Roomies (this is the closing chapter for this story...been fun...)

Chapter 12

Christmas

"These ornaments are really cool, Janey. I like the way you made the tips look like flames." Trent finished with the tinsel, and stepped back to enjoy the effect. He loved the multicolored highlights that the silvery tinsel reflected.

Daria put three small presents under the little tree, two in red and the other in gold foil paper. She looked closely at the little candle ornaments that Jane had made.

"Tell me these Christmas ornaments are not all made with your tampon applicators and glitter."

"Of course not. Only the ones with the red glitter. The ones with green glitter…"

"You're not kidding, are you? You dug them out of my trash?"

"What? With gloves and I washed them first."

"Eeewww."

"Kidding. They are all mine. I just thought that it was a waste to just throw them away. Did you see the centerpiece on the table yet?"

"Oh, come-"

"Actually, it's pretty cool, Janey. Did Matt make it?"

"It's not flowers made with used condom wrappers, is it?" Daria said, poking at the candle ornaments. "Okay, I admit it, these are cool."

"Good save, Amiga. No, he cast it in bronze."

Daria stopped fussing with the tree and turned to the table. "Wow, that's beautiful."

A bronze disc about eight inches across sat in the middle of the table. Four somewhat abstracted but recognizable standing figures were rendered, arms raised in a toast, facing each other around a small round table. They stood within a circle of white candles, the rich bronze patina lustrous in the warm light.

"He does have an eye for fine details. He works really differently from me; I like a broader approach, and he's like a jeweler. He is a jeweler, actually," Jane smiled, holding her hand up. A silver vine was wrapped gracefully around her wrist.

"So are things going well between you two?" Trent asked carefully. "You seemed kinda pissed at him last week."

"We worked it out. I shouldn't have been backseat art directing when he was trying to concentrate. I was right, but then it really didn't matter after awhile; he's just going to have to do things the way he sees it. He's always understood that when it came to my work; he only says something if I'm about to do something dangerous or too stupid to ignore. I'm kinda catching up to him in that regard."

"Like Trent and I, we're really different, but we've figured out what works for us." Daria began to melt in her seat as Trent began rubbing her shoulders. "Oh God."

"This makes her horny," Trent smiled. "You should see what happens when I rub her feet."

"I didn't need to hear that, bro," Jane smiled. "Please, no more word pictures. That's my best friend you're arousing."

"That's enough, Trent, you're making me wet."

"Auugh!" Jane laughed. "Stop it."

"I mean around the corners of my lips."

"Auugh!"

"I meant he's making me drool."

"Auugh!"

"Never mind." Daria slapped Trent's hands away, laughing. "Stop. Later."

Trent retreated to the kitchen, and began rummaging around in the refrigerator.

"Seems like Matt's a detail oriented guy. He's kind of an expert in casting, right?" Daria leaned closer to Matt's bronze, admiring the meticulous workmanship.

"I'm more goal oriented, and he's more process centered sometimes. It's actually a good balance of interests, but I need to learn when to let him run amok. If he doesn't release, he gets kinda anal retentive. Oooh, that didn't sound right."

Daria smiled. "Like you used to tell me to get the stick out of my-"

"Yes, Amiga, like that. Admit it, you're happier, right?"

"As if you're not. You need to osculate my posterior for getting you and Matt together.

"I'm calling it even, Morgendorffer." She grinned as Trent handed them small glasses of eggnog.

"Rum makes Daria hor-"

"Auugh!"

"I'm gonna do your brother when you're not looking," Daria teased.

"Jane likes footrubs too," smiled Matt as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hi, Matt, how long have you been listening to this innuendo?" Daria blushed.

"Enough to learn that the quiet ones are the feisty ones," laughed Matt.

"That F word is not allowed," both the girls said in unison.

"Hey, Matt," Trent smiled. "Nice job on that centerpiece." He handed him a glass of rum-laced eggnog.

"Thanks," he smiled, glancing at Jane. "Had some help from your sister as far as the basic concept goes. Did anyone look underneath the table in the center?"

Daria knelt down, looking where Matt had indicated. "Oh God," she smiled.

Jane and Trent looked as well, and everyone burst out laughing. Matt had rendered a small, angel-winged squirrel paying off a cherub armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows. Both small figures had been cast separately and the very tips of opposite wings delicately welded to the underside of the table, creating a hovering effect.

"I told him about that, but I didn't know it got included in the piece," smiled Jane. "So that's why you call this Point of Origin.

"A lot of events were set in motion when I ran over that poor squirrel," Daria said quietly. "And it continues to radiate outwards. I guess it didn't die in vain, and yes, it does deserve a toast." She raised her glass, and the others followed suit.

Matt ran his fingers along the edge of the little book that Daria had written and made for him. He flipped the book open again, smiling at the title page: The Care and Feeding of a Remarkably Independent Young Artist, by Daria Morgendorffer; first edition of one. The first illustration was of a younger Jane and Daria stuffing their faces at Pizza King.

She had written and made books for Trent and Jane as well, although these were more introspective and personal. "Please read them later," Daria had asked, "And consider them private."

Jane had given Daria an oil of Trent teaching Daria how to play her guitar, sheets of music and lyrics scattered around her. For her brother, a portrait of Daria with her guitar.

A broad smile and a blush appeared on her face as she unwrapped the green box. "Um, thanks, Jane. Is this what I think it is? And it's kinda…immodest, don't you think?"

"Well, it was a relatively small animal, and… well, you do have rather feminine attributes. Besides, you're only gonna put it on for a certain guy, right?"

"Or I could moonlight as a stripper," Daria smirked. "No, wait, I would need more to take off."

"Well, I like it," murmured Trent.

"Really? I'm just shocked." Daria leaned in close and whispered in Trent's ear. He immediately flushed bright red.

"Uh oh," Jane giggled. "I guess it's Trent's present too."

"Goes with this present, I suppose," Daria smiled, pulling up the hem of her blouse. A polished titanium ring glinted just above her navel.

"Hot," smiled Trent, pulling her close.

"Matt, you really do beautiful work," Daria said, admiring the silver bracelet from Matt and Jane, and the white gold ring from Trent. "My sister loved the earrings I sent her."

"I sense a distinct lack of originality," laughed Jane, holding up her hand. "Daria and I match."

"We share a lot of things in common," Daria smirked, "Except boyfriends."

"Yeah," smiled Trent, "Glad you two figured that out."

"Hey," Jane called out softly from a seat at the dining table.

"Jeez, Lane," gasped Daria, "What are you doing sitting out here in the dark? It's two in the morning."

"Probably the same thing you're doing. Can't sleep either? I know Trent never has that problem."

"Just thinking." She picked up the kettle and filled it from the pitcher of filtered water on the kitchen counter. With the lights from the little Christmas tree and the moonlight streaming through the window there was plenty of light to see what she was doing; she put it on to boil. "Chamomile okay with you?"

"Thanks. I was trying to work up the energy to get off my butt and make tea." She got up and opened the cupboard, taking down the teapot. "You know, back in Lawndale, the teapot would have been in the sink with week old crap in it. You're a good influence on my brother."

Daria smiled. Even in the dark, Jane could see, and she smiled too.

"I like living with him. Our relationship not withstanding, I'm glad he moved in with us."

"You were right, Daria; things change, and we all need to be willing to engage it. I'm cautiously optimistic about Matt and I; it's getting kinda serious."

"He's a pretty great guy. Good footrubs?"

"Oh yeah," smiled Jane. "Were we too noisy?"

"Probably no more than Trent and I."

"This place is too small," they both said in unison, breaking into laughter.

The water came to a boil, and they made tea. They carried their cups back to the dining table, and sat down together in the dark. Neither spoke for awhile, both enjoying each other's company and the warmth of the tea.

Daria looked at Jane's profile in the moonlight. She had gotten used to the woman in her life, and both of them had long adapted to each other's idiosyncrasies.

Each of them had grown to consider the other as family; it was hard to believe that they had known each other for only six years.

"I love you too, Morgendorffer," laughed Jane.

"I'm not gonna hug you," Daria smiled softly, "Because that's just something I don't do. But if I did that sort of thing, I'd hug you now."

"Good enough for me, Amiga."

The two friends settled back, enjoying the quiet time together, and thought about the future together.

-Fin