Santi: The Devil's Pioneer

Chapter 21 - My First Fast-Food

            I woke up earlier than the alarm clock and earlier than Emily. I was restless all night. Like a princess with a pea on her mattress, I felt uncomfortable. Not only was I sleeping in some stranger’s bed, but I was also being pampered. I had the luxury every human craved. Yet I didn’t want it.

I sat by the huge windowsill that overlooked a busy street. It was around 6 am. Birds were chirping by the window. The roads weren’t stopped in traffic, but enough cars sped by. You could count in two hands how many people walked by at the same time.

Opposite the apartment I was in, was a tall building. It was as tall as my eyes could see from the window, and I hadn’t seen its peak. It was a bluish metallic color, with transparent windows. I could see everyone walking through the building. It was close enough that I could see human figures clearly, but not too close that I could recognize their faces. One floor had a gym. There were a lot of females running and working out. This must be the usual time wherein perverts and maniacs were too tired to work out.

I stayed by the window observing people as they walk by until the alarm rang. It rang so loud I almost lost my balance on the windowsill.

Just then, Emily bursts through the door.

“Good morning, old chap!” She exclaims. “I’m gonna wash up first. You prepare your things.” She instructs.

I wasn’t used to being ordered around. I was the Queen of Hell. But I felt a sense of gratitude towards Emily. She did put a roof over my head. The least I could do to repay her was do what she wanted me to do for a while. At least until I get on my foot on this whole living-on-Earth work. I get up from the windowsill and ask Emily for the clothes she was lending me.

“Try these on. These had gotten too small for me. But you’re smaller than me, anyway.”

“Thanks,” I say as I grab the skirt and blouse combo and head on to my room.

I immediately felt the need to try on the uniforms. I never once belonged to anything else than Hell. I have never worn a uniform before. Not once had I taken a class nor studied. There were so many new things I was experiencing all at once. It was almost terrifying.

The uniform fit me like a glove. I was considerably smaller and shorter than Emily, given that she wore heels all the damn time. The skirt stopped too short above my knees. The blouse, on the other hand, was an inch away from looking cropped on me. But I wasn’t one to complain. At least not verbally.

Their uniform was orange-themed. The skirt was a checkered orange and black. The blouse was long-sleeved and white with orange details such as a ribbon by the neck. I had no shoes to pair these with. Emily bought me new pairs of what she called “Louboutin?” I’m not exactly sure how that was pronounced or named. All I know was that they were uncomfortable and heeled shoes that I cannot walk properly on. I hope she won’t make me wear it to school today.

Um, wow. I’m going to school.

“School,” That left a bitter taste on my tongue. Like I’m doing something I’m not supposed to do.

It wasn’t long before Emily comes bursting through the door again. This time with a robe on and a towel wrapped around her head.

“Babe, you need to wash up. As it turns out, I underestimated the time it’d take for us both to get ready. Kiki’s driving by in ten minutes. So, make it fast, okay?”

Like a spineless demon, I obeyed in silence. I had never ‘washed up’ in Hell. Hence, I didn’t know what to use or how this whole ‘bathe’ thing goes. Last night, Emily left all these weird bottles open. I assumed that was what was used to wash up. This time, the bathroom was clean of any random bottles.

I couldn’t exactly ask Emily how to ‘wash’ myself? I mean, I knew I had to rinse myself from dirt. It just complicates when I contemplate all these random chemicals. I pick up one bottle and it read, Paris - Deauville Les Eaux de Chanel. I notice that was the same brand as the shop we went to yesterday. I contemplate using it. There were no instructions on the bottle. Just that it screamed luxury. Restless and impatient, I grab the bottle and pour it all over my human body. Whatever makes me smell good, I guess.

Yes, it smelled fantastic. I pour it over my head as well, washing up my locks. Strangely, after rinsing and drying myself, I notice my hair having hints of the color red. I was innately a black-haired devil. Innately, as well, the moment I cut my hair in shoulder-length for the first time, it stopped growing. I had cut it shorter since and it never grew again. Until now, when I notice strands of ginger locks. Just then, Emily knocks on the door loudly.

“Hey, babe? I hate to burst your bubble in there, but we gotta go. Like now. Now.”

“Yeah, I’m finishing up,” I say as I scramble to fetch a robe from the drawers. I pick up another towel and desperately try to wrap it around my head as Emily did. Annoyingly enough, it wouldn’t wrap my head. I leave it on the floor, a bit rattled by the time pressure.

I left the bathroom and slip into the uniforms Emily gave me. Only then did I remember I didn’t have any shoes to wear. I also caught a glimpse of Emily with a backpack on. I had nothing. I possessed nothing.

Emily must’ve noticed my blank stare at my feet as she offered me black flat shoes.

“These are your size, I guess. I’ve also prepared a backpack for you in the living room. It’s a bit dusty. I haven’t used it for some time. Now chop-chop.” She hurries me out of the room, using her hands to gesture how urgent my speeding up was.

And yes, I felt the pressure.

I felt it so much that I had forgotten to wear the shoes to give me. I only remembered as we were climbing down the stairs and I notice how light Emily’s load and walk was, whereas I was practically scrambling to carry everything.

Because I was carrying my shoes.

Emily hadn’t even noticed because she was running ahead of me.

Silly human body.

Mid-stair, I slip into the shoes and felt breezier, and ran easier. We approach the sidewalk where Kiki had just pulled up. Interestingly enough, he was driving a different vehicle.

“Notice how yesterday it was a Chevrolet Colorado and today, it’s a Jaguar E-Type?” Emily faces me. I nod in confusion. Was this normal? “His father owns a car-recycling company, I guess? Not sure but he’s fricking rich and daddy allows him to use any car he wants.”

Cool, but spoiled.

“Get in, losers.” He shouts from the car. In the back was Emman, seated with his eyes on his phone.

It was very smooth and vintage. It looked so vintage. Similar to how human souls would arrive in Hell around 50-60 years ago. I run my hand through the hood of the car. Needless to say, I liked to help torture human souls from that time. They were just so slick. Just like this car was. Slick and classy.

“Beautiful, ain’t she?” Kiki winks at me from his seat.

“Yes, she is.” I agree, smiling at the pretty thing in front of me. Hell wasn’t a place for smooth vehicles. It was mostly trashy sport-junk athletes tortured in trashy cars.

“I like your taste, Santi. Now, hop on.” He chuckles and opens the passenger seat door. I climb in, continuing to admire the classic leather interior. I think my eyes are sparkling.

If animals were murdered for this piece of beauty, I don’t mind a thousand shrieking deer.

“Won’t you sit in the back with us? Peter usually seats in front on the ride to school.” Emman interjects before Kiki starts to drive.

“Driver rules. I sit whomever wherever. This chick knows what’s going on, and I like it.” He exclaims with a laugh. I laugh along. I jumped into Kiki’s good side.

It’s never a bad thing to have friends. Might as well befriend Emily’s friends.

Emman doesn’t answer Kiki but his face shows that he was annoyed. Well, I think he’s a little hard to befriend.

We pick up Peter and drive through a fast-food chain. It was named, Jollibee. Emily bought me fried chicken and we all ate breakfast in the parking lot of the school. We had ten minutes left to spare before the gates closed. Kiki ran so many red lights and went over the speed limit a couple of times to make it ten minutes before the time. We were running so late I had forgotten to wear shoes. Nevertheless, we had time for chicken and pasta.

“This spaghetti just never stops being good, you know.”

“Ugh, I hate it enough. Stop saying its name.” Emily scrunches up in disgust. She was having chicken and rice. While all of us ate our chicken and spaghetti in peace.

“Well, this gravy is awesome,” I say as I wipe some of it off my lips. This was the one good thing about being human. Being able to eat and enjoy it. Not once in Hell have I tasted something this sumptuous. Only rage and fury were tasty in Hell.

“We’ve been eating at this fast-food since it was built. They just get better with time.” Emman shares.

“The chicken is so perfectly crispy and well-seasoned. The spicy flavored one is also just spicy enough that it doesn’t burn my tongue but still keep me on my toes.”

“Weird description of a fried chicken, Peter.”

“Yeah, but it’s true. I also love these chunks of hotdogs in the spaghetti. They look so cute. I look like five-year-old eating this.”

“Yes, because don’t we just all love to hear about your spaghetti, Kiki.”

“I heard they started from the Philippines.” Peter wonders.

“That’s no secret, but I am seriously impressed. This is the only good thing to cross the Atlantic Ocean.” Emman’s eyes widens as he finished his last bite of spaghetti.

“You forgot to look at the map this morning, huh?” Emily tries to mock him but ended up with a smug grin.

Peter and Kiki laugh simultaneously and so did Emily. But I didn’t because there was nothing funny.

“What’s funny?” I ask with all seriousness.

“Honestly, girl, if you don’t know where the Atlantic Ocean is, I can’t take you with me to Japan.” She says, shaking her head.

Of course, I don’t know where the Atlantic Ocean is. Not only am I not taught anything in Hell, but we also don’t refer to Earth’s islands by their names. Yes, we know some major cities, but oceans? Not enough souls have died in the oceans for me to recognize their actual names.

But wait Japan?

Did she just say she was taking me to Japan? Was this girl crazy?

“Are you crazy?” I mutter out of nowhere, with my eyes widened with shock.

The boys stop laughing as they see my expression. Just then, the loudspeaker from inside the school played a countdown song.

You now have 3 minutes to get in.

No, we don’t let any latecomers come in.

The phrase played over and over. All of us scrambled to fix our things and throw away the trash. As the song played with 1 minute left, Emman grabs my hand and takes me to the long, narrow hallway.

“You have the first period with me. Second and third with Kiki. He’ll take you to your fourth. And we have the fifth period, I think, together again. And seventh, you share with Emily.” He says as he continues to grab my hand with force. I try to loosen his grip but he held on tight.

“Are you mad at me or something?”

“What? I’m in a hurry. Didn’t you hear the one-minute deadline?”