Spider Quinn 22 Attractions of Lawndale - Part 11

 

Sandi entered at that moment and saw Kevin making a fool of himself. “That’s enough, Kevin. I was there last night at the Historia. There’s, like, no need for a repeat.

 

“I heard about that,” Mack said.

 

Daria and Jane also entered the cafeteria behind Sandi. “Kevin, you haven’t been listening to me,” the latter said.

 

 

Brittany tried to ignore him and just took another bite from her meal.

 

“Embarrassed?” her friend, Donna Bolton, asked.

 

“Not really,” Brittany answered. “But I think it’s related to his kidnapping.”

 

Donna nodded. “I mean, Anders did humiliate him in front of all of Lawndale.”

 

“And so, this is how he’s coping.”

 

 

At the same time, Quinn, Stacy and Tori entered the Science faculty office. “Ms. Barch?” Tori asked.

 

“I’m here,” Ms. Janet Barch said as she came out of her cubicle. “What do you want?”

 

“You know about the assignment Mr. O’Neill put out?” Quinn asked.

 

“I do. He was enthusiastic about it on Monday night.”

 

“Right,” Quinn responded and then explained about the Language Arts lesson.

 

 

“I see,” Janet said when Quinn had finished. “I’ll encourage him,” she added in as neutral a tone as possible.

 

And failed, as all three students looked uncomfortable, with Stacy the most so. “Thanks for your time,” Quinn said.

 

 

Ms. Li entered the cafeteria to see that the reports of the quarterback making a fool of himself were not an exaggeration. “Mr. Thompson! Get off that table this instant!”

 

Kevin jumped off the table and would have fallen over if Mack didn’t grab him. “Thanks, Mack Daddy.”

 

“I told you not to call me that.”

 

The principal approached him. “Tell me, what was the meaning of this?”

 

“Um, I want to go out with SpiderGirl.”

 

“She may have rescued you from Lynn Anders, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to make a scene! You will have detention this afternoon!”

 

“Oh man!”

 

 

“That was predictable,” Jodie said as she sat with Daria, Jane, Harry and Sandi several minutes later.

 

“Kevin has it in his head that because SpiderGirl rescued him she likes him,” Daria responded.

 

“Unfortunately,” Jodie responded.

 

“But that’s not all that’s happening, is it?” Jane asked.

 

“No,” Jodie said. “But Dad hasn’t said anything about the rumors, other than to say that if they are true, that he would fight to the last to retain control of the company.”

 

“That seems obstinate,” Harry said.

 

“You don’t know my father,” Jodie said.

 

Harry opened his mouth again.

 

“And he would also say that race has nothing to do with it,” Jodie said.

 

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Harry said.

 

“I believe that,” Jane said.

 

“My father doesn’t see race when he conducts business deals. Or at least he tells himself that.”

 

 

Lawndale High seemed tense throughout the rest of the school day. The favorite animal fad was fading but the consequences of Mr. O’Neill’s assignment were growing.

 

 

Jane looked out at Lawndale from the roof as school let out. She quickly rough sketched the Historia in the distance. The theater building looked as usual but she was still thinking about Kevin’s new obsession with SpiderGirl. ‘If it is now an obsession, then that means that Kevin may now be dangerous. A different danger than Oscorp or Beck, but a danger nonetheless.’

 

She was about to change to the Shadow when she heard the door open. She turned and saw that it was Sandi. “Oh, it’s you.”

 

“Yes. I’m sure you know that Daria’s tutoring Brittany.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“I look over the town from here sometimes,” Sandi said. “You, like, look like you’re thinking about something.”

 

“Oh, mostly about Kevin going down a dangerous path.”

 

“You think he’s obsessed?”

 

“Yes!” Jane answered.

 

 

Sandi thought about that. “If he isn’t, he probably soon would be. Have you told Daria, or one of the teachers?”

 

“Not much the teachers can do outside the school. Ms. Li seems to be already on it.”

 

“Being on detention is probably, like, counterproductive in his case. Stacy probably will tell her mother.”

 

“But that would only help at the Historia. Kevin still goes to the Pizza place as well,” Jane responded.

 

Sandi sighed as she stepped closer. “True.” She looked at Jane again. “That outfit suits you.”

 

“Now you compliment me? When I’m dressed in a way that you find suitable?”

 

“Um, yes.”

 

“I’m being conventional because I’m experimenting. And just because you and Daria have hit it off over investigating what’s happening in Lawndale doesn’t mean we’re friends. And whatever connection you two have to the fourth vigilante and maybe Dafoanairi? I’m looking into that too.”

 

Sandi took that in. “Go ahead.”

 

“I will,” Jane proclaimed.

 

 

Jane left the rooftop in a huff. She had found other places in the school where she could change to the Shadow before leaving for the day.

 

 

Sandi looked out towards the Historia. ‘The last rehearsal will be later, but I doubt anyone would want to disrupt Tempest at this stage.’ She paused. ‘Kevin won’t.’ Still, something seemed unsettled. ‘I will patrol around there anyway, and watch out for any Oscorp agents.’

 

 

It turned out that the afternoon was calmer than usual. Daria reflected on this as she entered the Historia’s café just after sunset. ‘But there is still a lot going on,’ she thought as she looked to where, Stacy was behind the counter. She went up to order something before going to the rehearsal.

 

“So, you’re ready for Tempest to be over?” Stacy asked after she had taken her order.

 

“It won’t really be over. There will be encore productions, including at the Story Oak,” Daria responded, referring to theater in Oakwood that had been inspired by the Historia.

 

“You know what I mean.”

 

Daria sighed. “Actually, I am. I mean I’ll miss it, but it also less stress. More time for… other things.”

 

Stacy nodded knowingly before turning to the coffee machine.

 

 

After dinner, Sandi was ready for another search. ‘Of course, it’s likely if SpiderGirl is her secret identity at the time, that I wouldn’t be able to notice it’s her,’ she thought. She paused. She had already considered that possibility. ‘But I haven’t told Daria.’ She shook her head as she grabbed the yearbook. She noticed that Quinn was only the fifth after the current one. ‘One search at a time!’

 

She calmed herself and drank the energy drink. “Findu mann sem heiter: Rachel Lincoln!”

 

She found Rachel at Mr. Fun’s Arcade playing against Ted Dewit Clinton.

 

“Ted, right.”

 

She grabbed the list of extracurricular activities again.

 

 Lawndale Lowdown – Student Newspaper

 

“Maybe, but alongside both Morgendorffers,” she murmured. That would be quite awkward, especially with Quinn. “Maybe not.”

 

Her thoughts drifted back to her conservation with Jane on the rooftop about Kevin. Were the nightly searches an indication that she was also obsessed with SpiderGirl?

 

‘Maybe, but if so, it is different to Kevin. Confrontation, yes, but after that we’d just be rivals, not each other’s nemeses.’ Even so, she realized she wanted Daria’s opinion on the matter. ‘But I know what she’s going to say.’

 

She continued looking through the list.

 

 

Later, the rehearsal was concluding.

 

“Was t well done?” Brittany asked as Ariel.

 

“Bravely and diligent. You Shall be free,” Tom said as Prospero.

 

 

The Rehearsal concluded and Daria called the cast together.

 

“I must say, that this production has been very successful. That despite Quentin Beck’s disruption and cast members sustaining injuries. We have proven that the Historia can be successful as a theater and a safe space in Lawndale at this time.”

 

 

Brittany met up with Daria as she headed out. “That was a good speech.”

 

“Thanks, but it’s something I have been saying all this time,” Daria said.

 

“Not all the time,” Brittany said as she twirled a pigtail “But some of the time.”

 

“I must say that you’ve been improving as Ariel.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“But we haven’t really investigated Lawndale’s issues together since the brownouts,” Daria said.

 

“I’d like to compare notes,” Brittany said as they emerged into the foyer.

 

Tom was still there. “Is that one reason why you were visiting last night?”

 

“Yes,” Brittany said.

 

“What was this?” Daria asked.

 

“Mostly about the past two days,” Brittany answered.

 

“So, you two had been investigating what’s going on?” Tom asked.

 

“Briefly. From Groundhog Day until the brownouts. Then we’ve been busy with the play,” Daria responded.

 

“I heard that both of you were involved in exposing Lynn Anders regarding that fake interview with SpiderGirl,” Tom said.

 

“That was an urgent situation,” Daria responded.

 

“I suppose so,” Tom allowed.

 

Brittany twirled a pigtail. “And we have been gathering information separately.”