Boyf Riends

Jeremy VIII

I walked into the play rehearsal room, Chloe Valentine was sitting next to Christine with Brooke Lohst and Jenna Roland flanked around her.

"He's at Model U.N. Or whatever it is this week. You know Jake. Always jumping from one-" Chloe paused hurt flashed over her spray tanned face for a second. "-extracurricular to another.

"I don't know him that well," Christine said.

She shifted in her chair. All four legs were on the floor.

"Well, he loves to try new things. He just doesn't stay with them after he tries them, if you know what I mean."

"We're just friends." Christine crossed her arms. The black and white long sleeves she was wearing rode up, exposing a few red bracelets that she had on.

"What?" Chloe gawked at Christine with those overlined bug eyes.

"I know you guys used to date or whatever. So if that is what this is about-"

"Oh my god. Ew, no. Jake and I are totally over!"

"Yeah, he's really gross." Brooke took a sip from her iced coffee and side eyed Chloe.

"He is not gross!" Chloe whipped around, long hair extensions flopping over her jumper dress.

Brooke rolled her eyes and pulled her phone out of her Fjallraven backpack.

"Anyway. Friends. I am so glad because I would hate to think that the reason Jake is not here is because he's bored of you already. Bye!" Chloe stood up and her posse followed to the front of the room.

This was my chance, Jake wasn't here and sitting next to Christine.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked the skater skirt and suspender clad person next to me.

"I- I don't really know."

The Squip moved its hand like it was telling me to sit down.

"Well, how about I sit here until whoever shows up?"

Christine shrugged and leaned back in her chair. The front two legs dangling in the air. "Hey, are you ok? I haven't really talked to you in a bit, and I was worried."

I set my backpack down and looked over. "What, why?"

"At the mall, you were acting really strange. We never really got to address it."

"Oh, that was just performance art." I shrugged and pulled my windbreaker around me tighter.

I still didn't understand why the Squip made me wear the Eminem shirt today. It was honestly kind of weird walking around with a rapper's face on my shirt. It was even weirder that the Squip made me order it from Amazon after I said that I didn't want to go back to Macy's ever again.

"Oh, that's cool. You had me convinced that something was wrong, at least."

Mr. Reyes then walked into the classroom, another Hot Pocket box tucked under his arm. He set the defrosting box on his desk and addressed the group. "Let's begin, people! Curtains rise on Athens, Georgia. The Center for Disease Control."

Jenna stood up in her script for her Doctor Theseus. "Now fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws aspace-" She pointed towards Brooke who was carrying Chloe as a sick Helena. "-Bring me Patient Zero!

Chloe brought her fist to her mouth lazily. "Cough."

Brooke held onto Chloe tighter and looked Jenna in the eyes. "Doctor, why is her cheek so pale? How chance the roses there fade so fast?"