She started to attract more attention. Word of mouth brought her new “friends.” I had hardly any friends in real life at that point, but Duchess had plenty. She was always careful to remind people that she was fictional, that she only existed on social media, and, no, she wouldn’t be going to see their bands or attend their poetry readings or drop by their holiday parties. I didn’t get invited anywhere, nor did I maintain much interest in leaving the house, but Duchess was getting invitations all over the place. “I’m fictional, but my love is real,” she told
