already been doing that,” Tori said.

 

“Good!” Stacy said.

 

“When we become aware of a rumor, we must act on it,” Tori said.

 

“Obviously,” Quinn said.

 

“So, what rumors haven’t you told us?” Stacy asked.

 

And so, Tori told of what she had heard, shocking the other three with some of them.

 

 

Quinn made up her mind as she went to the next class. Sandi was going to get a visit from SpiderGirl. ‘But is that responsible?’ She wondered. ‘Would I be using that Great Responsibility the way Daddy would want?’ she wasn’t sure.

 

 

Rumors or not, Stacy had already made up her mind to join the Anime Club, and so she went to the classroom where they met as soon as the final bell for the day rang.

 

“Stacy?” a person asked.

 

“Hi!! Stacy said.

 

“You’re joining the club?” he asked.

 

“Yes, and you are?”

 

“Koichi,” he said.

 

“Great!” Stacy said with a smile.

 

“Jenna will be here soon,” Koichi said.

 

“Jenna?”

 

“Jenna Oberton-Schwartz. She’s the president.”

 

“Oh, right.”

 

 

It wasn’t long before Jenna and a few others arrived.

 

“Hi,” Stacy said.

 

“Stacy Rowe?” Jenna asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’re joining today?” Jenna asked. “I heard about what happened with the Fashion Club.”

 

Stacy nodded. “Sandi isn’t understanding that Quinn is still grieving her father.”

 

“That’s not all is it?” Koichi said.

 

“Not really. I do like Anime,” Stacy explained. “And science fiction in general. The latest rumors are in response to what happened on Monday.”

 

“I just wanted to be sure,” Jenna said. She took out a piece of paper from a folder. “Here.”

 

Stacy filled out the form. “Favorite anime film? I suppose Whisper of the Heart, I guess. I like the way Shizuku goes about her goal.”

 

“Good choice,” Jenna said, being a big Ghibli fan

 

Stacy smiled.

 

 

Daria and Jane got to the Pizza place. Once they had placed their orders and taken their seats Daria said; “OK, spill.”

 

“About Sandi?” Jane asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“We were friends in Elementary school,” Jane said. “Not particularly close friends, but friends.”

 

“Go on.”

 

And so Jane explained that as she and Sandi did activities together, that the latter slowly grew more controlling, until Jane had had enough of her behaviour and told her off. Sandi then spread rumors about Jane in retaliation.

 

Daria wasn’t that shocked.

 

“I knew you wouldn’t be,” Jane said. “But I’m sure you’ll say we’ll need to help Quinn and the others.”

 

“Yes.”

 

 

After a patrol, SpiderGirl arrived back at the Morgendorffers’. She listened as she approached the kitchen door. Linda wasn’t in the kitchen. She then swung up to her side window.

 

 

Quinn changed into one of the other suits. Not the one she had worn to Freemont, but one she had made just after the Agents’ visit. ‘With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility,’ she thought. She then put the all red mask on and was soon webslinging towards the Griffin’s.

 

 

Sandi was dressing up in her room. She had a date with Joey that night. Or at least she had asked him out, but he didn’t exactly say ‘yes’ straight away. She had changed into clothes similar to Quinn’s, just with shorter sleeves, when she heard tapping at her window.

 

‘What’s that?’ she wondered. “Better not be you, Joey!” she said. If wasn’t often that boys climbed up to her window, the most recent time being not long after that disastrous party she had held in competition to the school dance earlier in the Fall. She turned the window and opened it. But it wasn’t Joey! “SpiderGirl!” she exclaimed.

 

“Hi, Sandi!” the vigilante said in a low voice.

 

“You know my name?” Sandi asked.

 

“Everyone at Lawndale High knows it.”

 

“So, you go to Lawndale High?”

 

“Did I say that?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“No, but you implied it.”

 

“Right,” SpiderGirl said. She shook her head. “That’s not why I’m here.”

 

“I can guess,” Sandi said, crossing her arms.

 

“Rumors about former friends of yours,” SpiderGirl confirmed.

 

“What is that to you?” Sandi asked.

 

“Rumors, whether it’s about History teachers being arrested, or about the reasons why a club was dissolved, aren’t good! They can cause more problems at the school than it’s worth.”

 

“So what?” Sandi said. “Focus on stopping muggers!”

 

“That’s not all. After all, with great power, comes great responsibility.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Sandi paused. She wasn’t sure why SpiderGirl was arguing with her, but she didn’t like it. “Get out!”

 

“Or what? You’ll spread rumors about me?”

 

“Yes!”

 

 

SpiderGirl had thought about that and figured that she could deal with it. She also saw that she was getting nowhere. She sighed. “Got to go! Remember what I said. She then swung out the window and headed back towards Glen Oaks Lane, noticing that the Griffin’s backyard was a mess. ‘Did Sandi take out her frustration there?’ she wondered.

 

 

Sandi was annoyed. SpiderGirl had vanished just as mysteriously as she appeared. She looked out her window but saw that she was gone. “Fine! I’ll say that you’re a menace, rather than the ‘friendly neighborhood SpiderGirl’ you want to be seen as,” she said as her powers activated. She fired a burst into the sky before deactivating them again and closing the window.

 

 

Stacy had enjoyed the Anime Club meeting. “I had a good time,” she said.

 

“That’s good,” Jenna said.

 

“We are heading to the Pizza place. Would you like to come?” Koichi asked.

 

“Yes!”

 

 

Having changed suits again, Quinn also arrived at the Pizza place. As she entered, she almost ran into Daria, who was leaving. “Sorry Daria.”

 

“It’s alright,” Daria said. “I know that you have been preoccupied lately.”

 

“That wasn’t what I thinking of,” Quinn said. “Something more recent.”

 

“Of course,” Jane said.

 

“Yeah, we’ve talked of that,” Daria said with a look at Jane.

 

“Jane?” Quinn asked.

 

“We were friends in Elementary School. Not close, but friends,” Jane said quietly.

 

“Then what she is doing now happened then,” Daria added.

 

“Right,” Quinn said. It wasn’t surprising.

 

 

When Stacy arrived at the Pizza place with Jenna and Koichi, she saw Quinn waiting. “Quinn!”

 

“How did it go?” Quinn asked.

 

“Quite well. Here are Koichi and Jenna. The latter is the president.”

 

“Hi!” Quinn said to Jenna and Koichi. She had seen them around school.

 

Jenna sat. “I heard about what happened,” she said.

 

“Thanks,” Quinn said quietly.

 

‘She probably wondering how long people are going to commiserate with her like that,’ Stacy thought.

 

 

Quinn thought as she and Stacy left the Pizza place. Hearing Jenna and Koichi as well as Stacy talk about anime was a good way to get her mind off things. “That was a good talk,” she said.

 

“So, you want to watch something?” Stacy asked.

 

“Not tonight, I have to be at the Gupty’s,” Quinn answered. “Maybe this weekend.”

 

“Sure!”

 

 

Quinn arrived at the Gupty’s just after 6:30. “Welcome, Quinn,” Lauren said as she entered.

 

“Good Evening,” Quinn said.

 

‘You look well,” Lester said. “And a little different.”

 

“I hope that’s not a problem,” Quinn responded.

 

“Not at all, just a surprise,” Lauren said.

 

“We’re going now, you know where they are.”

 

 

Quinn came up onto the second floor.

 

 

“Quinn?” Tricia asked as she entered the room.

 

“Your parents have left,” Quinn said. She looked more closely at Tricia. She had changed since Daria had taken her spot after she had double booked nearly a year earlier. She had shorter hair for one thing.

 

“Great!” Tricia said, as she brought out a chess set. “You want to play?”

 

“I’ll try, but I haven’t been practicing. I’m sure you have been with Tad and your friends,” Quinn responded.

 

“Sure.”

 

They played as Tad watched as he read from a copy of The Hobbit.