The Evermore Dissociate(Creek) - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Tweek had been talking Token's ear off beside the lockers when he spotted Craig and Kenny manoeuvring down the hallway. By the looks of it, Kenny's presence was unwelcome, though he seemed to be enjoying Craig's displeasure. The pair of them were easy to spot through the crowd because of their heights, though even they seemed to have troubles making swift passage.
If it wasn't for Token calling out to them, neither would've noticed them standing off to the side. Two reactions were displayed when the calling was heard. For Kenny, he was delighted to see his friend, where as Craig looked as though he wanted to flee and avoid socialising at all cost. He hadn't much of a choice when Kenny pushed his way past his peers to engage in conversation, and so Craig idly followed along, with his hands tucked inside his pockets.
For Tweek, this was intense. All he could think about was that text Token had sent Craig from his phone and whether he thought he seemed desperate. He knew it was dumb to worry about, but he still did. He shuffled behind Token just before the pair of them came over, making it abundantly clear he was feeling uneasy.
"Dude, I'm pretty sure Mrs Kenarban was asking me out with morse code." Were the words that left Kenny's mouth before he'd fully stopped in front of Token and Tweek. "She kept tapping her pen against her desk, while staring at me."
"She was glaring at you, because you're stupid." Craig's monotone voice replied, subtly nodding to Token in acknowledgement.
"Really?" Kenny glanced at Craig knowingly. "Why don't you show Tweek that picture you drew him?"
"What?!" Tweek startled, tightly gripping the sleeves of his shirt for some comfort, though it was futile.
Not paying attention to Craig's glare, Kenny's grin returned, aimed at the other blonde. "Caught him working on it earlier. It's pretty sweet, if you ask me."
"Ignore him." Craig huffed, pulling out the crumpled piece of paper, before holding it out for Tweek to take. "It has his perverted mind all over it."
Before Tweek was even capable to react, Token had taken the paper from Craig, chuckling once he'd unfolded it. Tweek leaned in to get a look, his cheeks flushing as he snatched it away from his friend to stare incredulously at it.
"Jesus Christ! Why did you have it?"
This was where Kenny smugly turned back to Craig, his arms folded as he leaned against the locker. "Yeah Craig, why do you have it?"
"Because you gave it to me."
"Looks rather suspicious to me." Token chimed in, attempting to get a second look at the picture, though Tweek wasn't having it. Instead, he crumpled it back up and held it tightly in his closed hand.
"I hate you all." Craig drawled.
"Course you do." Token laughed. "Anyway, I'm giving Tweek a ride home. Either of you need one, while I'm going that way?"
"I'm good." Kenny said, pushing himself from the locker, whilst looking down the hallway for someone in particular. "I'm hitching a ride from Kyle. If he ever decides to show up."
Nodding his head in understanding, Token fixed his stare to Craig. "I updated my cd collection."
For a moment, Craig looked to Tweek, debating whether the atmosphere would be worth a comfortable ride home. Besides, Tweek looked as though he was ready to pass out any second, most likely from the realisation that Kenny took his time to draw Tweek with breasts. "So no more Brittney Spears?" He asked Token.
"That was one time."
"You keep telling yourself that."
"Whatever." Token sighed. Listen to 'toxic' one time and never hear the end of it. "Let's go. I've got too much to do, just to be standing around all day."
Only then did Kyle make his appearance. A face like thunder as he strutted down the hallway like some over grown troll doll. Looks of sympathy was passed on to Kenny as the other three made their departure, with Craig roughly patting him on the back as he left.
Craig made a point of walking beside Tweek as they made their way out of the building and through the parking lot. If he was going to act all distant, then Craig was happy to add a little torment to his life. And what a success a simple nudge of the arm could do, how flushed Tweek's face was amidst his attempts to hide it by looking down.
Luckily for Tweek, Token had parked his car fairly close, so the walk there hadn't taken too long, but now for the decision of who gets the front seat. Token was shuffling his books around while he opened the door, tossing them into the back before he climbed into the drivers side. All the while, Tweek awkwardly shuffled into the back. He wasn't expecting for Craig to jump in the back as well, leaving Token in front by himself, though he didn't seem to mind.
The look of bewilderment Tweek expressed while watching Craig buckle up was uncanny. His mind was all over the place and his anxiety spiked. So much for a calm day. Craig however, seemed completely unfazed as he looked out of the window, watching the ground as Token reversed.
It wasn't long before they arrived outside Clyde's house. For the entirety of the afternoon, Token had been trying to convince Tweek to visit him after school, and after endless rejections, he finally agreed. It only took a moment for Craig notice, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked over to Tweek for answers, though Tweek only shrugged. His fingers fumbled with the door handle as he made his swift exit.
The cold air felt like a blessing as he shut the car door behind himself, briefly waving goodbye to Token, before stepping onto the sidewalk and watching as the car drove away. He took a moment to enjoy the peaceful ora of the trees blowing in the wind and the silence from talking.
Ever since his departure from Craig this morning, he'd been dreading the next time he'd see him. It wasn't as though he didn't want to be around him, quite the opposite really, he was just afraid he'd make a fool of himself, and by trying not to, he in turn, did just that. Now not only did Craig likely think he was desperate, but he probably thought he was a weirdo.
Inhaling deeply, he turned to Clyde's house, wiping his sweaty palms on his shirt, before shakily making his way over to the door and knocking hesitantly. It was foolish thinking that Clyde would be the one to answer. Tweek had been hoping he'd limp his way over, just so that he wouldn't have to talk to Clyde's dad. But when the gruffly man opened the door with his nose upturned, Tweek's throat once again felt tight.
"Um, hi. Is Clyde home?" Tweek's question was foolish. Where else would he be? It seemed Mr Donovan thought so too as he rolled his eyes, opening the door wider, while gesturing for him to come inside.
"He's in his room." Mr Donovan said with disinterest as he headed into the other room, leaving Tweek to close the door and head up the stairs by himself. He preferred it this way, anyway to avoid talking to that man was great, but once he was standing outside of Clyde's bedroom door, he thought he'd prefer that Donovan over the younger one.
Knocking gently he listened out for a reply, one that came seconds later from inside. Tweek debated running away, but his hand had already turned the handle and opened the door before he had the chance to actually do so. Stepping inside, Clyde had to do a double take when he first saw Tweek. He hadn't had the chance to look at his phone, if he had, he would've seen the warning message from Token to be on his best behaviour.
"Hey..." Clyde said unsurely, unknowing whether Tweek was here to suffocate him with his pillow, while he was incapable of fighting back.
Drawing out his time, Tweek slowly shut the door, before facing Clyde, more so - his elevated ankle.
"Hey." Tweek rasped, chewing the inside of his lip, as he rocked on the backs of his heals. They fell into awkward silence, neither knowing what to say.
Patting his fingers against the covers in attempt to distract himself from the tension, Clyde sunk a little further into his bed, wanting to focus on the pain of his ankle, rather than go another second this way.
"Token told me to come." Tweek finally spoke, though it failed to ease the awkwardness. "Uh, Jimmy invited us all to a movie night at his place this Friday."
"Oh god, not another one."
"Another one?"
"Yeah, he has them like every month. He doesn't even let anyone else choose the movies."
"Why doesn't he ever invite me, but he does you?" Tweek frowned. "Am I that annoying?"
"Would you even show up if he did?"
Staring blankly back at the brunette for a moment, Tweek released a deep breath, shaking his head. "That's not the point."
"Kinda is." Clyde said, seeming more comfortable now that the conversation was somewhat flowing. "He knows you don't like being around people."
"I don't mind being around people!" Tweek lied without shame, while Clyde gave him a look that expressed his disagreement. "Okay, so I'm a little distant."
Forgetting all about their situation, Clyde lightly laughed, with an amused look spreading across his face. He contently smiled at the wall opposite his bed. He missed laughing.
It was when the smile faltered that Tweek began to soften. Clyde was like a brother to him, an overly sensitive brother, who's clumsy and does wrong from time to time. But Tweek missed him just as much as Clyde did, even if he wasn't ready to express that yet.
"So um, I'm going to head home, I've got a lot of homework to do..."
"Wait." Clyde interjected. "Can we talk? I really am sorry Tweek. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."
Not wanting to get into it right now, Tweek bit down on his lip harshly, looking off into the distance, while he avoided Clyde's stare. "Not yet."
"Why not?"
"Because! Jesus Christ Clyde, I don't want to."
Keeping silent, Clyde watched as Tweek pulled on the ends of his hair. He didn't want to annoy him or push him so instead of continuing the conversation and clearing the air like he wanted to, he looked away. "Okay." He said, his voice deflatedly warn out.
Tweek knew he was over reacting. He knew Clyde was a good guy and that he'd never intentionally hurt a fly. He knew he should stay to talk with Clyde to rekindle their friendship, but he also knew he needed some more time. Clyde's words prior to their argument last week really hit a sore spot with Tweek, and maybe he wasn't really mad at him, but more so at Craig. Inly his feelings for Craig had made him dissociate his anger towards the noirette, and instead it was being directed unfairly at Clyde.
But as he made his way out of Clyde's bedroom and down the stairs, he reasoned his treating the brunette so wrongly was a way of coping, because if he wasn't mad at Clyde, then he'd have to be mad with Craig.