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He doesn't know where he's going, doesn't particularly care, to be completely honest, desperate to be anywhere but that stuffy house.
One... two... three... four... five... six!
His body is numb, and knocking on the door proves to further the sinking in his gut. He feels too breakable out here, too in the open, like his flaws are the only thing visible of him.
"Coming!" Jeremy hears from inside, muffled by wood, and he feels himself deflate a little more.
The door swings open to a woman, one of Michael's moms. She doesn't look too surprised at first, but he does clock the moment her tan face softens. She steps to the side for him. He pushes past her, stopping when she speaks again.
"Michael's down in the basement, why don't you go down and I'll bring you some hot chocolate, huh?" Her voice is soft, caring, her eyes light with worry, and Jeremy can't help feeling more like he doesn't belong here, like an imposter, a stain. "Between you and me, I think he needs this, too."
His eyebrows draw together, but he nods anyway, smoothing them out. He does seem to listen to me for some reason. "Y-Yeah, ok-okay." He winces, his stutter obviously showing his stress level. He walks forward and stops in front of the basement door, taking a breath, his ears ringing with what he now knows. He opens the door, immediately getting hit with noise. Without looking as he goes down the stairs, he knows Michael is playing Legend of Zelda, the new copy his dad bought him to celebrate his first year on T. Jeremy's voice catches in his throat, so he just collapses on the beanbag next to his best friend.
"Diyos ko!*" Michael shouts, jumping in surprise as Jeremy lands face-down. Then he pauses the game, frowning as he turns to Jeremy, though his expression immediately changes upon seeing the other. "Jere? What are you doing here? Are you okay?"
Jeremy's voice comes out muffled as he replies, "Your mom said she'd bring hot chocolate, and I think I'm broken." He tenses when a hand lands on his back.
"Why do you think that?" he sounds curious, and Jeremy... feels seconds from bursting into tears.
"My mom yelled at me that everything was my fault yesterday, and now she's gone ."
Silence stretches between them, and it has Jeremy moving to sit up in the beanbag, shoulders turned in so he looks smaller. He glances at Michael, who looks stunned, then buries his face in his hands.
"Jere- Jeremy-" He can tell Michael is struggling. "You know I never liked her, but I can definitely say she's wrong ."
His eyes sting in the air from tears, but he finds himself sobbing out, "S-She's fucking right ! I-I'm so s-stupid, I don't g-get things other p-people do and I c-couldn't -" His voice breaks. “I was n-never a g-good enough son.”
Michael moves so they’re shoulder to shoulder, heat pressing into Jeremy’s side. “Okay, first of all, fuck her, you’re plenty enough, and if she can’t see it, then it’s her fault.” His hands move as he speaks, and Jeremy finds himself focusing on the movement to calm down. Jeremy opens his mouth, but Michael is already continuing with, “ And second, high school doesn’t mean shit because we have college, and I heard it’s better for people like us! It won’t always last forever.”
Jeremy sniffs, bringing a sleeve to wipe at his nose, his eyes already puffy and red. “Y-Yeah, but how d-does that help n-now?” he asks, hesitant.
Michael shrugs, smiles, and puts his hand on Jeremy’s knee. “As long as us losers stick together, we’ll be cooler in college.”
Jeremy couldn’t stop his lips tilting up if he tried. “C-Cooler in c-college…”
He places his hand on Michael’s, eyes staying glued to both their hands.