Changes and New Things Chapter two

Standard disclaimer apples. The warning for the previous story, available at http://www.geocties.com/leerleescheaters/cant.htm, still applies.

Helen and Jake were in shock. Both Daria and Jon could see it. This was one time Daria knew she wanted the old, less attentive Jake back. Quinn seemed to be the only one taking this calmly. Helen sat down on the couch, hand on head, thinking. She started humming a tuneless melody. Jake looked at her, concern lining his face.

Daria: Mom, you’re scaring people.

Helen: Sorry. Daria, you know your father and I are open-minded people. We allowed you to date, although we knew you were sexually active. But we’d hoped you’d be more careful.

Daria: We were as careful as we could have been. It was faulty manufacturing that caused the tear.

Jon: Yeah. How could we have prevented this and still stay sexually active?

Jake: Well, my only thoughts on this are that we ARE angry, Daria, but not with you.

Quinn: So, you gonna keep it?

Daria: I don’t know. It’s due in March. That’s all I know at this point. Jon, come with me. I think we should talk about this upstairs.

Jon and Daria headed upstairs. Tears from earlier still stung in her eyes, blurring her vision. Jon helped her through her door, and they sat on her bed. There was a moment of silence before either one of them spoke.

Jon: Daria…

Daria: I never thought I would end up pregnant my senior year. That’s the kind of thing that happens to girls like Brittany and even Quinn, but not to quiet, brainy, sarcastic cynical girls like me. How am I going to face the kids at school? I’ll be in my sixth month this December, and then there will be no hiding it. Not to mention, do we want to keep it when it’s born?

Jon: That requires some thought. Here, let me get a piece of paper and a pen, and we’ll write down the possibilities and pros and cons.

Jon opened her desk drawer and pulled out a pen. He got a sheet of paper from her printer, and used her binder as a support. Daria watched as he quickly but silently drew out a grid for pros and cons, and sat down by her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Daria: Well, there’s adoption, or keeping the baby. Hmm. We could raise her with my parents or with your mom. Uh, anything else?

Jon: I don’t think so. So, pros and cons for adoption?

They sat for most of the night on her bed, trying to decide what to do. They didn’t hear Quinn sneak up to the door and lean against it all night, but they did see her there the next morning when they opened the door and she fell over.

Daria: Wakey, wakey, eavesdropper!

She tapped Quinn in the knee with her boot and Jon picked her up and put her in her room. Downstairs, Helen and Jake sat at the table eating toast and orange juice. Daria grabbed a slice and buttered it, and Jon made cinnamon toast with his.

Helen: Well, did you come to a decision yet?

Daria: No.

Jake: Why?

Jon: It’s not an easy choice, Mr. Morgendorffer. This is a choice mainly between sacrificing our higher education and comfort to keep the baby and wonder what might have been, or give the baby up, find out what will be, and live with the guilt. I reiterate, it’s a very difficult choice. There are some alternative options, too.

Helen: Like raising the baby while living at home and having us watch it while you go to school and work?

Jake: I’m not sure I like the sound of that…

Daria: Hey, you’d be at retirement age by the time I decide to go back to school. We have an idea that may work. We think that, after high school, I’ll care for her full time while Jon works and goes to college. His college classes are only for two years, anyway. And when he graduates, he can watch the baby part of the time while I go to school and work. After that, she’ll be of a school age, and we won’t have to worry.

Jake: Yes, but when is it due?

Jon: Uh, March, I think.

Daria: And there’ll be three months of school after that, plus a month before, that I can just get a tutor for. I can even get a tutor for all of school after Christmas break, too. And it’s a free service for pregnant teens and teen moms. But anyway, we’ve got a little while to decide. One thing’s for sure: I’m getting tutored after Christmas break. This is one situation where I couldn’t deal with the stares and the whispers.

Helen: I quite agree. Well, okay. Please choose soon, though.

Daria: We’re working on it.

Daria and Jon, done with breakfast, headed to Jon’s mom’s house to talk to her. The walk over looked pleasant and happy to all who saw them. Inside, they were in turmoil.

Daria: (thinking) What if she wants us to give up the baby?

Jon: (thinking) What if she wants us to stay with her?

Daria and Jon: (thinking) God, I hope not.

They completed their journey and stood in front of the small tudor-style house that Jon and his mom and twin sister lived in. He pushed the handle, and they stepped in. Jon’s mom came walking over.

Abby: Hello, Jon, Daria. Where were you all night?

She winked and nudged Daria’s arm, making her nauseous.

Jon: We were at Daria’s. We talked all night, ate breakfast, and came here.

Abby: You must be starving, come into the kitchen for some pancakes!

She ushered them into the kitchen, and they rolled their eyes at her oblivion. She set about making them pancakes, and then sat down with them.

Daria: We want to talk to you, Mrs. Sumter.

Abby: Please, call me Abby.

Daria: Abby. Jon and I… Well, I…

Abby: Go on…

Daria: I’m… pregnant.

Abby raised her hand up and slapped her, hard. She screamed and shrank back, then turned and ran out of the house, sobbing. When she got to the street corner, she turned not to her own home, but to Jane’s. Back at Jon’s, Abby was in a fit.

Abby: What do you mean, pregnant! I can’t believe she’d cheat on you!

Jon: She didn’t! The baby’s mine. Daria would never cheat on me!

Abby: She didn’t even think to use a condom, either!

Jon: We DID, mamma! It must have ripped!

Abby: Nonsense! Condoms don’t rip! Tell you what, we can give her a bunch of my pills, and she’ll miscarry the baby! Then we can take her back and I’ll pretend how sorry I feel for her and-

Jon: How dare you think to MURDER my child! You’d kill Daria, too, with the amount of pills you need to cause a miscarriage! Forget you! You’re not fit to be a parent!

With that, Jon stormed out of the house. He got to the street corner and turned toward Dega Street.

Daria knocked on Jane’s door and Trent and Jesse answered it.

Trent: Whoa. Tear alert. Call Jane down here, Jesse.

Jesse: Right. I don’t get chicks and tears. Hey, that would make a good subject for a song!

Trent: Forget the band. We sucked, that’s why we broke up.

Jesse: Well, that and us being gay.

Trent: Yeah, that too. Anyway, just get Jane.

Jesse headed up the stairs, muttering about dominatrix and knocked on Jane’s door.

Jane: What is it?

Jesse: Chick alert. Tears.

Jane: Huh?

Jesse: Daria. Crying.

Jane: Whoa! Emergency! Coming through.

The doorknob turns, and someone mutters something.

Jane: Well, put some on! God. Some guys just don’t like pants I guess.

Jane headed down to Daria. She looked so vulnerable and sad and hurt that it brought tears to Jane’s eyes as well. The guys looked at each other and headed back to Jesse’s.

Trent: Why did we come over here anyway?

Jesse: Food?

Trent: Oh yeah. Was there any?

Jesse: Stale gummy bricks out in the old van in back.

Trent: I meant edible food, Jesse.

Jesse: Oh yeah. No.

Trent: Damn.

They got into Trent’s rusting Plymouth and drove away. Jane was doing her best to comfort Daria.

Jane: Daria, calm down, please. Tell me what’s wrong.

Daria took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten, then spoke.

Daria: Jon’s mom slapped me.

Jane: What? What the hell did she do that for?

Daria: I’m pregnant.

Jane: Oh, ----! (curse word deleted to keep under TV-14 rating)

Daria: Basically. Jon and I are keeping the baby. We have a huge favor to ask of you, though.

Jane: What?

Daria: Can we please stay with you after the baby’s born? I’d stay at home but I don’t want this kid raised in that kind of setting.

Jane: Sure. I won’t even charge you rent. I’m assuming Jon wants to stay, too?

Daria: Probably.

Jane: Okay. You two can share the master bedroom and use the little room attached to it for the baby.

Daria: Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!

Jane: Don’t mention it.

In truth, Jane was just as worried as Daria herself. She watched with concern as Daria suddenly ran to the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out, green in the gills, but otherwise unharmed.

Daria: Morning sickness.

Jane: Ah. Bummer.

Daria: Tell me about it. I gotta get home and tell mom about this. Jon might want to know, too.

Jane: I think so. Oh, and don’t worry about furniture. We can sell the stuff in the baby’s room to buy baby things. And the master bedroom already has stuff.

Daria: Okay. Well, thanks again. Bye.

Jane: Later.

Jane watched Daria head home, and went upstairs. Tom was in her room, looking slyly at her.

Tom: Hey, momma. Let’s go do it somewhere dangerous. Like your mom’s bedroom. Sound kinky?

Jane: Can’t. Daria and Jon are moving in to the master bedroom.

Tom: What! How come you felt you could make this decision and not consult me about it?

Jane: Why are YOU pissed? It’s MY house.

Tom: With them over we can’t screw all over the house.

Jane: They didn’t even have a house of their own to screw in. Besides, Daria needed a place of her own for the upcoming tribulations. She’s pregnant.

Tom: What?! I always pinned Quinn as the easy type.

Jane: Hey, you and me and Daria and Jon are all easy. That’s why we screw a lot.

Tom: But she didn’t use a condom.

Jane: The condom ripped. Tom, get dressed and take a walk until you’re calm enough to think.

Tom: Fine!

He got up and did as he was told. Jane smirked. She had always been the domineering one in the relationship.

Daria walked in the front door and came close to the kitchen. Helen, Jake, and Quinn were sitting there talking.

Quinn: Are you sure that’s a good idea, mom? I mean, you’re the lawyer and all, but…

Jake: Your mom’s right hon. We have to do this. It’ll save Daria’s career and her entire life.

Quinn: But Daria would hate to have that kind of thing happen. She’s always been the independent type, but this?

Helen: It’s for her own good, sweetie. We have to do this. She has no choice in the matter. I don’t want her to end up being a bad mother, and that happens a lot with teen marriages, especially with girls who get no support.

Quinn: I suppose…

All sorts of thoughts raced through Daria’s mind.

Daria: (thinking) Are they planning on killing the baby? Or taking it away from me? Or keeping Jon away from me?

She walked quietly into the kitchen, intent on surprising her family.

Daria: What the hell is going on here?

Helen, Jake, and Quinn: GAH!!!

Helen: Oh, Daria, hi. We were just discussing, uh, Quinn’s clothing bill.

Daria: “Are you sure that’s a good idea, mom? I mean, you’re the lawyer and all, but…” What the hell did that mean? What’s going on here?

Quinn: It’s over.

Jake: Tell her.

Helen: (sighs) Okay. Well, Daria. We know you like to be independent and do your own thing in your own way, but…. We insist that you let us care for the baby a couple of days a week so you can relax. Or go to work. Or school. We also demand that you let us pay for her.

Daria paused, not knowing at first what to say.

Daria: What made you think I WOULDN’T want that?

Jake: Well, Quinn said she heard you talking, at your door OOWW!!!!

Helen: Quinn, what did you do that for?

Daria: I already knew she was snooping. She fell over when I opened the door this morning.

Helen: Oh. Anyway, she said she heard you talking about giving the baby up for adoption, and how good the idea was, and that you’d tell us something different from what you were going to do.

Daria: I didn’t say that. She probably heard the pro/con session Jon and I had over ALL possible choices.

Quinn: Oh.

Jake: Quinn, you shouldn’t eavesdrop. And if you DO, don’t tell anyone what you hear because it might not be right. But don’t eavesdrop in the first place.

Helen: Really, Quinn. Daria and Jon were entitled to privacy. You said you heard them through your wall.

Daria: Heh. For your information, Jon and I are moving in to Jane’s house pretty soon. I’ve already got my job, and I’ll keep it ‘till Christmas time. After that, I’ll stay there and be tutored through the rest of my senior year. Then, well, I raise the kid. Jon will go to school and have a job. Then I will, and he’ll spend more time with her. Like we told you earlier.

Helen: Oh. I suppose… but I would like you to stay here during pregnancy.

Daria: Only for another month, mom. I need to get used to the place BEFORE I have the baby. I’ll be too busy afterwards to learn about my new surroundings. Jon will move in, too.

Helen: Oh. Why?

Jon: I hate my mom.

They looked towards the doorway, where Jon stood.

Daria: You’re not the only one, honey.

Jon: Yeah. Sorry about that.

Helen: Sorry about what?

Jon: Mom slapped her.

Helen: What!?

Daria and Jon just smiled.

Epilogue:

Jane and Tom made up a few hours later, and Tom got used to the idea of the new housemates.

Quinn is still in the fashion club, and still as annoying as ever, although she is more considerate.

Jon is doing fine at Law school. He wishes to be a public defense attorney.

Jon’s mom was sued by Helen for physically damaging a pregnant person. She paid her the fine of seventy-five dollars.

Andrea and Lizzie and Trent and Jesse got married in Hawaii a year after this, in a double ceremony. No one knows why, because they had never met before in their lives.

Jake and Helen’s marriage is doing fine, as are they. Although Helen suffered a stroke after making partner at the firm.

And sadly, Daria miscarried the baby at the fourth month. It was a girl. The cord was around her neck.

The End.