Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 2

 

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.