Perfect (Boyf riends)

Chapter 2

((ANGST))

Jeremy's POV

I jumped inside of Christine's car. "Thanks for driving", I muttered as I buckled my belt in the shotgun seat. Christine smiled and waved my comment away. "So, decide on a movie?" I asked. Christine grinned. "The live action version of Aladdin, of course! Starts at 4:20." I smiled. A Disney movie and a musical. Of course. Christine pulls into Michael's house. Christine loved to be early in case something was to happen.

I texted Michael as we pulled in, asking if he was ready.

Heere&weird: Hey Michael! Me and Christine are outside. Movie is @4:20, so take your time.

I waited a second. It never said "Read". I immediately thought he was in the shower or busy. Minuets passed before I tried calling him. Christine watched over my shoulder as my phone ringed. It ringed twice before it said "Call Denied". I began to get worried. I texted him again.

Heere&weird: Michael, are you ok?! Plz, answer me!

My phone said "read", but there was no response. I unbuckled my belt and opened the door. I told Christine to stay in the car.

Michael's POV

I sat on my bed. Another panic attack. Just wonderful. I felt a tight knot in my throat. My phone buzzed, I ignored it. After what seemed like an hour, another buzz which repeated. Someone was calling me. I couldn't talk. I yanked my phone out of my pocket. I stopped when I saw it was Jeremy. But, I quickly resumed and hit the hang up button. In truth, it had been only five minutes since the first buzzing of my phone.

Another buzz came and this time I opened my phone, tears still stinging my eyes. I was trying to hold on, but I knew I could not last long. I opened the texting app on my phone and I saw the two recent texts from Jeremy. I read the bottom and most recent one first. I knew he cared. Then I read the next text. And then, I let go. "Me and Christine", was what got me.

Tears raced down my face. I knew I was never going to be with Jeremy. But I wanted it so bad. To be with him. He was straight. I liked him. He would never like me. Ever. And it hurt. It hurt so much. I lay down back on my bad and scrunched into a ball and weeped. Everything around me was unseeable. I couldn't hear anything but my own cries.

I wasn't able to hear my door open. I sobbed more and louder, not realizing someone else was in my room. Until someone gently pulled me up into a sitting position.

Jeremy's POV

The door was unlocked so I let myself in. I checked downstairs first to see if he was distracted by a video game. Nope. He wasn't down there. I went up to his room next. I stopped outside of his room when I heard sobbing. Michael? Wha- I opened the door slowly. I saw my friend laying on his side crying his eyes out.

"Michael?" I ask softly. He doesn't answer. A panic attack I guessed. I sat next to him. He didn't seem to notice. I lightly grabbed his shoulders and sat him up to face me. He tried to flinch away but stopped when he looked up at me. Tears raced down his face.

"Michael? Can you hear me, buddy? Please.... just nod if you can." My voice is filled with concern but I ignore it. Michael nods slowly. Then, he jumps at me and hugs me tightly. I let him cry into my shoulder, trying to not to wince at how tight he was holding me. For a while, we sat. Michael clings to me.

After a long time, Michael calms down. He retracts from his long hug and blushes. I look at him. "Better?" He nods and wipes tears from his face. "T-thanks", he says quietly. I nod and give him a second to calm down more. "D-do you wanna talk about why you had a panic attack?" Michael shook his head. Alright. He doesn't want to talk about it. I took out my phone. 3:50. "We still have time to go the movies, if you want," I said. The whole point in going was to cheer Michael up. Maybe going to the movies would distract him from whatever was bothering him.Michael nodded again, this time after a short hesitation. I smiled. "Great! Do you wanna get going now or take another second?" He shook his head. "W-we can go now." Somehow, I could tell that Michael wanted to stay for a bit longer but he choose not to.

I got up and Michael followed me outside of his house and to Christine's car. "Michael, are you ok? Why didn't you answer us?!"Christine almost yelled. Michael stayed silent. From my seat, I could hear him using some type of breathing exercise. I turned in my chair to look back at him. Michael was looking at the ground. His chess going up and down, up and down in a rhythm. Christine rolled her eyes. I glanced at her right hand which was on the cup holder/rest between us. I placed my hand gently upon it to tell her to calm down.

Christine pulled into the surprisingly empty parking lot. Well, empty for a movie theater. Cars were still parked outside of the huge building. Some parents were holding some children into the theater and telling them to be careful when crossing the road. Together, we walked up to the theater and entered the building. We gave a digital copy of our tickets to the guy that was sitting at the desk in the front before going to get snacks. 

Michael, still, stayed quiet. I tried many times to ask if he was alright. He just either shrugged or nodded. Which, was not a good and trusting answer at all. Me and Christine decided to get a popcorn bag to share. Michael, however only muttered to the cashier that he wanted a soda. The cashier gave him the choices the theater had. "We have Pepsi, Soda, and Mountain Dew Red", the young cashier said. I winced as I heard the last option. My hand went straight ((NO ONE MAKE A PUN)) to my head. Michael looked over at me, worried, as Christine tried to comfort me. He ordered a Pepsi and gave the cashier three dollars. 

We all knew why I had winced at the name of the Mountain Dew. Everyone who had gotten the SQUIP, got their's removed. They would get headaches every now and again.  But I got the worst of it.   As my SQUIP was the most... independent and was in charge of the whole incident. Yet, I never got it removed, like I was supposed to. And I never told anyone about that either. I hoped that if I ever needed it for the most important reason, I would use it, and only then I would use it. If I did turn it on, (I have not yet) and I saw anything suspicious, I would turn it off right away. I hope to never have to use it ever again. I didn't understand why I did not remove the super computer. It just felt needed that I kept it.  

Michael's POV

I joined Jeremy and Christine again with my soda. My eyes were on Jeremy. I was really worried. I hate to see him in pain. Especially when I know it's because of the SQUIP. I stayed immensely quiet as Christine tried to calm Jeremy down. That would not work. It never worked. It just took time for the headaches to go away. At least, it took thirty minutes to stop. For everyone else who got the SQUIP, their headaches lasted for about a minuet or two. 

When everyone had just gotten their SQUIPs removed, everyone was in pain. People assumed that Jeremy was just being over dramatic when he yelped randomly in pain. Some time had gone by and people got less and less headaches. Except for Jeremy. His got more frequent and more painful. I knew he tried to hard to hide it. He was awful at hiding pain. 

We got to the side theater where the movie would be. It was mostly empty except for some parents with their kids. The commercials were on and it was an M&M commercial. Like the one where Danny DeVito is actually there and the red M&M was him. I have a small smile remembering how me and Jeremy used to laugh our heads off at the random commercial even if it was not that funny. 

We found three empty seats, away from everyone else. Jeremy sat next to me with Christine on his other side. I put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder and he winced. I immediately retracted my arm. "Sorry" I mutter. He shakes his head to say it was ok. Christine glared out me literally behind Jeremy's back for accidentally putting Jeremy in pain when he was already hurt. God- Christine hates me. She always has. I'm guessing she always will. 

Soon enough, the movie started. Jeremy's hands were still rubbing against his temple. I payed no attention to the movie and only watched Jeremy. About half-way through, Jeremy seemed to relax and his hands began to rest on his lap. The remains of the SQUIP had finally calmed down. Another quarter of the movie played and Jeremy fell asleep. On my shoulder. I began blushing like mad and Christine glared with anger at me. I only smiled back. The movie ended after a long while. The credits played as "A Friend Like Me" started up again to end the movie. I had to gently shake Jeremy awake. He jumped as he awoke and blushed madly. With embarrassment, of course. "S-sorry..." he said quietly. We got up and slowly left the theater, our legs tired and weak.

((Sorry I've been going back and forth between POV. It'll be like that most of the story... sorry.))