The Other Foot

**The Other Foot** is an angst story by YouthofOz, originally written as a one-off ficlet but expanded into a longer story by fan demand. Yes, that actually does happen in real life.

On the anniversary of Tommy Sherman's death, a mandatory test makes the reader aware of the horrific depression that afflicts "Miss Morgendorffer" - and not the one you first expect. "A Shared Suffering" further explores these ramifications.

## Detailed Plot

***Spoilers Alert: the text reveals key parts of the plot.***

The students of Lawndale High are given a mandatory emotional quiz to test their levels of depression during the one-year anniversary of the death of Tommy Sherman. Having no desire to risk Mr. O'Neill's self-esteem classes, Quinn deliberately give false answers on her test but is taken aback that her true replies mark her down as "severely depressed" - a fact she keeps to herself.

That night, out on a date with one of the Three Jays (though she's not sure which), Quinn starts drinking wine and contemplates her hollow dating life compared to the genuine friendship Daria and Jane have. Disgusted by her manipulation of boys as much as their eagerness to be manipulated, the drunk Quinn storms out of the restaurant and wanders off into the night, overwhelmed by self-loathing.

As Trent comes home to Casa Lane he discovers Quinn collapsed unconscious in the front yard, and informs Jane and Daria. Although Daria assumes Quinn's date got her drunk to try and take advantage of her, Trent suspects that Quinn is actually very unhappy. Fobbing off Jake and Helen with a story Quinn is actually suffering food poisoning, Daria and Jane wait for Quinn to recover.

The next day, Daria reproaches Quinn for her stupidity in getting black-out drunk, but Quinn angrily accuses Daria of being disappointed that Quinn didn't successfully kill herself. The stunned Daria is shocked as Quinn rants about how worthless and stupid Daria has made her sister feel her entire life, and her and Jane's attempts to reason with Quinn merely provoke her into throwing herself into traffic.

Quinn only succeeds in knocking herself and the shaken Daria and Jane bring her back indoors. Unsure whether Quinn was telling the truth or just the result of her first-ever hangover, Daria is helpless over what to do now - and the idea she's driven her sister to suicidal despair. Hours later, Quinn wakes up, much calmer and apologizing for anything she's said. Daria helps Quinn return home while making an effort to reassure her sister she is loved, but she is too afraid to mention Quinn's accusations (and thus confirm they are real) to do anything more...

## "Pretty Vacant" music video

To convey the emotional journey of Quinn, YouthofOz provided another music video with Joan Jett's cover of the Sex Pistols' *Pretty Vacant*.

*"After realizing she scores "severely depressed" on an emotional assessment test, Quinn's confidence her popular lifestyle is truly fulfilling and satisfying starts to spiral. The more she embraces it, the more her doubts grow and she spirals towards the terrifying black-and-white realization that Daria might be right about her - Quinn may be pretty, but she's also vacant..."*

He really does have too much time on his hands, doesn't he?