What would you trade your soul for?
The answer is simple for Jessa: nothing. Life isn't perfect, but it's pretty good with her best friend Taylor at her side.
But everything changes when the Devil--disguised as an attractive high school girl--comes...
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Everything seemed different after that walk. It was as if I had taken in my first breath of fresh air after a lifetime of living in smog. My addled nerves had settled down. Things just felt better.
Lana seemed different too. She didn't ask me another question for the rest of the day. And once eighth period ended, she told me she was going to take the evening off.
"Where are you staying?" I asked as I walked with her towards the bus.
"Not too far," she said. "At the Marriott at the edge of town. I made a deal with someone high up in the company in the '50s, so I get free lodging whenever I'm on Earth. And complimentary champagne." She smiled, waving at me as I climbed onto the bus. "See you tomorrow!" And just like that, we parted ways.
I was free.
It felt surreal, and yet I wasn't going to take this time for granted. As the bus jostled down the street, I planned out my afternoon. First, a shower, I thought. A really nice, really long shower. And then, some popcorn and Disney Plus. We had a test on Hamlet the next day, so I was pretty sure I could get away with watching The Lion King instead of actually studying—the story is essentially the same.
But as the bus turned onto my street, my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw a text from Taylor.
Hey, her text read. Can you come over after school? I really need to talk to you.
I know you're not supposed to read tone through text messages—it's how arguments start—but I was immediately worried. Something sounded off.
Yeah of course, I'll be there in a bit, I said. Then, remembering she was sick, I added, Do you want me to bring you anything? Gatorade? Soup?
I saw three dots as Taylor took her time typing something back. I waited a good three minutes, expecting a long response. When it finally came through, though, it just said, No.
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I had always found Taylor's house somewhat amusing. Not because it was garishly hideous or full of clowns, but because it was so normal. It had always made me wonder how someone as creative and as different as Taylor had come out of it.
