Bite Me [Creek Love Story]

{One}

When someone tells you to do something, you always have at least two choices; you either do it or you don't. It's as simple as that. Everything you do, you do it because you want to. It's one consequence or the other - whichever one seems more appealing to you at the time is the one you choose. I hadn't understood that concept when my mom 'forced' me to get a job at Harbucks. At the time I was convinced that I really didn't want to work there but it was the only place that would hire me.

It wasn't the annoyingly picky customers or the fact that it was always so hot in that damned building. It wasn't the pleasant facial expression I had to put on every time someone came up to me and it wasn't the night shifts that I was to take every Friday and Saturday. There was one reason and one reason only which had caused my lack of support in signing up for the job there.

My problem? Tweek Tweak.

I dreaded being in the same room as him for more than a few minutes, but don't get the wrong idea. I don't hate him. I never have and I probably never will. Believe it or not, I used to be best friends with that overly paranoid maniac.

I remember how close we used to be. Where I was, Tweek was bound to be near as well and it was the same the other way around. It's my fault entirely we aren't friends anymore. At the time I had no idea how to even deal with being without him, but somehow I pulled through it. Many times since the mistake I've made I'd wonder if he missed me as much as I missed him.

I always told myself that if he really wanted to talk to me again, he would have. I told myself that he was better off without me as a friend. I was awful to him.

My first day on the job went terribly. It was just after school on a Thursday afternoon. I'd be working part time throughout the week and I'd take my first graveyard shift the next night. Tweek was aware that he'd be getting a new coworker but when his eyes landed on me and that unmistakable look of fear spread across his face, it was proof that he hadn't known Craig Tucker of all people would be working alongside him.

"Tweek, this is our new employee!" Mr. Tweak introduced. Now I've met Tweek's father before, so he either hadn't remembered me or he was pretending like he never knew me in the first place. He turned to me expectantly.

"I'm Craig," I introduced myself and held my hand out for him to shake. As if all those years of Tweek and I doing crazy shit together and laughing our asses off never happened. Don't mind me, I'm just digging my own grave over here.

He twitched and squirmed. "I-I'm Tweek..."

The boy was hesitant but it wasn't long until he outstretched his arm and with a weak grip, shook my hand. The heat from his hand instantly warmed me up, yet the skin of his palm and fingers were surprisingly rough; like he had spent the last couple of weeks gardening without any gloves.

I found myself making eye contact with him and I remembered the way his eyes used to look. Green/brown with specks of panic that seemed to wash away whenever I was around him. Now they were filled with pure anxiety, the lively touch almost completely gone. Slowly, I loosened my hold on his hand and he quickly pulled away.

"All right, son," Mr. Tweak said with a grin, slapping Tweek on the back playfully. "You'll teach him everything he needs to know, right?"

To which Tweek nodded in response. We were still holding each others' gaze.

Apart of me was scared that if I looked away even for a split second, he'd vanish into thin air. He'd slip through my fingers and I'd never be able to see him again. I know that's impossible but at the time I was really worried it might actually happen.

Tweek was the first to look away, his eyes trailing towards the door which had just recently been opened by a customer walking in.

"I'll b-be with you in a minute, miss," Tweek said to the woman, a charming smile spreading across his face. That smile didn't reach his eyes and it didn't light up his face the way it did when we were at my house playing video games all night.

The woman nodded and began looking at the pastries lined up neatly behind the glass. She seemed to be engaged in a silent argument with herself - should she buy the extra calories or is it a waste?

"Come on," Tweek said, leading me behind the counter and into a room filled with boxes. He reached over towards a rack of aprons and handed me one and waited for me to tie it around my waist.

I couldn't get it right so he ended up having to do it for me. Safe to say there was a really awkward aura floating around.

"Tweek, I.." I began but I found myself pausing, unsure of what I should say or do. I wanted to apologize to him but found it pointless. What was I expecting? Him to forgive me and for everything to go back to normal if I just told him I was sorry? Not likely.

Tweek stared at me, waiting for me to go on with my sentence. There was a long silence before a sigh escaped his lips. "I'll teach you how to make the coffee and serve the customers."

So a couple spilled creamers and a mini fight with a customer later, it was time for me to take a break. Tweek got his own little break as well since the place was practically dead so close to sundown on a weekday. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he sipped at the coffee he had previously made for himself, wondering what the first thought that ran through his head was when he saw me earlier that day.

"Wha-what are you looking at?" Tweek finally spoke up when he noticed my stare, "Oh god, there's not a murderer behind me is there?! Too much pressure!" He froze and refused to look over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on me the entire time.

I stayed silent as Tweek trembled and twitched and shook under my most likely ice cold gaze.

"Oh, Jesus! You're not going to kill me, are you?!"

I had no idea how to respond. Tweek was acting like how he used to before I went and screwed everything up - the same old petrified Tweek. It was as if we never stopped being friends in the first place.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think he forgot all about it. But I knew the panic I saw in his eyes earlier were there for a reason and I could see the hatred burning through him at that moment, a hatred that was meant for me. I could even feel the betrayal wafting through the air. 

I knew better than to believe he forgave me. His father was watching us carefully from behind the counter - Tweek must have known this. It was all an act. I could just tell he was faking it.

I found myself glaring at him and it was at that moment that the hatred had been quickly replaced with terror. He didn't think I hated him enough to hurt him, did he? He couldn't. He should know better.

The thought made me flip him off and I turned away, suddenly pissed at this entire situation. I was mad at my mom for making me get a job there, mad at Tweek for thinking I'd actually hurt him again, mad at that stupid kid I could see outside through the cafe window chasing a squirrel, mad at the squirrel for not just climbing up the goddamn tree right next to him.

The most annoying thing about this all is that I was mad at myself for being mad.