Party at 111 Howard - Part 3

 Party at 111 Howard – Part 3

“Jodie Landon.”

 

“Dani Moreno.”

 

“I haven't seen you at Lawndale.”

 

“I'm at Lawndale State, Freshman,” Dani said.

 

“But I would have seen you last year.”

 

“I kept to myself last year.”

 

“I guess,” Jodie said. She didn't take all that much notice of the seniors the previous year.

 

“So, how do you know Jane?”

 

“Her brother is in a band with my brother,” Dani said, exitedly.

 

“You like their music?” Jodie asked, surprised at Dani's exuberance.

 

Dani shrugged. “They have potential,” she said.

 

“I guess others don't think they're that good?”

 

“Wait until they start playing.”

 

“That doesn't sound good.”

 

 

Sandi arrived at Tiffany's house. She too was worried about Tiffany. The Fashion Club may have had a maximum allowable weight, but it also had a minimum. She was not stupid! Tiffany seemed to be approaching that minimum. Some kind of intervention had to take place, but she wasn't sure how. It was a very delicate situation.

 

 

Tiffany was looking at various articles of clothing as Sandi entered the room. She remained in the doorway, to observe what was taking place before talking to her friends. “Does this make me look fat?” she asked as she held out a black dress to Quinn and Stacy.

 

“No it doesn't,” Quinn said with an encouraging tone.

 

“Maybeee.” Tiffany turned around and held the dress against her as she looked in a mirror. Sandi had to admit, it made her look good. “No-oo!” Tiffany said, as she threw it into a pile of similar dresses.

 

Stacy said. “It looks good,” she said.

 

“No, It didn't!” Tiffany said as she took out another dress. “Does this make me look fat?”

 

“No, it doesn't,” Quinn said, as encouraging as before.

 

'It seems that Tiffany isn't going to decide what to wear any time soon,' Sandi thought. She looked at her watch, 6:20. She entered the room. “Sand-di! You're late,” Tiffany said.

 

“Fashionably!” Sandi added.

 

“Still late,” Quinn said.

 

“Quite, cute, Quinn,” Sandi said.

 

“Thanks!”

 

'Now, to help Tiffany dress...' Sandi considered. She looked at the pile of clothes. It seems that she had gone through a third of the dresses she had.

 

Tiffany took out another dress, similar to the shirt Quinn was wearing. “Does this make me look fat?”

 

No, it doesn't,” Quinn said.

 

“Quinn's right, Tiffany. It looks almost perfect on you.”

 

“Almost?” Tiffany asked.

 

“A minor imperfection. Nothing to worry about,” Sandi said, trying to be encouraging.

 

“I need something per-fect!” Tiffany said.

 

“No need to be perfect, Tiffany, just very close to it,” Quinn said.

 

Tiffany thought for a moment. “I guess so. I'll wear it,” she decided.

 

 

At Casa Lane, Mack knocked on the door. Jodie opened it. “The Party will be here,” she said.

 

“But Jane?” Mack asked.

 

“She wants to celebrate,” Jodie answered.

 

“I suppose Daria is here too,” Mack said as he entered the house.

 

“And her brother's band.”

 

“What kind of band?”

 

“Grunge,” Jodie answered.

 

“At least that might scare Kevin away.”

 

“But probably not Brittany.”

 

 

Brittany wasn't far behind. She didn't know why Kevin didn't want to drive there with her. She did have her suspicions as to why. 'It happens sooner or later,' she thought with a shake of her head. But then, she knew that their relationship wouldn't last much longer than graduation. Her grades weren't great, but she knew that his were a lot worse. While she would get into a college somewhere away from Lawndale, she was sure he would end up either at Lawndale Community College or working for his father's building company.

She had long since decided to cut him loose after graduation, but in the meantime, they were an item. As she finished this reflection she pulled up outside the address, noting that Mack was already there.

 

 

The doorbell rang again. Daria opened the door. “Brittany! Of course.”

 

“Daria! Why are you here?”

 

“I was actually invited,” Daria responded.

 

“O-oh!” Brittany said.

 

“By Jane,” Daria added.

 

“It's Jane's party?” Brittany asked while twirling her hair.

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

“Who else is here? Besides Mack?”

 

Daria stepped aside, allowing Brittany inside. “Jodie, Jane's brother, Jane's brother's band and their groupie.”

 

“O-oh!” Brittany said. “Wait, were they the band that were in the club that time?”

 

“Yes, Brittany, they were.”

 

“I hope they have improved.”

 

“I wouldn't bet on it,” Daria said.

 

 

Brittany exited the house into the yard. “Hi, Jane,” she said.

 

“Hi, Brittany,” Jane said. “How did you find out about the party?”

 

“Angie told me,” Brittany answered.

 

Jane was annoyed, “Then, how did she find out?”

 

Brittany twirled her hair. “I don't know.”

DariaBrittany - Confrontation

DariaBrittany - Confrontation

Of course, confronting her opposite self was easier said than done. She had to wait until both of them had study hall, or lunch, or until school let out for the day. She was annoyed. Her opposite self continued to get the answers right.

 

She supposed that Brittany wasn't as dim-witted as she had let on. The same was happening with Quinn afterall.

 

She sighed. Another thing that had to be done. She would have to talk to Quinn. But first, she needed to talk to her opposite self. She waited patiently through class.

 

However, there were another two periods before Lunch. It was almost enough for her to cry out in frustration.

 

 

At lunch she went up to her opposite self, who was sitting alone. "So, Brittany, you took over my life?" she asked.

 

"What are you talking about?" her opposite self asked. "I'm Daria!"

 

Daria was infuriated more. "No, you're Brittany."

 

"I have heard about what happened to you, you're confused."

 

"That was a ruse. I didn't know you well enough," Daria said. "I don't know how you have pulled it off. There wouldn't be enough in my diaries."

 

"What an imagination!" Brittany cried. "Will you leave me alone?"

 

"No! You are Brittany Taylor, you found yourself in Daria Morgendorffer's body."

 

"Fine!" her opposite self said. "Meet me at home, 1111 Glen Oaks, this afternoon.

 

"So, you admit it!"

 

"We'll talk later, not now!" her opposite self said firmly. It was quite unnerving, she sounded both like and unlike herself (that is Brittany), some of the cadences she was familiar with Brittany having were there, others were unknown, and others she was sure that she had modelled off her (Daria).

 

"We will talk," Daria said.

 

"Yes! Now go!" Brittany said firmly, as she stood up, having finished eating.

 

Daria went.

Mysteries of Lawndale - Night of the Coffee House - Part 3

 Night of the Coffee House – Part 3

It was quarter past six when the group entered Viv’s videos, and business was raging. There was a large number of customers in the store.

“This is going to be difficult,” Daria said.

 

“We could wait until tomorrow before school,” Quinn suggested.

 

“That might be best,” Daria decided.

 

“OK,” Stacy said.

 

“We’ll meet again after school,” Daria directed.

 

Everyone nodded.

 

 

Tuesday, October 14^th 1997

Daria and Quinn arrived at Viv’s Videos at 7:45. “How may I help you?” the clerk asked.

 

“You know of the break-in two nights ago?” Daria asked.

 

“Of course,” the clerk said, looking at Daria suspiciously.

 

“We’re investigating the incident,” Daria said.

 

“I see.”

 

Daria turned to Quinn. “We would like to know if your in-store cameras could have seen something,” Quinn said, in a flirtatious way.

 

“Right,” the male clerk said. “I’ll be right back.” He  went out the back.

 

“Good work, Quinn,” Daria said.

 

“I guess I’m joining the Mystery Club after all,” Quinn said.

 

“How did you come to this decision?” Daria asked.

 

“We’re getting into the middle of everything, like we did in Highland. We’re solving crime,” Quinn answered.

 

“That’s true,” Daria conceded.

 

“So, I’ll join the club as soon as I get to school,” Quinn said. She then saw the clerk return.

 

“It’s going to take a while to check the tapes,” he said.

 

“We’ll return after school,” Daria said.

 

“Name?”

 

“Morgendorffer,” Quinn answered.

 

“Got it,” the clerk said.

 

 

“Aren’t you coming to school?” Quinn asked Daria as the sisters left the video store.

 

“I am, but I’m meeting Officer Peterson at the Court House Cafe.”

 

“Oh,” Quinn said. “Have fun!” She picked up her bike from where she had left it, and rode off towards the school.

 

 

Daria arrived at the Court House Cafe at 8:10. She saw Officer Peterson, in plainclothes and her hair loose around her shoulders, at the counter. “So, you’re not on duty today?” Daria asked as she approached.

 

“Not until after lunch,” Xanthe answered.

 

“I see,” Daria said.

 

“But don’t you have to get to school?”

 

“Not until nine,” Daria answered.

 

“It’s going to be close,” Xanthe pointed out.

 

“I know. I can still get there on time, if we’re quick.”

 

“Sure, Daria,” Xanthe said. “Would you like a latte?”

 

“A simple tea will do,” Daria answered.

 

“Sure,” Xanthe said.

 

 

Quinn arrived at the school shortly after 8:15. She had ridden fast, so she got there early. Fortunately she had used ample deodorant so, she was hardly sweating. She locked the bike to the bike rack (hardly occupied at that time of the morning, but she knew it would be full later) and headed towards the office.

 

“Ms. Morgendorffer?” the receptionist asked.

 

Quinn handed some paperwork over. “Another member for my sister’s club,” she said.

 

The receptionist looked over the paperwork. “It’s in order. With you, Daria, Jane Lane, Stacy Rowe, Alecia Nibblett, Corey Bateman and Charles Ruttheimer, that is seven members,” she said. “That’s three more than the Fashion Club.”

 

“Yeah, Sandi will be jealous,” Quinn said with laughter.

 

“Is that a good thing?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

 

While her daughters were pursuing the mystery, Helen Morgendorffer was thinking of something. It was just as well that the Mystery Club constituted an extracurricular activity, otherwise she would have talked to Daria about getting one. She may not have been as active as Quinn, but the detective work was taking up a lot of time...

 

 

Daria arrived at school just in time for homeroom. The conversation with Officer Peterson was quite informative.

 

“Sorry for the tardiness,” she said as she entered the room.

 

“Not late at all, Ms. Morgendorffer,” Claire Defoe said, as she marked Daria on the roll.

 

Daria smiled.

 

“By the way, Jane says that you’re investigating the Cybercafe break-in,” Defoe said.

 

“Yes,” Daria said.

 

“It’s good that you’re doing your thing for the community.”

 

“Those who broke in are likely to offend again if they aren’t caught.”

 

“That is true,” the art teacher said, as Daria went to her seat.

 

 

The Principal of Lawndale High, Angela Li, had taken her head Language Arts teacher’s suggestion of a fundraiser for a new coffee house to heart. As such, she had quickly organised such fundraising.

 

Quinn quickly volunteered for the fundraising.

 

 

“You’re doing what?” Daria asked as she and Quinn approached the video store that afternoon.

 

“Fundraising, for the new coffee house. I’m selling phone cards.”

 

“Well, just to be sure to take notice of what the people are like, and what they reveal about themselves,” Daria said.

 

“I know what to do, Daria,” Quinn said.

 

Daria nodded, with a smile. Quinn went up to the counter.

 

“Order for Morgendorffer?” she asked.

 

“Right here,” the clerk handed over a couple of tapes. “We have copied the recordings from Sunday night,” he said.

 

“Thanks!” Quinn said. She then handed the tapes to Daria.

 

“I’ll take them home and start watching,” Daria said.

 

“Sure,” Quinn said.

 

 

Danny Felton heard a knock at his door.

 

“Hi! I’m selling long distance phone cards,” a young teen girl said She was dressed in a stylish tracksuit and her hair was done up in two buns above and behind her ears. He could see a bike propped against his letterbox behind her.

 

“I just use a credit card,” he responded. He guessed that she came from Lawndale High. He remembered that Ms. Li was sending students on all sorts of fundraising activities.

 

“Oh, well, are you really happy with the service?”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

“I mean, are you really happy?”

 

“I don't get you. W-why shouldn't I be?”

 

“ I mean, like, are you ever, like, really looking forward to talking to someone, and then you can't hear them because of crackling and static?”

 

“Not...” Danny began, but the girl interrupted.

 

“I mean, I know that if I were your friend and you were calling me, I'd want to listen to you, not some static. I mean, you have a really nice voice. Your friend should be able to hear it.”

 

“They usually, uh...”

 

“Just pretend you're calling me.”

 

“What?”

 

“Really, just try it. My name's Quinn. What's your name?”

 

“Danny,” he answered.

 

“So, call me, Danny,” Quinn said, imitating a telephone with her hand.

 

Feeling silly, Danny imitated the gesture. “Hello? Uh, Quinn?”

 

“Danny? Is that you?”

 

“Hi! Quinn?”

 

“Danny? Is that you?”

 

“Hi! Quinn?”

 

“Speak up, Danny, I can't hear you.”

 

“Hi! Quinn? It's me, Danny.”

 

“I've been thinking about you all day. The way your hair falls over your eyes when you laugh. I can't get it out of my head.”

 

“Really?”

 

“You gotta speak up, Danny. Listen, do you want to come over tonight? My folks went away for the whole weekend.”

 

“Yeah! I mean, um, s-sure, Quinn.”

 

“Oh, that's okay, Danny, I understand. I'll see if Pete wants to come over.”

 

“But I said...”

 

“Bye!”

 

“Wait!” Danny said.

 

“Click!”

 

“Click. See what can happen with bad long distance service, Danny?”

 

“Whose Pete?” Danny asked.

 

“Not important,” Quinn said. “So you want a phone card?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Cool!”

 

 

After Quinn had left, Danny looked at the sheet that she had given him alongside the phone card...

 

Think Lawndale is filled with mystery?

 

You’re not alone.

 

Would you like a mystery investigated?

Call Daria: 555-1982

Mysteries of Lawndale - Night of the Coffee House - Part 2

 Night of the Coffee House – Part 2

Twenty five minutes later, the group arrived at the scene of the crime in Trent’s car.

 

“Ms. Morgendorffer?” One of the officers on the scene asked.

 

“Daria,” she said holding out her hand.

 

“Officer Xanthe Peterson,” the officer said. “The officers I spoke to in Highland PD spoke quite highly of you.”

 

Daria just gave a Mona Lisa smile.

 

“And who are these with you?” Officer Peterson asked.

 

“My assistants, including some members of the Lawndale High Mystery Club and siblings of same. You can check with Ms. Li for the existence of the Club,” Daria answered.

 

Officer Peterson chuckled. “Ha, no! Ms. Li rarely cooperates with LDPD. It’s like she has something to hide.”

 

“Mind if I take that down?” Daria asked, holding her notebook down.

 

“I don’t mind at all,” Officer Peterson answered.

 

Daria wrote down the tidbit about Ms. Li’s lack of cooperation with the Lawndale Police Department and then followed Officer Peterson into the remains of the cybercafé.

 

 

“As you can see, all the electronic equipment was taken. The computers, the register, the modem/router, switches, even the cabling, keyboards and mice,” One of the other officers stated.

 

“And they gained entrance by smashing a window, and went out through the door?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Fingerprints?” Daria asked.

 

“Only a few partials, and they weren’t in the system,” Peterson answered.

 

“Mind if I take a copy?” Daria asked.

 

“I’ll show you where they are.”

 

 

“A few prints on the counter,” Peterson said, indicating said counter. “Other prints in the girl’s bathroom.”

 

“Eww, They needed to go while breaking into the place?” Stacy asked.

 

“Any evidence of urination outside the bathroom?” Daria asked.

 

“None,” Peterson said.

 

“Quinn,” Daria indicated.

 

“Sure,” Quinn said. She dusted the prints on the counter and applied sticky tape to copy the prints.

 

“You have done it before,” Peterson observed.

 

“You think?” Quinn asked with a smirk.

 

“Many times, in Highland,” Daria added.

 

Quinn gave the copied prints to Daria, who placed them in the specially prepared bag. “There,” Quinn said.

 

“And the bathroom?” Daria added.

 

“Sure,” Peterson said.

 

 

“Can I do it?” Stacy asked, as Quinn once again prepared to take print samples.

 

“Not yet,” Quinn said.

 

“Oh!”

 

“We could train you,” Daria offered.

 

“Yes, please!” Stacy said.

 

Officer Peterson rolled her eyes. “Can we get back on task at hand please?”

 

“Sure,” Daria said. She exchanged a look with Quinn.

 

“Right,” she started dusting the prints.

 

 

Soon, they had finished. “Thanks for offering to help,” Peterson said to Daria, once they were back outside.

 

“Come again?”

 

“I must be frank with you. The LDPD isn’t as ‘clean’ as I would like it to be,” Officer Peterson said.

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Daria asked. She noticed that they were out of earshot of Peterson’s colleagues.

 

“I have heard things about your Mystery Club from my nephew. During your short time in Lawndale, you have caused quite a stir.”

 

Daria nodded and then said. “Evasive.”

 

Xanthe chuckled and said. “You’re very perceptive. I guess that’s why you’re a detective.”

 

Daria gave her another look.

 

“I have noticed officers on the take. My superiors think I’m paranoid. There is more I don’t want to risk telling you.”

 

Daria nodded “We can meet again tomorrow to update.”

 

“Yes,” Xanthe said. Daria could tell that the officer wanted to say more about the LDPD’s cleanliness, or lack thereof, but was afraid.

 

 

The group returned to the Plymouth. “Back to our place?” Trent asked Jane.

 

“Daria?” Jane asked.

 

“Take the bikes out of the trunk,” she said.

 

“We’re going to investigate this street?” Stacy asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered.

 

“Sure,” Quinn said as she took one of the bikes out of the trunk.

 

“We’re going to find out if the other businesses have noticed anything unusual,” Daria added.

 

“I can do that,” Jane said.

 

“What if they don’t answer, and say ‘beat it, kid!’?” Stacy asked.

 

“You’ll just have to move to the next one,” Daria said. “But remember to write down what happened, and the name of the business, so we know that they may not be cooperative in the future.”

 

Reassured, Stacy nodded.

 

“Let’s move out,” she said.

 

 

Forty minutes later, they returned to the Plymouth.

 

“The counter people at Dan’s Stationers say that there have been suspicious characters hanging around the cybercafé around lockup time for the last few weeks,” Jane said.

 

Daria looked across the street at the establishment mentioned, then back at Jane. “Did they say anything else?” she asked.

 

“Nothing relevant. One in particular bemoaned the fact that modern technology has taken the personal touch out of personal communication,” Jane added. “I agree with that. Hard to write artistically in an email.”

 

“It also makes identifying someone hard. Handwriting analysis is easy compared to trying to identify someone from a printout or electronic file,” Daria said.

 

“You have experience with that?” Stacy asked.

 

“Hardly,” Daria answered. “It’s a very intense field of forensics.”

 

“Oh,” Stacy stated.

 

“What did you find?”

 

“Not much, except that the clerk in Viv’s Videos said something similar to what Jane said,” Stacy explained.

 

“I see,” Daria said. “Too bad the Council is not as much for surveillance as Ms. Li is.”

 

“Huh?” Stacy asked.

 

“Surely you have noticed the CCTV camera’s at the school?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes,” Stacy answered.

 

“There aren’t any in the streets. Nor are there any in the cybercafé,” Daria stated.

 

“What about the stores?” Quinn asked. “Only a few of the ones I checked had them.”

 

“Most likely they wouldn’t have picked anything up,” Daria said. “They would be focused on protecting their own merchandise.”

 

“The stationary store didn’t have any,” Jane added.

 

“Nor did any of the stores I checked,” Trent said. “The people working there didn’t notice anything either. I’m pretty sure.”

 

“The video store does, but none of the others did,” Stacy said.

 

“We should go there,” Quinn suggested. She looked to Daria.

 

“It’s worth a shot,” she said after a moment of thought.

Party at 111 Howard Part 1

 

“Did I hear you right?” Daria Morgendorffer asked her friend Jane Lane as they arrived at school. “You're having a party?”

 

“That's right.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Sweet Sixteen, Daria! I can't believe you don't know when my birthday is.”

 

“I know when your birthday is. I didn't think you'd be celebrating it with a party.”

 

“That's because I never had one before.”

 

“Never had one?”

 

“My parents were either never home when I had my birthday, or when they were, didn't come up with the idea for the party.”

 

“I see.”

 

“So, are you coming?”

 

Daria resigned herself to the inevitable. “Yes,” she said in her usual tone.

 

“Cool,” Jane said.

 

 

As the day progressed, the news spread through the school...

Stacy Rowe ran up to her friends in the Fashion Club. “Guys, guess what I heard!”

 

“What?” Quinn Morgendorffer asked, excitedly.

 

“There's a party tonight, in Howard Drive.”

 

“Howard Drive?” Quinn asked.

 

“Yes,” Stacy answered.

 

“Sounds familiar...” Quinn mused.

 

“Sta-cy! There are, like, many houses in Howard Drive,” Sandi Griffin said. “Did you get the exact address?”

 

“Of course I did, Sandi,” Stacy said nervously. “It's at 111 Howard Drive.”

 

“Excellent. We shall meet at Tiffany's at six, and head there at seven,” Sandi decided.

 

“A great idea Sand-di,” Tiffany Blum-Deckler said in approval.

 

“Cool idea, Sandi,” Quinn said at the same time.

 

 

Quarterback Kevin Thompson found his girlfriend, Brittany Taylor, in the cafeteria.

 

“Hey, Babe!” He called.

 

“Have you heard the news, Kevie?” Brittany asked as she hugged him.

 

“What news, Babe?” Kevin asked, his usual oblivious self.

 

“There's a party tonight!”

 

“A party, where?”

 

“At 111 Howard Drive.”

 

“Where's that, Babe?”

 

“I looked at a map. It's in West Lawndale, near the railway line.”

 

“Oh,” Kevin said.

 

“So...”

 

“I'll be coming!”

 

“Good. I already promised Angie I would be there.”

 

“Cool!”

 

 

Between classes, Kevin came up to one of his team mates. “Hey, Mack Daddy!”

 

“I told you not to call me that!” Michael 'Mack' McKenzie said out of exasperation. Kevin didn't get it through his thick skull already that he hated that name.

 

“Did you hear?”

 

“Hear what?”

 

“There's a party tonight!”

 

“Where is it?” Mack asked in a resigned tone. He figured that he had to go, to ensure that Kevin wouldn't do something stupid that would reflect poorly on the Lawndale Lions.

 

“In Howard Drive, bro!”

 

“Interesting,” Mack said as he pondered how that address was familiar to him.

 

“So, you're coming bro?” Kevin asked.

 

“If you're going. Yes,” Mack answered.

 

“Cool!” Kevin said.

 

 

Mack met his girlfriend, Jodie Landon, as they arrived at their next class. “There's a problem,” Mack said.

 

“What is this problem?” she asked.

 

“Kevin is intent going to a party tonight.”

 

Jodie knew what Mack was going on about.

 

“So you have to keep an eye on him,” she stated.

 

“Yes,” Mack responded.

 

“I'll come,” Jodie said, with a resigned tone.

 

“I'll need all the help I can get.”

 

 

Of course, not only the 'popular' crowd heard about the party. One really unpopular male certainly heard of it. Charles 'Upchuck' Rutthiemer III had overheard people talking about it, while on the way between classes. 'Interesting,' he thought. Unlike the others, he knew who lived at the place. “So, Ms. Lane, you're sweet sixteen. Feisty.” he said to himself. 'I'll be there,' he decided.

 

 

At the end of the school day, Andrea Hecuba left the campus in a huff. She was tired of hearing about that party. 'Why would I want to go?' she asked, herself for the umpteenth time.

 

There was one reason...

 

She smiled “Time for gate crashing!”

 

Star Trek: Lower Decks 2.08 I Excretus review

 I Excretus

The eighth episode of the second season. A Starfleet drill instructor tests the Cerritos crew with various past Starfleet scenarios to see how they would fare. The majority of these scenarios are familiar to long time Star Trek fans, but that is just the icing on the cake. Most of the scenarios were fun call backs to older episodes. The drill instructor herself is a call back to the 1970’s animated series. A great use of that particular species. Yem is quite different to Bem too, as she is willing to throw the Cerritos crew under the bus to prove her worth to Starfleet Command.

It turns out that the simulations are rigged to fail the entire crew. But despite this, Boimler imanages to nearly 100% his Borg Encounter simulation. This too is a good call back, and shows how Boimler is growing as a character. But some hints about him seem to be building towards something… 8.3/10.