Accidental Squip

Chapter Twelve

Congratulations to the single person who reads this story; it's your lucky day! I'm dumping the entire story on you because I really just want to get it over with. Have fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Great party, Madison!"
"You should totally invite me over again."
"Why don't you throw more parties?"
Madison walked through the school campus and smiled weakly in the direction of anyone who spoke to him about his birthday party. Despite having bailed on everyone halfway through to...ahem...yeah, the party went on without him. Only a few people had brought presents, which Madison proceeded to open the next morning. Michael and Jeremy notified him that they had taken over as the party hosts, kicking everyone out around 3:00 in the morning. Michael even took the liberty to put Madison's parent's sheets in the laundry.
"Hey, Madison-"
"I get it! The party was great," Madison snapped. "Leave me alone!"
It was Brooke. For once, Chloe wasn't by her side. She approached Madison, laughing lightly at Madison.
"Calm down, I wasn't going to talk about your party," she said. "I don't like talking about other people's achievements."
Madison blinked. "Oh. Then why are you talking to me? We aren't exactly friends."
Brooke flipped her blonde hair back. "I just came to ask if Eric was around."
"Umm...he doesn't go here?"
The shorter girl seemed to realize her mistake.
"Well, of course I knew that. Someone as gorgeous as him shouldn't go to a dump of a high school like Middlesbrough High." She covered up her mistake almost smoothly.
Madison shifted uncomfortably. "Could you, like, not talk about him as if he's single? Because...well...he's not."
Brooke turned her nose in the air and smirked. "Not for long."
Madison's heart sunk. Brooke really planned to take the Squip away from. Now he knew this wasn't possible, as the Squip was implanted in his brain, but he still wasn't sure how to react to Brooke's words.
"Don't let her bother you. I don't have anything to do with Brooke."
Madison jumped slightly at the Squip's sudden voice. Since he had been in physical form around Madison so much, he had forgotten that they could communicate telepathically.
I know. I'm trying.
"You know, I'm not even sure why he chose you." Brooke was still talking. "Not that I'm against gays or anything, because I totally thought I was going lesbian for Chloe, but that was until I saw Eric."
Madison went to leave, enough of Brooke's bullshit. But Brooke caught his wrist and turned him back around, glaring coldly at him.
"Don't fucking turn around while I'm talking," she snarled. "And don't try to act like you're popular when you know you aren't."
"W-what?" Madison stuttered.
"You think you're cool with your bright blond hair?" Brooke asked. "It's obviously bleached. Nobody likes a fake person. I, on the other hand, didn't have to bleach my hair. It's naturally blonde."
Madison stumbled over his words. "I- my hair is- it's naturally blonde! Well, I mean, I know it's bleached, but-but I just wanted it to-to be brighter-"
Brooke rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't try to cover up. You know, you're just like Rich. He was a loser in freshman year and probably still would be now, but at least he tried and gained his popularity."
Madison knew that wasn't true, but his voice was caught in his throat. He also didn't want to get bitch-slapped by someone with sharp red nails.
"Walk away, Madison."
I already tried! You saw what happened.
"Don't give up on me now! Shove her and walk away."
Madison swallowed and ripped his wrist from Brooke's grip. He spun on his heel and strided away, resisting the temptation of covering his ears as Brooke shouted more insults.
"Don't be a coward, Madison!" she called. "You know you don't deserve Eric!"
Madison turned a corner and pulled open the classroom door for history. He plopped down in his seat, aggressively pulling out his torn up notebook and throwing it on the desk. The bell rang, leaving Madison to place his chin in his hands and listen to the teacher.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Maddie, what's wrong?"
Madison looked up from his cold banana pancake sitting in tupperware in front of him. He was one of the few people who actually brought lunch from home. Madison sighed and sulkily poked the pancake with a plastic fork as Jeremy sat down beside him, placing his blue tray with school food on the table.
"Brooke was bugging me this morning," he told Jeremy. "She said something that just kind of bothered me."
"Kind of bothered you?" Jeremy asked. "It looks a lot more than 'kind of.'"
Madison sighed again. "It was about...um...Eric. And...and my hair." Madison suddenly looked up at Jeremy. "Is it bad to bleach your hair?"
Jeremy looked startled. "Well...doesn't bleach damage your hair?"
"No...I mean, is it bad to bleach your hair to make yourself seem cool?" Madison elaborated.
Now Jeremy looked concerned. "Are you trying to be cool? Because you know how that turned out with me."
Madison shook his head. "No, don't worry about that. Brooke just said that I was fake because I bleached my hair and looking cooler over a single summer. I wasn't even trying to do that. She also said that she was going to...take Eric away from me...." Madison faltered.
Jeremy put down his almost frozen pizza on the plastic tray. After wiping his hands on his jeans he rubbed Madison's hunched back.
"Hey, don't let Brooke get you down," Jeremy said. "She along with the rest of the school would always call me gay and...I mean that's kind of true since I'm bi, but, umm, haha..."
Madison chuckled.
"Anyways, just don't let her words get to your head. I'm sure Eric will beat her up for you, not that I'm suggesting that he beat her up..."
Madison grinned lightly, straightening his back. "Yeah. Thank's Jerry."
Jeremy smiled back. "Of course, buddy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How was school, honey?" Madison's mother asked as he slumped in the front seat of her red Mercedes.
"It was fine," Madison deadpanned. "School, ya know? Usually kind of sucks every day."
Mrs. Harper laughed. "Oh, you'll get over it. It's your last year. You don't have to go to college you know? Just stay with me and dad."
Madison chuckled. "I know. I'll still wanna go to Oregon State though."
"Well I tried. Oh, and by the way, Eric is at home. He's waiting for you."
Madison smiled. The rest of the drive home was silent, the radio playing something by Katy Perry. Madison didn't care for Katy Perry, but he didn't feel like changing the station.
Once he arrived home, Madison nearly knocked down the door, kicked off his shoes and sped upstairs. Throwing down his bag, he launched himself at the Squip who was laying on the bed, reading.
"Hey there, weirdo," the Squip said, placing down the book he was reading.
"Mmm."
"Are you okay now?"
"No."
"I heard Jeremy talk to you at lunch."
"Mmm."
"Do you want a hug?"
"...Yes."
The Squip wrapped his arms around Madison's waist. Madison buried his face in the Squip's chest. The Squip had no scent, but he was comfortable to lay on. It's not like the Squip breathed either.
After a little while, Madison rolled off of the Squip and grabbed his bag.
"What are you doing?"
"Homework. What do you think?"
"You usually don't get up yourself to do homework," the Squip noted.
Madison waved his notebook. "Yeah, well, I have a math test tomorrow and I'd prefer to be prepared."
Madison got to work at his desk. The Squip flitted around him, asking every so often if Madison needed help. Madison refused every time, laughing when the Squip began to get exasperated at the refusals.
"Why are you good at math?" the Squip complained.
"Because I actually pay attention in class," Madison answered.
"I'm probably the only Squip that got a smart host."
"I'm taking that as a compliment."
The room fell silent. The Squip leaned against Madison's shoulder, watching his pencil scratch against the paper. Numbers slowly filled up the page, and the Squip followed Madison's hand boredly.
"You don't have to watch you know," Madison told the Squip.
"I don't have anything else to do- wait." The Squip stopped, narrowing his eyes.
"What?"
"That says to explain how the equation they used to get 3.4 over 3 is incorrect, not why the answer is incorrect."
Madison scrunched up his nose. "Whatever. I don't have to be perfect."
The Squip straightened up. "Fix it."
"I don't want to."
"Fix it."
"I'm not going to."
"Fix. It."
Madison rolled his eyes, ignoring the Squip. He then found his hand unable to move. Madison watched his hand drag across the paper, flipping his pencil around and erasing the answer he had gotten incorrect.
"What are you doing?" Madison asked.
"I'm fixing it because you won't."
"Jesus Christ."
When the answer had been changed, the Squip released Madison's hand to his own control. Madison just sighed and threw down the pencil.
"I'm going to sleep."