*usual copyright disclaimer: CHANT: Characters are not mine, um-lalalalala***
they are property of MTV - um, lalalalala*** this story borrow deliberately
from a scene in Is It Fall Yet, and credit/inspiration is attributed to the
script writers at MTV***um, lalalalala******anyone who uses this piece without
my permission will find out really quick if hexes work**um,
lalalalala*****etc.


The Van Ride
by Diana Rajchel

description: Trent's thoughts as he drives Mystic Spiral and Daria to
Jane's artists' colony.

 Something happened. Trent wasn't sure where or how, but he could feel the
difference in himself. The subtlety of the change almost kept him from
noticing, and until Jesse pointed out that he had escaped his off/on pattern
with Monique for three months did he realize that something significant
transformed within himself. When Daria settled in the van next to him, he
realized the source of the change.

 Am I crazy? She's what - sixteen, seventeen now?  As a loyal brother, he knew
he should probably indicate his own disapproval of her recent behavior. Janey
hurt because of her, and because of Tom.  But Daria somehow affected him, now,
and in retrospect he realized how he used to affect her. Part of him resented
Tom  because he replaced Trent's location in Daria's affections. But Trent
cared enough about Daria to realize that she needed Tom, or someone like Tom,
to break down her walls.  He could never do so himself. Her recent ability to
speak her feelings to him at all Trent considered miraculous, especially after
what Jane told him about the circumstances of her breakup with Tom.

 Trent reminded himself that Daria was his friend, now, too. After living in
her house a few days he could never see her as just Janey's friend -- he
witnessed some of the things that she otherwise hid from the world, and hid
from him. He understood that she had the decency to feel bad about the fiasco
that formed her relationship with Tom, and when he saw Tom with her he guessed
that causing Jane some pain in the short term helped all three friends in the
long run. He was a musician, and he saw the etheric transference between her
and Tom - and Trent had the sensitivity to know that the heart could care less
about convenience.

 He could feel right now, as she sat in her typical walled silence, that Daria
still hurt too. "You know, about Janey -- it'll be all right. She knows you
and Tom never really meant to hurt her."

 "I hope so," said Daria.

 Then the muse hit, along with the mild need to punish Daria.
"Betrayal...betrayal...betrayal...betrayal..." If nothing else, he managed to
create a great song, and convey some of his own feelings to Daria. The spoken
word never worked as well as singing how he really felt, and though he
understood that no one had bad intentions, the basic need to return pain -
first and secondhand - certainly led to inspiration.

 Daria sat in silence, looking irritated. As Trent pulled into the driveway
leading towards the colony, she spoke. "Trent...that's not helping!"

 "Oh, sorry. You know - inspiration." He did not need to look at Daria's face
to know her expression. He felt a twinge of guilt for torturing her; he did
care about Daria, too. "It will all work out. Even Janey said you guys make a
great couple."

 Daria's response shocked him. "We broke up. In a nutshell, I got freaked out
by his family."

 "But you were dating him, not his family!" Trent pointed out without
thinking. Daria was cool, but she needed some rounding, and much as he loathed
the way the opportunity happened, keeping her with Tom for awhile would give
her something she desperately needed. He wanted Janey happy, but he also
recognized that Daria needed to grow.

 Daria grabbed her bag and walked away, leaving him to watch her hair blow in
the breeze as she climbed the path to Jane's cabin. Trent smiled to himself.
At least he could patch things between the two coolest girls in his world. He
wrote that song for his sister because she needed her best friend , and he
wrote that song for Daria, and he wrote that song for himself.

 Three weeks later Trent watched from his bedroom window as Janey maneuvered
Daria into the car with Tom. Good, he told himself. She needs to work it out
with him, too - give something a chance.  Like Jane, he saw the artist inside
Daria, and like Jane, he wished to see her take risks in the name of art - and
in the name of love.