The Way We Were Meant to Be, part four


Part four, chapter one: Lawndale Leaver


Daria awoke in a strange room, to sunlight streaming through a window. She sat
up in an unfamiliar outfit, and it all hit her: She had run away.

Daria: Oh my god. What am I gonna do? This isn't like me. It's just a family
vacation, after all.

Suddenly, someone kicked open the tiny window.

Person: Hands up!

Daria froze in her tracks. The figure pulled a gun and fired, once, twice,
thrice, and then....

Daria bolted straight up in her own bed, as the fire alarm went off. She ran
downstairs to see that Jake had burnt breakfast.

Daria: What a weird dream. I gotta figure out why I've been having all these
nightmares since I left Highland.

She walked into the kitched, helped her hysterical father into a chair, and
removed the offending dish from the oven, while maintaining her deadpan
exterior. Helen and Quinn walked sleepily into the kitchen.

Helen: Well, girls, today we leave for California!

Daria groaned inwardly.


Part four, chapter two: It wasn't just a dream


Daria walked into her room and surveyed her closet again. She pulled all her
regular outfits out and put them into her bag, as Helen walked in.

Helen: Daria, just wanted to let you know that we'll be traveling by car to
Pennsylvania, where we'll stay the night in a hotel in King of Prussia.

Daria: What?

Helen: King of Prussia. It's a town in Pennsylvania.*

Daria: Ohhh kaaaay.

Helen: After that we'll be on a 8 hour flight to California.

Daria: Right, then. So, we drive up to Pennsylvania today.

Helen: Actually we'll be taking the train up. It's quicker. Should take about
two hours. We need to go in about half an hour.


Part four, chapter three: Trippin'


The trip was basically uneventfull. They got to the hotel around eight that
night, and went to sleep right away. They awoke the next morning, and went to
the real-estate office to see if their beach house was avaliable, which it
was. They quickly moved in.

Daria: Well, it's certainly roomy.

This house, like many in this part of California, was spacious and airy, with
an open-concept layout. Quinn fell in love with it immidiately. Helen found it
inconvenient, and Jake was oblivious. Daria remained neutral.

Quinn: It's perfect! I love it!

Daria: Like I thought.

Quinn: Come on, Daria, let's find our rooms.

Daria: I don't like the looks of this.

Sure enough, the room was pink and yellow.

Quinn: I claim the pink half!

Daria: Right. Whatever.

Quinn: Come on, lets go swimming! We're two minutes from the beach.

Daria reluctantly followed Quinn out to the beach. When some guys hit on her,
she told them she was taken. Her parents spent the day on the boardwalk.

The rest of the first week was the same. Back in Lawndale, Jane was feeling
the burn of the vacation Daria was on. She spent all her time moping and
painting.


Part four, chapter four: Why must it end this way?


Daria was sitting on the beach, soaking in the skin cancer, while Quinn
flipped about in the waves, enjoying the company of her male entourage. All of
the sudden, Daria heard a familiar shriek. She looked over, to see the
confused guys looked around, as a read pool formed around them. Daria screamed
and ran to the water, diving in.

Under the water, Daria had a hard time seeing anything. Just then, a pink-clad
waist pushed out at her. She grabbed it and tried to swim away, as pain shot
up her leg. More red liquid formed around them, as Daria's feet reached sand.
She pulled foreward, and fell as the pain hit again. She kept pulling, the
only thought in her mind, "Save Quinn!" She pulled ashore, and blacked out.


What happens next? Find out in part five!

Go to Part Five