Accidental Squip

Chapter Eight

"Madison! You have to get up!"
"You can't make me, you oversized Nokia phone!"
"That is highly offensive and you need to take that back!"
"Hell no!"
Madison was clinging onto his bed for dear life while the Squip held him by his waist, trying to get him off. School was starting up again and Madison wanted no part of it. Being a senior had way too many responsibilities.
"Madison, I don't care how much you hate having to be a senior, but you need to show off your new self!" the Squip was saying. "I need to help you get a boyfriend!"
The Squip ignored the fact that he wanted to cringe at those words.
"I don't need no goddamn boyfriend!" Madison protested.
"Grammer!"
Madison went to stick his tongue out at the Squip, but with this slight pause, the Squip pulled on Madison's waist and he slid off the bed, catching him before he hit the ground. Madison took this chance to poke out his tongue at the Squip.
"You put that porn tentacle back in your mouth," the Squip scolded. "You need to get ready for school."
"'Porn tentacle'?" Madison scrunched up his nose and stood up. "I thought you used advanced speech, where the hell did 'porn tentacle' come from?"
"I'm trying out other speech methods. I'm adding metaphors and other figurative language," said the Squip, brushing off his not dusty or messed up jeans.
"You've got some weird metaphors coming from that little pill."
Madison stopped the conversation and threw open his closet doors, giving up resisting the Squip. The Squip appeared beside him, pushing Madison aside and pulling out several articles of clothing.
"You could wear your black and white flannel with some black ripped jeans and your mother's hat," the Squip said, pulling out said clothing. "Some guys like the dark type."
"But it's gonna be hot outside!" Madison complained.
The Squip gave him a look. "Do you think that matters to me?"
Madison rolled his eyes. The Squip pulled out some more clothes.
"You can also go for a more fancy casual look, with a slightly buttoned up shirt with rolled up sleeves and navy blue jeans with no rips," the Squip offered, holding out the clothes. Madison shook his head, making the Squip sigh and putting them back in the closet.
"How about-"
Madison cut him off. "Can I choose? Please?"
The Squip paused his rummaging and looked over at Madison. Madison was trying to pull the puppy eye trick, which the Squip's tolerance to was slowly breaking. If he had a heart, it would have melted when he looked into Madison's deep grey eyes. He sighed.
"Fine. You can choose."
Madison cheered and launched himself at the closet. The Squip tried not to cringe at the messiness of it all, but it was also amusing to watch Madison pick out an outfit.
Eventually, Madison picked out some clothes and rushed into the bathroom to change. The Squip waited patiently outside. He wasn't going to admit that he kinda, sorta, wanted to peek inside at Madison.
Stop it. You're a computer. You have no real feelings, the Squip told himself.
After a few minutes, Madison burst out of the bathroom and spread out his arms, waiting for approval from the Squip.
Madison had picked out an army green short sleeve that was almost a crop top on him. A sliver of pale stomach showed above the faded blue jeans embroidered with roses, matched with his rose embroidered high top vans. His mother's wide-brimmed hat perched on his bleach blond head, each color popping out. His light blazer was tied around his lower waist, you know, just for looks.
The Squip looked Madison over and nodded. He willed his glow to not turn bright pink. The most it did was go to a lovely lavender.
"Well done, Madison," the Squip said, lightly clapping. Madison beamed.
"Oh shit!" He exclaimed suddenly. "School starts in twenty minutes!"
The Squip raised his eyebrows. He had lost track of time himself. Not like him at all.
"Go, Madison, you'll have to catch a bus, your parents have left for work already," the Squip told him.
Madison nodded, grabbed his bag and rushed downstairs. He flew out the door, sprinting to the bus stop. The Squip had made Madison start running in the evenings, and his running was improving. And since he'd grown over the summer, Madison's legs were longer and let him take longer strides. The Squip only appeared next to Madison once he had arrived at the bus stop, right when the bus arrived at the curb. Madison boarded the bus and sat down in an empty seat. The Squip disappeared again, become a voice in Madison's head.
When the bus arrived at Middle Borough High, Madison hopped out and ran into the building, right to his first class; political science. The bell went off right when he plopped down in a seat, right in front. Class began, the teacher walking in and spouting about something as if Summer Vacation never happened for even a second. Madison listened intently.
"Who's that?" Madison heard someone whisper behind him.
"I don't know," another person replied. "But he's kinda cute."
"Grrr."
Madison ignored the Squip and grinned, turning around. Brooke and Chloe were the ones murmuring to each other, and their jaws dropped when they saw Madison's face.
"Madison!?" they whisper-exclaimed in unison.
Madison waved and grinned at them. "Hey Chloe, Brooke."
"What...what happened to you?" Brooke asked.
Madison shrugged. "Decided to change my style. My former style wasn't....'appealing.'" Madison quoted the Squip when he first got him. The Squip chuckled inside Madison's mind.
"Well, I thought you looked...alright," Chloe said, trying to be nice. She leaned over her desk, trying to get closer to Madison.
"She's lying."
No shit, Sherlock. She's a terrible liar.
"Miss Valentine, Miss Lohst!" the teacher snapped. "Erm...and Harper. Please no speaking in class."
Madison turned around.
"Tell him that he can call you Mr. Harper now. But be confident and relaxed about it, like you don't care that much."
Madison leaned back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head.
"It's alright, teach," Madison said. "You can call me Mr. Harper."
He finger gunned the teacher in the process.
"Never do that again."
Madison rolled his eyes. Sorry.
The whole class was strangely quiet. Madison glanced around. Everyone was looking at him. Jake, who was in the row behind Madison, looked amazed. Christine, who sat next to Madison in the front, grinned at him. She almost looked proud.
"Well...anyways...let's get back to class, shall we?" the teacher said, breaking the sudden silence.
Class went back to normal. Madison pretended that nobody was looking at him and paid attention to the lesson.
When the bell rang, everyone packed their bags and were out of the classroom as if Barry Allen had taken over them. Madison went slower and took his time leaving. Within the midst of the crowd of students, Madison bumped into Michael.
"Oh! Madison! I didn't see you there. You look nice today," Michael chuckled. He looked over Madison's shoulder and raised his eyebrows. "You also might wanna look behind you."
Madison cocked his head to the side and turned. There, standing silent like a ghost, was the Squip. Madison almost screeched.
"Squ- uh...Eric! What...are you doing here? You don't even go...to this....school," Madison faltered.
"Eric?" Michael asked. "Oh! Is he that 'friend' you were running with that one day and wouldn't tell us about?"
"You wouldn't tell your best friends about me?" the Squip feigned curiosity, obviously knowing Madison's reasoning for not telling. "I'm hurt."
Madison looked from Michael to the Squip and chuckled awkwardly. "Haha...yeah... Sorry. Umm, Michael, this is Eric. Eric, this is Michael."
Michael stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you! Madison is quite fond of you, from the limited information he has given us."
"Eric" smirked and shook Michael's hand. "Glad to hear."
At that moment, Jeremy arrived, giving Michael a peck on the cheek before realizing there was another person next to Madison.
"Who's this?" he asked.
Madison introduced the Squip again, even less enthusiastically than a few moments ago. He didn't want to have to deal with the Squip at school because he didn't want to risk anybody seeing him, but that obviously didn't turn out as planned. The bell for next class rang (saved by the bell!), and he sprinted down the hall, not caring that he left the Squip behind.
Since then, Madison just wanted school to end. He was hoping for no-Squip related help for the first day of school. When the last bell rang, Madison trudged from class and out the front doors, into the lawn in front of the building.
"Madison!"
Madison turned around and saw Chloe.
"Oh...hi," he said when she got closer.
Chloe stopped three inches in front of him. She had a shy grin on her face. She took something out of her pocket and waved it in front of Madison's nose.
"I realized that you don't have my number, so I thought I'd give it to you," she said.
She took Madison's hand in her own and tenderly placed the paper in his hand. Madison swallowed and forced out a smile.
"Oh...thanks, Chloe," he replied, looking at the paper.
Save me!
"One moment."
"Sooo...Maddie..." Chloe rocked back and forth on her feet. She had a suggestive look in her eyes. "I was wondering...are you free anytime on the weekend?"
"Umm...well...you see-" Madison tried to say.
Before he could make the situation worse by saying the wrong thing, he saw Chloe's eyes widen. Strong arms wrapped around his waist.
"Hello darling, is this girl bothering you?"
It was the Squip/Eric. He was pulling the boyfriend card. Madison thought he liked playing that role a bit too much. He had insisted on "coming over" to his house more often during summer, and there were way too many awkward moments for Madison to even count.
"No...no Eric," Madison murmured. "Chloe's fine."
Chloe seemed to get the message. "Y-yeah...I was actually just leaving."
With that she turned and headed towards the parking lot. She still had the courage to turn slightly and give Madison a wink, but quickly turned back. Madison wondered if he had imagined it.
"Thanks," Madison said, unwrapping the Squip's arms from his waist. The Squip resisted complaining about it.
"Madison!"
Madison groaned. "What now?"
Jeremy and Michael ran up to Madison and the Squip.
"You didn't say anything about Eric being your boyfriend!" Jeremy exclaimed, his eyes lighting up like stars.
"Oh my god- he's not my-"
"Madison likes to keep secrets, doesn't he?" the Squip chuckled, replacing his arms around Madison.
Madison sighed. Here we go again.
"Alright, fine," he huffed, defeated. "Yes, Eric is my boyfriend and we've been together for like two months."
"Three months," the Squip corrected.
Madison looked up. "Two months."
"Three months."
"Two-"
"We've been together three months, Madison."
"Oh, the thrill of first love," Michael cooed.
"Shut up!" Madison exclaimed, covering his face. This pretend boyfriend act was way too out of his comfort zone.
When Michael and Jeremy wouldn't stop gushing over him, Madison ripped through the Squip's arms, reached into his pocket, grabbed his phone and held it up to his ear. It wasn't ringing or anything, just his silent phone.
"Sorry, my mom is calling, gotta go!" he announced, skipping backwards into the parking lot to get away from his friends.
Madison heard Jeremy murmur "it wasn't even ringing" to Michael, making him chuckled under his breath. A few moments later, running footsteps were sounding behind him. The Squip appeared beside him.
"That was one of the worst and fake excuses I have ever seen," he said, slowing to a walk next to Madison.
"I was trying to get away from them. They bothered me way too much about not having a significant other when I was in my Junior year year, so obviously they're gonna bother me more when there's a potential boyfriend," Madison mumbled, sliding his phone in his pocket.
"Well, it looks like you're going to have to deal with me being your boyfriend," the Squip told him, placing an arm around Madison's shoulders.
"Fake boyfriend," Madison corrected. "And speaking of which, you seem to enjoy playing my boyfriend a little too much."
The Squip stayed silent. Madison couldn't say anything else since his mom's red Mercedes drove up right in front of them. Madison squealed and jumped back. The window rolled down, revealing his mother's grinning face.
"Hey! You didn't tell me Eric was coming," she said, unlocking the doors to let them in.
"He didn't tell me either," Madison mumbled, opening the door to the passengers seat.
"Ah ah, you go in the back with your boyfriend," said his mother, grabbing the door and closing it.
Madison looked at the door and sighed. The Squip opened the back door, bowing forward slightly.
"Ladies first," he teased.
Madison rolled his eyes and lightly hit the Squip on the shoulder. He climbed in, Squip following shortly. Madison's mother sped off right as the door closed again.
At home, Madison went straight up to his room and flopped on the bed. The Squip glitched into a different outfit, leaving physical form. His glow returned as he sat on the edge of Madison's bed, obviously reluctant to sit any closer.
"You can lay down if you want," Madison told him, rolling onto his side.
"Are you quite sure?" The Squip asked.
"Yes. It not like you're going to do anything."
The Squip's glow brightened to lavender as it did earlier that day. Little did Madison know was that he did want to do exactly that. Even so, he laid down next to his host, leaning against the pillows. He couldn't feel them in holographic form, so he switched back to "Eric" again, sinking into the cushions. His glow would give off feelings neither of them needed to know anyways.
"You good?" Madison asked, raising an eyebrow at the Squip.
The Squip was about to nod, when he decided on something. He sighed and sat up, looking at Madison. Madison rose from his pillows as well, concerned.
"There is something I need to say," the Squip said.
"Go ahead, I won't judge," Madison encouraged.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
"I understand that my actions may be unprofessional and definitely against my programming," the Squip said, placing himself in Madison's lap. "But these human emotions of mine seem to be getting out of hand and beyond my control. This is something I must do if I want to satisfy these emotions."
Madison's face flushed. "W-what are you talking about?" He wasn't sure what to do when a tall supercomputer man was sitting on his legs, so he just sat still, barely breathing.
The Squip wrapped his hands behind Madison's neck, and he made to do so in the most gentle way possible.
"Madison, I believe that what I'm feeling towards you is romantic affection," the Squip said quietly. "Perhaps it's the, as you put it "playing the boyfriend card" so much, maybe it's being near you in physical form, possibly both. But it seems that I am capable of feelings such emotions and I felt the need to tell you."
Madison swallowed. He was looking straight into the Squip's bright blue eyes. He couldn't seem to pull himself away. He didn't know what to say or do.
"Madison, I don't have to read your mind to know you feel the same way."
Madison finally breathed in sharply and looked away, placing his head on the Squip's shoulder.
"You probably read it anyways, you dork," he muttered, grinning slightly.
"You know I did, Madison."
The two laughed. The Squip lifted Madison's head and cupped his face in his hands. He leaned in, but Madison covered his mouth with his hand.
"Not now," he said, grinning. "Nose, cheek, head (not that kind you dirty weirdos), that's fine. Lips are for later."
The Squip placed his forehead on Madison's. "Understood."
Madison kissed him on the nose and pulled him down back on the pillows. He laid his head on the Squip's chest, closing his eyes. He felt the Squip wrap his arms around him. It was silent. It was peaceful. Madison didn't want to move.
"You got math homework today, you know," the Squip said after a moment.
"Hush, now Eric. I am sleeping."