"Is this really gonna work?" Jeremy asked his SQUIP as he stood outside the drama room.
"Trust me I've done all the necessary research. Just go in and volunteer to be a stage hand."
"Jeremy are we doing this or what?" Michael had already opened the door and was waiting for him to follow.
Jeremy took the biggest breath of his life before nodding. "Y.. Yeah." He followed Michael inside. The room was thankfully not packed full of people. There were about 15 students in all just milling around talking and thankfully Jeremy didn't know any of them.
"Ok Jeremy this is your scene what do we do?" Michael nervously whispered to him as they slunk across the wall.
"You go to the front of the room." The SQUIP whispered.
"We go to the front of the room!" Jeremy repeated.
"And sign up."
"And sign up!" He finished before squaring his shoulders and heading to the table where Mr. Reyes the drama teacher sat. He was holding a folder in his hands and was packing papers into it when Jeremy approached and looked up at him with a wide smile.
"Ah more budding Thespians!" He cooed. "Thank you for joining us. If you'll just write your names on this piece of paper." He slid one across the table.
Jeremy eyed the names of people who wanted to be in the play and shook his head. "Um actually Mr. Reyes we were hoping we could help backstage."
This earned him a bigger smile and a sigh of relief. "Thank God. No one else wanted their spotlight stolen from them so I'm happy you stepped up." He picked up another list this one was bare and handed it to them. They quickly signed their names and handed it back.
"Excellent!" He praised. "Thank you both so much!"
Out of the corner of his eye Jeremy spotted Christine standing off by herself. Michael followed his gaze and smirked. "Ah so there was an ulterior motive for us coming here today."
"What?" Jeremey shook his head. "No, it's not like I could go over there and talk to her."
"Or you could stop being the creep in the corner and do just that." Michael nudged him with his shoulder. "Come on man just have a conversation. Tell her hi and that you're going to be working with her and all that blah blah blah."
Jeremy bit his lip. He was never good at this sort of thing; he'd never been able to form a coherent sentence around Christine in the entire time that he'd known her. In fact, he barely knew her.
"Your nerdy friend here is right. You'll never get anywhere with a girl by simply admiring her from afar."
Jeremy chose to ignore this and squared his shoulders. "Alright I can do this." He set off with what he hoped was a confident swagger across the room. Michael was soon to follow.
"Stop walking like that, you look like you broke your spine."
Jeremy huffed dropped the swagger. Each step taking him closer to Christine and making his heart pound faster and faster.
"You sound like a hummingbird. Breath Jeremy."
Now he was in front of Christine she noticed him and looked away from Jake who she had been talking to.
"H-Hey Chri-Christine." He offered a small wave.
"Don't stutter."
"Oh hey!" Her voice is bright and bubbly. "Do I know you?"
He realizes his stupid mistake. He knows her name but she doesn't know his. He must look like a creep. "I'm Jeremy." He extends his hand which she gingerly takes.
"Are you okay?" She stares intently into his eyes and when she let go of his hand, she wipes it on her skirt.
"Oh me?" He clears his throat. "Uh y-yeah I always......sweat this much."
Christine smiles but he can see that it is forced it is a smile that says you seem innocent enough but you are really weird.
"You are blowing this so horribly."
"Did you sign up for the play?" She asks politely.
"Not exactly. I'm a stage hand."
She claps her hands. "Oh wow! That's amazing! Well I look forward to working with you." She extends her hand for a goodbye shake and this time does so enthusiastically.
"Now walk away before you further embarrass yourself."
"Well I'll s-see you around."
"Yeah. Nice to meet you Jeremy!" She spins in a circle and gives him a salute. He returns it and turns and heads back towards where Michael is waiting at the edge of the circle with his hands in his hoodie pockets.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Okay."
"Sad."
"Awesome dude. See you just need to build up your confidence." Michael slings an arm around him as they exit the room. "Wanna go get some burritos before we head home?"
"You cannot be seen with this loser anywhere outside of school."
"Why not?"
"Awesome man!"
Jeremy pales realizing he spoke out loud.
"Because he will evidently be a blockage in your path to success."
"Michael is my best friend I'm not going to just abandon him because you say so."
"Fine go with him. It'll only be harder later."
Jeremy shakes his head and follows Michael out the door to the PT Cruiser.
The SQUIP tucked inside his mind space balls his fists. Of course, his host has to be so stubborn and narrow minded. It knew other SQUIP's whose hosts had no problem dropping everything for their commands. But Jeremy despite his obvious desire to want to change he was still pushing and pulling.
If only there was some way for Jeremy to understand the severity of what he was trying to teach him. That all the things he had now would be miniscule memories after he became what the SQUIP turned him into.
The gas station is empty when Michael and Jeremy pull into the parking lot. There is one solitary gas station attendant. A skinny black man with dreadlocks reading a Peoples Magazine.
Michael has 7-11 mapped out in his memory because he has been here so many times. Him and Jeremy head straight to the back of the store where thankfully there are still a few bean and beef burritos warming on the rack. Jeremy grabs one and waits for Michael who is also getting a slushie.
"This place is beneath me."
Jeremy gasps and turns around. A projected version of the SQUIP leans on the greasy counter beside Jeremy with its arms crossed. Similar to the first time that Jeremy had seen it. Tall with inky black hair cut close to its head. With a matching beard cropped short. Still wearing a black suit and tie.
"What are you doing?" Jeremy whisper shouts looking around for Michael.
"Relax Jeremy I'm in your head. No one else can see me but you."
"You know you don't have to be so critical of everything in my life."
The SQUIP looks down at him utterly unimpressed. "That's my job Jeremy. To improve your life, I must first notice all of its flaws. There seem to be a lot."
Jeremy strode past it without another glance heading over to the cash register where Michael was receiving his slushie.
"You are being extremely difficult Jeremy."
"Well I'm sorry if I don't mindlessly follow your orders."
Michael glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Jeremy was there while he paid. He chatted politely with the cashier while he rang them up and told him to keep the change when he was done.
"Alright we're homeward bound Jere."
"He is such an embarrassment."
"After you Michael."
In the car Jeremy turned down the volume on Swings and Waterslides and fixed Michael with a serious stare.
"Michael can I ask you something?"
Michael's expression doesn't change but he nods. "Sure Jere. What's up?"
Jeremy's eyes are on the SQUIP which is lounging in the backseat. It cocks an eyebrow at him but says nothing. It knows what Jeremy is going to ask Michael but it offers no insight of its own.
"Let's say there was this magic pill that could help make you cooler."
Michael taps the steering wheel with his middle finger and Jeremy knows this means he is thinking. "Okay? So like you take this pill and boom you're all popular and stuff?"
"Not right away." Again, he glances at the SQUIP. "Say it was like a computer giving you advice and telling you what to do."
"Okay I'm with you so far."
"Well how far would you go to be cool? I mean would you do everything this pill told you to do even if it seemed wrong?"
"And this pill knows everything about being cool?" Michael asks. And there is a hint of teasing in his words.
"This pill wrote the book on it."
"That's a hyperbole if I've ever heard one."
"Well if this magic pill really did know how to legitimately make me cooler, I'd probably listen to what it had to say."
Jeremy bit his lip. "Even if it meant giving up your friends or something?"
"Well I'd never give you up Jere." Michael puts a hand on his shoulder. "You're my player two man. If this pill told me to get rid of you then I'd say no dice."
Jeremy sighs in relief and fixes the SQUIP with a pointed look in the mirror. "Thanks Michael."
"So why the question? You watch a movie or- "
"I read a book I found in my dad's room. Freaky stuff let me tell you."
The SQUIP sitting in the backseat is silent and when Jeremy looks in the rearview mirror again. It's gone.