Player 3?

Chapter 7 : Uncool

Chapter 7

The next day...  

Kaye POV

Jeremy wasn't at his locker this morning. But he was in class.

"Where were you this morning? Michael wanted to talk to you. He tried calling you last night," I said, taking out my books for class.

"Oh... Yeah. I was busy. We're going to have auditions for the play, so I was preparing for that."

"Well he really wanted to talk to you. We're both worried about you."

"Why?"

"Michael told me about the squip," I whispered.

"Oh..."

"What does it do? Do you feel any different?"

"It's just giving me advice on how to help me get Christine to be my girlfriend."

"How?"

"It's like talking to me in my head and telling me what to say and how to act. Stuff like that."

"Weird. Is it safe though?"

"I have no idea. But Rich has one. And he seems fine."

"Yeah, that's what Michael said. Why did you have to get a squip though? Like why can't you just ask Christine out?"

"She's not going to say yes. The whole point of the squip is it will help me to get her to be my girlfriend."

"But if the squip is telling you how to act and what to say, then you're not being yourself and she's not going to like you for you."

"If she's my girlfriend, then I'll be whoever she wants me to be."

"Jeremy, you should just be yourself. I don't think this is a good idea."

"Michael doesn't either. But I think maybe he's just jealous that I might be cool and he won't."

"I don't think he's jealous. I think he's just worried about you."

"Maybe. I won't be at lunch again today, just to let you know. I'm going to Christine's study hall instead."

"Ok. Michael really wanted to talk to you today though. Are you going to come over today? You don't have play rehearsal."

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I thought you guys used to hang out all the time."

"We did."

"So why don't you want to come over?"

"I just have more important things to do, ok?"

"Ok..."

Later...

Kaye POV

Michael seemed anxious all day. At lunch he seemed fidgety, in the car he was silent, and when we got back to his house, he went to his bedroom and didn't even ask me to help him with his math homework. So I decided maybe I should try to talk to him.

I stood in his doorway, waiting for him to look up at me.

"Hey," he said, quietly.

"What's going on with you today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem anxious."

"I'm just worried Jeremy is mad at me for some reason. He wasn't at lunch and I didn't even see him at his locker before or after school. And I tried texting him again, but he didn't respond."

"I don't think he's mad at you. I think he's just busy trying to impress Christine. He wasn't in lunch because he went to her study hall instead."

"Ok... But he doesn't have play rehearsal today and I'm not grounded anymore, so why didn't he come over to play video games?"

"I don't know. He mentioned that he was learning lines for auditions for the play. So maybe he's busy doing that."

"You really don't think he's mad at me?"

"I really don't. I think he's just in love with Christine."

"Do you think he'll come over this weekend?"

"Maybe. You should try calling or texting him again."

"Ok. I will."

"Do you want help on your math homework?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Weekend...

Kaye POV

Jeremy hadn't responded to any of Michael's texts or calls, so I decided to call him myself and see if he would respond. He doesn't have play rehearsal on the weekend, so I don't know why he won't respond to Michael or come hang out with him. Michael told me that they would usually spend the whole weekend together as well as a few hours after school. So it's really weird Jeremy just isn't here all of a sudden.

I called Jeremy, and he immediately picked up, which surprised me.

"Hello?" Jeremy asked.

"Jeremy, it's Kaye."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Uh... Well Michael's been trying to call and text you and you weren't answering, so I guess I was just wondering what was going on?"

"Oh... Well here's the thing... Um... So you know how I have a squip now?"

"Yeah."

"And it's trying to help me get Christine to be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"Well... It's trying to help me to be cool and Michael isn't... cool."

"So you don't want to hang out with him anymore because your squip told you not to?"

"Kind of...?"

"Jeremy, do you know how messed up that is?"

"Yes, but all I've ever wanted in life was to not be a loser! Michael doesn't care about being cool. He's fine just being himself. But I want to actually be somebody."

"I can't believe you right now. I knew the squip was a bad idea."

"It's not a bad idea! I was able to actually have a conversation with Christine yesterday without completely freaking out and making a fool of myself."

"Ok, so what am I then? Am I uncool too? Or am I cool because you actually answered the phone when I called?"

"You're cool. Do you see the way all the guys look at you in school? And Rich? He's basically in love with you."

"Yeah, I knew that already."

"I'm sorry. I have to work on learning my lines for auditions."

"So that's it? You're just done hanging out with Michael?"

"Right now my focus is on Christine."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't have an answer. I have to go. I'll see you in school."

Jeremy hung up and I sighed. I can't believe him.

Michael appeared in my doorway, looking anxious.

"What did he say?" Michael asked.

"He said... His focus is on Christine right now. His squip is teaching him how to be cool, I guess, and apparently you're not cool, so he doesn't want to hang out with you."

Michael sighed and stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry," I said, quietly.

"It's his decision," Michael said, leaving.