——Y/n (Your) POV!——

"So, any plans for the new year?" Micheal asked as he bit down on his sandwich.

"Nothing specifically." I shrugged.

"I kinda wanna gain some amount of popularity and not have to be at the bottom of the food chain..." Jeremy answered. Micheal and I chuckled at Jeremy's response.

Micheal put his arm on Jeremy's shoulder. "Trust me, man, you're already so cool! Just, no one has noticed it yet," He answered. "Besides me and (Y/n), of course!" Micheal quickly added.

Jeremy glanced back down at the food he was eating. "Yeah, I suppose." He said. Jeremy was smiling, but it was faint, and I could tell that his popularity goal still remained.

Micheal, Jeremy, and I were sitting outside on the bleachers during lunchtime, we weren't exactly supposed to be out here, but we were desperate to get out of the cafeteria. Why? Because the popular kids would constantly harass and tease us, so much so that we just had to get out of that hellish place.

Micheal and Jeremy have been my best friends since freshman year. They have always been here for me, and I've always been there for them. We actually met because our lockers are right next to each other, and bonded over our mutual love for video games and musicals.

Actually, one of the real reasons they're my best friends is because they actually listen to me and my problems... They care about what I think or how I feel... And they've seen my cuts on my arms and legs. They worry and care for me a lot more than anyone else ever had. They've even prevented my multiple suicide attempts, I get that this took a dark turn, but it's because it's true...

"Anyway," Micheal said, interrupting my train of thought. "After school, do you guys want to go the Sev-Elev?" He asked.

I lightly chuckled at his request. "Mikie, is that even a question?" I answered with an arched brow. "You and I both know that we need to go there to-"

"FREEZE YOUR BRAAAAAAAIIIIIN~." Micheal and I sang.

"Heh, Suck on that straw, get lost in the pain!" Jeremy chuckled as he continued the lyrics.

"Happiness comes, when everything numbs," Micheal sang while pointing at his temples.

"Who needs cocaine?" I finished as I wiggled my eyebrows intensely at my two idiots.

Micheal laughed. "I love you guys so much." He explained.

I pushed his shoulder. "Aw- mE tOo sIS!"

Jeremy opened his mouth to say something but he was abruptly cut off by the sound of the bell. "Crap, we need to get inside!" Jeremy stressed.

Micheal rolled his eyes as he helped me and Jeremy up off the bleachers. "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry... You worry too much. Come on, the side door is always unlocked." He said, trying to calm Jeremy.

Jeremy nodded and we ran to the door that was off the side of the building, just as Micheal said, it was indeed unlocked. The three of us rushed towards our lockers. I shoved my World History book into the locker and grabbed my Spanish binder. "Ready to go Jer?" I asked. Jeremy takes Spanish along with me while Micheal takes french.

Jeremy nodded and we said our goodbyes to Micheal. Jeremy and I walked towards our Spanish classroom, but Jeremy stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Jer?" I asked.

"S-Sorry, I have to use the bathroom..." He nervously chuckled.

"Oh okay, I guess I'll come with," I said as we changed our destination. (Let's pretend there are gender-neutral bathrooms in the school) Jeremy and I walked into the bathroom, but we stopped as soon as we saw Rich using the urinal.

Rich turned his head to see Jeremy and I. "Hey tall ass," He said nodding at Jeremy. "Shorter ass." He smirked at me.

Jeremy furrowed his brow in annoyance, "Why do you call me that? I'm not even that tall..." Jeremy said, his voice was laced with nervousness.

Rich rolled his eyes. "Whatever nerd-" Suddenly, Rich jumped, as if he was shocked or something. (Foreshadowing, don't we all love it ;)? ) Rich then just stood there awkwardly, he kept glancing between Jeremy and me.

Jeremy looked at me and slowly started to turn around. "Okay, I just remembered that I don't actually have to pee." He said, trying to walk away from this situation.

"WAIT, HOLD ON!" Rich's voice called to us. We turned back as Rich was zipping up his fly, he wiped his hands on his pants and approached me and Jeremy. "You don't remember me freshman year do you?" He asked.

I glanced at Jeremy, he looked confused. "What are you talking about? You didn't go here freshman year-"

"AH-AH- YES I DID!" Rich cut me off by his loud yelling. "You guys just didn't notice... Nobody did..." Rich said some disappointment lingered in his voice. "Freshman year! I didn't have a girlfriend or a clue, I was a loser, just like you two, good times would only... soar by."

"What is happening?-" I tried to ask.

"I was gross. As every female would attest, my sexting was a futile quest, my little penis was depressed- He was so lonely!" He rolled his eyes. "Poor guy."

"I don't think I really want to hear about your dick problems-" I once again tried to intervene.

"I was hopeless, hopeless, I was- helpless! Helpless!" He sung, quoted Hamilton. "Every time I'd walk the halls, I would trip! I was- stagnant and idle- I was- SO suicidal!"

I felt a little bad for Rich that he was a depressed kid as well, but that feeling only lingered for a second or two because now he makes people feel that way by choice nowadays.

"And Then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then, then- I got a Squip!" He finally spat out.

"You got 'quick'?" Jeremy asked.

"Not 'quick'," Rich did air quotes. "Squip!"

"Sorry, we've just never heard of it before," I admitted.

"Yeah! That's the point! This is some top-secret, can't-even-look-it-up-on-the-internet, shit!" He backed away from Jeremy and I face for a moment before continuing, with a lower voice this time. "It's from Japan. It's a gray, oblong pill. Quantum, nanotechnology CPU... The quantum computer in the pill will travel through your blood until it implants in your brain and it tells you what to do." Rich walked back up to me a placed his hands on my shoulders and creepily stared at me as if he was a robot.

"Uh, Rich?" I quietly tried to get his attention.

"So it's like... drugs?" Jeremy hesitantly asked.

Rich chuckled at Jeremy's question. "It's better than drugs Jeremy..."

"Wait- What-"

"ITS FROM JAPAAAAAAAAN!" Rich yelled like a rockstar. IT'S A GRAY, OBLONG PILL. QUANTUM NANOTECHNOLOGY CPU, THE QUANTUM COMPUTER IN THE PILL, WILL TRAVEL THROUGH YOUR BLOOD UNTIL IT IMPLANTS JN YOUR BRAIN AND IT TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO!!!" Rich slowly calmed down. "It tells you what to do!"

I tilted my head a bit. "Are you sure you're okay?-" I attempted to ask again, but Rich just continued his rant.

"It's preprogrammed, it's amazing, speaks to you directly..." he said, it sounded as if he was being fed these words... "you'll behave as- it's appraising- Helps you act correctly..." Rich noticed that he was holding onto me, and so he let go, but he still started at Jeremy and me in a robotic way. "Helps you to be cool... it helps you rule!"

"This Squip thing sounds, kinda... cool..." I heard Jeremy mumble to himself.

"Picture this! Nobody cares if you are late, cause even teachers think you're great, your weekend's just a full-on slate, of blowout benders, of teenage rockstar splendor!"

I thought about it for a moment, yes, it would be cool to have all of that stuff, but, I think I'm alright at the moment with just Micheal and Jeremy.

"Right now you're helpless- helpless!" Don't remind me... "you are, almost hopeless! On the school social map, you're just a blip! But if you take my advice, and you pay the listing price! Well, then you go from sad, to interesting, to hip, yeah, and your whole life a flip! When you buy a Squip!" Rich explained.

Jeremy's eyes lit up and he struck up a conversation with Rich on how to get a Squip and where, but I didn't listen. I was too deep in thought to pay attention to what they were saying.

So, if this Squip thing is in my brain, and can talk to me directly, then could that mean that I could have someone who I could always vent to? Someone who will always be here? Someone who will stop me from cutting...?

"Hey, (Y/n), we should probably get going to Spanish, we only have like, 5 more minutes then to get to class..." Jeremy requested.

I was about to nod at Jeremy and walk out with him, but I was stopped by Rich. "Actually, I'd like to have a personal conversation with her, so you can scram," Richard replied for me.

Jeremy fidgeted with the lining of his shirt. "I-uh-okay, I'll see you in Spanish (Y/n)..." Jeremy answered as he turned on his heel to leave the bathroom.

When Richard heard the door click shut, he turned to me and held out a small box that was in his pocket.

"W-What is that?" I asked, pointing at the box.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Rich answered with a very confident tone. I sighed and opened the box.

"A pill- Wait, that's a Squip isn't it?" I asked.

Richard nodded at me. "Yes, it is." Rich help the box out for me to take it.

"Why in the world would you just give one to me? For free?" I cautiously asked.

Rich glanced behind me for a second. "My Squip told me to get one to give one of you guys, I'm picking you because I don't necessarily like Jeremy all that much," Rich explained.

"Okay, but I could have just gotten one myself, why are you giving me it?" I asked once again.

Rich groaned in annoyance. "Listen," Rich paused for a moment, probably to hear what his Squip was telling him. "My Squip says that it's a newer model and that my dealer for them doesn't have any of this kind." He said.

I hesitantly nodded and took the box from Rich. "Okay..." I finally said I was about to leave but Rich stopped me once again.

"Before you leave, the way you activate it is to drink regular green Mountain Dew, I'm not sure why, but you have to do it." He said. I smiled and nodded at Rich once more and left.

That was weird...

...

But,

Does it actually work...?

A/N
—————

WHOOOOOO! The first chapter is done! How did I do? ^3^

I've just totally fallen in love with Be More Chill, it's by FAR my new favorite musical!

Also, do you guys like the cover? Idk why, but the Squip is oddly difficult for me to draw: