“So, wait, when did this movie come out?” Heather asked from the passenger seat.

“November, I think. Yeah, November, because I watched it a month after you died. No, wait a minute—it came out in '88, so you were still alive for this.”

“No, I died in 88 …Okay, okay, just explain the plot again,” she said, sounding slightly exasperated.

“Basically, Roddy Piper gets these glasses and can see that some people are aliens—”

“Yeah, I get that, but why does he care that some people are aliens?” Heather interrupted, clearly confused.

“Well, the aliens are secretly controlling everything,” I explained enthusiastically. “They’re manipulating humanity, keeping us all compliant and consuming. It’s like this huge metaphor for consumerism. Piper’s character realizes that society is being brainwashed.”

Heather raised an eyebrow. “So, he puts on these glasses and suddenly becomes this hero? How does he even find these glasses?”

“He stumbles upon them in this church that's actually a front for a resistance group. They’ve figured out the aliens’ plan and made the glasses to see through their disguise.”

“Let me get this straight,” Heather said, still sounding skeptical. “He just finds these magic glasses in a random church, and suddenly he’s the one to save the world?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not just about the glasses. It’s about waking up to the reality around you and fighting against oppression. The aliens are using subliminal messages to keep humans in line. It’s a commentary on how people just go through the motions without questioning anything.”

“Sounds like every other dystopian movie,” Heather replied dryly. “Why is he the only one who can stop them? Is he some kind of chosen one?”

“No, he’s just a regular guy. That’s the point. Anyone can wake up and see the truth. It’s about individual action against a corrupt system.”

Heather sighed. “I guess I can see why you like it. But it still sounds kind of ridiculous.”

“It’s awesome!” I protested. “You have to appreciate it for what it is—.”

“When the hell did you become a movie buff?”

“Well I took a lot of girls out on dates to see movies and some of them piqued my interest, so I kept going to see more movies. That's not the point, it's a great fucking movie.”

She rolled her eyes. “I suppose I’d have to actually watch it to get the full experience. But right now, it just sounds like another schlocky blockbuster movie.”

“Maybe one day I’ll show it to you,” I said, smirking. “If you can tear yourself away from making sarcastic comments for two hours.”

Heather laughed. “Fine, fine. I’ll give it a shot. But if it’s as cheesy as it sounds, I’m going to haunt you forever.”

I chuckled, “Deal. Now, let’s focus. We’ve got a lot to handle with Duke.”

Heather nodded, her expression turning serious again. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get this over with. And you better behave yourself with her.” she pointed at me to emphasize her sincerity

“What are you talking about?” I asked, genuinely puzzled.

“You know what I'm talking about,” she said, giving me a pointed look. “For one Don’t get high again idiot.”

“Hey, I had no idea she laced that cigarette,” I protested.

“Oh, really? The smell of skunk ass didn’t give it away?”

“I swear I won't do any of that shit now. Keep it down, I'm pulling up to the house. I don't need you distracting me when I'm talking to people.”

“I'll try,” she said with a sneer.

I pulled up slowly to her house, parking on the side of the road. The house looked immaculate from the outside, a stark contrast to Heather Duke's current disheveled appearance. As I exited my car and made my way to the front door, I was greeted by a familiar face.

“Do my eyes deceive me or is that big Al!” Mr. Duke approached me with a broad smile on his face.

“Hey, Mr. Duke, long time no see.” I extended my hand for a handshake, but he surprised me by pulling me into a hug.

“Ya truly are big Al now, look at ya.” He stepped back, looking me up and down proudly as if I were his son. “Hey Donna, look at the muscles on this kid.”

Mrs. Duke, who was never fond of me, approached us with a less enthusiastic demeanor. “Oh, Alejandro… never thought we'd see you again,” she said in a deadpan tone, clearly disappointed to see me.

“Stop it, Don. So, kid, what brings ya here?” Mr. Duke asked.

“Heather invited me over,” I replied.

“Wonderful,” Mrs. Duke said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

“Well, me and the missis. are going out to dinner. You should definitely come over again another time though, kiddo.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Duke.”

“Atta boy.” He patted me on the back, and then the couple got in the car and drove off. As he pulled away he rolled down the window and complimented my outfit, Mrs. Duke didn't care for it.

Heather and I watched them leave. “You know hers are fake, right?” she said with a devious smirk.

I failed to contain a smile as I responded. “Would you stop joking around? You’re breaking my concentration.”

“Hey, Alé,” Duke shouted from the front door.

“Oh hey, Duke.” I walked towards her. She still looked exhausted but was more put together than before. Put together in the sense she wasn't wearing her normal green suit that was never properly buttoned and constantly wrinkled; rather, she exchanged it for a clean green t-shirt and sweatpants. “Oh, you fancy up nice,” I said in a sarcastically fancy tone.

She jokingly brushed her outfit and replied, “Why, thank you, good sir,” then she gave a curtain call bow. We giggled before speaking again.

“What were you doing just standing there?”

“I was just talking to your parents before they—”

“Sorry about them. They can be a bit much.” She welcomed me inside and apologized again.

“Oh no, they’re fine.” I entered the house and looked around. It didn't look too different since the last time I'd been there. It was almost nostalgic. “So… you wanted to talk about Veronica?”

“Relax, Alé. You just got here.” She led me to the kitchen. “I got some stuff in the oven. Let’s eat first.”

“Sure, sounds good,” I replied, taking in the familiar surroundings. “I didn't expect you to be all cordial, though. What's on the menu?”

“Just some homemade pizza. It's my grandma's recipe. Yeah, I figured you could use a decent meal, you seemed so stressed today,” she said, opening the oven to check on the pizza. The aroma filled the kitchen, making my stomach growl. “It's almost ready. Go ahead and grab a seat.”

I sat down at the kitchen table, watching her move around the kitchen with a surprising amount of ease. “So, have you been cooking a lot lately?” I asked, trying to make small talk.

“Not really,” she admitted, pulling out plates and silverware. “But I decided to try something different.”

When we were friends, I remember her grandmother making food for us all the time. She was a nice lady. It was tragic when she passed away, but by then, Duke and I had stopped being friends, so I couldn't tell you how it affected her. I especially remembered her grandmother's pizza, and Duke knew how much I liked it.

When I saw the pizza, I could tell it was a bit off, but I wasn't going to be an ass about it because Duke was clearly very proud of herself and this was a very kind gesture. She gave me a slice and eagerly awaited me to take a bite. I did so, and it tasted pretty good for someone who doesn't cook often.

“How is it?” she asked excitedly.

“It's great.” I took another large bite, genuinely enjoying the pizza.

“I’m so glad you like it.” She placed the whole pie on the table and sat across from me. She leaned forward, resting her head on her hands. At first, it was cute, but as she stared longer with an unwavering smile on her face, I started to get a bit creeped out.

“You gonna have some?” I asked with a nervous smile.

“Oh, no, I’m good. I made it for you,” she said, her smile never faltering.

“Thanks, Duke. That’s really nice of you.” I took another bite, trying to focus on the pizza rather than her intense gaze. “So, what made you want to start cooking again?” I repeated the question to break her silence

“I guess I just wanted to do something that reminded me of the good times,” she said, finally looking away and playing with a loose strand of hair. “You know, before everything got so complicated.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Yeah, I get that,” I said, feeling a pang of nostalgia. “Your grandma’s pizza was always the best.”

“She was amazing,” Duke said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. “I miss her every day.”

I nodded, unsure of what to say. The conversation was drifting into territory that felt too heavy for the moment. “Well, you did a great job. This tastes almost as good as I remember.”

“Almost?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn't mean it like that, I was just—” I blurted nervously before getting cut off by her laughter.

“I’m messing with you. I know I couldn't compete with the classic.”

“It is very good though, don't cut yourself short.”

“Thanks, Alé, I appreciate it… well, I'm gonna step outside for a second. I'll be right back.”

“Why, what's going on?” She just shook a box of cigarettes to indicate what she intended to do. “Oh, okay, gotcha.” I continued to eat as she walked out.

“Um, hello, do you ever hear me or do you just tune me out 24/7?” Heather Chandler shouted.

“Sorry, that's my bad. What's up?”

“I kept trying to tell you not to eat that pizza,” she replied sternly.

“Why?” I said, still taking bites.

She began to get angry. “Don’t you think it’s suspicious she decided to eat none of that pizza?”

“She said she wasn’t hungry,” I rebutted with a shrug.

“Al, I know what being poisoned looks like. Think, why would she just sit and watch you eat?”

“I don’t know, Heather, maybe the fact she’s fighting bulimia has something to do with that.” Heather opened her mouth to respond but was unable to. “Oh, what did you forget about that… some friend you are.” I finished off what was left of the pizza. “Trust me, I was her friend. I know.” I mimicked her comment from earlier mockingly.

“Something just doesn’t feel right to me, Al.”

“I appreciate your concern, Heather, but I think I’ll be fine.”

Heather hovered closer, her eyes narrowing with concern. “Just... be careful, okay? There’s more going on here than you realize.”

I sighed, feeling a mixture of frustration and unease. “Alright, Heather, I’ll keep my guard up. But let’s not jump to conclusions.”

“Fair enough,” she said, her voice softening slightly with hints of melancholy. “But promise me you’ll be cautious.”

“What with all these solemn promises Heather. I swear it's super depressing.” She smiled at my comments but tried to remain on point.

“Al, I'm serious.” She said in a not-so-serious tone.

“Wait, are you softening up on me?” I asked with an amused smile. Before she could respond, Duke reentered, coughing slightly.

“Holy shit, you really scarfed that pizza down, huh?” Duke said, a hint of amazement in her voice.

“What can I say? It was good.”

“...Fatass,” she mumbled, grinning.

“Fuck off,” I retorted, laughing.

“You want something to wash it down?” She asked as she opened the fridge

“Does your dad still buy the glass Coke bottles?”

She didn't respond she just grabbed one out of the fridge and placed it in front of me. She shot a finger gun at me with sound effects included. I smiled, not due to her goofiness but because this is the most human I've seen her in a while.

“Let me grab you a bottle opener…” Before she could grab it I just popped off the cap with my hands. “Ok muscles, no need to show off.”

“Did you just invite me here to tease me?” I jested before taking a swig of coke.

“That, and I had some food to get rid of. Who better than the human black hole to come and help out?” she giggled at her own joke.

“You know what's funny? That's not the first time someone compared me to a black hole today.”

She looked me up and down with a grin as I took another sip. “Yeah, that checks out.”

There were a few moments of silence, but luckily it wasn't awkward. The vibe was pretty good overall. Then Duke broke the silence.

“I didn't just invite you here to eat, you know.” There was clear sincerity in her voice.

I took another swig before speaking again. “I figured.” I could feel Chandler staring a hole into my head. But unlike her, I wasn't nervous. I trusted Duke…

“Truth is, Alé… I wanted to apologize.”

“You apologized during lunch though, Duke. You don’t—”

“Yeah, I know, but I need someone to forgive me. Every time shit hit the fan, I bailed. I left you... I left McNamara... I left Martha...”

I didn't say anything. I just listened, letting her get it all out.

“After our lunch today, something compelled me to talk to Martha. I stopped her in the hall and apologized… I apologized for everything I did to her. Then she spit in my face.” She began to laugh, but it wasn’t happy laughter like before. It was a wistful chuckle. “I guess I had it coming though, huh? She could have done a lot worse, and I wouldn’t have blamed her.”

She sat across from me as she finished her sentence. She was staring at the floor, as if eye contact would bring her further pain. She took a sip from the drink I left on the table.

“And then McNamara.” She could barely finish the sentence before putting a hand over her face. “I left her to Veronica and now she’s... she’s... fuck, man.” She took a hearty gulp from my drink, finishing it off before slamming it down on the table.

We sat there mute, the weight of her words hanging in the air. She finally looked up at me but did not speak for a couple of seconds. “And now I'm dumping all this bullshit on you.”

I placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to comfort her. “Hey, Duke, don't worry about that. I’m happy to be here with you, and I'm happy listening.”

“I'm just so sorry, Alé.” She dropped her head on the table defeatedly.

“Hey, we already did the sorry part. Don’t sweat it.”

She lifted her head up slightly to look at me. “Really? Was that before or after I drugged you?”

“Okay, yeah, that was a bit fucked up, but the fact is a relationship goes both ways. Our friendship dying was on me just as much as it was on you… And yes, I forgive you.”

That sentiment seemed to put her at ease a bit. She took the hand that was resting on her arm into hers. Her hands were soft, and just like every other part of her, they were tired. As she looked into my eyes, I could tell every part of her was screaming out for a break. This wasn't the same Duke that was Heather Chandler's lapdog; she was trying to grow for the better. But with that came unadulterated exhaustion.

“Damn, Alé, looks like I ruined the mood.” She chuckled once more, attempting to leave the sad stuff behind her.

I squeezed her hand gently, giving her a reassuring smile. “You didn’t ruin anything. Sometimes you just need to get things off your chest. If you started crying I would have left in a heartbeat.” I added in a joking tone.

She laughed while picking herself up.“Thanks, Alé. It means a lot.”

I nodded. “Anytime, Duke. Anytime.” I released her and leaned back in my chair nonchalantly. “You mind if I have another Coke?”

“Sure,” She said with a smile. It seemed that getting that off her chest really put her at ease, I could hear it in her voice.

She went back to the fridge to get another Coke and I looked over at Chandler who was mouthing “Ask about Veronica” so reluctantly I asked.

“Not to dampen the mood again but you did say you wanted to tell me about what Veronica was up to.”

She peered over at me from the fridge with a smile on her face. “Oh yeah, I forgot you were obsessed with her.”

“I'm not obsessed with her. I just want to figure out what she's up to, and what she did to my friend.”

She walked over to me handing me the coke and locking eyes with me. “Curiosity killed the cat Alé.”

I didn't break away from her gaze rather I narrowed mine, Was this a Threat or a warning? “What do you mean by that Duke?” I asked deductively while opening the soda.

“You've seen what happens to people who get too close to her Alé… like the incident with McNamara for example, She would have done something like that before she became best friends with Veronica.” Best Friends was said with air quotes.

I took a sip of the drink before snapping back.“Cut the shit Duke why won't you tell me anything.”

She hopped up on the table and sat down. “ Well, the truth is I don't know what she's up to. I cut her out of my life and I advise you'd do the same.” She took my drink from my hand and took a swig. “Like I told you before she said she would leave me alone if I would just tell her if I saw people going into the old Chandler home.”

I grabbed the drink back from her hand a bit frustrated. “Why wouldn't you just get yourself a drink .”

“Yours taste the better,” she said with a mischievous shrug

“That's the mono you're tasting” I joke as I take the drink back and sip.

“I want to believe you're joking but with your track record I'm not too sure.” she attempted to take the soda back from me but I tightened my grip on it. I was met with her teasing pouting like a dog begging for food. I tried to appear annoyed but I couldn't help but smile and hand over the drink.

She winked as she took another sip, then she spoke. “Why do you care so much about Veronica, In all seriousness. What did she do to you to get you so angry?”

“Who said I was angry?”

“I recall you talking about revenge or something like that at lunch today, and you snapped at me like 10 seconds ago.”

“Ok, I'm sorry about that im– just stressed. And it happens that Veronica is the focal point of that stress.”

“How so?” As she asked she tilted her head and placed her hands behind her leaning back still sitting on the table in front of me.

“It all started that night you saw me—”

“Yeah, when you were looking for your girlfriend.”

“Well no. We broke up before she went missing”

“Noted” she muttered jokingly

I wasn't amused by that comment and sighed before speaking “You know I actually think I should get going” As I tried to get up and leave Duke grabbed my arm.

“Alé wait… come with me real quick.”

“Come with you where?”

“Just to my room… I have something for you.”

“Duke you're a pretty girl and all but I'm not really-” Luckily she cut me off.

“It's not that you fucking degenerate,” she said with a smirk.

She grabbed my hand and began leading me to her room when she suddenly stopped. She looked at me then let go of my hand and examined the mark on it. I had forgotten it was there.

“I burned myself don't worry about it.” She nodded in understanding and finally brought me up the stairs to her room. She instructed me to wait while she dug through her closet. I looked around her room while I waited. Books and clothes littered the floor and there was a strange musk in the air. I watched as Heather's ghost examined the room and Duke herself, She was hard to read when she was alive and even harder as a spiret but I could tell something was bothering her.

Finally, she found what she was looking for and walked over to me staring at the object in her hand. She reached out and grabbed my arm and slowly placed it in my hand.

“Don't do anything stupid Alé… It is clear something bothering you and I hope this helps you find peace.” She finally dropped the object in my hand and I was able to clearly look at it. It was a silver key. “Maybe once you find what you're looking for we can be friends again…Close friends” She looked at me with a soft smile.

“Duke, what is this?”

“It's a skeleton key to Veronica's house. You can unlock almost every door in the place with it.”

I peered down at the key again and I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. This was huge for getting dirt on Veronica.

“Duke— Holy shit Duke.” I quickly hugged her overjoyed with this gift. At first, she was taken aback by my sudden act of affection but she easily grew comfortable in my arms. After a few minutes, I leaned back to make eye contact. “Where did you get this? You know doesn't matter I'm just— I just— Thank you.” I Hugged her one more time.

“This isn't about Ruby is it?”

“What?” I asked still smiling.

“I just don't get it, Why do you want to take her down so bad? What's your motive?”

I had to take a few moments to think about that myself. ”The bottom line is she has hurt people in the past and I'm not gonna sit around and let her hurt other people, especially the ones I care about.”

She looked at me for a while. I wish I knew what she was thinking about but I guess that wouldn't matter. “You still have to go, or can you stay a little longer.”

“Yeah I can stay a bit longer, what did you have in mind?”

“Ya like movies?”

“I love movies.”