Daria
considered Harry’s remark. ‘Not that harmless,’ she considered. She could see
how some of her peers might have favorites that would cause them to be teased
about it. “It’s at best, a distraction,” she said.
“A
distraction from what has been going on since Groundhog Day?” Jane asked.
“Yes,”
Daria responded. “A very Lawndale thing to do. Something earth shattering
happens. They try to get on as if nothing happened.”
“Not
everyone is like you, Daria,” Sandi said.
“That’s
certainly true. But the town’s changed, and most of the students are trying to
ignore it,” Daria said.
“Not
entirely true,” Jane said. “Remember what happened after the fake interview?”
Daria
recalled that nearly all of the students had called around when the fake
interview had aired, and they had managed get a copy of the interview within a
few hours. “Good point.”
“And
then there’s Mr. O’Neill’s latest brainstorm,” Jane added.
“Ugh!”
Sandi said. “He’s foisted it on the junior class too. I have no idea what to
succeed or fail at.”
“We
could talk about that later,” Daria said.
“Sure,”
Sandi said.
‘Is
Daria just trying to make sure we’re focused?’ Harry wondered. He thought about
what had happened since he had arrived in Lawndale.
Daria
saw Tori exit the server area. ‘I should ask her about it now.’ She got up.
“Daria?”
Jane asked.
“Tori’s
here.”
Tori
Jericho saw Daria Morgendorffer wave her over.
She looked around and saw that Quinn wasn’t there yet, so she went over
and sat next to her and across from Harry. “I suppose you’ve been talking about
the latest craze?” she asked.
“Yes,”
Daria answered. “It’s spread through the school like wildfire.”
“Tell me
about it. It’s exhausting giving the same answer over and over,” Tori
responded.
“And
that is?” Jane asked mischievously.
“A
Meercat,” Tori answered as she took a bite. “They observe their environment.”
“You
liked Timon when you saw The Lion King, didn’t you?” Jane asked.
Tori
felt a flush of embarrassment. “That might have something to do with it,” she
admitted.
“But how
did this fad start?” Daria asked.
“How
does anything start?” Tori asked. “I have no idea at that the moment. I just
find it annoying.”
“It’s
more of a distraction than anything,” Daria said. “But a distraction
nonetheless.”
“Not
everyone is interested in what’s causing Lawndale to go out of control,” Tori
said. “But I have been keeping my ear on the ground, as it were.”
“And you
haven’t heard anything?” Daria concluded.
“It
might have come from Middlebury,” Tori answered after some thought. “My cousin
there said something about it a week ago. But it might also have come from the
Internet.”
“So, a
meme, or more like one of those chain emails,” Daria considered as if she
wasn’t sure what to make of that.
Quinn
saw Tori sitting with Daria and Sandi. “I’ll talk to her later,” she murmured.
She then noticed Anna Coultard and Ben Harrod, two of her fellow students she
was mentoring.
Anna
turned to Quinn as she sat. “Hi, Quinn.”
“I see
you’re not asking what everyone else is,” Quinn said.
“I got
tired of answering after the first half dozen times,” Anna responded.
“I’m
tired of it too,” Ben added. “A few even joked about the time I got bit by that
Copperhead!”
That
almost startled Quinn. “Really?”
“Yes,”
Ben answered with annoyance.
“That’s
not right,” Quinn said.
“I told
them that,” Anna interjected as she took Ben’s in hers.
Quinn
changed the topic. “How do you feel about Mr. O’Neil’s assignment?”
“Like,
why set us up for failure?” Anna asked. “Either way we fail something, or fail
the assignment.”
“That’s
a good point,” Quinn responded. “Do you think I should bring that up with Ms.
Li?”
“It may
be a good idea,” Ben answered as he paused in his careful eating.
Meanwhile,
Brittany had joined her friends and fellow cheerleaders Angie Zammit and Donna
Bolton.
“So,
Brit, tired of this fad yet?” Donna asked. “I’m sure I have given more than
five answers.”
“A
little,” Brittany answered. “But I am a little curious.”
“Really,
Brit?” Angie asked in annoyance. “Besides, my favorite is a spider.”
“You
mean, SpiderGirl,” Brittany said in a slight ribbing tone.
Angie
shrugged. “Well, her powers had to come from somewhere.”
“But
what answer have you been giving, Brit?” Donna asked.
“Like a
marmoset,” Brittany answered while twirling a pigtail.
“Good
choice,” Angie said.
“It has
been cat, mouse, dog and giraffe most often,” Donna added.
“That
makes sense,” Brittany said.
At the
Oscorp tower, Osborn’s assistant Fields was having a usual day, trying to
organize Oscorp’s operations in Lawndale in a way that Osborn would find
appropriate. She didn’t jump when Osborn entered the office in a storm.
“Find
out more on Angier Sloane that is not publicly known,” he directed.
“Yes,
sir.”
“And
look into the ownership structure of Winged Tree Country Club.”
Fields
nodded, although she was sure that the members were the owners.
Osborn
entered his office, and looked out over Lawndale towards where the Country Club
lay to the southeast. ‘But maybe an Oscorp buyout would be too obvious.’ He
opened a file on his computer that he had read earlier that morning.
Oscorp
Industries Glider Prototype Mark II
Construction
complete.
Entering
testing phase.
‘Maybe I
can use it to destroy that building. But what about the vigilantes?’ He knew
that the agents hadn’t really stopped them in their tracks. ‘But there are many
ways they can be distracted.’ He looked at a map of Lawndale on one of the
walls. ‘Five or six places…’
Daria
and Sandi met on the roof as school let out. “Brittany is waiting in the
Library,” Daria said, as she tutored Brittany in various subjects twice a week.
“She can
wait,” Sandi said as she looked out over the town.
“She’ll
ask why I’m late, but alright.”
“You
said we could, like, talk about Mr. O’Neill’s assignment later.”
“I was
going to suggest choosing an activity from the list of extracurricular
activities,” Daria said.
“I’ll
have another look.”
“And
that way, even if you don’t like it, Mr. O’Neill will be satisfied, in a way.”
“I guess
so,” Sandi said, as she tied her hair back, ready to be the Enigma for the
afternoon.
“But
otherwise, no pressure.”
“There’s
still, like, some pressure from O’Neill, but it could still be worse.”
“Let’s
not tempt fate,” Daria responded.
In the
Library, Quinn saw Anna and Ben arrive. “Have you seen Gerald?” she asked,
referring to the third of the students she was mentoring alongside the couple.
“I saw
him between fifth and sixth period,” Ben said. “Arguing that he doesn’t need to
pick a favorite animal.”
“Good
for him,” Quinn commented, “but where is he? Is he concerned that I’d be
asking? Or that you two would be?”
“I
wouldn’t,” Ben said.
“Let’s
start anyway,” Quinn said with a sigh. “But we’ll wait about five minutes.”
Gerald
Brown arrived in a huff in slightly less of that time. “A very annoying day!”
he grumbled.
“Don’t
worry, I’m not asking you the question,” Quinn said.
Gerald
breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down.
“I may
not be asking about that fad….” Quinn began.
“But
about O’Neill’s crazy assignment,” Gerald interrupted.
“Yes,”
Quinn said. “What are you doing about it?”
“I was
wondering what you are going to say about it,” Gerald responded.
“What
Mr. O’Neill probably intends. For us to use it as a learning opportunity,”
Quinn answered. “It’s like what my mom sometimes says. That you’ll never know
what we can handle until we try.”
“That’s
a good point,” Ben said. “Looking back. The past couple of months, since this
started have been good for us, despite what else may be happening in town.”
“That’s
obvious. I have been keeping track,” Quinn said. “But I’m not having Mr.
O’Neill inadvertently sabotage this.”
“He
won’t and he hasn’t,” Anna said.
“A good
attitude,” Quinn said.
“But
what are you getting at?” Ben asked. “Something like O’Neill’s challenge. Pick
something we’ll know we’ll fail at and learn from that?”
“Something
like it,” Quinn said with slight annoyance. “More like, going out of your
comfort zone. I’ll be doing that myself. Reading at least one book Daria will
recommend.”
“Given
how Tempest is layered with meaning, that book could be anything that’s
a classic,” Anna said.
“But
whether I’ll like it would be another thing,” Quinn said. “But at least I’ll
know my tastes for literature better.”
“Maybe
I’ll do something similar,” Anna said. “Branch out to Greek mythology and try
to read The Odyssey.”
“That’s
a good choice,” Quinn said.
Ben
thought about what Quinn had said, and what Anna had chosen. He too could
branch out. “Something related.”
“It
doesn’t have to be,” Quinn said.
He
looked to Anna, and her expression backed up what Quinn just said.
“I guess
it could be trying to memorize the names of all the insect orders,” he said.
“That
sounds achievable,” Quinn said.
“But
it’s tricky. The naming convention seems consistent, but it isn’t that
straightforward, and there are so many,” Ben said.
“But it
is the challenge. The balance between what O’Neill tried to set out and being
defiant against it,” Anna contributed.
“Absolutely,”
Ben said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
“And
you, Gerald?” Quinn asked.
Gerald
sighed. Quinn was her usual enthusiastic self. ‘The favorite animal thing
hasn’t really affected her,’ he thought. But it had affected him, so he hadn’t
really given O’Neill’s brainwave of an assignment challenge much thought. He
said so.
“Something
to do with Astronomy, right?” Quinn asked. “Trying to view something in the sky
despite the streetlights?”
Gerald
shook his head. “That would just cause eye strain. That’s not worth it over
this.”
“That’s
a good point. I’ve seen Daria struggle at the times she needed new glasses,”
Quinn said. “It obviously not pleasant for her. But what else could there be.”
“And I
still haven’t got far with the elocutionist. So, no dramatic reading yet,”
Gerald added.
