One Match - Expensive Headphones

Drunken partygoers in various halloween costumes were scattered around the house, some of them he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what they were doing or where they had gone. He walked up to a boy who was short, but still considerably taller than Rich’s height of 5’ 2”.

“Have you seen Michael? He texted me that he arrived a while ago.”

Jeremy shifted uncomfortably as he asked. “I haven’t seen him since he first arrived..” Rich shot him a look and walked off to look for him, slightly suspicious of Jeremy.

Why do you want me to be gone so badly? Can you not handle the price of popularity?

A voice crackled into his ear. Rich turned around only to see nothing but the familiar students and monsters. He walked around to many of the other students and began to question them, “Got any Mountain Dew Red?” No one seemed to follow through with his request. Damn, how could he forget it so easily.

It’s too late to remove me Rich. You chose popularity over sanity, did you not? I guess you didn’t know the choice you were making, but it makes no difference- 

“Get the fuck out of my head!” Rich screamed. He didn’t care about who looked and stared at him. He just wanted the voice to be gone. God, why couldn’t it just leave him alone.

I’m here to stay Rich. It’s too late to save yourself.

Rich grabbed his hair and ran off into the other room. “Michael! Where the fuck are you?!” He yelled. A few people turned to him and began to whisper among themselves. He looked at the bathroom door. Occupied. Fuck, He thought. He ran into Jake’s bedroom while yelling ‘warning, warning!’ repeatedly.

Don’t even think about it, Rich.

“How are you going to stop me?!” He yelled. He pulled out a lighter and attempted lighting it. The damn thing wouldn’t light. To his own shock tears began to stream down his face. He kept attempting. He knew his SQUIP would never let him drink another bottle of Mountain Dew Red unless it was shoved down his throat, in other words, he can’t be rid of it. This was his last choice. After many tries, it lit.

Rich brought the lighter down to the carpet and watched as the flames spread around him. He brought his knees to his chest and buried his face into them. Everything, sounds, shapes and thoughts all blurred together. 

Rich!  Get up!

He felt a shock pulse through his body. It hurt like hell but he chose to ignore it.

The fire alarms began to blare their voices at him, telling him to leave before it was too late. Rich laid on the ground and let the flames devour him. He heard screaming and people running to escape, and stomping echoing down the hall. The door flung open and Jake stood there with a shocked expression on his face.

“I’m sorry…” Were the only words Rich let escape his lips as the tears began to evaporate off of his cheeks. Jake ran through the flames and picked him up with surprising ease. He turned to leave, but was met with a wall of flames. He ran to the window and peeked out. It was a twenty foot drop, but if he didn’t jump, they were both as good as dead.

Rich let out a weak cough. Jake had made up his mind. He opened the window as wide as possible and let himself fall backwards so that Rich would land on him, God knows if he would have survived otherwise. He felt his back hit the sharp spines of a bush, and the world went dark.

~ ~ ~

Rich woke up in a daze surrounded by bright lights and and people in white and blue uniforms. He attempted to sit up but was hit with sharp pains so harsh he screamed out in pain. “Looks like he’s awake.” He heard someone murmur. He looked around and noticed Jake was at his bedside in a wheelchair, and that he was also holding his hand.

“Where’s Michael…?” He managed to get out. Jake gave him a look of regret and sadness, and maybe even a bit of jealousy.

“Rich...I hate to say this but...He passed. He was trapped in the bathroom. They’re suspecting it was the smoke that killed him..”

Rich closed his eyes and began to process what had happened. His boyfriend, his lover, he died in a fire meant to kill Rich. If only he hadn’t taken that damn pill...If only he had the Mountain Dew…

The nurses ushered Jake out of the room and circled around him. “We’re going to begin surgery now, okay?” They stated. Rich nodded with the little strength he had left. They proceeded to the surgery, though Rich could hardly feel it through the cloud of his emotions. He heard beeping sounds drone in a slow tempo, keeping time to the song of his life. He let his mind wander from the tragedy and a slow, meaningful tune enter his brain. Soon the song stopped, and everything went white.

Rich looked around the new scenery, and discovered something odd. Everything was an opal color and even stranger, his injuries had disappeared. He could hear the sound of a stream up ahead, and decided to follow the sound. Soft blades of grass brushed against his calves and shins. As he approached the stream, a figure in a black suit became visible. The figure had their toes in the soft sand and their short hair flowed in the wind. It soon became apparent who it was.

“Michael!” He cried out and raced over to meet his lover again. Michael turned and gave him an almost sad smile.

“I didn’t want you to join me yet….You didn’t deserve to fade like me.” He muttered as he walked over to Rich.

Rich chose to ignore that remark and hugged the taller boy as tight as possible. “I never thought I would meet you again….” Michael hugged back and rested his head on Rich’s. Rich looked up at him and kissed his soft lips.

“I love you.” Michael said with a bittersweet tone.

“I love you too.” Rich replied as they laid down on the beach, and let the soft sand envelope them and show them to their final resting place.