Tweek in Life

Chapter Eight

We had finally started our 'girl's' night. Kyle had ditched his hat and Wendy was washing his hair in the sink of Bebe's bathroom. Red was soaking her feet beside Butters as Bebe lay out a handful of nail polishes. I sat behind Sylvia, rubbing her back as she sipped on mineral water. Nicole was piecing together a playlist on YouTube for the night while we all chatted softly. Bebe laughed, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder as she turned to Wendy and Kyle, "So since we've known each other the longest, I think it's time to get to know Tweek and Sylvia better."

"Agreed," Wendy grinned.

I sighed and pulled Sylvia back to lay against my chest as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. I knew this was going to be a rough conversation so I was offering her comfort while taking some for myself. "Go ahead and ask m-me anything. For tonight I will be as o-o-open and honest as I can."

"Tell us about Riley." Butters spoke softly as he looked at his feet in the tub of herbal soak. "I know it's a dark and heavy subject, but it might help us understand you better."

"Butters, s-s-sweetie, I get it." I sighed. "I was just a b-baby when I met that s-s-sweet little girl. Her mother had w-w-worked with my dad while she wa-was pregnant and so my m-mom would have both of us during th-the work day. She was a sickly b-baby, in and out of the h-hospital, and she was shy. I rem-remember this one d-day, when we were three, my m-mom took us to the park in town and l-l-let us run. This boy a few ye-years older than us had thrown his b-b-ball by us and stopped to talk as he r-r-retrieved it. Riley hid behind me the whole t-t-time as I shook and twit-twitched. He was friendly, b-b-but Riley's d-dad was, t-too, until he got ang-angry. We grew up together. Best f-f-friends forever. Then one day, I stayed the n-night with her family. Her d-d-dad was drinking and her mom had to g-go to the store. Riley and I were w-watching a movie in her r-room. The dog knocked o-over her father's b-b-beer. He lost his t-t-temp-temper. B-blacked o-out. I remember s-seeing him kick in the b-bedroom door, bat in his h-hand. I remember c-crying as Riley s-stood in front of me asking her d-d-dad what was w-wrong. The whizzing s-sound of the m-metal as he swung it. Riley's w-whimper as she f-fell to the ground. She d-didn't get up, but he k-kept swinging at her. I remember w-when her whimpers s-stopped. I remember st-staring at her as he beat her s-s-still body more. I remember th-the scream that left her m-mother's body when she w-walked in just as he t-took the f-final swing. And I r-remember her f-funeral."

"Holy fuck!" Sylvia whipped around to hug me tight as Butters ran over to comfort me. I had tears pouring down my face and hadn't actually realized it until she reached up and wiped one away. "Tweek, baby, are you okay?"

I started twitching hard. I was spasming and breathing hard. It was becoming hard to focus. I felt someone hugging me, trying to calm me down. I was falling into a pit of pain and fear. The noise was fading away from me. Darkness closing in. I don't know how long I was panicking but suddenly I felt a gentle but tough grip on my chin. A deep, monotoned voice hit my ears, "Thanks for calling, Wendy. I've got him."

CRAIG?! What was Craig doing here?

"Tweekers? Buddy?" His grip tightened slightly. "Kid, I need you to focus on my voice. Listen to it. Breathe in and out slowly. There you go. That's it. Hey, there. You okay now?"

I blinked up at him. His blue eyes bore into me with a gentle glare. "Craig?"

"Hey, kid," He sighed. "You retold the Riley story, didn't you? Tweekers, you had a panic attack again and the ladies couldn't get you to calm down, so Wendy called me."

"Butters asked."

"I didn't mean to hurt the kid. I thought talking about it would help." Butters started crying. "I'm so sorry."