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.
Chapter Twenty-Six
That night, Ashleigh searched Darcy's room. She knew Darcy kept a diary, and Ashleigh wanted to read it. She needed to piece together what had been happening in Fallen Oak since she died.
While she was dead, Ashleigh had quickly found her way to her opposite, Tommy, and devoted all her energy and attention to haunting him and trying to get him to do what she wanted. That had probably only worked because he was so deeply connected to her.
When she wasn't incarnated, Ashleigh had all her memories of all her lifetimes, but no power to be seen or heard or influence the world. When she was incarnated, she was usually focused on that single lifetime, usually with no clue about her past lives or what she really was.