Bite Me [Creek Love Story]

{Four}

Intense. That's the only word that can really use to describe my Saturday night in that coffee shop. I guess awkward would work as well but that's just not as powerful of a word and believe me when I tell you that that night was intense. Tweek had refused to even look at me, let alone open his mouth to say anything. I'm not that surprised, though. There's probably a lot on his mind and it made me the happiest person alive when his parents took over and we were allowed to go home.

Because of the graveyard shifts working in Harbucks, my sleeping schedule has been all sorts of fucked up. I couldn't sleep Sunday night and had a hell of a hard time staying awake during school on Monday. Currently it was Tuesday and I didn't have to go back to work until tomorrow afternoon and thankfully wouldn't take another night shift until Saturday. During the day, Tweek's father would always be there so it wasn't nearly as intensely awkward as weekends.

The bell exploded overhead, echoing throughout the entire school and signalling that it was now lunch hour. My thoughts had been torn away from me due to the loud noise and I sighed to myself before shoving all of my books into my bag and heading toward the cafeteria.

Ever since Token, Clyde, Tweek and I drifted apart I've sort of been wandering between groups during the breaks. Sometimes I'd hang out with some girls I barely knew, or check up on Token and Clyde, or even sit outside the school and grab a cigarette from this weird French kid who seemed to constantly have something offensive to say about god. Other times - if I got really desperate - I'd see what Cartman and his 'friends' were up to.

Spotting Token first, I decided on seeing what he was up to. He was sitting at a lone table in the corner of the cafeteria just getting out a sandwich from the paper bag he held. I walked over to him and sat down.

"Hey Craig," Token greeted, glancing up from his food.

"Hi. Where's Clyde?" I asked.

"Boo!" Came a familiar voice from behind me. Hands gripped my shoulders and I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. "Aw man! You didn't even flinch!" Clyde complained as he took a seat next to me. He set a tray full of tacos in front of him. I flipped both him and his stupid tacos off.

"How's work been?" Token asked after watching me raise my middle finger. I turned to him, allowing myself to point my half peace sign in his direction as well before laying my hand down on the table.

"Awkward," I told him. There wasn't really any use in hiding it and besides they should already know it would be insanely uncomfortable.

"I bet!" Clyde laughed, taking a bite into his taco. I stared at him with what must have looked to be a bored, deadpan expression despite the fact that inside I was sending him the nastiest glare I could mentally manage.

"Hey, when are you free? We should all hang out again," suggested Token. My gaze drifted toward him and I couldn't help but wonder just what he meant by all. Him, Clyde and I? Or would Tweek be involved as well? Then, as if he had read my mind, Token spoke up. "Just the three of us."

I said nothing, suddenly not wanting to be there anymore. So, in response, I stood up and walked away. Clyde called after me with a mouth full of food so I didn't quite catch what he had said but Token stayed silent.

With that, I was out of the cafeteria and wandering the halls of South Park High aimlessly. That is, I was.. Until I came upon a rather interesting sight. When I say ineresting I mean infuriating. Cartman was taunting Tweek by holding his coffee mug high above his head. Tweek was a bit shorter than Cartman but not by much. Still, the blonde was struggling to get back what was originally his.

"I - ngh - I don't th-think this is very fun-funny!" Tweek exclaimed with a frown, trying once more to hop and grab his cup. It was a useless attempt.

"Aw come on! I'm just having a little fun!" Cartman laughed, swinging the cup back and forth in the air. Tweek began to pull at his hair and bite his lip, staring helplessly at his coffee filled thermos. I mentally sighed to myself but walked up behind Cartman and snatched Tweek's mug away from him. Taken by surprised, Cartman spun around. "What? I thought you hated The Spaz!"

I said nothing, only flipped him off and grabbed Tweek by the arm. I yanked the shorter blonde away from Cartman and handed him his mug.

"Craig..?" Tweek stared up at me in shock.

"Find something better to do with your time, fat ass," I suggested to Cartman before pulling Tweek down the hall with me and away from that idiot.

Once we were around the corner a safe distance away, Tweek yanked away from my grip and took a couple steps back. I turned to face him and noticed that his expression was that of both anger and confusion. He was glaring at me but it was an uncertain sort of glare.

"Why w-would you do - erk - why would you do that?" He finally spoke his thoughts. I stared at him, watching his every movement as his body twitched and his fingertips clenched his thermos in what seemed to be fear.

"I don't hate you, if that's what you're asking," I informed him.

"Then why, Craig? Why would you say you were using me?!" He was referring to that day back in Junior High but right after he blurted it out, the little burst of confidence he had randomly developed left and he was trembling once more and staring at me like he was scared I'd gouge his eyes out for speaking. "I-I didn't mean t-to.... GAH! I'M SORRY!" With that he turned around and ran down the hall. I watched in silence as he scurried away, tripping over his untied shoelaces and landing face first on the linoleum floor.

A small sigh escaped my lips and I walked over to him with my hands tucked away into the pockets of my jeans. He was just laying there, twitching every once in a while. I was standing above him by this point, feeling somewhat bad.

"Tweek. Get up."

"B-but..." he started, only to shake his head and very slowly pick himself off the floor. Now he stood in front of me, looking directly at the floor as if his life depended on staring at that one tile. I squinted my eyes very slightly and found yet another sigh escape my lips. I grabbed his chin and yanked his head up so he was looking at me and sure enough his nose was bleeding from landing on the floor the way he did.

"Idiot," I mumbled, taking my hand away from his chin and clutching his wrist. I dragged him to the bathroom and got a few paper towels before pressing them to his nose.

"Wh-why?" Tweek asked yet again. But his voice was slightly muffled by the paper towels and his eyes were brimmed with tears.

"Like I said; I don't hate you. I also don't think you're a freak," I told him.

This time I noticed that the tears were threatening to fall from his eyes and he instantly turned his head away from me, taking the paper towels into his own hand and cleaning up his bloody nose. After that was taken car of, he threw them away and turned to stare directly into my eyes. The confidence he had before was there again but I knew that he was quickly losing it.

"Y-you're so confusing Craig," Tweek told me before storming out of the bathroom.

With that, I was left to contemplate every stupid life choice I've made, standing alone in the men's restroom. What would have happened if I'd never been the idiot I was a few years back.? Would Tweek and I still be best friends? What about Token and Clyde? Would we all be enjoying our lunch together right now if I hadn't been such a dick?

My thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing overhead and I found my eyes slowly slide to the mirror. I stared at my own reflection and wondered how the man I was concentrating on could look so calm and emotionless when he was feeling nothing but regret and guilt.