Episode 25: Last Of the End

Daria steps out of the administration building after spending hours going through paper work. "I did it. It's official." She was no longer going to become a teacher.

She had signed up for summer classes. She hadn't signed up for a dorm. If the apartment hunting didn't go well... Her SUV had plenty of room.

She had to hurry because of apartment hunting. She was supposed to meet with Mary and Amalia before meeting Jane at an apartment building a couple of miles away.

She sees the two girls waiting next to Mary's bright pink car. "Sorry, it took a little bit longer than I thought it would."

"No problem." Amalia opens the passenger door. "I got shotgun."

"Fine." Daria gets in the back seat while Mary goes to the driver door.

They pull up in front of the apartment building and see Jane waiting for them. "About time." Jane smirks as the other car parks.

Daria climbs out first. "I ran longer than I thought. Paperwork, so much paperwork." She still had a little bit of a headache from it all. "Did you meet the landlord yet?"

She shakes her head. "I was waiting for you three before I went in."

The three walk over to her and go in to the apartment building.

They meet the landlord, a short elderly man who takes them up to the fourth floor. "I've never had four girls live here before. Always boys."

They walk in and see a large room. It was the living room, dining room, and kitchen in one. There were five doors at the back. "Four bedrooms, one bathroom."

All four girls look at each other. "No."

Daria gets in Jane's car instead of back in Mary's car. "Do you know where the next place we're going to is?"

"No, I hope Mary does." They wait for Mary to pull out before following her.

Jodie is studying in the library but struggles to concentrate. She was worried about next year. Crestmore would be even harder than Turner. It would be closer to Vance but it wouldn't matter if Mack didn't... "Focus Jodie. You can worry about it after exams."

The next stop was a large house. Daria was already fearing the cost of living there.

All four were surprised when a young woman met them at the door. "Hello, I'm Ms. Lynch." She sees the looks on their faces. "This was my mother's home."

Daria is the first to ask. "Is she, uh, did she,"

Ms. Lynch laughs. "Oh, no. She moved to Florida. She hated snow. This place is too much home for me so I figured I'd pay my rent and utilities at my apartment by charging some one rent and utilities for this place."

She leads the four in to the living room.

She gives them a tour of the first floor before taking them up to the second floor. "Four beds, two and a half baths, and a utility closet to stuff what ever towels and products you want. With the half bath downstairs you shouldn't have any trouble with mirror and sink space."

All four college students loved it but were nervous.

Daria, knowing she made the least, asked the question. "How much a month?"

"Rent is seven hundred a month."

"Only seven hundred?"

Ms. Lynch looks at Jane and smiles weakly. "Like I said this house is just too much for me and I am only renting it out to pay for my stuff. The utilities are the bitches when it comes to this house. Heating in the winter costs an arm and a leg. Powering every thing, including the A/C units, cost the other arm and leg in the summer."

Mary sees the house slipping away. She saw the ad in the newspaper and this was her first choice. The ad hadn't done the house justice. "Any uh, bills, to give us an idea how much that will cost us?"

"Sure." Ms. Lynch leads them back down stairs to the roomy kitchen where she had a folder. "This is why the rent is so low. No one wants to pay for such a huge place with the addition of the utilities. This is the first time I've had a group of four look so hopefully you girls can work a deal."

She opens the folder and pulls out a few papers. She hands them to the four and they look them over.

"I want this house." Mary sees the numbers for heating in the winter. "I'll, uh, I'll earn more tips at the bar."

Jane flicks through a few bills. "This isn't so bad. We can turn the heat down during winter. We're not little old ladies we can handle the cold."

Daria was crunching the numbers in her head.

She had the chance to apply for a better position at the newspaper. She wasn't sure she wanted to add the extra work. The extra pay however... "I'll get promoted. I mean, I'll apply for the promotion. If I get it I should be able to cover my quarter, with help from my parents."

Mary looks up at Amalia and gives her the saddest puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Amalia sets the bills she had in her hand down. "We'll probably not find a lower rent for a place this huge. The electric bill is kinda high but we can control that. Like Jane said we aren't little old ladies. We can turn the heat down and the A/C up. It doesn't even get that hot here. We might go the whole summer with out using it."

Mary gives off a girlish squeal. "Yes! We'll take it!"

Ms. Lynch opens the folder again. "Before I sign off on this there are a few rules my mother left." She pulls a sheet of paper out. "One, show this house love and caring. If you damage the place or tear it down with some wild party you will be evicted and pay for all damages. Two, no fires. The fireplace was sealed off to help with keeping the cold air out in winter. Three," She continues to list off the rules.

At the end Mary looks at the others. "Come on guys. Like Amalia said we'll never find a place this big for seven hundred." She looks at Ms. Lynch. "We can still have people over just like, keep it under control, right?"

"Yes. Don't damage the house. My great grandfather built the place and it has been in the family since." She looks around the room. "I'll move in here, one day, when I'm married and have a kid or two. Right now? I can't handle a house this big. Neither could my mom."

Mary smiles. "I'll sign. What ever you want I'll sign it."

"I'll want first and last on a one year lease."

Daria was already getting attached to the house and she had only spent a couple of hours there. "Only one year?"

"With options to renew it the next year and the next one until you four can't stand living here any more."

When Ms. Lynch gets the contract out, Daria reads over it carefully. Her mother would kill her if she hadn't. Having a lawyer for a mother had taught her to read every thing twice.

Daria rides with Jane again as the four go out to eat after signing. "You'll have plenty of space to work with at least. Just make sure you have plenty of fire extinguishers. That place looked like it could go up if you build up too much static electricity."

"Perfect for when I need to get rid of you guys and make it look like an accident." They pull in to the pizza place and park waiting for the other two before going inside.

The next day, Daria goes to work after class. She wasn't working, she wanted to apply for the Assistant Editor job. The Editor job would pay better but that would go to a senior.

She goes and knocks on the door to Professor McDonald's office. "What?!"

"Uh, this is Daria, can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure, make it quick."

She opens the door and walks in.

He sits behind his desk with some papers scattered about. His bald head shining underneath the fluorescent lights of his office. "Hey, you look familiar. Are you the photographer who keeps sending me pictures of idiots dressed up like some vigilante wanna be?"

"Uh, no."

"Great! Then you're not fired. You do work here, right?"

"Yes. I, I read and fix the grammar and misspelled words."

"So you got a brain behind those glasses?" She simply nods. "Why are you here then?"

"Uh, the assistant editor job, it is still available, right?"

"You and every one else asks that. Well, so far only two others. What grade are you in?"

"I'll be uh, a sophomore. I'm taking summer classes,"

He cuts her off. "You'll be here over the summer?"

"Yes."

"Great! Then you're hired. All these darn babies go home for the summer well I'll tell you some thing. The real world doesn't take the summer off! The real world is twenty four seven, three hundred and sixty three days a week!"

"Only three hundred and sixty three?"

"Wife insists I take our anniversary off and at my age you end up going to at least one funeral a year. Now get out of here! You'll start in July." He picks up a picture. "What did this kid do, climb up a flag pole?! Garbage!"

Daria hurries out of the office unsure if she felt good about what happened. She wanted to earn the job not be given it just because she was staying over the summer. But the rent wouldn't pay for itself so she had to take what she could get.

Conner looks up and sees her. "Hey Daria, isn't today your day off?"

She walks over to his desk. "Yes but I came in to apply for the assistant editor job."

"Good luck on that. I applied for the on campus reporter bit. I doubt I'll get it but you might have a good chance of getting your position."

She smiles and laughs a little. "I kinda already got it."

"Really? How?"

"Because I'm staying here for the summer."

"You don't sound very excited."

Daria sighs. "I wanted to earn it not get it because I was staying here for the summer. I've seen too many people get things handed to them. My mother worked her ass off to get what she got and I want to earn it."

"You can complain about that but I'd love it if some one handed me the reporter job. I keep sending him pictures of the different groups on campus but he never seems to like it."

Daria looks back at McDonald's office. "You may not want to tell him it was your stuff."

He laughs. "What ever. What are you doing later?"

"I, don't know. Probably study."

"Mind if I study with you? The exams snuck up on me again."

Daria smiles to herself. She had been studying for the past couple of weeks. "Not me, this time. If the others say it is ok then meet us in the library."

"Got it. I'm out at four."

Daria walks away glad she had good news to tell Mary and Amalia. She may not have gotten the job how she wanted but she got it.

She leaves the library with Mary after studying together with the others. "You invited Conner?"

"Yes." Daria didn't like Mary's tone of voice.

"So... Any chance of,"

"No. I'm not going to worry about that."

"About what?" Daria won't say the word. She refused to, so stays silent. "Come on Daria, he seems nice. A little tall for my liking but cute."

"I don't care. He, I wouldn't talk with him if he wasn't nice. Luke was nice too."

Mary touches Daria's arm gently. "Don't let one bad experience get you down. I'm not letting Tony stop me from dating Dr. Masters."

Daria looks at Mary. "Does he insist you call him that?"

She shakes her head. "No, I just like calling him Doctor. I'm dating a doctor! A cute, funny, if a little crazy about his daddy issues. After Tony though what ever issues Dr. Masters has will be nothing."

The two split off when they get to the dorm. Mary had seen another friend and wanted to talk with them while Daria went up to her room.

Quinn is over at the Lane's talking with Lindy about an idea she had for the band. "A lot of athletes have nicknames. How many have a theme song? Some come out during introduction with music playing but none of it was written for them. I think if Stacy had her own song to come out to it would make her more popular."

"Always worried about popularity." Lindy smiles showing she was joking. "I get it. Racing costs a ton of money and the more popular a driver is the more money they make."

"Exactly! And if Mystic Spiral is doing the song for her then like, maybe, ASCRA and NARCA will have them play live. Or we could sell CD's at the races!"

Lindy nods. "We got a lot of exposure playing last year at the last NARCA race. Maybe we could get Daytona next year. If this works." Lindy picks up a notebook Quinn had brought over and leafs through it. "Some of these lyrics are ok but others..."

"I know! That's why I brought them to you. I've never tried writing a song before."

Lindy closes the notebook. "I'll talk with them when they get here tonight for practice." She looks down at the notebook before looking back at Quinn with a worried look on her face. "Trent has been working on a song for the past couple of weeks that I don't like."

"Oh, what is it about?"

"A certain girl you know." Quinn doesn't respond. "Likes to wear a skirt and a green jacket."

"Oh. Well, uh, I don't know why he'd be writing her a song."

"I don't either."

Saturday afternoon comes faster than Daria would have liked. After this weekend she had one more week for studying. Even starting early the exams were still going to be rough.

She was too stressed to worry about how she looked and grabbed her tried and true classic outfit that had served her well in Lawndale. "This shirt is too tight." She had lost some of the weight she gained from first semester but not enough.

After changing shirts she went out to her car.

She wanted to get away from school. Forget about it. She had Saturday off and wanted to do some thing.

Mary and Amalia were working at the club later and couldn't do any thing.

Lindsey and Skaz were doing, some thing, since this would be one of the last times they got to see each other before both went to their different homes in different states for the summer.

Jane was with her group of friends doing, well, Daria knew and wished she didn't.

She stops at the coffee shop her and Conner had met at before and sits down. She has a book to read while she tries and ignores the impending doom coming her way in less than ten days. "Hello missy." She looks up and recognizes the waiter.

"Hey. Uh, coffee, black, like your ex boyfriend's soul."

He laughs. "At least you sound like you're in a better mood than last time." He doesn't need to write down her order as he goes back to the counter. She, unlike many, didn't order a triple shot chocolate caramel cappuccino with lite whipped non dairy cream.

Daria hears a noise and looks up from her book expecting to see the waiter with her coffee. Instead it was the clerk from the convenience store pulling out a chair and sitting down across from her. "Oh, hey," She tries to remember his name. "You."

"You indeed. Darrah?"

She narrows her eyes at him. "Daria."

"Hey, I remembered your name began with a D." He smiles and laughs. "Russel, call me Russel."

"Ok, Russel. Why are you sitting at my table?"

Russel looks around the table. "I don't see your name on it." He smiles and laughs again. "Also, if you noticed, the place is getting the lunch rush and you're the only person I recognized. If you don't mind I'd like to order a latte and maybe continue our last discussion on the significance of the secret room in Death Shooter 2."

She sets her book down after using a napkin for a bookmark. "It says it on the walls, in blood, what the significance of the room is."

He rolls his eyes and lets out an overdramatic sigh. "That's just what they want you to think. It is too obvious that you're the good guy. What if you're not? What if that message wasn't a warning to you but to the other innocent people you're slaughtering?"

"Why would they make you the bad guy?"

"Exactly! This is what I'm going to school for and I think it would be brilliant. Do some huge three part game spanning years just to find out, in the end, you're the bad guy. When I get my degree that is the first thing I'm going to work on."

"If you have the money."

He shrugs his shoulders. "I should. I mean, if I can keep playing golf like I have been. I kick so much ass on the course. All these little white boys look down at me as best they can until I reach the green in one stroke on a Par 3. Not used to having a little mocha at their country clubs."

Daria hadn't brought it up, it wasn't important to her, but since he mentioned it... "Uh, you're a lot lighter than my friends Mack or Jodie but that is clearly not a tan."

"Nope. My dad is black and my mom is white. You don't care, do you?"

"Uh, no. My friends Mack and Jodie are black." Daria hadn't called them friends for most of her time at Lawndale. After she graduated and was able to look back on it she saw they were. Maybe not as close as Jane but they were more than what Quinn had with most of the people she called friends.

The two continue talking, ordering bagels and more to drink as time passes.

Sunday night comes and Quinn is over at Casa Lane again. "That was fast Lindy."

"I put them to work. It is only a short jingle for when Stacy comes out during driver introduction." Lindy and Quinn sit and wait for the band to start.

Trent clears his throat as he steps up to the microphone. "Uh, this is for your friend. Stacy." He strums his guitar a couple times before playing.

The intro was a little weird to Quinn but then the lyrics started. "Stacy was a race car driver, she drove so gah damn fast, she didn't always catch that checkered flag but she never did come in last." A little bit more music plays before all four band members yell. "Girl will race!" They play for a few more seconds before ending the song.

"Cool!' Quinn can't hide her smile. "Can you record it for me Lindy?"

Lindy pulls out a CD case. "Already did. Except it won't sound as good since it is off my computer. If we could afford some real studio time we could make a CD that sounds awesome."

Quinn takes the CD case and puts it in a pink purse. "Thanks. I'll give it to Stacy tomorrow at school and hope her dad likes it."

Trent speaks in to the microphone again. "Thank you for asking us Daria's sister. It means a lot that you like our music enough to ask us to do this."

Quinn narrows her eyes at Trent. "My name is Quinn."

"I know, Daria's sister." Trent smiles as Quinn gets an annoyed look on her face.

"You're being, fancy word, facetious? I think that's the word."

Lindy rolls her eyes. "Ignore the big goof. I think we need some time with out the boys. Want to go to the bar?"

"Um, Lindy, don't you have school tomorrow?"

"So? It will be all study time. We have exams next week so this wee will be all refresher and down time. I might not even go for most of it."

Quinn wrings her hands in worry. "I, why not go to the coffee shop? I know caffeine is bad for your skin but they have the cutest little pastries."

"Fine, just get out of here." Lindy looks back at Trent. "Work on Stacy's song. If we get live gigs out of this you'll need to sound perfect."

"We got it down. I want to work on a couple others."

Lindy goes over to Trent trying to keep her anger under control. "Like the one for Daria?"

Trent, being Trent, is calm. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"Uh, because..."

Lindy screams in his face. "I saw how you two were together! I laughed it off last time but seriously?! You're writing a song for her!"

Trent remains calm. "I'm doing it for her birthday."

"You didn't do one for me!"

"I don't know when your birthday is."

Lindy's only response is to turn away and storm up the stairs with Quinn close on her heels.

Daria and the other students across the country hurry to their designated study nests after class. The library is packed with students who have books, bottles of water, pillows, and a few hiding flasks to help with the nerves.

Jane is with her group of friends freaking out. "I should have studied more."

"Hey," Lejla touches Jane's arm and rubs it gently. "Calm down. They're just a few tests. I had them last year and did fine."

"I didn't have them at all. Finals at Lawndale were nothing. Three days, that's all, three half days. Now I have, more."

Steve hands her a joint. "Go outside, toke, relax, and then study."

Jane takes the joint and looks at it. "No, I need to focus. I won't focus if I'm high."

Alexis starts rubbing her shoulders. "Do you see any one else here losing their shit? No. This is an art school. Yeah we have classes but they aren't like those big brain schools."

Jane closes her book. "I need help." She gets up from the library desk. "I need Daria."

Daria is in the library with Mary, Amalia, Skaz, Lindsey, and Conner working on studying for the exams.

Lindsey shakes a little as Daria goes over some math. "Numbers, numbers every where. They're every where. They're gonna get us."

Skaz leans over and kisses her on the cheek. "Calm down babe it isn't that bad." He smiles. "And if you don't know the answer, scribble a bunch and then make a half assed number that could be any thing."

Daria catches herself laughing before stopping. "All of these exams are gone over by the same people. They only have so much time to go over each one. Why the majority of it will be multiple choice so they can just put the scanrite papers through the machines."

"So answer B."

Conner laughs. "What's the capital of Scotland?"

Skaz turns to him. "B."

The group continues to study when some one pulls up a chair. "Hey."

They all look over and see Jane. "Uh, did you get lost?"

"No. I, my other friends are worthless when it comes to studying. Daria, I need help. A lot of help."

"A D in Math isn't good enough for college."

Jane smiles weakly. "Exactly."

Lindsey smiles and laughs quietly. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates math."

The others make room for Jane and they start studying together.

Quinn makes it over to Stacy's on Tuesday. "So? What did your dad think?"

"He loves the idea!" Stacy is packing a few things. She had a race on Thursday and had skipped school to get ready for it. "He has to talk with some people at NARCA but if they say it is ok we can totally use it! Maybe even use it for my ASCRA races if they'll allow it too!" Stacy hugs Quinn. "I have my own theme song. How cool is that?"

"Very cool."

Quinn and Stacy talk as Stacy continue to pack. "You won't miss graduation, will you?"

"Nope! Race on Friday night and Saturday afternoon but will be back for graduation on Sunday. Just think, two more weeks and we'll be done with high school! You'll go on to Miami and I'll be able to focus on racing full time." Stacy smiles brightly.

Quinn nods but can't force a smile. "Yeah, Miami, college."

Stacy noticed some thing was wrong. "Huh?"

"It's too much. Miami isn't a big brain school like Harvard or any thing but it is still college. What if I can't handle it? What if I'm not smart enough? What if I can't make new friends? High school is so totally different. I've been to enough college parties to know the people in college are, um, not like Tiffany and Sandi."

"So make friends with people like me! I'll call you all the time. I need my good luck charm. Two races are even in Florida! I could get you in and you can root for me and then I'll win."

Quinn finally smiles. Stacy had grown up a lot since Quinn first came to Lawndale. Discovering her love for racing had made Stacy a whole new person. Even when she wasn't wearing her helmet. "Just don't get hurt. I still remember that race from February."

Stacy looks down at the floor and a little bit of her happiness is sucked away. "Yeah, the Man. But he wasn't wearing all the safety stuff I do. All the racing people made it mandatory after that."

The two stare at the floor in silence until Stacy's father yells up the stairs. "Stacy! We need to get going! Arizona is a long drive!"

"I know!" Stacy turns to Quinn and hugs her again. "Make sure to watch! I am in the top ten in points and want to stay there."

"I will Stacy but you don't need luck. Those new engines you got are like super fast."

"Any engine can blow or blow a tire or get caught in a wreck or all the other ways I could screw up."

"You won't screw up." Quinn helps Stacy with her suitcases.

Wednesday night comes and Daria is at a bar. Her sister insisted she watch the NARCA race but the only way she could see it was going to a sports bar.

Daria sits as close as she can to the television showing pre race coverage. "Ok, driver introductions. Her friend Stacy is there. Why am I watching this?" She leans closer so she can hear the coverage.

As Stacy steps out, Daria hears a very familiar voice singing. "Stacy was a race car driver, she drove so gah damn fast, she didn't always catch the checkered flag but she never did come in last."

"Whoa, Quinn got Mystic Spiral to do a song for Stacy. Cool." Figuring this is what Quinn wanted Daria to see, or hear, she goes to leave.

"Hey pretty lady." A gentleman she didn't recognize blocks her path to the door. "How about a drink or two?"

"I'm not twenty one."

"I'll be ordering them." He reaches for her arm.

Daria stomps on his foot. "Leave me alone!"

"Bitch!" The man limps away and Daria hurries out the door.

At the track, Stacy is in fourth after a pit stop. "We're good to go. Twenty two laps left and enough fuel to take us thirty."

"Ok daddy." Stacy checks her rear view mirror and sees a car getting closer. She knew who it was by the sponsor on the hood.

He was the son of a big whig race team owner who had teams not only in NARCA and ASCRA but a couple international series as well. He was currently first in points and pulling away as he had the best equipment money could pay for.

If not for a bad pit stop he wouldn't have been in fifth and looking to push his way back to first.

Stacy stays in front of him. He goes high and she does as well. He goes low so she does too. He taps the back of her car. "Daddy, I should let him pass me."

"Go ahead. Stay behind him and try using the draft to get a couple more positions." Stacy moves up the track to give the other driver room to pass her.

He gets along the side of her car as they enter the turn. He veers sharply and slams her car up in to the wall. She bounces off and just barely touches the back right side of his car sending him in to a spin.

Another car comes up and t bones his car as Stacy slides down in to the grass. The car tips over on to its side.

Stacy climbs up the window and clambers down the sideways car. "Daddy, sorry."

"Don't be. He did that shit on purpose. The idiot thought he'd be far enough away you wouldn't have taken him out too." He looks down from the spotter box. "And we can get it to the back and do some work and maybe get you back on the track. We won't finish well but hopefully we'll finish."

Stacy takes her helmet off and feels her forehead. The helmet had done its job but she felt a little sore there.

The other driver climbs out of his car and storms over to Stacy. He was almost a foot taller and easily fifty pounds heavier than her. "This is why women should stay in the kitchen! You wrecked me you stupid," He pushes her. "Hollow headed," He pushes her again. "Bit," She knees him in the groin and then drops him with her helmet.

Quinn is at home losing her mind. "I hope that means she's ok."

"Wow! He takes her out, she takes him out, and then she takes him out again! Stacy is a race car driver and she won't be catching that checkered flag but neither will Tyler! He may not have needed the ambulance before but I'm sure he will now."

Stacy can't hear the announcer. She can't see the replay of her double hit.

Quinn continues watching the race hoping to hear some good news about Stacy.

Stacy does make it back on the track with four laps to go. She'd finish third from last. Her theme song would remain true for another week.

Mystic Spiral's Song was being played again as the announcers talked about Stacy. Trent and Lindy were hearing none of it as they continue fighting over her jealousy issues.

After the race, Stacy is called over to the Owners Trailer for a meeting. "Daddy, how much trouble am I in?"

"None. I'll make sure of it." Her father opens the door for her and the two go in.

Tyler's father and owner of the racing team is furious. "She gave him a concussion! I want her arrested for assault and banned!" He pushes the table in the middle of the trailer in to Stacy's father.

Stacy's father pushes against the table. "Wait right there! Your son wrecked my daughter on purpose and then attacked her after the wreck!"

"She wrecked because she can't drive!" He shoves the table back.

"She wrecked because your idiot son wrecked her!" Stacy's father shoves the table again.

"Your daughter is a menace! This is not the first time she's assaulted another driver! I want the cops here and I want her arrested!"

An older gentleman clears his throat. "If you remember, at the beginning of the year, you sign a no sue contract."

"I'm not saying I'm suing I'm saying I want her arrested!"

"It covers all on the track incidents. Like say, a young male driver wrecking a female driver on purpose which could be seen as attempted murder. And if you were involved then it would make you an accomplice. Unless he did it on a spur of the moment then maybe they'd lower it to attempted vehicular manslaughter. If we ignored the contract you signed I believe you'd be the one needing a lawyer."

"Then, well, but this wasn't on the track! She assaulted him with her helmet down on the infield."

Stacy's father yells before the NARCA official can reply. "After he pushed her!"

The NARCA official holds a hand up. "Yes, she was attacked and she defended herself. Again, you," He points at the other owner. "Would be the one needing a lawyer. Thankfully you all signed the contracts so we won't be needing any law officers getting involved."

Things are starting to calm down when Tyler bursts in to the trailer. "There she is! I want her arrested!" Behind him are two police officers.

"Whoa!" Stacy's father gets between her and the officers. "They can't!"

The NARCA official gets up from his chair and walks over to the officers. "Hello there. I'm sorry this young man called you but we were just discussing how even if there was no contract saying all on track incidents are free from lawsuits and arrests, if any one had the police called on them it would be him after he committed attempted murder with his car and then attacked her after the wreck. She defended herself against a much larger, stronger, assailant."

"I wasn't trying to kill her I just wanted to teach her a lesson! Broads don't belong on the race track!"

The NARCA official simply smiles. "Thank you for admitting in front of two police officers that you wrecked her on purpose. That would make it easier to sort this out with your father."

Tyler and his father storm out of the trailer. The two officers look over at Stacy. "You took that guy down?" She nods. "Damn, remind me not to piss you off."

Stacy is still shaken up as she leaves the trailer and cameras come over. "Is there any penalties to your team?"

"Why were the police called?"

"Will you marry me!"

Stacy fights back tears. "Why did he wreck me? I'm a race car driver! Just because I'm a girl people wreck me and boo me and hate me. I go out there and win and stuff and they still don't like me just because I'm a girl! Once I put my helmet on and get in the car I'm a race car driver the same as any one else. Why do people boo me? I didn't do any thing to them!" She walks away hiding her face from the cameras.

Quinn turns the television off after the cameras cut away from Stacy. "Not every one boos you."

Friday, Saturday, and then Sunday come far too quickly for many students.

Jane was still nervous and worried about exams but hoped her time studying with Daria and her friends would help. She was with Lejla and Danny at a bar. "Fake ID to the rescue." Danny sits down with three beers. "Ready for tomorrow?"

Jane picks up her bottle and sips at it. "I hope so."

"Don't worry!" Lejla puts an arm around Jane's shoulders. "You'll do fine."

Jane tries to fight back the self doubt. The thoughts of what would happen if she failed her exams. She had kept most of her grades at a B average but that was homework, classwork, not exams. Daria and her friends tried to tell her that they were hard but not impossible but they were all smarter. Why they went to Raft.

Jane's friends said the same thing but they didn't try and help her study. They just wanted to drink and smoke and, other things, while she lost her mind.

She had to try and relax so she agreed to go out that night. Others were as well. For many this would be their last Sunday of college. They'd graduate and move on.

Two others, Daria and Russel, are at a fast food place. "Ready for tomorrow?" Daria shakes her head as her mouth was full with burger meat. "Me neither. I wasn't last time either."

"Last time, last semester, I had to uh, smoke weed just so I could relax and sleep at night. If I didn't I'd be up all night worrying."

"You smoke?" She nods. "I'm dating a criminal."

Daria froze. This, this wasn't a date. It was a guy and girl hanging out. At a restaurant. But it was a fast food restaurant. That made it not a date. "Are you ok?"

"I, this, this isn't a date. I, I mean, it's not."

Russel gives her a weird look. "Uh, ok. Don't freak out on me. Sorry if I'm not your type."

She knew by his tone of voice he was hurt, maybe even offended. "It's not you. It's, well, not even me. The last guy I dated, he, we, I got close with him and then it all went to hell. He broke up with me for his ex. I haven't dated any one since then and don't think I want to right now."

"Sounds rough. I've been cheated on before and I know how it feels. But you gotta jump back in to the dating pool some time. Even if you start in the kiddie pool." It takes a second for him to realize what he just said. "Ok, shallow end, start in the shallow end of the pool, not the kiddie pool."

Daria smiles. "I didn't like kids when I was a kid. After my foray in to teaching I like them even less."

Russel smiles back. "So, not a date. Just a cute single girl and a handsome single guy hanging out together."

"Not a date." She looks at him. He was nice, but so was Luke. She wasn't shallow but she admitted he looked good too. But so had Luke. He wasn't pushing any thing on her, like Luke hadn't pushed things on her. Except... "Yet. I'll um, see if, later, maybe."

"You better not take too much time. A guy like me, women love me."

"Then why are you single?"

"Because the only night I wasn't working or studying I decided to spend it with you. Still glad I did even if it isn't a date."

Daria feels a warmth in her chest. It wasn't a burning like the rash. It was gentler, better, and made her blush a little.

Monday morning starts with college students all across the country hating waking up more than ever.

Daria had two exams that day. Creative Writing was first. Write a short story. Simple enough.

When she gets out of her second exam her cellphone rings. "Hello?"

"Daria, I, I made it. Today, I made it past my first exam."

"Jane? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I think so. Daria, are you free?"

"I just got done."

"Can I come over? Or like, meet some where?"

"Coffee shop." Daria tells Jane the address. "I need to get away from the campus and I don't work today. I do the rest of the week so this might be our last chance to hang out until exams are over."

"Ok. I'll meet you there."

"See you soon." The two hang up.

Lindy and Trent are arguing again about a song while at the Zon. "You've wasted nearly a month on that stupid song! Why? What makes her so important?"

"Janey asked me to,"

"Oh no, you are not putting this on Jane. Ever since I saw you two at Helen's I knew there was some thing there. Quinn says you two never dated but I think you two hid it from her."

"We never dated. She was sixteen and I was twenty when we first met."

"Now she's nineteen, almost twenty, and you're twenty four."

"Yeah, she's almost twenty, why Janey,"

Lindy jabs Trent with her empty beer bottle. "Keep your little sister out of this. This is about you, me, and Daria."

Trent knocks the beer bottle away from his chest. "I think you've had too much to drink."

"I know how much I had!" She drops the bottle on the floor and it shatters. "Damn it!"

He puts a hand on her arm. "Lindy, Monday's are slow. I'll get you to the," She smacks his hand away.

"I don't need you treating me like this! I'm not a little girl! I'm about to graduate. I hoped to take my business management skills and turn them in to managering a band but not if you're going to break up for me for her!"

"Whoa, I'm not breaking up with you for Daria and I don't think managering is a word."

"If I can say it then it is a word." Lindy stumbles a little. "I'll walk home."

"You can't. Lindy, I'll take my second break now and get you,"

She pushes him away. "No! I can do it. I've done it before." She starts to cry. "I'm sorry. Please, please don't break up with me." She sits down on the floor continuing to cry.

"I'm not."

"Hey," Nick sticks his head through the door of the closet. "We're back on in five." He disappears back in to the back room of the bar.

Trent leans down and puts a hand on Lindy's shoulder. "Hey, I gotta play. Stay here and I'll get you after this set is over."

Lindy nods as she starts to stop crying. "Can you get me a water?"

"Sure." Trent leaves the closet and hurries, as much as Trent would, to the bar to get a bottle of water for Lindy.

Friday comes and Daria walks out of her last exam. Her head was pounding and she wanted nothing more than to go to her dorm, take some pills, and sleep it off but she had to go to work.

She sits at her desk after taking a handful of aspirin. "A lot of seniors trying to sell their college stuff."

Conner leans over the top of her cubicle. "I saw some one had a guitar for sale. Think I'll try and get it."

She looks up at him. "You play?"

"Sure. Kind of. I'm not very good but I know a few chords."

Daria can't help but think of Mystic Spiral. "You only need to know a few chords."

"What are you doing after work?"

"If my headache doesn't go away I'm going to my dorm room and sticking my head in the microwave."

"And if it does go away?"

"Going to my dorm room and sticking my head in the microwave."

"Well, if you don't want to stick your head in the microwave let me know. Some of us are going to a party."

"I might go, I guess." She sighs heavily. "Hell, it would be nice to blow some steam off." She rubs her temples hoping the headache would go away before the party.

Jane sits in her dorm room with Paige. "How do you think you did?"

"Great. Kind of have to. I'm Asian. If I failed a class I'd be banished from home forever." She smiles and laughs a little. "You?"

"I could fail every class and my parents wouldn't notice. My brother Trent would." Jane smiles a little. "But I think I did good too. They were hard but not as bad as every one makes them out to be."

"How long until you move out? Are you leaving early?"

"I don't know yet. We got this awesome house. It is near the gallery I've been doing work for so that's good."

Paige picks up a paint brush and puts it in her claw. "If you need any walls painted you know a very talented artist." She makes a couple swoops with the paint brush in the air.

"Uh, no. Old place we're renting. No painting the walls or floor or ceiling."

"Too bad. I could use the money." Paige takes the brush out of the claw before sitting down on her bed across from Jane. "So, uh, you've been a good roommate."

"You too."

Paige looks around the room. "I'm going back to the dorms next semester. I hear the sophomore dorms are twice the size of the freshman ones."

"A lot fewer sophomore students staying at school than freshman."

"Yeah, true." Paige notices Jane is looking at her claw. "Still wondering how I really lost it?"

Jane thinks for a second about lying. She did want to know but it wasn't her place to know. But as long as Paige was offering... "Yes. I've heard gator, fireworks, garbage disposal, chainsaw juggling accident, and a couple others. But I've stopped caring. It is your story you tell it how you want to."

"Infection." Paige lifts her claw. "I had a cut on my thumb. I just wrapped a band aid around it and ignored it. It got infected and to keep it from spreading they had to cut off the whole hand. If I had used alcohol or told my parents, any one, about it I'd still have my hand."

"How do I know that's the true story?"

Paige shrugs her shoulders. "You don't."

"I like the gator petting farm story better."

"I like the chainsaw juggling one better."

The two smile and continue talking, ignoring the claw, and just enjoying having time to finally relax after a week of hell.

Daria is at the party and sees Conner. He sees her and walks over. "Hey, you made it."

"I did." She sips at her beer. "You going to get that guitar?"

"Probably." He finishes his beer and sets the red cup down. "Wanna dance?"

"I'm not drunk enough to dance." He laughs. "I'm not very good."

"You're a girl, you don't have to be a good dancer. Just move your hips and try not to elbow any one in the face."

Daria cracks a small smile as she continues sipping at her beer. "Maybe later."

"I'll keep you to it."

Daria watches him walk away and smiles for a second. He was a nice guy. So was Russel. Of course, Luke had been a nice guy as well. But she couldn't wall people off forever.

A couple weeks later Quinn stands in line with her graduation gown on. "You were awesome Stacy."

"I know! I wanted a top five finish but sixth was good too. I'm glad I did better in NARCA."

"You finished second again! That put you in the top five right?" Stacy nods. "What if you won? Like, you get a big trophy and every thing."

"I know!"

"Shh." Both girls become quiet as they walk out to the field and sit down in their assigned seats.

Sandi ignores both of them. She hadn't spoken to any of the former Fashion Club members since the incident. She would graduate and then... She didn't know. She had all summer to worry about it. The others would be worried with school or racing but she could focus on the important things like makeup, new fall line up, and dating.

Quinn goes up on the stage and takes her diploma from principal DeMartino. "Congratulations Quinn. You improved GREATLY over the last couple of years. Good LUCK in your future." He stands in his new pair of pants as he hands the next diploma out.

Daria is in the crowd with her parents and Little Jake. She would be home for a week before heading back to Boston. She would enjoy the slight break from school, work, and the adult world as she settled back in Lawndale for one last time.

A/N And so the final part of Daria's Freshman year! Next update will be under Daria: College Pains, the Sophomore Year. Quinn gets her wish of graduating with Stacy who had a slight bump in her racing career. I know the Mystic Spiral song is the Primus song Jerry Was a Race Car Driver with a couple changes. This being the Daria world and not the real world I'll just have it that the original song was never done. Gah, so much happened in this. Lindy has a drunken break down over Daria and Trent. What kind of song is Trent doing for Daria and why? And we hear another story about Paige and her claw. Is this one the truth? And will Daria be dating Russel? What about Conner? Or Trent?(If he and Lindy do break up and this song...) We must wait to find out!

But first, Daria's Creative Writing short story. Don't think I've used it yet.

Amber, it's raining. I want to be outside with you but I can't. I have to wait for you. I have to wait for the one I love.

I stare out the window in to the drive way. It seems like forever since you've left. It always feels like forever. A small eternity I've spent waiting for you to come back.

Sitting here waiting lets me think and remember. The day we first met. I was so scared but you saw me and smiled. You held me in your arms and kissed me while whispering my name, Shelby. I kissed you back and you laughed.

When I moved in with you it was rough at first. You would yell at me. When I messed up you would rub my nose in it. But you still loved me and I loved you Amber. You made me better.

My first birthday with you was amazing. You showered me in gifts. You bought me a new bed since my old one was falling apart. You bought me a new outfit that was amazing even though I didn't ask for one. I loved you already and some how I loved you even more.

In our fifth year together I got hurt. You held my hand and told me it would be ok. It wasn't my fault. The car came out of no where. I was scared but your soothing voice kept me calm as the doctor did every thing he could to fix me.

I remember when I was healing we would sit on the couch together. I laid my head on your lap and you ran your hand through my hair. I loved the feeling of your fingers moving through my hair. I couldn't help but kiss you.

I limped after the accident but you didn't care. You knew I loved going to the park and didn't mind walking slower. You helped me in and out of the car. You helped me get in and out of bed. Lying next to you and feeling your warmth made me feel better.

The accident made me think of life and death. I knew then that I wanted to grow old and die with you. But I wanted to die before you. I couldn't live with out you and couldn't stand to lose you.

I sit here and wait now. The rain stopped but you weren't back yet. You left and said you would be right back. I hear a car engine coming up the street. I press my face against the window. There you are! I go to the door waiting for you.

When the door opened you saw me and smiled. I love your smile. You pulled some thing out of a bag. I didn't recognize it.

"Hey Shelby look what I got for you." You held it down for me to smell. "A new chew toy. It is supposed to smell like beef jerky what do you think?" I took it out of your hand and started chewing. "Good girl, yes you are." You rough up my fur while I chew on the new toy. "Let me put the groceries away and we can go to the park."