Jenny Pox (The Paranormals, Book 1) (32 page)

Ashleigh stepped back and looked at the fence.  It was tall, at least twelve feet, and topped with sharp iron points.  The gate was solid.  The two stone lions perched on the columns mocked her with their distant, knowing stares.

“
Fuck you, Seth!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, up toward the house.  Then she kicked her car, before getting inside and driving away.

***

When spring semester began, there were two big subjects of gossip in school.  One concerned the fact that Seth Barrett and Jenny Mittens had arrived at school together and were seen holding hands, even kissing.  Ashleigh was quick to tell everyone that she had dropped Seth, not the other way around, but it was a hard tide to turn.  It didn’t help that Seth was with someone new, while Ashleigh was alone.  The implications were obvious.

Even if Ashleigh had left him because he was with Jenny, that was only a minor detail.  Jenny Mittens had been preferred over Ashleigh Goodling by the boy who could have anyone.  In the world of Fallen Oaks High, it was the equivalent of the French Revolution—with Ashleigh as the beheaded Marie Antoinette.  Everywhere, people were looking at Ashleigh, whispering, pointing, trying to figure out why Seth had dumped her.  It was humiliating.  Seth and Jenny had to be punished good and hard.

There was opportunity in the second rumor, the one about Seth and Jenny doing some crazy witchcraft over at the McNare farm, healing Jenny’s dad after a tractor accident.  This rumor was quieter and didn’t spread so well, since many people who hadn’t been there refused to believe it.  This rumor had the seeds of something useful in it, Ashleigh thought.

Monday, Ashleigh caught a glimpse of the new couple at Jenny’s locker, though Ashleigh didn’t look too long, because she didn’t want people thinking she was at all interested—or worse, that Ashleigh was jealous of Jenny Mittens.

Seth and Jenny talked very close to each other, looking into each other’s eyes with secret, knowing smiles.  While Seth and Ashleigh had sometimes gotten grabby with each other, maybe a little too passionate in public, there was something deeper and quieter between Seth and Jenny.  It took Ashleigh time to figure out what it was: intimacy.  That diseased slut had already put out for him.  No wonder he was so smitten.  Well, that would wear off, Ashleigh thought.

As Ashleigh passed them, one more thing made her ill.  When Seth put his arm around Jenny, she saw he was now wearing little cloth gloves, just like Jenny.  Somehow, that made Ashleigh furious.

Ashleigh immediately started shopping for a new guy as she walked down the hall, but her options were terrible.  She wanted an athletic boy, but the majority of them were black, and Ashleigh certainly did not date black guys.  Among the white guys, most were dumb hick boys who dipped tobacco and listened to David Allen Coe and would eventually die in bar fights or meth lab explosions.

Lunch period, when Ashleigh, Cassie and Neesha were on their way to the picnic tables, someone tapped Ashleigh’s shoulder.  Her head was so full of Jenny and Seth that she whirled around glaring, expecting one of them.  Instead it was Darcy Metcalf, who looked on the verge of tears.  Ashleigh quickly remembered she had bigger things going, more important than stupid issues with Seth.  She made her face kind and concerned.

“Ashleigh,” Darcy whispered. “I need to talk to you.”

“
Gosh, what is it, Darcy?” Ashleigh put a hand on Darcy’s arm and let just enough juice seep out that Darcy would feel relieved to be talking to her.

“
It’s private,” Darcy whispered.

“
Okay.”  Ashleigh waved to Cassie and Neesha.  “Catch up to you later, ladies.”

For Darcy’s privacy, they had to go out to the deserted football stadium and sit on the bleachers.  Darcy leaned on Ashleigh’s shoulder, weeping, and Ashleigh’s lip curled.  It felt like the girl was leaking snot onto Ashleigh’s sweater.

“Come on, Darcy.” Ashleigh eased Darcy’s face away from her. She opened Darcy’s panda-bear lunchbox and lifted out a Capri Sun.  She even punched the straw into place before handing it to Darcy. “Hey, have some juice.”

“
Thank you.” Darcy sipped the straw, and at the same time, snorted back a wad of snot and swallowed it.  Ashleigh shivered with disgust.

“
Now, nothing can be that bad, Darcy.  Just tell me what the problem is.”

“
Ashleigh…I’m pregnant.  With a baby.” Darcy broke down crying again. “Momma’s gonna kill me!”

“
Oh, Darcy.” Ashleigh covered her own mouth in pretend shock and horror. “How did this happen?”

“
It was Bret Daniels,” Darcy sobbed. “That night, at the library?  He said he knew a pretty spot to hang out at Barrett Pond.  We went there…and we started drinking tequila…” Darcy sobbed harder.  “And we got carried away and we did it.  Twice.  And a third time when we woke up in the morning.  Oh, Ashleigh, you shouldn’t have set me up with him!  You ruined everything.”

“
Come on, Darcy.  I was doing you a favor.  You wanted to get with Bret.  You asked me to do it.  You can’t blame me for your irresponsible choices.”

“
But I just wanted him so bad—and he wanted me—”

“
That’s why I always say women need to lead the way on abstinence, because boys won’t,” Ashleigh said. “You failed in your responsibility.  Now God has given you this sin child to punish you and force you to learn responsibility.”

“
But what do I do?” Darcy wailed.

“
Are you going to eat those?” Ashleigh pointed to the yellow and orange Cheetos bag in Darcy’s lunchbox.  Darcy shook her head, and Ashleigh ripped them open and started snacking.  One good thing about her power, and the constant energy drain that went with it, was that Ashleigh could eat like a cow and never gain weight.

“
Well,” Ashleigh crunched, “I know you aren’t thinking about abortion.  You’re not that wicked.”

“
No, of course not!” Darcy breathed. “I would never.”

“
Good.  And what does Bret say?”

“
We’re not together anymore!” Darcy put her face in her hands. “He’s dating some sophomore girl from the swim team.”

“
Well,” Ashleigh said, “Now he has to marry you.”

“
What?” Darcy looked frightened. “I don’t want to marry him!  I want to go to college and meet a nice Christian guitar player—”

“
Those are your plans, Darcy.  Now you have to give those up and let God’s plan take over.  If Bret is good enough to impregnate you, he’s good enough to marry you.”

Darcy laid her arms across her knees, and her face in her arms.  She was sobbing very hard now, her whole body shaking, and Ashleigh could even feel it through the bleachers’ bench seating.  Ashleigh snacked on Cheetos while she waited.

“The good thing,” Ashleigh said as she tilted up the Cheetos bag and shook the last orange crumbs into her mouth. “Is God’s will is so clear.” She chomped on the Cheetos remnants and talked with her mouth full. “He wanted this baby born, and He picked you and Bret as the parents.  Submit yourself to God’s will and everything will be fine.”  Ashleigh dropped the empty Cheetos bag down between then bleachers and licked the orange cheese powder from her fingers.  Then she took Darcy’s hands and looked deep in Darcy’s eyes.  She pumped her enchanting energy deep into Darcy—and through Darcy, into the little developing fetus inside her. “But I want to tell you something now, Darcy.”

Darcy raised her eyes and gave Ashleigh full attention.

“I want you to know,” Ashleigh said. “That I’ll always be there for your baby.  And you.  From now on, you’re a very important part of my life, Darcy.  And I’ll take care of you.”

“
Oh, thank you, Ashleigh!” Darcy threw her arms around Ashleigh and cried into her shoulder again. “You’re my best friend in the world.  I love you, Ashleigh.”

“
There’s just one thing.” Ashleigh plucked up Darcy’s left hand and tapped Darcy’s abstinence ring.  “You have to give this back.”

“
What?  No!” Darcy shrieked.

“
Come on, Darcy.  How would the Crusaders look, with pregnant teenagers wearing abstinence rings?  What would people say about my daddy’s church, Darcy?”

“
Oh, wow.”  Darcy’s eyes were very wide now. “I didn’t think about all that.  I’ve disgraced the Crusaders.  And Christians Act!” Her voice fell to a whisper. She slid the ring from her finger and stared at it.  This was clearly breaking her.  It was tedious to watch. “I’ve disgraced Fallen Oak Baptist.  And my family!” 

Ashleigh took the ring and pocketed it.

“You’re a sinner, Darcy,” Ashleigh said. “And you acted like a tramp.  But God forgives, and so do I, if you do the right things from now on.”

“
I will, I promise,” Darcy sniffed.

“
Come here, baby.” Ashleigh embraced Darcy, and then she surprised herself.  She slipped one hand under Darcy’s shirt and laid it on Darcy’s skin, against the new bulge in Darcy’s chubby belly.  She bathed the unborn in hot, glowing Ashleigh-energy. She didn’t know what this would do.  The idea had only just occurred to her. “I love you, and I love your baby,” Ashleigh said in a deeper, huskier voice that didn’t sound quite like her own. “Stay with me and obey, and you both will thrive.”

“
Oh, thank you, Ashleigh!” Darcy kissed her cheek.  Ashleigh would need a stack of Handi-Wipes to clean up the snot.  She nudged Darcy away, and fortunately the end-of-lunch bell rang.  Ashleigh stood and gathered her books.

“
We’ll stay in touch,” Ashleigh said, and she was back to her normal voice again.  She wasn’t sure what had come over her. She stood and gathered up her books. “You just take good care of that baby.  He—or she—has a very special purpose in life.  You’ll see.”

***

As they were leaving school from their last class, Ashleigh and Neesha passed Shannon McNare in the hall.  Shannon was talking animatedly to three other juniors, two girls and a boy.  She waved her hands around, talking faster as the three of them grew more skeptical.  Ashleigh slowed down to listen, and Neesha slowed with her.

“—
and then his bones all fitted back together, and it was like it never happened!” Shannon said. “The whole time, Jenny Mittens is keeping everybody away with her hands—”

“
How did she do that?” one girl asked.

“
She—you had to see it—she made all these big cuts and infections open up all over her hands.  I mean, they were opening and closing like little mouths, and all bloody and black.  She told everyone she had the plague.  It was so scary and gross!”

“
Whatever, Shannon,” one of the junior girls said.

“
Shannon!” Ashleigh called out.  She circled back to Shannon and hugged the younger girl tight, even pressing her cheek to Shannon’s, as if they were long-time best buddies.  The other juniors were impressed now, seeing that Shannon had somehow become one of Ashleigh’s elect, the chosen few.  Shannon herself was overwhelmed and delighted.

“
What are y’all talking about?” Neesha asked the three juniors.

“
Shannon says a bunch of crazy supernatural stuff happened at her farm,” the boy replied.

“
Oh, yeah,” Ashleigh said, dropping into her stage whisper and looking around suspiciously.  “We were there.  It was the craziest I’ve ever seen.  I knew Jenny Mittens was into witchcraft, but I didn’t take it seriously, until that day at Shannon’s.  Jenny is completely with the devil now.  And she brought Seth Barrett over to her side.”

This brought gasps all around.  All this, from no less an authority on both God and Seth Barrett than Ashleigh Goodling.

“Shannon,” Ashleigh said. “How are you getting home?  Driving?”

“
I’m riding with Leslie.” Shannon indicated one of the girls, who smiled at Ashleigh.

“
Hi, Leslie.” Ashleigh touched her hand, letting off some energy. “I’m going to need to borrow Shannon today, ‘kay?”

“
Oh, sure!” Leslie said.

“
Come on, Shannon,” Ashleigh said. “Say bye to your buddies.”

“
Bye!” Shannon said, elated as Ashleigh took her hand and pulled her up beside her as they walked.

Ashleigh took a long, critical look at Shannon.  The girl had dark auburn hair, pinned back with barrettes, and fresh, enthusiastic green eyes.  Ashleigh knew Shannon had the energy of a hummingbird.  She was a little too farm girl, with the plaid shirts and the zero makeup, but that could be mended.  The aw-shucks eagerness on Shannon’s face was annoying to Ashleigh, but it would be useful.  It was nearly impossible to believe Shannon would lie to you.  There was some definite potential.

“Shannon,” Ashleigh said. “Have I told you what a great job you’ve done as abstinence coordinator this year?  A lot of people signed up and got buddies, more than I expected.  You show real leadership.  I’m proud of you.”

“
Wow!” Shannon beamed at her with that annoying/adorable face. “Thanks, Ashleigh!”