The Torment Trilogy part 1:
The Confrontation
by Mitch
wells17@gte.net

It was a clear summer day. Daria Morgendorffer was in her
room. Some time ago, she turned seventeen. She was thinking
about something that had been on her mind for almost a year. She
had been thinking about it, almost since she had moved to
Lawndale, but lately it had been starting to bother her. She
needed to take care of it soon and there was only one way to take
care of it. First, she called Jane.
"Hola, Lane homestead and Mystik Spiral mail drop and no, I
won't tell you when I get off from work and no, I'm not the
secretary around here." "Jane, it's me." "Oh, Daria. Nuts, I
was hoping it was someone I could torment without feeling guilty
later. So where are you? I haven't seen you lately." "I've
been doing some thinking," said Daria, "can I come over?" "-Duh-!
You know the door is always open for you. Now, for -Quinn-..."
"I know. Is Trent going to be home?" "You're asking about
Trent? Well, yeah. Say, your not going to...," "See you in
five minutes."-click-
Daria hated to hang up on Jane, but it she had something
important to take care of today, and she didn't need Jane's
matchmaker act for it. This had to be done while Daria was still
psyched.
-----
"So," said Jane at the door, "you finally gave in?" "Call
it what you want," said Daria, "Where's Trent?" "In the
basement, y'know, I've been waiting for this moment for..."
"Just let me through, Lane."
-----
Trent was practicing in the basement. He had been doing
that all morning. It had been a dull day, even more than usual.
Actually, it had been dull for quite some time. He was wondering
why. Everything had been the same as always, except he hadn't
seen Daria for a while. He wondered about that. The last time
he saw her was at her 17th birthday. She looked great. Trent
realized what he just thought and cursed at himself. Just
because Daria was becoming a woman didn't me he had to think
lustfully of her. Trying to get his mind off that, he wondered
-why- he hadn't seen Daria around. He never asked Janey about
it, but he wondered if she and Daria were still friends. He sure
hoped they were! Janey needed a friend and Daria probably needed
one too. Besides, Trent thought Daria was pretty darn cool and
not seeing her again would hurt, no, crush him. After all, she
never got that gift her got for her. Of course, the paperwork
for it wasn't finished yet. He thought of all the adventures
they had together last year, although it felt like four years.
It wasn't anything someone would easily forget and he got to know
Daria pretty well during that time. Sure, she started out pretty
distant, but she opened up to him over time. Strange, he never
found out -why- she used to be so stiff.
Š Just then, the basement door opened and Daria entered.
"Woah!" said Trent, "I was just thinking about you." "Really?"
asked Daria." "Yeah. Basically, I was wondering why I haven't
see you around her for a while." "Well Trent, I've been doing
some important thinking about my life and...well...I'm afraid I
have a bone to pick with you." "Wha...?" "I...I'm tired of you
telling people that I'm your 'kid sister's friend'." "You are?
Then...what do I call you?" "I...I want to be...-your- friend,
Trent." "You do?" "Yeah." There was a heartbeat while Trent
thought about it. "Sure." "You...you mean it?" "Yeah, I mean,
we probably -are- standing each other for so long. And...I guess
I -do- see you as a friend of my own. I guess I thought you
didn't see me like that. Besides, I'm kinda afraid of what
'ideas' people might have about the two of us." "'Ideas'?
Like..." "Like we're sleeping together. It's just that I'm in a
band and bands have bad reps sometimes and I don't want them to
think that I go around picking up teenage girls." "Well, you're
always picking up Jane and me and, well, we -sorta- slept
together once." Trent chuckled. "Yeah, but besides you cuddling
to me in your sleep, I don't remember anything between falling
asleep and waking up." Daria chuckled a little. "So, it's
settled, we're friends?" "Yeah, by the way, we're having a
Mystik Spiral anniversary party tomorrow night. Wanna come?"
"Uh, sure."
-----
The party rocked, maybe. Daria basically spent her time
there sipping at punch and wondering why Trent hadn't shown up.
Jane came to her. "So," said Jane, "you went to talk to him
yesterday to get him to be your friend." "Yep." "Just that,
huh?" "Well, what did you -think- I was going to ask him about?"
"Well...never mind. By the way, have you -seen- Trent around
here?" "Wait, you don't know either?" "Nah. He just drove off
earlier. He didn't say where he was going, just that he needed
to check on something." A ringing sound was then heard. "I'll
get it," said Jane. She picked up the phone. "Hello, Lane
homestead. Uh, no I'm his sister, not his wife. Uh huh. Yeah.
WHAT? Yes, I heard you! Is he...oh. Okay. When will he...you
don't know. Okay. Thank you. I'll be there." She hung up with
a sad and serious look on her face. "What is it Jane?" Daria
asked, almost whispering. "It...it's Trent. He's...it isn't
good."

To be continued...