Slipping into the unknown

Gremlins

Once on the property of the apartment, I let Duke go to the bathroom before going inside. Frank and Gee, being as stubborn as they are, wouldn't let me stay alone with Duke outside so they still kept to my sides. 

After Duke was finished frolicking around outside and rolling in the grass, we all went inside. We kept talking om the way up, but about movies this time. Gee's favorite movies were also Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dawn of the Dead, and Phantom of Paradise; Frank's were the Nightmare Before Christmas, Rushmore, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre; with mine being Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Breakfast Club, and the Dark Crystal. 

"You really don't like Bowie, Frank?" I asked him, very shocked. 

Gee nodded upon my question. "There's no point in trying to sway his opinion, I've gotten him to listen to a few of his songs and he liked them, not realizing they were David Bowie's song. The only thing frank likes about him is how tight his pants were in the Labyrinth."

Frank chuckled hearing that. "Hey hey hey, I don't look at him like he's a piece of meat, but that's truly all I really about him. His voice is decent, if he were to apply it more to his singing than doing soft, airy, and light. I'd like him and his songs more if he accepted his full, deep voice."

"Oh you'd accept something of his if it were deep." Hearing Gee's sassy remark, the both of us chuckled and high-fived. Frank had his lips pursed, but you could see how he was trying to hold off a smile and laugh; failing to do so might I add. 

As we were still laughing and joking with each other, we reached Frank and Gee's apartment. Frank pulled out keys to it, and put the keys in the door to unlock it. 

"Care to come inside?" He offered with a smirk on his face.

"No we shouldn't.", Upon saying we I gestured to Duke to show I meant him. ", being as fluffy as he is he sheds a lot and covers everything in a three foot radius off of him in fur."

"Haha, we'd be honored to be covered in his fur. Especially later when it's winter time; we could use the layers of fur for warmth." Gee said with a smile on his face, looking down at the floof that was to invested to notice, looking at the AC Unit brushing the curtains against the window. 

Frank, unlocking the door finally, continued to hold the door open while gesturing inside. Gee walked in, catching Duke's attention from the curtains. Duke raced into the new area, very excited to explore something new. He pulled me into the apartment after him; and I was glad he had the leash still on him. If he were without it, he'd be scampering around like a bull in a China shop; ramming into anything and everything in his path. 

"Are you sure you want him in here? He could ruin how nice and clean your apartment is within minutes. He gets very excited when exploring new areas." Still holding onto Duke's leash for my life, I refused to be pulled around by him and held,  my ground. 

"Yes we're sure. It'd be better to have him get accustomed to the apartment now than every time he comes over when I watch him. Plus, we don't mind watching this little fluff, if that means we  to play with him." Frank reassuringly spoke while smiling kindly at me. 

Warily, I bent down and called Duke over to me. Duke came running over to me and continued to circle my legs. Telling him to sit, he stopped his running and laid down in front of me; his big eyes staring up at me in wonder. Un-attaching the leash from his collar, his tail started wagging extremely. Saying ok and gesturing up at him, he jumped up as fast as a bullet and took off running. 

Frank, Gee and I continued to watch him run circles around the couch, down the hallway, back into the kitchen to do circles around the table, ran over the guitars, and began to sniff them. We all chuckled watching him act so upbeat and playful. I suddenly realized how Bren and Pete must've felt earlier when they watched him for a little bit. 

"Should we sit on the couch?"Frank asked us with an inquisitive look on his face. 

"Sure, whatever works best in here." I replied. Frank grabbing napkins in the kitchen and Gee still holding the pizza, moved the pizza box into one hand. With the other hand, he grabbed mine and started to lead me to the couch. 

Since the leash was still in the other hand, I quickly tossed it onto the floor by my shoes, not wanting to disconnect our hands. 

Sitting down on the couch, Gee took the armrest, which meant I'd either be on the outside or the middle. wanting to be by both, and frankly too lazy to move, decided to stay there. Frank soon joined us by sitting on the other side of me. 

Frank passed each of us a napkin to hold the slices of pizza. Once all of us had one, Gee opened up the pizza box and gesturing towards us, giving us an opportunity to grab a slice. As Frank and I grabbed one, Gee grabbed the remote to put something on the TV. 

"Gremlins anyone?"

We all looked at each other and eagerly said yes while shaking out heads. 

About halfway through the movie, we were all finished the pizza. Gee stood up, taking the box to the kitchen. Throwing away the box he opened the fridge soon after. Not wanting to pry and watch him awkwardly, I kept debating on glancing to see what was taking him so long. After a debate I most likely lost, I took a quick glance around.

His back was turned from me, facing into the fridge, but I still say inside. There was regular food in the fridge, but there was something else in there too. There were many small jars of a dark, deep, red, substance. I figured it was beet juice for some kind of crazy juice cleanse, but there were so many jars. 

He put on back into the fridge, halfway empty. Closing the door, I quickly looked back towards the TV, not wanting to get caught staring. 

Gee walked back towards the couch, smiling and Frank and I, and then sat down next to me. 

Once the movie was finished, I thanked them for the day and having a great time with them. Duke ,being back on his leash, was once again all hyped us. Very different than during the movie, while being at my feet on the carpet, almost falling asleep multiple times.

Still thanking them profusely, they kept saying it was ok and would gladly do it everyday. I hugged each of them goodbye, and watched with a tingling sensation in my heart as they called Duke over and too, hugged him goodbye. 

The three of us sheepishly waved at each other as I started walking away. Feeling I was still being watched, I turned and saw them staring at me. We all smiled awkwardly, and I continued on my way. Feeling I was being watched again once I got further away, I turned around chuckling. I stopped smiling and laughed when I saw that their door was closed and couldn't see anyone watching me. 

I quickened my pace to my apartment and quickly got my keys out. Jamming them into the lock forcefully, I was frantically trying to get the door to unlock. 

I was thankful when my door finally budged in and hurried inside, Duke following right behind me. I quickly pulled my keys out of the door, slammed it shut, and locked it immediately. 

<Hey few readers that read this! Thank you for reading. Do you like this book? Do you like the fact that I'm drawing out the days long or do you want me to speed it up? My idea behind it was to show the bonds being created and them growing closer so it could make more sense later on than having things randomly pop up. Anyways... Thank you for reading this again!>