The Futures To Far Away (CREEK FIC)

He has to know

The whole senior grade packed into the gym, buzzing with the usual mix of tired chatter and mindless scrolling. Tweek took his seat next to Craig, jittering with nervous energy as he bounced his leg.

Craig, sitting beside him, just offered a quiet grin, nudging Tweek with his shoulder to calm him down. Tweek could be so uptight about these things.

The principal took to the stage, tapping on the mic to call for attention. "Good morning, seniors! We're in the final stretch toward graduation. Today, we're here to talk about what's coming next and what it takes to make it across that stage."

A slide lit up the screen behind him, detailing the requirements for graduation: minimum GPAs, credits per subject, and all the steps to ensure their futures stayed on track.

This Craig leaned back, barely paying attention until he noticed Tweek's furrowed brow, eyes glued to the screen as he frantically whispered through each point.

The next slide highlighted the importance of maintaining passing grades through senior year, listing GPA cutoffs for scholarships, college admissions, and academic honors.

Craig felt his chest tighten as each bullet point appeared. He started shifting uncomfortably in his seat, the reality of his own grades creeping up on him. He couldn't quite ignore that his GPA was... let's say, not great.

Tweek, noticing the shift in Craig's mood, tilted his head to get a better look at his face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Craig managed a half-hearted shrug, but he didn't look Tweek in the eyes. "Nothing. Just... thinking."

Tweek's eyebrows pinched with worry. "About... this stuff?"

Craig nodded, glancing down at his lap. "I dunno, Tweek... what if... what if my grades aren't good enough?"

Tweek's brow softened, his hand reaching to squeeze Craig's knee reassuringly. "Craig, come on. You're here, right? You're close. I know you don't... stress about this as much as I do, but you're going to be fine. We're graduating together. I mean, we have to, right?" He let out a small, nervous laugh.

Craig forced a smile, wanting to believe that Tweek's optimism could carry him through. But deep down, he felt that gnawing doubt.

The assembly droned on, but Craig couldn't shake the feeling that he was on the edge of something serious, something he couldn't just brush off.

When the assembly ended, he held onto Tweek's hand a little longer, but he didn't say anything about the grades. Not yet.

The assembly had ended, and Craig lingered in his seat, still processing the principal's words. Requirements for graduation. Minimum GPA. Pass or fail, with only one chance to walk across that stage.

Craig had barely paid attention to these things before, brushing off Tweek's anxious reminders and relying on his ability to get by without putting in too much effort. But as he watched the other students around him file out, chatting excitedly about their plans, he felt an uneasy weight settle in his chest.

This wasn't a game. And for the first time, he started to wonder if he'd really make it.

As he stood up, Tweek gave him an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder before heading to his next class. Craig managed a reassuring nod, but inside, he was anything but calm. He knew what he had to do next, even if the thought of it made his stomach twist.

Craig's English teacher looked up in surprise when he appeared in her classroom doorway. She hadn't seen much of him outside of class before, let alone asking for help.

He approached her desk, shoving his hands into his pockets as he swallowed down his discomfort.

"Ms. Turner," he started, his voice lower than usual. "Uh, do you have a minute?"