Missing

It was quiet. The coffee brown house was quiet. Not a sound other than the breath of his mother on the couch. Breathing deep in the valium haze, full coffee spilt on the cushion. Not a sip had been taken anyways. His father wasn't there to help as usual. He was at the coffee shop. He wasn't even in a single picture aside from one family portrait full of fake smiles. It seemed to him that had always been something missing. That's all there were pictures of. Fake smiles that didn't reach the eyes showing how over the years the only ones left faking the smile were his parents. Mainly his father. The last picture on the shelf not even his mother smiled anymore. It didn't hold him in that picture, he hadn't shown up and they didn't notice. A blonde boy with hard hazel brown eyes framed in another picture alone. He hadn't bothered to smile, leaving a blank expression that even Craig Tucker envied. The blonde boy was now eighteen. It had been over ten years since that last photo was taken. Ten years and he still wore the same expression. It was normally covered with a cup of coffee to his lips or faked fear and paranoia. The blonde was very different when he was all alone. A side he never showed anyone. Not his friends, not his family –as if they'd noticed if he did- and not his classmates. The blonde lay back staring at his ceiling. He hadn't moved out of his room for twenty-four hours now.

Tweek Tweak hadn't heard his mother move either. Perhaps they were both lethargic, the teen thought with a cynical smirk. He finally sat up at the sound of his cell phone. Fuck You by Lilly Allen: it was Craig. He looked at it, not answering the call. He got a text soon after asking what was up, why he wasn't at school that day. Tweek sighed and lay back down with his phone. He turned his head to look at the wall as he teared up. Tweek shook his head and took deep breathes once again pushing it down. The blonde took his phone when he was composed and texted back.

[Sorry man! I'm getting over that cold still and if fell asleep this morning and missed the bus!]

Tweek used his cold excuse; he had been sneezing the day before. It worked. Craig texted back to ask if he wanted to come over. The blonde almost smiled. Tweek responded positively and packed an overnight bag. He frowned at it. The blonde looked to his door and then at the bag. He packed more than one night's stay.

It had been three days he'd stayed at the Tucker residence. Three whole days. His cynical sadness was leaking through and Craig was catching onto it. Small hints sporadically appearing. Tweek was relaxing in Craig's room just talking about nothing when the subject came up.

"You know it's been like three days, I can't believe your parents agreed to that long!" Little known fact: Craig was expressive when he was alone with his friends. Tweek didn't answer, pretending to be asleep now. "Seriously man." The ebony teen could tell he was faking. "Don't they want you back home soon? I feel kinda bad keeping you here." He missed the cynical sharp reply of "No." that was mumbled from the coffee addict. The poked the blonde and sighed. He wasn't getting an answer from Tweek, who continued to fake sleep. Craig shrugged at him being stubborn again and dropped it. In his mind he wept and screamed "Because they forgot me long ago."

The next week Tweek sighed sadly and looked back. There it was. South Park. Right behind him, the tiny town could fit in his hand from here. Summer started just the day before and he was running an experiment. When he had gotten back from Craig's after three days nothing was out of the ordinary. His parent's hadn't even known he was gone for three days. Tweek turned away and started up the bike again, riding away with his expressionless façade. He rode away to Denver. He had already looked it out. A small apartment on the east side. A bad part of the city so the rooms were cheaper. Tweek stopped when it started to pour rain like no tomorrow. He looked at his phone. Five missed calls. About thirty unread messages.

{Hey Tweek, I thought we were hanging out today? All me back.} From Clyde

{Tweek, man, come on. Clyde won't stop bothering me about you. Where are you?} From Token.

[Tweek r u alright? U aren't answering and neither r ur parents] From Craig. Tweek snorted. Like they'd answer anyways?

[Hey what's this I heard about someone seeing you leave the town limits? WTF is going on?] Another text from Craig. Tweek sighed. So they knew he left already? He scanned more texts and panicked voicemails. The blonde shook his head and looked at his reflection in the puddle forming below his feet. The eyes betrayed sadness. Tweek chained and locked the vehicle and went to claim his new home. As the blonde flew up the steps in the weed scented complex he broke down. He opened his door with tears streaming down his face. He looked at his phone again.

In South Park an ebony haired teen was pacing and desperate so full of emotions he didn't know where to start. He somehow got it in his head that Tweek left because he hated them all. And so he sent one last text. Craig closed his phone and threw it to the floor in frustration.

Back at the Tweak residence His mother, in the exact same spot on the couch, looked up and around suddenly. Her half-lidded eyes not really there as she whispered alone, "Isn't something missing?"

[If you're just ignoring us then fuck you too.] From Craig Tucker. Tweek fell on his knees the tears finally overflowing. The emotions he held back streamed through. He stood up, using the wall for support and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The scalding hot water scorched his skin leaving it red and numb, just how the teen liked. He cried into the water not telling tears from drops. He sighed and looked up in desperation.

"Isn't someone missing me?"