Page 1 of The Devil's Deal

Part I

The Past

Chapter One

Chiara

Age 10

Dear Diary,

I hate my life.

I hate it here, in this house. In this body. In this world I’m stuck in.

The rooms are big, but the walls squeeze me tight. I can’t breathe. It really hurts. All of me hurts. I wish I didn’t have to hurt anymore.

Every day, I fight the bad feelings away, wishing I could run away. But I can’t. I’m stuck living in this stupid house with my stupid dad.

I’m scared of him and his bad moods. I never know what will make him yell at me and Mom or hit us. He gets mad about everything! What music I like, what shows I want to watch, who I want to be friends with.

I don’t even have friends. Not really. No one except Dominic, the boy I have been friends with since third grade. But I call him Dom. I think I told you that already. That’s what his family calls him, so I do too. I don’t have any nicknames, but that’s because I like my name the way it is.

The other kids at school all suck. They only pretend to like me, but they don’t invite me anywhere when they make plans. I know because I hear about the stuff they do together. And when I invite them to my house, they’re always busy. I’m not stupid.

I don’t know what I did to make them hate me, but I can’t make people like me. It’s their loss. I want to ask why they never include me, but I chicken out. One time, I heard Caitlin say to another girl that her mom said my dad was dangerous. They stopped talking once they saw me walking by.

Why is my dad dangerous? Do they know he hits me? Hits my mom? No, they can’t know. No one does.

Whatever. I don’t care. I have Dom. He’s a real friend. My best friend in the whole world. We haven’t been apart since we first met in class.

But Dad hates Dom and his family. He won’t let me be friends with him at all. I couldn’t even invite him for any of my birthdays. My stupid dad says they’re losers, but that’s dumb. He’s the loser.

I really don’t get why he hates them so much. So what if they don’t have as much money as we do? How could my dad hate someone who’s so nice to me?

Dominic’s family is also much better than ours. His parents really love each other, like for real. I don’t remember the last time Dad was nice to Mom.

Dom’s parents are so kind to me every time I stop by their bakery. They make the best chocolate chip cupcakes ever.

I’m glad I have Dom. I’d be so alone without him.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand and I pick it up, finding a text message from Dom.

Dom: Hope you’re not bored at home. Text me if you are.

Holding my cell phone with one hand, I finish my latest diary entry.

I have to go now, Diary. Dom is calling, and I want to talk to him before Dad gets home. Bye!

I decide to call him instead of texting because texting on this stupid Razr phone with the number pad sucks.

When I dial his number, the phone rings for a second before he answers.

“Hey, Chiara,” he says cheerfully. “How’s your day going? I would invite you over for dinner, but I know your dad hates me, so…”

He laughs, but in a sad way. I feel so bad.

“He doesn’t hate you,” I lie, trying to sound honest.

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