Chapter Text
Jeremy Heere had never been to a proper high school party before, one that involved drinking, and music, and really anything besides playing video games into the wee hours of the morning with a discarded mask around your neck.
When Jake had handed him a handmade flier predominantly consisting of the word “HALLOWEEN” the previous Wednesday, he'd felt excited and exuberant, sure this was the night he was finally going to live out a high school movie. But now, on Jake's doorstep, he suddenly felt a lot more nervous. What if he couldn't get with the groove? What if he embarrassed Brooke? What if he got laughed out by Chris-
Reactivate, he thought, and immediately his Squip appeared besides him.
Jeremiah, I was under the impression you were equipped to handle social interactions in a casual setting, he scoffed, leaning against the wall and tilting his chin up with a smirk. But if you really need me I will make myself useful.
Mockery straight from the get-go? So that's how he was playing tonight. If he was capable of feelings, the computer loved to tease his host. Jeremy liked to think of it as a form of affection. Of course, being the only crowd for the Squip’s continuous sardonic stand-up routine could get irritating, but all the same it was sorta nice to have someone who acknowledged everything he did, good or bad. It made him feel a little less alone.
Reassured by the ghostly presence at his side, he inhaled deeply and let himself in.
His first thought was that the music was louder than anything he'd anticipated. The second was surprise at the mass of teens crowding every room, huddled around couches or tables lined with drinks. Wow, I didn't think Jake had this many friends.
He doesn't, his Squip informed him. They're here for the fun, and the free alcohol. Teenagers are remarkably self-centered. What they want, and what you want, is a good time.
Oh. When he was a social outcast, he'd assumed that he was being shunned by a collective group. Maybe there were plenty of other losers who'd been better at getting invited places. All the same, he'd feel weird having people whom he didn't know at his house.
Brooke appeared, darting through the crowd to hug Jeremy. “I thought you weren't coming! Did you see my messages?”
He had. And he'd certainly felt guilty ignoring them. But the Squip had said he needed to ‘build anticipation’, so human decency went flying out the window.
“Am I late? I didn't even notice.”
Nodding a little anxiously, she took a step back to display her costume. “What do you think?” she purred, somewhat ironically, because for some godforsaken reason, Brooke has chosen to dress as a pink poodle.
Jeremy was dumbstruck. Did this happen sometimes? He'd assumed she would choose a career-themed outfit, or a cat or something. He was not prepared for a sexy dog. Thinking those words made his skin crawl a little as childhood memories of his pet golden retriever surfaced. What on earth was he supposed to say? Was this one of those trap situations where- Vague compliment , the Squip commanded, looking bored, as if he whatever was going on was not worthy of his time.
“It's original -I mean amazing,” he added hurriedly, seeing the smile on her face start to slip. “Seriously, I can't believe I'm with a girl who looks like you .”
The last words slipped out under the Squip’s impulse. Why did he want Jeremy to be so rude to Brooke tonight? She was technically his girlfriend, after all. Daily, he went through the trouble of being socially acceptable with her, and now it was time to chuck that down the drain?
Your relationship with her is running close to its term. She has proven useful, now you'll need to start letting her down.
Right . As much as he thought Brooke was a perfectly nice person, besides friendship, he didn't feel a thing for her. He wondered what the next target would be in his quest for Christine.
“You need a drink,” she declared, and took his hand to lead him through the house.
Almost everyone they passed was holding a large red cup. People were talking more animatedly, laughing a touch too loud. They stood up on chairs and bounced to the beat echoing from loudspeakers. A group of girls squealed loudly from the kitchen.
Good, the Squip mused, as Brooke led them downstairs. You've got some time before the peak .
The peak? How wild was this going to get?
Oh, you'll see , he chuckled.
“Chloe! See, he's here!” Brooke yelled, waving to her friend, trying to catch her attention. Rich and Chloe were perched atop what appeared to be the bar countertop as Jake mixed drinks. The room wasn't quite as full as the others, and apparently had its own source of alcohol. Jeremy had made it to the popular kids’ lounge.
“Jeremy! So cool you could make it, nice costume!”
“Thanks for the invite! And nice costume yourself.”
Jake grinned. “So, what do you wanna drink?”
Oh god. Jeremy's mind went blank. What could he say without giving away his total ignorance of parties? He'd never even been drunk before.
Thankfully, the Squip took over. “What do we have, mister bartender sir?”
Chloe giggled. “Yeah, Jake, stop messing around with the sodas and shake me a cocktail.” Something in her manner suggested to Jeremy that the drink she was waiting for wouldn't be her first.
“C’mon guys, it's Halloween, none of us are gonna remember what we drank anyway, let's start the fun!” Jake pleaded.
Rich turned over to Jeremy and smirked. He asked his squip to pass on a message to you through me, Jeremy heard. “Beg him for one and you'll see Jake can't make cocktails for shit, he just likes showing off.” It appears Rich has warmed up to you.
Can't you project a form? It's weird to only hear a voice. Also, since when can I speak telepathically to Rich, too?
You’re not speaking to him, I'm speaking to his squip, it's very different. And- I think I would distract you at the moment. This is a make-or-break part of the night. You need to cement yourself as part of the group, and you won't achieve that while making eye contact with thin air.
“So, shots?” Brooke asked excitedly.
“Whoa, remember last time?” Jake laughed, and she blushed.
“What happened last time?” Jeremy questioned, taking one of the stools as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“She did a few shots and fell off the porch. She was like, sprawled out on the lawn. It was the funniest shit you've ever seen. She was so wasted she didn't even register it and kept screeching along to the music for a solid two minutes. Of course, she didn't know any of the words so it sounded like a preschooler’s poetry recital. Chloe had to throw her drink on her to get any reaction at all.”
“Which is why Brookie is not doing shots,” Chloe finished. “Not several at once, anyway. Hey, I know!” she exclaimed as Rich opened his mouth and then closed it. “Let's play a game! That way she can't black out and everyone has to spill their secrets. Jake, show me what you've got.”
He turned around and began to rummage through shelves.
“Chlo, which one do you wanna play?” asked Rich. It may have just been Jeremy's imagination, but his voice sounded a little nervous.
What are drinking games like? thought Jeremy.
Someone asks questions, and depending on your answer you have to drink. It's hard to pinpoint a specific formula. Kids like them because the truth creates problems, and that's entertaining. It's the perfect occasion to reinvent yourself. With the mindset, you can get a lot out of the supposed truth.
Jeremy wondered when he'd stopped caring about dishonesty. Maybe life really was as the Squip said, a game to play to your own favor.
“Remember the thing I made up back in April? With the lies and the truths and that helped Rich hook up with Carmen?”
“This again?” Jake teased. “Who are you trying to get with?”
“I wasn't thinking only of me , Jake,” Chloe said sweetly. “Isn't your little theatre friend supposed to show up? That gives us two newbies to make it interesting.”
“Look what I found!” Jake exclaimed too loudly, turning around with a tray. “Jello shots!”
The rest of the gang cheered. Jeremy felt his heart speed up. Christine was coming. She was coming for Jake, not him, and it pained him more than he cared to admit, but she would be there, nearby. Christine would sit down with him, play a truth game and they'd both get tipsy, and maybe ditch their dates to sit outside in the moonlight and then-
Focus, a stern voice reminded him. You've still got a ways to go .
All of his friends took two shots off the tray, one in each hand. Jeremy did the same.
“Crap, guys,” Rich said suddenly, hopping off the countertop and putting his shots back. “I told Madeleine I'd meet her twenty minutes ago. Drink now, game later?”
A chorus of boos called out in return, but Rich just winked and headed off.
“We can dance instead! Come on Jer, I wanna see what you've got!”
Jeremy smiled at Brooke’s enthusiasm. Chloe scoffed, miffed that nobody was sticking to her idea. She rolled her eyes, then suddenly took a shot, then another one. Blinking hard, she slammed her glasses on the bar and grinned.
“Let's do this! Come on, let's go!”
Brooke and Jake followed suit. Jeremy lifted the glass up to his mouth, thought fuck it , and swallowed.
Woah. It took all his self-control (and some of the Squip’s excellent reflexes) not to cough or gag. The drink slid down his throat like lightning, leaving burns down in its wake. Instantly, he felt something light rise to his brain and relaxed a little. The rush was like a gust of wind nipping at his skin, slightly painful but sort of pleasant. He guessed this was how the term ‘light-headed’ came about. So this was how people got drunk. He had to admit that so far, it was pretty alright.
Without any of his previous hesitation, he downed another, and shivered a little.
Brooke grabbed his arm. “Come on!”
Jake slid over the bar and the four of them rushed back upstairs, heading for the living room.
“There's Nothing Holding Me Back” was blaring. The party had really taken off since Jeremy’s arrival. A crowd a hundred strong had amassed in the living room, jumping and shimmying and screaming along to the music. The atmosphere was electric. The mob seemed to call out to Jeremy, inviting him to join in. Everywhere he looked, people laughed and cheered. I want to be a part of this. And for the first time ever, it didn't seem quite so impossible.
He slid his arm under Brooke’s, holding her shoulder blade, and pulled her away from Jake and Chloe so they could dance.
She was delighted and grabbed hold of his other hand. Together, they stepped, clapped, swayed and twirled. She was beaming at him eagerly, so he smiled back. The pounding of his heart fell into sync with the melodies as they fazed in and out. He felt euphoric, carefree, on top of the world. Everything outside of the dance floor vanished from his mind. Time didn't slow down, but it had kindly put itself out of sight so the suburban teenage population could bask in a beautiful void all night long. People latched onto Jeremy's arm and he joined them in their fun. He belted out song lyrics knowing he couldn't sing and didn't remember the words, enjoying the fact no one could hear him properly. He shouted jokes to strangers, and made up silly moves, and they all cheered back with him.
This was the most fun he'd had in ages. It all felt so natural, so ingrained, and everyone around him was having a blast, stumbling to the sound. He'd never felt this easygoing confidence before. He'd never been so universally liked either. He certainly regretted not being exposed to party life sooner.
He suddenly noticed the Squip standing a little ways off to the left, and wondered how long he'd been watching him.
He was still in the ocean of teenagers surrounding him, glowing softly with pale blue light. He looked surreal, like a ghost of an angel, untouched by the chaos around him. His eyes met Jeremy's with too much intensity and he felt himself blush a little. What train of thought was this wreck? Jeremy realized he could actively feel his buzz for the first time. It had been so intense he hadn’t even been aware of his mind, much less his inhibitions. What a ride. God, how long had he been dancing? His head felt a little heavy and his thoughts were slower than usual. Scanning the room quickly, he saw Jake with his arms in the air next to Christine, and Rich and Chloe on a sofa.
It just wasn't fair. Jeremy had been doing his best for the past few weeks, building up a social presence, learning to talk to girls, but to Christine he was still a nobody. He found he didn't want to party anymore. His spirits had descended along with the alcohol. There was no point in staying; he didn't even like the girl he was with.
Breaking away from the dance floor, he tugged Brooke over the others and fibbed about wanting to say hi to a friend. He marched off toward the hallway, and when he saw the Squip was behind him he darted into a bathroom and shut the door.
He hoped the Squip would start the conversation, but the man just gazed at him silently. What could he say? “I know I'm having the time of my life, but I'm really bummed out now”? Eventually, he settled on a muttered “are you ok” and turned away.
Me? You're at your first high school party and you're worrying about me? He grabbed Jeremy’s chin and tugged it back to face him.
Forced to stare into his electric-blue eyes, Jeremy preferred not to speak.
Your concern is noted. The first time you manage to dance with a girl, you run off to me. Do you not like Brooke?
“She's fine, I just don't feel that way about her..”
She'd be willing to do a lot more than dance tonight. What's wrong with her?
Jeremy’s bitterness burst through the dam he hadn’t even been aware of having built. “Yeah, well I spend so much time with her every single day trying to do whatever the hell you want out of this, and I realized it was all pointless because I barely even like her, and Christine still hasn't noticed me and everything just seemed like a waste and I wanted to get out, and seriously, is there something wrong with you?”
The Squip’s eyes were wide and far too focused. His hair was more tousled than usual and the tip of his nose had reddened a little during their conversation.
“Oh my god, are you drunk? Is that even possible?”
No, he said irritably. Not really. You are, and that can affect me through you, depending how I choose.
“‘How you choose’? There are options?”
Think of it like this: we share a linked bloodstream. There's still the same amount of alcohol there, it's just concentrated in your body or I can shift a bit to mine. This way, at least one of us keeps our wits.
“So you get drunk just like everyone else?”
That knowledge isn't available. However, we are likely to be affected more drastically than humans, and in different ways, obviously, because the majority of our nervous system is controlled, instead of automatic like yours.
“What you're saying is that you can get drunk, it just won't appear as drunk to me?”
Yes. Something of the sort. You were remarkably separated from reality for a while there. I materialized and you didn't even notice.
His tone was a little annoyed. “Um, sorry?” Jeremy mumbled.
Don't picture to yourself that I cared. I absorbed a sliver of your buzz and that's when things started to unravel. This is the teenage dream. Is it not what you hoped for?
Something softer and more vulnerable, more human, had slid over his features. His gaze asked have I failed you. Jeremy suddenly felt a little shy and didn't dare contradict him. His eyes flitted over the scene before him, unwilling to look the Squip in the eye again. He was very aware of the fingers brushing his throat.
Now, get out of here and back to your friends. If I didn't know better, with all these silences and the huddling in a small room with a party raging outside, I'd think you're waiting for me to make a move on you. He let go of Jeremy’s face and trailed his hand downward, pausing to play with his shirt collar and peering up at him with a sly twinkle in his eyes.
His host let out a flustered squeak. Of course not, what did the Squip think he was talking about? How ridiculous. It was just typical of him, another sarcastic comment to get him back on track, his mind had wandered far away from where it should have been, although really, he expected to be more repulsed by the idea...
No, he told himself firmly. That would be the alcohol talking.
Then it's settled, the voice in his head concluded. Go. Chloe wants to start her game, and you want to be on her good side tonight.
And with that, Jeremy unlocked the door and exited.