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This was it. The play. In front of the school. That wasn’t the main worry here though; it was the squips. They had been in the mountain dew and everyone from the cast had taken a sip from it so far. He was doomed. Surrounded by a squip-controlled cast.
The only one there that wasn’t squipped was Michael.
He wasn’t even a part of the cast. He had been in the audience when he realised that this was too good for the school play and that they must’ve been controlled. He had entered the stage a few minutes ago with a precious bottle of mountain dew red in his grasp. All he wanted in exchange wasn’t something that would be to difficult to obtain yet was in those circumstances; an apology.
This would’ve been easy enough if he wasn’t in the grasps of a squip, choosing his every move. He was able to get a few words of an explanation and the words ‘I’m sorry’ through before the squip stopping him in his tracks.
Michael accepted the apology for what it was in the time-being. He just now needed to have Jeremy drink the mountain dew red without the Jeremy’s squip interfering. He asked the first person that passed by on stage, Jake, to hold Jeremy down while he had him drink the mountain dew red. This was until.
‘Up, up, down, down, left, right, A’
And Jake’s squip was activated too. The mountain dew red bottle had been drained down the sink beside him.
They were both on the floor now, people with a squip controlling them surrounding them both, passing by. How could they be defeated?
“Michael, the bottle. There’s still a few drops left.”
“How are we supposed to get past them?”
“Apocalypse of the damned, level nine-“
“-the cafetorium” Michael joined in unison on the end.
“Got it!”
They began to fight as they had done in their video game time and time again. This time with higher stakes yet couldn’t be declined. If they didn’t win this, it could be the end of life as they all know it. Controllment by supercomputers in their brains that wouldn’t let them make a single decision themselves.
Jeremy was thankful to have Michael with him again. After everything he pulled, a sorry was alright to help him out of his own mistake. Something Michael had stated was a terrible idea and attempted to stop him from multiple times. He still helped him out of it all? It made no sense.
They’d been close for around 12 years, yes. But this had been a lot to forgive. Especially through what Jeremy could barely say at the time. He barely spoke a sorry. Yet he helped?
Jeremy was extremely grateful for this, even if he couldn’t say it past the squip barrier. It wasn’t even just that he was thankful for. He was thankful for the all the times he covered for him, the times he’d pick up another slushie for Jeremy at the seven eleven during lunch, all the times they’d hung out in and out of school, the times they’d just sit and playing games and just talking, especially now when he was in the mud for creating this mess and yet he still helped him and so much more.
He was the best friend anyone could have. What was there about Michael not to like? He was perfect from outside to inside. He was really funny, he was really kind, his laugh could lighten up the room for crying out loud, the way be adjusted his glasses when he was talking about something he was interested in, the-
Huh, what was he on about? I mean, Michael was great but he didn’t need to make a list, right? I mean, everyone who was close to Michael knew this. Even if that was just his mothers and Jeremy. But if others got to knew him, they would see the exact same. That’s what Jeremy knew for sure at least.
Michael had ended up with the bottle again. This time with not much left in it besides the ever few drops that could change the whole world possibly.
“I know what you’re doing Michael. I know what everyone’s doing. All the time.”
The squips really had controlled all of that cast. He couldn’t get away from a single person on that stage and they all wanted to get that bottle. That mountain dew red.
“I just feel so connected to you guys right now” the squips controlled the vocals in unison.
The squips advanced into a circle around michael; enclosing him in the confined space.
“Michael!”
“Jeremy, catch!”
The bottle that had the last remains of the mountain dew red was thrown across the stage.
“You don’t want to drink that Jeremy.”
“Why not?!”
A glass broke across the floor.
It was the infested green mountain dew. The one to activate the squips. The one that had the squips in. The one that infected the whole cast.
Michael had his hand over his mouth, covering the green mountain dew that had fell from it. Someone must’ve forced him to drink it in the crowd.
Jeremy stood there, shocked. What had just happened. That wasn’t even a question, that was a statement. Was he okay?
“Michael?! Don’t listen to the squips! You can get through this!” He tried to shout past the crowd surrounding Michael.
“Jeremy. I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
“What?!”
“The squips just want to do what’s best for everyone. There will be no more such things as losers, we can all fit in. We can all be who we want to. Survival of the fittest no longer exists with technology, but we aren’t losers.”
“Michael? Snap out of it! It’s the squip controlling you!” He started shaking his shoulders, his breathing quickening in worry. “The Michael I know wouldn’t say this.”
“The Michael you know? Jeremy, it’s me. I was wrong to argue with you. You were right. You always were.”
This wasn’t him. Not because he wouldn’t admit if he was wrong but because he actually believed in the squips being for the best, it even being good. He knew Michael; this wasn’t him.
He was distraught at this. This had hit him right at the heart. Michael, who was the only one to oblige and try to stop this form happening. The only one who searched this all up. The only one who had noticed him seeming different. He was gone.
This had hit harder than seeing anyone in the cast, including Christine, be squipped.
Why?
Michael had been friends with him for years now but this was somewhat different.
He looked in the eyes of his soulless best friend in front of him. The realisation hit like a tonne of bricks. Yet, the squip had come to the conclusion first.
“Jeremy, I have to tell you something.” Michael spoke, yet not actually him.
“Michael.” Jeremy stood with hollow sorrow in his eyes. This is not what it should’ve come to. He had done this. It was his fault.
“I’ve been meaning to say this but found it difficult because I was afraid.”
Don’t say it. Don’t say it.
“I love you. I always have. All those times were gone to the arcade, the nights we stayed up talking a laughing, the times-“
He almost broke at this. He was reminiscing over the times as the squip that was controlling him spoke of those memories. Those fond memories, but this wasn’t the same person in front of him. It was a lifeless body being told what to do by a supercomputer.
He knew what was best to do now. Hopefully the squips wouldn’t see it coming.
“I love you too.” Jeremy tried to fake a smile for the squips sake even though the situation had him near to breaking.
He pretended to slowly move closer as he did while unscrewing the mountain dew red bottle cap whilst the squips were distracted.
He paused right in front of him as he lifted the bottle, “Drink this.”
The bottle was finally back in Michael’s hands as he took a sip of it.
He could hear lots of screams of agony from across the stage before the sharp pain hit his head too, causing the same response. The squips were disappearing. Gone.
(Battle of the damned, level 9, complete.)