Mystique Spiral
M. Bruner

(Opening scene: McGrundy’s pub. Daria, Jane and Tom are sitting at a table
in the back.)
Trent: (singing)
Why?
Why can’t I let you know?
Why can’t you be the one?
Why?
(Instrumental pause)
Jane: I think he wrote that song for you.
Daria: Or Monique.
Jane: Dammit, Daria, can’t you see he likes you?
Daria: I do wear glass-
Trent: (starts singing again) Why can’t you just get out of my life?
‘Cause I don’t want you around me anymore.
Not around me anymore……
(Speaks) We’re Mystik Spiral. We'll be back later.

Daria: Yes, this song was defenatly written for me.
Jane: Or Monique.
Trent: Hey.
Jane: Yo.
Daria: I gotta go. (Complete deadpan) I don’t want to be the only one in the
conversation that doesn’t have a special someone.
Trent: only one in the conversation… That would make a good song.
Daria: Later. (Storms out)
Jane: Yo, my bro.
Trent: Yeah, Janey?
Jane: Why are you so dumb? A girl flirts with you and you don’t even notice.
Trent: Oh, hey Mystique.
(We see a girl with blond hair. She has blue eyes. She is wearing an everest
halter-top and black plastic pants that could have been painted on.)
Mystique: Hey, Trentie.
Jane: Trentie?
Trent: Yeah, My little Mystique. We’ve been going out for a while. Mystique,
this is Jane and Tom, Jane, Tom, Mystique.
Mystique: Hey.
Jane: Yo.
Tom: Nice meeting you.
(Tom leaves. He goes outside. Daria is sitting on the curb, crying.)
Tom: Hey, Daria. What’s up?
Daria: Not my spirits.
Tom: Trouble in paradise?
Daria: Hardly.
Tom: It’s ok. You can talk to me.
Daria: (Lays her head on Toms shoulder) I hate my life, Tom.
Tom: How can you say that? You are the smartest, prettiest, coolest girl I
know. To tell you the truth, Daria, when Jane and me got together, I was
looking at you, not Jane. Don’t get me wrong, Daria, I love Jane. But you
have got everything going for you.
Daria: And…
Tom: (interrupting her) Shut up, Daria! It makes me SO mad to hear you talk
like that. Please Stop.
Daria: (shocked) Tom? (Starts crying again) It’s horrible. I love Trent; He
doesn’t love me, its obvious. NO guys like me. Will I ever get a life?
Tom: Well screw him. Daria, dammit, don’t worry about Trent.
Daria: I can’t just let him go. I can’t.
Tom: Be strong, Daria. I’ve never seen you so emotional over a guy.
(Jane enters)
Jane: (sees Daria and Tom’s position) Well, Tom, planning to dump me?
Tom: You know I’d never do that. (They kiss)
Daria: (Lets out a little sigh) Trent.
Jane: Oh. OH! (Motions for Tom to leave)
Tom: Ok, later Daria. (He kisses her unexpectedly on her head)
Jane: Dammit, I hate Trent.
Daria: Dammit, I love Trent.
Jane: Daria…
Daria: No, Jane, No. You started me on him. Now I can’t get off.
Jane: Oh my god. I am so sorry Daria!
Daria: (In a daze) No, Jane.
Jane: Please, Daria!
Daria: No, Jane. (She walks off into the distance)
Tom: (entering from inside) Baby…
Jane: (staring after Daria) It’s all my fault.
Tom: Please listen to me. Jane, it’s not your fault. Trent-
Jane: Daria…(Jane walks over to Tom. They hug.)

(Daria’s house. Daria is standing in front of a mirror.)
Daria: You are so ugly. You always have been, you always will be. Its no
wonder Trent doesn’t like you.
(Quinn enters, wearing a dress like Christina Aguleira’s at the Grammy’s or
whatever, when she won best new artist.)
Quinn: Daria? Are you okay?
Daria: Yes, Quinn.
Quinn: Want to talk about it?
Daria: Why are you being so nice?
Quinn: I’m quitting the fashion club.
Daria: What?
Quinn: I am. I don’t see why I should be in anything that makes fun of my
only sister.
Daria: That’s really sweet, Quinn.
Quinn: Thanks. Do you like my dress, Daria? It’s for the Spring Dance, on
May 21st.
Daria: It’s really cute. Quinn?
Quinn: Yeah?
Daria: Do you have something I could wear to the dance? Even if I am going
alone?
Quinn: Oh my god, Daria, alone? No sister of mine is going to any dance
alone. Come on. Lets go to the mall.
Daria: Quinn?
Quinn: Yeah?
Daria: Thank you.
Quinn: No problem, sis.

(Scene: A store called “girl”. Daria is holding 12 dresses, all different
colors. She and Quinn pick out a few more, and then she goes to try them
on.)
Daria: Wait for me, okay, Quinn?
Quinn: Sure.
(After picking a sorting through countless dresses, Daria chooses 14
dresses. She buys all of them. The saleslady is extremely happy. Next they
walk to a place called RUSH. Daria gets lots of casual clothes there. She
even wears some new clothes out. When she walks out, we see her wearing a
white tieback shirt with black jeans that have metal studs down the sides.
By now the have 17 bags of clothes, so they go back to Daria’s PT Cruiser
and unload the bags. They decide it is time for lunch.)
Daria: Want to go to Risk? It is a new cafeteria. I heard they have really
good food.
Quinn: Sure, Why not?
(Montage shows various scenes from Quinn and Daria’s day.

In the restaurant, flirting with the waiter.
In an arcade, playing skee-ball.
In a four-photo taker:
Quinn and Daria pleasant.
Daria pushing Quinn out of the way.
Quinn pushing Daria back.
Both Quinn and Daria (!) laughing together.

And so ends the montage.
Scene: Driving home. Radio is playing “Oops…I did it again”.)
Daria: (Singing with the chorus.) Oops… I did him again…
Quinn: (laughs) God Daria, I never realized how funny you are. You’re cool
to hang out with and shop with and another thing you have a really good
voice.
Daria: Thanks.
----------Long, awkward pause ----------
Quinn: So what are we gonna do about finding you a date? What about that
Trent guy?
Daria: No.
Quinn: Okay… then who?
Daria: Oh my god. It’s wind!
Quinn: Who?
Daria: (pulls over) Wind! Wait!
Wind: Daria?
Daria: Yeah!
Wind: Daria! How have you been?
Daria: okay. And Yourself?
Wind: Fine. Oh shoot, I gotta go. Bye, Daria!
Daria: Later! (Walks back to her car)
(They start driving again. Then Daria’s cell phone goes off.)
Daria: Hello?
Jane: Yo. Listen I thought I’d better inform you, Trent has got it bad for
this girl.
Daria: (deadpan) How bad.
Jane: Um, Mystik Spiral has one more member and a new name.
Daria: Who. What. Please tell me or I shall die.
Jane: That Mystique Girl was added. The name was changed to Mystique’s
Spiral.
Daria: No matter. I’m over him.
Jane: Really?
Daria: No, I just say, “I’m over him” every 3 minutes.
Jane: You’re back to your old self, Daria!
(Daria pulls up to her house. She has to make several trips to get it all
up. Helen walks past her door.)
Helen: Oh my.
(We see Daria with her Mona Lisa smile)
(Opening Scene: Daria at a grunge party. She’s wearing a midnight blue bra,
tight denim pants, and sparkly sandals. All of Mystik Spiral- er- Mystique’s
Spiral is there, minus Trent. Daria begins to notice how cute Nick is. Nick
now has brown hair.)
Daria: Max, I can’t believe I did your dare.
Max: Me neither, Daria. I never realized how cool you are! Not to mention a
great body.
Nick: Yeah!
Daria: Thanks. (Thought VO: NO guys like me) You want to go upstairs?
Nick: No, Daria, I don’t want to take advantage of you.
Daria: Did I or did I not just ask you to accompany me upstairs?
Nick: You did, but, NO daria, I wont do it.
Daria: I just wanted to talk.
Nick: Oh. Talk. OK. Lets go.
(They walk upstairs)
Nick: Can I tell you something, Daria? I never really liked Quinn. I just
hung around her and pleased her for nothing. Now I wonder if I chose the
wrong sister.
Daria: What are you saying, Nick?
Nick: Can I take you to your spring dance?
Daria: I would love to.
Nick: Great. I’ll pick you up at 6:00. Ok?
Daria: Great.
(Fade out to Daria in Jane’s room)
Daria: So I’m going with Nick. And you’re going with Tom.
Jane: And Trent’s going with mystique.
Daria: And Trent's- what?
Jane: Yeah, Mystique is actually in our class.
Daria: He doesn’t care about the age difference?
Jane: I guess not.
Daria: Hmmm…
(Fade in to Daydream, at the spring dance)
Nick: I love you, Daria.
Daria: Me too, Nicky.
(Just as they are about to kiss, Trent interrupts)
Trent: Daria, I’ve loved you all my life. I don’t want to lose you now.
(Nick vanishes, Daria and Trent kiss)
(End of daydream)
Jane: Daria- hey Daria! Yo! Morgendorffer!
Daria: I still have it bad for him.
Jane: Aw, hell.
{Knock on door}
Jane: Yeah… Tom! What are you doing here?
Tom: I wanted to drop by to see how Daria was doing.
Jane: (whispering) She’s still got it bad.
Tom: Oh.
Jane: So what time are you gonna pick me up?
Tom: 6:30, ok?
Jane: Sure.
Tom: So…
(We hear girlish giggling)
Mystique: (Off-screen) Stop Trent!
Daria: How can Trent like someone like that?
Jane: Daria, it’s not like that.
Daria: I know its not.
(Daria exits)
Jane: (Head on Tom’s shoulder) Sometimes I just don’t understand that girl.
(Fade out to Daria getting ready:
Stepping out of the shower
Drying and Styling her hair
Putting on her dress.
Her dress is a long black dress that goes straight across in a cut line. It
has a slit on the side up to her mid thigh. The whole dress has tiny pink
flowers.)
Nick: (Talking to Daria’s parents) And so my dads business will go to me.
Hey Daria. You look great. (They walk out)
Daria: Bye Mom, Bye Dad.
Helen: Bye, sweetie, have fun!
Jake: Later, kiddo!
(Fade in to the dance. Brian McKnight’s back to one is playing. Daria and
Nick are slow dancing VERY close. Daria looks over to see Trent and Mystique
come in. She winces at the fact of seeing them together and turns back to
Nick.)
Daria: Having fun?
Nick: Yep.
Daria: Hey look! There’s Jane and Tom! Let’s go see them!
Jane: Hey Daria. Hey Nick. Nick you-look-mah~velous, Dahling!
Daria: (Half-snickers) Tom. Want to go dance while they catch up on old
times?
Tom: Sure.
(“*//\\//Syncs Drive Myself Crazy” is on.)
Tom: I bet Trent turns several shades of green tonight.
(Daria just looks at him)
Tom: With Envy.
Daria: Oh. I get it.
(The song ends and another one begins. Daria finds Nick again and asks him
to dance. They purposely dance in plain sight of Trent and Mystique.
Trent: No. With Nick? Aw, damn.
Mystique: Trent come here. (She walks over to a small-secluded table) Trent,
there is something wrong.
Trent: What?
Mystique: I don’t know. I don’t like you anymore, when I talk to you, you
sound like something is missing in your life.
Trent: It is. No way!
Mystique: Yes way. Anyway I have to go. Goodbye. (Walks out.)
(Nick approaches Trent.)
Nick: Well, would you look at that? Temperamental little girl.
Trent: What have I done to the band? Naming it Mystique’s Spiral! What was I
thinking???
Nick: It’s okay, man. We can change it. We’ve done it enough times already.
Trent: What are you doing here, Nicholas?
Nick: I’mherewithdaria.
Trent: What?
Nick: I’m here with-
Trent: With who?
Nick: Daria.
Trent: Really? How’d you meet her?
Nick: You know that grunge party? The one you didn’t go to because you were
going out with Mystique?
Trent: Yeah…
Nick: I met her there. She’s so totally amazing. I have never met a girl
like her. She’s smart, talented, funny, sexy. She’s got everything!
Trent: Yeah…
Nick: I really want to go out with her again. We’re only 2 years apart.
Trent: Oh.
Nick: You like Daria, don’t you?
Trent: No. No way.
Nick: Well I do.
Trent: Good for you.
Nick: Well aren’t you pleasant?
Trent: Go to hell, Nicholas.
(Scene: One year later, Daria’s house. Nick is about to storm off.)
Daria: Dammit, Nick, Why do you have to be this way?
Nick: Because you are a slut! You flirt with every guy around and you’re so
busy flirting you completely forget me! What do you want me to do? I have
told you all my secrets, dreams everything! All you do is whine about how
overprotective I am. I only do that because I love you. But I don’t anymore.
You’ve gotten to be such a bitch that you don’t realize how much pain and
suffering you make! Even I, being a skeptic, think you have a pissy attitude
towards everyone. I’m not going to stand for it. I surprised Trent and Jane
haven’t abandoned you yet! You broke Trent’s heart and never spend time with
Jane! Maybe you’ve even managed to alienate Tom! And he is so reasonable!
Don’t even bother coming to the Mystik Spiral concerts anymore! (Daria tries
to object but can’t get a word in) Just forget it, Daria! We should see
other people. Bye.
Daria: (We can see her emotional walls are about to break. She runs out to
her PT Cruiser and zooms off to Jane’s house) I have to get out of here.
{Knocks on the front door. No answer. Knocks again. No answer.}
(Daria sits on the steps and cries)

The End.