Devil's Deal (Infernal Contracts Book 1)

by Tessa Hastjarjanto

  “Don’t you take it out on me that you can’t seal the deal with a guy. That’s your incompetence, not mine. For once there’s someone who sees you for who you are and he’s not falling for your tricks. Maybe come to church sometime and talk to him for real. He’s been very open to me. ‘Girls confuse kindness for attraction’. He never thought of you as a potential girlfriend and he never will. He even said you were annoying and wished you were gone.” Nora wanted to hurt Felicia the same way she hurt her.

  She pushed passed her old friend, as she had no patience to deal with this now, and walked out of the school. Felicia screamed something, but she ignored it.

  This was the worst night of her life.

  Chapter 16

  The day after the party was the first day of Christmas break. Nora was glad she didn’t have to go back to school for another two weeks. She knew the kiss would be the topic of the day. Michael made sure of that. If it was only a kiss, the gossip would die soon enough when they saw that Nora and Ben weren’t together. But Michael’s involvement made the gossip juicier. It was a love triangle now, even when she didn’t love either of them. Love is too complicated.

  Her phone was turned off for the whole break, spending time with only her family. They went to church for the Christmas mass. Her parents still went to the mass on major Christian holidays. Nora went with them for years, but she hadn’t joined them since high school. Going back was comforting. It was familiar and the celebration of Christ’s birth, new life, and gratitude helped calm her mind. The new year would be different, better.

  Danny was still a regular at the church and she noticed him during the mass. Nora had skipped church after the dance because she didn’t want to be around people. Even now she wished she didn’t have to see someone she knew, including Danny. All she did was wave from a distance. Danny seemed to understand and stayed where he was.

  The following Sunday was a better opportunity to talk. It was quiet, since many people thought one mass a week was enough.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d come today,” Danny said, as he sat down next to her.

  “It’s become such a habit, that I felt weird not going,” Nora confessed.

  “I’m glad you did though. I missed you last week.” Danny put on his sweetest smile.

  “I’m sorry. I needed more time by myself.”

  “It seems trouble follows you around.”

  “You could just give it a name, Ben.” Nora tried to make a joke.

  “It wasn’t his fault. I saw what happened.”

  “So it’s true that I kissed him?”

  “Let’s just say gravity helped a little. Ben caught you when you lost your balance. It just so happened that your lips touched when you leaned forward a bit too much. No one’s at fault. It was an accident.” Danny did his best to keep his voice calm, but something portrayed he felt strongly about it.

  “An unfortunate accident.” She fidgeted with the buttons on her coat. She felt ashamed for what happened.

  “Ben would say ‘fortunate accident’.” He pressed his lips together. “He liked the kiss and he didn’t even mind getting punched for it.”

  “Does he like me?”

  “He never said it aloud, but his actions speak for themselves. I would be careful though if I were you. I don’t know what Ben has told you about himself, but he isn’t who he claims he is.”

  “Aren’t you like a brother to him? How could you say that about him?” Nora was shocked at the harsh words.

  “I know little of him, and he rarely talks to me about his past or private things. I don’t know him very well although I do know he has secrets. Only believe the truth, Nora. Listen to the facts.” Danny had an intense look about him.

  The pastor came in and the sermon started. Danny disappeared as soon as mass was over.

  Nora was left with Danny’s last words; the same words as on the card she found in her wallet. It had to be connected.

  At home her parents worried about her. She told her mother of Michael hitting Ben, but left out the kiss. Her mother respected her wish not to see Michael, even though she thought they should talk. Her father wondered why he had to sent Michael away. Nora didn’t want to tell him what happened since he would get angry at Ben. She used the upcoming test week as an excuse to send him away. But she knew he wasn’t stupid either. He could see how she looked and how low her energy was.

  Homework came first, even if it was a holiday, finishing reports and studying for upcoming tests. Teachers didn’t go easy on them with homework, but it kept her mind off other things. Her father was happy that Nora chose to be productive rather than just wallow in her misery. Teenage girls should have fun with her friends. At night, when Nora tried to sleep, those thoughts came back to haunt her. All recent memories with any of her friends were bad. She longed back to how things were before this school year.

  There wasn’t anything she could do about Felicia or her behaviour. Danny was off limits, but she didn’t care about him at all. Ben had offered to go to the cinema with her, evading Felicia’s ban on Danny. Ben’s invitation was the only thing she had control over, and she was inclined to say no. The kiss was wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. She didn’t even remember how it felt, only how it made her feel afterward. She had blocked it all out. If it was up to her the kiss never happened.

  Michael was suspended for hitting someone else. Michael, her friend, whom she had known forever. He was her best friend, and now she wasn’t sure anymore. The whole incident from the party still confused her. Why did he hit Ben? So what if Ben kissed her, if she kissed him? Wasn’t that something between them and not Michael? Why did he care what happened?

  Her mother pushed her to call him, to hear his side of the story, but her anger was still fresh. If she called him now, she would be too emotional to understand him. Her mind needed to be clear when they spoke.

  ***

  Nora dreaded going back to school. She didn’t have any friends left. Emily and Josy were stuck in the middle.

  Monday morning she came in fearing the worst and hoping for the best. Two weeks could’ve been long enough for everyone to have forgotten about the incident at the party. But seeing Felicia could bring it all back. Everyone that didn’t attend the party would surely be caught up on the latest gossip.

  She was also dreading the gossip. Nearly everyone had seen or heard of the kiss and the fight. She wasn’t the only one who kissed. Other unexpected, and expected, couples were formed over Christmas break. Maybe someone had a wardrobe malfunction that would make her kiss a lot less notable.

  When she came to school, no one mentioned the kiss, or the fight. They were all talking about something else, but she still felt the eyes on her back. No one made eye contact with her either.

  Jonathan joined her at her locker.

  “Hey. Do you know what’s going on?” Nora asked him.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if you want to hear it.” He frowned.

  “I kind of don’t, but for my own sanity, I think I must.” Nora looked worried.

  “There’s a rumour going around you lost your virginity to Ben after the fight. And that you and Michael were a couple. And now you’re with Ben. So you’re labelled a huge slut.”

  “Wow, you didn’t even try to make this a soft blow.” She felt even worse than five minutes ago.

  “I’m sorry.” Jonathan looked sympathetic. “It’ll blow over soon. Trust me, I’ve been there. Just know I’ll always support you, okay?”

  “Even if I tell you the kiss didn’t happen?”

  He shrugged. “Then I’ll never mention it again.”

  “But it’s a lie. You’ve seen the kiss. Would you still side with a liar?”

  “Of course. You’re my friend, and I think feelings are more important than facts.” He paused for a moment. “Someone might do something, and it makes you feel a certain way. Is it right for me to dismiss those feelings? I respect them. And if you want me to ignore that incident, then I will.”

&nb
sp; Nora understood him, if only more people would. “Do you know who started the rumour?”

  “No, but I can guess. You can too.”

  Nora knew. There was only one person who would do something like that. “Thanks.” Nora nodded slowly and walked away from Jonathan. She needed time to think, and hide from the stares and whispers.

  ***

  Nora left the library before the end of the lunch break. She wanted to turn the last corner to class when she heard whispers and recognised the voices of Ben and Danny. She stopped to listen. It wasn’t like her to eavesdrop, but the boys had been acting weird.

  “I don’t know what you did to Felicia, but you have to undo it. It ruins chances for both of us. I don’t care if you mess it up with her, but I am going to win. She already hates you.”

  “I have no idea why Felicia behaves this way, I didn’t do anything to her. Maybe that’s just who she truly is. You know how they react to our kind.”

  “I think it’s curious that she behaves the same as you did before they banished you. Your sin is rubbing off.”

  “It’s human! I can’t help it if she’s like that. She’s hardly the only human to act the same way. Look at stalkers or rapists. Women just don’t get those labels because they’re the victim by default, but I know they’re there. You can’t blame me for all of that.”

  “I’m not. I’m blaming you for Felicia. If I have to believe her friends, she wasn’t like this before—it all started after we came here.”

  “Why didn’t you pick someone else?”

  “It’s no use thinking about that. We can’t change it. We have to act like normal teenagers. At least try to make an effort. Winning like this is hardly fun.”

  “Don’t think you’ll win this easily. There’s still someone else who could mess it up.” Danny hissed between his teeth.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him. You take care of her.” Ben sounded determined, dangerous even.

  Nora held her breath. What were they going to do to Felicia and who’s the other person they were talking about? She couldn’t believe that they were behind Felicia’s turn around.

  “What’s the rush, anyway? Why don’t we have some fun while we’re here? It’s not like we have to be somewhere else.”

  “It just doesn’t feel right.” She heard insecurity in his voice.

  “Wait… You’re in love with her?” Danny raised his voice in surprise.

  Nora didn’t hear Ben answer. She clutched her books to her chest.

  “Really? And they thought I was bad. They should’ve knocked you down as well. You know this can never happen,” Danny answered.

  “I don’t know! I guess I never expected things to get so messy.”

  “You thought you were above it. Guess what, you’re just like me.” Nora heard the agitation in Danny’s voice.

  “You’re saying that like it’s a good thing.”

  “I’m saying that my sin is an easy one to fall victim to. For all of us. We’re not like Michael.”

  “Got to love that sense of irony.”

  Someone with heels walked through the hall from the opposite side. The boys stopped talking immediately.

  “Hey, fellas. Whatcha doing?” Nora recognised Felicia’s voice. She felt annoyed and didn’t want to listen anymore. She went to the bathroom in the other direction and waited until the last minute to enter the classroom.

  ***

  After the sermon, Danny walked over to Nora. He came in late and missed the opportunity to sit close to her. She hadn’t missed him, but she wanted to ask about what Diana had said.

  “It’s been awhile since we talked alone,” Danny smiled.

  “And I think it hasn’t been long enough. But I need to talk to you.” Nora had her paper cup filled with watery coffee, not her favourite, but she was thirsty.

  “Anything for you.” He leaned closer to her.

  “Stop that, please. That’s what got me in this mess in the first place. You can’t flirt with everyone like that.” Nora stepped back. They were still in a church and she wanted to keep a respectful distance.

  “I can’t help being nice to them, and apparently that’s enough for them to think I like them.”

  “You’re seriously saying that you didn’t flirt with all those other girls?” His carefree attitude annoyed her.

  “Have you seen me kiss any of them? Or hold their hands, or touch them?” He raised his eyebrow.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Nora wasn’t sure.

  “I’ve answered their questions and smiled. And, yes, maybe I gave a compliment, but does that honestly mean I’m into them?” Danny shrugged.

  Was he really that naïve? Did he not see what he was doing?

  “That depends on the compliment. You should talk to Ben about communication. He seems to know more about it, you are clueless about what message others take from you. You could learn from each other. Maybe you can teach him how to talk to other people. I want to say ‘charm’, but that might be too much.” Nora couldn’t imagine Ben with Danny’s smooth talk.

  “I’ll remember that, maybe even consider it. So, why did you want to talk?”

  “Diana reminded me of something. She said something after Halloween, but I forgot about it until…” Nora didn’t want to say she overheard them talking. “Felicia changed after she met you, right? So maybe you can help get her back to her old self.”

  “Isn’t it easier to just let her go?” Danny looked surprised by the mention of Diana’s name.

  “It is, but I want my friend back. She’s so far gone that she doesn’t care if someone gets hurt because of her actions. She’s dangerous and has to be stopped.”

  “And you want me to stop her.”

  Nora sipped her coffee and nodded. “Well, you obviously have something to do with it. She’s obsessed with you and she’s directing her anger at me. You have to kill her obsession.”

  “I can’t.” Danny’s expression was grave. All the joy he had in his eyes before was gone.

  “What do you mean, ‘you can’t’?” Her tone became more aggressive. It wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear.

  “I can’t do for someone else what I can’t even do for myself. There was a time when I confused love with obsession. The only reason I got over it, is because she went away. And time certainly helped.” Sadness appeared on his face.

  Nora didn’t know how to respond. She had never expected Danny to love one girl to the extent that it became an obsession. “Did you stalk her?”

  “No, of course not. I loved her, I wanted to do anything for her. And she loved me, in her own way. I can’t describe it. My anger only began after she was gone. I caused a lot of trouble for my family back then. Coming here was a good choice. It helped me heal, although I’m not there yet.”

  “Is your flirting a way to help you forget about the other girl?” Nora hadn’t seen him so vulnerable. This was the first time he talked about something personal.

  “I don’t know. Maybe? I have felt better since school started and I started being around people again. But that void of her absence is still there.” Danny looked like a love-struck teenager who missed his summer fling.

  “If it’s not helping you, maybe you shouldn’t. Could it be that flirting is reminding you of what you’ve lost?” She felt sorry for him, and guilty for attacking him like that.

  “Nothing can compare to what we had.” Nora heard the frustration in Danny’s voice. It was clear he hadn’t gotten over her.

  “I want to help you, but first we have to get Felicia off your back.”

  “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” He smiled again. A slight, honest smile, not one she saw often. “I thought about your last suggestion, going out with her, but I just can’t do that. I hope we can find a different way to solve this problem.”

  “What if we make you unavailable to her? We can’t keep you out of her sight, so this might work,” Nora thought out loud.

  “That would only make her jealousy worse
and she might hurt my would-be girlfriend.” Danny shook his head.

  “You’re right. She’ll probably hurt her to get to you. Would you consider taking a fake boyfriend?”

  “You want to make me a bisexual?”

  “No, just gay. Then she knows she can never have you.”

  “She already knows I like women.”

  “Oh,” Nora said. Danny had already told her too much about himself. “You’re not making this easy.”

  “Sorry.” Danny paused. “Shouldn’t we ask the others for help?”

  “I think we should solve it since we’re the ones involved directly. Can you remember anything you did or say to her that could have influenced her?”

  “I don’t remember it clearly, but that first day, I hardly talked to her. I said my name. Maybe I shook her hand.” Danny looked at his empty hand, his mind far away.

  She, and others, had shook his hand and nothing happened. “That probably isn’t it.” Unless you put a spell on her, Nora thought.

  “Could it have been my smile?” There was his playful smile again. Nora couldn’t help but wonder if it was enough to make Felicia fall in love with him, but she couldn’t deny its power.

  “It’s not that irresistible.” Nora looked away and blushed. The smile had its effect, even on her.

  “Ouch.” Danny laughed to ease his pain.

  “I don’t know what else it could be,” Nora said.

  Danny stayed quiet. It looked like he had something on his mind, but didn’t want to share it. “Maybe we should think about it some more.” He said eventually.

  “Okay.”

  “I have to go home, if you don’t mind,” Danny said after checking his phone.

  “No, of course not. We’ll talk later.” Nora waved goodbye.