Purple Sweater

Purple Sweater

Ancient Daria Fanfiction - circa 2001 - Recovered from Handwritten document in 2023

Story by Sheila Wisz Ellayn

Chapter 1- Peaceful Morning

Life flowed just as usual at the sleepy town of Lawndale, with its cold afternoons and the starry nights, a place where it really seemed that nothing out of the ordinary would ever alter the gray and peaceful lives of those that lived there.

There was a big red house somewhere in one of the nicest residential areas, looking silent and idyllic as daybreak came, the family inside slept quite deep, time was passing and all of a sudden certain alarm clock started a racket!

It was quite a powerful clock, and it was then when Helen Morgendorffer almost jumped out of bed in a great hurry and shock...

"Oh my, it's already 9 o'clock, Jake!" the sleepy Helen cried out, and after that she started to walk and run around the master room as she gathered everything that would be necessary for that very important day- "Jake! Wake up, my love!"

"Let me sleep a bit longer!" Jake replied almost in a whisper, trying to cuddle at the left side of that huge and soft bed- "No need to be there so early..."

At that moment Helen pulled the curtains open, and the sheer amount of sunlight that came in allowed Jake to understand that it was indeed quite late already!

"What? So late already?! Hurry, to the car! They may get expelled! We'll be the laughing stock of Lawndale!"

"Calm down Jake, we have some time..."

Jake was still trying to find his day outfit somewhere, and so Helen walked out of their room just to find their daughter Quinn in the hallways outside, still wearing her yellow night gown and just yawning as she tried to get ready for yet another nice day ahead.

"Hi mom!" the sleepy Quinn said- "You had a good night?"

"Just hurry up Quinn, we must arrive at Lawndale High right on time!"

"Chill, mom! It's just this silly event" Quinn continued, still yawning as she slowly made her way towards the largest and very best bathroom in the house- "I've gotta look my best! What would the Fashion Club think otherwise, mother?"

"I'll get breakfast ready!"

"Yeah, alright..."

Helen was not exactly a chef, though she was quite good at preparing a microwave breakfast pretty fast, and so she was already busy at the kitchen downstairs while Quinn was taking her sweet time to look all stylish and beautiful that day.

Jake Morgendorffer then emerged from the room in a great hurry, already dressed up, though hopping around as he tried to get that final shoe into place, he was careless as usual and then he accidentally fell down the stairs!

"Oh no! Aaaaak! Help me!"

"Jake!" Helen exclaimed, already trying to get her husband back on his feet- "What happened?"

"What? What happened?! I fell down the stairs, Helen!"

"Do you remember what the doctor said the last time?"

"Yeah, he said it was three hundred dollars!"

"The doctor said, take things easier!"

"Yeah, alright! Alright!"

Jake however was not hurt, and so they eventually showed up together at the dining nook just to discover that their eldest daughter Daria had already prepared her own breakfast...

"Hi mom, hey dad..." Daria greeted them, speaking with her monotone and emotionless voice as usual.

"Daria, cheer up a bit!"

"Yeah, didn't you see that I just almost got killed?!"

"I was thinking..."

"Daria" Helen said, just hoping that they would indeed arrive at Lawndale High together right on time for the important event of that day- "Why don't you try to be more like Quinn?"

Then Quinn showed up, already looking great and applying the last bits of makeup with skill.

"Did you say my name?"

"Oh mother" Daria replied- "I would rather be dead..."

Helen sighed, they all sat down to have breakfast together and yet another Morgendorffer day started as Jake, emotionally unstable as was usual in him, tried his best to figure out why the alarm clock had failed to get them out of bed at 8 o'clock instead of nine.

"This cheap thing! We should have chosen the other one! I almost got killed, Helen!"

"Here, have some strawberry cookies, Jake..."

Jake, Helen, Quinn and Daria enjoyed their casual breakfast of tea, coffee, cookies and lasagna together, totally unaware that their peaceful lives were just about to change forever...