Hiraeth Of The Heart (Tweek X Craig)

Chapter 19, Under My Skin

   Days have passed, with and without Craig.  Every once in a while he likes to randomly disappear; leaving me in the dust of my own panic attacks over being worried he's gone forever.  I never ask about it because it's not my business, and prying into people's business is not really my knack; especially demons that I shouldn't be involved with in the first place.  I've got my own set of problems.

I managed to get my mom to go with "Crane's" Orphan backstory.  Just another typical sob story of a boy who grew up on the street alone - though of course, it wasn't true.  I knew that; Craig knew that; Mom and Dad?  Not so much.  It's surprisingly hard to keep a secret like that from your parent's. Especially when he lives with you; but him needing a home easily ties in with his "homeless" background.  A warm-hearted mom like mine would never deny a homeless-teenage boy a roof over his head, even a fake one. Her heart's too big and prideful to turn down a chance to help such a guy.

Today was one of those gloomy days.  One where the sun hides behind the miserable clouds and the air smells of electricity.  It was almost like the weather was giving me my very own backdrop for the saddest day in history to take place.  Craig was missing from the house as well, had been since I woke up to get dressed for school.  It was a disaster of a day waiting to happen.  It was only six in the morning and I could already see that much. 

In movies rain is an overused stereotype for sad days; coincidentally, a cloud that was ready to burst tears from the sky was right above us.  Today called for tragedy. 

I got my bag, slid it onto my shoulders, and headed out the door; ignoring the fact that Dad had been gone since yesterday.  Once I got onto the sidewalk, I let out a shaky breath - Sometimes I imagine how hard a simple breath would be to take if I decided to start an addiction to nicotine.  Imagining is how I filter myself from doing something crazy.  Typical for a deranged kid to do deranged things.  After all, the world runs on matching clogs.

I pulled back my blonde hair for a moment, closing my eyes gently, letting it go once I felt the sharp cold winds brush against my forehead.  I was stepping onto the school pavement before I knew it, hearing the constantly muffled chattering of kids cussing and screaming at each other like animals.  Something in my head was telling me to shut them up, but I recognized it quickly as the same voice who's gotten me into trouble before.  Recently the only voice I had been hearing was Craig's, but I guess insanity never really heals.  It's its own form of terminal cancer;   Sucking every form of life from you that it can reach.  Most either give in or get tired of waiting and end it themselves.  I guess I'm just patient.

I gave into my frantic instincts and checked all around me before pulling open the school doors open.  I hesitantly walked to my locker and began twiddling with the button that you use to open it.

"Tweek!"

I turned my head to see Clyde - no surprised reaction needed. 

"Clyde. Hey-"  I released the button that once slid between my fingers.

"Can't get your locker open?"  He asked lifting his chin upwards, only to slide it back down with an egotistical smile.  His red and tan varsity jacket swallowing his frame whole.

"No. It's fine, I just-"

"Let me handle it."  He swiped me out of the area in front of my locker and smashed his elbow into the corner, only to whip the side of his fist into the middle of it.  The locker glided open after a small click.  My brows furrowed, along with my concern that Clyde was some kind of evil mastermind out to kill me and my poor locker.  I thanked him regardless.

Suddenly those worries fled me.  Why? Because a sudden comet lit in my stomach.  I felt like I had been shot into the air.  Past the thermosphere, past the moon, and into the deepest parts of space.  I was surprised after a quick look at the tiled ground to find that my feet had yet to leave the Earth.  It was like a bomb, blasting to bits in my stomach and reeking havoc against my nerves.  It was like a string tugging against my bare soul.  Of course, I knew it wasn't anything as big as I made it out to be.  I knew what it meant - Craig was back.  That was the notice that he was around again, a good warning when you're trying to avoid him; which I tend to do often.  Why?  Not much of a reason, other than the pure fact that I'm a mess and I created delusional reasons for anger that aren't necessarily valid.

I had been so caught up In my thoughts that hadn't noticed Clyde's hand waving in front of my face as if he was attracting the attention of a mentally undeveloped dog.

"Tweek?! Are you still listening?" 

My attention towards him was regained as my sporadic eyes met with his own, forcing a concerned look to etch into his features.  Had he been talking to me during all of this?  Oh, Jesus, I'm awful.  I opened and closed my mouth repetitively.

"Bathroom."  I declared as I took off towards the door.  I threw my arms into the wooden door, slamming it open and stumbling into the bathroom, both hands soon gently placed in my hair as I pushed it back.  An unexpected sigh escapes my cracked lips.

"Hey, Tweek."

My shoulders jumped at Craig's sudden echoing voice, causing an all over quiver down my body.

"You know, it's less of a climatic scare once you've done it five times."  I spoke with a loss of confidence.

"You still jumped."

"I'd jump at my own reflection, Craig."

He snickered, raising his brows and revealing slight dimples in his imperfect cheeks.  "I don't blame you."

I furrowed my brows, biting my lip and holding in clear frustration that was just waiting to crawl up and out of my mouth.  "What's that supposed to mean?  Last time I checked - you tried to sexually harass me; that's a hell of a first impression, pervert."  I sneered.

Craig looked into the corner of the room, pressing his tongue forcefully into his bottom lip as he stepped forward.

'The mirror thing was just a joke."  He began to slowly walk closer to me as I glared a hole into him through the reflection of the smudged bathroom mirror.  "Don't take offense to this, because I say it as your friend,"

His chest nearly touched my back.

His jaw hovering just above my shoulder.

His hand stealthily sneaking past me to grip onto the laminate countertop.

"But I think you're pretty cute for a guy."

My heart was a rocket, flying around in my chest and bouncing against my rib-cage.  This guy was despicable, But he knew how to make my eyes widen.  He knew how to get my blood pumping.

I turned my body to face him, his chest plastered right in front of mine.  I felt like I was melting; like my body was burning plastic and I smothering Craig with just a near touch.

"And what kind of friend would say something like that?" I asked, letting my scattered eyes twitch as they searched for his.

Craig smiled.

"A pretty damn good one, don't you think?"

God,

Craig Tucker really knew how to get under my skin.

Fuck.