Stacy Rowe is a favorite among us fanfic authors – and why not? Here’s a girl that’s just screaming with potential, someone that all of us could identify with at one point or another in our lives. We love to have her grow some self-confidence, stand up to Sandi for once, find a wonderful relationship with Ted or someone. This is one case where things on the actual show seem to be going at least partly our way, and don’t we love it? (Oh Sandi, you are so naïve…)

Many to choose from, but only one can be the winner of the “Stacy-centric” award…

“A DAY IN THE LIFE OF STACY”

by

AUSTIN COVELLO
Like the title says, the story treats us to a day from Stacy’s perspective – and seems to have become the model from which Stacy fans have worked from ever since. In that sense, the story has something in common with Casablanca – while reading it, you have to keep in mind that this stuff wasn’t cliché when the author wrote it, but became so because it was so good.

One such would-be-cliché is the linking of Stacy and Ted. I can’t honestly say whether Austin was the first fanfic author to get the two of them together, but he certainly does a good job of it. Ted is shown as being his usual innocently charming self. Perhaps he’s pursuing Stacy’s affections, perhaps he’s just being generally nice. Stacy doesn’t know, and we the readers don’t know either.

I found the part about how Stacy is seeking out the mysterious, ultra-popular “Daria” to be a nice twist. Too many authors seem to assume, without realizing it, that since Daria is the star of the show that everyone therefore knows her as well as we do. And Quinn’s reaction to Stacy’s inquiries about Daria is priceless. I remember thinking while I was reading it: “Wait a moment. Doesn’t Stacy already know Daria? After all, she bawled her eyes out to her on a Ferris Wheel about Bret.” But Austin thought of this, and his solution to this paradox is both neat and funny. Actually, Stacy’s meeting with Daria turns out a bit anticlimactic – but what did we expect? How could anyone meeting Daria for the first time not be a little put out? One of several examples in the story of how Austin takes the approach of believability rather than melodrama and the story is better for it.

There are a number of references to the movie “Heathers” which I haven’t seen, so I can’t comment on that.

I really enjoyed how the story concluded, leaving room for anything to happen. Will Stacy and Ted hit it off? Who knows. Will Stacy get together with Jane and talk about what a great movie “Heathers” is? Only time will tell. Will Quinn finally admit Daria is her sister? Yes, but the story isn’t about that anyway.

Oh, and for some reason, I found it hilarious that Stacy ends her diary with a weather report. One of many little quirks that Austin gives her that turned Stacy into a person.

Find the story on Outpost Daria here.