I couldn't even get like— more than two paragraphs into the "original" 'Michael in the Bathroom' chapter that I wrote without cringing-

Okay so that chapter was written about 3 years ago! So um...
Here's a rewrite that I've promised for awhile!

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REWRITE

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Michael met Jeremy's gaze steadily, though truthfully, he felt anything but steady.

Jeremy did just the same, but almost colder, "I think, that you're just pissed that I have one and you don't."

Michael let out a quiet scoff, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Oh come on." He didn't meet Jeremy's gaze that burned into the side of his head.

Jeremy balled up his fist and got impossibly closer to Michael, "Okay, maybe I got lucky- is that so weird?"

Michael felt his mouth go dry and swallowed a lump he hadn't realized had formed with Jeremy's close proximity. He tried to keep a clear head and focused his energy on the rage he'd been keeping pent up towards Jeremy's new antics for some time now.

Without any response or eye-contact from the other, Jeremy continued, with just as much fire spitting from his mouth, "I-I mean, with my history," He stuttered and Michael momentarily glanced up, over his glasses, just as Jeremy turned away from him, "I'd say the universe owed me one." He winced as his voice cracked and quickly tried to cover it up by tapping his foot.
Michael's lack of response further upset him as without words to fill the room, guilt did instead, slowly worming its way into Jeremy's chest, the SQUIP unable to stop it in the teen's abundance of alcohol in his system. He quickly attempted to expel it out with more words, "And I don't know-"

"What about me?"

The words took Jeremy by surprise and he faulted in his speech to turn around and look at Michael with a look of confusion, "What about you?"

Michael glared at Jeremy, with less hate and more hurt, "I'm obviously just as much of a- a loser as you were, Jeremy." He stalked forward.

"Y-You said it yourself, that you're above popularity, don't pull this shit-"

"I'm not above you!" Michael lifted his eyebrows.

Jeremy shook his head in further confusion.

"God, how oblivious-" Michael pinched the bridge of his nose and turned towards the sink, advancing to it before spreading his hands on it, "You have other friends, Jeremy, why does my opinion matter to you?"

Jeremy's mouth opened and closed as he searched for words before he nodded with a glare, "You're right," He sneered, "Why am I with y-"

"Not an insult," Michael chuckled sarcastically, "It's a question, Jeremy, answer it."

Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why does my opinion matter to you?" Michael repeated, quieter.

"It- it doesn't." Jeremy shook his head.

"Then why are you here? And- and don't give some snarky remark and leave, because you've yet to leave, so I want to know why you've stayed this long."

"I-I don't-"

"You have other friends, Jer, I don't." Michael's voice came off as broken.

Jeremy pursed his lips together into a tight, thin line.

"That's why...that's why you're important to me," Michael turned back around to face Jeremy, each boy on one side of the bathroom, "Why am I important to you? And- and if I'm not, then say it."

"Y-You're not." Jeremy mumbled.

"Complete Sentences." Michael dared, eyes narrowing.

Jeremy's eyes widened as they made contact with Michael's.

Michael braved a cocked eyebrow as I'd to prompt Jeremy to continue.

"You're..." Jeremy started, "You're not..."

"Not what?" Michael couldn't hide the shake in his voice.

"You're not i-important t..." Jeremy's speech became breathy and quiet and he couldn't finish the sentence as he began to study his feet, lengthy limbs becoming rigid.

"That's what I thought..." Michael sighed in near relief, though it still held a bit of bitterness.

"Stop acting like you have some kind of power over me, because you don't." Jeremy wrinkled his nose.

"I have as much power as you give me or that thing inside your head." Michael whispered, "Which one are you going to fuel?"

Jeremy leaned against the wall nearest to him to support himself and refused to respond.

"Hello? Some of us have to pee!" The snarky voice responded from outside.

"I'm having my period!" Michael snapped back.

"Oh...take your time, honey..!"

"Smooth..." Jeremy mumbled to relieve the tension.

Michael smiled for a moment before seeming to remember that he was supposed to be angry at Jeremy and quickly frowned.

Jeremy squinted before turning towards the door and grabbing the knob, "I'm...sorry, Man..." He mumbled, almost inaudibly.

"Three years." Michael quickly bleated.

Jeremy paused, "Three years-"

"Twelve years of friendship..." Michael hesitated as his voice shook, "Three years of pining— I'm, assuming my life is just about as pointless as it's always been, there's no point in any kind of secrecy, if you're going to walk out that door and my life as well, it's as good a time as ever." Michael shrugged as he shrunk down against the bathroom wall.

Jeremy's grip on the knob tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"You seemed happy to see me when you first entered the bathroom. It seemed funny it's the opposite when you-"

"Pining?"

Michael squeezed the hem of his CREEPS sweater with a shrug.

"Pining." Jeremy repeated, quieter as he slowly looked back at Michael, who didn't look at him.

"Yeah, whatever you want to call it." Michael shrugged again.

"O-Over?"

"Don't make me say it, Jer." Michael cracked a small grin, not a happy one, "I know you've got eyes for Canigula, that'd be dick if I tried to-"

"You liked me?" Jeremy was in stunned disbelief.

"Not past tense, like." Michael corrected quietly, "Not that it matters."

"Why wouldn't it?" Jeremy sounded angrier than he meant to be.

"Um, I don't know? Maybe because your SQUIP, and you, blocked me out of your visual perception because I was some kind of obstacle to your popularity-"

"Obstacle..." Jeremy murmured, "Obstacle to my popularity- obstacle to...to—" He looked up at Michael with wide eyes.

Michael squinted in confusion.

"N-Not to popularity." Jeremy shook his head.

Michael didn't seem to catch on until he analyzed Jeremy's reddening features, "You've got to be kidding me,"

Jeremy let out a small squeak.

Michael felt his face grow hot, "Shit."

"I..." Jeremy shook his head, "I-I didn't know, I-"

"You had to have, if your SQUIP knew." Michael suggested.

"I-" Jeremy groaned, "Of course I knew, Michael- I-I just thought that- since Christine, you know, I'd be- over this kind of- of you and-"

"Since Christine? Hold up, you've been pining over her for a deadass year, Jer, you're saying—" Michael couldn't finish his sentence.

Jeremy ran a hand through his hair, "I just...I thought maybe if I-" He sighed, "I do like Christine but I- well, okay, you know- you know rebound crushes-"

"Jeremy!"

"She's not! I swear, she's not, I just— she was? I guess- no she- I mean, there's a chance she might be a- if I really thought about- you know the idea of her and-"

"Jeremy."

Jeremy looked at Michael helplessly.

"Do you...?" Michael's lifted his eyebrows suggestively and lifted a thumb to quickly point at himself.

Jeremy's shoulders drooped and he sank to the bathroom floor, drawing his knees into his chest with a groan, "I mean, yeah, Michael, I do, but-" He was interrupted by a small giggle from the teen across the bathroom and he looked from between his fingers that covered his embarrassed face to find Michael slowly sinking down to the ground as well, erupting in a fit of laughter.
It soon became contagious as Jeremy found himself giggling quietly.

"Jeremy Heere, you are the most complicated, pubescent teen, that I have ever met!" Michael cackled as he rolled towards Jeremy.

Jeremy's blush deepened and he shoved Michael away, by an inch, by his shoulder.

Michael now lay flat on the bathroom floor, beaming up at the ceiling.

"Today goes down as the most confusing shit in my life." Michael grinned.

"Ditto." Jeremy rolled his eyes.

Michael looked up at Jeremy and smiled.

Jeremy gave a small, confused smile in return.

"Can we leave before my social anxiety gets worse? I'm pretty sure I'm having a panic attack." Michael grinned widely and giggled more.

"Oh- um- u-uh- I guess I-"

"Chug some alcohol down, I have Mountain Dew at home but it'll wake up before then." Michael wobbled to his feet.

Jeremy shakily stood up and gently helped Michael before shoving his hands in his pockets, beginning slouch before he felt a phantom shock and stood up straight, "What's Mountain Dew Red going to do?"

"Fix you. Then we can talk." Michael grabbed Jeremy's hand gently, pausing to check if this was okay.

"Better not, with Chloe and Brooke.." Jeremy murmured.

"I'll save it for the walk home." Michael shrugged, "If I don't pass out before then- come on," He opened the door and gestures for Jeremy to leave first.

Jeremy paused before nodding.

It was the most normal he'd felt in the past few days.
Weird.
But normal.

Weird, normal, comfortably discomforted, with Michael...

A strange and confusing night indeed...and...he had to wonder what would have happened if he'd chosen the bathroom downstairs.

***

This is s O much different than the original which can be found as the second actual chapter of the story title "Michael in the Bathroom [2.0.0]" if you'd like to compare them!
Anywho,
That's all for now folks
-Jay 💊