My parents forced me to stay home on Tuesday, but I decided to go back to school the next day. I could have skipped school for the next two weeks given all the doctor's notes I had racked up during my short hospital stay. But I didn't want to sit at home and watch the world rush by. This was my second chance at life; I wanted to live it.

I admit, things were a little strange that first day back. Billy was also in school and everyone treated us a little bit like we had just been diagnosed with cancer and then miraculously cured. Everyone knew what had happened, so everyone kept telling us how happy they were to hear that we were alive, which was awkward—how are you supposed to respond to that? Thank you, me too? But soon enough, things settled back into a pattern. There were things to do, tests to take, people to see.

I felt like a new person, and for some reason, I think other people felt that way too. I nearly spit out my milk when Sam sat down at our lunch table on Thursday.

"Planning another dance already?" I asked, thinking she had to have an ulterior motive.

Instead, she shook her head and pulled a salad out of her bag. "I'm taking a break from dance committee. The last dance got a little too intense for me, if you know what I mean. So I'm trying to take it easy." She hesitated. "I mean, I still have newspaper and key club, so I don't think it will affect my college apps that much."

I grinned. "I think you're fine."

I also ran into Alex that afternoon. He gave me a quick smile in the hallway as he walked by. "Nice to see you back!" he called out.

Thanks Alex, I mouthed as we drifted away, carried along on our own currents. It was nice to know that even though things hadn't worked out between us, I'd still managed to make a friend.

And then, of course, Friday was our big US Gov presentation, and I was absolutely stunned when Peter volunteered to present a few of the slides. He stuttered his way through several sentences, but it was such a momentous occasion that almost all the guys in the class gave him a congratulatory slap on the back when he walked back to his seat.

These small kernels of change warmed my heart—and yet not all the changes were good. Most glaringly, Lana was nowhere to be seen. After she had left my hospital room with James, she had never returned, and I was pretty sure she was gone for good. No one remembered her anymore. Her name was skipped over in roll call. She had vanished from my Facebook feed. And Ms. Morgan didn't bat an eye when she failed to show up for our presentation—even though the paragraphs she had written had made their way into our final paper.

I think Billy still remembered her, though. We didn't speak about it—it was too soon to talk about the things we had experienced together—but I could see it in his eyes, when he shot me glances during class or from down the hall. I wondered if Billy was hoping that these memories would fade away, becoming nothing more than a strange dream.

I, on the other hand, didn't know if I wanted that.

The only thing that proved that Lana had ever existed was that single Polaroid of us from the dance. I had found it in the pocket of my jeans, crumpled up in the tiniest ball, and was surprised that she was still there in the photo, smiling widely in her red dress with her arms wrapped around me. I had looked at the photo several times in the past few days, but had started looking at it less and less. It hurt just a little too much to see our smiling faces. To know that she was gone and she hadn't even said goodbye.

Although her sudden disappearance stung, there was something that made those first days back at school brighter: Taylor. She was a star drawing me into her orbit, filling my days with laughter and light. We didn't exchange hugs or kisses at school—I wasn't ready for that—but basking in her smile was enough.

And I couldn't wait for our date on Saturday.

The weather on Saturday was an absolute fluke.

There was no wind, the sky was bright blue, and the sun was strong and warm. It was the most beautiful autumn day.

The doctors had forbidden me from driving for about a month, worried I might pass out behind the wheel. Taylor had offered to pick me up in her car, but the coffee shop wasn't that far, so I told her I wanted to walk and that I'd meet her there.

I left the house with plenty of time to spare, breathing in damp autumn leaves and the tiniest hint of pine. Gilman Pond was on the way, and I slowed my steps as I skirted the park. I couldn't believe a week had passed. Seven days ago, I had been walking to what I thought would be my doom, the weight of the universe on my shoulders. Now everything was just beautiful and calm and perfect.

There was a couple sitting on one of the park benches near the water, no doubt enjoying the lovely weather. But when I saw the girl's long dark hair and the boy's mop of blond curls, I stopped in my tracks. I couldn't believe it.

It was Lana and James.

I hesitated and then started walking towards them. As I got closer, I raised my hand in greeting. "Hey."

Lana pulled her eyes away from the pond and blinked at me in recognition. "Jessa!" She scrambled to her feet and gave me a hug. "What are you doing here?"

I slid my hands into my pockets. "I was going to ask you the same thing. I thought you guys were gone? Neither of you said goodbye."

Lana's face reddened and she looked away. "I'm sorry about that. I'm not really great with goodbyes. I thought it'd be best to just... go our own ways. Make things less complicated."

"It's okay," I said. "I'm just glad I bumped into you two."

She smiled, sitting back down on the bench. "Me too."

As she looked back at the pond, her skin shimmered in the sunlight. I was wondering how she was still here. She couldn't possibly stay on Earth any longer without suffering some sort of cosmic repercussions.

As if hearing my thoughts, James said, "We just had a few things to get in order. Today's our last day in Arlington."

"Oh, so you're heading back up later today?"

James looked at Lana with the strangest smile on his face. "Not exactly."

I had the strongest feeling that I was missing something. "I'm confused."

"The talk we had at the hospital," James said, "ended up being a lot longer than we thought it would be. And the questions Lana brought up, about everything that has happened in the past few weeks: the strange coincidences, the way things fell into place... I started thinking she was right. That maybe there was some Greater Plan to all of this. Perhaps the deal between you and her wasn't about Billy at all—perhaps it was about teaching her a lesson, giving her a chance to grow. To change."

"Basically," Lana said, looking excited, "I'm getting my second chance. At life, at death, and—maybe—at returning to Heaven."

"What?" I said, shocked. "How?"

"Remember when I told you that I can't be on Earth too long? The reason is that being on Earth severs my tie with the Underworld, with my power. So if I stay here too long, I lose my powers and my memories. I essentially become a human." She smiled. "So that's what I'm going to do."

"What?"

"Lana and I have discussed this at length over the past few days," James said. "And we've been setting things up. I've found us a town to live in, and a house, a high school, a part-time job... Everything is set."

"So tonight," Lana said, "I'll become mortal. I'll lose all my powers and my memories of Heaven, the Underworld—everything. James will help me get settled during those first few days, before he becomes mortal as well... But then I'll have a second chance at life. A second chance to be good." She looked at James, smiling. "And then, when my time on this Earth is over, I'll reappear at the gates of Heaven. I'll be judged. And maybe this time I'll be accepted back in." She stared at the pond. "It's a huge gamble, but it's one I'm willing to take. I want to be good. And this is my chance."

I grabbed Lana and pulled her into a hug. I felt my eyes watering. "I'm so proud of you."

She squeezed me back. "Thank you."

When I let go, I realized I still had a nagging thought in the back of my head. "What's going to happen to everyone in the Underworld?" I asked. "All the souls you've made deals with over the years?"

Lana grabbed my hand. "Let me show you."

She squeezed my palm and suddenly, just like at the football game, I could see what she was seeing. Only this time, it was a million times more glorious.

Rising out of the water and soaring into the sky, like a rush of silvery air, were hundreds of souls. Beautiful human souls, radiating iridescent beams of light.

"I let them all go," Lana said. "So they're free to ascend to Heaven... although a few of them are making pit stops along the way."

As she said this, I heard the sound of a motor running, and suddenly there was a speedboat sloshing through the water. I saw the boatman, still decked out in his grey hoodie, steering his craft. He was couriering a small group of souls—I guess a few had wanted a final boat ride before departing the Underworld—and once he pulled into the shallows, he delicately escorted them off his boat.

I waved and he grinned broadly.

"Going to see your sister?" I called out.

He jerked a thumb back to the pond. "Got to take a few more people up here first. But yep, that's the plan." He jumped back on the boat and revved up the engine. "I can't wait." And then he glided out of sight.

"Wow," I whispered.

"Wanna watch the show?" Lana asked.

I wanted to, but I also knew that Taylor was waiting at the coffee shop, and I didn't want to be late to our very first date. "Actually, I really should get going," I said. "Taylor and I are going on a date today."

Lana's jaw dropped and she slapped her hand on her thigh. "I should have known!" she said. "No wonder you weren't interested in anyone... you had already found your someone!"

"I should have known too," I said with a laugh. Then, looking between James and Lana, I added, "I guess I'm gay now."

"Which is perfectly fine," the angel reassured me.

"And," Lana said with a grin, "if someone tells you you're going to Hell, you can tell them you've been there already!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'll remember that one."

Lana stood up suddenly and gave me another hug. We held each other tightly for a moment, caught in a strange limbo where I was afraid to let go. I didn't want it to end... but it had to. When I pulled away, I paused, looking her in the eye. "I'm so happy I met you."

"I'm happy I met you," Lana said. "In the end, the reason I made a deal with you had nothing to do with Billy. I think it's because, somehow, my spell knew you could help me become a better person. And for that, I'll forever be grateful."

"I'm not the one doing the hard work. That's all you," I said.

"Still," she said. "Thank you for believing in me." She shooed me away with her hand. "Now go! You're going to miss your date."

My eyes stung with tears and I rubbed them away. "I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you," Lana said. "But I have a feeling we'll meet again."

I reached into my pocket and found the creased Polaroid picture of us from the dance. I pressed it into her hand. "Try not to forget me."

And before the tears could fall out, I turned and ran away.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Perhaps I'll remember everything. Or perhaps I will wake up and this whole thing will be nothing more than a dream. Maybe I'll forget that I ever met the Devil, tried to find her love, and found her something else instead.

Right now, I can't deny that I'm not sad. There's a hole inside of me that stings like only a loss can sting. But I'm also happy and proud and excited. For Lana, for James, for myself.

We only have one life to live. And I've realized now that there's no time to waste, no time to be afraid, no time to be sad. Only time to go out and live.

I got a second chance on this beautiful Earth, and I'm going to seize each and every day.

And I'm so happy that Lana has her chance to do the same.

- - -

Hello everyone! You have reached the end of Devil in the Details! I hope you enjoyed the story--I made some big changes from the first draft, and I'm very happy with the results!

Even though the story is over, there are two bonus chapters! One is a playlist of songs that inspired/made me think about this story, and the other is the full comic page that was drawn for Chapter 21. So make sure to check that out because the artwork is phenomenal!

Finally, if you're looking for something else to read, I have two other novels on my account for you to sink your teeth into. Shift is my most popular book--it's a YA urban fantasy novel with romance and has been featured on the front page of Wattpad twice! And Dangerous Thoughts is a New Adult Victorian fantasy with fun characters and a sinister plot that won a Watty Award in 2022. Make sure to check them out if you enjoyed Devil in the Details!

Thank you so much for going on this  journey with me. I read every single comment--you all mean the world to me. I hope you are well and thanks again for everything.

<3 Bdicocco