(A/N: January 29th, 2018: Woah! Two chapters in two days?! Is Emma crazy?! No, I've had a bit more free time the past two days that I took advantage of. I don't know if I'll be able to write for the rest of the week due to huge projects and test this week, it might be very difficult for me to get in the zone creatively as well. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!)
Chapter 9: Behind the Trigger
Craig's POV
The afternoon with Tweek was something I never expected, but it thrust butterflies in my stomach and made my heart feel the warmth of a summer sun. I didn't know this was going to happen in my life, but as I pulled away from that kiss I knew something was right. On the drive home, neither of us really talked. I smiled and squeezed his hand before he hopped out of my car though, and I watched him the whole way until he was safe inside his house. I decided to take a small drive to clear my head before work.
I wasn't sure what to tell anyone, I mean I did want to expose this to the world and tell everyone that Tweek was mine so back off. This town though, isn't the best town to expose homosexuality too, since it was a quiet mountain redneck town. Everyone hunted and fished, and voted for Donald Trump. The people in this town didn't like Mexicans or Muslims, and especially homosexuality. My dad, I didn't even think about my dad! My dad goes off constantly about how he thinks gay people should be put down. And Jimbo and Ned, they are very against gays as well. Everyone in my life hated gay people, and here I was discovering I'm gay. Should I even tell anyone, or should I keep it a secret? I'm not the best at keeping secrets though, it would slip out eventually. I pulled my car into the empty parking lot next to medicinal fried chicken, and grabbed my phone.
Craig: Hey Tweek, can I ask you something?
A couple minutes go by before my phone lit up.
Tweek: Yeah sure Craig, what's up?
Craig: Do you think we should tell people we're in a relationship now?
The minutes felt like hours as I waited on that text message. I turned on my CD, and played Why don't you get a job by The Offspring.
Tweek: Probably not. I don't want my parents finding out just yet. I'm not sure how they'll react.
Craig: Same. I'm afraid of what could happen. My dad is very against homosexuals, and so is my boss.
Tweek: And so is half of this town.
Craig: You'll be my dirty little secret then ;) :*
Tweek: You fucking nerd.
I couldn't help but laugh, I felt so stupid but I knew Tweek was laughing along with me. I took in a heavy breath. This was how it had to be, now wasn't it. I didn't want either of us hurt, and I didn't want anyone to hate us. I pulled out of the parking lot, and headed back to my house. As I pulled in the driveway, my heart sank as I saw my dad's truck. How could I possibly be lying to my dad? Maybe I just won't talk to him before work.
"Hey Kid, how was school today?" Dad asked me as soon as I walked through the front door. I sighed, dropping my backpack off by the door and taking off my shoes.
"Boring." It's easy to lie when your voice is constantly monotoned. Dad was watching football on TV: The New York Giants versus The Denver Broncos. I wasn't a huge fan of football, but from time to time with Dad since he used it as bonding time. The only other time I would watch football is when I would go to Clyde's football games when he asked me too.
"You have work today?"
"Yep." I started to head towards the stairs, flipping Dad the bird as I walked. He flipped me off right back and continued to talk like it meant nothing. As I got to the foot of the stairs, Dad stopped me again by talking.
"Do you have any plans this weekend?"
"I have to work at noon on Saturday, and I have Sunday off."
"How about we go hunting this weekend? It's the start of deer season."
"Sure Dad, I would like that. I want a large buck head on my wall this year."
"That's my boy!"
I climbed up the stairs until I reached my bedroom on the right. My bedroom hadn't changed much since I was a kid. I still had red racer posters up on the blue walls, and my ceiling was covered in those glow in the dark stars. I even still had a Twin size race car bed, because I never felt the need to change it. Tweek has been in my room many times over the summer with the other guys, but now that we're dating my bed was a bit embarrassing. I changed into my uniform for work, which was a pair of jeans and a tan button up shirt with a name tag attached to it. Making sure I looked presentable, I grabbed my phone and car keys and ran out the door before Dad had a chance to talk to me again.
The week raced by like a criminal in a high speed chase. I spent the afternoons I didn't have to work with Tweek, playing video games, cuddling, and kissing when his parents weren't home. When I did have to work, I would still spend some time with him before I had to go to work. We never hung out at my house, because my dad is normally home by 5 and I don't want him seeing how close I actually am with Tweek. I just told my parents I was going to a friend's house, which wasn't a lie exactly. The fact he was more than a friend now didn't change anything. Dad and Mom have both met Tweek before, and they don't seem to have a negative thing to say about it. I wonder if that would be the case if I came home with him, holding his hand and introduced him as my boyfriend.
Jimbo and Ned knew something was different with me. They kept saying I was in a better mood, and flipping off customers less. Jimbo keeps asking me if it's a girl, and no matter how much I tell him no he's still insistent that he could see love in my eyes. I couldn't possibly tell him I had a boyfriend now, I feel as though if I did I would lose my job. Jimbo kept trying to give me "lady advice" and how to woo a girl, and Ned kept telling him to shut the hell up. Neither of them had a spouse, and they were roommates with each other. I wondered if they were secretly with each other and have been able to hide it for a long time. I pray that I will never have to hide it that long with Tweek.
Thursday bleed into Friday, and Friday crashed into Saturday morning. Before I could even blink, I was walking towards the forest surrounding with my father at five in the morning in order to get a good spot. Everyone was going to be out hunting today, and we didn't want to be around any other hunters. Dad and I found a large rock that we could both sit behind, and stay hidden for when anything showed up. We sat down, and my dad pulled out a small cooler he brought with him. He popped open a Bud Light and handed it to me.
"Drink up boy." Without a word, I grabbed the beer and took a sip. It was very watery with a slight bitter taste. I wasn't a big fan, but my dad was giving me beer at 17. There was no way I was passing this up. We sat there for a few minutes, just sipping on beer. My dad's orange hair thinned, causing the sun to shine off of his receding hairline.
We sat behind the rock for a couple hours, keeping our rifles pointed straight. In. Pause. Out. Pause. In. Pause. Out. Pause. I was trying to steady my breathing, knowing that you could only shoot when you finish breathing out. Your aim is the most accurate when you synchronize your breathing and your heart beat, something my dad has consistently enforced in my head since I was a kid. It's harder to do after having a couple beers, but I was trying my hardest. I wasn't drunk, I was still able to function normally but my heart beat was starting to become irregular.
"So Craig, you've been hanging out a whole lot with that Tweek kid." Dad whispered over to me.
"Yeah?" Why was his bringing Tweek up now? Was this apart of his idea of bonding? Trying to figure out something we can talk about that wasn't hunting or football?
"He's the one whose parents own the coffee shop, right?"
"Yeah, he works there almost everyday after school. I've been hanging with him before we both have to go to work."
"I'm a little worried about you spending so much time with him. There's a rumor going around that he's a raging fag." My heart stopped dead, and my breath was caught in my throat. Who knows Tweek is gay? How did word get around so fast? "I don't want you being friends with a fag, Craig. I don't want him turning you into one."
"Dad you can't turn gay by being around gay people. You can't really help who you develop feelings for."
"Really Craig? You don't need to be giving me that bullshit, see he's turning you!" His face heated up, starting to turn red.
"What do you want? Me to hate anyone who is different than me? I'm not going to do that Dad. I don't even know Tweek's sexuality." I lied.
"It's easy to tell, I always knew there was something about that twitchy freak. That boy's too skinny, too feminine. It should have been obvious before hand, and if it was I wouldn't let you keep hanging with that flamer."
"Dad shut up about him! We've become really good friends, and I don't like that you're talking about him that way. You've never talked about Clyde or Token like that!"
"They aren't prancing around trying to suck off their friend's peckers." Dad's face was starting to get red like his hair. I knew he had a short temper, and normally I knew how to defuse a situation where he would blow up on me. This was one of the only times I didn't know how to defuse him, since it involved me and someone I felt strongly for.
"What are you talking about? Tweek isn't like that at all! He's probably not even gay! You barely know him Dad!"
"Well I don't want a faggot around my son, you're better than that. I don't need him influencing you, before I know it you're going to be strutting around in high heels with a rainbow flag on your back! Craig, you haven't ever been with a girl in your life! You need to get on that son."
"I don't like any of the girls at school, they're all bitches or whores or both! I'd rather wait until I go off to college, maybe then I'll find a nice girl."
"I think you're just trying to hide something from me. You're a shit liar Craig, you always have been. " Before I could realize what was happening, my dad was on his feet and I was staring into the barrel of his rifle. My heart was racing inside my chest, but I continued to stay silent. My dad wouldn't shoot me, would he? He's my dad, he's suppose to love me unconditionally! "I will not have a son who is a faggot Craig! I know you aren't saying you are, but you also aren't saying you aren't. If you're dating that Tweek fucker, tell me right now."
"Dad, you wouldn't shoot me! Are you serious right now?!"
"CRAIG ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION! Are you dating that faggot?!"
"Yes! I asked him out!" Bang! The sound was so close all I could hear was bells crashing into my ears, filling them with saturated ringing even with earmuffs on. An intense pain ran through my shoulder as a bullet ripped through my flesh. I screamed, clutching my shoulder. It was warm and wet, and I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes to see the damage. It felt as though 30 strong men punched me in the same spot at once, then set my shoulder on fire.
"There's your warning. If you're still with that fucking faggot after this, a bullet is going in your head." My dad's voice was deep and threatening, much worse than just a cold expression and a middle finger. The pain was so intense, I couldn't breath. My head felt dizzy and light, and I crashed onto my other side as I continued to tightly grip my shoulder. My dad's voice rang out, but sounded as though he was down a long tunnel. He was on the phone with something, I think it was 911. At least he wasn't just going to leave me to die. Can you even die from a shot from the shoulder? It wasn't in any vital organs, but could I die? My consciousness faded as I heard sirens in the distance.
