Misty

We finally settled into college while reassuring our parents we were okay. We left out the tidbit of encountering the demon in the cemetery during Emilio's ghost expedition.

Nash and I walked into class and took our seats as other people entered, including a guy who kept glancing at us. He walked past us as the temperature dropped in the room. I shivered from the chill surrounding me.

Nash noticed my shiver. "Cold?"

"A little." My locket vibrated slightly, drawing our attention to it.

"What's up with your locket?"

"I don't know." I shook my head.

The professor entered the classroom and started class. A chill ran down my spine as I glanced behind me to see a guy staring at me. What was his deal?

The lights dimmed in the classroom as everyone glanced around. I looked at Nash, who was staring at the guy leering at me like I was fresh meat. The guy smirked at Nash when he noticed Nash staring at him. The lights grew brighter before exploding, causing everyone to scramble from their seats and rush from the classroom. The professor canceled class until the school cleaned up the mess and replaced the shattered light bulbs.

Students milled around, whispering about what happened. The same guy walked by us and smirked. My locket vibrated against my chest while Nash held my hand.

It seems the demon has changed tactics on us.

******
Valentino

With class canceled, we met with Nix and Kat for coffee at the coffee shop to tell them what happened.

"That's so creepy," Kat said.

"Tell me about it. It was like the guy was undressing me with his eyes. He gave me the heebiee jeebies," I said with a shudder.

"What's your take on it?" I asked Nix.

"Demons are known to blend it. But how? It's not like it can occupy a person without the body decaying," Nix said.

"What do you mean by decaying?" Kat asked.

"When a demon possesses a body, the body will rot from the inside out. Sores will fester as the body starts to decay. It can't handle a demonic possession."

"Do you think that's what happened to Jeremy?" Mags asked.

"That's most likely what happened to the schmuck."

"Great. Now I have some creepy guy leering at me like I'm next meal."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," I reassured her. I refused to let some asshole demon get near Mags.

"Well, we know Nash will rip this schlub's head off if he lays one finger on you. That's a plus," Nix said.

"We need another ghost adventure," Mags suggested.

We looked at Nix.

"What?" He asked.

"You need to play nice with Emilio." I tipped my coffee cup to him.

"Why do I need to play nice? Isn't it bad enough I had to deal with him the previous life?"

"Marco has always had a soft spot for you for some ungodly reason."

"More like he's an infection you can't get rid of."

We gave him a look that said to play nice.

"Fine. I'll play nice." Nix screwed his face in disgust. He hated playing nice with anyone.

*****
Misty

If anyone knew Nixon, he didn't play nice with anyone. His version of nice and ours differed tremendously.

I doubt Emilio has told Karlene about his extracurricular activities in a cemetery at night. It's not something you spring on someone getting to know. We also had to talk to Karlene about what Nixon told her, except we've been avoiding her like the plague. That's not a typical conversation you have with someone like Karlene.

Nash, Nixon, and I found Emilio in the cemetery setting up his ghost-hunting equipment.

When Emilio saw us, he groaned. "What now? Do you need to ask me more impersonal questions or kiss someone to wake them like sleeping beauty?"

"I didn't see you complaining when you were locking lips with our cousin," Nixon said as we walked toward him.

Emilio gave Nixon an annoyed look. "I'm not talking to you about this. It's personal."

"It wasn't personal when you did it in front of everyone."

Emilio turned to Nixon in a huff. "Only because you don't know when to quit needling someone. I told you I wasn't gay. You didn't believe me. Then you coerced me into kissing someone before I was ready."

"What do you mean before you were ready?" Nash asked.

Emilio averted his eyes to the ground and shifted in his spot. "I like Karlene but don't want it to interfere with her tutoring sessions. It'll make the sessions awkward if it doesn't work out."

"What if it doesn't?" I asked.

Emilio looked at me. "I need this job so I can send my family money. I also need to eat and pay my way. I can't do that with one job. I don't have the luxury of having my family pay my way." He turned from us and fiddled with his equipment. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand."

"At least you had a mother. I had to wait eighteen years to get one." I folded my arms across my chest.

Emilio snapped his face to mine. "What?"

"My mother died after giving birth to me. Contrary to popular belief, my dad didn't have money. He had to work to support us. So, don't hand me your poor me bullshit, Marco. I'm not in the mood for it."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know." He shook his head.

"Stop acting like people pity you with handouts and accept their help. Pride will only hinder you."

"Wait," Nixon said, wagging his finger at us. "Pride is a deadly sin."

"What?" We asked.

"Pride is one of the deadly sins. The others are greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth." Nixon mumbled to himself before his head snapped up. "Shit."

"What shit? No shit. I don't like shit," Nash said.

"Break down the seven deadly sins and change their names. Arrogance, vanity, and conceited are synonyms for pride. The antonym is humbleness. It's the same with the others. What happened the other day on campus?"

"Girls and guys kept flirting with Mags and me. It was annoying."

"No, this demon is changing tactics on us, using the deadly sins to distract us. It wants to steer our focus away to get closer to us, especially you. You need to control your temper better."

"You're asking a lot from me."

"Nash, it wants you to lose control. It's hoping you do."

"Fine. Whatever."

Nixon rolled his eyes while Nash stewed.

"Ignore my idiot boyfriend and his faithful sidekick," I told Emilio.

Nash and Nixon glared at me.

"Why are you in a cemetery again? No ghost hangs out here."

"Not true. Activity usually happens between two and three in the morning," Emilio said.

"You want us to hang out all night in a cemetery? Are you daft?" Nixon asked.

"It's the best time to capture any activity. You don't need to stay if you're afraid." Emilio shrugged.

"Listen, pal. Nothing, and no one scares me. So you can toss that idea out the window." Nixon thumbed over his shoulder.

"Fine. Then prepare to wait." He put in his headset and fiddled with some knobs.

This would be a long night.

*******
Valentino

I found a spot to sit in the cemetery and rested my back against the headstone while Mags sat between my legs and lay against me. Emilio and Nixon bickered while we waited for an activity to happen.

"Are you still huffy?" Mags asked me.

"No." I sighed. "Just annoyed. I didn't plan to deal with a demon while getting a second chance with you."

Mags sat up straight and turned to face me. "What did you expect? Lucille would send us back without something giving us grief."

I rubbed my forehead to ease the tension building. "I wasn't expecting a demon to attach itself to us when we returned."

"That would explain why the family had so many issues throughout the years."

I regarded Mags, knowing her answer was the most logical one. Our family didn't live happy lives without issues. They had issues galore from outside influences, especially our kids and grandkids.

"Nash, we can stop this thing from hurting any more family. Isn't it time we finish it? The family needs to find happiness for once."

"Mags, you're asking to fight a demon when we don't know what it can do to us. Do you want to take that chance even if it means losing your life?"

"Don't you? When have you ever backed down from a fight?"

I looked at Mags before sighing. "Never."

"Why start now?" She raised her brow, challenging me.

"I hate it when you're right."

"Oh, shit!" Emilio exclaimed.

We glanced at Nixon and Emilio as they stared at a ghostly figure before them. Mags and I rosed to our feet and walked toward them before stopping.

"Correct me if I'm wrong. But that's not who we expected to greet us this evening, was it?" Mags asked.

I glanced at Mags and rolled my eyes before staring at Aunt Liz, gracing us with her ghostly presence.

Shit just got real.