In Your Head: South Park

Late Night Frights

"Actually, I'll have a caramel latte," Pete chimed in.
"Ugh. Seriously?" Michael scowled, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"Fucking conformist!" snarled Firkle.
"Oh, shut up. I'm just not conforming with you posers. Anyway, isn't it past your bed time, Firkle?" Pete retorted.
The younger boy hissed in reply.
"Whatever," muttered Michael, sharing a bemused but disbelieving glance with Henrietta.
"Three black and one caramel latte, coming right up," Tweek announced, scurrying away.

"What happened to your face?" Henrietta asked as Tweek brought over their hot beverages.
"I could say it was some great fight I won but really I got hit in the eye with a dodgeball," Tweek admitted.
Pete sniggered.
"Ew, sports," Henrietta frowned.
Tweek felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
"Excuse me," he said politely, before walking away to the store room.
Tweek held his phone to his ear.
"Hey babe," he answered.
"Hey honey, how was work?"
"Shit. I'm still working," he complained.
"Shouldn't you be finished by now?" Craig asked.
"Yeah but you know how it is."
"I was going to ask if you wanted me to come over and bring a movie to watch but...?" Craig trailed off.
Tweek sighed.
"Thanks anyways but I've still got quite a bit to do before I finish. Speaking of, I should probably get back to work. Tomorrow?"
"Sure, tomorrow. I'll leave you to it then. See you tomorrow."
"Bye, Craig. Love you."
"Love you too, Honey."
Beep.
The call ended and Tweek slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He shuffled back over to the counter and clutched the mop handle, ready to get back to his work duties.

"So, do your parents always leave you alone to manage their coffee shop," Michael asked.
Tweek sighed.
"T-they run long shifts. They need to get back home to eat and rest," Tweek  feverishly defended his parents.
"Yeah and what about you? You have school all day and then have to come to work and stay back longer than they do. Don't you need to eat and rest?" Henrietta countered.
"I don't really sleep and coffee keeps me going, so I don't need to eat much either. Besides, someone needs to take care of the shop," Tweek murmered, rubbing his upper arm.
Pete flipped his black and red bangs away from his face, only for them to fall straight back into place.
He sipped his freshly made latte, saying nothing.
"Then your parents should hire actual staff, not recruit their son as their own personal slave," Henrietta retorted.
This topic was making Tweek increasingly uncomfortable.
His brows knitted together in frustration.
"Um- Well, I'm not a slave. They pay me."
"A proper adult salary? Including over time?" Henrietta pressed.
"Look, you don't know what you're talking about," Tweek snapped. "I think you should just mind your own-"
"Your parents suck. It's pretty obvious. No offense," Michael shrugged.
Tweek sharply blew air through his nose and his hand grasped the wooden mop handle tightly.
"They don't have a heap of money, okay?" Tweek retorted. "I do this to help my parents because they've done everything for me. What I want doesn't matter."
"Dude, chill," Pete frowned.
"Why is it so hard for you to admit that your parents aren't as great as they make out? You aren't betraying them by admitting it to yourself. They're betraying you by treating you like garbage and making you feel like you owe them for doing shit parents are supposed to do," Michael continued.
What is with these people and have they been spying on me?
"They don't- I-"
Tweek sighed, feeling defeated.
His closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, they had begun to gloss over slightly.
"Come on, Tweek, say it. Say your parents suck. It will make you feel better," Henrietta encouraged.
"My parents are awful too. They hate me. I bet they wish I was dead," she added dryly.
"My parents, they aren't- they don't- they- Aw. They do suck! My parents are the worst!" Tweeks eyes widened with realization.
"They don't really care about me; only what I can do for them," the blond spat. "I think they resent me for being different."
The boy felt saddened to say this but being able to finally share his feelings out loud was liberating.
"There you go!" Henrietta smiled. "I knew you had some bottled up resentments."
I have never seen that girl smile before now. I didn't know she she had it in her!
"How could I not? My Dad is a prick! My Mom- well- she's okay but she let's my Dad use and walk all over me. She used to defend me more when I was younger but now she only steps in when it's really bad," Tweek confessed.
"I don't know if shes just tired of it all but so am I and it's not fair on me," he sighed, running a hand through his mop of a hairdo.
He felt a tinge of guilt for talking ill of his parents but pushed it aside.
They were in the wrong, not him.
"Kill your parents and watch the life drain from their eyes!" Firkle chipped in dramatically. "
"Gah! WHAT?" Tweek yelped.
"What he means is; screw those people. Be your own person. You don't need them telling you what to do with your life," added Michael.
"Yeah. Do what you want to do. Not what they want you to do. Fuck their rules! Fuck all rules!" Henrietta finished, seeming almost excited- if that were even possible.
"Man, I can't believe I'm saying this but you guys are kinda right," Tweek admitted.
"Except for the kid. I think you need some help, man. I definitley do not want my parents dead! I'm angry with them but I still love them," he added. "And they're not bad people despite everything."
"Love is so overrated," Pete sighed, "but you'll learn that when you're a goth. Probably don't murder your parents though. Firlkle can be a bit intense."
"Hey! I'm fine the way I am. It's the rest of the world with the problem and I don't need help. I'm not having some poser adult tell me I've got issues and give me pills that turn me into a stupid conformist," the raven haired Firkle argued.
Henrietta nodded in agreement. "Truth."
"We usually hang out here, behind the school, by the railway tracks, the graveyard or the woods by Starks Pond. How about you come find us once your shift ends?" Michael offered. "We can show you how to be goth. You can't hang out with us if you arent one of us though, which means you'll have to look and act like us if you want in."
Tweek was shocked.
This wasn't usually how he made friends.
In fact, Tweek rarely made new friends.
Or was this more of a cult than a friendship?
Tweek wasn't sure.
The boy thought for a moment.
"I appreciate the offer, really, but I'm pretty exhausted," he declined.
Tweek wasn't goth and he didn't want these kids to convert him either.
What if they were secretly witches who only wanted to gain his trust so they could to put a wicked spell on him?
"Told you he was a stupid conformist!" Firkle growled.
Henrietta rolled her eyes.
The black haired girl pursed her plump, purple lips, looking almost disappointed.
"Suit yourself," Michael shrugged.
The group got up out of their booth, ready to leave.
"Wait! Uh - Thank you for helping me see things the way they really are," Tweek added sincerely.
"Whatever. Don't mention it, I guess," Michael said over his shoulder.