Chapter Twenty-Five

At school, Jenny and Seth sat again under the old oak by the parking lot. Seth ate a square of school pizza.

“Did you get a chance to research that stuff I told you about?” Jenny asked.

“Huh?”

“The Peloponnesian War?”

“Oh,” Seth said. “Um.”

“Hi,” a small voice said. Jenny and Seth looked up to see Darcy Metcalf standing over them, holding her own square pizza on a Styrofoam plate. “Could I...like…sit with you guys?”

Jenny felt a little bit stunned. Nobody had ever asked her that in years, if ever.

“Sure, Darcy,” Seth said. “Are you feeling okay?”

Darcy sat on a fat tree root next to Seth. “Thanks so much!” she gushed. “I hope it's okay I'm here. I didn't want to bother anybody.”

“It's fine,” Seth said. “Right, Jenny?”

Jenny looked at Darcy. On one hand, Darcy had always sucked up to Ashleigh and tried to be part of her group—but so had most of the kids in school, because Ashleigh had a magic touch that made people feel love. Darcy had been a committed Cool Crusader and part of all Ashleigh's groups, and Ashleigh had treated her like a servant.

On the other hand, Ashleigh was dead. Nobody was under her spell anymore.

In a lot of ways, Darcy was like Jenny. Darcy was awkward and regarded as an oddball by the other kids. Plus, Darcy didn't have any real friends, and even her fake friends weren't around anymore.

“It's okay,” Jenny said. “How are you taking all this?”

“Gosh, the whole place is just bonkers now, isn't it?” Darcy took a big bite of pizza, and talked with her mouth full. “I mean, where did everybody go? Do you really think they're all dead?”

“The news said only a few people died,” Seth said.

“But so many people are missing!” Darcy said. “And I don't know what to think about Ashleigh anymore, even. Since she's gone, I feel so different. I don’t know why I tried so hard to make her like me. You know what I mean?'

“Definitely,” Seth said. Jenny nodded.

“But maybe that's good,” Darcy said. “Because I have to grow up and be a mom now.” Darcy patted her big belly. “Babies are miracles right from Jesus, aren't they?”

Jenny thought of her own mother, dying of Jenny pox as Jenny was born, and she doubted it.

“Anywho,” Darcy said, “Jenny, I've been praying a lot. And I know it's been kinda rough in school for you, with all us popular kids kinda picking on you.”

Jenny wanted to smirk at the idea that Darcy considered herself “popular.” But she just nodded instead.

“I mean, I don't know why you wear gloves.” Darcy nodded at the pink gloves on Jenny's hands. “But we're all goofballs somehow. I just want to make amends before graduation. Like, maybe we could hang out?”

Jenny automatically distrusted Darcy. Darcy had been the last person Jenny spoke to before she died. Darcy had seen her drown, like all the other pregnant girls. But she was acting like that had never happened. Which was perfectly fine with Jenny.

Though Darcy had gotten sucked into Ashleigh’s spell, Darcy herself had always seemed like a nice, earnest person on the inside, trying to do the right things, but also desperate to be accepted. She was probably just lonely.

“Okay,” Jenny said.

“Cool beans!” Darcy said. “So do you want to hang out after school today?”

“I don't know,” Jenny said. “I've got some chores at home.”

“I'll help!” Darcy said.

“You don't have to.”

“Come on, Jenny. I really want to make things up with you. I really think it's what God wants me to do.”

“Well...” Jenny thought it over. She'd never really had a friend, until she met Seth. She would have to be careful to avoid any skin-on-skin contact with Darcy, but she had a lifetime of practice avoiding contact with people. “I mean, if you really want to...it's cool with me.”

“Yay!” Darcy pounded her sneakers up and down in the dirt, as if she couldn't contain her excitement. “This is gonna be so rad!”

Jenny looked at Seth. He gave a slightly amused smile, but he didn't look worried.

Jenny tried not to worry, either.

At Jenny's house, Darcy really dived into the chores with enthusiasm, gabbing away while she helped Jenny straighten up, do the dishes, sweep and mop the floors. Her main topic was memories from church camp, but she avoided mentioning Ashleigh, as if aware that this might annoy or upset Jenny.

Jenny tried to make her stop working—she hadn’t really intended to have Darcy do housework. Jenny hadn’t even really planned on doing any, it had just been an excuse to try and avoid being social.

Darcy insisted on cleaning Jenny’s house for her, though. “That’s what friends do,” Darcy had explained.

Jenny carried a bag of dog food out back to feed Rocky. Darcy trailed behind her, talking about the time she'd come to pick the tuba over the trombone when she joined the school band.

Rocky stepped out of the shed, tail wagging. The moment he saw Darcy, he began to bark.

“Rocky!” Jenny said. “Relax.”

But the dog grew more agitated, jumping and barking.

“Is he gonna chomp me?” Darcy said.

“No, he's okay,” Jenny said. “He just don't like strangers. Rocky! Quit barking!”

As they approached, Rocky darted off into the woods. He let out a long, low bay, as if he were frightened or hurt. Or had trapped a raccoon in a tree.

“I don't think he likes me,” Darcy said.

“He's just shy.” Jenny poured the food and filled his water dish from the garden hose. “I guess that's all my chores. Thanks for helping.”

“No prob.” Darcy winked.

“What should we do now?”

“I dunno. What do you usually do for fun?”

“I kind of do this pottery thing.” Jenny led her inside, to the dining room, where Jenny's old potting wheel was waiting. She showed Darcy the assortment of flowerpots she'd made, plus her attempts at sculpture, like a statue that was supposed to be Rocky but looked more like a mutant cow.

“Coolsville!” Darcy said. “I didn't know you did stuff like this.”

“It's just a hobby,” Jenny told her. “Ms. Sutland used to sell them at the Five and Dime, but that's closed now.”

“Oh, the Five and Dime closed?” Darcy said. “I didn't know that. What a bummerino, huh?”

“It feels like the town's falling apart.”

“Good thing we're outta here, right?”

“What do you mean?” Jenny asked.

“You know, college. Aren't you going?”

“No,” Jenny said. “Seth is, though.”

“Where?”

“College of Charleston.”

Darcy snickered.

“What?” Jenny asked.

“Oh...nothing,” Darcy said. “It's just, well...um, that's where I'm going!”

“Really? Charleston?”

“I wanted to go to Duke, but I blew my GPA.” She tapped her big stomach. “Hooked up with Bret instead. And now he's not even around anymore. God's punishing me for everything I did.” Darcy looked like she was about to cry.

Jenny reached out with a gloved hand and gave her an awkward pat on the arm. Darcy gasped and pulled away from her.

“Are you okay?” Jenny asked.

“Oh...” Darcy looked down at the place where Jenny had touched her arm. “Yes. I guess I'm fine. I guess I wasn't expecting that.”

“You just seemed upset.” Jenny felt weird for trying to touch her.

“Yeah, I know. Sorry.”

“Who wants cheese sandwiches?” Jenny's dad asked as he walked in the front door, carrying two Piggy Wiggly bags. He paused when he saw Darcy. “Oh, I didn't know you had company, Jenny.”

“This is Darcy Metcalf, Dad,” Jenny said.

“It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Morton.” Darcy shook his hand, and Jenny's dad smiled.

“You too, Darcy,” he said. “Want a cheese sandwich? I got some good hoop cheddar at the Piggly Wiggly. On sale, too.”

“Oh. Actually, I need to get going,” Darcy said. “My mom'll have an orangutan if I'm not home by sunset. Thanks, anyway!”

“I'll give you a ride.” Jenny picked up her car keys and Darcy headed out the door.

“Y'all gonna miss some good cheese sandwiches.” Jenny’s dad laid the bags on the counter and began unpacking them. “Got Miracle Whip, too.”

“I'll have one later, Dad.”

He watched through the front window as Darcy got into the car. “That Darcy seems like a real nice girl.”

“She does seem nice.”

“It's good to see you having friends, Jenny.”

Jenny's eyes stung a little at his comment. Jenny rubbed them with the back of her glove before she went outside to take Darcy home.