Chapter Text
Jeremy...
"Oh my god, you're so funny!" Christine covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed at Jeremy's stupid joke about the food they were eating.
"What can I say?" Jeremy shrugged. "I'm a pun master." He stabbed at his chicken with his fork, trying to hide his blush.
"So what did you think of the play?"
The play?
"Uh, w-which one?" Jeremy asked.
Christine snickered. "The one yesterday you silly. The one I was in."
Jeremy smiled at her, feeling a sudden relief wash over him for a reason he couldn't pinpoint. "Oh!"
She nodded. "Yeah. I saw you in the audience. Front row no less--"
"I got there early to see you."
"I know you did, which was sweet." Jeremy smiled as she continued. "But yeah, I didn't get to catch you after and ask you what you thought."
"Well--" he took a sip of his drink-- "I was standing up and whooping your name as I clapped, much to the annoyance of everyone around me. So, um, if you go by that...I think you did amazing."
Christine was the lead, as per usual. She played a 1950s girl looking for love somewhere else instead of the man she was supposed to marry. It was a musical, and Jeremy tried to follow the plot of the show, he really did, but he couldn't help being entranced by Christine's voice. He found himself sitting in his seat, waiting anxiously for the next time she'd be onstage singing with her eyes closed, hand towards the sky. In that adorable fifties' skirt, no less.
He even snuck a few pictures, and secretly made one of them the lock screen on his phone. He didn't think Christine would mind, seeing as her lock screen was a picture of him snorting milk out of his nose.
"Aw Jeremy, thank you."
"You always do amazing," said Jeremy. "In everything you're in."
Christine waved a dismissive hand. "Oh don't be so flattering. You'd be amazing too."
"Yeah right."
"No!" insisted Christine. "You'd totally be good! I bet you."
"I'm telling you, I wouldn't," he replied jokingly. "I've only ever been in one play, and it almost destroyed the school."
You can't get rid of me that easily Jeremy!!
Jeremy felt a jolt at the base of his spine that made him jerk straight up. "Ow."
"Jeremy?"
"Uhh..?"
Christine set her fork down. "You okay?" She reached across the table and put her hand on his shoulder. He put his hand over hers reassuringly.
"I'm good," he said. He readjusted himself. "Just-- something. I dunno."
She took her hand back, cautious. "You sure?"
He took a bite of his chicken, trying to be casual. "Yeah. Totally. Maybe I should see a chiropractor or something."
"Oh! My dad has a friend who's one of those," said Christine as she resumed eating, "I could work something out for you."
Jeremy smiled. "Thanks."
They finished the rest of their meal in pleasant company, exchanging jokes and conversation until Jeremy asked for the bill. Regardless of Christine's insistence, he paid the check, leaving a good tip for the waitress.
They were on the way to the car, holding hands and enjoying the way the sky looked as the sun set above them. His other hand was in his pocket, playing with the keychain Christine had given him. It had his name on it, written in hand painted, careful cursive onto wood: she'd gotten it custom made just for him. It made his gift of a necklace seem overdone and desperate-seeming, but Christine was grateful. He had gotten her a golden heart with a cubic zirconium "diamond" in the middle for their three month anniversary. She wore it immediately, and it looked great on her, and she gushed about it for ten minutes.
They were almost at the car when another jolt made Jeremy yell. He grabbed his back with the hand that was in his pocket, rubbing the spot. His skin was almost hot.
"What's wrong?" Christine asked, voice a little more worried this time.
Jeremyy!
"Who said that?" Jeremy said. "Did you say that Christine?"
She shook her head. "Say what?"
But even as he asked the question, he knew that it wasn't Christine that had said that. It was a voice that seemed strangely familiar. One that he hadn't heard in a long time. One that seemed so close to his ear thay it almost felt like it was inside of his own head.
He tried to play it off. "Must've just been my imagination."
Christine pushed his shoulder playfully. "Don't go crazy on me, okay? Save that for the stage." She pulled out her phone as Jeremy unlocked the car. "Because there's a play coming up that you're totally going to try out for." She slid in the passenger seat.
Welcome back...
Jeremy turned the car on. No way. There was no possible way.
"Who knows," he said, "I might."
to your...
"You WILL," said Christine. Her tone was firm. "I will not stop until I see you on a stage, in a funky costume, singing your heart out."
He gripped the steering wheel. "I sing to you regularly," he said. His voice was flat, forced. He got rid of it, didn't he?
Super...
"Well, yeah." Christine put her seatbelt on. Jeremy did the same, "but I want to see you sing in front of everyone."
Quantum...
"Everyone?" Jeremy pulled onto the road. He had to try hard to focus. There wasn't a way. He was sure of it.
"Everyone." She pulled up a picture that Jeremy had taken and sent her: a picture of her curtain call, bowing, smiling so big that you'd think her mouth would hop off her face. Once they stopped at a red light, she showed it to him.
Unit...
"This is gonna be you," Christine said, pointing at herself on the screen. "I'm not gonna be satisfied until I see my man bow."
"You won't, huh?" He felt his heartbeat quicken. His face was going red, he knew it was. Thank God Christine was looking at pictures, and not him.
Intel...
"I will not!" said Christine. "If I'm gonna be a movie star, then you're gonna be one with me."
"Theatre star," Jeremy corrected. He took a deep breath.
"Okay, theatre star."
He'd gotten rid of it. He drank the mountain dew. It had been months. And now? Now there was suddenly--? No, it couldn't be.
Processor...
He'd gotten rid of it.
The loudest voice was his, right?
Jeremy.
Right?
Oh, Jeremy?
He was imagining this.
You're slouching.
Nervous ticks. He'd had them a few weeks afterwards. That's what this was. It had to be.
Back with that unsightly striped shirt again, are you?
Was Christine talking? He couldn't hear her. Before he knew it, they were home. He was walking Christine inside and he waved a greeting to his dad, and they were going up to his room, and now they were on his bed. And Christine was fawning over pictures of the two of them, and Jeremy was nodding, agreeing.
But he wasn't here. He was in the mall. He was holding his head in pain as something started talking inside his head. Everyone was staring at him, but he could only hear this thing...talking to him.
Jeremy Heere, it said.
Don't say it.
Welcome to your Super Quantam Unit Intel Processor.
I got rid of you.
Your SQUIP.
"Jeremy?"
He was forced back into reality when Christine poked his forehead. "What?"
"You were zoned out for a sec there, you good?"
Jeremy looked at her for a second before noticing the person standing above her. He thought it was his dad, but no. The man had a bluish glow about him, and as he stood there, parts of him seemed to glitch in and out of existence. His smile was sinister and smug. His hands were clasped behind his back.
It's been a while.
Jeremy stared at the squip, then looked at Christine. He forced a smile.
"I'm good."