"Competition"
by Emma

Scene: The Hallowed Halls of Lawndale High. Daria and Jane are walking
down to Jane's locker.

Daria: I still don't see why I can't come over tonight.

Jane: Uh, mom's spraying for vermin. She's sure they're the cause of
the electrical problems in her workshop.

Daria: Death to the lemmings! (They're POV shows Brittany and Kevin
crowded by Jane's locker.) Speaking of lemmings…

Jane: Did you two get lost, or something?

Brittany: We're just looking at the poster here. It's such a pretty
colour.

Jane: (quietly) Yeah, whatever.

Brittany: Me and Kevin were looking for something to do this weekend.

Jane: The Fates have been kind. (B+K leave.)

Daria: What was that about?

Jane: Oh, nothing. Forget it. (Daria reaches for the poster. She reads
it. Her VO over POV of poster).

Daria: "Friday, Saturday, and Sunday…Come see the Lost Souls of Heaven
at the Lawndale park. Tickets: Five dollars." What's this?

Jane: Nothing. A favor. For a friend. Forget it.

Daria looks suspiciously @ Jane.

Scene: Outside, day. Daria and Jane are walking home.

Jane: And that, my friend, is the story of how the great corporations
plan to take-over our pathetic little lives.

Daria: Jane, you sound like my parents' hippie friends. Besides, the
corporations aren't interested in our lives. They're interested in our
souls. The schools are interested in our lives.

Close-up on a raised piece of sidewalk. Daria trips over it.

Daria: Ouch!

Close-up of scrape.

Daria: Looks like I'll have to come over anyway, vermin or no vermin.

Jane looks nervous.

Scene: Jane's room. Daria is sitting on Jane's bed, a Band-Aid on her
scrape. Jane's painting a picture.

Jane: (stepping back) I call it "Tripping on a Sidewalk."

Daria: I call it reliving a nightmare.

Jane: My son, you must learn from your mistakes, so that you might not
make them again.

Daria: Hi, sensei.

Jane looks at clock.

Jane: Whoops, now it's time for all good vermin-haters to rejoice. Let
the killing begin! You'd better go Daria.

Daria: Why? You're not leaving.

Jane: The fumes make me happy.

Daria: Yeah, well my house doesn't. I don't want to go. You can't make
me.

Jane: (forceful) C'mon Daria. Let's go. Now.

Scene: Lane house living room. Jane is pushing Daria down the stairs.

Jane: Move it, Daria.

Daria: Ouch! Jane, stop it. If you don't, I'll have to hurt you.

Jane: Pain no longer scares me, my friend.

Daria: Hi, sensei.

Doorbell rings. Jane jumps.

Jane: Quick! Out the back door!

Daria: Jane, this madness has to stop. You're being ridiculous. And I
hardly think I look like a rodent.

Trent enters scene.

Trent: Hey Daria.

Daria: Hey.

Trent opens door. Jane shuts her eyes. Standing @ door is a blond girl
with multiple piercings in her ears. Trent bends over and gives her a
kiss. Daria stands stunned.

Jane: Daria, meet Liz. Trent's new girlfriend.

Cut back to Daria's face. Cut to commercial.

Scene: Lane living room. Liz now stands inside, Trent's arm about her
waist. Daria and Jane stand opposite.

Jane: Daria, this is Elizabeth, from the Lost Souls of Heaven. Liz,
this is my friend Daria.

Liz: Hey Daria. Nice to meet you.

Daria: Yeah.

No one speaks for a moment, then Trent looks up.

Trent: Daria, are you free this weekend?

Daria: (looking hopeful). Yeah…

Trent: You will come and see Liz, then? She's really good. You'd like
her.

Daria VO: Not a chance.

Daria: (out loud) Sure.

Trent: Great.

Scene: Outside, evening. Daria and Jane are walking to Daria's house.

Daria: Why didn't you tell me the truth?

Jane: I didn't want to hurt your feelings.

Daria: Why would my feelings be hurt? It's no big deal. It's not like
I was going out with Trent, or even like I liked him. I don't. This
whole thing was just…(quick VO says words like tragic, catastrophic,
awful) surprising.

Jane: Well, at least you're not in denial.

Daria: I'm not. Trent barely knows I exist. How can I have a
relationship when one party's not involved?

Jane: Whatever. I'll pick you up for the concert tomorrow?

Daria: Whatever.

Scene: Morgandorfer living room. Helen is seated on the couch when
Daria enters.

Helen: Hi sweetie. How was your day?

Daria: Dandy.

Helen: Are you doing anything this weekend?

Daria: Why?

Helen: There's a mother-daughter conference nearby. I would like you to
go.

Daria: Sorry, mom. I've got plans.

Helen: (surprised) Really?

Daria: Yeah. I'm going to see a concert.

Scene: the next afternoon. Daria's room. Daria stands amid a pile of
clothes, trying to decide what to wear. Finally she picks a blue tee
shirt and jeans out of the pile. Off camera voice of Helen says: Daria,
you're ride's here.

Daria walks downstairs. Standing in the open doorway is Liz, smiling.

Liz: Hi Daria. Come on, I've got the car running.

Daria leaves and gets in the car, a blue VW Beetle. Liz gets in after
her.

Liz: Janey's got some crisis. She needs paint thinner or something.
She had Trent take her to the store and sent me to get you.

Daria: How nice. (She glares.) "More dark and dark it grows."

Liz: Shakespeare. How nice. (She gives the "To Be" monologue from
Hamlet.). He was a great writer.

Daria: (impressed.) Yeah.

Liz: Personally, I prefer Russian writers. Like Dostoyevsky.

Daria: You like Dostoyevsky?

Liz: Sure! My favourite is "The Prince."

Daria: Yeah. That's a great book. How about "A Clockwork Orange?"

Liz: Oh yeah. I love Burgess' works. He's such a good writer. (Liz
smiles) Trent told me you were advanced for your age.

Daria: Really?

Liz: Yeah. I can see why he likes you so much.

Daria nods.

Cut to commercial.

Scene: Concert in park. Daria and Jane are standing off to side of
makeshift stage. Onstage, Liz sings and plays the guitar to Kula
Shaker's "Troubled Mind." The song finishes to applause.

Liz: Thanks. The last song is going to be done by me and my boyfriend,
Trent. He's helped me a lot. Really. And this song is important to
the both of us.

Trent gets up on stage and the two sing an original song. Daria looks
upset for a moment, then she smiles.

Liz: Thanks! You've been a great audience. We'll be here…uh, a couple
more days. I think. Anyway, thanks.

Scene: Offstage. Daria, Jane, Trent, Liz, and Liz's band are standing
about. Someone hands Liz a letter.

Liz: (opens letter. Her face lights up.) I got into Juliard!!! I'm
going to study opera! Yes!!! (Everyone looks pleased. Suddenly, she
sighs.) Trent. We've gotta talk.

Daria and Jane look at each other. Trent and Liz walk away slowly.

Jane: You may get your chance after all, girl.

Daria: Shut up. Liz's a nice person, and she and Trent really like each
other. This is no time to think of my own feelings. If I had any.

Jane: Right.

Trent walks by. Jane races off after him. Daria looks to the curb,
where Liz's leaning against her car. Daria walks over.

Liz: (singing) Please don't put your life in the hands of a rock and
roll band who'll throw it all away. (She stops) Hey Daria.

Daria: Hey.

Liz: Just…that song puts everything in perspective with me (she looks
up, tears on her face.). C'est la vie.

Daria: (sighs) Liz, I'm sorry.

Liz: (nodding). Yeah, well we knew it would happen. One day. Trent
knew I wanted to sing opera. It was just a matter of time.

Daria nods.

Liz: (putting her hand on Daria's). A bit of life advice: Take all the
chances you can when you meet a guy like Trent. It may not last, but
it'll be the greatest time of your life.

Daria nods again, smiling.

Liz stands up and walks to the driver's side of the car. She starts to
sing more Oasis, but pauses mid-line. She breaks into an aria from
"Carmen." She gets in the car, smiles @ Daria, then drives off, waving
out the window. Trent walks up to Daria.

Trent: Hey, Daria.

Daria: Hey. (She pauses, awkwardly). Look, I'm sorry about Liz.

Trent: Yeah. One month wasted.

Daria: No, I'm serious. She was a nice person. Really. I know you're
gonna miss her.

Trent: Yeah. Liz was really special. She was nice. (He pauses.) But
I know there's at least one other really special, nice girl, right here
in Lawndale.

Daria stands with her head down. Close-up of her face. Slowly, a smile
spreads across it.

The End