It took some convincing--actually, a lot of convincing--to get Michael onboard with his plan. Jeremy knew, faintly, that the possibility of success was pretty low, but he felt compelled to try anyway. For the first time since Christine had announced that she was going to California Jeremy actually felt good about something, but Michael was understandably cautious about the whole thing. He couldn't blame the guy, either. So in a show of good faith, to prove to Michael that he was taking the risks seriously, they'd both agreed to carry Mountain Dew Red on them at all times.

"Are you going to keep it on while at Jake's party?" Michael was in the process of getting ready to pick up Kevin on their way to the party. Jeremy had considered it because he was already starting to feel like a third wheel, but he pushed the thoughts aside. There was no reason for the Squip to be active, especially since he was planning on drinking.

"Nah, I don't think a wild college party is a great learning environment." He hadn't spoken to the Squip much since their little conversation in Michael's basement but he felt the need to say something to it. "You're picking me up later, right?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm not going to leave you stranded just because Kevin will be there." Michael shot him a glance that Jeremy could only assume meant I'm not leaving my best friend alone with an insanely powerful top-secret crazy super computer, and for that he was grateful. He was still his favorite person, after all. Even on a potentially catastrophic adventure, they still had each other's backs.

The Squip on the other hand...

Michael wouldn't be at his place for another 10 or so minutes, which gave him plenty of time to give the Squip some kind of, well, pep talk, maybe? Jeremy still felt nervous when he reactivated the Squip, and though its expression was as calm and detached as normal, the way its eyes seemed to lock onto his caused him to momentarily panic.

So, we're doing this.

It said it like Jeremy had asked the Squip to clean sewage out of the gutters.

-Yeah. I guess we are. Michael's on board with it, so...-

Why are you so anxious? That doesn't exactly instill a sense of confidence in your teachings abilities, Jeremy.

Jeremy swallowed thickly. Where to even start?

-I've never, you know... done this? Before.-

The Squip sighed and took a seat on the nearby desk, arms crossed lazily across its chest.

Are you going to begin? Or should I?

-You, uh. So you feel emotions. Some kind of emotions, anyway. I know you don't believe me, but... Uh...-

Wow. This was even harder than he thought it'd be. Jeremy glanced down at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. The Squip said nothing, just stared at him cooly.

-I don't have a lot of time to tell you why now, because I'm going to a party soon, and I know you don't work right when I drink. But I just wanted to let you know.-

I'm assuming you won't need my assistance at your first college party?

Was the Squip making a joke? Jeremy looked back up and the corner of the Squip's mouth had curved into a slight smile.

-I can handle myself, thanks.-

He paused.

-Is there... Is there anything you want to ask me. Like, at all?-

The Squip uncrossed its arms and looked contemplative for a moment, looking off into the distance that was the other side of Jeremy's room.

What exactly does it mean to be human, Jeremy?

Jeremy balked.

-Woah. That's... That's kind of a loaded question.-

How exactly are you going to teach me anything about humanity if you can't answer such a logical question?

-I mean, it's kind of an advanced question. We still haven't discussed your feelings yet.-

Alleged feelings.

-Right. Alleged feelings.-

Jeremy looked out the window when he heard the familiar sound of Michael's car horn honking outside. He grabbed his things and walked quickly to the door.

-Cool. That's it for now. Class dismissed.-

He swore he could hear the Squip chuckle faintly as it vanished.

Big parties still made him a little nervous.

After how his first big party panned out (fighting with Michael, the situation with Chloe, Rich setting the god damn house on fire) he'd somehow convinced himself that even without the Squip disaster would befall him. Plus, he still didn't enjoy it when it was too loud or crowded, and he hated when some drunk person spilled beer on him. But he was here with Michael, and Kevin was pretty chill too, so it would probably be alright. They'd more than likely leave by 12:30. The main event was the ball dropping, anyway.

This was his first big party without Christine.

No. Nope. Nu-uh. He would not dwell on that. He'd spent enough of his vacation wallowing, and it was time to have some fun, damn it. He armed himself with a red solo cup and stepped into the fray with his best friend by his side.

So how the hell did he end up alone?

Jake's house was massive. And packed. An hour in and they'd been completely separated, Jeremy pleasantly buzzed by swallowed up by the crowd. Maybe if he found a place to sit for a while he wouldn't freak out. There was some space open where the music was the loudest, just enough to allow people room to dance, and he tried to find an open chair... which was when someone grabbed him gently by the arm. He paused and turned with a grin, hoping to see Michael, but he was greeted by a complete stranger instead. They leaned in uncomfortably close to his ear.

"Hey. Wanna dance?"

Some guy he didn't know just asked him to dance. Jeremy just stood there awkwardly, trying to pretend he didn't quite catch what the other man said. Some strange guy had just asked him to dance and he was attractive. Well built, but not super gross like those bodybuilders on the magazines. He had a nice, pretty boy face, crazy long lashes, and really dark brown eyes. For half a second Jeremy almost considered turning the Squip on and asking for advice, because jesus christ, but the moment passed. No. He could do this on his own.

"Y-yeah, sure." He nodded his head aggressively. The guy smiled, winked, and then led him into the fray of dancing bodies.

Oh man, he was going to need so much more beer.

It was so awkward at first, dancing up against some hot dude, but his determination to absolutely not make a fool of himself paid off. It was hot, and the beer was cold, so he kept himself inebriated enough not to feel horribly embarrassed when his partner ground up against him in a way that made him blush, a firm hand clamped around his waist. It was fun. He could just listen to the music thrumming through his whole body and enjoy himself. Jeremy didn't even protest when the guy led him out of the crowd to a less populated, quieter corner of the room, swimming with couples, or object when they started kissing.

Jeremy's heart was in his throat, palms sweating, but he clung to the shirt of this handsome stranger and kept kissing him, long and slow. They smelled like beer and overpriced aftershave. Every part of him tingled pleasantly. He was making out with a guy he'd just met at a party and he didn't even know his name.

When they finally pulled away, Jeremy feeling flushed and ridiculously giddy, he took a moment to glance around their corner of the room. He wondered distantly if Michael and Kevin were around here somewhere, in the sea of couples sucking face before the year's end.

"You wanna drop some acid?" Confused, Jeremy looked down at the man in front of him, who pulled out what looked like a paper full of stickers from his jacket pocket. "If we take it now we'll be tripping balls by midnight."

He hesitated. He'd never done anything except smoke pot with Michael before, and he was already buzzed from the alcohol. It didn't seem... necessary? But he looked at the guy with his long, pretty lashes and kissable mouth and figured, well, definitely couldn't hurt. He wasn't driving after all.

"It's pure LSD, trust me. I had it tested. In case you care about that." Which was when Jeremy realized he didn't know jack shit about acid, but he felt it was a little too late to back out now. Together they slunk away from the couples cove and up the stairs into a darker room, where there was actual space to sit. Jeremy quickly drank the rest of his beer, tossed the cup into the nearby trashcan, and made himself comfortable while his new partner-in-crime offered him a little panel.

Here goes nothing.

And for the first however long he didn't feel anything. It wasn't as if he'd taken anything like this before, so he wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen anyway.

Maybe I should text Michael and let him know where I am.

Jeremy tugged his phone out of his pocket to shoot Michael a quick message.

"What's your name, anyway?" The guy next to him seemed perfectly comfortable.

"It's... Jeremy."

"I'm Alex."

"It'll be a pleasure hallucinating pink elephants with you." The guy, Alex, laughed in amusement, and Jeremy couldn't help but smile in response. They were sitting so close to each other, and Alex's hand was on his shoulder, and maybe it wouldn't hurt to lean in and kiss him a little more. Which he did, much more assertively than before, feeling somehow braver than earlier.

Alex hadn't been kidding. It was 20 seconds to midnight and he was absolutely fucking tripping balls. They were all gathered on the balcony to watch the big flat screen as the ball descended down, down, down. Jeremy's vision was swimming with color, feeling like he was just hovering above the floor, watching the patterns on the wallpaper spiral out of control. Everyone was cheering, louder, counting down the seconds, and Jeremy joined them. He'd never felt so enthralled by the year changing. He also didn't care that someone spilled beer all over his shoes.

"Happy New Year!!!" The whole house was shouting, the air trembled with the noise, and Jeremy grinned so widely it actually hurt. Suddenly something in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he swiveled his head around to get a better look. Down the hall, in stark contrast to the way everything was vibrantly moving, was the Squip. It was weird, way weirder than ever before because the Squip wasn't looking at him. It wasn't looking at anything. It should have been off, but it was standing there, looking straight ahead blankly with half-lidded eyes like it was asleep. It was the only thing that looked fully solid in his entire field of vision, everything else around it fuzzy and pulsing.

-Hello?-

The Squip didn't respond so Jeremy pulled away from Alex and the crowd to investigate. The hallway was mostly abandoned except for the few stragglers who were too drunk to get up earlier. The closer he got to the Squip the more the air around it seemed to ripple like water, a gentle hum with no source.

"Hey."

Nothing. He waved a hand in its face. Still nothing. It wasn't until Jeremy moved to touch the Squip's hand, just a light brush of their fingers, that the Squip responded. It looked up at him, blinking slowly, and said nothing, so Jeremy said nothing back. What he was really focused on was the Squip's hand. He'd been expecting an ethereal touch, nothing really there at all, but the Squip's hand felt solid and real under his own. Jeremy found he couldn't move his hand away, and the Squip followed his line of vision to stare down at their hands, just barely touching, but the air around their fingers was rippling much more violently.

Jeremy felt like he was in a trance, unable to look away or even move until the Squip carefully reached out its other hand to wrap its fingers delicately around his free one. He liked the way it felt. He liked the way the empty space around them seemed to fill up with the movement, and he liked the quiet, thoughtful look the Squip was giving him. He now couldn't look away from the Squip's face, slowly threading their fingers together, stepping closer under Jeremy could feel the entire fabric of reality beating around them.

And then their mouths touched.

Jeremy had leaned in, a little too far, and now it felt like his head was exploding, but in a good way. The Squip didn't pull away, or reprimand him, or even move. The Squip actually kissed him back, and with a sigh of satisfaction, its mouth felt soft and warm, like it was really there, like Alex. But it wasn't Alex, it was the Squip, and they were pressed chest to chest as his field of vision glistened. The Squip almost looked too solid now, bright, its edges sharp enough to cut, like a super HD TV. Jeremy didn't mind, too distracted by the way the Squip's stubble felt against his skin. Then they were moving, the Squip holding Jeremy by the hips and pressing his back into the wall.

He wanted to say something, but the way the Squip pressed its knee into his crotch left him dizzy and breathless, so all he could get out was an appreciative groan. He ran his hands up the Squip's back, through its hair, while the Squip had a hand on his chest, expertly caressing the hot skin under his shirt. Jeremy about melted when the Squip found his nipple, brushing the sensitive skin so delicately it made him whimper. He could only press his mouth harder against the Squip's, carefully pulling at its hair. He felt like he could sink through the wall any second, through the floor, and he finally shut his eyes when the Squip moved its lips from his and traced them down the side of his throat...

Except when he opened his eyes again he realized he really was sinking. The walls of the house had vanished, replaced by a dark nothingness, and Jeremy was falling into it. Just him. No Squip, no Alex, no one else. The sudden drop made his stomach clench and whoosh like he was on that roller coaster back in 6th grade, the one that made him puke up the entire funnel cake he'd just eaten. He clenched his eyes shut tight again, expecting some kind of landing, but it never came.

Tentatively, breathing fast, he looked around. He was on his knees in the middle of the high school stage, bright spotlight momentarily blinding him.

"Jeremy!" He about jumped out of his skin, dizzy enough that he wanted to hurl, and turned to find the source of the noise. It was the Squip, but it was different, the spitting image of the Squip right before he'd made Christine drink the Mountain Dew Red two years ago. It was stepping back, stumbling away from him, eyes wide and fearful. "J-Je-Jeremy?"

He was sitting right here, but it was like the Squip couldn't see him at all. Instead, it crumpled to the floor, frantically clutching at its head as its entire form and voice distorted, calling out his name. Bit by bit the Squip disintegrated, and every few seconds Jeremy would see a bright flash of light that made him wince and look away until the Squip had vanished completely, leaving nothing behind but a vague sense of unease. Slowly, carefully, Jeremy pushed himself to his feet as his head swam.

"Hello?" There was nothing but an empty stage and darkness all around. "Hello!?" Panic starting to set in, Jeremy ran off the stage, jumping down the few steps, running running running until he saw a door off in the darkness. He quickly turned on his heel, stumbled, landed hard against the door, and rushed inside.

"Is... is anyone there?" The room he'd tumbled into was dimly lit. The only light source seemed to come from the hundreds of small, blinking lights down the walls of the room. There was a desk, broken glass all over the floor, and off in the corner there was a man openly weeping, clutching a picture frame. Jeremy swallowed and approached slowly, but the man didn't seem to notice him at all. It was hard to get a good look at him, but he was only a few feet away now.

It was... it was the Squip? Jeremy was too confused to be really sure, but they were completely ignoring him, still weeping. Nervously, Jeremy tried to step around him, to try and catch a glimpse of the picture the Squp, or the man, was holding. Instead, he saw a gun. It was pointed directly at him, right between his eyes, and he'd completely frozen in place. He looked down at the gun, terrified, then at the man, and then the floor.

That was... that was blood on the floor.

Fuck. What the fuck.

Jeremy snored himself awake, briefly choking on spit as he quickly jerked his head up from off a pillow. It was Michael's room; he recognized it immediately. The entire left side of his face was damp with drool that left a nice little puddle on the pillowcase. Also, his head was killing him, so that was nice.

"Jesus Christ," Jeremy whined, trying to wipe the drool from his face.

"Sleeping Beauty has finally awakened from her eternal slumber to bless the people and its kingdom!" Michael was sitting on the other side of the room in a bean bag chair, a Gameboy resting in his hand. He was grinning at Jeremy, though his eyes were a little sympathetic when Jeremy groaned and rolled back over onto the bed. "Dude, I know I said I was going to be the designated driver last night, but you could have warned me that you were planning on doing more than drink. I had to babysit you all night."

"Oh. Right. I did that." How much of that had been a hallucination? A dream? He was never touching LSD again. "I thought I dreamed that."

"No. You didn't."

"Where's Kevin?" Jeremy dropped a pillow on top of his face to block the light.

"I took him home before I dumped you here."

"Sorry, I know you wanted to spend the night with him after the party." Why did it feel like the bed was moving?

"Relax, man. It's fine. You haven't looked that happy in ages. But maybe share next time."

Jeremy heaved a sigh and hugged the pillow to his chest.

"...I think I met a guy last night."

"I know you did." Jeremy could hear the smile in his voice. "He wrote his number all up your arm in sharpie before we left."

"Seriously?" Jeremy scrambled upright and looked down at his arm, which was covered in large, black numbers. "Oh my god." He looked at Michael helplessly.

"Don't look at me. That's your score to settle." Well, this was a little mortifying, but he also felt pleased with himself at the same time. "Also, pancakes."

"Pancakes?"

"Yeah, you want some? I'm starving."

"Hell yes I do." He'd tell Michael about the wild dream he'd had later. Definitely later.