Note: I can't remember exactly the name of the bookstore where Devi worked…Dragon Books or Dragon Comics or something. I don't feel like digging out my Director's Cut to make sure, so for the sake of this story, she works at Dragon Books. Okay? Okay. On with the show.

Chapter Three: "New" Friend

What time was it? Johnny had no idea; he had forgotten his watch somewhere in his house. He chuckled to think that it was one of the few items there that was not an instrument of torture. He supposed his CD player wasn't either, though that did remind him of that particular incident in the café when he had murdered all of those assholes while listening to Ode to Joy…

A small smile almost tugged Johnny's lips upward as he walked by the café in question, but he clenched his teeth. No. They hadn't all been assholes, and he knew it. He couldn't think for too long about those random fits of rage lest he do that again.

No...I can't afford to fail this 'test,' Johnny thought with some disdain as he walked. I'm sure 'killing people' has GOT to be high on the list of things I shouldn't do.

He was now about two blocks from the bookstore where Devi worked. A large mechanical clock on the wall of the building showed 4:40. Suddenly his throat was dry and his palms were clammy. He would need to hurry before he lost his nerve.

To do WHAT? a tiny part of his brain nagged. Forge a relationship with a girl you loved but who now has no idea that you exist?

Johnny stopped, reminding himself that Devi ALSO had no memory of the whole "immortalizing the moment" fiasco. That had to help him out somehow. But the idea of talking to her as soon as he walked through those doors was beginning to frighten him more than would a confrontation with Squee.

He straightened up and walked forward, opening the double doors and heading straight for the Psychology section. Seeing as it was straight ahead, it wouldn't be too hard to look like he knew where he was going.

"Hello, welcome to Dragon Books!" a cheerful voice chimed from behind the counter.

Johnny's head whipped to the right and immediately took in Devi sitting cross-legged on a stool, doodling on a note pad. Her purple and pink streaked hair was tied back in pigtails. She smiled brightly at him, just as pretty as Johnny had remembered.

"Eh…hi," Johnny muttered, forcing himself to walk forward. He could still feel her eyes on him, and he stopped once more when she spoke up again.

"Looking for anything in particular?"

"I…I'm just browsing, thank you," he mumbled quietly, retreating to the middle of the Psychology and Social Sciences sections. Devi looked curiously after him, but shrugged and went back to her drawing. He slumped against one of the shelves, rubbing his temples absentmindedly. This would be harder than he had imagined.

Why had his homicidal self possessed so much more…charm? True, he hadn't gone on a lot of dates back then, but he had chatted with Devi fairly easily. He tried to remember how those conversations had gone, how they had started. He had been flipping through one of the sociology books and she had come up to him, asking if he needed help with anything. He had shaken his head no, but she had persisted when she realized that he was holding one of her favorites. They had jumped so quickly into a discussion from there that it was almost dizzying. At the time, Johnny had never met anyone so decent and amiable…and he was instantly attracted to her.

"She seems about the same," Johnny muttered to himself, picking up a psychology book at random. "No need to rush into things…just let them happen naturally…"

"Good, Johnny," whispered Satan's voice in his mind.

"Ah!" he gasped suddenly, dropping the book to the floor. It thumped off of his foot with a dull thud, landing not far from the end of the aisle. Devi leapt off of her seat, rushing over to the Psychology section. She bent down to pick up the book, dusting it off and examining Nny's face.

Johnny smiled awkwardly. Satan HAD to stop doing that so often.

"Are you alright, sir?"

"Eh…I'm…I'm fine," Johnny stuttered. "And please, it's Johnny. Or Nny, whichever you prefer…?" He trailed off, hoping for her to offer her name. Not like he needed a reminder.

Devi obliged. "It's Devi." She smiled playfully back at him. "Have I seen you around before?"

Johnny started. "I…don't think so?" He shook his head. How COULD she have seen him before? Satan had wiped her memory, right?

She tilted her head. "Maybe you have one of those faces. Or maybe I read too much supernatural stuff and it's messing with me. Who knows." She chuckled quietly.

Johnny chuckled back, mostly out of nervousness and at a loss for words. What was WRONG with him? He had never been this easily flustered before. He wasn't expecting things to go so surprisingly well, either.

She put the book back on the shelf, still smiling at him. "Well, whatever the case…we are closing soon, so if you've got a book you want to buy…"

"Closing soon? It's only ten of five."

"It's Sunday, in case you forgot," she said. "They let us poor employees off a little earlier. I wouldn't normally be here today, but I need the extra cash."

Oh right. It was Sunday. Johnny had really lost track of time since he'd visited Hell not too long ago.

Devi started to walk back to the counter, and Johnny grabbed the same book without even glancing at the cover. "I'd like to buy this if you don't mind, Devi."

She rang him up, still regarding him with a bemused smile on her face. "Of course not…Johnny. It's my job."

"I need a job," he said wistfully, waiting as she took his cash and counted out his change. "I really need something to keep me occupied." And to keep my mind off of murdering any random asshole on the street, he thought to himself.

"You could try that café down the street. I hear they're hiring."

Johnny grimaced at the memory. "No thanks. The café scene isn't really my thing."

Devi shrugged. "Something else, then. Retail?"

Johnny thought for a few seconds about how hard it would be for him to contain his rage if he was reduced to folding clothes or helping people pick out wardrobes for their child. Or worse: working during prom season.

He shuddered. "Not very tempting."

Devi laughed again, handing him his bag. "Just a thought. I'd probably despise it too. Good luck with the job hunt all the same…will I be seeing you around?"

Johnny flashed what he hoped was a winning smile. "Most definitely."

She got up, walking behind him as he headed out the door. "Here, I'll follow you out. I need to lock up."

The silly smile was still plastered on Johnny's face as the two left Dragon Books. He felt almost as happy as he had on their "date" many months before, except of course Devi now had no memory of that horrifying moment when the Doughboys had completely wrecked Johnny's chances with her. They weren't in the picture anymore, though…he would just come to the store as often as he could, strike up friendly conversation with her, and ask her out as soon as he felt up to it. He could see it now…he could handle this. He was sure of it.

And then he would try to do something about Squee. Anything for Squee. Even if it meant facing him again. He would try to save him…even if he didn't know what that meant.

"Excelente, Nny," Satan said. "Though I must warn you…"

Of course, there was still Satan. Johnny wondered if he would ever have a clear head, free of voices. Satan's voice was like velvet, though, different from the rest. It was almost soothing.

"Could you give me a moment here?" Johnny muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "I'm trying to immortalize the moment." He smiled ruefully at the black joke.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Well, I'm off, Johnny," Devi said, tucking her keys back into her purse. "See you soon, I hope!" She was off then, trotting towards her car in the parking lot. But she wasn't alone. Someone was already standing at her car, arms wide open to hug her.

This man was broad-shouldered and rather handsome, with brown hair sweeping over his left eye. He was dressed similarly to Devi – black shirt, black pants, black boots. He bent down to kiss her, clutching her tightly in his arms.

"Ah, Devi. What are we doing tonight, hon?"

"Hey, Donny. Nice to see you too." She climbed into the car, and he climbed in after her…

Johnny was frozen to the spot. His mouth was dry. He blinked once, twice.

How much HAD changed since Satan had wiped everyone's memories? Had only Squee aged? Had Devi lived a completely different life? Was she a completely different person? Same name, same appearance, but more time to meet someone else…there was no time for Johnny to react as she started the car.

Now he knew what Satan had meant. Had Johnny been closer to them, he might not have been able to contain himself. He would have gone ballistic. He would have taken anything, any object near him, and killed Devi's boyfriend in just a few short seconds. He would have brained him with the book he had just purchased from Devi…

He absent-mindedly took the book from the bag and read the cover for the first time. The Mind of a Psychopath. Typical.

Johnny turned, dumping the book into a nearby trashcan with as much violence as he could muster. Then he ripped the bag apart and stuffed it into the trashcan for good measure.

He realized how much Satan had lied to him. Or how much information he had been keeping from him. It was all the same. There was no way Johnny could be happy now.

Satan was silent. Johnny stalked off, hands in his pockets, seething with rage. He wasn't headed anywhere in particular. If he saw someone else he knew…

Oh, the next person to bump into him on the street would not be lucky.