Week Three: Junior Year

The next day Jeremy comes up to me. I can tell right away that somethings changed. I dismiss it for nerves.

"Yo! TALL-ASS, wheres my money?" Jeremy looks like he's about to piss himself before I get hit with the weird sensation of my Squip linking up. "You got one!"

"Uh, yah, I'm sorry, I meant to go through you, but please don't hit me!" He said as I raised my hand for a high five.

"Jeremy, This Is Awesome! I mean, I coulda used the money, cuz things are kinda ruff at home...if you know what I'm sayin-"

"Yah man, my...dad drinks too..." He said looked confused. I ignore it and smile weakly. I kinda feel bad for bullying him all these years. The homies got the same problems.

"Yo, man, fuckin' dads, right?" I say and he nods.

Lately Ned has been hitting the bottle almost as much as Dad has. Something about work and how he's too tired to deal with me and my mom anymore. I don't complain. At least we live in a bigger house. "Yo, he usually passes out by 6, you should come over a-and play XBox sometime! You know with the Squip the only controller you need is your mind!"

"Oh, right on, dude!" Jeremy says and I laugh. He waves and walks away. I walk to Jake's locker to talk to him before school starts. Except he's there talking with Christine.

"Data suggests they have just developed a relationship bond. You could have a ten percent popularity boost if you-"

"Shut down." I say.

"But Rich," It try's to talk again.

"I Said to shut the fuck down."

"You can't keep turning me off every time you have a problem." It hisses and powers down.

During lunch I go to the library. I figure Jake is too busy talking to Christine to notice if in there anyway. Plus I don't want to hear Dustin talking about his recent brake up, because honestly he deserved it. Poor girl caught him cheating on her. It was messy.

I power up one of the oldest computers. One of the icons says 'p0rn' another reads 'Be More Chilli' I click on it and it's a recipe to make some top quality chili. I pop out my flash drive and download that for later. Honestly you can find the coolest shit on old computers. For fun I opened up the search bar and typed in 'SQUIP' not thinking I would get anything. Up popped a file. 'CODE RED' I click on it.

'If you are reading this then it's too late for me, but not for you. As of two years ago I got a SQUIP under the impression that it would make me cool. After these years I've realized that that is not what its primary function is. It's purpose is to study brain functions of teens to determine if a more superior race can be produced from the ashes of the older ones; humanity has stopped evolving. It slowly drives you into insanity as it uses your own cells against you. If you have one you might have noticed that it shocks you with super charged energy. That's, I think, the reason the SQUIP project was discontinued. The SQUIP doesn't know when enough is enough, and the shocks get harsher every time. It conditions you like a dog until your body finally gives out and starts destroying itself trying to get rid of it. I think I've figured out a cure. Mountain Dew Red. I don't know why.

Please if you are reading this save yourself. My body is already destroying itself, I can feel my -BEEP- slowly going crazy. I -BEEP- that this message will save -BEEP- people. If you ever read -BEEP- tell my mother I love -BEEP- brother -BEEP- Mahal Kit-BEEP-

END'

I turn off the computer quickly and put my head in my hands. "Rich." I flinched as the my Squip started talking. I look around and see a pair of scissors.

'ShutuoshutupshutupshutupshutUP!' I think walking to the scissors. I grab them and the blade slices my finger. "Ow! Fuck! What am I doing..." I look around. Some people are looking at me but quickly turn away as I glare at them. My head is silent.

Pain? That's all it took? There was a dull little buzzing in my ear, but I ignored it and leave the library.

At the end of the day I finally caught Jake without Christine, however she's all he could talk about. "Christine is a really good singer; Christine can cross her eyes; Christine does this really cute thing with her hair that drives me crazy!" I just nod as he gushes.

I wonder why I'm so bothered by it. Maybe I need someone to get my mind off things. I could pick up any girl I wanted, but I don't really want anyone. Besides I think my Squip is malfunctioning so I don't want to risk it. I look over to Jake. He's so happy.

He makes me smile. I remember just last year we were insufferable. We did everything together. Got drunk and went to parties, woke up with headaches and hickies from the girls we assumed we scored.

Then there was that one night. I didn't get as drunk as Jake had. He crawled over to me and started making out. I pulled away and he whined. I couldn't take advantage of my friend like that, but I'll never forget the way his lips felt on mine. Shit, does that make me gay?

This was all so confusing. Jake had stopped talking. I looked at him and he was giving me a strange look. "Yo, you good man? You kinda zoned out." He asked.

"Yah, I'm fine. So are you planning on taking Christine to the party?"

"Of course man! She even has this really cool prince theme! I love his music so I was really stoked when she suggested it."

"Dude that's really fuckin' rad!" I said and he smiled at me.