Short summary:
A tale of life of the young Lawndalians after the movie "Is It College Yet?" Also, the impact's here is on how cash affects all their lives. A sequel may be coming.
Daria (and associated characters and locations) is copyright © 1997-2000 MTV Networks.
This story is copyright © 2002 by Bacner (olgak531@rogers.com) and has been written for personal enjoyment. No infringement of the above rights is intended.
"Hey, guys!" Daria cheerfully said, entering the doorway with her suitcase. "How was your lottery-won vacation?"
Helen Morgendorffer looked out of the kitchen. "There are no guys in this house Daria, only me."
"You know it didn't sound right," Daria said mildly, "but there are guys outside the house, and that's probably where Quinn currently is. Am I right?"
Helen grimaced mildly herself. "Well, almost. Your father has brought home... a souvenir."
"What, a candiru?" Daria asked, looking at mom. Seeing how her impression didn't change, she sighed. "Apparently not."
"What's a candiru, Daria?" Helen asked. "Is it some sort of a disease?"
"Nah, a tropical aquatic parasite that sometimes attacks people with painful consequences," Daria said. "Dad didn't urinate while standing hip-deep in the water, did he?"
"Of course not - not with the Griffins around!" Helen exclaimed indignantly.
"The Griffins won the trip to Belém too?" Daria looked surprised. "Hate to be sounding like Quinn, but spill!"
Helen looked embarrassed. "Well, it went like this..."
"Ah, we're here!" Helen Morgendorffer excitedly turned around to her husband and younger daughter, Quinn. "Now Jake, Quinn - hey, where are you going?"
"Dad to feel the solid ground under his feet again, and I'm as far away from here as possible - there's one steward that was just asking me for a date, and I don't like him, 'cause-"
"Quinn, you flirted with him to get us different seating accommodations, didn't you?" Helen said accusingly.
"Mom, you wanted dad to sit near the window where he could see how high we actually were?"
"Well-"
"Land! Sweet, solid land! Oh, I like you so! No wonder you were promised! Land!"
Lawyer Helen sighed and hastily gave place to Wife-slash-Mother Helen. "Let's go Quinn, I don't want your father embarrass himself more than he needs to."
"So, are we all here?" the tour guide said not sternly but firmly all the same.
"Yeah," replied the untuned chorus of the lottery winners and their companions (if any).
"Good," the tour guide replied. "Please sit on the tour bus and will take you to your destination..."
"Whoa-whoa-whoa," Daria quickly said. "Mom, I don't need every little detail, like Amanda Lane gave us when Wind and his family got locked down under in Cuba. If I want every little detail, I'll ask Quinn."
Helen exhaled a breath of relief. "Thanks God. It was bad enough with the Griffins in there - Tom Griffin had won that lottery too-"
"Mom? The pet?"
"Ah yes, Jake's pet. You see, Daria, one of the tour's points was fishing in this restricted section of the Amazon."
"And?"
"And he stepped on a fish. A baby Potamotrygon or something."
"Say what? Mom, they grow up to be 12 inches in diameter!"
"Say what? Daria, this fish is one-tenth of what you just said!"
"Well, it is a baby, as you said!"
"Yeah, but 12 inches?!"
There was a silence, which was broken by Jake's voice, coming from the doorway. "Heya, kiddo!"
Daria turned around, and looked her dad straight in the face. "Dad, can I see your fish?"
"Sure thing kiddo, just follow me."
And Daria went. She went into her parents' bedroom, where it was pretty much the same - except for one thing: an aquarium. A rather large, fresh-water, warm-water aquarium. AN aquarium with a few water plants growing in it. An aquarium, on whose bottom lay a fine carpet of sand, wooden chips, and some dry leaves. And upon that carpet-
-"Her name is Para," Jake said, but Daria only half-registered-
-lay a tiny stingray.
"How'd you like her?" Jake added.