Freewheelin' Part 19

'Well Khe-winn.' Sandi replied in that annoying Valley-girl voice she always used. 'Perhaps if you feel that way maybe YOU should be peresident of thee fashion khelub!'

'Oh no Sandi, I could never replace YOU!' 'Except on my worst ever hair day with a mild concussion, GAWD! Why do you make this so difficult?' Quinn thought to herself but kept smiling at her friend. Aloud she continued. 'You have such a great color sense I'm sure you could find a match for that top.'

'Well I'm glad somebody still acknowledges my leadership in this khelub. Very well, I move we adjourn to thee mall where we can search for a replacement for Staceee's steretch pants.'

'B-but S-Sandi! I thought they were leggings! Honestly I wouldn't...' Stacy was on the verge of another meltdown.

'That's quite enough Stacee, we are voting on a motion, do I hear a second?'

'S-seconded.'

'All in favor? Very well, let us go.'

'Actually Sandi, I can't go.' Quinn interjected apologetically.

'WHAT? Don't tell me you have a date when we agreed to a dating sabbatical for all members of the khelub until one of us, who will not be mentioned, gets over her embarrassing little acne peroblem?'

'Sorreee Sanndeeee.'

'Be quiet Tiffany. Well Khe-winn?'

'No it's not a date, it's a family dinner, my Mom insisted we all be there, you know how that goes when Mom's give orders, don't you Sandi?'

Sandi recovered from her momentary discomfort. 'I suppose that can be allowed Khe-winn, we will proceed to the mall without you but your absence on this important khelub outing will be noted in the minutes.'

'Oh thank you Sandi.' 'Bitch! If it wasn't for the way you've been taking care of Tiffany since fourth grade I'd drop you down a well somewhere and take over the club myself!' God! Now I sound like Daria!' With a parting smile she said 'Bye girls, see you all at school tomorrow.'

'Bye Quinn.' 'Good night.' 'Gooodbyeee.'

Quinn trotted off toward home with unfashionable haste. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was really looking forward to dinner tonight. Daria was bringing home a boy! A college boy yet! How had she managed that? Anyhow Quinn wasn't about to miss a moment of it and she wanted to look her best. She was curious to see how this was gonna go. She herself had never brought home a boy to dinner - she'd never cared enough about any of them to bother but she knew it would happen one day and if there was one thing Daria was good at it was manipulating the parental units without seeming to, lessons could be learned tonight. She entered her house and ran straight up the stairs, outfit selection was the key but oh my goodness, dinner actually smelled good for a change.

A movement outside caught her eye and Quinn glanced out her window as a nondescript dark blue sedan pulled up outside the house. 'Not much of a car.' She thought to herself and then considered - this car probably belonged to the boy himself rather than his folks and looked at from that perspective it wasn't half bad and there he is getting out. Hmm at least he's tall but god he's skinny... good chin... the glasses suit him - make him look older, like a college professor but dammit look at that hairline - he'll be bald before he's thirty! Okay, now it's time for me to make my entrance. Reserved, regal... devastating. If he doesn't look at me I'll kill him, if he does look at me Daria'll kill him. Quinn smiled.

Quinn paused at the top of the stairs and listened. There was the doorbell. 'I'll get it!' She heard Daria call. Now, wait for her to bring him in and then...

'What are you doing?'

'GAH DAMMIT!' Quinn literally jumped and almost fell down the stairs. She recovered her balance and turned to see Jane, who'd just come out of the bathroom, looking at her with some concern.

'God Jane, you scared me! I don't wanna have to go change my pants again!' Quinn whispered loudly.

'Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you but why are you skulking around up here?'

'Joseph just arrived and I was timing my entrance if you must know, now I'll...'

'Oh he's here, good, now we can eat, I'm starving!'

'No Jane, wait...' But Jane was already walking down the steps. Quinn hurried after her and tried to get past and the two ended up almost falling down the last three steps. Quinn recovered her balance and looked up into a pair of beautiful hazel eyes looking at her with concern and offering a steadying hand.

'Are you all right?' He asked, his voice melodious and warm, a rich baritone.

'Yes thanks, hi... I'm Quinn.'

'I'm Joseph Hillmann, Daria's friend. How d'you do.'

'Hi.'

'You said that.'

'Did I oh... I... OW!'

'Ooops, sorry Quinn, didn't see your foot there.' Daria lied. 'Dinner's ready Joseph, shall we go in?'

Quinn glared at their retreating backs and rubbed her foot and then caught Jane smirking at her knowingly. 'I wouldn't try it.' Jane whispered. 'I really wouldn't.'

Fuming, Quinn followed her toward the back of the house.

In the dining room Jake was doing his 1950's Dad impression trying to look authoritative as he shook hands with Joseph, then made the mistake of offering him a brandy.

'Oh no thanks Mr. Morgendorffer, I don't drink sir.'

'Oh that's fine, Joseph my man... ehhh... you don't mind if I do, do ya, a man needs something to steady his nerves, you know what I mean?'

'Of course Mr. Morgendorffer, after all, it's your house, you should do what you want.'

'You're right! That's right, I'm gonna have a drink, dammit. And you can call me Jake. Sure you won't join me in a martini?'

'No sir, I mean Jake, I'm all set.'

'Now isn't this nice.' Helen said, bustling in from the kitchen with a large dish of pasta. 'Oh hello Joseph, how nice to see you again, take a seat why don't you, everyone sit down please, I'll fetch the salad.'

'Can I help you with anything Mrs. Morgendorffer?' Joseph offered.

'No, thank you Joseph.' Helen smiled approvingly. 'Just take a seat beside Daria.'

Quinn was about to take the chair on Joseph's other side when a flash of red whizzed past her nose and Jane sat there instead. Quinn narrowed her eyes dangerously then stalked around the table and took the seat opposite Joseph. Her dad raised an eyebrow at this as it should have been Helen's place but he said nothing.

Across from her Daria and Joseph had their heads close together and Daria was explaining something in a voice too low for Quinn to hear. 'So Joseph.' Quinn began, a little too loudly. 'What are you studying?'

He looked up and gave her a smile. 'English Literature is my major but I'm minoring in journalism and communications studies. I'm not really sure but I think down the line I'd like to teach.'

'But... teachers don't make a lot of money, do they?' Quinn asked.

'I suppose not, unless you got tenure in some really good school but to be honest that'll never happen to me, you'd have to attend an Ivy League for that kind of thing and Lawndale State is barely in my budget as it is. Student loans are crippling. Oh I'm sorry Daria, I didn't mean...'

'Of course not, don't be silly.' Daria assured him. 'I take it your parents don't have a college fund set up for you?' She asked.

'Ah... ehhh no. I'm afraid they passed before they had a chance to do that. Grandma has done her best but she's on a limited income.'

'Oh I'm sorry Joseph, when did that happen?' Helen asked.

'Seven, no eight years ago now, they were on that cruise ship that capsized during Hurricane Lola if you remember. It was a second honeymoon for them so I was staying with my dad's mother. There's no one else in the family.'

'Ah so that's why you work in the bookshop.' Jake interjected.

'Yes, it's one of my jobs. Karl is very generous actually and lets me work around my schedule. I also tend bar in a place called McGrundy's on Saturday and Sunday nights. It's late hours but the tip jar is usually pretty full.'

'Oh yeah, my brother's band plays there sometimes, Mystik Spiral, you seen them?' Jane asked.

Quinn noticed the wince at that name. 'Yes.' Joseph replied. 'I've seen them a couple of time all right.'

'They suck pretty bad, huh?' Jane added with a nasty grin.

'Oh, thank god you said that! Yes, oh my god they're terrible! I'm cursed you know, I can't sing or play a note but I have a really good ear and I could hear a bum note in an orchestra a quarter mile away so you can imagine...'

'I can, I'll be sure to tell Trent when I get home.'

'Oh no Jane please I didn't...'

'I know, I know, relax, I happen to agree with you and so does Daria. I was kidding, I kid!'

'So tell me Joseph.' Helen interrupted, changing the subject back again. 'Do you enjoy dorm life? Are they a nice crowd?'

A blind dog could have spotted the hook in that question. Quinn thought.

'Actually no, I don't live in a dorm. It's one of the reasons I go to Lawndale State, I live at home with my grandma that way I only have to pay tuition, that's expensive enough these days!'

'Oh I see, so do you get invited to many parties on the campus?'

'A few, but it's not really my scene I'm afraid, I'm not much of a party animal.' Joseph smiled ruefully, then smiled at Daria who gave him a shy smile back. Dammit! Why'd they have to be so cute together?

'Really? But you're going to this Steampunk Ball are you not? Isn't that a party?'

Joseph had the grace to look embarrassed. 'Yes, yes it is of course but... really you'd have to meet the people from the Society to understand. There's such a range of ages and literally all shapes and sizes... it's a very inclusive milieu, nobody's left feeling like an outsider or a weirdo - well I can see what Quinn is thinking - we're all weirdos but we're weirdos together if that makes any sense. We dress up and play at being intrepid explorers or adventurers but in fact you never leave the safety of your own head, It's a bit like fanfiction, you know? You make up your own stories and dress up as if you're a part of them. It is literally good, clean fun.'

'And do people drink at these things?' Helen asked.

'Well of course, it's a free country after all, but it's not a drinkfest like a keg party, some of the men drink a few pints of beer, some women too of course, usually craft beer, it seems to attract those sorts of people but at the events I've been to there hasn't been any drunkenness or fighting or drug abuse. You should come along sometime, we have a social every other month where new people are welcomed. I haven't been in it very long but Karl is the president of the local chapter, I could ask him to send you an invitation if you like?'

'That would be...' Helen began but Jake cut across her. 'Sure thing Joseph my man! That sounds like a lotta fun, maybe I could meet some other business people in the area, do a bit of networking huh? Whaddya say Helen? Will we sign up for it?'

'Jake! I really don't think...'

"I wonder if I could get one o' those old style flying helmets, you know? I've always wanted...'

'JAKE!'

'Well of course you'd be welcome Mr. Morgendorffer. And there's a specialist costumiers in Baltimore if you...'

'Well perhaps we'll go along and meet these people first hmmm?' Helen stated with an air of finality. Quinn had always admired the way her mother took control without being a total bitch about it. If only Sandi could learn to...

'What's for dessert Mom?' Daria asked. Jane perked up like a dog who'd heard "Walkies!"

'I only have an apple and rhubarb crumble I bought in the store, it's in the oven. Now you've a choice, fresh whipped cream, ice cream or microwaved custard, so what'll it be?'

'YES PLEASE!' Jane of course. Joseph was already on his feet gathering up plates. Helen smiled at him. Jake smiled at him, even Daria was smiling at him. What could you do? Quinn thought and then she smiled too.