Once Duke left I was unable to ignore Heather who had been yelling at me during my entire interaction with Duke.

“ARE YOU EVEN FUCKING LISTENING TO ME.”

“Huh… oh yeah you're here.”

She took a deep angry breath before speaking again.“Al, I just don’t want to see you overdose” she spoke calmly

“Heather I don't think a little weed-” to be expected she cut me off

“No, I meant the fucking stupid pills you must be abusing you stupid bitch, fuck me.” She put her hands over her face in anger. “ Gee let me tell this junkie I barely know I see ghosts and I'm trying to send her friend to jail,” she added, mocking me before covering her face again.

“Heather you heard her, once she figured out it was me in that house she tried to stop Veronica from knowing.”

“Or maybe she already told Veronica and she sent Duke to get you high so you'd say why you were there, and of course, you went ahead and fucking told her everything. Izaya told us there are more people than just him working for Veronica, She could very well be one of them. Holy shit you're denser than a black hole” She got progressively more annoyed as she spoke.

I got up and we both started walking to my next class. “I don't think she’d do that.”

“Why, what makes your microscopic brain think that?”

A simple shrug was my only response. Heather sighed at my response, her agitation with me growing.

“Shouldn't we be in class now, Mr Larson?” In front of us stood Paul Mitchell.

“Mayor Mitchell, What are you doing here?”

“What can I say? I love to visit my favorite school.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “You know I've been meaning to talk to your parents for a while but they seem to be avoiding me” He chuckles before waiting for me to answer.

“Well they're out of town for the week, they’re visiting my aunt's place,” I answered hesitantly. Paul always made me feel uneasy; he just had a really scummy vibe.

He giggled to himself some more before looking at me and then smelling my shirt “ You smell like weed.”

I didn't respond. I just smelled his shirt too which also reeked of weed. “ Mayor Mitchell you smell like weed… It's pretty pungent.”

He took his hand off me, adjusted his tie and put his finger to his lips. “ssshhhh” After silencing me he tried walking away. but quickly turning around “Nice outfit by the way” Then he quickly walked off.

Heather looked at me with slight concern. “Ok so after we deal with Veronica he's next, right?” she says somewhat jokingly. I laugh at her comment while we walk to class. “Seriously though I'm a ghost and that dude creeped me out” She rolled up her sleeves.” Look, I literally have goosebumps." Once we got all the jokes out of our system I went into class.

But as I settled into my seat, the weight of everything came crashing back down. Heather's frustration, Duke's revelations, the ominous presence of Mayor Mitchell—it all swirled in my mind, making it hard to focus. The classroom felt like a bubble, a temporary reprieve from the storm outside. Heather, now calmer, floated next to me, her eyes scanning the room with a mix of curiosity and mischief.

"Hey, look at Kyle over there," Heather whispered, pointing to a guy trying to discreetly pick his nose. "I swear he must be mining for gold with how often he goes digging. He's been doing that shit since freshman year."

I stifled a laugh, trying to keep my face straight. "Gross, Heather. But yeah, he's definitely a repeat offender."

"And Jessica," Heather continued, nodding towards a girl at the front who was intently scribbling in her notebook. "I bet she's writing her next love letter to Mr. Grant"

I shook my head, grinning. "Those were just rumors, don't even bring that up."

Heather snickered. "Nah knowing that whore she definitely slept with him. Mr Grant to boost her grades."

“Yea I don't deny that but I doubt she has a crush on that decrepit fossil”

“No offense Al but when it comes to crushes you're completely braindead.”

"Hey, that's harsh," I whispered back, still smiling. "At least I notice when someone's crushing on me."

Heather raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because I distinctly remember a certain someone missing all the signs when Duke first started cozying up to you."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fair point. But in my defense, she was pretty subtle. I also don't think she was flirting."

"Subtle like a sledgehammer, and if you don't think she was flirting you're crazy" Heather teased. "As I said All she is either buttering you up to sell you out to Veronica or she is flirting, Trust me, I was her friend I know her.”

I shrugged off Heather's comment.

“Speaking of flirting, check out Tommy over there. He's trying to win Alice over by showing off his stupid ass doodles. He's got the artistic talent of a drunken gorilla."

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"At least he's trying," I said, giving Tommy some credit. "I mean, Alice seems to be giggling, so maybe it's working?"

"Maybe," Heather said, "or maybe she's just being polite. Either way, it's entertaining."

As the teacher droned on about some historical event, Heather and I continued our silent commentary, mocking our classmates. Each class was like this for the rest of the day. It was fun stooping down to her level. The fun died down as the school day came to an end and on my way out I once again encountered Veronica. She was waiting outside the front door with Izaya.

“Hey, Al” She gave me a huge toothy grin while waving at me. She signaled with her hands to come over to her so I did so with caution.

“What's up?”

“Tomorrow we are getting dinner. You should one hundred percent come.” I knew what was coming. Veronica had made multiple attempts to get me to go on double dates with her and Izaya. “It would be me, you, Izaya, and McNamara. You two would make such a cute couple.” There it was. Veronica had been trying to set me up with that nutbag for a while now, and I had no idea why. She was probably the most tame of the Heathers while Chandler was alive, but something snapped in her brain. Not like how Duke just gave up and stopped caring. Something made McNamara go completely off the rails.

Usually, I'd find any way out of this, but this time I wondered, what made McNamara that way? All of a sudden, I felt like Veronica had something to do with it. “Sure, sounds fun.”

“Oh great, I'm so glad you would come along. I'm guessing this means you and Ruby aren't a thing anymore then, huh?” Veronica smiled, nudging Izaya as she joked. “That didn’t last long, did it? Who could have seen that coming? It's kinda funny though—they stop dating and then she goes missing.” She laughed hysterically at this, expecting Izaya to join in, but he just watched her nervously.

What the hell was wrong with her? She's laughing? After everything she's done, she thinks she gets to joke around. She kills my friend and does God knows what to my ex, and she tries to pin that shit on me? Where the fuck does she get off?

Heather watched from the sidelines intently. She knew Veronica had gone too far and was considering whether or not to try to calm me down or sit back and watch. She chose the latter.

My hands curled into fists, I was seething with rage. But I kept my composure and spoke calmly. “That's a good one, Veronica. You are pretty clever… but don't worry, if I wanted to make my partner disappear, I would have consulted you first. You know, with the whole J.D. thing and all.” I giggled to myself mischievously. “Yeah, Izaya, if you go missing next, we'll know where to look. Am I right?” I spoke with a joking tone, but the mood was anything but light.

Veronica's smile faltered for a moment, a flicker of something dark passing through her eyes. Izaya looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. Heather, meanwhile, seemed to relish the tension, leaning in closer to me.

Veronica quickly recovered, her grin widening. “Oh, Al, you always know how to make things interesting.” She glanced at Izaya, her gaze hardening. “But let's not joke about such serious matters, shall we?”

Izaya remained silent, his eyes darting between Veronica and me. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken threats and hidden resentments.

I kept my expression neutral, but inside, I was a storm of emotions. Veronica's casual cruelty, and her willingness to joke about Ruby's disappearance, only fueled my resolve to uncover the truth and bring her down. I had to be careful, though.

“Don’t worry, Veronica,” I said, my voice steady. “I’m looking forward to dinner. I’m sure it’ll be… enlightening. Just get me more details tomorrow em k” I gave her a wry smile before saying my goodbyes.

As we walked away, Heather practically squealed with delight. “Oh my God, did you see her face? You really got under her skin, Al!” She twirled around me, as if she was a ballerina. “This is gonna be so much fun!”

I whispered back, trying to keep my voice low and my emotions in check. “I'm glad you're happy. God, who does that cunt think she is?” I glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in closer to Heather. “We're taking that cock sucker down, Heather… for good. She won't know what hit her.”

Heather's eyes sparkled with mischief and satisfaction. “That's the spirit, Al! We’re gonna make her regret ever messing with us.” Heather put her arm around me before speaking again. “She has no idea what's coming her way. She thinks she’s untouchable, but everyone has a weakness. We just have to find it.”

As we continued walking, I could feel the determination and adrenaline coursing through me. The anger and frustration that had been building up inside me now had a clear focus. I wasn't just reacting anymore—I was planning, and strategizing. And with Heather by my side, even as a ghost, I felt a renewed sense of purpose.

We moved through the hallways, the mission clear in both our minds. Taking down Veronica wasn’t just about revenge—it was about justice, about righting the wrongs she had inflicted on so many. And as long as Heather and I were united, I knew we had a fighting chance.

We left the building and made it to the car when Mayor Mitchell came running after us. “Al! Wait up.” Once he reached me, he bent over with his hands on his knees, huffing and puffing. “Can I-” He stopped to take a breath. “Can I borrow your lighter?”

“Dude, I don't have a lighter.”

“Are you shitting me, man?” He sat on the ground, looking sad and defeated.

I got in my car, eager to get away from this weirdo. But then an idea struck me. “Hey, Mayor Mitchell, do you know anything about that kid Jason Dean going missing?”

He looked up at me from the ground. “Why do you care?”

I had to think of something on the spot. “Well, my friend Ruby went missing, and I thought it could be linked to J.D. in some way. He disappeared too.”

Mitchell stood up slowly and got very close before whispering to me. “You're a good kid, Larson. Don't go digging in this town. People who do… never like what they find.” He began to walk away but turned around one more time. “I wouldn't know anything about a case like that anyway. Only the family and the police have details.” With that last note, he walked off.

Heather stared at me, confused. “How the hell did that weirdo get elected? Better question, how does he know you?”

I shrugged. “Small-town politics, I guess. He also lingers around the school a lot. We've crossed paths a few times at events.”

Heather floated beside me nodding her head as she spoke. “He’s shady as hell. That whole ‘don’t go digging’ thing? Classic sketchy guy move.”

I started the car, feeling a mix of unease and determination. “Yeah, well, shady or not, he just gave us a huge lead. We gotta check-up with the police or better yet J.D. 's family.”

Heather leaned back, looking thoughtful. “So, what's the plan now? We keep pressing Veronica, or do we start poking around the police station?”

“We need to be smart about this. Mitchell just gave us a warning, which means there's something worth finding. But we also can’t let up on Veronica. She’s involved in this mess somehow.”

Heather nodded, her ghostly form shimmering in the afternoon light. “Okay, so we keep playing nice with Veronica, and in the meantime see if the cops drop any hints.”

“Yep… but we do have one more source to talk to.”

After saying that I pulled out of the parking lot and began driving towards Heather Duke's house.