My best friend Daria, in our favorite pizza place! Thinner ans paler, but still alive!
« Yo! »
-Hello. »
-What’s up with your school of super geniusses? »
-You mean : with my school of sometimes very knowledgable super jerks? »
-I’m glad you’re not changing, Daria. Hanging around brains like you might have made you popular. »
-God forbid! That’s why i changed strategies : i get lower grades, and refuse to drive myself crazy studying. »
-What happened to your : Oh hell, i’m going to Grove Hills as a part of my master plan to conquer the universe spirit? »
-It melted down when i discovered that a fair number of Grove Hill’s students have a mental breakdown, and i refused to let this happen to me. »
-Good point. »
-Jodie and I swore we would keep our sanity before applying. By the way : that makes me think… »
Daria reaches out for her phone and dials a number :
« Jodie landon! Nap time! Now! Yes, i’ll wake you up, in say thirty minutes… I know we ve got this important essay… Yes, you will do just fine as usual… No, you can t study for five more minutes… We made a bargain, Jodie, remember? I promised to tell you when you were becoming over the top? You are now. I’m doing this for your own good, so get your freaking rest, and i mean it!… Whatever. You’ll thank me in thirty minutes. »
She hangs up. Dials another number:
« Excuse me, i’ve got to do this. »
Someone seems to pick up.
« Hello, Elsie? Could you please go to Jodies and make sure she has her nap… I know we’ve got this essay, but i m home for the week-end. i’ll study on my way back to Grove Hills… Even if Graham had a better grade than me now, that wouldn’t change my being overall better than this jerk… I don’t care what he’s going to say… You sound exhausted, Elsie. You should rest after checking out on Jodie… I know. Someone’s gotta be the nap police. »
She hangs up again :
« All yours now. Sorry about this. »
-waw. »
-You’ve got no idea. »
-Tell me more, mister officer, i mean… Ma’am! »
-Well… You know how i decided to go to a real good school in order to fullfil my somewhat vague ambitions? »
-Yeah. Hence your applying. »
-And i ended up hanging around snotty, overstressed workaholics? »
-Sounds like Grove Hills to me. »
-Well… It’s actually a cult. You work overnight, you never go out of the library, you eat Grove Hills, think Grove Hills, sleep Grove Hills… »
-I thought you weren’t allowed to sleep. »
-You are if you dream of homework. »
-What a fun place! and yet, you are here. »
-Precisely. i decided to resist the pressure. To have my limits. If i don’t get out of this place and hang around normal people from time to time, i’ll go crazy. »
-Normal?! You wound me! »
-It’s good to see you. The pressure gets on everybody’s nerves. Jodie… well… you know her. She’s ranked first of the class, AND she’s volonteered to help the slower students. I’ve constantly got to force her out of her books. She looks like a zombie. Sometimes, i catch myself studying on the verge of exhaustion because EVERYONE is doing it. »
-My my… »
-But i’ve got tricks. When i’m being looked down upon by a teacher or a student and i’m about to collapse, i think about what Trent would do. »
-Nap. »
-Life savior. Exactly. »
Pizza’s finished.
« Wanna go to my place? » i offer
-Sure. »
I can’t wait to show her my new artwork. God i missed her! She’s sitting by the bed with a smile:
« So… How’s good ol’ Lawndayle High doing? »
-The usual routine. But there’s this : we had to volonteer, and i gave art lessons to children. »
-Sounds like fun. »
-It was. Kevin and Brittany were sent to read in a nursery home. »
-Poor old people! »
-I know! Brittany must have caused many a heart attack with her brutal voice inflections. »
-Crime unsolved. The killer’still running… »
-Haha! And you know i had to help organize this party. worst part is : Upchuck was the DJ, and i almost fell for his cousins. »
-Was it that boring? »
-Deadly. They seemed alright, tough. I was bored out of my senses, i think. »
I fall quiet. Why do i feel so nervous? It’s not like i did anything wrong. Anyway, it’s no big deal. I had to have a social life, after all.
« Well… And i met this really cute boy, Evan. Actually, he turned out to be a jerk. Anyway, he made me join the track team. »
-The track team? »
She’s confused. that’s what i kind of feared.
« Surprise! I happen to be a little more… Popular, now. »
-Aaas long as it makes you happy… »
I sigh. I am successful, and this popularity thing isn’t so bad. But happy… I can’t tell, without Daria.
« It’s got its perks, and it’s drawbacks. For instance, because of the training sessions, i’ve got less time to create, and that bugs me. »
-Jane, that’s too bad! You’re too good an artist to let the track team take over! »
-I know… »
-i mean : good for you if you enjoy running, but art is your thing. »
-I know. The second inconvenient is I sometimes know exactly how Mack feels about Kevin… »
-Bummer. »
I can hear Trent’s footsteps in the corridor. It’s been a while since he’s been peeking into my room. Well… I do spend much more time running. He opens the door :
« Oh, hey, Daria. »
-Hey, Trent. »
-Nice to see you here. Janie really needs sensible friends, these days. She’s lost her way. »
He darts off. I turn to Daria :
« And there’s this. »
She sighs :
« Listen : i’m happy to hear you’re running if you enjoy it. »
-Thanks. But…? »
-But you know you can’t let this get in the way of your creativity. »
-I know. »
-Even if they’re putting pressure on you. »
-I’m not under pressure. »
My phone is ringing. I’ve got to pick it up. It’s Evan:
« Yo. »
-Hello, Jane. i don’t see you at training. »
-Oh, there was training this week-end? That’s too bad. I can’t come : my friend Daria’s here. »
-You can’t be serious! jane, you need to come now! the final’s… »
-i know when it is! But I’m telling you : i’m not coming! I’ll see you at training during the week. Now, for once, will you let me rest with my friend on a week-end?! Will you do that for me?! »
I hang up. Daria nods :
« I’m glad to see you’re not under pressure. »
-Oh, shut up. »
So annoying. My girl is right. I am under pressure. Right now, i just don’t feel like admitting it out loud. Daria smiles :
« As long as we both know i’m right. »
Les pattes de mouche de la puce polichinelle 