Chapter 7. | Buses And Beggings|

I met the Devil on the school bus.

Okay, so it would be pretty fair to admit that after smashing Blake's windscreen, I had pretty much given up on stalking him. I tried getting to him a few more times but the look he always gave me told me to maintain my lane or else.

The other day in the cafeteria when he was sitting alone, quietly chewing his spaghetti and looking like a fallen god while at it, I had walked up to him with my lunch tray which consisted of only an apple and yoghurt, and sat down right in front of him. He glared at me with those stunning blue eyes, hissed and picked up his textbooks before abandoning both me and his lunch.

Talk about awkward. I had kept my distance after that. And there was also the fact that Molly was super into him and had spent the past few days going on and on about how his curly hair made her stomach go all wonky. Then there was also schoolwork, it was just a repeat of everything I had done a month ago, but I let me just put this out, redoing assignments was one of the most horrible punishments ever.

At this point, my head was all wonky.

I placed my head on the bus's window, my black eyes staring back at me, mocking and taunting me. My eyes and even hair were initially a dark brown shade but after my first meeting with the devil, they had changed, both had become darker. My mom had told me it was probably nothing to worry about, but I knew that it was in fact a very big problem. The houses and cars seemed to move as we sped past then and I couldn't help but feel that tattoo on the back of my hand burn.

The number changed each day and I realized it was a countdown, it was currently showing a scrawly 24.

24 days. Get Blake Johnson to give up his soul in 24 days, the devil was insane to give me such an impossible task.

Almost as though he had been reading my thoughts, I felt the atmosphere suddenly drop in temperature. The lively, chattering noise of the other high school seniors on the bus had stopped too, in actual fact, it felt like time had paused again. I looked around and noticed everyone was frozen in whatever activity they had been in. Ginger haired Emily Hurst looked comical with her mouth hung open and hands in the air, she was obviously about to yell out something.

I was only half surprised when he materialized out of thin air half a second later. This was the first time I had met the devil in daylight and I felt the hairs on my skin stand erect at his sight. His pale white skin looked almost yellowish, like someone suffering from a rare skin disease and his long dreadlocks looked even more tangled than usual. Only this time, I noticed a tattoo of a big, black cobra at his collarbone which extended all the way to his neck.

He was in his usual all black, coupled with black Reeboks this time.

"Do you really have to do this anytime you're coming?" I asked, pointing at the frozen students and biting the spite out my tone.

"No, I actually don't," he replied, dryly, flashing his yellow, insanely sharp teeth and I shuddered again. "But then again, I love dramatic effects, makes my meetings all the more scary, don't you think?"

Yes, it most definitely did but I wasn't answering that.

"Speaking of meetings, you can guess why we're having one right now, can't you?" He took slow, steady steps to my seat and sat down at the very edge of the seat, leaving an acceptable amount of space between us.

"I know, Blake," I sighed, placing my head on the window and feeling the signs of a slight headache rousing. "But I swear, I've tried so hard, it's basically impossible, he hates me."

His glittery, black eyes stared at me devoid of any emotion and the corner of his lips twitched unpleasantly, like he was fighting a smile. Only, he wasn't smiling with me, he was obviously enjoying some private joke.

"Do you know what happens when those 24days are up and you don't succeed?" He asked, casually, like we were discussing something mundane, like the headlines of the day's news.

"You hold on to my soul and find someone else to do this stupid task?"

He blinked once, like he wasn't impressed by my answer. "No, you die," he told me, dryly, sounding almost bored.

"What?!" I sat up straight, almost cracking my neck in a bid to see if he was actually joking. "You can't be serious, you're joking."

He rolled his eyes, reaching up to run his hand through the tangled dreadlocks, slowly and purposefully. "Do I honestly look like the type to tell jokes?"

No, he actually didn't. He looked like the type of guy you would find on a wanted poster for mass murders.

"I'll actually die? Like for real, why would you make me do this? You didn't mention this when we agreed. The deal is off, I'm not interested anymore." I was beyond pissed now.

He barked out a laughter, clearly mocking me and even went as far as slapping his thin thighs amidst mirth. "You can't cancel deals with me, they're unbreakable vows," he finally told me, his teeth maliciously bared out in all their sharp glory. "So, Ruby Davies, our deal still stands."

I didn't know what to even say at this point, I could feel tears well up in my eyes but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, it would probably make him happy. So, I only bit down on my lip to ask the next question.

"Death? I don't want to die." He just stared at me, like my words were of no importance to him presently. "Will you help me? Please. I really don't want to die."

And you're willing to sacrifice another for that reason, the little voice in my head nagged.

"Technically, no, I can't be of any assistance to you," he spoke slowly, his voice soft and deliberate. "But you're doing so badly, I'm inclined to intervene."

"And?"

"It's against the rules, but I'll make an intervention," the devil bared his yellow teeth out and I could have sworn there was a dark, brownish red suspicion looking stain on them.

"Thank you," I rushed out, flooding out my gratitude before remembering this was all his fault in the first place, he tricked me. He's done nothing but deceive me every single time. "How do I even get him to consent to give up his soul anyways, you never did explain?"

"Remember the words you said that night, eight years ago? The sacrifice vow?" He asked, patiently like he was used to this part of his job.

I, Ruby Davies, hereby relinquish all ownership of my soul and declare it the sole property of Azazel.

I nodded once.

"Get him to say those words, willingly." He got up, put his hands in his pockets and surveyed me carefully. I suddenly felt self conscious in the black, flare skirt and floral blouse, his eyes swept over me, making me feel sick to the core and he stopped at once, like he wasn't impressed by what he saw.

"We'll meet again, Ruby Davies. Very soon."

With that, the devil disappeared into thin air.