Apple - 19/05/2019

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"I'm leaving!"

"Have a good day at school, son!"

Jeremy closed the door behind him and walked down the road to the bus stop down the road, his hands stuffed into his pockets. It had been a few months - three, actually - since the play, since he had asked out Christine. He didn't like anyone mentioning the play, although most people didn't know what actually happened. Only he, Michael and Christine had known what had happened, but Jeremy also told Rich about it too.

The bus stopped in front of Jeremy, and he boarded it, taking his usual seat near the back. He put his bag between his legs on the floor and leaned his head on the window. Having the Squip in Jeremy's brain, and then having it shut down, was an emotionally and physically scarring experience. He still often got shocks, which weren't that very painful, but he still hadn't gotten used to them. They caused him to jerk at random times, and sometimes they had happened at school, but the students and teachers just treated it as an anxiety attack. He had only told Michael what they actually were, and Rich would've been able to work it out. The effects of the Squip lead him to do things that he never thought he would do.

Soon, the bus stopped near the school, and Jeremy grabbed his backpack - still with "Boyf" written on it in permanent ink, thanks to Rich - and he hopped off of the bus, along with other students, and walked towards the school building.

Jeremy enjoyed school a lot more now that he had more than one friend, and didn't need to worry about Rich always picking on him, although he still felt a bit nervous around him after the months of bullying. But he still had the feeling that people talked about him behind his back. He knew that they didn't know, but they could be talking about how foolish he was for getting a Squip, and almost destroying the whole school because of it. About the lies he told just to get popular, and his relationship with Brooke, and Chloe too.

He didn't talk to the two girls that much anymore, but over the two months since the play Jeremy had noticed that they were getting closer.

Jeremy stopped by his locker to get his maths book, and then walked down the corridor to his classroom, just as the bell rang.

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Three pieces of homework? In four periods? Jeremy leaned his head against his locker door in frustration. To make it more annoying, they were all due for other lessons in the week, and he doubted he would be bothered enough to actually do them on time.

He opened his locker to grab his notebook, and as he tucked it under his arm to close the door, it was slammed shut.

"Jesus Christ!" Jeremy jumped then nervously turned around to face the person he knew did it. "H-hey Rich?"

"Still pretty nerdy, huh, Jeremy?" Rich folded his arms and leaned against the lockers. "A-anyway, I got a question."

Rich looked down and inaudibly mumbled to himself.

"I, uh, what?"

"Is... headphone nerd single?"

"Um, uh, yes?"

"Cool."

Jeremy was about to ask why he wanted to know, but before he could question him, Rich grabbed him by the front of his shirt, bringing him down so they were face to face.

"Don't you fucking dare even think about mentioning this to anybody else! Do, and I will-"

"Okay, okay! I won't"

The pair suddenly froze as they heard the bang of a locker door shutting behind them. Michael casually stolled past them, too busy staring at his phone to notice them. Rich pressed a hand to Jeremy's face, ignoring his glares as he watched Michael walk past. Jeremy was by no means an expert, but judging from Rich's question and the way he looked at his best friend, he figured that what Rich felt towards Michael was more than just friends.

Rich continued to watch Michael until he disappeared around the corner. He lifted his hand from Jeremy's face and, before Jeremy could say anything, walked away. Jeremy shouldered his bag, and joined the stream of students heading to the canteen.

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707 words

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This fic and the interaction between Rich and Jeremy was inspired by a mini comic made by on Instagram, and the title is also a reference to that comic . So you should defo give them a follow! And while you're there, you might as well follow me too ;). Also, don't expect regular updates.