Darcy Monroe drove through the streets of Bon Temps, cursing at how hot it was within her little car. It was mid-July and the temperature was a soaring and blistering ninety-nine, with a heat index that made it feel like an oven. It was her first morning back in her hometown, after nearly ten years away, living up in the North East.
The newscaster gave a rundown on the weather for the next seven days, along with the potential hurricane that was brewing in the Atlantic.
"Just what I need," Darcy muttered, as she turned at the corner. "Just what I fucking need."
The bar appeared out of the abundance of trees, the lights off on the sign outside. It was still early, considering the place didn't open until noon. But Darcy just couldn't wait any longer, wanting to get it over. It had been ten years, since she left on that fateful day. With nothing but her belongings and six hundred dollars in her pocket.
Parking the car, Darcy cut the engine and pushed opened the door, stepping out onto the gravel that made up the parking lot. Looking around, she realized that little had changed to the area. She remembered this place, before it became a restaurant and bar. Her teenaged years were spent running around in the woods with friends, getting into all kinds of trouble, while maintaining her perfect GPA in high school.
It felt like only yesterday, when she spent the last six months of her senior year, falling deeply in love with a man that would end up breaking her heart. A series of broken promises and a broken engagement sent her packing and fleeing Bon Temps and Louisiana.
She promised herself that she would never return. But fate always worked in mysterious ways.
Pushing the door open, Darcy pushed her sunglasses up and looked around, taking in her surroundings. It was a cozy establishment, something she had missed while living in New York. The bar was well stocked, as a woman stood behind the counter, cleaning up a tray of glasses.
"Hello," Darcy said gently, startling the blonde. "Oh! I'm sorry!"
The young woman let out a laugh, clutching her chest still. "That's alright!" she said, her southern twang thick like the humidity outside. "I didn't even hear ya come in! We're actually closed at the moment…"
Darcy nodded, "Oh no, I know," she said, shrugging lightly. "I just.. I wanted to see if an old friend was in."
The woman- Sookie, as her nametag read- nodded slowly. "Umm, who are you lookin' for?" she asked.
Before Darcy could speak, she heard a loud bang, followed by a laugh. "My, my, my," Lafayette shook his head, as he came out from the kitchen. "The pure and holy child has returned."
"Lafayette, you're still sassy as ever," Darcy grinned, as the older man held out his arms, giving her the opportunity to rush into them. "God, I've missed you!"
"Miss you too, Peach," he hugged her tightly, before pulling away. "Look at you, girl! What the hell did they feed you up there in New York?"
She shrugged, "Oh you know," she sighed. "Organic food and those fancy juice diets."
Sookie watched them, frowning a bit, as she set the cleaning rag down. "New York," she said, interrupting the reunion. "That's a long way from, Bon Temps."
"Sookie, this is Darcy Monroe," Lafayette introduced her. "Darce, this is Sookie Stackhouse. Darcy's a native to this fine land of red neck fuckery and was lucky enough to escape it."
"You're Darcy Monroe?" Sookie gasped. "I remember you! You wrote for the school paper and was second in my graduating class!"
Darcy nodded, "Guilty," she said, as Lafayette clucked at her. "You're Jason's little sister."
The blonde nodded, giving her a once over, which Darcy wanted to laugh hysterically at. "Oh, don't worry," she shook her head. "I didn't sleep with him. Too nerdy, which was probably a good thing in the end."
"Where did you go to sch-" Sookie started to ask, when another voice filled the air; making Darcy tense up.
"Sook, do you know if Arlene is comin' in tonight? I can't remember what day it was that she couldn't come in…. What's going on?" Sam asked, looking between Lafayette and Sookie.
Thanking her stars that she was shorter than her old friend, Darcy slowly stepped out to reveal herself. He still looked the same, only older with a beard and a touch of grey in his blonde hair. It was safe to say that his fashion sense didn't change at all in the ten years; plaid shirts, jeans and boots. It was the third thing that caught her eye, when she was a shy little seventeen year old, after his grey blue eyes and dazzling smile.
"Hey," she said, giving him a small smile, as Sam stood there in shock.
"D-Darcy," he stuttered. "W-what are you doing here?
Sookie and Lafayette looked at each other and the two before them, "Hey Sook, how about we go on back and call Arlene," Lafayette said, nodding his head to the office. "Leave these two to catch up."
Not wanting to stick around for a potential blow up, Sookie quickly followed Lafayette into the back.
"It's a nice place," Darcy said, a few minutes later, when she could find her voice. "It's exactly what you described to me… ten years ago."
"I didn't know you were coming back," Sam said, folding his arms across his chest. "What are you doin' her-"
"Mom died," she cut him off.
Sam shook his head, "I'm so sorry, Darc," he said, as she looked down at her feet. "I- I didn't know.."
She shrugged, "s"okay," she mumbled. "You didn't like her, remember? And she didn't like you either, if memory serves me right."
They silence fell between them- Darcy looking down at the floor and Sam directly at her. "How long you in town for?" he asked.
"Well, I'm not sure," she said, looking up at him. "I have to meet with the lawyers and go over the will and whatnot. Plan a funeral and see what needs to be done with the house. A month or two, I suppose."
"Then back on up to New York?" he asked, sounding a bit bitter at the thought.
Darcy bit back a snide remark, "Actually, I don't know if I'll be going back to New York," she admitted. "I guess I'll figure it out once I'm done here."
She then pulled her car keys out of her pocket, "I should go," she said, turning on her heel. "Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come here."
"Wait!" Sam shouted, as she rushed outside. "Darcy!"
She could hear him running after her as she quickly walked through the lot, unlocking her car with a quick press of a button. Then, she felt his hand on her, pulling her around to look at him.
"Wh-" she started, before he talked over her.
"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I.. I just can't believe you're here is all."
Darcy breathed deeply through her nose, "Neither can I," she said softly, as he loosened his grip on her arm. "I'm glad to see that you opened your bar and did what you wanted to do."
"Thanks," he said quietly, knowing that it all came with a price. "What are you doing tonight?"
"Tonight?" she blinked, as he moved his hands to his pockets. "Probably nothing. It's Bon Temps, remember? Ain't nothing to really do here."
He chuckled, nodding. "Why don't you come by for dinner?" he said. "Lafayette is our cook and makes a mean burger. Unless you became a… vegan or whatever it's called."
"I may've moved to New York, but that don't mean I turned into a complete Yankee," Darcy scowled, making him chuckle. "Is 7 good?"
"7 is fine, Darc," Sam said. "You still drink the same beer?"
She nodded, "Never acquired a taste for cosmos or whatever girly drink you're assuming I had."
He laughed again, shaking his head. "Good to know," he said, before falling silent.
Darcy looked away, swallowing thickly, as Sam's eyes scanned her from head to toe, taking in all the changes that occurred to her over the last ten years.
"Well," she said quickly, looking up at him. "I better get goin'. Got lots to do if I want to be here by 7."
Pulling the door open to her car, Darcy started to climb in behind the wheel, when Sam spoke again.
"Causal."
She looked back and frowned, "What?" she asked.
"Casual," he repeated. "Dress causal. It's a family establishment. You don't need to get all dressed up to have a burger and a beer."
"What if I want to dress non-casual?" she shot back, as he kicked a rock towards the bushes. "You can't tell me what to wear, Sam."
He snorted, "Naw, I reckon I couldn't," he said. "I'll see you later, Darc."
Closing the car door, Darcy started the engine and put the car in reverse, backing out of the spot. Turning the car around, she glanced back at the restaurant and saw that Sam was standing right outside the door, watching her. He waved as she put the car in drive, watching her drive down the little dirt road that would take her back into town and to her childhood home.