𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 || 𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜 ||

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎 : 𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞

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Milo rushed out of the school, her mind a whirlwind of emotions and confusion. She didn't know where she was going at first, but then it came to her: she was going to Duke's. 

Duke had always been a steady presence in her life, and right now, she needed that stability more than ever.

As she walked through the neighborhood, her eyes darted around, taking in the familiar sights and sounds, though everything felt strangely distorted by the weight of her thoughts. 

When she finally reached Duke's house, she took a moment to gather herself. She balled her hand into a fist and knocked on the door, her heart pounding in her chest.

Seconds felt like hours as she waited, the sound of her own breathing loud in her ears. 

Finally, the door opened, and there stood Duke, his expression a mix of surprise and concern as he took in the sight of Milo standing on his doorstep, clearly distressed.

"Kiddo? What are you doing here?" Duke asked, his voice tinged with worry as he took in the sight of Milo standing on his doorstep, chewing on her bottom lip.

Milo blurted out, "We killed Max Jägerman by accident at The Old Waylon Place and then I saw Richie get killed by Max." The words tumbled out quickly, leaving Duke momentarily stunned.

"Slow down," Duke said, his eyes widening as he tried to process what she had just said. "Come in." He stepped aside, watching Milo walk into the house, her shoulders hunched and her face pale.

Duke closed the door behind her and led her to the living room, where they both sat down. "Alright, start from the beginning," he said gently, his voice calm despite the turmoil he felt inside. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Milo took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts. "We were at The Old Waylon Place," she began, her voice trembling.

 "It was supposed to be a joke, a prank. But things got out of hand, and Max... he died. We didn't mean for it to happen. It was an accident!"

Duke listened intently, his expression growing more serious with each word. "And Richie?" he prompted gently.

"Richie..." Milo's voice cracked. "I saw him get killed by Max. But Max is supposed to be dead. I don't know how it happened, but he was there. It was him."

Duke stared at Milo, his expression a mix of concern and disbelief. "And now everyone is mad at me because I didn't tell anyone about Richie's death," Milo said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Duke sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kiddo, this is a mess. I get why you're scared, but keeping something like this to yourself... it makes things worse."

Milo looked down, her eyes filling with tears. "I know, but I didn't know how to tell them. I was scared they'd think I was crazy or that it was my fault."

"I am guessing you haven't told your dad," Duke asked, raising an eyebrow.

Milo shook her head. "No, I haven't told any adult about this," she admitted, her voice tinged with guilt.

Duke leaned back for a second then checked the time. "Shit, kiddo, as much as I would love to talk, I have to go meet someone," he said, standing up. "If you want, you can hang out here."

Milo stood up as well. "No, I should get home. I know my dad isn't home, so I'll just go there," she replied.

Duke and Milo walked out the door. "Duke?" Milo said, causing him to turn around.

"Yeah, kiddo?" Duke responded.

Milo paused for a second, gathering her thoughts. "Can you not tell anyone, please?" she asked.

Duke gave her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, of course," he said, opening his car door and getting in. As he started to pull out of the driveway, he called out to her, "Kiddo, call me if you need anything."

Milo managed a small smile. "I will," she replied.

Duke drove away, and Milo started to walk home, her thoughts swirling with everything that had happened. 

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The walk home felt longer than usual, the weight of her secrets and the potential fallout pressing heavily on her shoulders.

As she got home, Milo opened the front door, closed it, and made sure her dad wasn't home. 

Thank god he wasn't. 

She walked upstairs and passed her dad's office, noticing a Tickle Me Wiggly doll sitting on his desk. 

Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to her room. 

Milo dropped her bag on the floor and then her phone rang. It was Ruth. Milo picked it up.

"Hey, Ruth," Milo said as she sat on her bed.

"Hey, Milo. Um, I was wondering if you'd like to come to The Barbecue Monologues rehearsals later?" Ruth asked.

Milo paused for a second. "Sure, but why are you inviting me? I thought you'd be mad at me because of Richie."

There was a brief silence. "I'm not mad at you. I understand why you didn't tell us about Richie's death. I mean, I wouldn't have," Ruth said.

Milo smiled. "Really? You're not mad at me?"

"No," Ruth reassured her. "Anyway, meet me at 4."

Milo's smile grew. "Alright, see you later, Ruth."

"See ya, Milo," Ruth said before hanging up.

Milo felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She lay back on her bed, feeling a glimmer of hope that things might just work out after all.

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