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So maybe Jeremy bit off a bit more than he could chew with this whole “Halloween party” thing. A sexy baby costume was not how he ever wanted to picture anybody , let alone somebody aggressively trying to come onto him. Especially not Chloe. Jeremy hurdled through the mass of bodies blocking his escape, barrelling into the hallway before glancing around to make a quick escape into the nearby bathroom. Maybe he’ll take a moment in here. Calm down. With any luck, nobody will notice.
He sat down on the edge of the white tub, taking several breaths. It’ll only be a moment, loitering here all party would surely get him a scolding via SQUIP that Jeremy was extremely not in the mood for. The thought alone made him cringe (but perhaps, flinch could have been a better term for it). Slowly, a gnarled green monster’s hand crept up to grab him, startling Jeremy, who screamed. The hand pulled itself up, or did something like that. It took all of Jeremy’s might not to whirl away and flee, however, a voice interrupted his monologue before it could get too far.
“'Sup.” they said, and Jeremy whirled around. It was...Michael?
“I didn’t know you were invited to this party,” Jeremy said, getting straight to the point. Why was Michael even here? He didn’t even like parties. He wouldn’t admit it if anyone asked, but he was immediately on edge.
Michael sighed. “I wasn’t. Which is why I’m wearing…this clever disguise!” He grins at his friend, hoping for at least a polite grin at his antics. Instead, he was met with a blank stare. He continues. “You’re speechless. SQUIP got your tongue?” The way he said it was…different, like he expected something, but was taunting him nonetheless.
“It’s…off. “ Jeremy replies. He was not expecting the surprise of it to dance across Michael’s eyes though. He cleared his throat.
“That would explain why you’re talking to me.” An awkward silence follows, but Michael continues. “I’ve been thinking about this moment. What I would say to you? I had this really pissed-off monologue, an epic journey through twelve years of friendship…” Michael drifts off, before noticing a weird expression on Jeremy’s face.
“I-It’s really good to see you, man.” Jeremy said with a smile.
“It won’t be. Once you hear what I found out.” He seems sad, but resolute in what he has to say.
Jeremy huffed. Really? Not even Michael will let him be happy? “Found out?”
“About…” He reaches up and taps the side of his head. Jeremy looks confused for a second, but his eyes then widened in realization. The SQUIP, of course.
“How? There’s nothing on the internet—”
Michael cuts him off before he can finish. “Which is weird, right? I mean, what’s not on the internet? So I started asking around. Finally, this guy I play Warcraft with... Told me how his brother went from a straight-D student to a freshman at Harvard. You know where he is now?” His eyes look frantic, begging for him to get this.
Jeremy scoffed. “Really happy and successful?” Michael was probably jealous.
Michael clears his throat. “He’s in a mental hospital. Totally lost it.” He says this quietly, making it seem somewhat taboo. Like he shouldn’t be hearing this.
“I don’t see what that has to do with…” He lets his sentence drift off.
Michael’s eye twitches. “Think, man! We’re talking about an insanely powerful supercomputer. Do you really think its primary function is to get you laid? Who made them? How did they end up in a high school? In New Jersey? Of all possible applications for such a mind-blowingly advanced technology, you ever wonder what it’s doing inside you?”
The silence that followed was deafening but for different reasons to each of them. Jeremy laughed quietly. “And I thought Chloe was jealous…”
“I’m honestly asking!” He cried.
“Really?” Jeremy countered “Because I think you’re pissed I have one and you don’t!”
“Come on—” Michael tried to get an edge in, growing increasingly frantic. “You’re acting like-”
“Maybe I got lucky, is that so weird? With my history, I’d say the universe owed me one,” Jeremy spat venomously. “And I don’t know about your friend’s brother’s whatever, but if you’re telling me his SQUIP made him crazy—”
Michael cut him off again, eyes wide. “His SQUIP didn’t make him crazy!”
“Oh. Well…” Jeremy guessed he was convincing enough. He shrugged. “There you go.”
Michael looked like he could just about scream, before snapping at him. “ He went crazy trying to get it out! ”
As soon as Michael changed his tone, he regretted it, but Jeremy needed to listen to him. This is greater than some high school popularity- this, this SQUIP would impact him for the rest of his life if he didn’t quit right now. Or, at least soon. Maybe sneaking into a party uninvited was not the best strategy, but what else could he do? Jeremy was letting this tic tac-asshole ruin his life one thing at a time. He looks at Jeremy in the eyes.
“Then I’ve got nothing to worry about. Why would I want that?” Jeremy scoffed, rolling his eyes. “ Move it.”
“Or you’ll what?” Michael said, locking eyes with Jeremy with a shaky confidence. He could feel the tremble in his hands, his breath pick up as he stares at his friend. Being controlling isn’t something anyone wants, but in this moment, Michael thinks he might be acting similarly to how a SQUIP might. Demanding. Unyielding. Well, he wouldn’t know…but the thoughts in the back of his mind remained.
“Get out of my way, loser ” Jeremy snarls, stunning Michael with how malicious he sounded in that moment. Jeremy walks forward, and Michael moved to the side, but not enough to avoid the almost purposeful push of his shoulder against him that seemingly sought to hurt him.
The sharp slam of the door snaps Michael out of his stupor. It was too loud to try and hear Jeremy’s steps fade away, the music and roar of the partygoers made that near impossible. Michael takes a small step forward, towards the sink. He doesn’t notice the rest of the way. His knuckles clench around the porcelain, turning white from the force Michael is using. He looks up at the mirror, glasses askew as tears quietly begin to slip down his face.
Where did he go wrong? Weren’t friends supposed to listen to each other? Supposed to help each other? Michael has never felt so…discarded before, and by his best friend?
He freezes for a moment. …Former best friend, then. With the way Jeremy looked at him, as if he was some of the scum stuck in the grout of the floor, it seemed like he never wanted to see Michael again.
A loud knock jars him from his thoughts and a voice rang through the almost empty bathroom. “Hello? Others have to pee!” They called. Michael can hear the agitation their voice was laced with. The last thing he wants to be known as is the nerd (‘cause let’s face it, who other than him knows the difference between ‘geek’ and ‘nerd’) who crashes a party to only end up crying alone in a bathroom. He quickly tries to make up something believable.
“I'm on my period!” was the first excuse that came to mind, and without thinking, he says it. Luckily, when his voice cracked in the middle, he must have sold it (or became so pathetic she didn’t even want to see him). He didn’t even get to hear the voice’s complete reply before it was gone, and the tears had begun to fall harder, glasses fogging up.
He crashes into the wall, sliding down the cool tile as he curled up on himself. He clings to the desperate hope of finding solace in the "count to four" trick his moms taught him, but it proves futile, only intensifying his breathlessness. His appearance mirrors the turmoil within him—tears stream down his cheeks, mingling with snot bubbles, and he feels utterly broken. Curling into a tight ball, he surrenders to the overwhelming sobs that rack his body, feeling utterly alone. The one person who truly cared for him has just walked away, leaving a chasm of emptiness in his heart.
Gasping for breath, he wraps his arms tightly around himself, rocking back and forth, desperately wishing for the chaos in his mind to cease. "Not here. Anywhere but here," he whispers to himself, hoping to escape the suffocating despair. But his silent pleas go unanswered as he continues to sob uncontrollably, each heave exacerbating the piercing pain in his chest. Lost in his own anguish, he remains oblivious to the escalating commotion and voices—screams—echoing just beyond the thin walls.
Finally, a realization strikes through the haze of his tears and hiccups—thick, dark smoke seeping through the cracks in the door. Confusion and alarm set in as he tries to make sense of it. Michael's blurry eyes strain to focus on the now smoke-covered ceiling, his heart pounding in his chest. A surge of adrenaline rushes through him, and he jolts to his feet, stumbling towards the door. His trembling hand reaches out, desperate to grasp the handle, but the searing heat of the red-hot metal scalds his skin, forcing him to recoil in pain. Despair washes over him in waves. Not only has his only friend abandoned him, but now he also has to die in a fucking house fire covered in tears. He didn’t want to die! He has to make sure J-
Michael falters. After that, did Jeremy even want him around anymore? Michael had one chance, and it went just about as bad as it could have. The hurtful way Jeremy treated him earlier hangs heavily on his mind, gnawing at his already shattered self-esteem. The tears return, but Michael's thoughts spiral further. If the one person who cared about him has walked away, why should he want to keep living? The constant torment he endures at school is made slightly more bearable by having a friend by his side, but now he feels utterly lost. His moms are rarely there to provide solace. The only person who might notice his absence would likely be his dealer, someone who only values him for his money. Michael sniffs, his voice trembling. "I guess dying won't be so bad, huh?" he croaks to himself, the heat of the flames intensifying with each passing second.
With one final glance in the mirror, Michael closes his eyes, his mind filled with memories of the cherished moments he shared with Jeremy. A bittersweet smile graces his tear-stained face as he succumbs to the overwhelming heat and smoke. Unconsciousness claims him, leaving behind a poignant reminder of a once hopeful soul, now consumed by the darkness that envelops him.