Author's Note: Thanks agains to all that read this story and enjoy it. I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. If you have anything to say feel free to do so! I love to hear feedback, but totally don't feel pressured to do so. Let you in on a secret. I'm notorious to loving fics but never review. Stage fright and all. But again thank you to everyone who reads this little fic. You guys are just simply awesome and it makes my day. : )

Chapter 6

Lunch break came and I let Bebe take her lunch turn first so that we could still stay open and have someone at the counter. I served the three that came in while Bebe took her place at a table close to the counter and set out her soup and sandwich that she immediately dove into. I let out a small huff of a laugh as I added the whipped cream to the last girl's drink and they were on their way with a nice thank you.

"Soooo." Bebe started and I cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Yes?"

"Tweeks." She started after she took a swallow of food.

"You really okay with seeing Craig." She didn't look up at me and just stirred some of her loaded potato soup. I took a moment then shook my head.

"I really don't know Bebe. But you said it yourself, I technically already gave myself my answer even if I still have no idea in my mind. Something in my body has made the decision." I almost mumbled to myself as I absentmindedly pushed around the bottles on the back counter. I rearranged them in no particular fashion. Bebe let out a laugh that caught me off guard and I let out a 'what?'.

"Yes Tweek, the decision was made, be it by the heart." She paused and waggled her eyebrows.

"Or something a bit lower."

"Bebe!" I let out appalled which made Bebe laugh even more.

"Hey! You're not going to figure it out yourself so I'm just narrowing it down." Bebe leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile as she took the last bite of her sandwich.

"We are not, I repeat NOT talking about this. Jesus Christ Bebe!" Thankfully I was distracted by a group coming in and Bebe went back to her soup which kept her awful mouth busy for a moment.

I poured in a bit too much milk and cursed at my hands, my brain, and Bebe. I always twitched but I was going haywire now. How could she bring up something like that just out of the blue. I didn't feel anything...a bit lower...for him. I just admired him...I just wanted him to be friends with me. I wanted to know I meant something to him. I didn't want him to...Jesus...no...I didn't want any of that.

My elbow knocked over a cup and the contents spilled across the floor. I was a fucking catastrophe! Ah! Jesus! I let out a surprised yell and Bebe was up in a second to clean up and help make the customers feel better about having to wait a couple minutes. Thankfully they were understanding and said that it was fine. It wasn't though! Nothing was fine! I shouldn't be getting this flustered. So I found him attractive, that doesn't mean anything. I found Bebe attractive. She was a beautiful girl. I could find people attractive and not want them in that way. I didn't want Bebe to kiss me, just like I didn't want Craig to hold me and tell me everything was okay as I pressed myself against him as he kissed me! It was crazy... My face was warm, and my hands had almost stopped in their almost routine movements. My heart was going crazy and the still image of Craig with his lips pressed against mine was thrust into my mind. Jesus Christ that was not the word I should have chosen. I shook my head violently and justs tried to focus on the beans, the espresso, the chocolate, the vanilla, the milk, the caramel, the hot water, the ice, the whipped cream...

The cup should have explodedl with how shaky my hands were when I handed the last drink over to the man that had a look of concern but still took the cup with a warm smile. I gave a smile that was just teeth and if he was weirded out by that he didn't show it.

Once they were gone Bebe put her arm around me.

"Tweeks how about you go get your lunch, sit down, and tell me what just happened?" I waved the last part away when she said it.

"No no, let's not talk about him, I mean it. Jesus, let's not talk about it!" I rushed past her to grab the leftover chicken and macaroni and cheese my mom had made the night before. I popped it into the microwave, hit 1 minute 30 and then my back fell against the wall.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

"OH MY GOD! JESUS!" I practically yelled out and I hoped that Bebe wouldn't walk

in to check on me. What the Jesus fuck did I think about. It made me so happy. I clutched my chest and realized that it hadn't stopped racing. Fuck me...I had already admitted this to myself years ago why was it bothering me so much. That I had been so transparent that Bebe already knew? Or was she just saying that to get a rise. Probably both. God, Jesus I hated my brain.

The shrill beep from the microwave elicited a similar sound from me and didn't help the state my heart was in either. No, I was not going to focus on this. I pulled the plastic container from the microwave and tested the chicken with my finger to see if it was cold or not and by the immediate shock of pain I'd say it was hot enough. I grabbed a water from the fridge and was out where Bebe had sat before. Looked like she had cleaned it up for me so I plopped down onto the chair and poked at the food with my fork.

"Sooo." Bebe started once again and I held my fork up at her.

"How's college hunting." I said simply and I must have had a terse tone because she didn't push anything.

"It's been fine. Think I found one I might like to go to but I still don't know. I'm so picky about these things. Finished community and now I don't know where to go." She took a sip of an iced coffee and leaned on the counter.

"Still thinking about being a therapist?" I asked and Bebe nodded.

"Really want to include a lot of different things with it too yanno? I'd really love working with kids. But before all of that I'll have to go to college. Might go to the one that got back with me recently, the one I mentioned before that seemed nice. Toured there a bit ago. Really nice...will work with me financially too."

I took a small bite of the skin on the chicken. I don't know why I brought this up, it always got me feeling numb.

"How far away?" I asked after a few moments of silence. Bebe added on to that silence by about twenty seconds but after a long sip of her coffee she answered.

"Three hours away."

I felt my heart clench and realized that I really shouldn't have brought this up at all.

"I'll be home on some weekends, and always on the holidays. You can always come up and visit for a weekend too. I'll sneak you in easy peasy." She smiled at me and I tried to give a convincing one back but I don't think it was because her eyes grew sad.

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I don't want you to feel like you have to build your life around what I want. You should be able to go three hours away or three days away and not be concerned about me." I took a bite that was primarily fork and Bebe took a breath to say something but a couple of people walked in and Bebe was taken out of the conversation for a moment. I didn't have anything prepared for my life. I did community college with Bebe because she was doing it but now I was on my own and I just didn't know. Nothing felt right for me because it's just too uncomfortable to try and venture outside of South Park. I knew that I would mess up and eventually just come crawling back since it's all I knew any how.

The older woman and her granddaughter walked out and Bebe stayed silent for a moment but clapped her hands together.

"Well Tweek there's no reason to talk about it right now because I don't even know if I'm going. So that means you're still stuck with me Tweekers." I gave her a small smile and was going to respond with something but the thought was torn from my brain as my phone vibrated. Bebe was the only one to ever text me. Jesus it was my mom that texted me to tell me that my father fell off the roof and had broken his spine and was paralysed and in three years the funeral would be beautiful. I pulled the phone from my pocket and tapped the screen to life, with a swipe of the thumb a text bubble popped onto my screen. My eyes bulged and I held the phone still and didn't move to do anything.

"Who is it?" Bebe whispered out because there was someone who walked in but I didn't know who because my eyes were glued to the screen. I held up a finger to her and heard when she huffed out a breath. The screen had already gone dark but I still kept my eyes on the phone.

"Tweek!" Bebe let out and I realized that she must have been trying to get my attention.

"It's Craig." With that Bebe went quiet, but only for a moment.

"Guess he noticed we had stopped talking about him. He couldn't have that... What did he say?"

"He asked if this was still my number." He still had my number. He had still kept my number and never tried to contact me even though he had the ability to. He kept it though. He kept my number.

"You okay Tweeks?" She asked in a low voice and I finally looked up at her and smiled.

"He kept it Bebe, that's something."

Bebe asked something after that but I was back to being focused on my phone and my thumbs flew across the letters.

T 'Maybe.' I typed first but backspaced quickly.

T 'The one and only!' Backspace

T 'Yea.' and I sent that as quick as I could before I convinced myself to just text 'Y'.

Before I could put my phone back into my pocket it buzzed in my hand and I clicked the screen on again.

C 'Still the same phone?' Craig asked and I looked down at my slightly out of date phone. My thumbs again started to type.

T 'No matter how many times I drop it.' Backspace.

T 'Crappy as ever.' Backspace.

T 'Yea.' Sent.

After a minute I got my response.

C 'Can u say anything other than yea?'

Only one thing I could text back.

T 'Yea.'

C 'Smart Ass' Craig texted back.

"Must be a damn good conversation with that smile on your face." Bebe jolted me from my text conversation with Craig and I slapped a hand across my mouth.

"Shut up." I mumbled.

I took a forkful of macaroni and chicken as the phone buzzed again.

C 'Going to the shows?'

T 'Gotta talk to Bebe about dates, but yea.'

C 'Let me know. Give ya a backstage pass.'

T 'Oh I'm honored.'

I stopped for a moment and looked at the growing conversation. It was so strange how I was so comfortable so quickly with texting him again. I kept feeling like I should be angry but that anger diffused whenever he spoke to me. I was doomed, Jesus I was doomed.

C 'U should b saved for those that r worthy.'

T 'is it Mjolnir?'

"Freaking nerd." Bebe said right behind my shoulder and I jumped I was sure three feet and almost out of my chair and once I had calmed slightly I shoved my phone back into my pocket right as it vibrated again.

"Bebe! Jesus! Warn me next time!" She knocked my arm a bit and took a bite of macaroni from me as a few more people walked in. For tips it wasn't nice we weren't too busy but thank god for it when I had this crazy man texting me.

"I'll take care of this so finish eating and afterwards tell me what you and your man are talking about." I blushed at her statement but she rushed off to the counter before I could say anything to her. I did what she said and finished my food, sending a few texts back and forth to Craig in the meantime. She finished the the customers and was back over to me just as I finished.

"So what're you guys talking about?" She asked as she took the seat in front of me.

"He's asking if we're going to the shows."

She pointed to my pocket.

"The dates on that paper that you had in the car?" She asked and I nodded as a response.

"Well." She started.

" Do you want to go?" She finished.

I nodded again.

"Then we'll go. Kenny and Red are working Thursday and Friday so we can go to Thursday. That sound good."

Nodding just seemed to be my go to for this conversation.

"Ask how much tickets are."

I picked my phone back up and saw what Craig had texted back to me when I asked what he was up to.

C 'Well Clyde is calling his dick Mjolnir now thanks to u. He says its only for those worthy.'

I cringed as I showed Bebe the text to which she rolled her eyes and responded with 'typical.'

T 'Since no one wants to talk about that, Bebe and I can make Thursday. How much are the tickets?'

C 'Free if you guys get there early to help set up and buy us a round of beer.'

I showed the text to Bebe for her confirmation.

"Done and done." She said with a snap of her fingers.

T 'We'll be there. What time?'

C '5 pm sharp. Meet up at the Walmart in Harriston.'

T 'Walmart?'

C 'It's where the cool kids hang out'

T 'Sure it is.'

T' By the way, back to work. If you want I can text you after.'

C 'Just lemme know when u get off dude. TTYL'

I put the phone back into my pocket with a grin on my face that I tried my damndest to keep away but I couldn't help it. Jesus, I hoped this lasted for at least a little while.

"Finally! Closing time. Goodbye you coffee lovers and hello to freedom!" Bebe exclaimed as we walked out of the Harbucks and I smiled.

"I swear, when I die my last words will be, do you want extra whipped cream?"

"And when they do your autopsy there will only be whipped cream. No organs, no veins, just the whip!" I twitched out and took a sip of my fifth cup of coffee that day.

"Oh you are beyond telling the truth." Bebe laughed out.

"OH!" I exclaimed suddenly and almost dropped my coffee. I caught Bebe off guard and she held her chest as she spun her head around.

"What!?" She yelled.

I shyly took out my phone from my pocket as a blush crept across my face because of my overreaction.

"I uh, I was supposed to text Craig when I got off."

"Shit Tweek, give me a heart attack." She grunted out and I apologized as I sent a quick text that I was off.

I didn't get the response until I had said bye to Bebe at her house and told her I'd open tomorrow and she kissed each of my cheeks and gave me the biggest thanks. I had just gotten back to my house when my phone vibrated. I walked into my house and hung my jacket and messenger bag up on the hooks. I saw my mom get up from beside my dad on the couch. She kissed my cheek. She took the container that my lunch had been in and walked into the kitchen. I followed her.

"Welcome home darling" She said as her heels clicked on the kitchen tile..

"Dinner is in the microwave. Want to join us while you eat? We're watching some M*A*S*H reruns?" I smiled at her and gave my dad a twitchy wave as I shook my head.

"I'm actually pretty tired. I think I'll take my food upstairs. But thanks, mom. Dad." She smiled down at me and said that was okay, that I worked so hard but that I should be careful because one day I might fall out from exhaustion. Thanks mom.

She went back with my dad as I heated up the food and was soon up in my room. As I kicked off my shoes I took my phone back out of my pocket for the hundredth time that day.

C 'Sorry for the late response man, was doing my share of driving.'

T 'No worries. Just got home.'

C 'Yea we just got to where we're staying. Going for a walk though. Mind if I call you? Like some different company.'

I stared at the phone and before I could even get a response to form in my head my phone screen changed to a picture of me and Craig back in highschool that took over the little LED box. I waited a few seconds but quickly swiped my thumb and put the phone against my ear.

"Sorry, I got impatient." Craig said immediately and I let out a breathy laugh.

"I can tell. Where're you walking to?" I asked to get a conversation going because I really didn't know what to say.

"Hmm. Here and there. Not really sure."

Thank you Craig for being vague and giving me nothing really to jump off from there for a conversation.

"Don't you worry about getting lost?" I asked after a couple of moments. I could hear the wind hit the speaker on his line. I would worry about getting lost. I always needed to know where I was going and where I was going to end up. If I didn't I would surely be attacked, or starve, never to be found again. Probably lost in a forest some place, eaten by wolves.

"Nah. There's really no way to get lost if you don't have a destination."

"You're the songwriter of the band aren't you?" I inquired after a smile found its way on my mouth, which had been happening a lot lately.

"Cause I'm all poetic and shit?" He asked back which got a genuine laugh from me. I walked over to my bed and sat down with the plate of food in my lap.

"Oh, prime example right there Craig." His name still felt foreign on my tongue, but it was like a language I had just forgotten.

"I do try my best." He said as I stabbed a roasted potato and popped it into my mouth. I heard a little bell chime on his end and the song 'The Charming Man' by the Smiths could be heard.

"That place has some loud music." I said around the potato.

"Little diner, I'm following suit with you and getting something to eat." He replied and I swallowed the potato quick which resulted in me having a small coughing fit.

"Sorry, went down the wrong way." I apologized.

"S'alright. You good?" He asked.

"I love this song." He said before I could get a word in about if I was okay or not.

"The Charming Man?" I asked and there was a long pause and I got concerned for a second that I got the song wrong and he was upset with me.

"Uhm. At least I think it is. Jesus. It is The Smiths right? Jesus, I'm not too good with song names but I listen to that one a lot, along with Girlfriend in a Coma. Don't know too too much about The Smiths but those songs Bebe has on a mix CD so I know them, and like them. Jesus Christ I'm rambling you can hang up-"

"Shit Tweek, it's okay. I just didn't think that you would know the song. It just surprised me a little. You're okay man. It's just, when we...when I was...nah it's okay." He cleared his throat.

"Having one of your favorites right now. Pancakes and coffee." He decided to say instead.

I decided not to pry and when I heard him take a bite I cut a piece of roast beef and took a bite of my own. We chewed and stayed in the silence for a bit.

"But what type of pancakes?" I asked after I was finished and he let out a curt laugh.

"Uhm, chocolate chip, what other kind is there?"

"You pass the test." I approved and he laughed.

"Why thank you Mr. Tweak. I hope to stay in your good graces."

"That's not hard to do." I said before I could stop myself and shoved my mouth with potatoes to shut myself up but then realized I should say something to distract him from that. Which just resulted in me coughing up a lung from trying to swallow the potatoes. While I was choking them down I tried to think of something, anything to say.

"What's your favorite Smiths song?" I blurted out as I spewed out bits of potato.

"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." He answered without hesitation and no reaction to my earlier statement or my earlier potato fiasco.

"Mind if I pull it up?" I asked him, and wondered if that was weird.

"I'd be offended if you didn't" I heard him take a sip of what I assumed was his coffee, and I did the same. I pulled my laptop over to me from where it was on the foot of my bed and clicked open Youtube. Soon the song flowed out of the speakers and I was immediately captivated by it but I wasn't sure if that was strictly because of the song or if it was because it was Craig's favorite.

"Take me out tonight
Where there's music and there's people
And they're young and alive
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I haven't got one
Anymore "

Craig started to speak quietly along with the lyrics that I guessed he could hear and I couldn't help but let the corners of my mouth quirk up at his actions. It was so nice to be back in contact, and to have this private moment with him right now. Well, private for me at least.

"I'm really excited to see you." I thought.

"What?" He asked. Well...I thought I had thought it.

"Excited to see you and Clyde and Token and see the show again. I like your band's music."

"Ah." Was all he said back. I let out a sigh when he didn't try and question anything.

"Well Tweek." I heard him gulp down some coffee.

"Thanks for keeping me company while I was out but I've got to get off. Have a good night Tweek."

"Uh, Jesus, Yea man, you're welcome. G'night." I barely got out the 'G'night' and he was gone. The call dropped and I sat there for a second with the phone still pressed against my face.

I was a fucking idiot.