Halloween: the Unaccounted Hours

Chapter 1: So This Is What a Party Is

Jeremy Heere had never been to a proper high school party before, one that involved drinking, and music, and really anything besides playing video games into the wee hours of the morning with a discarded mask around your neck.

When Jake had handed him a handmade flier predominantly consisting of the word "HALLOWEEN" the previous Wednesday, he'd felt excited and exuberant, sure this was the night he was finally going to live out a high school movie. But now, on Jake's doorstep, he suddenly felt a lot more nervous. What if he couldn't get with the groove? What if he embarrassed Brooke? What if he got laughed out by Chris-

Reactivate, he thought, and immediately his Squip appeared besides him.

Jeremiah, I was under the impression you were equipped to handle social interactions in a casual setting, he scoffed, leaning against the wall and tilting his chin up with a smirk. But if you really need me I will make myself useful.

Mockery straight from the get-go? So that's how he was paying tonight. If he was capable of feelings, the computer loved to tease his host. Jeremy liked to think of it as a form of affection. Of course, being the only crowd for the Squip's continuous sardonic stand-up routine could get irritating, but all the same it was sorta nice to have someone who acknowledged everything he did, good or bad. It made him feel a little less alone.

Reassured by the ghostly presence at his side, he inhaled deeply and let himself in.

His first thought was that the music was louder than anything he'd anticipated. The second was surprise at the mass of teens crowding every room, huddled around couches or tables lined with drinks. Wow, I didn't think Jake had this many friends.

He doesn't, his Squip informed him. They're here for the fun, and the free alcohol. Teenagers are remarkably self-centered. What they want, and what you want, is a good time.

Oh. When he was a social outcast, he'd assumed that he was being shunned by a collective group. Maybe there were plenty of other losers who'd been better at getting invited places. All the same, he'd feel weird having people whom he didn't know at his house.

Brooke appeared, darting through the crowd to hug Jeremy. "I thought you weren't coming! Did you see my messages?"

He had. And he'd certainly felt guilty ignoring them. But the Squip had said he needed to 'build anticipation', so human decency went flying out the window.

"Am I late? I didn't even notice."

Nodding a little anxiously, she took a step back to display her costume. "What do you think?" she purred, somewhat ironically, because for some godforsaken reason, Brooke has chosen to dress as a pink poodle.

Jeremy was dumbstruck. Did this happen sometimes? He'd assumed she would choose a career-themed outfit, or a cat or something. He was not prepared for a sexy dog. Thinking those words made his skin crawl a little as childhood memories of his pet golden retriever surfaced. What on earth was he supposed to say? Was this one of those trap situations where- Vague compliment, the Squip commanded, looking bored, as if he whatever was going on was not worthy of his time.

"It's original -I mean amazing," he added hurriedly, seeing the smile on her face start to slip. "Seriously, I can't believe I'm with a girl who looks like you."

The last words slipped out under the Squip's impulse. Why did he want Jeremy to be so rude to Brooke tonight? She was technically his girlfriend, after all. Daily, he went through the trouble of being socially acceptable with her, and now it was time to chuck that down the drain?