I'll Be Right Here Forever

5

"I'm supposed to be his best friend." 

"Yet I'm the one who gave him the money to buy a squip. Sure I helped him get rid of it in the end, but it's still my fault. If I didn't give him the money, this never would've happened."

"If I'm being honest I feel like I'm not even that important to him anymore. Now he has Rich, Jake, Chloe, Brooke, Jenna, and Christine..."

"I'm not even the main character's fun-loving sidekick anymore... I feel more like pedestrian 3." 

"I see. Have you talked to Jeremy about it?" Michael looked at Dr. Miranda and sighed. "I'm guessing that's a no. I'm no genius-"

"Then why are you my therapist?" 

Dr. Miranda smiled. He took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair. "If you don't talk to Mr. Heere you wont get anywhere. 

End of session. 

Michael unlocked his PT Cruiser and sat in silence. 

This is how most of their sessions went. Every Wednesday, Michael would drive to Dr. Miranda's office. When the session was over he'd sit in his PT Cruiser for half ah hour, then drive to work to play cashier at the local 7/11. 

Michael had been seeing Dr. Miranda every week since the squipcident. Almost a year and two months. Talk to Jeremy has been the one thing that was repeated every session. Will he talk to Jeremy? Absolutely not. 

Jeremy has never been happier. He had more friends than he's ever had. And he hung out with Christine. 

"Say you appreciate that she's smart," was the last thing he ever said to him. That was over a year ago. The were seniors now.

Jeremy was his best friend. The highlight of his life. Even if Michael hasn't said a word to him, Jeremy still texted him daily. But Michael can't bring himself to text him back. 

He sighed and turned the key. When he got to work, he headed to the bathroom to put his uniform on. 

Talk to Jeremy. 

Yeah. What was he supposed to say? Hey Jer! Sorry for completely ignoring you for the entirety of the school year, wanna get stoned in my basement?

Michael walked over to the register. 

"Hello, welcome to 7/11."

***

His shift ends at 1. Michael gets home around 2. 

What happened to him? He didn't listen to Bob Marley, he didn't play videogames, he didn't wear his red hoodie anymore. It hung alone in his closet. Jeremy used to wear it when he would get cold. 

Michael laid in bed. He turned his phone on. It lit up a corner of his room. He checked his messages. 

All of them were from Jeremy. 

Player 2

good Morning <3

i know you're really busy now that you have a job and probably dont have time to do homework now. do you want me to give you the answers? 

you look tired

i can take notes for you if you want? 

rich says hi

you can sit w us at lunch?

you're not at lunch but please eat