~Micheal's P.O.V~

Jeremy and Christine are the OTP.
They're the ship. They're cute, fluffy, always plastering each other with kisses. The entire school- no, the entire world ships them. Jeremy and Christine. Christine and Jeremy.
Everyone's favorite couple.

Except mine.

I walk out of 7 11 with a Mountain Dew slushie in my grip. Who needs cocaine when you have brain freezes, huh?
I take a large slurp, just as I notice someone slipping into the ally behind the store. The person is short, blonde, with a red streak in their hair. Rich.
I creep to the corner, peeking around to see what he's up to. Rich produces a large bag out of his pocket, full of what looks like tic tacs. He throws the bag in one of the bins before slinking off. Those weren't tic tacs. They were Squips.

When I'm sure that Rich is gone, I slip into the alleyway and open the huge bin. A revolting stench hits my nose, but I still scan the rubbish for the bag. Avoiding old milk and banana peels, I slip my hand into the bin and I grab the bag. There's about two dozen pills left. Jeremy took a Squip, and look where it got him. He's popular. He's with the girl of his dreams. Everything is looking up for him.

I don't want the perfect life, I just want this pain to go away. The pain of not being with the guy I love.
I reach into the bag and swallow a pill. I wash it down with a slurp from my slushie.

I don't know what I expected. Nothing happened. I sigh, chucking my empty slushie cup into the bin. I slowly trudge down the alleyway, kicking my foot through puddles.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, a sharp pain shocks through my body.

A cry escapes my mouth, and I clutch my head as it pounds.

Target inaccessible a voice says.

"Woah what the fuck?!" My knees start to shake and the pain shocks again.

Calibration xin process bloops the voice again. Please excuse some mild discomfort

THIS IS MILD?!! I scream a not-too-Christian swear word into the alley. My body racks with pain and I swear I feel scars form.

Calibration complete. Access procedure initiated
It's over? My hands stop clutching my hair. I relax. Huh. That really wasn't so bad-

Discomfort level may increase
My legs give out, and I'm kneeling on the cold hard ground. My body feels on fire. Electrocuted. A current runs through my limbs as I scream. Boy do I scream. I scream like a virgin on spring break.

Accessing neural memory
shut up!
Accessing muscle memory
Stop!
Access procedure complete
Please! Just stop!
Micheal Mell
Welcome to your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor
It worked
Your SQUIP

•••

~Jeremy's P.O.V~

JeremyQueere: hey Micheal I no this is my millionth text but I haven't heard from u in ages are u ok??

JeremyQueere: Chrissy went home and I was wondering if u were up for aotd and some slushies?

JeremyQueere: michel?

I switch off my phone. I hold it in my hands as I wait for the screen to light up with a text from Micheal. My knee bounces and I lean back into the couch.
It's been like a day. The last time I spoke to him was when I had to blow him off to go over to Christines. Yes, it was a dick move but it was Christines......time of the month and she decided to watch Infinity War by herself. Next thing I know, I'm getting a sobby phonecall that's begging for a cuddle.

I was just being a good boyfriend.
But now it's time to be a good best friend.
Or a good boyf or whatever.

•••

I haven't needed to ring the doorbell in years. The Mell residence is my second home. I know where they hide their spare key if they're out and I can just waltz right in if theye home.
The only car parked in the driveway is Micheals PT Cruiser so I know he's home alone.

I gently shut the door behind me.
"Micheal? It's just me" I call into the house.

I'm greeted with silence.
I shake an eerie feeling from my spine and I make my way to Micheals room. The house is so quiet it's insane. Usually when Micheals home alone he takes the opportunity to belt Sincerely Me at the top of his lungs. But not this time. I reach his closed bedroom door with a pit in my chest.

"M-Micheal?" I knock.

I hear a shuffling behind the door. My fingers wrap around the doorknob, and I push the door open. His room is dark. Almost edgy.

"Micheal? Buddy? It's me" I switch on the light, revealing my friend Micheal.
But it's not Micheal.

He's sitting on his bed, laptop next to him. His hair is stuck sorta upwards, like Jakes hair. Instead of his bright red hoodie, he's sporting a brown graphic t shirt with a black denim jacket over it. His glasses are completely gone. His eyes look wilder. He could be wearing eyeliner.

And he glares at me.
"Look who it is. Jer-em-y Heere. Surprised you had time to bless me with your presence today" he spits.

"Micheal what happened to you? Where are you glasses and your clothes?"

"Wow you're two steps in the door and you're already blessing me with insults"
I shut the door behind me, and started to walk forward. Micheal snapped up his hand, halting me.

"Dude is this about the other day? I'm really sorry and you said you were fine with it..." I start, but Micheal scoffs and gets to his feet.

"Oh you stupid piece of shit. You fucking useless piece of shit" Micheal stared into my soul, emphasizing each syllable, turning them into bullets.

I flinch, and I swear Micheal flashes a smile.

"What happened to you Micheal" I whisper, tears threatening to spill.

"Oh am I not good enough for you yet? Have I not reached your eternal standards of chill? Am I not enough?"
There's a weakness in his voice, like a baseline. But he still shoots daggers at me with each word.

"What are you........what?" Tears streak down my cheeks.

Micheal takes in a shaky breath, and he twitches, like he has been electrocuted or something. His eyes seem to change. They scrunch up, and clear. A pain appears around his eyes, and his breath catches as he takes me in.

"Jeremy" he says, terrified. "You need to leave you need to go I don't want to hurt you Jeremy please"
He reaches out to hold my shoulders, but he falls back. A pained cry escapes his throat, as he clutches his hair and crouches over.

"Micheal!" I try to move to him, but he straightens up.

His eyes have gone back to being dark, and unfeeling.
"Don't. You don't realize what you've done to me Jeremy. And do you know what? I'm fucking done with you. We were friends, and then you decided that you're better then me. So I got an upgrade"

"You........y-you got a Squip. Why why would you get a Squip?"

"GOD JEREMY! You're dumber then you give yourself credit for!" Micheal roars. "Of course I got a Squip! You left me! For Christine! Do you realize how much it hurts to see your best friend - the person you love - go off with someone else!"

"Micheal stop!" I grab his face in my hands.
I hopelessly search his eyes for a flicker of anything. But Micheal just shoved me off him, and punches me right in the face.

And I'm sent sprawling. I hit the floor with a wince. And when my fingers touch my swollen lips, they touch blood.
And I finally break.
I start choking loud sobs on Micheals bedroom floor. I'm out of fight. I fucked it upthis time.

I expect Micheal to start kicking me. Or beating me. Or jeer. But there's nothing.
"Please Micheal......"

•••

~Micheal's P.O.V~

You want to be with him? Don't you Micheal

Of course I do

You're not good enough for him. You need to be good enough

But I hurt him. Please stop making me hurt him

No Micheal. You need to show him taht you're better then him

Stop it

You could be amazing. You could have everything you ever wanted

Shut up

You could have everything

I want Jeremy

Everything

STOP HURTING JEREMY!

The Squip sends an electric current down my body. I collapse to the ground, sending a thump through my head.
I try stop myself with my hands. My hands! I can move them again! The Squip must have malfunctioned.
I groan as I sit up, and then I see him.
Jeremy. On the ground. Sobbing. Bleeding.

"Oh my god Jere" I crawl over to him. I try to cradle him, but he flinched at my touch.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so. Sorry. The Squip...it made me do it I'm so sorry Jere oh Jesus your lip are you okay I'm so so sorry"
Jeremy starts to relax, and he willingly falls into my arms. My vision starts to go out of focus. I'm not wearing my glasses. Of course.

"Micheal" he whispers, and it wrenches my heart. "Do....do you love me?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I tried to be happy for you and Christine but I just couldn't. I'm awful and selfish and I don't know what I was thinking. I just wanted to be good enough for you"

"My god, Micheal" a blurry hand cups my face.

"I'm so sorry Jere-"
I'm cut off with a pair of lips pressed against mine.

"Don't be"

•••
This took so long and it absolutely sucks. Sort of angsty though so yay.
I'm so out of ideas that I'm half tempted to write some half assed smut. Thoughts?

Yeet I should go to sleep
- Avery