Lifeline (Tweek & Craig)

Chapter Thirteen

Tweek

Shocked by all that happened, Tweek couldn't think clearly for a few seconds. When his sense returned he hurried into his room and closed the door. He was unsure what an angry Red would do to him while Craig was into his bedroom. After a few minutes, Tweek heard angry footsteps and a rolly bag rolling down the hall.
Tweek tried to listen to the back and forth between Red and Craig, but his heart was beating so loudly that he couldn't focus on what they were saying. Everything that lead to this point felt like a dream. A dream that if he woke up from he might have to cut out his heart because it would just be so fucked up.
Tweek's thoughts flashback to when Craig took his hand, how warm and soft he felt. When Tweek looked at his hand, he could feel the sensation that ran through him again, calling back the butterflies that had scattered when Red went shitcrazy. When the front door slammed, Tweek sat in front of his room door, the furthest his nervous would allow him to go.
Tweek sat in front of the door till the bright sky arrived. He glanced at the time and it was now 9:00 am in the morning. Craig left around 6:00 am which means 3-hours had passed.
Driving should only take Craig 30 minutes max to get to Red's place and back. The fact that it's been so long made Tweek worry. So many awful thoughts ran through his mind. He imagined Red distracting Craig while driving causing them to died in a car crashed.
If that wasn't the case maybe Red convinced him to give her a second chance, where she lured him into her apartment and killed him because she didn't want him to be with anyone but her. Why else wasn't he home? Tweek got up and looked at his phone, no messages.
When the morning came and left and now it was closer to 4:00 pm Tweek felt sick to his stomach. Where was he and why wasn't he home yet? Instead of just calling Craig, Tweek called the nearest hospital to make sure Craig wasn't admitted. And by 6:00 pm Tweek had convinced himself that perhaps the couple made up and he was just spending time with her.
The awful thought cut his heart painfully as he thought back to the little moments he shared with Craig. Was it all a dream? And when did he become such a cry baby? His eyes betrayed him every time his heart felt heavy. Tweek laid in bed wondering what the hell was happening to him.
"How long have I loved him?" Tweek whispered.
The world was so cruel, Tweek could remember the first time he saw Craig in preschool and how Craig would just watch him from afar with concern eyes.
Tweek would never forget the time when Craig rebuilt his tower. It was after Eric knocked it over for the 1 millionth time and the teachers did nothing. Tweek had decided at that moment that he would find something else to play with, that maybe it was because the boys wanted to play with the blocks but not with him and that's why they bothered him.
When he moved over to find a new activity, Craig went and rebuilt his tower the way Tweek had built it. Then he warned Eric not to break it again, and if he did he'll bite him. Eric never knocked over his tower again and Tweek never thought he could love anyone just as much as his loved his parents.
It was dark now and still no sign of Craig, Tweek was starving, but couldn't convince himself to go find food to eat. He was so consumed with so much grief and anxiety that he was afraid he would die if he moved. When 10:00 pm arrived and no sign of Craig, Tweek finally gather the courage to message him. For 90 minutes there was no answer and it made him even more anxious. Closer to 12:00 in the morning, Tweek jump when he felt his phone vibrating. When he looked it was a message from Craig.
Tweek was so happy and so sad it took him a few minutes to gather himself before reading the message. When he finally read it, he wasn't sure how to respond.

I'm okay. Decided to stay over at Clyde. Will see you tomorrow.

Tweek wasn't sure how to absorb the message. To him, it appeared as though Craig was avoiding him by not coming home. Tweek couldn't blame him, so many things happened that was out of Craig's characters that made Tweek believe that maybe Craig was feeling comfortable about being home.
Tweek wanted to reply but couldn't, everything felt worse now. He put the phone down and flipped onto his stomach and cried into his pillow, where he cried till he felt numb. Tweek was in this same position before, where Craig felt uncomfortable with him and turned on him. Now the situation was different because they lived together. So instead of rebelling Craig opts to stay away.
Tweek remembered what Red said the night before, about taking advantage of Craig's kindness. Despite how crazy Tweek knew Craig could get, he always knew that Craig was a good person who's regrets is easily seen in his eyes. Whenever Tweek was alone in the past, he would always catch Craig watching him as if he regretted what he did. A reason why Tweek could never hate him.
Tweek didn't want Craig to fear coming home, so the answer to this situation was clear. Tweek staying knowing how uncomfortable Craig felt would be taking advantage of Craig's kindness.
"I'll get a job and fixed this," Tweek said when he felt the photo of his parents underneath the pillow.