"Wait, wait, wait... you're telling me that the guys who were at the carnival were The Seven Deadly Sins and kidnapped you, told you were an angel, forced you to stay at their places for two days, and now you're freed but under their protection?"

I shrugged, telling all of the truth to Alice. "You know I'd never lie to you, my closet friend in the whole world."

"I just.... Oriel... you've been gone for two days and suddenly you ask me to believe you?! Adil and I were worried sick over you! We thought you were kidnapped and dead! I-I even cried over you..."

Tears began to well in her eyes as I quickly hugged her. "Don't cry! I'm alive! I didn't die from your hands!"

Alice grabbed my shoulder, gripping them like an iron bar. "You should die from my hands! That way I'll give you a proper burial!"

"Alice, please that's not helping."

"Whatever, I'm going to call Adil! He was worried sick like I was, only he played games to get rid of the worry."

"Well he's a gamer, what else do you expect from him?"

"I don't know!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Something like crying! Or moping! Showing at least some expression of sadness!"

"Adil is like a robot when it comes to sadness. You know after what happened to his dad."

Alice glared daggers at me, almost seemingly to pierce into my soul. "I know his dad died. It still doesn't excuse the fact that he can at last show something to mourn over."

"Alice," I spoke calmly, "would you be sad if you dog died?"

"Of course I would."

"Then if people told you to get over it, would you? Telling you to rip it off like a band aid? Someone in your family, like a father who you loved, isn't something to get over easily. When my parents divorced it was horrible for me. Going to parent to another parent's house wasn't easy on a kid when you had homework or wanted to spend a place at a friend's house. Then my step-dad came into the picture... he is a whole other story, but one I do not wish to explain. There are things in life you can't erase, so that's why Adil has a hard tell expression sadness."

"Ugh!" Alice flopped onto my bed, spreading her arms behind her head. "You talk too much for a book worm. I get it, Adil is sad and can't express it. Way to make me feel guilty half the time."

I was going to speak when my phone rang The Legend of Zelda tune, and it was Adil from just knowing that. It rung three times before I picked up to hear static sound on the other end. "Hello?"

"Oriel? Are you okay?! I didn't think you would pick up!"

"Yeah... I saw you called me a hundred times... way to take up my data plan."

"Doesn't matter! Where were you?! Two days gone, ran away from us at the carnival, and now you're alive and breathing!"

"Look, Adil it's a long story. Come over here so I can explain. I'll have my mom whip up something for us to eat."

"Alright, bye."

Adil hung up as Alice sat up, looking at me confused. "Wait, why isn't your mother screaming at you?"

"Well.... It when like this."

Wrath and Draze speed down the street as the leaves around me fell around like a twister. The big empty house now seemed like a horror story to me, knowing that this liquid will erase memories...

Should I try it on Alice and Adil? But... they have a right to know...

I ignored my thoughts and paced myself to the front door. Hopefully Buddy was asleep in my room and wouldn't bark to wake up my parents. The keys jangled in my hands as I carefully twisted the lock, twisting the knob, and entering the living room. Flakes of dust shined in the moon's light. My mother never really cleaned much so that's why I would sneeze a lot when I entered through the first door.

Then, the jiggling of dog tags came. My heart pounded in my chest as I dived behind the couch. The shadow on the wall moved back and forth as Buddy's tail wagged ever so lightly with happiness. Jiggling was the only source of noise and then came the dog himself.

Buddy was a mix terrier and chihuahua, white everywhere but a spot of brown on the left side of his eye. It was a special spot because not only did he look cute, but he could get away with stuff when he wagged his tail.

He barked when he saw me and covered me in wet dog kisses. I giggled and tried to quiet him down, but footsteps pounded on the stairs as my mother came into view. At first I would have asked first, but the rage inside her explode out into one whole sentence.

"ORIEL CASSANDRA FINCH! YOU COME HOME AFTER JUST DISAPPEARING FOR TWO DAYS?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

My step-dad came down along with her and crossed his arms over his chest, clearly pissed off at not only the sight of me, but getting my mother mad as well. If my mother was mad, he was mad as well, like a little kid mimicking their peer.

"Mom let me explain-"

"No! You don't get to explain! You're grounded! For life! N-No more hanging out with Adil or Alice, or anyone close to you! You're never getting out of his house until-"

I threw the bottle with the liquid inside at her face. She coughed and started to wipe it off the best she could. Jerry face twisted with disgusted while grabbing the baseball bat near to him. "You're fucking dead, kid. I'm sick and tired of you!"

I dodged in time before he could slam it into the side of my head. My eyes widen in fear as I ducked and swerved from his attack. I've never seen this side of him before, was he trying to kill me?!

He grabbed my elbow and started crushing it with an iron grip. Why does everyone have an iron grip on me?! Am I that weak?!

In a last ditch effort I threw the whole bottle of the liquid at his face. It started to steam and burn his face as the air was filled with his howls of pain. My mother was on the ground, passed out with a peaceful face. I left Jerry on the floor and dragged my mother back up to her room.

I grabbed Buddy and slammed the door, covering my mouth from crying out loud. My own step-dad was trying to kill me... my mother would never believe me... but I saw it with my own eyes...

"So that's what happened." I said, waving my arms around like magic.

Alice had her mouth dropped open. "Oh my god... I knew your step-dad was weird, but he mental in the head! Why aren't you saying anything?!"

"Because my mother would think I'm making it up! She already knows I don't like Jerry much, so she'll think this is a way to get rid of him."

"Damn," She furrowed her eyebrows. "There must be a way to convince your mother he's... mental. Was it only when your mother was passed out?"

"Yeah, after I knocked her out with the potion, dodged his attacks, then knock him out with the potion next. I swear... I'm going to my dad's after this..."

"Don't you have him for the weekend?"

"I have him this weekend. Hopefully my mother hasn't told the school I've gone missing."

"I don't think she has."

The door knocked downstairs as I knew my mother had opened the door. Adil's voice rang downstairs, then came up as he went up to my room.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked while coming in.

Adil was the type of nerd to not dress like one. Skinny jeans with a pale blue shirt, even with a gray beany on top of his head. It was his mother who made him ware clothes like these because his mother wasn't on top of him being a whole gaming nerd.

Alice spoke first, "you just missed out on a lot of information."

"It's not that important." I mumbled.

"Not that important?!" She bellowed out, "God, you have a whole view of what's important."

"Oriel!" My mother shouted, "Breakfast is ready!"

"We'll talk later." I talked to them both.

I walked down the stairs as the smell of pancakes filled my nose. Pancakes with chocolate chips inside, heaven in one bite. Jerry was on the couch groaning in pain as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked my mom when Adil and Alice came down the stairs.

"I don't know, but I woke up to him sleeping on the floor passed out like he was drunk."

"I wasn't drunk..." Jerry groaned as he rose his neck up. "Don't know how the hell I as asleep on the floor. All I remember is going to bed before passing out."

My relief only lasted for a few moments. The potion might have not only effected their memories... hopefully only that only affected. Adil came up along with Alice and sat down on both sides of me. My mother smiled and served them up pancakes too.

"Alice honey, do you mind telling your mother the next book meeting will be?"

"Sure!" Alice said before pigging out on her pancakes.

I only picked at mine as the dread of school was weighting me down. Would the school call my mother when I come back to there, saying I don't have a note to excuse my absence? Adil burped loudly to snap me from my thoughts.

Alice rolled her eyes. "You couldn't save that in the car?"

"Nope."

My phone rang as I picked it up, seeing a number I didn't recognize. Maybe it's best to not answer calls these days... I blocked the call and ate only one pancake before grabbing my bag. "We're off."

"Have a nice day at school!"

Jerry grunted at me, but the image of him holding that baseball bat, ready to kill me, would still send shivers down my spine. Adil jogged ahead and started the car. Alice would let me sit in the front at times, which was today.

The ride there was just a hazy daydream. Adil and Alice talked back and forth while I just stared off into space. What did Yrre say? We would be watching me along with a buddy? Was I really that much in danger? Couldn't my angel powers save me from before? Maybe they don't work that way... only when I'm in real life or death danger.

"Oriel," Adil yelled slightly, making me jump, "quite dozing off. We're here."

Blood rushed into my cheeks. Adil knew I daydreamed a lot, but sometimes I would doze off so much he would have to scream into my ear to lure me back to realization. Alice grabbed her bag and exited out of the car while it moved. I knew why because the bell was ringing, and Alice never wanted to be late.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Adil asked, a hint of worry inside his voice.

"I should be. Don't know how those sins will get inside the school."

"Me either. What do they look like? Handsome men? Or godly handsome men?"

"Handsome men. I wouldn't go for godly looks, like how Alice imagines her soul mate to look like."

"True. I'll see ya later."

Adil patted me on the shoulder before running off for P.E. class. History for first hour wasn't bad, but when our teacher gave us unannounced quizzes, my day started off poorly. I fast walked towards my class and made it before the second bell rang.

Mr. Wilber chuckled as I rushed into my seat. "Just in time, so you didn't get bit by the Devil's Hell Hounds this time."

Mr. Wilber would always like to compare things to the devil. Odd, but he was old fashioned that way. I just gave him a smile before opening up my text book, but the door opened to two new people. At first they didn't strike my interest, until they turned towards the class.

The first one had the face of Wrath, only he had his hair turned brown with the back of his hair light like honey. His brother... Envy I'm guessing... had just normal black hair, but when he stood in the light it didn't shine down on his twilight hair.

Mr. Wilber moved his body and gave the boys a warm hearted smile. "Ah, it's good to see you two. The office told me I would have two new boys in my class. Your names are...?"

"Yrre Daron." Wrath pointed to his brother, "This is my brother, Newell Daron."

Girls around us were whispering around quietly, but not quietly enough for me not to hear. "Oh my god... they're so hot... do you really think they'll stay for the whole school year?"

"Please, I beg they do. What was his name? Newell? He's slightly hotter than his brother."

Oh jeez. The girls around here already are drooling over them. Give me a bag to barf inside, twice for measures. If these girls knew what these guys were, I bet they would takes their boobs and butts away from them. Teenage girls in these girls were unpredictable at times, but their run for hot boys weren't.

"Mister Yrre," Mr. Wilber spoke, "you can sit next to Oriel. Oriel raise your hand."

Crap! Why did fate do this to me?! Why?! Jeremy sat in front of me, but now Yrre sat right next to me! Just... gotta love life... am I right? Regretfully, I rose my hand high in the air.

Yrre nodded silently and sat next to me, not even bothering to even glance my way. Newell sat in the far back of the class where the popular girls can bombard him with useless questions.

The biggest question I have for them was why did they need to be in the same classroom as me? Did they orchestrate this? How did they know what class I had? Even more, what school I went to. Time passed by so fast I didn't hear the bell ring for second period. If the air couldn't get icier, then the tension between us could have been hard as ice.

Yrre only gave me a quick glance before shoving his shoulder into mine. Not nicely, I might add. Jeremy saw and went to grab his shoulder, but I touched him on his shoulder before he could spring into action.

"Stop, it's not worth it."

"Are you sure?" Jeremy spoke roughly, anger boiling inside his eyes. "Guys like him tick me off. Oriel... I know we've only spoken once, but don't trust him. People like him shouldn't be trusted."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just do." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and took off, leaving rather hastily.

Lunch time came, and that was when I started to look behind my shoulder for them. This is the first time in forever I was ever cautious about my surroundings. Two people who were supposed to be the sins of the Seven Deadly Sins, how wonderful.

"Hey," Adil called, sitting down next to me, "are you okay? You seem... weary."

I sighed heavily, making it seem like a brick was inside me. "They're here... the Sins."

"You don't mean... those guys you were talking about?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Apparently they're in this school for my protection. You would think I wouldn't need protection."

"I don't know." He lifted up my arm, poking at my baby fat. "These look like they can lift only an apple."

Heat rose into my cheeks as I pulled my arm back. "Leave my arm fat alone! They know they're weak already!"

Adil chuckled while pulling out his lunch bag. "I was only kidding. Alice is coming this way, along with two... hot guy."

I looked at his direction as my heart dropped inside my stomach. Alice led Yrre and Newell towards us, their aura of darkness coming over my before joyful mood. Alice herself didn't seem too happy either as she gestured at us.

"There," she said, stopping next to me. "Here the wonderful Oriel Finch, now will you leave me alone?"

Yrre didn't look at her, must less acknowledge her, looking at me with somewhat calm eyes. He looked different with brown hair, not as grumpy looking and actually looked laidback, like a high school student.

"Hello," Newell spoke up, "I'm his brother, Envy."

"I figured that."

Alice puffed out her cheek, facing Newell. "So you speak to her and not me? How rude of you, I was the one who lead you two weirdoes."

Newell narrowed his eyes. At this point they looked like an endless void. "Why should have I talked to you? You're just a mortal, not the reason we came here for was to chit chat."

Before Alice could exploded into a rage, Adil stepped into the picture. "What she wants to say is who you two are and what are you doing in our school, more like for Oriel I'm guessing at this point."

Yrre sat down on the school lunch table, hunching his shoulders over like a gravedigger. "Those two friends of yours probably don't know you're an angel, from what we've seen and know. The holy light you used to blast me and Lei into the wall was released from your body, and now is surrounded in your aura. It's an easy way to make you a target for demons and ghosts."

"Wait," Adil spoke up, "what are you talking about? Oriel isn't an angel."

"How are you so sure?" Newell icily spoke. "Mortals like you can't see behind the eye of this so-called fantasy. People around you in this school could be demons, mystical creatures, or whatever is new in this world anymore."

"You two don't seem weird." Alice giggled lightly. "But you look a tiny bit scary. With your eyes, they seem endless in a pit of misery."

Newell stood there shocked. No one has comparted his eyes to anything else before, but maybe comparing them to endless voids was somewhat of a compliment. I on the other hand was scared to know that demons could be out there, hungry for blood...

"Yrre," I said, "That still doesn't answer the whole question of why you're here in my school."

Yrre groaned and rubbed his hands together. "How dense can you mortals be? If you have a power of your own then monsters are more likely to attack you as a source of food. The world has become soft because we protect you mortals, maybe we should change that."

Oddly, fear crawled down my back, picking at my skin slowly like needles. "What do you mean by change? You... mean to say you hunt demons...? Aren't they from your own kind?'

"Yes," Newell started, picking at the collar of his shirt, "but some demon from Hell are too dangerous, even for us to handle, so we team up and take them down. It's safer that way so we can protect our food."

"By food you mean souls of humans, don't you?" I asked.

Newell smirked and nodded. "Bingo, you catch on fast."

"That's cruel and stupid!" Alice shouted out loud, but quickly lowered her voice. "You're only hunting demons for your leisure to eat us without a thought in mind? I can't believe people like you exist for a reason!"

Normally, I would have expected Newell to shout at Alice in a blind of furry, but he winced as if hurt emotionally. Maybe he agreed with Lei on taking souls part, it was wrong to take souls from the innocent.

Yrre caught on and grabbed Alice's hand, crushing it slightly, but she didn't show pain. "If you talk like that one more time to my brother I will crush your head easily, just watch it."

"You don't scare me."

"Okay!" I gently shoved them away from each other. "I don't need blood in the courtyard today, and I already got homework to catch up on."

"Yeah, demons be gone!" Adil randomly shouted.

At least he was trying to help. Adil would say random things out of the blue in case situations got too heated up or dangerous. Surprisingly it worked half the time.

Yrre on the other hand looked at him like he was an idiot. "Are you mental in the head, boy? Demons be gone... the first I've heard of something strange."

"Yes he's mental!" I grabbed both my friend's elbows and pulled them along. "We have to get going now! Hope to see you later," I quickly whispered under my breath, "or never..."

I trudged our way through the hallways before Adil stop in the middle of walking. "What are you going to do about those weirdos? They seem to be gods... or whatever they are. Just thinking about this... but are they going to be here throughout the school year?"

"Hopefully not." Alice butted in. "I'll kill them both before they do something horrible to Oriel."

Thank god for supportive friends, especially Alice who would kill anyone for me. Hopefully she won't get caught one day...

The words Yrre said worried me to a certain point. If he needed humans alive only for souls, couldn't he just easily capture some humans and use them as food sources? Then again what do I know about demons and their dietary habits?

"Tsk, that girl is a pain in the ass."

"Which one?" I asked Newell.

"The one with the red hair! Is it true that gingers don't have souls? It has to be true for her!"

I sighed at my brothers urge to compart every woman to demon, or something either dreadful. Newell didn't mingle well with others, especially woman, but it was fun to watch them tease him for his mysterious good looks.

One time, before we were banished to the earth, a succubus tried seducing him for fun. Newell didn't get what she was trying to do and attacked her until she went away. I felt a little remorseful for the succubus, who was already dead in pieces by the time I tried to tell her.

Still, if we can't convince Oriel to accept our protection then she'll be dead, power stolen from another demon. If we, The Seven Sins, come back to Hell, then the judgement of the souls should return to normal.

To give your mind some enlightenment, my brothers and I sort the souls of the damned. Since we're not down in Hell I can only guess the worst for Hell... but ghost are the demons who escape judgement are haunting the living world. The paintings in our manor are the souls we have caught over the years. Most of them are highly dangerous, but they're tamable if defeated.

"Hey," Newell snapped his fingers in front of me, "are you listening to me? We've been in this school for more than half of the day, waiting for something to happen, and now we're wasting time to act now!"

I blinked and shook my head. "Yeah I'm listening. Just forget about that red head, we need Oriel to listen to us."

"Last time she did she escaped and almost got herself killed."

"That is because Lei helped her escape. Now that we have her in eye rang she'll be safe..." And we'll become rulers of Hell again, with all my brothers not being laughing stocks with me

The bell rang around us, I'm guessing meaning either school was ending. I could never understand mortals and school. Why go for twelve years and learn against your will? Screw college, which only gets you so far in life. Back in my time you finished school, you were successful and had children, lived well, and died. Lei went to school for fun, but it bored him out of his mind after some time.

People came in hordes, like hell hounds hunting their next meal. Newell hid behind me while I shoved our way through the crowd. Gees, three hours after lunch and people are already ready to dash their way out of here.

Just faintly, I could sense Oriel in the crowd along with her other three sidekicks. If she plan on escaping then we're going to hunt her down and tie her to the back of the car, where her face barely dangles at the edge of the street, waiting for her nose to be burned and broken. What; too dark?

Newell saw her enter into a fairly nice Volvo, but who drives those things? Using our speed, we hopped into the car and sat in the back seat, where Oriel screamed on the top of her lungs. I covered my ears and winced. Why do mortals always have to be so loud?

"The hell?!" The boy from earlier shouted, slamming on the breaks.

The other girl, Alice, looked at us with bewildered eyes, mostly staring at Newell. Oriel panted heavily and kicked at me, making me growl at her.

"Get out!" She screamed in my face.

"We're coming with you! So, if you don't want to be dinner, start moving the car. I'm talking to you, boy."

His name came back to me. Adil was pale in the face, but did as told and started the car. The ride to her house was very, extremely, tense. I could sense the waves of anger radiating off of her, knowing how she wanted so badly to strangle me right where I stand.

"So," Alice started first, "are you guys going to be bodyguards now?"

"No." Oriel spoked firmly.

This girl was starting to get on my nerves. I turned and grabbed her shoulder, pushing down with some pressure. "Like it or not we're going to be following you around when we get the chance."

"I don't care!" She spat in my face, "This whole thing is stupid!"

"Guess what? You're in this stupid thing, like it or not."

Oriel sighed and dragged a hand down her face. "I wished I never went to that carnival... this would never have been happening."

The anger coming off of her turned into feeling melancholy. Strangely, I felt bad for her. I could feel all the stress inside her coming out as tears. No tears were on her face, but that didn't mean the soul could cry inside itself.

Adil came to a stop in front of the same house I remembered last night. "We're here..."

Alice came out first and opened the door on our side. "Get out, I want to talk to Oriel."

If I wasn't feeling mellow for Oriel right now that attitude of hers would surely get herself killed. I did as told and let Oriel come out of her car, crashing into Alice's arm. She looked like a broken person, the cracks slowly coming off like a painted doll.

Newell shook my shoulder and made me turn around to see him. "Yrre, don't you feel it?"

"Feel what?" I ask, suddenly feeling panicked.

"Gabriel is inside her house."