Mr. O'Neill's class, Friday afternoon:
"So we'll be doing a dual assignment with Mrs. Defoe. You put your writing assignment along with a poster describing the persona that is you. And take pictures of the things and people which make up you."
The bell rang and the class gets up to leave.
"Remember you have to read the last two chapters for tomorrow!"

"So what are you going to do for this assignment?" Jane asked Daria as they walked down the hall to their lockers
"I don't know. I'm no good with a camera," Daria said as she made her way towards the doors.
"How can you not be good? You point it at something and shoot it."
"I can't focus it fast enough or frame it right."
"Have you thought about making it abstract art?
"Wha?"
"Take pictures of things that symbolize the people around you," Jane said.
"I really don't think that symbolizing them would do them justice. Even a picture doesn't work like live action," Daria reasoned.
"Quinn could be a pink balloon."
"She has the same content inside."
"So are you going to do it?"
"Yeah, I guess. I have no choice."
Daria was in her room. She went to her desk and took a picture of her black leather notebook and her favorite pen. Then took off her glasses and put it on top, pointing in the visenity.
"I hope this works," she said and took a picture of that. Daria put her glasses back on and walked down the stairs, mainly looking for ideas of what her family represented. She passed Jake, who looked panicked.
"Where's that phone number?!!?"
"How could I express Dad?'
Quinn's purse was on the couch and its contents spread out on the table under two teen magazines. The essence of Quinn: all makeup; no substance and intrusively in the way.
Click.
The phone rang and Daria picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Hello!" Jake was panicked about something, though it was never really certain what.
"I got it, Dad."
"Oh, okay."
Jake hung up and resumed his previous panic.
"Hello," Daria said again.
"Whatcha doing" Jane asked.
"Taking an abstract look at this lifeless meaning," Daria said and looked around her house.
"That would be a good for your project. Could you come over? I need your picture."
"I'll be over in 15 minutes."
Daria hung up and found Jake.
"Dad, I'm going to Jane's."
"Okay. Be back before dinner. Daria, have you seen my...a-ha!!!"

Daria sat on Jane's bed, writing in her leather bond book.
Click.
"Thanks, that will be fine"
"Glad to be some help." Daria kept reading
"So what am I going to be?" Jane asked, interested in Daria's perception.
"I don't know." Daria looked around the room. She could see a new painting she was working on. It was covered. "What's that?"
"Oh that's a work in progress; you can't see that yet." Jane suddenly became nervous.
"Why? I see your work all the time."
"Sorry. Artist's prerogative."
"Fine."
Daria looked at some of the other things in Jane's room.
"Hey Janey, we're practicing here tonight." Trent said, walking into her room. "Hey Daria."
"Thanks for warning me. Hey, I need a picture of you playing."
"Why?" Trent looked at the camera.
"Basically I'm getting every one doing what they do best. I've got two pics of you sleeping, so I'll pick the best out of three."
"Alright."
Trent looked at Daria; she's searching the room for something. Finally Daria took a picture of a cup of paint thinner inhabited with 10 different brushes. Then she followed Jane to the basement.
Click.
"Daria, don't you want to take a picture of Trent?" Jane asked as she forwarded the film.
"I'm doing abstract art, remember?"
Trent thought for a minute and leaned his guitar against the wooden bar stool that he sat and played on.
"There."
He stood back.
"Very good, Trent. And you said you didn't pay attention in school." Jane was impressed. He did pay attention.
Click.
Jane had Daria's camera.
"Here we go," Jane said as she looked at the book Daria as carrying and picked it up, flipped through it and found the page she was looking for, said, "Here," leaned the book on the guitar, and snapped the picture just before Daria grabbed the book.
"So, is there anything to eat?" Trent asked.
"No" Jane answered.
"What time is it?"
Daria looked at her watch.
"I have to go. The parental units require me to sign in."
"Daria, do you need a ride home?" Trent asked. Jesse looked at him.

Trent and Daria were in the car.
"Thanks for the ride."
"I had to get out of the house, anyways. So what kind of project are you doing?" Trent looked at her and smiled.
"We have to write a paper on our life and put a visual with it."
She was close to finished but still didn't care for the project.
"And you chose the abstract point of you. Cool."
"Yeah, I guess."
Daria thought about it.
"You look at things differently than other people. You express that in your writing, why not express it in your art?"
Daria was overwhelmed. "You read my writing?" ske asked, missing the point that Trent actually does 'get' her.
"What was Jane looking for in your book?" He doubted she would answer him.
"An essay I wrote called "A Winter Sonnet." Daria hoped he wouldn't ask what it was about.
"What was it about?" Trent was interested.
'Damn,' she thought, then, avoiding the subject, said, "It's not finished yet."
"Maybe you'll let me read it later."
"Yeah."
"We're thinking of going out to eat later. Wanna come?"
"Yes."
Trent dropped off Daria and went home reluctantly for he knew he would get blasted for leaving a rehearsal, especially for the reason he did it.

Dad had a crock-pot going with something interesting in it. Helen walked by. "Meeting at the Marriott." Quinn whizzed by.
"Fashion Club meeting," she siad, then paused to critique Daria. "Well I'm glad that winter has you wearing something other than that skirt."
Daria looked at her jeans. It was too cold to wear the skirt but the black jeans wore nicely. Quinn left when she saw her mom come back in. Helen appeared again.
"I thought you went to a meeting. That was quick. Did they settle?" Daria sat down and opened her book.
"I forgot to tell you, the firm's having its anniversary party at the Danube we'll all be going. Daria, make sure you find something to wear."
"I have things to wear."
"Do you ever want to go anywhere this summer?"
"I don't have time to go shopping."
Daria knew that she had all tomorrow but her didn't have a ride, to Helen's knowledge.
"Daria, here's my visa. Make sure you have something by tomorrow night." Helen wouldn't take it this time.
"Got to go!"
She left without anything else said.

Daria went to her room to continue writing. The phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, we're going to eat. Wanna come?"
Trent had asked Jane to call, but she refused and told him if he wanted her to come to call himself. Jane was shocked when he actually did and sat across from him in awe.
"Sure," Daria said as she thought about this. Trent called to go to eat. Hmm...
"We'll pick you up in 25 minutes."
Daria picked up her coat and walked downstairs.
"Dad, I'm going out to eat."
"Then who's going to eat my stew?"
"Bye, I'll be back later."
"But it has sage in it!" Jake called out.

After they ate at the mall, Daria thought about the conversation she'd had earlier with her mother.
"I need to go and pick something up," she told Jane and Trent.
"Sure. So do I, so I'll come find you."
Trent stood to leave.
"Where are we going?" Jane asked.
"Cashmans," came the defeated reply.
"What?"
"My mom's firm is having a function." she replied, explaining as little as possible.
Trent stayed to listen and then walked off when Jane looked at him.
"I have to find a dress," Daria continued.

Half an hour later, Trent left the guitar store and headed in the direction of Cashmans.
'How long does it take to find a dress?' he thought.

Daria tried on a variety of dresses, from the big tulle dresses to the victorian-looking off the shoulder velvet thingy. Jane sketched furiously with vivid descriptions and backgrounds.
"This is the last one I'm trying on."
Daria seemed very annoyed, but was not sure at what more: her bad timing or Jane's reactions. Jane's sides were hurting from the laughing. The last dress was short simple and black, very classic and elegant. Trent found Jane and just saw the Daria's back as she walked into the dressing room.
"Alright, I'll get it," she said walking out to find both Lanes there. And she looked at the dress again.
"Hey, nice dress," Trent said.
"Thanks."
Daria figured she'd compromise with Helen. Jane's face widened as she began to smile.
"Daria, why don't you try on the dress for Trent?"
A rosy color came to Daria's cheeks and she looked at Trent.
'This would be good,' Jane thought.
Trent saw Daria visibly tense and blush. Trent wanted to see the dress but got there a little to late. Daria looked at him for help for the first time. She normally mumbled something back and Janey shut up, but this time it was different.
"I'll see it later," Trent helped, and he saw her relax visibly. "Hey I'm going to be late for practice."
"I'm done," Daria said as she turned to leave.

Saturday came and Quinn and Helen took Daria out for a spa treatment, despite her complaints, threats, and excuses.

By the time evening rolled around Daria had a look unlike herself. The new oval glasses took some getting used to and her hair would go back to normal within 2 weeks. The doorbell rang as Daria finished dressing and looked in the mirror. He hair glinted (highlighted temporarily) a few shades lighter and had a goldish sheen to it. t was cut and straightened and fell loosely around her face, showing her features.
Quinn would get it.
"Hello."
Quinn sounded like a song when she opened the door.
"Oh."
Her voice dropped and then quickly got mischievous.
"One moment."
Quinn wore a formal gown; strapless and strawberry, it matched her hair, shoes and purse, of course.
"Daria, it's for you!"
She outwardly smirked.
Trent worried what that was about until he saw Daria. She took his breath away as she walked down the stairs
'It looked nothing like that on the hanger!!'
It was a v-neck dress that was straight, clinging where it was to cling, but hung down to where her old skirt left off. She told had him once why she retired the skirt: because it didn't fit; she'd grown the summer prior to her senior year and was embarrassed by it. Jane had showed him pictures she'd sketched of various dresses, but nothing compared to what he now saw.
"Hi. Thanks Quinn," she said, implying that Quinn should go without actually saying leave. "Come in."
"I know you're on your way out but I just wanted to ask you to come over tomorrow," Trent said.
Normally a question would follow but Daria caught his eye and saw he was uneasy. For the first time it switched places. Daria was uncomfortable but quickly getting used to her look. The Mary Janes had heels, so she looked eye to eye with Trent. He was nervous! She smiled. Which didn't help.
"Sure, okay."
Quinn snapped a picture with her strawberry disposable camera (where she found it, I don't know), catching and eyeful when her sister turned to glare at her. Trent rubbed his eyes and regained his composure.
"Around 3?"
"I'll meet you there."
"Okay."
"Daria, have you seen my cell phone?"
Helen was quickly approaching and turned to go into the kitchen.
"Bye."
Daria shut the door and looked at the table next to it. She turned to find Helen's cell sitting on top of a pile of legal notes and some stationary papers on top of it.
Click.
This project was coming along nicely.
"Quinn," Daria said threateningly.
"Well, are you glad I took it or not?"
Quinn looked at her.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Let's go."

Daria slept until three. They had gotten home incredibly late. She had ended up driving her smashed parents home, but the party left them all worn out. She woke startled and then really panicked. She rushed to get dressed and hope Trent had fallen asleep. It was highly likely that that would happen. She couldn't find anything to wear, so she ran down to Quinn's room and threw something on. It was freezing out, so Daria ran.

Trent sat in the basement with his headphones on. At the last rehearsal the cops had threatened to arrest them. He had taken to wearing the headphones on his own. A song had hit him and he immediately began to play it out. Daria ran up the walk and caught her breath. Then looked at what she was wearing.
'Oh god.'
She rang the doorbell and no one answered.
'Damn.'
She walked to the back of the house and walked in the back door.
'They really should lock this.'
She walked downstairs and saw him playing. His forehead wrinkled deep in thought, then smoothed out and creased again searching for a certain chord. Daria smiled. She found the other stool and sat across from him. He looked determined and had his eyes closed, looking down only when he was stuck. Once he glanced towards the ground and caught the sight of a foot. Trent's head shot up
'Daria!'
Then he caught a glimpse of what she was wearing.
"Hey," Trent said, looking a little lost.
"Laundry day," Daria said.
"How long have you been here? What time is it?" Daria rested her foot on the stool leg and looked at the watch.
"Almost 4," she said.
"I'm sorry," he said.
She looked different with the new glasses, they brought out her features and her high lights gave her a natural look. The clothes didn't help; she was exquisite.
"I began to play and I can't hear a thing with these on."
"Don't worry, I just got here," Daria said, calculating the time she spent watching him. She was looking at him but she noticed his expression turned anxious
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Trent said, lost in thought.
This was a bad idea. The song blared in his head, lyrics lost and any other thought with that.
"Maybe we should do this another time."
Daria hated the thought and regretted the words. She looked at him for an awkward moment and decided to move. She put both feet on the floor. They were heavy. Trent struggled with words and soon realized how much time was passing. He was making her uneasy with the silence.
"No," he said calmly. "I basically know what I want to say but I'm having trouble putting it in words."
Daria nodded. She knew what anguish a language could put on a person. Trying to find a word that doesn't have a double meaning is the hardest thing to do.
"Listen," he said as he took his stool and pulled it close to hers. He took his guitar and started strumming it softly. "Playing for me is easy; I look for the note find it and play it. If it sounds wrong I start again. With you everything is new. I don't want to mess up and play a wrong note."
Daria blinked and a smile grew across her face. "I got here at 3:15 and I watched you play. How did you know what note to play next?"
'Where was she going with this?'
Trent looked at her.
"I felt it."
"Well," Daria said, not sure of this line of reasoning would work. "What do you feel now?"
Trent stopped playing and watched Daria; looking straight into her eyes, looking for an answer. She gave him none. Trent thought of what she would say. What could she say? What could he say back? This wasn't on his roster. He searched for an answer, very aware of the seconds passing, and his tension built.
Daria wondered what he was thinking; time passed and she began to worry. Not being able to stand this, her air diminished, she needed to get out of the basement.
"Hey," Daria said, speaking very softly, snapping him out of his trance, "Think about it, you don't have to answer now." Daria stood and didn't have any feeling in her legs. "I have to get home."
She walked towards the stairs, stood at the bottom of them, and looked up at the door. This would be hard. She took a step at a time and by the third step from the door she breathed.
Trent watched get her up and his heart lurched. Too much time had passed, he realized as he saw her ascend the stairs slowly, hoping she would change her mind. As soon as her boot was gone he knew she would not be back.
Daria turned to look down the stairs. Trent was directly behind her and before she could react Trent swept her up and kissed her. Their lips parted.
"That's how I feel," Trent whispered.
Daria touched his face.
"Me too," she said and kissed him again.