Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I know we said no roommates,” the nurse said as she checked up on Rich on Friday, “but something came up, and we thought it might be best to put him here.”

“What?” Rich mumbled, more to himself. Then, speaking more clearly, “Who? Why’s it best?” He wasn’t exactly opposed to getting a roommate; it might help with the loneliness he felt stuck in this hospital room, but he also wasn’t exactly enthused.

“I can’t disclose all the details right now, but he also needs to be kept an eye on,” the nurse explained. “I think he goes to your school, so you might already know him.”

Rich furrowed a brow. “Kept an eye on?” he prompted.

“Yes,” is all the nurse replied, and when Rich tried to get more information, she wouldn’t budge.

Michael Mell was moved to room 112 early Saturday morning, and Rich was never a heavy sleeper, so he blinked awake when he heard movement. He watched silently, so as to not get noticed, and was a little confused. He quickly closed his eyes as the nurses left, pretending to be asleep so the nurses wouldn’t notice.

He struggled to move, to get a better look at the antisocial headphones kid. Yep, that was definitely him. He looked different, asleep and without his usual attire of a red jacket, headphones, and glasses. Even asleep he looked… troubled. He was wearing hospital attire, and had gauze wrapping around his arms and wrists. Rich furrowed his brow even more.

But there was currently nothing Rich could say or do. So he settled back into sleep, deciding to talk to antisocial headphones kid in the morning.

When he woke, Michael was awake, but he was only staring at the ceiling. His hands were laid beside him, so Rich was able to get a better look. Michael’s arms were wrapped in gauze from just below the hands and up to near the elbow.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Michael muttered bitterly. Rich hadn’t noticed Michael wasn’t looking at the ceiling anymore and quickly averted his eyes. Michael sighed and rubbed at the gauze, seeming irritated and anxious. “Sorry,” he finally said.

“It’s all good,” Rich replied. “I get it.”

“Thanks,” Michael mumbled, finishing messing with his gauze. He had managed to scratch some of the excess away, but his skin was still covered. “Umm. Is it gone?” he asked after a moment’s hesitation. “Your Squip?”

“Y-yeah… I think so?”

“Good.”

There was an unspoken thanks. If Michael had not done his research, and offered Rich the chance of freedom, Rich would still be under the influence of his Squip. The Mountain Dew Red wasn’t the greatest tasting soda, but it was enough to agitate and shut down the Squip. Not before it got Rich to set the fire, though.

Neither of them spoke much for the first day and a half. But eventually the silence got to them. They found a lot of things to talk about, and it was almost disappointing when Michael got discharged from the hospital.

“I’ll be back,” Michael promised, and when a look of confusion and worry crossed Rich’s face, he quickly assured the other, “Not like that.”

Michael kept his word and was back during visiting hours the next day. Rich couldn’t help but feel… happy? He grinned when Michael offered him some of the slushy he’d snuck in.

It was a few days later when Rich woke up for the day, and instead of waiting for Michael to walk through the door, he’d noticed that Michael was already there, but his head was resting on his arms, which was resting in the little space that was left of the bed, face covered.

“Michael?” Rich asked softly, and Michael looked up, quickly rubbing his eyes and sitting up, looking away.

“Sorry, it’s just…” Michael mumbled quietly, rubbing again at the tears on his face with the sleeves of his hoodie. Rich waited, and when Michael saw his expectant look he continued. “I don’t know why he threw away a friendship of twelve years for a girl he barely knows.”

Oh. “Squips can be… really persuasive,” Rich offered. He didn’t want to excuse Jeremy’s behavior, but still asked, “Would you ever do that for a girl?”

Michael gave a small chuckle with a muttered, “I don’t even like girls” before realizing what he said and glancing back up at Rich, biting his lip.

“It’s cool, I’m not judging,” Rich assured him, and something suddenly occurred to him as watched Michael’s expression turn into a relieved one. Oh my god, I’m totally bi.

Michael smiled at Rich, and for the first time since he’d been hospitalized, he felt something flutter in his chest.

Chapter Text

It was Michael who offered to exchange phone numbers. He said that he’d have to spend a few days stuck at home to catch up with schoolwork. He’d let it catch up to him, and his parents wouldn’t like it if he ended up with a D.

Rich agreed, a bit too enthusiastically for his taste. He put Michael’s phone number under ‘Mikey’, not completely sure if that was the right thing to do. Of course, it wasn’t quite the wrong thing to do, but giving him a nickname made his stomach feel funny.

Michael grinned at him, waving goodbye as he left.

Rich received a text late morning the next day.

Mikey: (10:59 AM) how’s it hanging?

Rich: (11:02 AM) Shouldn’t you be in class?

Mikey: (11:04 AM) substitute

Mikey: (11:05 AM) I don’t think she knows what she’s doing

Rich shook his head with a slight smile, and replied.

They amassed dozens of texts by that night. They chatted aimlessly, picking a topic every now and then, as days passed by. Rich was often reluctant to put his phone down for the night.

Mikey: (8:02 PM) I almost ran into Jeremy today

This was new. It was nighttime, some days later, and it was not often that Michael brought up something as serious as Jeremy.

Rich: (8:04 PM) You hood?

Rich: (8:04 PM) *good

Rich sat back, placing his phone in his lap, chewing on his lip in thought. His gaze became unfocused as he waited for a reply, and it took a few minutes for Michael to reply.

Mikey: (8:10 PM) I don’t know.

Mikey: (8:10 PM) I just

Mikey: (8:11 PM) we used to be so close

Mikey: (8:11 PM) and

Mikey: (8:11 PM) he’s just gone

Rich took a couple of minutes to think of a reply.

Rich: (8:14 PM) I’m sorry man.

It was all he could really come up with.

Rich: (8:15 PM) But he’s missing out.

Mikey: (8:16 PM) ha

Rich stared at his phone screen. Was Michael being… self-deprecating?

Rich: (8:18 PM) Were you two…?

Mikey: (8:19 PM) nah

Mikey: (8:20 PM) he’s straight

Mikey: (8:22 PM) always thought that was unfortunate

Rich: (8:23 PM) Did you love him?

Several minutes passed without an answer. Shit, Rich thought.

Rich: (8:30 PM) sorry, shouldn’t have asked

Rich fidgeted.

Mikey: (8:32 PM) I think so

Mikey: (8:33 PM) but

Another few minutes passed.

Rich: (8:37 PM) The Squip.

Mikey: (8:38 PM) yeah. That.

Mikey: (8:38 PM) I gotta go. Ttyl, rigiht?

Rich frowned.

Rich: (8:39 PM) Right.

Rich closed his messaging app, staring at the screen. It wasn’t late; Michael often stayed up way past this time. They’d text at one in the morning sometimes. He worried he’d said something wrong. Of course he did, he thought. A small part of him missed how the Squip always knew what to say.

He’d probably drop down the high school food chain when he goes back to school. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it. He worried he might return to the state he was in Freshman year.

He wouldn’t know what to do, or what to say, and he’d probably trip like he always used to. He’d almost forgotten about his lisp, but now that the Squip was gone it couldn’t help control it. He’d noticed it while talking to Michael, and often inwardly cringed at the sound. He’d have trouble on what to say; he’d make a fool out of himself.

He’d be branded a loser.

But Michael was considered a ‘loser,’ he thought, glancing back at his phone. And Michael was his… friend?

Michael seemed to genuinely enjoy hearing what Rich had to say. And he didn’t seem to notice the lisp either, or if he did he didn’t mention it.

Rich spent the next afternoon checking his phone and playing games on it. I messed it up, he thought. I messed it up.

Mikey: (3:36 PM) hey

Rich jumped up (well, as much as he could), grabbing his phone and turning it over so he could look at the screen. He opened his messaging app to reply. He started typing out an apology, but more texts interrupted him.

Mikey: (3:36 PM) hey

Mikey: (3:37 PM) when do you get out?

Rich smiled in something like relief.

Rich: (3:38 PM) They say I probably have about a week left, but I have to be careful.

Mikey: (3:40 PM) Awesome. Wanna get stoned in my basement some time?

Rich: (3:42 PM) Sure

Rich wasn’t sure how to feel about getting out. On one hand, he’d be able to do things. He’d be able to walk around, and make decisions for himself.

But on the other hand he’d have to make decisions for himself. And he’d have to go home. He’d dealt with it before, sure… he’d had the Squip though. It had been years since he’d dealt with it alone, but he could do it. He had to.

“Hey!”

He looked up. He took a deep breath and smiled at Michael. He gave a little wave, not really trusting himself to talk.

“You ready to finally leave?” Michael asked, rocking on his feet a bit, standing next to the hospital bed where Rich was sitting. “If I have to be honest, I could barely handle the two, three days I spent here.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the memory of being in the hospital himself.

Rich hesitated to ask, but did anyway. He had a feeling he knew what Michael had been in for; the gauze that had been wrapped around his arms made it obvious. Rich started picking at his nails, something he did when he was nervous sometimes. “If you don’t mind me ask-asking, what were you in for?”

Michael met his gaze when he looked up. Rich felt he knew that he already had an idea. Michael didn’t say anything for a good thirty seconds, before replying, “Well… I didn’t see the point if I was going to be… all alone.” He ran a hand through his hair and tugged, like he was nervous too. “I guess it was sort of an… overreaction,” he mumbled.

“It’s how you were feeling at the time, man,” Rich said with a slight shrug. He hopped off the hospital bed and grabbed his bag, making sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. He didn’t have much, but he still checked.

“When do you get picked up?” Michael changed the subject.

“Ah…” Rich scuffed the floor with his foot in answer, eyes down. He looked back up to see Michael staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Well,” Michael said, taking keys to his PT Cruiser out of his pocket. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Chapter Text

Rich returned to school the next week. He was understandably anxious as he stood in front of the double doors that would lead inside. He wasn’t sure for how long he stood there, being vaguely aware of others passing him to go inside, before he felt a hand land gently on his shoulder.

He jumped, startled, but he relaxed when he saw it was just Michael. Rich’s mouth was dry, but he was able to manage a “Hey.”

Rich shifted as Michael studied him. “You gonna be okay?” Michael finally asked.

“I have to be, don’t I?” Rich couldn’t help but mutter, ignoring Michael’s concerned look. “Come on.” He opened one of the doors, and they went inside. He felt nearly overwhelmed to see the hallway full of students. He’d only seen a few people in the past few months and seeing so many people felt like a shock to him.

He was grateful that Michael stayed by his side as they navigated the halls. They separated when they got to their lockers, but their lockers were across from each other, so Rich was able to see Michael if he got too worried.

“You’ll be fine,” Michael assured Rich when they had to go to their separate first period classes.

Rich took a deep breath and stepped into the classroom. He scanned the classroom for a moment before slipping into a seat at the back. He was glad that this wasn’t a class that assigned seats. He used to sit more near the front, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle that right now.

He only half paid attention to the teacher speaking. He fiddled with his phone, considering texting Michael. He was sure he’d heard him say he had a free period for the first class. With a quick glance at the lecturing teacher, he opened his messaging app. Without actually meaning to, he sent Michael a question he’d been pondering.

Rich: (8:11 AM) you don’t hate me?

Mikey: (8:19 AM) wha

Mikey: (8:19 AM) ???? where did this come from

Rich: (8:20 AM) I was not a nice person

Rich: (8:21 AM) and I’m also the reason Jeremy got his Squip.

Rich: (8:22 AM) If I hadn’t told him he wouldn’t have left you.

Rich: (8:22 AM) Oh gods I indirectly caused you hurting yourself didn’t I?

Mikey: (8:23 AM) rich buddy

Mikey: (8:23 AM) calm down you’re ok

“Mr. Goranski, I know this is your first day back, but please pay attention,” the teacher reprimanded from the front of the room. He hastily put his phone down. He turned his gaze to the front of the room, where the teacher continued to talk about quadratic equations. Rich could barely focus.

When the teacher had her attention on the board, he quickly and quietly grabbed his backpack and slipped outside. He took his phone out of his pocket as he walked down the hall, having felt text notifications in the few minutes it took to figure he needed to get out.

Mikey: (8:25 AM) you didn’t cause anything stuff just happened

Mikey: (8:27 AM) you ok?

Rich: (8:30 AM) Can you meet me at the bathrooms at the east end?

Mikey: (8:31 AM) yeah

Rich paced in the hall, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself. He looked up when he heard Michael call his name.

“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Rich said to him.

“Hey, it’s all good dude,” Michael tried to assure him. “You didn’t know that was going to happen. And, as for the not being very nice… well, you said yourself Squips could be persuasive.”

Rich only repeated his apology.

Michael shook his head and grabbed his arm gently, leading him down the hall. Rich allowed himself to get pulled along, focusing more on calming himself down.

“Where are we going?” Rich asked when they got outside.

“Sev elev,” Michael answered simply, opening the door to his PT Cruiser for Rich and then moving to the driver’s side. He got in, waiting for Rich to as well before starting the car. “We have about fifteen minutes before first period ends.”

Rich forced himself to relax in his seat, staring out the window during the five-minute drive. He vaguely listened to the music Michael put on; it was pleasant and relaxing. In the five minutes it took to get to the seven eleven, Rich had calmed down considerably.

Michael pulled into the small parking lot of seven eleven and turned off the car. They unbuckled their seatbelts and got out of the car. “Feeling any better?” Michael asked, and he only got a nod in response. He followed Rich inside and went straight to the slushy machine, handing a cup to Rich and getting one for himself. They were silent as they got their respective colors; Michael a cherry red and Rich a blue raspberry.

“What was this for?” Rich asked when they got back to the car.

Michael gave a slight shrug; not dissimilar to the one Rich had given at the hospital. “It usually helps me,” he answered, taking a sip of his red frozen drink.

Rich nodded slowly. “Thanks,” he murmured, taking a sip of his own drink.

Rich was able to get through the rest of the day. Though he was only able to relax in two of the classes, which Michael also happened to be in; second period English and sixth period P.E. The teacher in P.E. told Rich he could sit out for the next week or so since he barely got back to school from the hospital, and Rich gratefully took the chance to do nothing.

He grinned and waved as Michael passed by him on the bleachers while the class did laps. Michael stuck his tongue out at him and stopped for a moment there on his second lap to breathe and get a drink of water.

“Is wearing that while running even safe?” Rich asked, gesturing to the hoodie Michael still wore.

Michael only shrugged, walking backwards back to the group of students, making finger guns at Rich, before turning and running back to the other students. Rich could only smile.

It was only a few days after Rich returned to school that Michael was late for English. Rich tapped his desk nervously. If he recalled from before the whole incident, Michael was never late to English. He fiddled with his phone but then returned his attention back to the teacher, who was telling everyone that they’d be practicing in front of the class today.

He remembered that the teacher had told him on Monday that while he’d been gone, the class had been studying Shakespeare, and that students had paired up to read lines from Romeo and Juliet. Since Rich had been gone, he didn’t have a partner. The teacher had assured him that he didn’t have to do it, with the lack of partner, but told him he’d have to do an extra assignment regarding the text.

He glanced around the room, watching as the class moved around. The teacher started calling pairs up to the front, having them practice their lines and then giving constructive criticism.

The third pair, Jenna Rolan and Jake Dillinger, was finishing up when Michael quietly slipped into the seat next to Rich. Rich glanced sideways at him. Michael’s eyes were red, and he seemed subdued. Rich would almost assume that he’d been crying, if it wasn’t for the smell and the fact that Michael was nibbling on a large snickerdoodle cookie.

Rich sat up and looked directly at him, vaguely listening as the teacher called the next pair up. “Are you high?” he whispered.

Michael didn’t scowl exactly, but it was something like that; not at Rich’s question, but when Rich followed his gaze, he saw that Jeremy and Christine were standing at the front of the class for their lines.

“Not high enough, apparently,” Michael said softly as Jeremy and Christine started to recite their lines. He broke off a piece of his cookie and offered it to rich, but Rich merely shook his head. Michael only shrugged and crumbled the piece on the saran wrap.

“Brooke, since your partner decided to show up, you two are next,” the teacher was saying after Jeremy and Christine sat down. Michael tensed, but got up after Brooke stood.

It was awkward. That was the best way Rich could describe Michael’s behavior as he recited his lines. Brooke and the teacher looked somewhat annoyed at his lack of seriousness about the matter at hands. Rich noticed Jeremy watching Michael almost carefully, only tearing his gaze away when the next pair of students were called up.

Brooke confronted Michael after class, so Rich waited. “This is for a grade,” she had to remind him. “So… try a little harder, okay?” Brooke wasn’t usually a cruel girl, but there was a hint of aggression in her voice that had Rich wondering.

Michael only gave her a salute and turned to Rich so they could start walking.

Michael had somewhat sobered up by lunch. He waved him over to the table he sat at, even though Rich glanced at the table he used to sit at. The group of friends never looked back at him, though, he observed somewhat sadly, as he walked over and sat next to Michael.

Michael offered him some of his slushy, and Rich shook his head. He didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. Then he frowned at the thought. He wasn’t sure what he didn’t like about that thought in particular. He shrugged to himself. “Which flavor today?” Rich asked instead of dwelling.

“Piña colada,” Michael answered.

Michael had routines, Rich had noticed. It was only his third day back, but Michael had gotten a different flavor each day. Monday, it was cherry, since Mondays were nobody’s favorite day and it cheered him up. Tuesday was blue raspberry, because “it just seems like a blue day, y’know?” Michael had said. Wednesday, Michael informed him later, was mid-week, which was very easily the day Michael’s energy waned, so the piña colada flavor reminded him he had only two days until the weekend.

Rich hadn’t realized how much he was looking forward to the weekend until he said that. This first week back at school was overwhelming.

Chapter Text

“But… it’s Berenstein. With an E,” Rich said, leaning back against the bean bag chair he sat in. “I definitely remember that.”

“Nope,” Michael said, “apparently not. With an A.”

“That doesn’t even make sense!”

They were sitting in Michael’s basement. There were empty snack wrappers littering the coffee table nearby, and Michael held a joint in his hand.

“When’s Thanksgiving?”

“Third Thursday of November,” Rich replied automatically.

“Nah.”

“Bullshit.”

Michael grinned. He seemed to be having a great time with this. “Spell Looney Tunes.”

“L-O-O-N-E-Y-T-O-O-N-S.”

Michael cackled.

“Fuck you, Mikey,” Rich said, not very seriously.

“But listen,” Michael said, moving to lay down on his stomach. “Listen... This just ties in with the multiverse theory. We just must have… somehow… slipped into another universe.”

“I think you’re just high.”

“I may be stoned, but that doesn’t mean this can’t be taken seriously.”

Rich rolled his eyes and made to grab one of the cookies from the bowl between them.

Rich had earlier admitted that he’d never actually gotten high before. “But you were one of the ‘cool’ kids,” Michael had replied.

Rich shrugged and tapped his temple. “Had to stay sober for the Squip, I guess.”

“Oh.” They hadn’t mentioned Squips in a while. It was almost easy to just forget that they existed, to forget that they were the cause of some bad things that happened.

But, Michael liked to try to look on the bright side. Despite losing Jeremy now he had Rich. That didn’t quite cancel out the fact that Jeremy wasn’t his friend anymore, though.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Michael finally said, not wanting the silence to go on awkwardly. “You could probably get used to the smoke first.”

They didn’t have to worry about that for long. Rich quickly got used to it, and after a while he admitted that he did feel something, despite not touching the stuff himself. Contact high, Michael had called it.

The pair of them stood in the kitchen, surveying the pantry. They’d run out of snacks a bit ago, but they were still talking, so they’d ventured up to the kitchen to find something. Michael told him to take anything he wanted, so Rich grabbed a jar of peanut butter.

“Are you going to eat just that?” Michael asked, raising a brow.

“Bite me,” Rich mumbled, unscrewing the lid off the jar. He made a noise of protest when Michael grabbed the jar, and reached for it. Michael held it above his head, laughing. “I will fuckin’… climb you,” Rich threatened, still trying to grab the jar. “Gimme!”

Michael laughed again. “Kinky,” he said, smirking slightly. Then he laughed once more when Rich grabbed onto him and literally did try climbing. “Dude!” he said, and he nearly dropped the jar.

Rich grabbed it and made a sound of triumph before nearly falling.

“Okay, you win,” Michael conceded.

Rich stuck his tongue out at him and grabbed a spoon, heading back to the basement.

It was around nine at night when he got home, so Rich hoped his dad was asleep or passed out already, whichever one would happen tonight. He quietly slipped through the front door and closed it, wrinkling his nose at the mess. He set his backpack on the floor and grabbed a trash bag, picking up each bottle on the floor.

The light turned on suddenly and Rich tensed, grip on the bottle he just picked up tightening. “Uh… hey dad,” he greeted nervously.

Mr. Goranski squinted at him for a few moments. “Where were you, Richie?”

“A-A friend’s,” Rich said. “We had project.” It was an easy lie. “It took a while, so I just got home.”

“’tho I just got home’,” his father mimicked his lisp.

Rich looked down.

“You should spend more time with your old man, Richie.”

“Yes sir,” Rich said quietly, and braced for more mocking, but his dad simply walked away. Rich slowly finished cleaning up and made his way to his room, sitting on his bed as he took his phone out.

Rich: (9:14 PM) Got anymore of those conspiracies/theories?

Mikey: (9:16 PM) all sorts my dude

Rich smiled slightly.

Chapter Text

Rich: (1:37 AM) Are you awake?

Rich: (1:38 AM) Please be awake.

Rich laid on his back on his bed, staring at the screen in hope. After a minute he dropped it to his chest with a sigh. He started untangling his earbuds. Music would drown out the yelling, hopefully.

He thought about last week, when he’d hung out with Michael in his basement, just talking and occasionally ranting about the Mandela Effect. It had been a good day. It was a shame it had had to end.

Mikey: (1:41 AM) i’m awake

Mikey: (1:42 AM) what’s up are you ok

It suddenly occurred to Rich that Michael didn’t know about his home life. And usually, he’d be fine, and wouldn’t be texting Michael late at night. But his older brother had come for a visit, and he and their father had started arguing.

Rich: (1:43 AM) Can you just talk to me?

Rich: (1:43 AM) About anything you want just talk to me?

Mikey: (1:44 AM) are you ok?

Rich: (1:44 AM) I’m fine.

Rich focused on conversing with Michael. It was almost enough to forget, with music adding to the distraction. Michael picked a random topic and they texted about it for a few minutes.

Rich jolted when he heard a crash in the kitchen. “That’s it, I can’t,” he mumbled to himself, getting up and grabbing his backpack. He went to the closet and grabbed a pair of clothes. He stuffed those in his backpack and picked up his phone again.

Rich: (1:47 AM) Are you allowed out at night?

Rich: (1:47 AM) If you are can you ocme pick me up?

Mikey: (1:48 AM) i sneak out sometimes

Rich: (1:49 AM) Ah shit never mind then.

Mikey: (1:50 AM) no where are you?

Rich: (1:52 AM) My house.

Mikey: (1:53 AM) i’ll be there in ten

Rich put his phone away and grabbed his charger, putting that in his backpack as well. He surveyed his room, trying to figure out what else he might need for running away for the night. He shifted through his closet.

Mikey: (2:01 AM) here

Rich zipped up his backpack and picked it up. His father and brother were still arguing, and they were near the front door, so he couldn’t leave through there. Instead he opened his window and climbed through it, closing it once out but not locking it. He went up to Michael’s car and got in.

He hadn’t noticed he’d spaced out until Michael tried getting his attention with “Rich? Richie Rich?”

“Don’t call me that,” Rich said suddenly.

“What?”

“Richie,” he clarified.

“Okay…” Michael had started driving already. “Do you have a place you need to go?”

“I—” Rich hadn’t thought this through. He dropped his head into his hands. “Drop me off near the school.” He inwardly winced when he said that. He’d been trying to avoid words with the letter ‘s’. It had been surprisingly difficult through the week.

“I’m not going to just leave you there if you don’t have a place to go,” Michael replied decidedly. He changed his route.

“Why not?”

“What kind of friend would I be then?” Michael hummed, and Rich felt slightly better that Michael seemed to actually care about him and referred to himself as Rich’s friend. “You can sleep at my place.”

They were silent for the rest of the drive. Rich knew that Michael wanted to ask what had been going on, but Michael had stayed quiet anyway. Rich was somewhat grateful. He figured he’d have to tell Michael something eventually, but he didn’t want to right now.

“We’ve gotta be quiet,” Michael whispered, unlocking the front door and opening it. He and Rich slipped inside, and Michael closed the door behind them, making sure to lock it. He waved for Rich to follow him.

“You can sleep in my bed,” Michael said. “I’ll take the couch.”

“I’m not taking your bed,” Rich said, frowning slightly. “I can take the couch.”

“I’d feel better if you took the bed. We could share?” Michael offered.

“O-okay…” He set his backpack down near the door. He fidgeted for a moment, eventually sitting down on the bed.

“I’ve gotta get ready for bed,” Michael said. “Make yourself comfortable, yeah?” He turned and left the room.

Rich surveyed the room for a few minutes. He hadn’t actually been here before. They mostly hung out in the basement.

The room wasn’t too big, or too small. There was a desk and a lamp and a desktop computer. The walls were grey but also covered with papers and pictures. He studied the ones near the bed. It seemed to be mostly math notes, though the wall looked like it was missing some things. He wondered what those were.

After another few moments he laid down. He tried to make himself as small as possible. He was already bothering Michael with needing a place to stay, he didn’t want to take up too much space. He looked up when he heard the door open again. Michael waved. He was wearing a hoodie similar to the one he wore daily along with some basketball shorts and, not surprisingly, weed-printed socks.

“Why are you wearing a hoodie to bed?” Rich asked after a moment of finding words to substitute for the words with an ‘s’ in his original question. Hoodie had been ‘sweater’ and bed had been ‘sleep’.

Michael crossed his arms across his chest, not seeming irritated but looking self-conscious. “Reasons,” he said simply, walking to the bed. “You aren’t cold?” Rich hadn’t gotten under the covers. When Rich hesitated, Michael only shook his head. “Come on.” So Rich got up, and Michael lifted the blanket, and they both got into bed.

Rich watched the ceiling, unable to relax fully to sleep. He assumed Michael had fallen asleep after a few minutes until Michael spoke.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t… know.”

“You’ve been pretty quiet this past week,” Michael said, fiddling with the rainbow bracelet around his wrist. He was on his side, facing his door. “Kind of like you’re trying not to talk?”

“Yeah well…” Rich hesitated again. “I shouldn’t really be talking.” He grimaced again, hearing his lisp, and refrained from hitting himself, something he’d picked up from having the Squip.

Michael turned to look at him, confusion on his face. “What? Rich, what are you talking about?” Rich was silent, feeling he’d said too much. “Is it because your lisp?” There it was, the first time Michael mentioned it. Rich had been grateful that it never came up, and that Michael never pointed it out or poked fun at it, like his dad had.

“Yeah,” Rich finally said in a small voice.

“Dude,” Michael said, “you shouldn’t worry about it.” Easy for him to say. “Look man, I’m not sure who’s made you feel bad about it, but you shouldn’t. It’s okay. You can talk freely around me.”

Rich was silent, and Michael turned to lay on his side again. “Thanks,” Rich finally said.

Chapter Text

Rich had eventually fallen asleep, occasionally waking up finding himself curled up against Michael. Each time he moved back to his side of the bed, not wanting to make things awkward. He woke up for the last time around seven in the morning. He was alone in the bed, and he could smell food being made.

But he laid there for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling as he thought. He’d probably have to get up soon. It was a weekday, so he’d have to go to school. He was thankful he’d taken a shower the night before, before everything had happened.

The door opened and Rich sat up quickly. It was a woman, who Rich assumed was Michael’s mom, and she looked at him in confusion. “Honey?” she called out to Michael. “Why is there a boy in your bed?” Rich’s face flushed, and he fiddled with the blanket.

“He needed a place to stay for the night,” he heard Michael call back. Michael appeared at his mother’s side. “This is Rich. He’s a friend of mine. Rich, this is my Ma.”

Rich gave a little wave.

“Well, nice to meet you, Rich,” Michael’s mother said with a friendly smile. “Mi’s making breakfast, so feel free to join us, okay?” Rich nodded, and Michael’s mother left, leaving the door open.

Rich slowly got up and glanced at the clock that sat near Michael’s bed. It was only 7:12, so they had time. He grabbed his backpack, closed the door, and changed into the clothes he had brought. Then he wandered out of the room in search of the kitchen, feeling he’d be more comfortable around Michael.

Michael was at the stove, and he was preparing plates for breakfast, putting eggs and bacon on the plates and turning the stove off. Michael’s mothers were also there, the one he had introduced as ‘Ma’ sitting at the table and the other helping distribute the plates.

“That’s Rich,” Michael told her, setting plates down on the table. Then he turned to Rich. “Hungry? I made you food too.” Michael took a seat.

Rich hesitantly made his way to the table and quietly sat down, giving a nervous wave to Michael’s moms when they greeted him. He was silent as he listened Michael converse with his parents, not quite used to such a situation. He also wasn’t quite used to eating such a pleasant breakfast, but he decided not to focus on that fact as he chewed on his bacon.

“So Rich,” Michael’s other mother started. Rich vaguely recalled Michael calling her ‘Ina’. He wondered if that was her name or if it was another word for mother. “How are you liking school?” Ah, yes, the obligatory school question.

“Oh, I like it well enough,” Rich said. “It’s… nice at times.” He could admit that. At least it gave him a place to go in the day.

“Yeah?” she asked. “What are your electives?”

“I’m taking French and drama,” Rich answered. “I’m considering taking mythology next semester or next year.” He glanced at Michael, and Michael smiled at him. Rich smiled back.

After the four of them finished breakfast, Rich offered to help with the dishes, but Michael and his mothers shook their heads. “Go finish getting ready for school,” Michael told him, and Rich went back to Michael’s room to grab his backpack.

This morning had been nice. It was nice to get up and eat a breakfast like that. It was nice to converse with Michael and his moms without having to actually worry about anything. He wished that it could happen every day.

He sighed and shook his head, picking up his backpack. Michael came back to the room a few moments later, but to get clothes to change in the bathroom. He came back wearing his usual red hoodie with the patches. “Ready for school?” Michael asked. Rich nodded, and they left the house.

He wanted to thank Michael, but he wasn’t sure how to put it in words. All he could really say was a simple “Thanks…”. Michael understood and nodded.

They had decided to use the bus that day and sat together. Rich hesitated, but then he leaned and put his head on Michael’s shoulder. Michael didn’t say anything, but he simply let his head rest against Rich’s. They sat in comfortable silence.

“Hey,” Rich said, when they got off the bus. “Do you want to help me with something after school? I’ve been thinking about dyeing a little bit of my hair red. Like, a stripe in the front.”

“Yeah dude, that sounds fun,” Michael agreed. “We can stop by the store on the way home.”

Getting through the school day wasn’t too hard. In English, the class recited their lines from Romeo and Juliet one final time. Michael had definitely taken it more seriously than the time he came into class stoned, so he and Brooke did well.

Speaking of Brooke, Rich noticed that she seemed a little off. She sat near Rich and Michael, something she usually didn’t do, and looked like she wanted to ask them something. Before she could do or say anything, Jeremy moved to sit next to her, saying something to her. She looked troubled.

At lunch, she approached the table Rich and Michael sat at. The two boys looked at her in surprise. She didn’t sit down, though, simply standing and looking at them for a moment or two. “I’m having a party,” she finally said. “This weekend. My place. I’ll have to talk to you if you come. So, think about it, okay?” She picked up her lunch again and walked towards her usual table.

“What was that about?” Michael wondered.

“She’s been acting a bit off,” Rich said, poking at the cafeteria food. He wondered how edible the meat was today. “Maybe she needs to talk to one of us about something important.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Michael agreed. “I do wonder what about though.”

After school, Rich and Michael went to the store. They both surveyed the hair dye isles, before Rich picked a box and brought it to the cash register. He didn’t mention it, but he had taken one of his dad’s credit cards. It wouldn’t hurt, he’d decided.

“I’ve never done this before,” Rich admitted as they stood in Michael’s basement, both looking at the box. “Wait, there’s going to be a lot left over if I do what I wanted.”

“I’ll use the rest,” Michael decided, seemingly on a whim. Rich looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “Really! I’ve always sort of wondered what it would be like to dye my hair.”

“If you say so,” Rich replied, opening the box.

Rich’s hair turned out exactly the way he wanted. He was pretty proud of that.

Michael, meanwhile…

“Why is it suddenly purple?!”

Rich covered his mouth with a hand to hold back a laugh.

“This is a travesty. Tragedy? Whatever.” Michael ran a hand through his hair, looking at it in the mirror again. “I’m purple. My hair is purple.”

“I mean… it’s not terrible?” Rich offered as he started to laugh. Michael stuck his tongue out at him, and then he laughed too. Rich was suddenly aware he might like Michael more than he should. He stopped laughing.

“Rich? You okay?” Michael asked when he noticed.

“Yeah...,” Rich replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can we play some video games?”

“Sure thing, my dude.” Michael disposed of the dye box and gloves, and then they went to the basement.

Rich stayed later than last time. Michael dropped him off at his house around 10:30 pm, and Rich stared at the front door after Michael had driven off. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and unlocked the door. He took a deep breath and went inside.

“Richie!”

Rich deflated.

Chapter Text

“Dude, what happened to your face?” Michael asked at lunch. He hadn’t been in English, as he had to go to a doctor’s appointment, so he hadn’t seen Rich all day.

Rich self-consciously touched the bruise that had formed on his cheek. “Got in a fight,” he finally said.

It was clear by the frown on his face that Michael didn’t believe him.

Rich looked down, poking at his cafeteria food with his fork. “My uh… my dad was angry that I dyed my hair, and he found out I took his credit card.” He jabbed his fork into the mystery meat. He avoided looking up at Michael, scared of how he would react.

“That’s not a reason to hit you,” Michael said very seriously.

“It’s fine, Mikey,” Rich tried to assure him. “He doesn’t hit me, usually. I promise.”

“That doesn’t matter!”

Rich’s grip on his fork tightened when he saw someone sitting at a nearby table glance over at Michael’s sudden exclamation. “Shut up, Michael,” he said quietly, feeling panic creep up.

“What?” Not an inquiry, more of an ‘excuse-me?’

“I’m fine. He doesn’t really do this. You’re making it into a bigger deal than it is.”

“What? Rich, it’s a pretty big deal.”

Rich stood up suddenly, grabbing his tray and dumping the food into the trashcan nearby. He placed the tray on the cafeteria counter and ran out.

He hated this about himself, he thought as he sat in the janitor’s closet, gripping at his hair. How he wasn’t good with confrontation. He hated that he probably made Michael hate him now, he hated his situation, and he hated his dad. He hated his dad, he confirmed with himself.

Rich ditched P.E.

Mikey: (11:36 PM) hey I’m sorry

Mikey: (12:01 AM) I just don’t like that you got hurt. You’re my friend.

Mikey: (12:02 AM) you shouldn’t have gotten hurt for just dyeing your hair

Mikey: (12:02 AM) you shouldn’t have gotten hurt at all

Mikey: (12:03 AM) he’s your dad, he shouldn’t have hit you at all

Mikey: (12:17 AM) it was weird to not see you in PE or after school

Mikey: (12:56 AM) I missed you.

Rich: (1:23 AM) I missed you too.

Rich’s bruise had mostly healed up by the weekend. The day after their disagreement, Rich and Michael were already back on speaking terms. Things went back to normal, but there was an unspoken apology from both of them. It wasn’t mentioned again.

Rich leaned to rest his head on Michael’s shoulder. They were sitting on the couch at Brooke’s party, waiting for her to talk to them like she had said she might. The gesture went unmentioned again.

“Hey, you two,” Brooke greeted, sitting next to Rich. She held a red solo cup in her hands and took a sip of the drink. “Did you guys want a drink? There’s a lot.” It sounded like she’d had a few already.

“No, I’m good,” Michael respectfully declined. Rich agreed, sitting up.

“You’re the kid who likes old stuff, right?” Brooke asked Michael. “Like, old sodas? Jeremy mentioned something about it.”

“Er… yeah?” Michael said. “What about it?”

“There’s a soda that was made in the nineties,” Brooke continued, peering into her cup. “Mountain Dew Red? Do you have it?”

“Are you trying to get rid of a Squip?” Rich asked quietly.

Brooke pointed at Rich. “You were always a good friend,” she said. “Yeah. It’s… off right now.” She gestured with her cup. “Do you think you can help me?”

Rich and Michael shared a look before Michael nodded.

“Great!” she said, standing up. “Let’s go.”

“Right now?” Michael asked.

Brooke nodded and tapped her temple. Michael and Rich stood, and they followed Brooke outside.

They arrived at Michael’s house a bit later, and Michael shut off the ignition. He led the two inside. It wasn’t late, so he wasn’t too worried about getting caught. He still had some time before curfew.

They sat in a sort of triangle shape on the floor of the basement. Michael held in his hand a bottle of Mountain Dew Red, hesitating only a moment before handing it to Brooke, who took a hearty swig of the drink.

Suddenly Brooke jolted and whimpered. “It hurts,” she said.

Rich started to rub her back before she screamed. Michael looked worried, or maybe a little scared. Brooke passed out, and they weren’t sure if it was because of getting rid of the Squip or the drinks. Both, they decided.

“Guess she’s staying the night,” Michael said after a few minutes of silence. He made sure she’d be comfortable, placing blanket on her and a pillow under her head before standing up. “Is she going to be okay?”

Rich studied Brooke and hummed a moment before nodding. “Yeah,” he decided. He stood as well.

Michael drove him home not too long after, promising to text him if anything changed with Brooke. Rich had noticed that Michael seemed almost uncomfortable dropping him off at his house now, ever since his dad had hit him. But he didn’t want Michael to worry.

Mikey: (7:31 AM) she is among the living

Rich recommended that Brooke go home and not go to school today. She seemed almost reluctant to follow that recommendation, but since he had more experience with Squips, she listened.

Jeremy wasn’t in school that day. Michael got a call from Jeremy’s dad.

“Hey Michael,” Mr. Heere said when he’d picked up. “Jeremy’s in the hospital.”

“What?” Michael said, worry coloring his voice.

“He went to a party last night, and I’m not sure what they did there, but Jeremy’s the only one who had to spend the night in the hospital. He’ll be back home in a day or two, but he said he wanted to speak to you.”

“I’ll visit after school,” Michael promised. When he hung up he put his head in his hands. “Jeremy’s in the hospital.”

“Do you think it’s because of the Squip?” Rich asked.

“That has to be it, right?” Michael questioned. “I think they were all connected, or something.” He took a sip of his slushy. “Want to ditch P.E. with me?”

Chapter Text

Jeremy was asleep. Michael sat in one of the chairs near his hospital bed, and Rich stood awkwardly nearby. He felt bad. He was the one who’d told Jeremy about the Squip. If he hadn’t, Jeremy wouldn’t be in the hospital and Michael wouldn’t be looking so worried.

“Hey. You okay?”

Rich looked up at Michael. He shrugged. “Yeah, mostly.”

Michael was going to say something else but Jeremy started waking up. Rich was kind of grateful he was distracted by that.

“Micah?” Jeremy said, sitting up. Michael gave a silent wave. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s…”

“I shouldn’t have listened to it! I don’t – I don’t know why I did. I mean, I know why I did, but I shouldn’t have. I – I listened to it and left you all alone. I’m sorry,” Jeremy rambled.

“It’s okay,” Michael finally said. “Really.”

“How can it be okay?!”

Rich watched this exchange in silence. He felt like he shouldn’t be here, so as the two continued to converse, he slipped out of the room, going to the waiting room and sitting in one of the various chairs. He fiddled with his phone.

Rich: (draft) I’m sorry too.

Jeremy returned to school after a day or two. He looked lost, like he didn’t know what to do without the Squip. Rich remembered that feeling. He still felt it, often.

Everyone who had had the Squip looked a little lost, actually. But Rich was pleased that even though they were confused, they looked happier. More like themselves.

Brookie: (12:37 PM) Thanks. <3 Tell Michael thanks too.

Rich looked across the cafeteria. Brooke gave him a smile from her table and a small wave. He couldn’t help but smile and wave back.

Jeremy was sitting across from him and Michael. Their conversation seemed a little strained. Rich once again felt bad. Nothing would be the same, would it? He’d ruined a strong friendship.

“Hey, uh,” Rich said, “I have to go into class early.” A lie. “I’ll see you in P.E.?”

“Yeah,” Michael agreed. “See you, dude.”

Rich opened his drafts when he stepped outside.

Rich: (12:40 PM) I’m sorry too.

Mikey: (12:45 PM) what why

Rich didn’t reply to it, and he didn’t answer the same question when he and Michael had P.E. He’d only shake his head and keep quiet.

“Seriously dude,” Michael said. “What’s up with you?”

They were in Michael’s car now. Michael had wanted to treat Rich and Jeremy to slushies. Rich was in the passenger seat and Jeremy was in the back.

“I’m fine,” Rich muttered.

“Last time you said that I strongly disagreed with you.”

Rich breathed in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. “Everything up to a recent point is my fault.”

“Wha—”

“Everything!” Rich said, louder than he’d meant to, causing the others to jump. “All of this – Jeremy being in the hospital, you being in the hospital. It’s my fault all of this happened – I’m the one who told Jeremy about the Squip.”

“You were in the hospital?” Jeremy asked Michael.

“That’s not important,” Michael answered Jeremy, before turning to Rich. “It’s not your –”

“I ruined your friendship,” Rich interrupted. “Just – pull over, please.”

Michael reluctantly obeyed. Rich opened the door and stepped outside. He started to walk. “Where are you going?”

“Home,” Rich answered. He sped up his pace before Michael had a chance to say anything else.

Unknown: (4:17 PM) Rich?

Unknown: (4:19 PM) I want to say thanks for being friends with Michael

Unknown: (4:20 PM) It was terrible of me to leave him like that

Unknown: (4:21 PM) It’s my fault, too

Unknown: (4:21 PM) He tried to help at the play. He offered Mtn Dew Red and I said no

New contact added: Jeremy Heere

Jeremy Heere: (6:26 PM): Why was Michael in the hospital?

Rich: (discarded) That’s for him to say when he’s ready

Rich: (6:31 PM) I think he should tell you himself. I shouldn’t say anything.

Jeremy Heere: (6:33 PM) uh okay

Jeremy Heere: (6:34 PM) what happened to his hair?

Rich: (6:35 PM) He tried dyeing his hair red

Rich: (6:35 PM) it was hilarious.

Rich switched over to his messages with Michael. He skimmed through the ones they’d sent this afternoon and evening, after Rich apologized for running off.

Rich: (6:37 PM) Brooke wanted me to tell you thanks.

It was probably best to concentrate on his homework, he decided, placing his phone aside. Or, well, he could, if his dad wasn’t yelling at the television. He listened closely to figure out what he was mad about this time.

Oh.

Of course his dad would be homophobic. He wasn’t sure what he expected.

He sighed and pulled out his English folder, taking out the poem he needed to annotate. Richard Cory. Of all the poems he had to do in English, this was his favorite. Not because of the name, but because of the topic. How the subject of the poem was not as he seemed. It was relatable, almost. Before, he’d been one of the most popular at school. And nobody knew his home life. They all assumed he’d had it good.

“Richie!”

Rich tensed and got up, walking to the living room where his dad was. “Yeah?” he asked.

“You have that new friend, don’t you?” Mr. Goranski slurred. “With the red jacket?”

“Er… yeah?” Rich wasn’t sure where his father was going with this.

“He has that… flag. With the rainbow. On his jacket.”

“That is…correct.”

“’isth correct’,” his dad mumbled mockingly, before continuing. “I don’t want you hanging out with him anymore.”

“Why not?” Rich felt he knew the reason, but he asked anyway, partly to appease his father.

“He could be one of them.” His dad gestured to the television.

“So?”

“So?” Mr. Gorasnki stood. “Did I hear you right, son?”

Rich took a quick step back. “Y-you did,” he said, a little scared, but wanting to stand his ground.

His father grabbed him by the front of the shirt. “Richie, Richie.” He shook his head. Rich grimaced, smelling alcohol. “That stuff ain’t natural. I don’t want that for you.” He jabbed his finger in the direction of the television. “I don’t want you hangin’ out with that. They’ll try to convert you.”

“Bit too late for that, ain’t it?” Rich blurted out on accident. His eyes widened when his dad squinted at him. shit. Shit!

“Excuse me, Richie? You ain’t dating boys. Men like women.”

“I do!” Fuck, he was digging himself into a deeper hole, wasn’t he? He held back a whimper when his dad tightened his grip on his shirt.

Chapter Text

Calling: Mikey…

“Uh, hey, it’s Michael. I’m not here – shut up, Jeremy.” A giggle in the background. “I’m not available so uh, leave a message.” Beep. He’d at that same voice mail for ages. Part of Rich wondered if he was ever going to change it. Without thinking, Rich threw his phone into the grass.

He looked around himself. He wasn’t even sure where he was. He just remembered running off, with his father telling him to not come back until he’d learned his lesson or made up his mind. He remembered walking. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but guessing by the ache in his legs from running and walking, it must have been quite a while. Quite a while was missing from his memory. That happened sometimes, he realized. It probably wasn’t good.

It looked like he was in a park of some sorts, maybe. It was too dark to make out any distinguishing features. He could have used his phone light, but he wasn’t thinking straight.

He picked his phone off the ground and pressed the green button again.

Calling: Mikey...

Ring. Ring.

Please pick up…

“Hey,” Michael greeted him.

“Mikey,” Rich was able to get out before his voice broke. He rubbed at his eyes. He hadn’t realized that tears had formed. He had been so, so scared. Adrenaline and fear was fading now, though, and he felt exhausted. He probably looked like a mess.

“Rich? What’s wrong?” Michael’s casual tone was gone, replaced with concern. “Are you okay?’

“I uh… I need a place to stay for the night, Mikey,” Rich managed after a few moments of recollecting himself.

“Where are you?” He heard the jingle of car keys, and Michael saying something to one of his moms, but he was hardly paying attention to that.

“I don’t… I don’t know,” he answered honestly. He looked around, then up at the sky. He ventured a step outside the property.

“Do you know the cross streets?”

Rich walked for a bit, looking for a street sign. The barely-there moon was enough to show the names on the signs. He repeated them to Michael.

“That’s fifteen minutes away,” Michael commented, and Rich could hear the car door of Michael’s P.T. Cruiser open and close. “How’d you end up there?”

“I don’t remember. I just remember running.” He sat on the curb next to the stop sign. “I made a big mistake.” He heard Michael’s car’s ignition turn on, and felt relief that Michael was coming to find him.

“What happened?” Michael’s voice had a slight edge to it, like he knew it had to do with Rich’s dad. Rich figured it was obvious, anyway. He only really ever had problems with his father.

“I uh… might have accidentally come out as bi while my dad was on a homophobic tirade,” Rich whispered, running a hand through his semi-messy hair.

“You’re bi?” Michael blurted. “Shit, sorry, that’s not important right now. Are you hurt?”

Rich could hear Michael’s ‘calm’ playlist on the radio, in the background. He’d caused Michael to worry and now he needed to calm down. He felt guilty. “He didn’t hit me…”

“That’s not my question.”

“He just… shoved me a bit?” Rich rubbed the back of his head, feeling the painful reminder that his head had hit a wall. His back and neck ached as well. How hard had he pushed him? “I’m… yeah, I kind of got hurt.”

“Are you okay?”

Rich bit back a ‘what kind of question is that?’ and shook his head. “No, I’m not.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”

“Yeah…”

Neither of them hung up. Rich listened to the music in the background of the call, trying to calm himself down. When he saw Michael, he ended the call.

Call ended: 0:17:23

He wordlessly opened the passenger door and got in. He didn’t say anything as Michael started to drive again. He didn’t even put on his seatbelt, he just leaned forward and rested his forehead on his knees. He didn’t move when they pulled into Michael’s driveway.

“Rich?” Michael said after a few minutes of silence. “We’re here.”

“I don’t have any clothes,” Rich realized, not sitting up yet.

“You can borrow some of mine. Come on.”

Rich sighed softly and sat up, exiting the car and following Michael inside. “I’m tired,” Rich mumbled. So Michael led him to his room and had him lay down. Rich curled up and closed his eyes. He listened to Michael humming as Michael went in and out of the room, getting ready for bed. It wasn’t even late, but Michael said that going to bed early wasn’t a terribly bad thing. Rich felt a vague feeling of guilt again, but it was dim. He felt… a little detached.

When Michael laid down to sleep, pulling the covers over them, Rich latched onto his arm without thinking. Michael froze, but he didn’t pull away. He relaxed after a moment.

Rich didn’t go to school the next day, but Michael did. (“Rich, my guy, I have to get ready for school so you gotta let go.”) Rich stayed in Michael’s room most of the day, feeling awkward and out of place. He didn’t want to run into or bother one of his moms.

When Rich started to leave in the afternoon, after Michael came home from school, Michael intercepted him. “Do you have a place to go?” he asked.

Rich didn’t answer for a moment, looking away. “My brother’s out of town for a few days… but I was gonna go there and hang around until he came back…”

“Ma, can Rich stay for a few days?” Michael called to the kitchen.

“Sure!”

Michael looked back at Rich. “You’re staying.”

Rich didn’t say anything, but he was grateful. He warmed up to Michael’s moms within the next day or two, eating meals with the family of three and helping around the house when needed. Rich went back to school. He snuck out some clothes and items from his room at his house – well, his dad’s house now – through the window he had left unlocked that one night.

Rich was smiling as he watched Michael and his moms sing along to a song on the radio as they made dinner. He’d wanted to help, and they told him he didn’t have to do anything, but could he please set the table?

He set down the last cup on the table when he heard the doorbell ring.

“Can you get that?” Michael asked him, his focus mostly on the food that was cooking.

Rich nodded and headed over to the door. He unlocked it and opened it – a man stood there, waiting patiently for the door, and he looked a little confused when he saw Rich. “Are you a friend of Maya’s?” the man asked.

Maya? The name was on the tip of his tongue, about to ask exactly who that was, when Rich heard footsteps come up behind him and the man perked up momentarily.

“Maya,” he greeted, and Rich glanced behind himself, at Michael. Michael wasn’t smiling anymore, like he’d been in the kitchen. His happy demeanor was gone.

“It’s Michael,” Michael said, somewhat calmly, but Rich could hear a hint of annoyance in his voice, a bit of an edge. “You know this.”

“I thought you’d be over this phase by now, Maya,” the man said amicably, but the tension between the two was noticeable and almost painful.

Rich glanced between them and bit his lip, hesitating, not sure if he should do or say something. “Go get my Ina, could you?” Michael asked Rich, and Rich turned to go into the kitchen to do so. Michael returned his attention to the man at the door. “You can’t just fucking come over here and tell me, who you haven’t seen since I was thirteen, that I should get over a phase that isn’t even a damn phase.”

“Now, that’s no way for a lady to talk.” The man frowned.

“Fuck you, Damien.”

Rich quickly ducked into the kitchen and addressed Michael’s mothers. “Uh, there’s someone at the door, so Michael wanted me to get you,” he said to Michael’s Ina. She looked confused for a moment, turning off the stove and going to where Michael stood. His Ma and Rich followed.

Michael looked angry, with his arms crossed. He wasn’t speaking anymore, but he was glaring at Damien, who was simply staring back at him.

“Leave,” Michael’s Ina told Damien.

“I just wanted to see our—”

“Don’t you dare say daughter, Damien, I swear to God.”

Michael moved to stand behind his mothers, running a hand through his hair, the angry look on his face fading a little once he put some distance between himself and Damien. Rich and Michael silently watched the two adults argue, before Michael said to Rich suddenly, “Let’s get out of here.”

Rich looked at Michael, and Michael looked back, waiting for an answer before Rich nodded. Michael told his Ma that they were leaving for a half hour, before turning and exiting through the back door. Rich followed.

They didn’t make it that far before Michael suddenly stopped and hit a tree with a curled fist.

“Fuck,” he hissed in pain.

Chapter Text

Rich wanted to say something. He wanted to say something that would make Michael feel better, or at least less angry, but couldn’t come up with anything, so he stayed silent as he followed Michael down the street.

He looked down at Michael’s hand. His knuckles were red and looked painful and were covered by debris from the tree. Rich suddenly remembered something, rummaging through his pockets. “Michael,” he said quickly, to stop the other.

Michael stopped walking and looked over at him, deflating momentarily. Rich grabbed his wrist gently, giving Michael time to pull away. Michael looked hesitant but he didn’t move. Rich started picking the debris from his knuckles, and then opened the mini first-aid kit he took from his pocket.

It wasn’t much, really. Just a few alcohol wipes, a few pain pills, and some band aids. A little bit of gauze and medical tape. It was something he’d started making for himself when he was younger, when he realized his dad most likely wasn’t going to help him if he accidentally got hurt or something.

Rich ripped open a packet of alcohol wipes with his teeth, looking back up at Michael to make sure it would be okay. Michael’s face was unreadable, but still, he didn’t protest. Rich started to wipe at the red, cleaning up minor speckles of blood that had formed on the breaking skin. Michael hissed in pain again.

“Sorry,” Rich said, but Michael didn’t reply, so he didn’t continue speaking. After making sure everything was clean he put two band aids down. Then let go of Michael’s wrist.

They were silent for a minute or so before Michael inspected his work and said “Thanks…” Rich nodded, and Michael sighed, sitting on the bench of a park they wound up at. “Sorry,” Michael finally said, after the silence had stretched on for long enough.

“What are you sorry for?” Rich asked curiously, looking back up at him.

“I overreacted,” Michael replied, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie. The strings were worn down, mostly braided threads, as the hoodie seemed a few years old when you actually looked at and thought about it.

“I think that was a perfectly reasonable reaction,” Rich replied with a one-shouldered shrug. “He was being a dick.”

Michael hummed softly, gripping at the strings of the hoodie for a moment before letting go. He looked up and met Rich’s eyes, a question in his own.

Rich sat down next to Michael on the bench, resting his head on his shoulder and looping an arm through his. He felt Michael relax.

After a few minutes of relative silence, Michael sighed and dislodged himself to stand. “We should get home.” So Rich stood and followed him when he started to walk. They got back within eight minutes, Rich timed. They entered through the back door.

Michael’s Ma was serving the dish they were preparing before Michael and Rich had left, in the bowls Rich had set on the table, and she looked over. “Are you okay, Michael?” she asked, her eyes flitting towards the band-aids on his hand.

“Just peachy,” Michael mumbled, moving forward and taking over the serving. Michael’s Ma allowed him to, moveing to the fridge to grab drinks. “Where’s Ina?”

“On the phone with the police.” At Michael’s questioning noise, his Ma added, “Damien wouldn’t leave, so she threatened to call the police. He only left when she actually got them on the phone, but she’s providing them with information in case he comes by again.”

“I’ll probably punch him if he comes by again,” Michael muttered, and Rich nodded in agreement, deciding right then and there that he might do that if he came back too.

Michael’s Ina came back to the kitchen after a few minutes, and the four of them sat down to eat. The conversation was quiet. Evidently, Damien’s appearance had dampened the chipper mood from before.

“What happened after we left?” Michael asked when the food in his bowl was almost gone.

“Oh, you know,” Michael’s Ina said casually, waving a fork slightly, “saying stuff about family ‘betrayal’ and that he could give you a better life and help you ‘figure out’ your ‘mistakes’.”

“Betrayal?” Rich couldn’t help but ask, and he clamped his mouth closed when the family glanced at him. He nearly shrunk back, but he relaxed when they didn’t seem too annoyed with his interruption.

Michael’s Ina pointed her fork towards Michael’s Ma and then Michael himself.

“He thinks we’ve betrayed him because I’m not a girl and Ina fell in love with Ma,” Michael explained, placing his fork down next to his empty bowl. “But Ina’s ‘betrayal’ doesn’t even make sense since she and Ma didn’t start dating until after Ina and Damien split up.” He rolled his eyes. “He thinks ma ‘converted’ her or something. It’s stupid. He’s stupid.” Michael’s last sentence was muttered.

Rich hummed softly in understanding, and he kept quiet the rest of the dinner, not wanting to bother the family. He answered whenever he was spoken to, but otherwise he just observed silently.

He helped with the dishes after the meal. They said he didn’t have to, but he insisted. Michael and Rich played video games in the basement before it was time to go to bed and something suddenly occurred to the shorter boy. “Is that why you wear the hoodie to bed when I’m here?” he asked.

Michael was silent for a few long moments. “Yeah,” he then said glancing down at the ground before returning his gaze to the screen. He didn’t look at Rich. “But I guess that doesn’t even matter now since you found out anyway.”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Not your fault.” Michael’s grip tightened on his controller, just barely, eyes still on the screen. “Just don’t treat me any differently.”

“Yeah, of course.”

Michael glanced over at him. Rich offered him a small smile, and Michael smiled slightly back.

Michael fell asleep before Rich that night, leaving him with his thoughts. Rich stared at the ceiling, thinking. His brother was coming back to town the next day, so Rich would be going over tomorrow night. He was almost disappointed. He’d liked living with Michael and enjoyed his company. He didn’t want to bother him any longer than necessary, though, so living with his brother was a thing that would happen.

He thought back to recent happenings. Today had been an eventful day.

His feelings for Michael hadn’t changed, had they? He thought about this as he tensed. He wasn’t transphobic, was he? He hoped not. He glanced over at Michael’s face. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw how untroubled he looked in sleep.

Yeah, his feelings hadn’t changed.

Chapter Text

Michael was still in a slightly sour mood from the previous day, but he tried not to show it. Rich and Jeremy clearly saw it, though.

Rich elected not to go to school that day, gathering his stuff that had accumulated in Michael’s room the short time he had stayed at the Mell household to move to his brother’s home. He also spent some time going back to his dad’s house, sneaking in through the window left unlocked so long ago and grabbing what he could in three short trips.

Jeremy Heere: (3:02 PM) Michaels not in a good mood

Jeremy Heere: (3:03 PM) what happened?

Rich: (3:05 PM) Damien.

Jeremy Heere: (3:06 PM) ah yikes

Jeremy Heere: (3:06 PM) ok thanks

Jeremy Heere: (3:12 PM) try avoiding mentioning it

Rich: (3:17 PM) Obviously.

Rich put his phone away and picked up his last bag. He started walking to his brother’s again. As he walked, he pondered. He hadn’t actually lived with his brother since he was thirteen and his brother was eighteen. Once his brother was of age he left immediately.

He remembered feeling betrayed. He understood now, but he occasionally did feel upset when he thought about it too much. So he tried not to.

Time passed, as time does. The purple faded from Michael’s hair and the red stripe faded from Rich’s. When there was not a trace of purple left Michael’s hair he took Rich and Jeremy to get celebratory slushies. The two still thought that it was funny, what had happened to Michael’s hair.

“It’s not funny!” Michael would say, and the other two would dissolve into laughter. “You try being purple for a month!”

Rich had decided to re-dye the stripe in his hair. He found he quite liked how it looked on him, and decided to make it a more permanent part of him. Plus, Michael said it looked good on him. And he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like hearing that.

The group of three fell into a sort of routine. They got used to each other. At first, it would be Jeremy initiating the conversation, but after a while Rich would occasionally do it as well.

Jeremy Heere: (1:23 PM) oh god

Jeremy Heere: (1:24 PM) I’m terrible

Rich sat up.

Rich: (1:26 PM) What?

Jeremy Heere: (1:29 PM) Michael told me why he was in the hospital

Jeremy Heere: (1:30 PM) I’m terrible

Rich wasn’t sure how to feel about this. On one hand, he had been somewhat peeved at Jeremy when he first met Michael at the hospital. On the other hand, Rich didn’t like it when people disliked themselves. It had always left a bad taste in his mouth when he caused it, when the Squip had told him to.

Rich: (1:33 PM) He forgives you, though.

Jeremy Heere: (1:34 PM) would you?

The question makes Rich pause. If he was in Michael’s shoes, would he have? He honestly wasn’t sure.

Jeremy Heere: (1:37 PM) wouldn’t you hate me?

Rich: (1:39 PM) When I first met Michael in the hospital I was sort of mad at you.

Rich: (1:40 PM) He had been there for you but you left him.

Rich: (1:40 PM) And then he felt like there was no other point.

Rich: (1:42 PM) But

Rich hesitated. He fiddled with his phone for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts, before he continued. This wasn’t how he expected to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Rich: (1:45 PM) If your Squip was anything like mine I understand.

Rich: (1:46 PM) It tore you down until you felt like nothing.

Rich: (1:47 PM) And it made you feel like you needed it.

Rich: (1:48 PM) When you feel like nothing you don’t know what to do and make mistakes.

Rich: (1:50 PM) I’m not saying it’s much of an excuse and I agree that it was a bad thing for you to do but there is a reason and it’s not just you being an ass because you can.

Rich: (1:57 PM) Jeremy?

Jeremy Heere: (2:01 PM) slushies?

Rich: (2:02 PM) Okay.

He slipped on his shoes and met Jeremy at the Seven Eleven that was equal distance from all three of their houses. Jeremy had beat him there, though, and was already paying for the drinks. He’d gotten Rich’s usual correct and handed the cardboard cup to him.

Rich was silent as he leaned against the wall outside.

“The Squip was terrible,” Jeremy said after a while.

Rich nodded. “Yeah. I apologize for convincing you to get one.” He still felt like a lot of it was his fault. Like he really didn’t have the right to be mad at Jeremy if he was the one who told him to get it.

“Partly my fault, too, though,” Jeremy offered.

Rich shrugged. “I think if you hadn’t gotten it mine would have tried to get me to ‘convince’ you more.”

The pair was silent for a few minutes as they sipped on their slushies.

“What did yours look like?” Jeremy asked suddenly.

“Honestly?” Rich stirred his slushy with his straw. “I think its default mode was Chris Hemsworth.” Jeremy raised an eyebrow and Rich shrugged again. “I changed it, though. I guess I thought making it look like Kermit would make the things it said less hurtful?”

Jeremy bit his straw like he wasn’t sure if he should smile or look sympathetic. “Mine was Keanu Reeves.”

Rich gave a wry smile. “Could have pretended you were in the Matrix.” Rich’s smile grew more sincere when Jeremy laughed.

Contact: Jeremy Heere >>> Jeremy

Chapter Text

Prom season was coming up, and ever since he reassured himself of his feelings for Michael Rich couldn’t help but stare every so often. He was surprised Michael wasn’t catching on, since he often caught him doing so.

He knew Jeremy saw him staring too, but Jeremy never said anything about it either.

He and Jeremy were getting along a lot better, since their conversation about Michael going to the hospital. They had a mutual understanding, and whatever minor anger Rich had towards Jeremy for leaving Michael in such a state wasn’t around that often anymore. They were even able to have conversations without Michael initiating them.

Michael seemed happy that they were getting along.

Though, Rich couldn’t help but notice Michael and Jeremy weren’t as close as they were before the whole Squip incident happened. He often had to stamp down guilt about it, but sometimes it did get to him. So he’d text them an apology, and they’d reply that it was okay.

Christine would occasionally sit with the three of them at lunch. Both her and Jeremy were still a little embarrassed about what happened at The Play (as Rich liked to call it, despite not being there), but they were getting there. Rich knew that Jeremy still liked her a lot, even if it wasn’t as severe. And Christine did seem somewhat interested in Jeremy back.

“Dude, you should ask her to prom,” Michael told Jeremy, when Christine had left lunch early to do something for the drama club. He had music coming from his headphones, volume low enough for the others to barely be aware of it, but loud enough for him to hear with them around his neck while he paid attention to what the other two were saying. He was gently tapping his fingers on the table along to it. Rich found it endearing.

“I dunno,” Jeremy replied, suddenly nervous, starting to fidget. “Do you think she’ll say yes?” He glanced between Michael and Rich.

Rich nodded. “She seems to like you,” he said with a shrug.

Jeremy hummed to himself quietly, then asked Michael, “Well are you going?” Even if they weren’t exactly best friends anymore, he still seemed to rely on Michael a lot.

Michael shrugged. “Honestly? I’m probably just going to get stoned in my basement and try to beat level ten by myself,” he replied, taking a long sip of his slushy.

Jeremy frowned slightly, and Rich remembered that when the two had been better friends, they would always play levels together, never alone. They’d always wait for each other. Guilt crept up again.

“But you should go,” Michael continued, setting his slushy aside. “With Christine.”

Jeremy nodded in thought. “Yeah, okay. I’ll ask her later. Don’t know when later, but later.”

“You going to just ask or are you going to do one of those prom-posals?” Rich asked curiously, to keep the conversation moving along.

“Not totally sure yet,” Jeremy said, poking at his cafeteria lunch. “But I might try to do something with theater and musicals since she likes that.”

“What about you?” Michael asked Rich. “You going to prom?”

Rich suddenly started to fidget. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Uh, there’s someone I’ve been thinking about asking.”

Michael smiled, but he almost looked disappointed. Rich was sure he was just seeing things. Why would Michael be disappointed? “Well, I’m sure they’ll say yes,” Michael said. “You’re a good guy, Rich.”

Rich smiled slightly, feeling somewhat hopeful.

Jeremy asked Christine to the prom four days later, making a sign reminiscent of her favorite musical. She seemed giddy when she said yes, hugging Jeremy. It was cute.

“I have a confession,” Rich said when just him and Jeremy were hanging out in Jeremy’s room.

“Yeah?” Jeremy asked, sitting up.

“I uh… I like Michael. Like, a lot.”

Rich looked up when Jeremy started to laugh. “You couldn’t have made it more obvious.” Rich stuck his tongue out, muttering ‘rude’ good-naturedly. “Maybe he likes you back,” Jeremy said, “you never know until you try.”

“That’s real rich coming from you,” Rich replied, though not rudely, not realizing the accidental pun on his name.

Jeremy snickered. “’Rich’.”

“What?” When Jeremy didn’t answer, Rich furrowed his brows, and then he understood. “Oh my god,” Rich muttered, rolling his eyes, but he smiled too.

Rich decided maybe he should ask Michael to prom. But would Michael even want to go? Would he just prefer to do what he originally planned on doing? Rich nibbled at his already short nails, lost in thought when Jeremy and  Michael plopped down on the bean bags next to him, back after getting some snacks from the kitchen.

“Rich, you good?” Michael asked, tilting his head slightly the faraway look in Rich’s eyes.

Rich blinked a few times, bringing himself back to the present. Right. They were hanging out in Jeremy’s room. “I’m good,” he said, starting to chew on his nails again.

“You know, I hear that painting your nails can help you stop biting your nails,” Michael mentioned, plugging his controller into the console near the television. “Something about the taste.”

Rich hummed, looking at his short, bitten nails. “I’ll think about it,” he said. And he started chewing again, already, until Michael reached over and poked his hand. Rich blushed and put his hand down.

The three boys played video games for a while, taking turns since the game only allowed two players at a time. “I think we need a slushy break,” Michael said when he lost for the sixth time.

“I think you’re just bad at this game,” Jeremy teased, and Michael stuck his tongue out at him, throwing a pillow at him. Jeremy shut off the console and stood, stretching his arms.

The three of them started walking to the nearby seven eleven. “Hey, Michael,” Rich said hesitantly.

“Hm?” Michael glanced over at him.

“You said you’d probably spend prom night getting high, but if someone asked you would you go?” Rich almost started biting his nails again, nervous about Michael finding out and understanding what the question was for.

Michael seemed to think for a bit before nodding slowly. “Yeah, probably.” He was unaware of Rich’s internal conflict.

Rich noticed Jeremy smirking slightly at him, and he muttered a quick “shut up” to him, pushing open the doors of the seven eleven.

Rich: (6:38 PM) help

Rich: (6:38 PM) How to ask Michael to prom

Jeremy: (6:41 PM) you’re actually going to do it?

Rich: (6:42 PM) Yes.

Rich: (6:43 PM) Probably.

Rich: (6:43 PM) Aaaaaahhh

Jeremy: (6:44 PM) heh

Rich: (6:45 PM) It’s not funny :(

Rich: (6:46 PM) He likes vintage stuff, right?

Jeremy: (6:48 PM) yea

Jeremy: (6:49 PM) I don’t think you’ll need much he’s a simple guy

Jeremy: (6:50 PM) you might be making this a bigger deal than it needs to be tbh

Rich: (6:52 PM) :(

Rich wandered outside his room to the kitchen to look for food and ideas. His brother was out working, so it was just him. He sat in one of the barstools and glanced around after grabbing an apple.

He spotted a few cardboard boxes near the small recycling bin next to the counter. He grabbed one of them and went back to his room.

The next day found him on the doorstep of the Mell residence. He looked once more at the cardboard sign he held in his hands, making sure it looked okay and not bent and most importantly, not too silly.

It was a simple sign really. Just the question ‘prom?’ with a few doodles of old games and other things Jeremy had told him Michael liked. Rich hoped that Michael wouldn’t hate it.

Michael was nice, though, so even if he did hate it, maybe he wouldn’t make a big deal about it? He started chewing on his nails, fretting.

He looked up when he saw the door opening and hid the sign behind his back.

Michael stared at him from the doorway inquisitively. “Rich?” he asked. “How long have you been standing there?”

Chapter Text

Michael stared at Rich, waiting for an answer. Rich started to panic. “Um,” he said. “I – well…” He wished he could wipe his sweating hands on his pants but they were still holding the sign behind his back.

Michael tilted his head in slight confusion or concern. Rich then noticed that Michael happened to be still in his sleeping clothes, and then he wondered what time it was. Michael must have just woken up recently and gone to the kitchen – there was a window on the way there.

“Rich?” Michael asked, and Rich blinked, realizing he had started to get lost in thought. “Do you want to come inside?”

“I actually have something to ask you,” Rich managed to get out.

“It can’t be asked inside?” Michael inquired.

“I mean – I suppose it could,” Rich admitted, and Michael moved aside to let the other in. Rich stepped inside the living room, sign still behind his back, and Michael eyed him curiously. “Michael,” Rich started. “I – I have a confession, I guess.”

“Really?” Michael said, and he sat down on the couch. Rich stayed standing.

“Well – I – um, I really kind of like you,” Rich rushed out, and Michael’s eyes widened, but Michael smiled. Rich almost faltered in surprise, but he continued anyway. “And – and I was wondering—” Rich now pulled the sign from behind his back, holding it upright – “if you’d like to – to go to prom with me?”

Michael covered his mouth – in surprise or excitement, Rich couldn’t really tell. He hoped it wasn’t a negative reaction. He waited anxiously for a response – for anything, really.

“I can… I can leave,” Rich offered, glancing at the door.

“No!” Michael said quickly, standing up. Rich bit his lip. “I mean – no, don’t leave.”

Rich watched the other boy carefully.

“I would love to go to prom with you,” Michael finally answered, and he was grinning, so Rich couldn’t help but smile back in relief.

“Cool,” Rich replied, adrenaline starting to fade.

“Cool,” Michael agreed.

“Cool…” Rich rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and shuffled his feet.

Michael saved him from having to say anything else, though, with, “Want to play video games?”

Rich smiled. “Yeah.”

The two had made it down the hallway when they ran into Michael’s Ma. “Michael, sweetie, what are you doing up before nine thirty on a Saturday?” she asked, and Rich noted that she looked like she’d just woken up too.

Michael was going to answer, but his Ma had spoken again. “Oh hi Rich,” she said. “What’re you –” She cut herself off and her eyes went to the cardboard sign Rich was still holding. Rich bit his lip. “My boy’s going to prom?” she asked, and Rich nodded slightly. She gasped and clapped happily. “We need to go tux shopping for you!” Michael’s Ma said to Michael.

“Ma,” Michael groaned, but it was good-natured and with a smile.

Rich, for a moment, couldn’t help but envy Michael a little. He had his mothers, who loved him and would be happy for him, and would more than likely take him shopping for an outfit. And Rich had… all he had now was a brother who tended to overwork himself.

He internally scolded himself for being ungrateful.

“So…,” Michael said, when they had sat down in the basement to play video games. The game was loading, causing an awkward silence. Michael smiled. “You really kind of like me, huh?”

Rich blushed, covering his face with his knees, hugging his legs to himself. “Yes,” he mumbled.

Michael hummed. The game finished loading, and he connected the controllers to the console. “Well…” He sat next to Rich again. “I really kind of like you too,” he admitted.

Rich looked up. “Really?” he asked hopefully.

“Really,” Michael confirmed, nodding.

Rich started smiling like an idiot. “Cool,” he said in more of a whisper.

Rich: (1:52 PM) Brookie.

It was Sunday, the next day, and Rich was lying down in bed, but he was definitely awake. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking and fretting since he’d asked Michael to prom and admitted to liking him. Michael had said he liked him back. He couldn’t believe it, yet he couldn’t help but feel a little silly, like he was acting like a grade school girl with a crush.

Rich: (1:53 PM) What does one wear to prom?

Brookie: (1:55 PM) oo youre going to prom?

Brookie: (1:55 PM) going with who?

Rich: (1:57 PM) Mikey.

Brookie: (1:58 PM) I knew you could do it

Rich: (2:01 PM) what?

Rich: (2:02 PM) Did everybody know??

Brookie: (2:03 PM) well

Rich sighed and rolled his eyes, even though Brooke was not physically there to see the action. Though, he couldn’t help but smile a little. Was he really that obvious? Was Michael really that oblivious?

Rich: (2:04 PM) Never mind.

Rich: (2:06 PM) I have nobody to tell me what to wear.

Typing that suddenly reminded him of his Squip. It always knew what to wear. It always told him what would work best. Rich bit his lip and wondered if he missed that. To tell the truth, he still sometimes felt a little bit lost without it telling him what to do.

It was probably a result of having that thing in his head for two years, he figured, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

Brookie: (2:07 PM) busy today?

Rich: (2:07 PM) Not particularly…

Brookie: (2:09 PM) great ! meet me at the mall at 3

Rich considered protesting, but then decided against it. It would be nice to spend some time with Brooke, he thought. He hadn’t really had much of a chance to since the whole Squip ordeal he’d accidentally caused. And even though she’d been de-Squipped recently, they didn’t hang around the same people anymore.

He rolled over to lay on his back and stare at the ceiling for a few minutes as he considered making himself get up to have enough time to maybe eat breakfast or lunch, or something. He hadn’t really eaten much yet.

His brother usually texted him to remind him to eat, but since it was his day off he was watching TV. Rich felt that he should be a little more grateful for his brother – he’d given him a roof over his head and food, free of charge.

He continued to stare at the ceiling, and the next time he looked at the clock it was 2:47. He hadn’t realized how much time he tended to spend with his mind… elsewhere. It was easy to just blank out and not be there, sometimes. He often did it when his dad was around but he no longer had to worry about that.

Rich rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes, slipping his feet into his shoes. He left his room and moved towards the kitchen. When he saw nobody there he peeked out into the living room. His brother was where he’d expected, watching television and sitting on the couch, as he often spent his days off.

He watched his brother watch the screen for a few moments before speaking up. “Hey, I’m going to the mall.”

Thomas glanced over at him. “Get me a pretzel while you’re there?” he asked, and Rich nodded, putting his hands in his pockets and making his way towards the front door. Thomas spoke again before Rich was able to reach it. “What’re you going for anyway?”

“Oh uh, Brooke’s going to help me pick something out for… um, prom,” Rich replied somewhat nervously. He didn’t need to be nervous, he tried to remind himself. This was his brother, not his dad.

“Prom you say?” Thomas asked, arching an eyebrow, and Rich couldn’t help but smile at his brother’s curious and relaxed tone.

Rich nodded. “I… asked someone to prom, the other day.”

Thomas nodded as well, turning his gaze back to the television. “Well, good luck, little brother. I hear women can be difficult.”

Rich fidgeted for a moment, not yet moving from his spot. “It’s a guy.”

“I hear they can be difficult too,” Thomas responded without missing a beat.

Rich smiled a little, relieved to see that his brother didn’t really seem to have a problem with what he’d said. Dad would beat my ass, Rich thought suddenly, feeling his mood drop slightly. “I’ll get you a cinnamon,” he said, referring to the pretzel he was supposed to get, and Thomas nodded as Rich left.

Rich started his trek towards the mall, walking for a few minutes until a car he recognized pulled up to the curb next to him.

Brooke rolled down the window of her mother’s car. “Get in loser, we’re going shopping,” she said.

Rich rolled his eyes as he went and opened the passenger’s side door. “Really? Mean Girls?” He did laugh a little, though, as he buckled himself in.

“What? It’s a fun movie,” Brooke replied with a smile and a slight shrug. “Hey, let me see your phone.”

“You’re driving,” Rich said, looking at her with a confused look.

She shook her head but then eventually pulled into the parking lot of the mall, finding a place to park. Once she turned off the ignition, she turned to Rich again, to ask for his phone.

Rich placed his phone in her hand, slightly curious and slightly worried about what she was doing. He watched her tap something out on her own phone that she seemed to be copying from his phone. He didn’t have a chance to ask until he heard the telltale ‘ding!’ of a text incoming. He looked down at his phone.

Brookie has added Mikey and Rich to the chat.

Rich: (3:01 PM) Brookie n o

Brookie: (3:01 PM) Brookie yes

Rich looked back at Brooke, who still sat in the driver’s seat. She just smiled at him and exited the car, motioning for him to do the same. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and got out as well, following her to the entrance of the mall.

Mikey: (3:06 PM) uhh hey?

Rich: (3:08 PM) Sorry Mikey.

Rich: (3:08 PM) Brookie why.

Brookie: (3:09 PM) I just want to help!

Brookie: (3:10 PM) You asked for my help Richard

Rich: (3:11 PM) Nobody gets to call me that except my grandparents.

Mikey: (3:12 PM) anybody feel like explaining

Brookie: (3:13 PM) Rich wanted help with prom shopping

Mikey: (3:14 PM) oh

Brookie: (3:15 PM) So I put us in a chat so I can make sure everything runs smoothly and that you guys don’t not match

Mikey: (3:16 PM) rich if you needed help I don’t think my moms would have minded

Rich: (3:17 PM) I didn’t want to bother you and them.

Brookie: (3:18 PM) So I have some ideas regarding colors

Rich: (3:19 PM) Brookie.

Brookie: (3:20 PM) Richard

Rich looked at her and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. They had arrived and sat down at the mall food court. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Very rude, 0/10, would not friend again,” Rich said to her in jest.

Brooke mock-gasped.

Mikey: (3:26 PM) go on?

Brookie: (3:39 PM) right anyway

Brookie: (3:41 PM) red and blue

Brookie: (3:41 PM) Michael is associated with red because of his sweater so he should do red

Mikey: (3:42 PM) okay

Brookie: (3:44 PM) Rich and I are at the mall and we’re going to look for suits for him and a dress for me

Brookie: (3:45 PM) there will be photos

Brookie: (3:46 PM) Rich why do you look concerned?

“Photos?” Rich said cautiously.

“Well, not if you don’t want to,” Brooke assured him, tapping out another message and hit send.

Brookie: (3:48 PM) there may not be photos

She stood and grabbed Rich’s hand, taking him to a store on the other side of the mall. Rich followed obediently, and when they entered, she gestured to wear the tuxes were, before turning to look at some dresses.

What she mentioned earlier registered finally. “Wait, you’re going to prom too?” he asked. She nodded with a “mmhm”. “With who?”

She looked back at him. “Well, nobody,” she replied.

He furrowed his brow. Brooke was a lovely girl, who wouldn’t want to go to prom with her?

“It’s what I wanted,” she said, reading the confused silence. Then she gasped at a thought and took out her phone again.

Brookie: (3:52 PM) bowties you guys would look cute in bowties

Mikey: (3:54 PM) well I do like looking cute

Rich snorted at Michael’s last comment. He shook his head and started looking through the clothes. He and Brooke were silent, mostly.

Brooke clapped excitedly when Rich picked out something that had actually fit him. It was a little difficult to, seeing as some of the suits weren’t rentals and rentals were all he could really afford. She quickly snapped a photo, but then looked back at him.

“Is it okay if I send this?” she asked.

Rich took a deep breath and nodded.

Brookie: (4:23 PM) img_1281

Mikey: (4:25 PM) !!

Brookie: (4:26 PM) ??

Rich: (4:27 PM) Why are you both talking with punctuation marks?

Brookie: (4:28 PM) talking?

Rich: (4:29 PM) You know what I mean.

Mikey: (4:31 PM) well I was saying you look good rich

Rich’s face got hot and he turned red, feeling flustered.

Brookie: (4:32 PM) omg he’s blushing

Rich: (4:34 PM) shut up Brookie.

Brookie: (4:35 PM) make me

Brookie: (4:36 PM) Richard

“Oh my god,” Rich muttered, and Brooke giggled.

Brooke picked out for herself a lovely little pink dress that had a lace bodice and a tiered tulle skirt. She had the money to buy it, while Rich made plans with the store to rent his tux.

Prom weekend arrived faster than expected. And Rich was a right mess the night before prom.

Chapter Text

Rich was sitting at the kitchen table, bouncing his leg as a result of restless energy. He had a bowl of cereal in front of him, but he was hardly eating, and the cereal was getting soggy. He wasn’t really paying much attention, though. Prom was in a few hours.

His brother sat across from him, with his own bowl of cereal, watching him in amusement. “You know, I didn’t think you were one for soggy cereal,” he commented dryly.

Rich blinked and looked down at his bowl of cereal. “Shit – sorry,” Rich said, apologizing for wasting food. “Sorry,” he said again, this time for swearing.

“It’s all good,” Thomas replied. “Prom night, huh?”

Rich nodded slowly. He started to chew on his fingernails but then made a face at the taste. Brooke had insisted the whole group that was going get manicures – which didn’t necessarily require any polish, but Rich had remembered that Michael had commented on an idea to reduce the anxious act. He’d gotten clear polish.

“Well, I have work tonight so I won’t be able to see you off, but I’m sure things will work out fine,” Thomas said, standing to put his bowl in the sink. Rich did the same, getting rid of the soggy cereal first so that it wouldn’t mess up the sink.

“I just… I really like him, you know?” Rich mumbled, covering his face with his hands and groaning when he heard Thomas laugh.

“I’m assuming he likes you back since he said yes to going to prom with you. Unless you asked to go as friends?”

“I specified,” Rich told him. “And – and he said that he likes me too, I’m just – I don’t think there’s even a reason to be nervous.”

“Well hey,” Thomas said with a slight shrug, “prom is usually viewed as a big thing. So it’s probably normal to be nervous. Just don’t be too nervous.”

Rich only nodded. Thomas pat his shoulder and left the kitchen to get ready for work. Rich decided to put his nervous energy into something productive and started washing the dishes. After that was done, he started sweeping the floor.

“Are you cleaning?” Thomas asked when he came back into the kitchen a little while later to grab an apple.

“I’m a stress cleaner, don’t judge,” Rich muttered.

“You used to clean all the time at dad’s,” Thomas mentioned. Rich gave him a look, and Thomas made a nod of understanding. “Well, have fun at prom, little brother. I’ll leave the key under the mat in case you get home before me.”

Rich waved, and his brother left. Rich finished sweeping and looked around for more to do.

When 5:45 rolled around Rich changed into his prom clothes and fidgeted as he waited.

Brooke had insisted that the group of them take a limo – and she paid. Rich wondered just how much money her family had, if she was able to afford a limo and her prom dress, not to mention other expenses that might happen during the night.

He thought it was cute that Brooke wanted to take care of everything.

When there was a knock on the door he hopped up off the couch and went to answer it. He followed Brooke to the limo after he locked the door. Jeremy and Christine were already there, so he smiled slightly and waved.

The vehicle rolled up to Michael’s house, and Rich started to hesitate, but at Brooke’s patient smile and gesturing, he stepped out of the car and walked up the driveway. He knocked on the door, fidgeting, raising a hand to his mouth before remembering the polish.

Michael’s Ina opened the door. “Hello Rich! Don’t you look nice,” she cooed.

Rich smiled slightly and was let in. Michael’s Ina called for Michael, and Michael ran in from the kitchen. Michael grinned when he saw Rich, and Rich felt the familiar butterflies in his stomach.

“Hey,” Rich managed, feeling a little breathless.

“Hey,” Michael said back. “You look good, Rich.”

Rich felt his face warm up again. “Y-you too,” he mumbled.

Michael’s moms wanted some pictures, so the boys complied, allowing them to fuss over them for a few minutes. Michael looked happy, so Rich couldn’t help but smile too.

“Curfew’s midnight tonight,” Michael’s Ma informed her son. “Try not to be too late, okay dear?”

Michael nodded, and he turned to Rich. He gestured towards the door with a “Shall we?” so Rich waved goodbye to Michael’s moms, and he followed Michael out the door. Rich tried biting his nails again.

He hesitantly leaned onto Michael’s shoulder when they sat, and Michael seemed to welcome that, so he smiled. The five teenagers started talking as the limo took them to the school. Rich felt very comfortable at Michael’s side. It was nice.

They stood in line to get in and Rich looked around. He recognized some students. He saw Jake and Chloe, further down the line. Behind his group, there was Jenna. He hummed, curious. He wondered what she was doing alone.

Soon they were inside the gym. It was dark, and there was music and a food table nearby. There were others dancing and people, surprisingly, seemed like they were having a good time. Rich smiled slightly and looped his arm through Michael’s.

He let his hand slide down Michael’s arm and tried grabbing his hand – they’d started holding hands recently, and it always pleased Rich. His hand missed a few times, he frowned not-too-seriously and looked at Michael. Michael stuck his tongue out playfully.

“Don’t be a dick, hold my hand,” Rich said, and Michael laughed. Rich liked his laugh. Michael stopped moving his hand, so Rich successfully grabbed onto it.

They watched others on the dance floor for a bit. Brooke quickly made her way to the middle, and she looked like she was having a good time. Rich was glad. Christine, after a few minutes of standing near the snack table, pulled Jeremy with her as she made her way there as well. Jeremy was laughing and smiling.

Rich sighed softly, but not unhappily. He was content.

Michael glanced at him. “You good?” he asked.

Rich hummed in thought. A lot had changed in the past year. And he wasn’t sure where he’d be if he had never properly met Michael. “I’m better when I’m with you,” he admitted. Maybe it was cheesy, but Rich was feeling cheesy. Happy.

Michael blinked once. Twice. “Rich, that’s…” Michael started to laugh. “That’s really gay.”

Rich only grinned.

Chapter Text

BMR notes

- I didn't even know of the expensive headphones ship until I stumbled upon an animatic and I was like oh this is cute

- upon some research I discovered one of the Joes said he thinks Rich would ask Michael to prom

- I was pretty irritated at some uhh sort of pushy youtube comments on the animatic so I was like you know what I'll write something myself

- I've also discovered that expensive headphones has less than 200 fics? like what?

- I think that's also a partial reason I started this

- part spite, part contribution, just how I like it

- originally planned to have 9 chapters

- also planned to be rich-centric so at least that stayed

- i also made a lot of the tags before even writing the story

ch 1

- Michael was moved to room 112, since I started writing the fic Feb. 11th (2/11 or 11/02)

- It's not really made clear how Rich knew he needed Red so I took the idea into my own hands

- Gay Michael Mell is canon I swear (in my verse, at least)

- since Jeremy never drank the Red, we didn't have that scene that was in the end where Rich was all oh wow i'm bi so I added the line here

ch 2

- 'how's it hanging' is something I took from the beginning of the musical, when Michael and Jeremy were at lunch. I wanted to try to keep the general idea of how Michael spoke

- Mikey as a contact name was probably really uncreative tbh

- I rarely headcanon Jeremy as bi or pan as a lot of people do (which is why he's 'straight' here), and I usually don't make it that Michael's in love with him, but here we are.

- I tried to put variety in their texting and make their texting habits a little distinct so Michael is more of those don't really care texters but Rich is one of those uhh i do care about how i type guys.

- Rich hasn't really made decisions for himself in years because he's had the SQUIP, and as canon, Rich has an alcoholic father.

- "it's how you were feeling at the time" is something i've actually said and would like to extend to the person who i first said it to and anyone who has had feelings of like, self-doubt and similar feelings.

ch 3

- I imagine Rich would feel at least some sort of guilt for convincing Jeremy to get a SQUIP

- Rich's first class of the day is math, Michael's is a free period

- I think I actually started planning out everyone's schedules around the time of this chapter

- slushies

- at first I had Michael wear his hoodie during PE because of scars, but trans Michael

- also finger guns is such a Michael Mell thing to do

- Jenna Rolan and Jake Dillinger as partners for English was a shout out to the ship that I believe is called "sporty rolos"?

- "are you high" "not high enough" was from a prompt

- Squipped Brooke

- I feel like Michael would have some sorts of routines and yes Tuesday is a blue day don't you feel it?

ch 4

- the mandela affect can be hella fun to think about, and I had been looking at it before typing that scene

- the Thanksgiving thing was sort of a personal thing because I swear to you I remember it being different when I was a kid

- the first time i got high was from a contact high

- I also did indeed eat peanut butter afterwards

- "kinky" is a shout out to DEH

- I like to think Michael would love conspiracies

ch 5 

- i project a lot onto Rich so him not being able to handle the beginning is very much a mood

- i mispelled something during one of Rich's texts and just left it because people mispell stuff in texts all the time

- if it wasn't obvious Rich doesn't like being called 'Richie' because that's what his dad calls him

- the hoodie is more trans Michael stuff

- far as I know Michael didn't have a rainbow bracelet in canon but I gave him one because he's like really gay okay

- i had some speech problems as a kid that made me not want to talk much, so yay more projecting

ch 6

- Michael having two moms is a common headcanon

- 'not quite used to eating a pleasant breakfast' what a mood

- 'ina' means mother in tagalong according to my research and there’s a filipino headcanon somewhere 

- Rich taking drama was a shout out to me going to drama club in middle school and the fact that he wants to be cool but drama isn't exactly viewed as such (since what he said when Jeremy signed up in canon)

- Rich taking French was a shout out to the part in Be More Chill pt 1 where Jeremy says about Madeline 'she's fre-e-e-ench'

- Rich considering mythology was a shout out to my best friend

- red stripe in Rich's hair is a common headcanon taken from the book, but I like to think he got it after the events of the musical

- "why is it suddenly purple??" was a prompt that was originally going to be about a science project

ch 7

- more projecting on Rich and not being able to handle confrontation, whoops

- Mikey is rightfully worried about his friend

- the I miss yous had to be my favorite thing of that chapter

- Brooke, by now, is done with her Squip's shit and is taking matters into her own hands. You go, Brooke.

- Brooke saying "you were always a good friend" is a shout out to both their interactions during play rehearsal and the Rich/Brooke ship, which, btw, only has three fics last I checked? what?? What a rarepair 

- 'she is among the living' - 'i am among the living' is something I say when I've overslept

- Jeremy's SQUIP did a connection thingie at The Play, so his SQUIP deactivated as well, and since he'd had it the longest of those at The Play, I'd assume it would affect him more

ch 8

- Rich guilttt

- I imagine after being told what to do for so long and so abusively, someone would be a little lost

- 'last time you said that i strongly disagreed with you' is a reference to the last chapter (7)

- it's very easy to fall into the feeling of 'it's all my fault' and I'd assume Rich has some self-esteem issues as well

- notice how Jeremy is 'Jeremy Heere' in Rich's phone while 'Mikey' and 'Brookie' are more of nicknames. It's a little subtle way to show how he felt about Jeremy.

- yes Richard Cory is still one of my favorite English class poems

- a common headcanon is that Michael has a pride patch on his sweater even if it was not in the original - i think it was in the exit 82 version?

- wow what a way to come out to your alcoholic father buddy

ch 9

- i figure it would take Michael a while to get around to changing his voicemail, and since Jeremy's last name is 'Heere', past Michael and Jeremy would find it funny for Michael to say 'I'm not here right now'

- some form of disassociation went on with Rich

- Rich is once again downplaying the abuse he receives at home but mood

- I like to think Michael has different playlists for different situations

- "Rich, my guy, I gotta go to school so you gotta let go" was my favorite line in the chapter

- Michael's biodad is a piece of shit that is all

- it was incredibly therapeutic for Michael to cuss at Damien and for Michael's mom to be supportive of her son

- i too would probably punch something in an upset-angry fit.

ch 10

- Rich having a mini first aid kit "when he realized his dad most likely wasn't going to help him if he accidentally got hurt" hurt my heart.

- this is more of a filler chapter, I kind of wanted to develop stuff

- as shown, Damien's real queerphobic - however, Michael's Ina isn't a lesbian nor was she 'converted'; she's bi.

- quietly supportive Rich worrying that he might be transphobic 

ch 11

- look at Rich's attitude yo 

- it's canon that Rich has an older brother, but it's not mentioned of age, so I made that up.

- i felt like Rich and Jeremy coming to an understanding was important

- it actually took me a few weeks to understand just how messed up the SQUIP was to Jeremy and stop being mad at him, but now I love him as much as the other characters

- i'm assuming SQUIPs are similar in how they treat their users, how else do they get them to listen?

- this conversation was written before I discovered that one of the Joes saying Rich's SQUIP was evil Kermit was more of a joke so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

- also Chris Hemsworth. that is all.

- Jeremy is now just Jeremy in Rich's phone since they've come to an understanding and Rich isn't as annoyed with him

ch 12

- i would imagine that even if Jeremy did take the Red at the play,, his and Michael's friendship would have suffered at least a little

- Jeremy still likes Christine, yep, but at least it isn't as obsessive.

- look at that disappointment on Michael's face - don't worry my dude, it's you

- I didn't even notice the 'that's real rich coming from you' accidental pun at first

- nervous biting nails is something I decided on the fly

- i have also legit heard of the nail polish idea, just don't remember where

- look at Jeremy knowing stuff

- i think it's really telling of how far their friendship has come that Rich goes to Jeremy for help

- "how long have you been standing there?" was a prompt

ch 13

- I had to rewrite this whole chapter, it was pretty bad

- i too cover my face when excited - well actually i just move my hands about

- i had to ask my facebook group for help

- i figure the SQUIP would still have some effects

- there is no canon name for Rich's brother, but I saw the name 'Thomas' once for it, so it stuck

- pretzels are a thing I will always try to get whenever I'm at a mall

- Thomas is aroace, hence the "i hear [they] can be difficult"

- Mean Girls because why not, I thought this section was funny

- the Rich Brooke Michael group chat is something I kept from the scrapped chapter

- I have some words concerning a Brooke ship that I won't say because it's not very relevant, but I liked the idea of Brooke being more independent since she'd escaped the SQUIP's grasp

- bow ties are cool

- i actually spent like. a few hours trying to find a dress for Brooke, not even bothering finding a tux for the boys.

ch 14

- last chapter yo

- i had to ask my facebook group what prom even was because i'd never been

- Rich still feels bad for needing a roof over his head and food from his brother so he tries not to be wasteful

- supportive brother Thomas ftw

- when Rich said 'i don't think there's even a reason to be nervous' I realized - why is prom a thing anyway?

- after the play I figured Jenna would sort of stop hanging with the populars because of what she'd said before she was Squipped

- supportive Mell moms ftw

- "don't be a dick, hold my hand" was a prompt that I thought would be funny and cute

- this chapter was shorter than planned, i actually was going to have the prom happen, and then they'd go to denny's, and then they go home, and Rich would sleep over at Michael's for some reason??

- "i'm better when I'm with you" was a prompt

- the last couple of lines were planned from the start - i knew by the second chapter that it would end with "Rich that's gay".