The DT Files

The DT Files

406: I Loathe a Parade (2)

by SSJ04 Mewtwo

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Trent stretched and turned to pick up the phone which had woke him. He didn't understand why Jane didn't answered it until he remembered that she was out with Tom, but he couldn't remember where they were going.

"Hello," Trent began in a sleepy voice.

"He figured you'd be asleep."

"Axl?"

"Yeah, you better get your ass down here, I'm redoing a tattoo of someone that used to be in your band."

"Daric?" Trent asked and he heard singing in the background. Trent smirked, hung up with Axl, dressed and made his way to his car. He stopped for a moment, realizing that today was that stupid parade. He'd have to take the long way to Dega Street.

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Trent came to see Daric, lying on a table while Axl re-colored the dragon tattoo on Daric's left arm. At Daric's right sat a small, pale girl with black hair.

"I thought Axl was having some fun with me, but when I heard you singing over the phone," Trent said with a grin.

"Figure I better give you an audio clue, I know how Axl loves to fuck with people's minds," Daric said.

"Watch it, I could mess up here now," Axl replied.

"Yeah, and ruin your best art? I don't think so," Daric retorted.

"When did you get back into town?" Trent asked.

"A day ago," Angel answered.

"Dropped out or graduated?" Trent asked.

"We graduated, but I wasn't going to walk with all those idiots. Y'know, college was a lot like high school, it was boring and sucked," Daric commented.

"You two coming back to the band?" Trent asked, hiding his hopefulness.

"Yeah, that is, if you still need us," Daric replied.

"Need you?" Trent countered, "I'm going out of my mind with Max and Nick always trying to kill each other," Trent finished.

"Then it's a good thing I'm back. The door opened and in walked Monique. Trent scowled, Daric rolled his eyes and Angel glared coldly.

"I see we have a little spiral reunion going on here," Monique commented evenly.

"Yeah," Trent commented just as evenly, but with a cold undertone.

"You haven't been trying to horn in on my spot have you?" Angel questioned the other female musician.

"I was hoping that Trent would leave his band and join mine," Monique retorted.

"And I told you that night we broke up that it would never fucking happen. The Spiral is my thing, and if it is to die a slow, painful death then I want to see every moment of it. I'm not going to abandon my band just because it's draining the life out of me," Trent fired back.

Daric stood, Axl's work finished and walked to stand beside Trent.

"I hope to breathe some light into the dying Spiral. So, you can just forget that talk about a slow, painful death," Daric said to Trent.

"And, as for you," Angel said, giving a cold look to Monique, "I'm the better female musician in this town, bitch. There isn't another that sings or plays better than me."

""C'mon, let's go, I don't like the company Axl's keeping," Daric said and the three left.

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The three walked over to their cars. Trent spoke, "We've got to take the long way, the homecoming parade is going on over on main street. It's got traffic all fucked up."

"Shit," Daric swore and the two boys and one girl got into their respective cars and took off.

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Daria scowled, wondering why no one answered the damn door. Knowing that the lock didn't work, she stepped inside and felt the vibrations under her feet.

"No wonder," Daria began, "the Spiral is at play." She sighed and headed downstairs, curious to know the origin of that song they were playing. She opened the basement door and headed downstairs, closing the door behind her. Had she stayed a moment more, she would have seen Jane and Tom coming from Jane's bedroom. The couple left to go grab pizza while Daria watched this new configuration of the Spiral.

The short girl at the keyboard, who couldn't be no taller than five foot, played while another boy, around Trent's age who had dark brown hair and amber eyes, sang with Trent. This seemed to give Jessie the ability to focus more on his guitar and not have to worry about backup vocals.

Two minutes passed before the song ended. Daric and Trent look at each other and smirked.

"Well, I think we're ready to play our first gig together," Trent commented.

"Yep, I'm ready to actually play in front of a crowd, even if that crowd is either drunk or high," Daric commented and Trent laughed. He started his coughing fit and Jessie slapped him on his back and Trent stopped.

"Thanks," he said to Jessie. He then noticed that they had an audience of one. "Oh, hey Daria," he greeted.

"Did I miss a killing, or did something else happen to Nick?" Daria asked.

"No, Max didn't kill him, he was replaced by the one that had his spot in the first place. Daria, meet the original bass player of the Spiral, Daric Lynn. And, the only keyboard player I'll let into any band I'm in is Angel." Trent introduced.

"You're Daria, my cousin has mentioned you before," Angel began.

"Cousin?" Daria asked.

"Andrea," Angel informed.

"Sisters of goth I take it?" Daria asked and Angel nodded.

"I think Janie's with Tom...I think," Trent said scratching his head.

"You think it would be alright if I stay over tonight? Dad decided to have some warm milk and almost burned the house down," Daria said and Daric started playing the bass line for 'The Roof's on Fire'(1). Jessie and Max started chuckling.

"Wise guy," Trent said, shaking his head.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Daric said with a smirk.

"Where's your family staying?" Trent asked.

"Hotel, but I and my sister have to share a room and that hasn't been possible, ever," Daria answered.

"Yeah, you can stay," Trent said with a half grin. "Take my room, I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight."

"You, not sleeping?" Daria inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"Too wired to sleep, we play our first reunion gig tomorrow night," Trent let out.

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Jane came out of her room the next morning to see Daria coming out of Trent's room. She slapped the side of her head and tried to figure out whether or not she was still asleep.

"I saw you come out of Trent's room, right?" Jane asked.

"He's still down in the basement, he said it would be ok," Daria replied.

"One, when did you get here, and two, why were you sleeping in my brother's room?"

"I probably came after you and Tom left for the night. Trent said it would be ok to stay. My father almost burned down the house and we're staying in a hotel. To top it all off, I have to share a room with the other queen bee of Lawndale High," Daria said.

"I knew they'd try to break you one day," Jane said with a sleepy smile.

"You go take your caffeine shot, I'll grab a shower," Daria suggested.

"Mmmm, coffee, wait, were you able to sleep in that mess that is Trent's room?"

"He's actually kept it clean from the last time I've seen it. Plus, his bed is better on my back than mine is for some reason," Daria remarked and entered the bathroom.

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She reclined on Trent's bed. She was reading a book, killing time before the Spiral's gig. She was going to go, whether or not Jane was going. However, things got a little uncomfortable when Tom came into the room. Daria talked with him, trying not to enjoy herself like during that whole damn parade incident. Fortunately, Trent came into the room.

"Hey, ready?" Trent asked.

"Don't you knock?" Tom asked, a bit put out that Trent barged in on their conversation.

"Hey, it's my room," Trent replied.

"Yeah," Daria replied, marked her place and stood.

"You better let Janie know you're here, Tom," Trent said. He wasn't going to invite Tom since he didn't know what plans the couple had. The two left before Tom could find out where Trent and Daria were going.

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A van full of happy musicians and an auburn girl returned three hours later. Trent bit his lip. He recognized the car that was parked in the driveway.

"Daria Marie Morgendorffer!" Helen shouted.

"Uh oh, busted," Daric said.

"Mothers," Jessie quietly commented.

"You want to explain how I'm supposed to share a room with Quinn?" Daria began and that sparked the argument. The pair of shouting parent and child echoed throughout the house as Daria went up to retrieve her things. The shouting got louder than when it first started when the two came back out. Two car doors slam shut and Jake pulled out onto the road.

"Damn," Max said.

"You wanted..." Jessie said but Trent gave Jessie a hard elbow to shut him up.

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"You're up early, sorry I couldn't go last night..." Jane began the next morning as she fixed herself some coffee.

"Don't worry about it. Why did you try to get me and Daria together when you knew her mother was such a bitch?" Trent asked. Jane stopped and gave her brother a hard look.

"You knew?"

"I had some suspicions, but you reacting like you just did confirmed it for me," Trent replied.

"What happened? I noticed that Daria wasn't in your bed last night."

"Her folks came by while you and Tom were still out. She and her mother had a big blow out," Trent relayed.

Jane whistled, "I thought, if you two did get together, that it could be covered up by her just visiting me."

"Hmmmm, would have worked, but I was too stupid and eager to help her. She should have told me what she needed from me instead of letting me go off on a tangent and get myself excited. Had she just said that she needed thirty seconds of music I would have said 'no'."

"What were you thinking that she wanted?" Jane asked.

"To follow us for a year," Trent answered and Jane rolled her eyes.

"Could have done that for a movie project that O'Neil assigned several months before we needed the music."

"Her mother hates me. She even start accusing..."

"Hold it, I'll get the story from Daria. I don't want to depend on your second hand knowledge if you've been up all night."

"Want a ride to school?" Trent offered.

"Nah, you get some sleep," Jane said and Trent yawned. That was a good idea.

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"You ok?" Jane asked. Daria had her forehead pressed against her locker.

"Did you think when I came out of Trent's room that I slept with him?"

"So she did accuse you of that. No, I wouldn't have since I know that you're over him."

"She thinks I ought to meet Quinn half way and start imitating her some," Daria spat. "She thinks that you nor Trent are good for me to be around."

"Don't she know you tried to dress up like Quinn..." Jane began but Daria gave her friend a look and Jane quickly became serious.

"Make more friends Daria, give people a chance Daria, don't go near Trent Daria..." Daria mocked her mother, "I would like to give her another piece of my mind, but I don't think I have one to spare at the moment."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I've noticed that Trent hasn't been his..."

"Normal self? Yeah, I think all that stress from the band has been lifted off of his shoulders."

"Jane, keep me out of you and Tom's relationship. I'll hang with him, but only if you are there. You two are drifting away and he's drifting towards me. I'm not going to complicate your problems with him by being near without you around."

Jane sighed, "Agreed. Hey, we'll just double and you can invite Trent," she joked. Daria gave her friend a cold look, but Jane saw the ghost of a smile that only Jane herself could detect.

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1. Bloodhound Gang, but I cannot remember the name of the album this song was on.