Angel is back home for the summer, waiting until she can return to her life in Normal—the place she stays for school, where her friends are close, and her independence feels more solid. It’s May. She just moved out of her apartment and is counting down the days until she can move back in with her sister and friends in June.
“Only a month, and I’ll be gone,” Angel kept telling herself.
Being home wasn’t terrible, but after moving out of her parents’ house and curating her own space, it was hard to settle back into her old environment. The bedsheets she’d carefully picked out on Amazon didn’t feel anything like the ones her dad had kept for eight years. The isolation of the city where her dad lived only made it worse. It was the kind of place where you raised your kids, sent them to college, and then… Well, stay until you die.
Normal—where Angel had been living for the past three years—wasn’t perfect either. It was where people went to school, took gap years, or lingered after graduation, unsure of the next step. Still, it had become her second, and sometimes first, home. The sense of familiarity she’d found there made it easier to disconnect from her actual hometown and the people in it.
Angel was staying with her mom for the week, which she enjoyed because her mom was always up for talking or going out .It was Saturday night, and her mom, Sonny, had suggested they all go bowling—Angel, Sonny, and Perry, Angel’s fun-loving stepdad.
By 7 PM, Angel and Perry were ready, as usual, before Sonny. Bored and in her twenties, Angel did what any single person would do: she re-downloaded the dating apps. She had a love-hate relationship with these apps, always telling herself she’d deleted them for good, only to find herself reinstalling Tinder when she had nothing better to do.
Angel wasn’t exactly failing at love, but let’s just say she wasn’t excelling at it either. Of course, she insisted that she only downloaded the app for fun, or because she was bored, but there was always that small, unspoken hope that she might actually meet someone worth liking. (She had once, but… we don’t talk about Bruno.)
As she swiped through profiles, mostly left, occasionally right, she thought about how simple her quota were: funny, tall, and attractive. That’s not too much to ask, right? The problem was that even when someone met those basic standards, their in depth personalities would always drag them down. Once she matched with someone, they would disappoint her by saying things like, “So what you doing tonight” hinting that they should move things from the app to their bedroom.
Then she came across a profile that caught her attention.
For legal purposes, let’s name him Devil.
Angel came across Devil’s profile. He looked tall, lived near her mom’s neighborhood, was cute, and had a decent sense of style. His profile read, “So you’re telling me a shrimp fried this rice?” That made her laugh—it was funny and sort of original. She felt like she had heard it somewhere before but couldn’t pinpoint where, and on the first read, it made her smile. Intrigued, she swiped right.
When the screen flashed MATCHED in big, playful letters, Angel felt her curiosity grow. Knowing he was also at least a little interested made her feel a bit more confident.
Angel wasn’t the type to wait for the guy to send the first message—she’d learned early on that if you wait for a man, you’ll be waiting forever. Still, she hesitated. She didn’t want to start with a boring “hey” or throw out a generic compliment. Weirdly enough, she wanted to impress him, to show that she had a sense of humor too.
So, she typed out her reply: “A shrimp did, in fact, fried this rice.”
As soon as she hit send, she regretted it.
Really, Angel? she thought, That’s the first thing you say?
She spiraled into self-doubt, convincing herself that this random stranger would think she was some kind of weird freak. But then her phone buzzed. It was Devil, responding already. He either had impressive texting skills or spent way too much time on the app.
Curious, she opened Tinder to see what he’d said:
“You’re the only person who’s ever gotten my joke.”
———————————–
Angel hadn’t expected to meet someone who could shift her entire perspective in just two weeks, but here she was, contemplating whether to stay because of a guy she hadn’t even met in person yet. It felt ridiculous, but at the same time, it felt real. Every time she thought about packing up and heading back to Normal, an image of Devil would flash in her mind—his texts, their jokes, the way he made her feel like she could say anything. The connection was instant, like the two of them had skipped all the awkward first-date jitters and jumped straight into something that felt… real.
But how could it feel so real when they hadn’t even met?
Angel had always been careful with her feelings, or at least tried to be. She knew what it was like to give too much of herself, to hope for something that wasn’t there. But this time, it was different. With Devil, everything felt so easy, so natural. They talked about everything—his job, her summer plans, the music they both loved, and the random jokes they’d send to each other throughout the day. He made her laugh. And he listened. Every time she opened her phone to see his name pop up, it was like a little jolt of excitement.
That excitement was becoming addictive.
Angel found herself thinking about him constantly. The good morning texts made her smile more than she’d like to admit. And when he’d told her he couldn’t bear the thought of her going back to school, her heart had leapt. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had made her feel so seen, so wanted. But that also scared her.
There was a nagging voice in the back of her mind, reminding her that none of this was real yet. They hadn’t met. They hadn’t even had the chance to sit across from each other, to see if the same spark existed in person. What if it didn’t? What if the version of Devil she was building in her head was just that—a version? A fantasy she was creating to fill the gaps of her own loneliness?
But then again, what if it was real? What if meeting him only confirmed what she already felt, that this was something special? Something worth staying for?
Angel’s chest tightened at the thought of leaving in June, knowing she might never know the answer. What if she left and missed out on something that could change everything? She didn’t want to lose this feeling, the flutter in her stomach every time his name appeared on her screen. The idea of leaving now felt impossible, like she’d be walking away from a chance at something… more.
Her logical side told her to stick with her plan—move back, start fresh, focus on herself. But her heart wasn’t so sure. She wanted to stay, just for a little while longer, to see where this could go. Maybe it wasn’t practical, but when had feelings ever been practical? The intensity of what she felt for Devil was undeniable, and it was pulling her in, making her question everything she thought she wanted.
Could she really leave when this was just beginning?
“So when are you going to take me out on a date?” Angel asked Devil, her voice playful as they laughed while playing Roblox together on the phone. She had been trying to find a way to bring up meeting face-to-face, but he seemed to be tiptoeing around it. Subtlety wasn’t her strong suit, so she decided to just ask directly.
“What are you doing this Thursday? Are you free?” he replied without missing a beat.
That was something Angel really liked about Devil—he never made her feel awkward about how she spoke her mind. She had feared her question might come off as too forward, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he appreciated her honesty. She loved how quickly he responded with a plan, setting a date immediately. It was such a small thing, but to her, it meant a lot. Angel was used to men who would argue over everything she said instead of just offering a solution. Devil’s decisiveness felt refreshing.
The entire week, Angel found herself counting down the days. She was finally going to meet the guy who had kept her eyes glued to her phone for weeks, the guy whose voice she looked forward to hearing on late-night calls. She was nervous, of course, but the excitement outweighed everything else. In many ways, he already felt familiar to her, like they had known each other for years.
Thursday evening came, and Angel was at her dad’s house, getting ready. She hadn’t been told what they were doing, so she opted for something that felt both cute and comfortable. A short skirt—not too long, but not too revealing—paired with a plain tank top and her favorite black and brown flannel. She wanted to look stylish without trying too hard. As she finished getting ready, she kept texting Devil, hoping he would mention their date. But nothing. His texts came in, but they felt casual, as if today were just any other day.
Around 4 PM, Devil told her he was going to take a nap. Angel replied with a simple “okay,” though her stomach twisted slightly. Then 5 PM came. Still nothing. By 6 PM, her nerves had started to kick in.
“Is he going to flake on me at the last minute?” she thought. She didn’t want to assume the worst or reduce him to that, but something felt off. He hadn’t mentioned their date all day. Angel hesitated to bring it up, worried she might come across as overly eager. The last thing she wanted was to seem desperate or pushy, but her excitement was quickly turning into anxiety.
By 7:50 PM, she was checking her phone obsessively, waiting for any sign of him. Then, finally, a message from Devil popped up.
“Good morning,” Devil texted. It was his usual greeting after waking up from his naps, but this time, it landed differently.
“Good morning,” Angel replied, forcing a smile despite the growing tension in her chest. Nothing about today felt good. She was livid—angry at herself for taking this long to realize that Devil either completely forgot about their date or was just an asshole. Neither option was ideal.
He quickly asked, “Are you at your mom’s place?” She reminded him she wouldn’t be going over there until Friday. As soon as she said that, she could almost hear the gears turning in his head.
“Oh my God, today isn’t Wednesday,” he exclaimed, his tone shifting to one of panic. “Angel, I’m so sorry. I thought today was Wednesday because I’m off tomorrow.”
Angel’s heart sank. To his credit, he sounded genuinely remorseful, but the reality of his mistake felt catastrophic. She had been looking forward to this day since he asked her out. It was the one bright spot in a long, mundane week. How could he mix up the days for their first meeting?
“It’s cool,” she replied dryly, though it was anything but. In that moment, Angel felt the weight of her disappointment crash down around her. She had spent hours preparing, her excitement building with each passing day. Now she felt foolish for having allowed herself to hope so much. The idea of explaining to her best friend that the guy she had been raving about had forgotten their date was downright humiliating.
“Okay…” Devil said cautiously, sensing the tension in her voice. He wasn’t oblivious; he could feel the shift in their dynamic. The easy connection they had felt for weeks was suddenly strained, and Angel found herself contemplating whether this was a sign. Was this how it always went? Building up anticipation only to have it dashed at the last moment?
“I’m just… upset. I was really looking forward to seeing you,” Angel admitted, letting out a shaky breath. “But it’s okay.” The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken feelings.
Then, out of nowhere, Devil says, “Send me your address”
Angel froze. In that moment, her frustration cracked, and a flicker of hope ignited. Could he really be trying to salvage this?
She hesitated for a second, weighing her options. Did she want to give him her address and risk more disappointment? But as she thought about it, she realized that despite everything, a part of her wanted to take this leap. She wanted to believe in the possibility of something real.
“Okay,” she finally said, giving him her address. Her heart raced as she hit send, a mixture of excitement and anxiety coursing through her. All he responded with was “Okay.”
“Okay… what?” she asked, carefully, wanting to clarify but also hoping for good news.
“Okay, I’ll see you in an hour.”
Angel felt a rush of adrenaline. An hour. The anticipation of finally meeting him sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but it also brought a flood of uncertainty. Was this really worth it? She had been so ready to leave and go back to her life, to the safety and familiarity of Normal. But now, the thought of possibly stepping into something new and exciting with Devil felt like an intoxicating risk.
As she paced her room, thoughts raced through her mind. What if he flaked again? What if he was just a nice guy behind a screen, but in real life, it all fell apart? She felt a swell of anxiety, but she also knew that she couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
For the first time in a long while, she was torn between two worlds: the comfort of her old life, which was so easy to slip back into, and the thrilling uncertainty of something new. She had been counting down the days until she could return to Normal, yet here she was, clinging to the chance of building something with Devil.
In that moment, she realized that she was at a crossroads, and despite the fear creeping in, she wanted to choose the unknown.
An hour had passed, and Devil was texting Angel to come outside. She couldn’t believe it. Just one hour ago, she was ready to block him and hurry back to Normal, and now here she was, spraying perfume all over herself, ready to meet him with the biggest smile on her face. After his mix-up, she hadn’t expected to see him at all.
Yet, as she spritzed herself, she felt a flutter of excitement. Angel was used to expressing her frustration to men who didn’t seem to care or even try to fix things. This feeling was so unfamiliar, yet here she was, in an unfamiliar situation. Devil had acknowledged her feelings and immediately wanted to make it right. That simple act of consideration felt like a breath of fresh air.
Angel stepped outside and spotted an unfamiliar gray Sinatra car with tinted windows parked right in front of her house. “Damn Chicago men and their tinted windows,” she thought, her heart racing with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety. She had no idea what she was stepping into, really, but the thrill of the unknown beckoned her forward.
She climbed into the passenger seat, and there he was—the guy she had met on the app that usually showcased a parade of terrible men, now sitting right next to her. Devil wore black pants and a graphic t-shirt, a black hat perched atop his head. His diamond earrings caught the light, and a nose piercing added a hint of edge to his already striking appearance. He looked exactly like his profile on Tinder but somehow even cuter in person—better. The closeness she had felt over the phone transformed into something electric, amplified by the proximity of their bodies.
“I can’t believe you came,” she said, unable to contain her smile. The nerves were still there, but they were overshadowed by an exhilarating rush of hope.
Want more? Well, You’re in luck! Heres Chapter 2
https://balladsofthe20somethings.blog/2025/03/29/angel-meets-devil-2/
