South Park © T. Parker and M. Stone. Ella Tweak, Nico and Lilith belong to me.
Super-smexy FFN OC's appearing in this chapter include:
Vivi Sykes: created by PiScEs-BlOsSoM69
Lucy Montgomery: created by Kootie Bomb
Amy McCormick: created by ZombiesOnYourLawn
I'd like to tell you that this chapter is less depressing than the last, but it's not. Also, in the Hushverse, Tweek's given name is actually Tobin. Canon be damned.
This story is, by the way, still a romance. I swear! ^.^
Warning: Character Death.
*
Tweek Tweak was buried on a Saturday. The churchyard glittered with frost, giving it a magical and almost cheery appearance in the mid-morning light.
Father Maxi looked at the large, somber crowd gathered at the gravesite. It'd been a long time since he'd done a funeral for a child other than Kenny McCormick. In the last couple of years, Kenny's regular appearances in the small cemetery beside the church became less frequent. He tended to die less and when he did, some passerby usually threw a tarp over his corpse until he reappeared. What struck him about this funeral was the number of young people in attendance. Many of them he'd watch grow from Sunday school to young adults and the grim looks on their faces disheartened him. Taking a deep breath, he began.
"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God…"
Craig Tucker, neatly dressed in a dark suit, stood next to Ella Tweak. He looked down at her blonde head which alternately rested on his shoulder, or Eric Cartman's. He'd sort of drifted apart from Tweek in the last few years, though he hadn't meant to. One day a couple years ago, Tweek leaned over as they played Craig's Okama Gamesphere and kissed the corner of his mouth. He still couldn't decide which was more uncomfortable – the kiss itself, or the look on Tweek's face when he realized that Craig was unreceptive to his timid advances.
Somehow that awkwardness never spilled over into his friendship with Ella. They'd spent hours roaming South Park and the surrounding woods and hills, never saying much and never really needing to. She brought a little sketchbook and he brought his camera. He'd helped her with math and she sewed buttons on his coat. He sat beside her when her brother's body was carried from her house. All the fragile energy that was Tweek, lost somewhere inside a black bag. He'd felt his eyes sting when she wailed as Tweek's body departed the house, even though his soul departed the earth some time before. He was standing next to her now, unable to look at her red eyes, her mute grief. He hated her parents for being too numb to comfort her, but he wouldn't have trusted anyone else to do it anyway. His eyes drifted over the crowd and always came to rest on a figure standing opposite.
Lucy Montgomery. Lucy's long black hair was brushed straight, her sidebangs dyed a deep green to match her dress. Craig was surprised at the sight of her dressed so simply. With less distraction from her bright colored jerseys, her big brown eyes stood out. Out of her baggy jeans she was lean and athletic. Only last Wednesday he'd sat on Ella's bed doing his science homework as Ella sketched him. He knew he'd tipped his hand about Lucy in front of her, and was itching to know what Ella thought about it. Her advice - 'Ask her on a date, dumbass' was sound. Craig had simply hoped for an alternative that didn't involve the possibility of rejection. Wednesday seemed ages ago now.
*
The AntiChrist frowned and jabbed at the buttons on the GPS. Lilith sat beside him, peering out the window of the black Ferarri, awestruck.
"Damien!" she poked him and pointed out the window. "Look at that… that thing!"
Damien leaned over and looked out the window, searching around for a great and wondrous 'thing'. His eyes followed the tip of her finger, and he scowled.
"That's a squirrel."
"Squirrel." Lilith repeated, missing Damien's exaggerated eyeroll as he abandoned the GPS and put the car into gear. Although the drive was short Lilith pointed out nearly everything she didn't recognize, thereby making it seem like an eternity. At last, Damien pulled over and parked in front of the Harbucks.
"I don't know why you couldn't just …" he snapped his fingers and got out of the car. "like you do, and whoosh us there or something."
Lilith followed him into the coffee shop. "Because I can't 'woosh' anyone but myself.' The girl stopped and pressed her nose against a glass case of baked goods. "Damien…"
Damien looked over, feeling heat in his fingertips. "That's a cupcake, you silly girl!" He snapped. "Honestly, have you been homeschooled your whole life?" he closed his eyes as she nodded. "It shows."
"Welcome to Harbucks, would you like to try our white chocolate peppermint mocha?" the girl at the counter asked politely.
Damien looked up at the menu board. "No. Give me a venti skinny vanilla latte, heavy foam, an extra shot and a dash of nutmeg."
"Damien…" Lillith said, nodding towards the bakery case.
"And a cupcake." He added sourly.
Amy McCormick was nearly sixteen the day the AntiChrist walked back into her life. Well, into the Harbucks to be exact. She had only been working there for a couple weeks when the manager's son died. He'd asked her, looking very lost, if she wouldn't mind covering alone on a Saturday morning. She didn't. There had been very few customers all morning, but around noon the mourners would be back to have coffee in honor of the twitchy boy.
The entire morning had dragged by and then he showed up followed by a shorter, dark haired goth girl.
"Damien?" she said with some hesitation.
Damien looked away from Lilith and his eyes settled on Amy's. Wait.. one light brown, one dark blue. She does look awfully familiar.
"Amy McCormick. We were at school together for a while. I was the one who distracted Principal Victoria when you blew up the staff toilets."
"Ahhh! Right. Kenny's cousin. It's been a while." He gestured to Lilith. "This is Lilith, my wicked stepsister."
"Our dads are gay." Lilith volunteered.
"This job is gay." Amy responded and gave Damien his change. A surge of heat traveled up her fingers as they brushed against his palm. She shivered slightly and made his coffee while he made small talk, asking for updates on all his old enemies.
"Tweek's funeral was today." Amy finished, handing him his coffee and Lilith her cupcake.
Damien tucked a few dollars in the tip jar with a slight smile. "And here you are."
"Yeah. Here I am. Are you coming back to school again?" she asked, wiping the counter.
"I'm considering it. My sister is a complete ignoramus and might benefit from high school, if you can imagine that."
Whether or not Amy could imagine it was never explored, as a steady stream of people arrived at the Harbucks to drink to the life of Tobin "Tweek" Tweak.
*
Liane Cartman drove Ella Tweak home after it had been decided she wouldn't bear up during her brother's wake. Mrs. Cartman helped her out of the minivan, squeezed her tightly and then led her inside. She sniffed as the blonde girl looked at her blankly. Liane opened a pill bottle on the counter and palmed one.
"Open up sweetie. The doctor says you need medicine." She placed the sleeping pill in Ella's open mouth and then gave her a sip of water. "Now. You go lay down, dollie. When you wake up, I'll have cookies for you." Liane watched as the girl silently climbed the stairs, then turned and rummaged through the cupboards, looking for flour.
*
Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski and Kenny McCormick climbed into Eric Cartman's car, each silent and pensive. No one spoke. No music was played. Just five minutes of complete silence on the ride to Harbucks.
Stan got out and walked ahead of the rest of them, not really wanting to talk. He shuffled along, hands in his pockets until a gust of wind sent something floating towards him. He caught it easily.
Vivi Sykes turned around as the wind whipped off her black beret and found herself face to face with Stan Marsh. He caught her hat in his hand. He held it out with a hesitant smile and she took it, placing it firmly on her head.
"Hey Stan." She said with a small wave.
Stan smiled dopily, feeling a familiar churning in the pit of his stomach. "Hey Vivi." How does one make small talk with a cute girl at a wake? He looked down, his eyes catching on the buttons of her coat, the wink of a silver ring on her thumb. He willed his stomach to settle.
Vivi's lips twitched and then she broke into a grin. Stan Marsh was cute. Not Craig Tucker gorgeous, but he was pleasantly handsome. He was funny, smart and well-liked, but for some inexplicable reason girls rendered him helpless.
"Would you like to sit and have coffee with me?" She asked, giving him her most non-threatening smile.
Stan nodded enthusiastically and then turned and puked all over somebody's Land Rover.
*
11:47 p.m.
Kenny McCormick stood in the darkened hush of Alpine Court. A light was on in Ella's room, but he couldn't see her. He'd stood with Heidi at the gravesite that morning, unable to do anything but watch Ella. He'd stuffed down the urge to shove Craig Tucker out of the way and give her his shoulder instead, but only just.
Kenny looked around the silent court and then jumped, catching the lowest branch in the bare oak tree standing like a sentinel on the Tweak's front lawn. He swung his legs up easily then climbed over to a thicker branch that was about level with Ella's window. Kenny reached out, tested the window and finding it unlocked, slowly pushed it open. He stood, balancing carefully, then swung his leg over the windowsill his foot touching Ella's bedroom floor.
Ella lay stretched out on her bed fast asleep, still wearing the black dress and mary janes from the funeral. She looked as though she'd simply walked in the door and collapsed. Kenny looked around nervously. Her room was neither messy nor neat, and wasn't covered with posters or pictures of friends. A drafting table dominated one corner, and the usual accoutrements of studenthood were scattered about the room. A basket of yarn sat by her bed, her math book rested on her nightstand along with a photo album and a copy of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Ahh.. freshman English.
Kenny swung his other foot inside and crept over to the bed. His thin hand reached out, the tips of his fingers brushing a lock of hair from her forehead. A black beaded rosary pooled in her cupped hand. He straightened up and carefully slipped her shoes off and placed them by the bed. His phone chirped and he fumbled for it, relieved that Ella slept on. Who's texting now?!
Heidi: need u rite now. 3
Kenny paused and then looked down at his crotch. "Shut up!" He whispered and then put his phone away. He sat in her desk chair and watched her sleep for a few more minutes, idly flipping through her photo album. Tweek, Craig, Tweek, Tweek, Cartman, Niagra Falls, mystery beach, Craig looking pissed. Kenny flipped ahead to the last page and stopped. A picture of Tweek at the Grand Canyon, probably from last summer, looking terrified. Right beside it was a picture of Ella. It looked as though Tweek had done the photography this time, as the frame was tilted. She waved to the camera, the sun catching the gold in her hair. Her smile was gentle and genuinely happy. Kenny wanted her to smile at him like that.
He stood and peeled off his jacket and draped it over Ella as she slept. He pulled his phone out and sent a quick text back to Heidi.
Kenny: pass
He peeled the picture of Tweek out of the album and put it in his wallet. Kenny then carefully removed the photo of Ella and put it in the pocket of his dress shirt.
*
Sargeant Yates pulled up to Tom's Rhinoplasty and parked amongst the cruisers already present, lights flashing. A patrolman nodded as he approached and lifted the yellow crime scene tape. Yates surveyed the scene and began to take notes.
Christophe Moliere died with his eyes open, his boots on and his shovel by his side. The blood on his lips was thick in the bitter cold.
*
Kenny walked along the train tracks just on the outskirts of town. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. 12:43. He stepped onto the tracks, just as the 11:50 express from Denver rounded the bend. It was brutally cold, but in about two minutes it wouldn't matter. He heard the screech as the engineer tried to brake.
Impact. A searing flare of pain. A tearing sensation.
Kenny died.
*
GAH! O.o
Now that I've gotten the final OC introduced, hopefully I can start making sense again.
Sorry about the fatty chapter. Up next, life continues in South Park as it always does following tragedy – like nothing ever happened. Damien and Lilith continue their search for the rogue demon Nico. Other randomness ensues.
Hugs for all who've stuck with the fic this long. ^.^
