Player 3?

Chapter 19 : It's back

Chapter 19

The next day...   

Kaye POV

I was expecting things to be better between Jeremy and Michael after last night. And they were for the most part. They weren't arguing or fighting. Michael seemed happy and barely anxious.

But Jeremy seemed really anxious. And I realized it was probably because we were on our way home, and he has to face his dad again.

I was sitting in the backseat with Jeremy again. He was so tense and I could literally hear him start breathing faster and faster.

"I need to tell you guys something!" Jeremy said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Um... Well... I need you to promise you'll believe me. It's going to seem like I'm lying, but I'm not!"

"Calm down," I said, holding his hand.

"It's just... Well this morning... My squip came back. But I haven't had it this whole time! It hasn't been here since the fire! It only just came back this morning!"

"We believe you. Relax," Michael said.

"What about your glasses? You're still wearing your glasses," I said.

"My squip is back but it hasn't really said anything or done anything. Like it keeps saying it's resetting and downloading and processing and I don't know what that all means. But it's back."

"Why would it just randomly come back?" Michael asked.

"The night it disappeared, I hit my head. And I hit my head again last night. That's the only thing I can think. What am I supposed to do? What if I'm mean to Michael again? What if I mess up my date with you?"

"Jeremy. Breathe. Everything is going to be ok. I found out what hospital Rich is at, and I'm going to go there tomorrow to talk to him. He might be able to help or give us some answers. I think maybe it's ok for you to hang out with Michael until your squip starts talking to you again. But once it starts talking to you, I think you should stay away from him."

"I just don't want to ruin things. This past week has been so hard, I don't want to go through it again."

"It's going to be ok. Just try to stay calm. When you start to panic, I feel like you just make things worse."

Jeremy sighed and looked out the window.

"You'll be fine," I said, still holding his hand.

"I hope you're right. OW!" He shouted, jumping.

"What's going on?" Michael asked.

"It just shocked me," Jeremy said.

"What shocked you?" I asked.

"My squip."

"Why is it shocking you?" Michael asked.

"That's what it did when I first got it. Or if I did something it didn't like."

Jeremy leaned his head on my shoulder and sighed again. I have a feeling things are going to go downhill.

Later...

Jeremy POV

When Michael dropped me off at home, my dad asked me a bunch of questions about my fake field trip. I was so scared I was going to say something that would give it away that I lied to him. He seemed to believe all my fake answers. But by the end of it, I was having a panic attack and trying to hide it at the same time.

I ended up just running downstairs to my bedroom, telling my dad I didn't feel good.

Michael and Kaye are cutting class tomorrow to go visit Rich at the hospital, so that means I'm going to be all alone. And I'm paranoid I'll get bullied by someone. I felt safer when Kaye was with me in every class but now I feel super vulnerable.

And what if my squip starts talking to me? I don't know what it's going to make me do or say. Or what if it's broken? Or shocks me again?

I hate that this thing is in my brain and can control me. I shouldn't have gotten it. I don't care about being cool anymore. It's just making my life hell.

I took a shower and then got into bed. But I couldn't fall asleep because I just kept thinking about tomorrow and how horribly it could go.

Maybe I'll be too anxious tomorrow and just throw up and be allowed to stay home from school. I think maybe that's the option I should be hoping for. But if I stay home, then I'm stuck with my dad, and that's not really a good option either.

I sighed and turned over, pulling the covers over my head. I don't know how I'm ever going to get to sleep if I just feel like I'm about to have a panic attack.