Out of my house. [Craig×Tweek] [ OLD ]

Chapter 9.

When we arrived, Bradley was still sleeping, with his head on my shoulder: I was anxious about what would happen next, how the camp would be and what I would have to do, but I he seemed so peaceful that I didn't want to wake him up.

I leaned my head back, closing my eyes, while the bus was entering the weird parking lot.
I really wanted to go far away from this place, but that wasn't possible, I had to get clean, for myself.

For yourself?

We all know that you're doing all of this for..

"Hey, wake up kids!" I quickly open my eyes, feeling someone touching my shoulder.
In front of me there's a tall man, with a weird uniform: when I saw him, I immediately thought of scouts.

I smile at the thought: wow Tweek, you're gonna stay in a lost place with scouts and druggies like you, while everyone think that you're probably dead.
What a commedy your life has become.

I gently shake Bradley, and he open an eye, still sleepy.
"Dude -agh- we're here." I say, trying not to yawn when he does so.

"Oh um.." he look around: he look like a lost puppy, and deep inside it makes me tenderness.
"Did I fall asleep on you? Gosh I'm so sorry" he says.

"No w-worries" I smile to him. I don't know why, but I feel a connection between me and him.
Probably because he's the only person that I 'know'?
I get up, feeling my legs weak, and I take my backpack, followed by Bradley, right behind me.

I then go out of the bus, and I stood between the other teenagers. I look at them, every each: they must have sad stories, probably even sadder than mines.
Do they have someone who waits for them? Or are they on their own like me?

I heard horrible things about rehabilitation camps.
I heard that they do everything to make you clean.
I heard that someone died in places like these.

And man, it's so much pressure.

"Hey!" I turn around "Ah- I didn't mean to call you so loudly. Have you seen? We're roommates!" I smile at Bradley, slowly nodding my head.

"They say that it's easy to keep up with the daily routine. We even have some class like normal school!"
"Normal school?"
Bradley shows me a piece of paper.

"We'll be able to study history, math, geography and of course english" I look at the subjects.
I wonder if we'll talk about science.
I loved hearing Craig talking about space, and I began to like the subject too.

I look up to Bradley, who was still talking even if I spaced out and missed a part of what he was saying.
"...and they said that education is importan, even for us!"
I made eye contact.

I never noticed, but he has a beautiful eye colour.

"Oh uh..sorry, I talk to much.." he says, looking down.
"Oh no-no, -gh- don't worry! I like hearing you talk" I say, trying to reassure him and giving him back the piece of paper.

He blushes a bit, turning around, probably to not show it: his attitude confuses me, but there's something in him that attracts me.
I look around, then take the keys for our apartment "Well... Should w-we go now?"

He nods, and we walk to the door: I open it, entering and throwing my backpack on one of the single beds in the room, while Bradley explores.

He then sits on the other bed, looking at me while I tie my hair.
"So..mm.. do you think that we..like..should talk about why we're here? We could kill the time or something..."

I freeze.
I don't want him to know that I'm a drug addict.
He's nice and I wished to get to know him and become friends, so to not be alone anymore, but..

But what? You want to lie to him too?

I take a deep breath.
"Sure d-dude." I say, trying to smile, while I see him biting his nails.
He looks like an anxious person, like me.
I smile.

He then takes a deep breath too, and starts.
"Well...I um..don't know if I should tell you this...but I like..you know..boys..." he says, shyly "And so my mom sent me here to change..my behaviour...we already tried one of those christians church but it didn't work.."
He looks at me.

He looks afraid.
Wait, is he afraid that I will judge him?
"B-Bradley look, I am gay too" I say, while I look at his surprised expression.
"Oh." he just says.

"Yea m-man, and trust me, you don't need to change, it's alright -gh- and you can be happy with someone of your same gender too" I say.
I remember when I used to be sad about my sexual orientation.

Craig helped me through it, and it was similar to what just happened here with Bradley.
See Craig?
Have you seen how much I have improved?

Oh no you haven't.
You're just weak.
So weak that you're
at a rehab camp right now.
How pathetic!

I look away.
It's my turn to say everything, isn't it?
Well..let's hope for good.

"My past...is, well, not easy to tell. Or understand, of c-course. My parents have drugged me since when I was a child.
And then I moved out, but they caught me again, and the drugs and everything and..."

I feel tears roll down my face: this is actually the first time that I speak like this to someone after everything that has happened.

I close my eyes, trying not to cry, when I feel Bradley arms around me: he's hugging me, tightly.
I smile.

"..Thank you."