Yes ik it's Rich again but I love him so Heere ya go.
TW: Heeectic fight, death of a best friend
Y/N's POV
It's been a while since the incident. That was back in freshman year when I still lived in California. It's Junior year now. I moved to New Jersey last year.
I gained a little bit of popularity here. Nothing big like ruling the school, I'm just friends with everyone. I'm not really close with anyone because it's been hard to form a connection with anyone since what happened.
Still, everyone knows and likes me. I go to all the big parties and stuff. I guess people just like me because I'm kind to everyone. I'm also friends with popular people like Chloe and Brooke so some see that as a reason to be friends with me.
I don't really care much about the popularity system here but I definitely know how it works. Even though that doesn't really matter to me when making friends, I'm observant enough to know where people stand.
That is why when Jeremy Heere became popular I was completely shocked. You've got a guy who's at the bottom of the ranks, completely socially awkward and has only one friend do a complete 180 in every aspect in one day.
All his stammering, nervous ticks and slouching are gone. I swear I've caught him talking to no one or even get electrocuted. What's worse is that I've noticed similar patterns in another popular kid, Rich Goranski.
It's weird like everything they do is so smooth yet unnatural. Almost as if–no, no way. You've left that behind. This isn't California anymore. Still I tried to pay attention to them some more and I noticed something.
That kid, Michael I think, used to be Jeremy's only friend. When Jeremy walks past him it's like he doesn't even see him.
I get that if you're not friends with someone anymore you won't talk to them but this doesn't even feel like intentional ignoring. Most friendships with rocky ends will result in maybe a dirty look. If Jeremy just left him for popularity maybe he'd even spare him a remorseful glance.
But nothing. I don't even think he sees Michael. That paired with how confused Michael looks. Something's up. No matter how badly I don't want to imagine it, maybe it's a Squip. I'm really scared that it is.
If he has one maybe so does Rich. I figured I should sort this out by going to Michael. Maybe he knows if Jeremy is Squipped.
I saw him at the 7/11 before school and took it as the perfect opportunity.
"Hey, Michael right?"
"Yeah." He seemed hesitant to talk to me.
"You're Jeremy's friend, right. I'm Y/N by the way."
"Yeah and I know."
"Okay cool so you'll probably know. What's up with him?"
Now he was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Is he Squipped?" He again looked confused.
I hoped it was about what a Squip is and not how I know about it.
But to no avail, "I think so. He took it at the mall and I haven't heard from him since."
"Wait he actually has one of those things? Oh my gosh. This can't be happening. Not here!"
I was speaking really fast but I was panicking. If there are Squips here, that means bad news.
"Hey Y/N, what's going on?"
"How did he even hear about Squips?" I asked, not answering his question.
"I think it was Rich who told him to get one."
"This is gonna sound very off topic but I swear it isn't. Do you by any chance have Mountain Dew Red. It's like regular Mountain Dew but red."
"Yeah I know this guy who works at the back of Spencer's Gifts who–"
"Great can you give it to me tomorrow at school."
"Yeah sure I guess."
"Cool thanks. You're a life saver. See you then," and I walked to school without whatever I was going to buy.
Well, now I know that Jeremy and Rich are Squipped. It's now a matter of who I'm giving the Red to first. I figured that maybe Rich would be easier to do this with because Jeremy just got a surge in popularity and will be hard to reason with.
The next day, Michael gave me the drink now it's time for action.
"Hey Rich, can I talk to you outside after school?" His face got really excited probably thinking I was going to ask him out or something.
"Yeah, of course."
~Timesquip to after school~
"So, what does the prettiest girl in school want to talk to me about?" He kinda slurred that question leading me to believe he was drunk.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm just gonna get to the point. Is your Squip on right now? Also are you drunk?"
He looked a mixture of shocked and confused. "How do you know about my Squiiiip?"
"Rich, are you drunk?"
"Mayybeee. But only because it turns my Squip off until I'm sober again."
"So, you don't like your Squip?" This was perfect. Getting him to admit to it would make it easier to give him the Mountain Dew Red.
"Don't tell him I said this but yeah," he whispered into my ear.
"Rich I can't– Nevermind. Why not?"
"Becaaaaaause. Like at first he was like super cool and stuff like he made me populaaar but now he's talking about taking over the world and stuff. He also shocks me more now. How do you even know about Squips?"
"If you remember that question when you're sober, I'll answer it for you. For now I'll just say I had a bad experience with a Squip once. Anyway, why not just get rid of it?"
"The only way to do that is with Mountain Dew Red. That stuff was discontinued in like the 90s."
He was starting to sober up a bit so I needed to act fast. I pulled the drink out from my backpack. "Good thing I have some right here."
"No way, is that really–" He shook as if he was being electrocuted. "I don't want your stupid Mountain Dew Red! You really think I wanna get rid of my Squip. Wow, you must be really dumb. Get out of my sight loser!"
I could tell that was the Squip talking so I didn't let it get to me. "Listen to me you overpriced Tic Tac, one of you have already taken so much from me. I'm not about to let you ruin my life here too."
"This is one hundred percent me, Rich right now. I hate you so much. I just wish you'd stay out of my life." His eyes were shining a bright inhuman blue. There's no way that this was him speaking.
"You're weak. F/N was as well."
"You don't get to say that name. Now, that's how I know it's the Squip talking. Rich wouldn't know her."
"Very well L/N, but maybe you can't handle the facts. The Squip way is the right way."
"Gosh, you don't understand how psychotic you sound right now."
I realised that with the Squip in control, he's not drinking the Red willingly. I have to fight him for this. He seemed to have the same idea when he threw a punch at me that I luckily dodged just in time. "Wow Squippy, didn't expect a supercomputer to be too slow to hit me," I taunted.
He didn't seem to like that all too much because he kicked me hard in the stomach. The pain was searing and I could've sworn that I broke a rib. I coughed a bit of blood and he swung at my face three times. Now my entire face and stomach were bruised and bleeding. As if that wasn't enough, he picked me up by my shirt and slammed me to the ground. "You were saying? Accept it, you'll lose to us. JUST LIKE F/N!"
That really made me mad. My anger gave me a surge of adrenaline and I got up despite the extreme pain. "I'll tell you again, you advanced microwave," I shoved him against the wall, "you do not get to say that name. Any last words?"
"You don't want to do th–" I poured the Mountain Dew Red into Rich's mouth and forced him to drink it. Almost instantly, he screamed in pain and fell to the floor. I tried to do something but I just collapsed and couldn't get back up.
It had been quite a while and just as I was about to lose all hope, I heard footsteps coming towards us. I looked up and was so happy at the face I saw.
"Michael?"
"Oh my gosh Y/N what happened! Is that Rich?"
"Yeah, I deactivated his Squip with the Mountain Dew Red."
"I need to get you guys to a hospital pronto!"
"Prioritise Rich not me."
"Y/N, you look half dead, don't object."
I rolled my eyes but he was already calling an ambulance.
"Hey Michael, now we know what to do about Jeremy. Also don't take him ignoring you personally, it's probably optic nerve blocking so he can't see you. Chances are, he doesn't know it's on."
"But that means that he didn't even notice that I wasn't there."
"Hey, you're his best friend of..."
"Twelve years."
"Twelve years! He wouldn't throw that away Micha."
"Micha?"
"Don't judge me, I like giving nicknames!" I said feigning offence.
"Okay N/N."
"Nice, M." There was a pause. "Hey Michael, I'm really ti–" I blacked out.
I woke up in a hospital bed in a lot of pain. In the bed next to mine was Rich sleeping peacefully. I looked vaguely at my reflection in one of the glass doors and saw that my head had bandages on it and I could feel the ones on around my stomach.
The doctor came in and told me that I apparently bruised some of my ribs and had a concussion. He checked my vitals then left.
Almost immediately after the doctor left the room, my mom and Michael came rushing in.
"Oh my word honey what happened," my mom all but screamed.
"Fought a Squip."
"Again? Those things seem to follow you!"
"I know, right. I thought that after moving here I'd never face one of those again but here we are."
After talking for a while they had to leave for the night. It was pretty boring until Rich woke up
"Ow! What happened? My headth thore."
"Your Squip's gone."
I don't think he realised that I was there before because me speaking gave him a fright.
"Y/N? Wait, did you thay my thquip'th gone?"
"Yeah. You have a lisp? It's cute." He blushed when I said that, cute.
"Wait, I know why I'm here but what happened to you?"
"Oh haha funny story, your Squip controlled your body and I fought you."
His face instantly turned distraught.
"I hurt you?"
"Don't worry about me, Goranski I'll live," I laughed, "Besides, it wasn't you, it was that damn Squip."
"Thtill, I hurt you. How did you even know about thquipth anyway?" I sighed knowing that I did say that I'd tell him. Besides, I've pushed those emotions down since it happened so maybe it might be good to just let it out for the first time.
"My best friend, F/N back in California got one. She almost instantly became popular. At first, the worst that happened was her ignoring me. But then-" I almost broke down right there. "But then it wanted her to do bad stuff and when she didn't comply, it-"
Tears were streaming down my face and I didn't notice him getting out of his bed until I felt his hand on my arm. "It started slowly and painfully damaging her brain. She was sent to hospital but the damage was irreversible. She told me that Mountain Dew Red deactivates it but it was too late for that. I watched her die. I watched as that stupid thing took everything from me. So I don't care how badly I get hurt, I am getting rid of every damn Squip I come across."
I broke down crying and felt him wrap me in a hug. I just stayed there sobbing until I fell asleep in his arms.
~Timesquip to a month later~
A lot happened this past month. At the school play, a bunch of kids got Squipped then unsquipped, Jeremy and Christine got together, I became a member of the 'Squip Squad' meaning I for the first time in a long time had close friends and Rich and I became a lot closer.
I hadn't been close with anyone for a long time so having Rich was good for me. We helped each other out and even though we were in a group, we definitely gravitated towards each other most. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have any feelings for him but I'd rather not ruin our friendship by confessing.
"Hey, N/N?"
"Yeah, Richie?" He seemed kinda nervous so I put my hand gently on his arm.
"What if I told you I liked you?" I felt my face flush.
"That depends Goranski, do ya?"
"Yeah," he said sheepishly.
"Well Rich, what if I told you that I liked you too."
"That dependth N/N, do ya?" he asked, mocking me.
"Yeah," I responded mocking him back.
"You're a dork, Y/N."
"Maybe but you're a bigger dork," I said, laughing.
"Touché L/N," he said wrapping an arm around my waist as we walked together.
(A/N I know that this one is quite bad but oh well🙈 Hope you enjoyed anyway😝)
Q: What song have you been jamming to lately?
My answer: Eminem & Juice WRLD- Godzilla
Toodles😘