Hey everyone. Sorry this update is so late. With Christmas coming around it was getting hard to write. That, and there was a death in the family. Not one that was unforeseen, but sad nontheless. That being said, despite my attempts to do otherwise, this will be the last update until 2020. However, after all these months of searching for a way to make constant uploads like the days of old, I have finally found a spot to do so. Time will tell if this method works, but hypothetically in the new year we will have constant uploads again and we will be getting to that sequel sooner than later. Hazah!

As for the Sanders Sides fic I promised. Well, I didn't expect the Aside video, so I'm not entirely sure what to do. I was hoping for Pt. 2 of SvS to come out in case there's any real character shifts, so...I dunno. Unfortunately because I'm going on vacation, the Sanders Sides fic will also have to wait until the new year. So hold on until then fanders! It'll come, I promise (I got two stories comin!)

FANART:

Finally I've drawn Reese and Kert! They're on my twitter and instagram accounts! I'm unable to get the instagram link right now, but if you look me up (Niipalgreen) you'll find it. Twitters down below.

(Twitter url, plus): /NiiPalGreen/status/1209329477299376128

Small side note, I've gotten quite a few personal messages from some of you readers. Please, if you would like a response and want a person to talk to, please get an account. I can't respond to anonymous messages and if you'd like to talk I need a way to respond. I'm here if you need me.

Now, without further ado, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Be More Chill' or any of it's adaptations or content.

Replaced

Chapter XLVI

~Rewriting History~

Reese could barely keep themselves still as they took their seat in the auditorium. Their leg was threatening to bounce, and their eyes were shifting across the curtains waiting for the grand reveal. They were oblivious to Michael watching them as he sat down. The teen was weary of Reese, and more importantly of their reaction. He believed his partner when they said that their meeting with Jeremy went well, but that doesn't mean he's not still concerned. His best friend was clearly stressed and the SQUIP had their eyes glued - unblinkingly - to the stage as though their life depended on it. Not exactly comforting. He tried placing a hand on theirs - to show support - but it didn't quite work. Reese took the offering, but their eyes didn't shift for one moment. So, fail.

Five minutes until the play starts.

It was at this time the rest of the SQUIPs joined them in their row - Michael now the babysitter. It was his understanding that Brooke gathered all of the computers - outside of Reese, as per Michael's request - and was to release them into the auditorium when she arrived. He could only imagine how much Mr. Reyes was ripping his hair out at the idea of one of his actresses arriving this late, but - alas - that seemed to be the situation.

Michael greeted the computers as they took their seats - since Reese has yet to come out of their trance. Kert gave a polite nod as they took their seat beside Reese, Ari gave a small wave, and Jen ignored him all together. Seemed about right. Luckily - with Kert poking at their arm - Reese finally moved their eyes to acknowledge the others. With more prodding from Jen, they were enticed into a conversation about the production they were about to witness. It may have been a bit annoying not being able to gain his own partner's attention like the SQUIPs could, but he was glad Reese wasn't staring at the curtains like an addict anymore.

Now all Michael had to do was keep the computers out of trouble…

The lights dimmed, and the teen squeezed his partner's hand. Reese looked at him for the first time since they sat down and smiled. A bit strained, and nervous, but grateful all the same. Placing a light kiss on the back of the teen's knuckles, the SQUIP turned their attention back to the stage, holding onto the other's hand firmly. Michael was just glad the lights dimmed enough to hide the blush on his face, and any nervousness he might be showing for the retread of their history.

The play was starting.

The production of Romeo and Juliet with Vampires was exactly how he'd thought it'd be. Low budget, cheesy, and absolutely hilarious. Rich was constantly finding ways to make the audience laugh, and Christine added to it when she could. Michael found himself wiping tears away multiple times, and Jen nearly fell out of their seat gasping for air. Another star of the show was Jenna herself. She brought so much sass and humour herself that had the crowd routing for her even against Rich.

Jeremy didn't do too bad himself. It was clear in certain moments he was struggling, but he only paused twice in delivering his lines - no doubt aided by Reese providing said lines - and got through unscathed. Michael was quite proud of his best friend, and was happy to see him get a chance to actually act in front of a crowd instead of fighting imaginary computers.

Overall, a very entertaining show.

When the curtains pulled back for the bows, Michael was the first to stand. He clapped for each cast member, getting louder for each friend and embarrassingly 'whoot'ing the star players - even extra for Jeremy. The SQUIPs beside him stood for their respective humans and remained that way, showing unconditional support. Even the quiet computers - Ari and Kert - got loud. Trying to gain attention no doubt, and both succeeding. Christine waved excitedly at her SQUIP and Rich sent a huge grin to his.

Then…it was over. The curtains closed, and the lights returned to full brightness. Michael's hands fell to his side and he felt…drained. The whole play seemed like a distant dream. Nothing…happened. They had fun. It went…perfectly. Slowly he shifted his eyes to Reese beside him. The SQUIP met his gaze and grinned, "Quite a successful production."

The teen nodded, whispering, "Yeah." They shared a knowing look, and somehow a weight was lifted. Michael's smile widened as he pulled the computer out into the aisle so they could file out. They had been invited with the rest of the casts family to a small after party in one of the classrooms, but trying to push their way through the crowd seemed excessive. So, they politely followed along. Michael couldn't help looking at the happy faces of each of the computers as they chatted away. He's never heard them so happy before…

"-I'm just saying, she wouldn't have been that amazing if I didn't teach her a thing or two," Jen pointed out, grinning at Ari beside them, "She absolutely killed it!"

Kert hummed in agreement, "She was definitely a highlight." Michael blinked surprised at hearing something nice being directed at the younger computer from the older. Jen themselves seemed shocked, too, but grinned more smugly all the same. Reese acknowledged the positive behavior with an approving nod.

"Rich and Christine also showed off some great talent," they commented. Michael raised a brow at his partner. It was stunning once again that the SQUIP wasn't showing Jeremy off like a trophy to the others, but he imagined they were trying to be nice before they took the spotlight.

Kert nodded, "Richard definitely knew how to be a jester."

"So funny," Jen sighed, wiping an eye, "I think I snorted at one point."

Reese chuckled, "I choked on air."

"I couldn't breathe," Ari added. They all chuckled in unison before the youngest continued, "He was so funny." Kert grinned - the most genuine one in a while.

"He did well."

"So did a certain someone," Jen hinted, slinging an arm around the shortest member. Ari's face heated up.

Reese grinned, sighing, "Christine was quite the star tonight. True talent. I'm routing for her success." Kert hummed in agreement.

"I believe front row tickets to any performance she has in the future would be well worth the investment." Ari tried to bury their face in their hands as Jen added more to the fuel.

"Next stop, Broadway."

"Please stop," the youngest mumbled, clearly overwhelmed and trying to hide the huge smile on their face. Michael grinned sympathetically, daring to pat the computer's shoulder. They tensed slightly, eyes snapping to him, but the teen kept his composure.

"She did awesome," he confirmed. His words seemed to comfort the computer more than the others and they gave a shy smile, nodding.

The group made their way passed the crowd and headed towards the room they were told the 'after party' would be held in. Approaching said room, Michael peeked in through the window to see who was inside. He could see Jeremy's father already there talking to another couple. By their bright smiles and the wife's bouncy personality - and striking resemblance - he guessed they were Christine's parents. Another two couples were also in the room, standing a bit away from Mr. Heere and talking amongst themselves. They were more well dressed than the other group, and seemed to already know each other, so he can only imagine that they were Brooke and Chloe's parents - or maybe Jenna's.

Nervously opening the door, the teen paused as all eyes snapped to him. "Michael!" Mr. Heere cheered, grinning at the boy from where he stood. He smiled back, waving awkwardly as he slowly entered the room. Glancing back, he could see the SQUIPs following his lead, not giving a second glance to any of the curious eyes of the parents. Surprisingly - or, maybe he shouldn't have been - Ari received a smile and a wave from both Brooke and Chloe's parents. The small group congregated around the teacher's desk, getting comfortable sitting either on the desk or chair - the rest standing. Michael decided to stay by Reese's side instead of going over to the only adult he knew. It worked out alright as Mr. Heere turned back to Christine's parents, and any annoyed glances at the random strangers - the SQUIPs - interrupting the celebration party turned away too.

Ari began to hum as they looked passed Michael to Christine's parents, swaying gently from side to side to a rhythm only they knew. Jen smiled at the younger's antics, patting their hand, "No can do, Hillary." Ari pouted.

"I just want to say 'hi'…"

"I know, but they don't know you."

"I could introduce myself."

"I mean, yeah, you could. I won't stop you from doing that." Ari hesitated, chewing on their lower lip. Their eyes scanned Christine's parents up and down, debating their own confidence.

Sighing, defeated, they said, "Maybe next time." Michael patted their back sympathetically, and was relieved when they only tensed for a moment before accepting it. It must be strange for the SQUIPs to be around their human's families. Granted, Reese wasn't showing any signs of that, but it still must be weird for them to be in the same room as Mr. Heere knowing who the adult is when the parent never met them before.

Chatting lightly amongst themselves, it was another ten minutes before the cast finally graced them with their presence. A round of applause erupted from the guests as the teens entered, and each cast member had a giant grin on their faces. The teens were engulfed in hugs from their respective parents, earning many congratulations and praise. The SQUIPs stayed where they were - if at attention now - and all understood that the parents came first…even if they weren't happy about getting second priority.

Unfortunately, not all of the parents came to see their children. Rich took one look around before settling his eyes on the only person who's appearance mattered the most. His smile was blinding as he charged his computer, wrapping his arms around and hugging Kert way too tight - not like the SQUIP would ever complain. Michael made sure to immediately flood his friend with as many compliments as he could come up, helping to distract from the obvious absence of the shorter's family. Rich seemed more than happy with that, chatting happily with both him and his computer. It was nice to see Kert smiling as much as they did - even if it was small - and not letting their arms move away from around Rich's waist. It was cute, and nice to see.

They were both doing okay.

Jenna wasn't as lucky, or as happy. She took one look around at the crowd, awkwardly standing in the doorway. Her expression was mixed with disappointment and sadness. Jen - ever watching their human - immediately went to her side, but the teen stepped back when they did. It was clear she didn't want her SQUIP there. However, to Jenna's surprise, Ari also approached. The girl didn't know what to do or think about the small SQUIP, and thus didn't move back when they stepped up. A small sound escaped her lips when Ari suddenly hugged her, the computer telling her how great she was and all their favourite parts. Jenna's eyes watered at the praise, slowly moving to hug the SQUIP back. After a moment, she hesitantly extended a hand to her own SQUIP, and Jen happily joined in on the compliments. It was the first time Michael had seen Jenna this close to the computers, and it was the first genuine smile on her face he'd seen in a long time.

The SQUIPs truly were…irreplaceable.

After talking to Rich for so long, Michael had decided to start making his rounds. He took Reese's hand and went to congratulate Jeremy. It was interesting seeing the SQUIP jump into the conversation, and he tried to give them as much time with Jeremy as possible. As the computer got on a rant, the teen looked over to the Canigula family. He blinked, surprised, at seeing Jake standing by Christine's side, talking to her parents with ease. It seemed as if the male knew her family quite well. Strange, but seeing that Jake's family was - obviously - not there, he guess it made sense that he found himself in one of the family's conversations. Michael would have bet that the taller would be with Rich, but maybe Christine dragged him over. Or maybe Jake liked talking to her family. Who knows?

The classroom filled with chatter for another half hour before Mr. Reyes and a couple other teachers graced the room with their presence. They were carrying large bowls filled with a green drink, a few boxes of pizza, and some snacks. The green drink had Michael's stomach churning, but he tried to remain calm as the main teacher spoke. Mr. Reyes began by congratulating the cast for their amazing production, and then moved into the making of the evening to the parents. The teen barely listened, focusing instead on the feeling of Reese's hand in his and not the green drink in the bowl. Mr. Reyes luckily didn't talk too long - either that or Michael zoned out for a while - and glasses of the green drink were poured and passed around.

Michael grimaced as he was passed a glass, "Looks like Mountain Dew." Reese nodded, sniffing their own drink experimentally.

"He did say it was to honour last years 'fiasco'."

"Why?"

"It gave more attention to this production." The teen groaned dramatically.

"Well, drink up then, Tic Tac," he cheered, raising his glass with a roll of his eyes, "The drink's in your honour." The SQUIP cooed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"I like the sound of that."

"Of course you would." Michael sighed, looking over to Rich who stood nearby. The shorter was dumping Kert's drink into his own. "What are you doing?" he questioned, gaining the other's attention.

"What if it's spiked?" Rich argued. Michael thought about it for a moment, before nodded in understanding.

He turned to Reese, "Careful Wintergreen." The SQUIP rolled their eyes but made no move to put their drink down. Kert, in the meantime, took the opportunity to sneak a clean glass off of the table, offering it to Rich instead of their old 'tainted' cup. The teen nodded as he slipped a small bottle out of his pocket and poured an eerily similar coloured drink into the SQUIP's glass.

Jeremy - having been by his Dad - stepped up beside the shortest male, frowning. "Did you sneak in Mountain Dew?" he whispered.

"Duh," Rich rolled his eyes, passing the cup to his SQUIP, "What else are they gonna drink?"

Reese hummed in agreement, much to Jeremy's annoyance, "Very thoughtful."

Rich huffed, "Shut up, Neo."

Michael rolled his eyes at two, but ignored them. Fishing through his pockets, he eventually pulled out a sharpie and offered it to Kert, "Here, mark your cup in case you put it down." The SQUIP blinked in surprise at the teen, but graciously accepted.

"Thank you," they said, slowly. Pulling off the cap, they drew a simple 'K' on the cup. Reese hummed, side eyeing their boyfriend thoughtfully. If one was to look carefully, they'd see the absolute adoration radiating from their gaze, but the SQUIP tried their best to keep it as discreet as possible.

Instead, they said, "Carrying sharpies on you?" Michael nodded as he brushed his own hair back.

"Yeah, remember when I told you I'd start stuffing your pockets with them?"

"Yes."

"I'm taking my own advice. You're next." Reese chuckled.

"Duly warned." Jeremy looked at the two before his eyes shifted to the cup in his hands. Swirling its contents, he scrunched his nose.

"What if it's actually Mountain Dew?" he wondered. Rich shrugged at his worries, not seeming that phased.

"He said it's not. Who cares, anyways? It's not like they're dicks anymore," he said while motioning to Reese. The SQUIP gave a flat look back. Jeremy wasn't swayed by the other's words, appearing more uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot. His eyes kept glancing at his computer beside him.

"Yeah, but…"

"I'll drink it first, Jeremy," Reese offered, grinning at the teen with all the confidence of a super computer. The boy blinked up at them in surprise.

"Really?"

"Of course. If you are concerned of my reactivation and aren't willing to take the risk then I will 'sacrifice' myself for the cause."

Michael rolled his eyes, "How noble."

Reese turned their grin to the other, "Yes, I am quite humble."

"And conceited."

"That too." The two laughed, earning a very confused and uncomfortable look from Jeremy beside them.

Mr. Reyes pulled attention once more now that all of the drink were served. "Now that everyone has their glass, raise them up! All in all, this year - I believe - was a success!" he cheered, raising his cup. Everyone followed suit for the toast. "To our wonderful students and cast!"

"Cheers!" Michael glanced at Reese as soon as the speech was finished. The SQUIP was already tipping their glass and pouring the drink into their mouth. He watched their reaction, saw the weird face they made, but ultimately saw that there was no panic to be seen. So, he went to take a sip himself - to help get over this fear of green liquid. If he could get over his history with Reese, this was the next step. He didn't see the look on his partner's face change, though. Reese's expression quickly turned to realization, and then the alarm bloomed. Before Michael could get the drink off the bottom of his glass, the cup was smacked right out of his hand and crashing to the floor. The teen jumped in surprised, and so did everyone around them. This would later be seen as a small blessing.

Michael's eyes snapped to Reese, "What the-" He didn't get a chance to finished his sentence as the SQUIP's attention quickly turned to Jeremy. Their face went white.

The teen had already taken a sip.

"Jeremy," they breathed, an unknown horror in their eyes. Jeremy stared back. A blue glow shined lightly in his irises, and a similar dread spread across his own features in understanding. He opened his mouth, but quickly closed it, unable to will words to form.

Nearby, Rich complained at getting his drink ripped from his hands. Christine's voice was heard asking Reese if they were okay.

If only the others were so fortunate.

Michael realized too late what had happened. Yet, it all started the same. A cry from Chloe. Then Brooke. Jake. Jenna. Mr. Heere. Mr. Reyes. The guests. Jeremy. Jen. Reese.

As those around them gripped their heads, crying in pain, Michael's attention was zeroed in on his best friend, and his partner. Reese fell to the floor before Jeremy could crumble to his knees. The SQUIP was screaming, gripping their hair and barely keeping their body from convulsing dangerously. Michael was on his knees beside them, trying to hold them still and bring some form of comfort, but the SQUIP couldn't hear him. Even Kert tried to help, but it was useless.

Reese couldn't hear them anymore.

Michael's wide eyes flashed across the room at all the teen's screaming, and to Jen who was also on the ground crying out in pain. Christine was trying to help Jeremy, Rich went to Jake, Ari was by Jen's side, and…

And then, it stopped.

Reese was still.

Jen was still.

All the teen's who were previously in pain straightened. None of them reflected confusion, or any natural emotion.

They all stared.

Michael never felt more afraid in his life.

A/N: Happy Holidays! And see you all in the New Year!