A series of not so chill events

Michael's troubles

A/n: (Btw, this is like a flashback. The next two chapters are flashbacks until we get to the part where Jeremy and Rich see Michael at the mall c; )

Michael's POV

I smiled as Jeremy went over to talk to Christine. He finally had the courage to ask her out! Maybe the SQUIP was a good thing..? I think our friendship is also stronger now because of it. I was really proud of him, and kind of exasperated that it not only took him this long, he went through getting a SQUIP and all that just to not even need it.

I put on my headphones and listened to my favorite playlist as I walked down the hallway to my first class.

During lunch, the popular kids called Jeremy over to sit with them and as I was going to sit down at my usual table at the back corner of the cafeteria, someone grabbed my arm.

I was startled and as I turned around, it was none other than Jeremy.

"Jere? Why are you Heere?" I chuckled slightly at my own joke.

Jeremy wasn't amused and he nudged my arm gently. "Wow ok I see how it is." He shook his head and pretended to look mad. I smiled. Things were back to normal.

Jeremy waved at his friends from the other table and as they waved back, Brooke looked over at me. We locked eyes and she stood up and waved at me, smiling. Everyone else at that table looked at her weirdly and she sat back down, abashed.

Jeremy looked at me with a questioning look. "I didn't know you two were close.."

"Uh we're not really close.. We just sit next to each other in homeroom."

I knew that Jeremy wanted to know more about us but he shrugged and smiled. "Things are good with Christine now!"

I smiled back. "Oh really? What happened? Tell me everything."

"Yeah! And I'm about to, calm down. You know you're the first person I tell everything to, right?!"

"Well, I better be!" I said jokingly but also half indignantly.

He seemed really excited and I couldn't help but smile even more. It was rare to see him this hyped up, he usually counted on me to make him feel so.. happy.

Jeremy told me what he and Christine talked about and how he was going to get dinner with her after school. It was like: "all my dreams were coming true, Michael!!."

Jeremy continued ranting while I ate my lunch, and by the time the bell rang he still wasn't finished.
"I'll call you later today, this man's got a date!" He giggled, and I laughed. "Sure. See you later."

• • •
After School

Still Michael's POV lol

I stood at the steps of the school and watched as Jeremy and Christine held hands and walked out of school together. I had a sudden urge to follow them but I pinched myself and and looked the other way.

I was happy for them, and everyone else was too. But still, a tiny part of me wished the school still thought we were "dating", even if it was meant to "bully" us. I shook away the thought and scolded myself.

I think that I felt this way because he left me for popularity (because he was pining over Christine since the 7th grade) and we weren't really friends for about two months and I'm scared of losing such a close friend again.  Yeah, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.