Runaway Devil
30

Nothing solves the world's problems like drunk humans with a lack of inhibitions. Beth dragged us to her house, which was a short drive across town. She was uncharacteristically quiet all the way there. I looked at her a few times out of the corner of my eye, trying to gauge her mood. She was a blank slate.

She tossed her keys onto the counter and they slid a few extra inches, dangerously close to the sink. The house was quiet, no animals could be heard, other than the low bubbling of a fish tank. She had posters all over her walls, her furniture second hand, and thrift. I hadn't been to her house for a while, there were more books on her dark shelves. I spotted a book she let me borrow a while back when I first started working for Stitch. It was a thorough history of tattooing.

She flicked some lights on and said something about giving her a minute. She said to make ourselves comfortable, she would be ready soon. Alec stood off to the side of the living room while I lounged across the old couch. It was properly worn, so you sank into it and it threatened to swallow you whole. I rested my arm over my eyes and exhaled a long, tired breath.

"Are you sure this a good idea? I don't trust inebriated humans, much less one that just received troubling news," Alec said.

"I trust her more than I trust you, angel." I imagined Bethany shakily applying a fresh layer of lipstick, breathing through the panic that would inevitably set in. She needed a distraction and she knew exactly where to find one. We could talk more tomorrow, but she needed to numb herself and cope later. I understood better most.

We heard Beth before we saw her. "I texted my friend Ricky, he always has something going on. Tonight is one of his open door ragers. All are welcome," she said as she slipped her phone in her back pocket. She traded in her tank top for a tight off-the-shoulder halter top. Her chunky, rubber-soled shoes were now heeled ankle boots. She grabbed her keys, but before she made it to her door she turned around looked at Alec. "I completely forgot to ask your name."

"Alec," He said. She looked down over his chest and unashamedly downward. She nodded and held out her hand. He took it firmly and I found a hint of blush in her round, ruddy cheeks.

"Pleasure," Her voice was tight and it made me smile to see her so distracted.

The house was big and screamed "rich fraternity boy". I glanced at the address and texted Ben, Issac, and Jerry. I didn't like where we left things, and I thought that maybe a party invite could be the bandaid. I followed Beth to the unlocked door and we walked right in.

The lights were off and replaced with strobing, multicolored light fixtures scattered around the first floor. The air was thick and warm, I could already feel my wavy hair curl and frizz. The booze was flowing freely and the heady scent of it mingled with the scent of the sweaty, warm crowd. Beth made a B-line for the alcohol, and I thought it best to stick with her.

There were cups of jungle juice in every hand in sight, with more people pouring out of the bathroom in which it was brewed. Bethany started moving towards the very same room and I grabbed her arm. She looked at me like a teenager that was being grounded. I raised my brows at her and muscled us both through the crowd, trying to find the kitchen. There were buckets of ice with beers strategically spread out throughout the first floor. I grabbed one and broke the seal, handing it to Bethany.

"I don't want a beer. I want to forget my name," she said, but she took it anyway.

"I can make you forget your name, baby-doll." A taller teenager, high on the idea that he was hot, leaned against the counter next to us. Bethany looked him up and down and a condescending smile, which was one of the main reasons I loved her. She had some habits of demons, such as pride and confidence. It melded well with mine. She chuckled and shook her head.

"Honey, you couldn't even spell my name," she turned away and faced me, officially writing him off. He scowled and said something along the lines of "You're ugly anyway, bitch". I watched him prowl for another unsuspecting female. We rolled our eyes and found a nice corner to people watch.

She rhythmically tapped her acrylic nails on the beer can to the music, her head bobbing to the beat. I looked at her wandering eye, then to the dance floor. Bethany wanted to forget about her troubles, that was why we were there. And I handed her a beer and we were standing in a corner. The guilt made me bite my lip and grab her hand. I pulled her towards a crowd standing around the beer pong table. A game had just ended and shots were being dolled out by the dozen.

I lost track of where Alec was and didn't care to find him, he could be sitting on the stoop for all I cared. I was there to have a good time with my best friend, and she needed it. This was her night, so that meant shots. I wiggled our way to the center of the crowd and I grabbed the neck of the bottle. The clear liquid smelled like vodka, but I knew next to nothing about human alcohol. I grabbed a sticky shot glass before it rolled off the table. I snatched a handful more and lined them up. The people watched me work, waiting to see what I had planned. I lined up something like ten shots, locked and loaded.

Bethany grinned at me and stood at one end of the line, while I stood at the other. We both reached for the end shot and we locked eyes. Her beer was forgotten, looking lonely off to the side. Five shots later, we received a booming celebration. Some faceless partiers yelled "Body shots!" from the back of the crowd. Bethany joined in the hollering this time and laughed without abandon.

She spotted something delicious in the crowd and grabbed his hand, pulling him onto the table. His shirt was off and under the feet of everyone dancing. He was slimmer than Alec, his build more like a swimmer. Although the deep line running down his torso, accompanied by the peaks and valleys of his abs, was made for body shots. I poured the vodka, and at some point, tequila made its way into the mix. Bethany had her way with him, her lipstick and tongue all over his lower stomach. Her lipstick was smudged on his face from where she missed the lime multiple times.

He was pulled off the table, a smile plastered on his face. Bethany hopped up and pulled me next to her. She told me to help her with her shirt. Her speech was already slurring, I made a note to pay more attention to her. Humans were sensitive to their poisons. I placed her balled up shirt under her head and poured the next shot. The salt was spread, and the lime already in her mouth. She grinned with it between her teeth. I took the shot like it was water, licked up her stomach, all the way to her bra line, and didn't miss the lime. She sat up and let somebody else have their turn to have a stranger tongue on them.

She slipped her shirt on and grabbed a different beer. I was glad I didn't have to convince her to slow down. She seemed to have a vague awareness of her limit. She had already consumed close to ten shots, I would have to steer her clear of any hard liquor for the rest of the evening. I didn't know if she had a shift tomorrow. She was in that sweet spot of knowing she had had a lot but could also be convinced to have more.

I brought her upstairs to get away from the hot crowd, the heat and the base was a bit overwhelming. We watched from the second-floor banister, making room anytime a couple staggered into one of the bedrooms.

She got quiet and I felt that she was thinking of how she was going to say something. "You know, I knew that you had been in some serious shit. Stitch pulled you in off the street, where you had to fight to survive. I know that." She licked her lips and paused. "But, you gotta... you gotta think of your friends, man." She had a message deep in there that she was trying to portray, but it was taking a while to make it to the front. Her bright eyes were now hooded, she shoulders by her ears as she leaned on the banister. "You remember how I said you scared the shit out of me?" She didn't wait for a response. "I wasn't lying. You are one scary bitch." She made herself giggle with that. "But part of what makes you scary is your impusl...impulsive...ness." Her tongue had turned to rubber in her mouth, getting in her teeth's way.

I turned away from the downstairs view and crossed my arms. I knew that by human standards I was dangerous and impulsive. Even by demon's standards, I was dangerous, and they knew to stay out of my way. I was not used to humans as much as I thought I was. I would just as quickly throw their customs and social standards out the window than follow them. When I had a moment of impatience, my discipline wavered, and I let myself do what I pleased. And that is probably what got me caught. Alec found me because I was being too loud. Human life had made me restless faster than I anticipated.

Bethany brought me out of my thoughts with her hands on my elbows. "Where'd you go?" Her voice was an octave higher, dripping with drunkenness. I looked her in the eye and let her lean forward, resting her forehead on mine. I loosened my folded arms, she moved them around her and placed my hands on her lower back.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket. She reached for it and handed it to me. It was Ben. Bethany started to move back, knowing that the moment was over. But I grabbed her belt loop and pulled her close. I wrapped my arm around her waist and she rested one of her hand on my upper chest, just beneath my collar bone, and the other around me.

"Hey, are you guys here?"

"Yeah, we just pulled up. Could you come out front so we could talk before going in?"

"Yeah, I'll be right out," I hung up and looked down at Bethany. "Want some air?" She nodded silently and we descended the stairs.

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