𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬

Chapter Eleven

Annie found out on Thursday just how awkward Tweek could be.

"Tweek," she called out, and Tweek's head immediately wrenched in her direction with visible paranoia. They had coincidentally met at the middle of the hall. Annie wiggled her toes within her UGG boots and smiled up at him, "Do you mind meeting up with me at lunch today? I mean, if you can…"

Craig caught up with Tweek just then, and when he made eye contact with the short and quirky blonde, Annie, he noticeably darkened in facial expression. Annie grew flustered at the antagonistic gaze and glanced away.

"S-Sure, what is it?"

Annie locked eyes with the antagonistic Craig once more and she teased him, coquettishly answering Tweek with a coy tap to the shoulder, "What? Can't a girl talk to her boyfriend during lunch?"

Tweek's eyes sunk as he felt Craig grumbling from behind him. "You wouldn't want to keep her waiting," he monotonously replied, laced with poison in each individual letter.

Annie noticeably brightened up. Why did that cheer me up?

They were leaning up against a fence near the tennis court.

Annie sat over the bleachers, elevated over the nervous Tweek. "That Craig… He doesn't really like me, does he?"

He bit down over his palm, "… Let's not talk about him…"

That's the calmest I've ever heard him. "You… You don't want to talk about that day?"

He mutters quietly, "Uh… I mean… Uhm, I kind of do…" He relaxes his shoulders and turns at her with wide eyes, "I-I mean, y-you and Lola?"

Annie seemed offended at the remark, "So… You and Craig make complete sense?'

"…" She has a good point. "S-Since you want to get personal… Ngh – What made you like her?" His voice escalated in volume at the question.

"Shush!" Annie stared about with a worried look, "Do you want to out me to everyone? … You're being too loud."

"I… I'm feeling pressured… W-We don't have to talk about this right now…"

Annie stares down at the pitiful looking Tweek curled against the fence. She sighs quietly as she thinks things over and over. And before she knew it, she murmured, "… I lied." With the realization of her small, compulsory reply, her breaths go in and out raggedly. I can stick to the facts…

He could feel all the blood rushing to his head as his heart rate increased, Lied? Lied about what? What did she lie about? He had a dozen (albeit repetitive) questions in his head but it all came out with a dumbfound "Huh?"

Although unwilling, she told the truth, "… I'm not one hundred percent sure whether I like her, whether I like Craig, or whether I'm just jealous about the idea of having a boyfriend in general," she stares at him. "It's obvious you like him… So why are we supposedly dating?"

Girls are so confusing! "… You might like Craig?"

Annie closes her eyes. Did he even hear the rest of what I said? "Hm… Maybe."

Tweek insisted with the question despite Annie not being keen on the topic, "Agh – Y-You don't know?"

People aren't that simple… Annie felt interrogated and decided to push the subject matter away, "You're being too obvious."

"I am? Ngh – A-About what?" His shoulders move back down. "…. I-I'm being rude. S-Sorry, I-I need coffee to calm me down."

Annie smirks at the apologetic remark, "You're cute… Craig's a jerk not to notice how cute you are."