Not a Ghost Story

Two

Two Weeks Later.

"It might not be the most updated place, but I think it's got some character. And, I promise, if you decide to bring a boy home, I won't put up a fight. As long as you tell me first. Sometimes I walk around without pants on, so a warning would be fair. Oh! And sometimes, the lights flicker and the floorboards creak. And sometimes I hear random voices out in the hall in the middle of the night. Don't get too scared, but I'm pretty sure it's a ghost. It used to be a girl's boarding school after all, and I think I remember my landlord telling me they shut down because of allegations of abuse. Either way, it should be good. Us living together. It should be great."

Emphasis on should be.

Darcy goes on a little more about the electrical problems she faces, especially when it gets cold. She warns me that her floor heater is a little faulty, and to not get worried if the shower doesn't turn on immediately. When it does turn on, the water pressure usually leaves something to be desired.

All of it sounds overwhelming.

But, I am grateful to be taken in by Darcy. Hell, she didn't even yell at me after I broke the news about dropping out of school. She was quiet for a few long moments, and then I heard her sigh over the phone.

"Come to Philly, you little shit. It'll be good for you."

The decision was practically made for me.

Darcy glances at me from her spot in the driver's seat of her station wagon. "You okay? Hungry at all?"

I am anything but okay.

But, instead of wallowing, I joke, "How about some cheese steaks?"

At that, she laughs. I catch a look of relief flashing across her face and nearly flinch. Don't be relieved, I want to say. Don't put that pressure on me.

I shake it off, glance out the window. The Fall colors of Philidelphia are beautiful, I have to admit.

The fallen orange, red and yellow leaves envelop the sidewalks, making the buildings look warmer, cozier. The cyclists are bundled up, their breath coming out in small clouds.

Maybe I could take up cycling.

Inwardly, I sigh. Like I can stand to leave the house.

Darcy breaks the silence. "You know I'll be pulling long shifts at the library and student center this month, right?"

No, I didn't know.

I glance over. "When did you start at the library?"

"Last week." She presses her lips together.

When we had finalized the details of me moving in with her.

Guilt tightens my chest, and I grow quiet. She notices.

"Nic, it's fine. Really! I...I like it over there. And it'll give us some flexibility until you-"

She cuts herself off with a cough, but I know what she was implying. Until you figure out what you're going to do.

For six months, I had been attending Moravian College in Bethlehem, not too far from Darcy and very close to Pam, who had been staying at a girlfriend's apartment in Easton. My oldest sister had encouraged me to go for business, and I had thought it to be a smart idea.

But, the thought of returning to campus, being alone with nothing but my misery, having to return to normal when I would never be normal again, was debilitating. Something I could barely consider.

So, I had called up Uncle Ted and asked him to help me withdraw from classes and move out of the dorms.

He had been helping me with tuition.