Hello hello! As the summery stated, this is based off a challenge I found on the internet that I tweaked a little bit! This is fic one of three! This fic is based off the song The Night Before (Life Goes On) by Carrie Underwood. Summery Below!

A big life change is coming. Tweek is off to college while Craig is staying behind. The tension between them has been building but now its the night before the big day and they have one last night together. The future of their relationship hangs in the silent air...

Rated T for language!

One Last Drive Around Town

I watched Craig out of his peripheral vision, my usual shaking more intensified due to the cold. Craig blew a cloud of smoke as he looked up at the sky, refusing to look at me. He hadn't met my eye all night. I couldn't blame him really. I would be mad at me too. We'd been together since freshman year and he was one of the only reasons I was even able to follow my dreams in the first place. He helped me get better. And now I was abandoning him. Just thinking about it made my twitching ten times worse. A tear rolled down my cheek. I'd told myself a million times I wouldn't cry tonight but now that I'd broken the dam, the tears wouldn't stop. I heard a heavy sigh come from beside me and I lowered my head, knowing I'd fucked up the night more than it needed to be.

I still remember the look on Craig's face when I showed him my acceptance letter. He tried. I'll give him that, but the pure torture in his eyes when he realized Julliard was all the way in New York and he couldn't follow me… well I'll never forget that. He'd been sort of distance since that day. Don't get me wrong, he still held me, kissed me, made love to me… but mentally? I could tell he was struggling and what was I to do? I had a full ride scholarship and my whole life ahead of me. I love Craig. I'll always love Craig but that's not something I can throw away and the idea of staying in this shithole town that has done nothing but hinder me my entire life just sounds horrifying. Still, the thought of losing him just made me sob harder. I was so lost in thought that the feeling of Craig's jacket being draped around me made me jump. I looked up to see those gorgeous, icy blue eyes peering deep into mine. There was smile on his face and I could see he was fighting his own tears, trying so hard to be strong for me.

"Let's get out of here," he whispered and pushed to his feet, holding his hand out to me, "Let's take one last drive around town, yeah?" I took his hand and let him help me to my feet. He encircled his arms around my waist and planted a small kiss on my forehead, just holding me close for a moment, the silence making me feel claustrophobic. I plastered on my best smile and followed him down from the roof and out to his car. It was a shitty hand me down mustang, but Craig loved it, so I did too. We had a lot of memories in this car. Hell, I lost my virginity in the back seat of it the day Craig got it. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Craig was avoiding my eyes again, staring out the windshield as he started the engine, backing out of the driveway. The silence was deafening. I couldn't take it, but small talk didn't seem like the right thing either. Craig cleared his throat, and I could see him gripping the steering wheel way too tightly.

"So, I tried to get tomorrow off," he said with a small sigh, "but were extremely short staffed so they need me to come in…" He rubbed the back on his neck with one hand and I felt my eyes sting.

"So… this is it." I said in a small voice and turned my head to look out the window. I couldn't look anymore. Not even at the one person who always soothed my screaming mind.

"Yeah," Craig said flatly, and I nodded, even though I knew he wasn't looking at me. Things were slowly getting louder and louder in my head and the pressure was overwhelming. I hadn't felt this overwhelmed in years. A few episodes here and there but nothing this extreme.

"Pull over," I croaked.

"Huh?" Craig asked in confusion, actually looking over at me.

"Pull over!" I demanded louder, my stomach doing flips and bile rising in my throat. As soon as the car was stopped, I flung myself out and immediately began throwing up in the grass on the side of the road, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I attempted to calm down. Then I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me the pressure of lips on my shoulder. Craig squeezed me to his chest and made soft shushing noises in my ear as I continued to have a panic attack.

"You're okay," he whispered to me over and over again and my breathing started to calm. I twisted so I could burry my face in his chest. He held me tighter and kissed the top of my head.

"I've got you baby doll," he cooed, and it broke my heart. I knew it would be ages before I to be in these arms again, but I took advantage of it and pressed closer. I knew he would move on. I wouldn't hold him back either. I knew I would never find a love like this again but pinning him down to me while I was miles away would be selfish and if there's one thing Craig had taught me, it was selflessness.

"You know…" he whispered, swaying back and forth with me, "I've been thinking…" I froze up. I knew what was coming next. This was the end. However, the next words to come out of his mouth were shocking to me.

"Why can't we try?" he asked, and I pulled back slightly to look up at him in pure confusion. He just smiled that sly smile I'd grown to love so much.

"I mean, think about it. Facetime exists, phones exist, planes exist. I have a car. I have a job. I could come see you. I can call you every day. We can make this work. Yeah, distance is hard… but Tweek, I fucking love you. I love you and no number of miles is going to keep me from you. This isn't the end… Its just a road bump." I started to quiver again. He wanted to try? Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that, but it meant the world to me. I nuzzled my face into his neck, sniffling, his words mending my broken heart.

"I love you too… S-so m-much Craig. I never want to be without you," I confessed, "But if you meet someone else…" He cut me off with a chaste kiss.

"No. Fuck everyone else. I've devoted four years of my life to you and I wouldn't trade you for the world. You get me. Nobody has ever gotten me before. Not even Clyde has gotten me on the level you do. I'm not throwing this away. We can make it work if that's what you want."

"W-what I w-want? I can't lose you Craig. Not now, not ever. I want you. I always have." A playful smile tugged at his lips.

"You want me huh?" he asked, "Then come get me." He took off jogging in the opposite direction of me and I giggled softly, glad the mood had lightened as I took off after him.

"H-hey!" I called, "No f-fair!" He shrugged and ran faster, abandoning me and the car to take off into the woods. I knew he wouldn't go far. This was a game we played a lot except usually it was him chasing me. As I picked up my pace in the direction he had run, I smiled as I thought to myself, 'Not goodbye… Not now… Not ever'.