Looking Into Your (My) Eyes* -BE MORE CHILL

Chapter Three: Headphones, Notes, and Plan C(hloe)

CHAPTER THREE

   So far, things have been going... pretty alright for Michael.

    For two whole periods.

    His original plan A of "avoid people because you can't just casually explain how you magically changed bodies with your best friend" was going to be doomed by the end of third period.

    All thanks to Christine Canigula.

   Okay, maybe it's not REALLY her fault, Michael reasons with himself, swaying to some nonexistent beat as he makes his way to Jeremy's third period: Theater.

    Also known as the birthplace, natural habitat, and potential deathbed for Christine Canigula. It helped that she had the same third period as Jeremy, too.

    There was no chance of avoiding her. Not to mention, she was almost as good of a Jeremy Emotion Reader as Michael, post their mutual breakup ("We just... didn't click as a couple," he remembers Jeremy admitting, "She also figured out that she's ace! Isn't that so cool?"). Michael never hated Christine, it's just that now is the worst imaginable time for him to interact with anyone.

    He had to fix Jeremy's cardigan again before entering the auditorium, pushing the sleeves up to his elbows.

    Authentic Jeremy. Now, to try and avoid Christine in an... Unauthentic Jeremy fashion!

    It didn't last fifteen seconds. He makes it halfway to a seat in the back of the room.

    "JEREMY!" Christine tackles him into a kind, gushy, hug.

   "Hey," he speaks into her hair, still captured from the waist down. Christine lets him go and stares up to Jeremy's eyes, and Michael makes a mental note to stutter sometime in his next sentence.

    She frowns as her own charcoal eyes move down his face. "Uhm, Jeremy?"

    "W-what?" Nice.

    "Why do you have Michael's headphones?" Fuck. He tries to casually swing Jeremy's back forward and begins to stuff his beloved ivory treasures into it.

    "I-I was just b-borrowing them." Was that overselling it?

    "Weird. I've never seen him without those things! Is he okay?" Christine locks her fingers together, sitting down in one of the seats. Michael finishes zipping up the backpack and does the same.

    "T-that's because..." He trails off. Christine tilts her head sideways, scarily catlike and suspicious.

    "Because... I meant that they were the same kind of headphones. S-since I liked min-Michael's so much, I found the exact kind online!" Did I stutter ENOUGH this time?

    "...Oh."

    A few minutes pass by where Mr. Reyes declares that they'll be perfecting a script reading on one particular scene for the day.

    A scene without Jeremy.

    Score.

    A scene without Christine (to everyone's surprise), leaving them to converse for the rest of the period.

    Fuck.

   "Is everything good with you, Jeremy? You seem... sad or something. I can't ignore it."

    "I-I'm fine, Chris!" He smiles, but internally winces at the fact he called her "Chris", Jeremy never calls her "Chris", dude!

    "Truly?" She asks, crossing her arms. Her eyes dance about the room, as if she's internally debating something. She sighs and pulls her attention back to "Jeremy" now tugging and twirling a strand of hair.