The Muliebrity

Daria had agreed to dye Jane's hair. She was terrible at painting, let alone dying her best friend's hair for the first time striped to resemble a tiger.

The two were in the kitchen as Daria painted carefully, her mind all over.

"Still waiting." Daria said bitterly as she continued.

What if I mess up? I mean, I know I will, no question there. Then she's gonna accuse me of stealing Tom! I don't want your boyfriend, dammit! I want...

"Oh, hell, I didn't mean anything. I just thought it was odd that you were so resistant to making me look even cooler than I already do. I thought, you know, maybe you were a little jealous of me and Tom and you felt like you had to..." Jane dragged the last bit as she ranted.

"What?!" Daria frowned as she finally processed her friend's insane accusations against her.

"Just a teensy little bit, and it's okay. Believe me, I'm sure if I were in your position..."

Daria responded in almost an instant.

"What do you mean if I was in your position? There is no position! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Daria, are we doing the hair here or not? I just mean the way you're always... 'accidentally' barging in on us and just 'happening' to find yourself alone with him. I know you don't mean anything by it, so don't worry about it."

"Hey, the barging in on you both making out happened once and me 'finding' myself alone with him is purely unintentional. He's the one finding himself alone with me because... I'm almost afraid to guess why. Whatever Trent said."

"What'd Trent say, Daria?" Jane asked coldly.

"He said that Tom's into me and he knows because 'ethereal transference'."

"Are you into him?"

"Who? T-"

"Don't play dumb with me. We both know. Tom. You got over Trent during the Ice Age. Anywho, continue."

"I'm not into him. I don't have any designs on your boyfriend."

"If you say so."

"Maybe I should straddle his lap and we can play horsey." Daria deadpanned and yanked Jane's hair.

Jane frowned at that comment.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." Daria replied, but she didn't really mean it, well, not right now when her best friend and the girl she had feelings for was accusing her of having designs on her boyfriend.

After a long, angry silence, Jane speaks up.

"You know what really bothers me?"

"That Quinn isn't here dying your hair with a little CD player playing the newest 'Boys R Guys' record while her friends are at your very feet?"

Jane shook her head.

"That even I can't tell what bothers me more anymore; the thought of you liking Tom or Tom liking you."

"What does that mean?" Daria snapped as she stopped dying Jane's hair.

"It means I don't freakin' know what I'm feeling anymore." Jane faced Daria, still sitting down.

A pause.

Daria only blinked in response.

"About Tom. About you. Hell, I don't even know what I feel about me and Tom's relationship."

Impulsively, Jane leaned forward and kissed Daria. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, and Daria doesn't pull away, knowing she should, before Jane does.

Daria's red-faced and stunned, while Jane is also red-faced but not as stunned.

"Jane!"

"I-I'm sorry, okay? Maybe if you hadn't agreed to dye my hair, we wouldn't be where we are right now!"

"I was just trying to be a good friend!"

Jane stands up.

"Oh. Right."

Her voice was somber and full of regret.

I liked that.

Daria thought as her lips were pursed tightly. She wanted to say something. Anything.

"Let's see if you really are the painting extraordinaire you proclaim yourself to be, Morgendorffer." Jane walked up to the mirror to check. "Aah! What did you do to me!?"

"I told you I was no good at this!"

"Can't you paint a lousy stripe?"

"I don't... I..." The auburn-haired cynic stammered.

Jane glared at Daria.

"Get out!"

"Let me fix it!"

"How're you gonna fix this? There's no fixing! It's done and over! Unless you own a can of black oil and pass it off as hair dye..." Jane had intended the last part as a joke, but no one acknowledged it.

"Just---" Jane let out a irked sigh. "Get out!"

Daria left the house rather hesitantly.

---

A day later, Daria's in her room, plopped on her bed with a book, but she can't focus, the words turning into a messy blur. All she could think about was the kiss. She had never kissed anyone before, and she was sure glad she received her first kiss from Jane of all people. Her lips warm and soft.

She attempts calling Jane again, but once again receives no answer as expected, so she calls up Tom.

"Uh, hello?"

"Tom?"

"Daria? To what do I owe the pleasure?" he smiled brightly, his eyes lit up as he felt his heart race slightly, trying to keep his cool.

"Have you heard from Jane?"

"Sort of..." Tom paused. "Why? I don't think she wants to talk to anyone, especially me."

Daria gave a distressed look briefly.

"It's about the striping job..."

She didn't dare mention the kiss. The impulsive kiss. He didn't need to know. Not right now.

"Uh-oh."

"Yeah, I really, um, did a crappy job and now she hasn't come to school or answered my calls. Is she alright? I'm really worried about her." Daria instantly regretted saying that.

"You think she's got a case of near-death?" Tom teased, but knew this wasn't the right time for it. "Well, she was alright enough to call me last night yelling stuff I didn't understand, and even went the freaky accusations route."

"Oh..."

Is he trying to make me feel sympathetic for him?

Daria thought.

"I'm really getting tried of this, you know? It's like we talked about at the parade..."

"I think I'm gonna go see how she's doing."

"Oh." Tom could only feel disappointed as his face fell. He wanted to continue the conversation, but didn't know how.

Say something, Sloane!

Tom thought.

"Oh, yeah. Good idea. See ya, Daria."

"Um, yeah. Gotta go. Bye."

Daria heard the ring of the doorbell.

Who could that be? Tom? Huh, maybe he has telepathic powers and that explains as to why he goes around in a gray sweater and kakis being your average boy when he isn't in the stretchy-stretchy suit.

Daria thought as she exited her room, only to watch Quinn open the door, making her rush quicker down the staircase.

"Hiiii Jane!" Quinn said in a cheerful voice, tilting her head which let her red locks cascade down her shoulder. "Are you here for the almost finals of the blush evaluation? You're early then. I was just about to call Sandi, Stacy, and Tiffany when I-"

"As tempting as that sounds to squeal like a mad man while putting blush on your guys' faces, I..."

"Have something else to clean up." Daria finished for her as she stood right in front of the staircase.

"Hey." Jane said.

"Um, hey. I was just going to come over, actually." Daria felt herself get warm.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm here now." Jane replied, her voice lacking the enthusiasm in her teasing it should've had.

"Then let's go mop up the Blushathon finals upstairs." Daria quipped and began walking, her voice having an edge of sadness to it.

"Right behind you."

---

Jane sat on Daria's bed while Daria stood in front of her.

"So, about yesterday..." Jane spoke up.

""The hair thing?" Daria's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry. I warned you I would do a terrible job."

"Yeah, I knew you would. But I'm not here for that."

"Then what?" Daria's eyes widened.

"The other thing."

"Um, you were just upset."

"What about it, Daria?"

"What?"

"I kissed you." Jane stated directly.

"I don't think you even need the thinking cap."

"But you? Maybe."

"Yeah. So, now what?"

"This is usually the part where we kiss passionately and start a riot aimed at anyone who's against our relationship." Jane retorted.

A beat.

"Without tongues, of course." Jane added with a worried expression.

"I don't know, Jane... What about Tom?"

"What about him? Yeah, I'll go dump him. From there, I don't know."

The two gave each other soft smiles.

---