Thursday

I didn't sleep much last night. Geez, last night was weird. It was really nice but it was so weird. He didn't like making out in my car but I was so turned on. It kinda makes me sad, I want to do it again. Why does he hate my truck so much? One more day and that's it.

"Craig, can I talk to you?"

I blink out of my daze, "Coach, yeah…" I follow him back into his office. He shuts the door. "What's this about? Am I in trouble?"

"Yes," he says and then he laughs at my face. "You dumbass, you haven't been lockin' up, have you?" I pause. "See!" he points at me. "I put a lot of trust in you, Craig and the responsibility wasn't even that big. Just remember to lock the front door and the side door." It shouldn't be that hard but that's around the time Tweek and I mess around and when he's around, it just doesn't matter. But I can't tell coach that. I end up stammering and saying nothing. "They found a bum in here," he tells me.

I stare at the floor. That's worst-case scenario. That means… "I have no choice. I'm sorry. I'm gonna have to revoke your key."

"But-"

"No way," he says. "They got the bum out pretty quick but I got in trouble for that. You're careless. It'd happen again."

"I'm sorry."

He sighs, "It's fine, Craig. I just wish you'd have done what I asked. I'm disappointed but hey, at least I can go back to coaching you guys!"

I try not to look dejected but fuck. If I'd just been more careful. What the fuck does this mean? "For… the rest of the year?"

"Do y'all plan on coming in after that? Tweek mentioned leaving after graduating and the way he talks about it, he'll be gone day of. I wouldn't mind working with you this summer, if you're taking a gap."

"I don't know what I'm doing," I admit. "That's just what it's coming down to since I won't make a decision."

"What're your option?" He sits at his desk and motions for me to sit too.

I sit by the door and fidget. "Well, I guess I could still apply for school… I'm kind of interested in photography but that's not practical."

"Hm," is all coach responds with so I continue nervously. I didn't realize how self-conscious I was about this. Nobody's ever sat down with me to talk about it. It's always been more of an expectation I knew they had and then anger that I wasn't meeting it.

"Um, I have some money saved… I could save up more until summer and probably have enough to go somewhere but… I don't really know where I'd go, honestly. South Park is just kind of suffocating. I feel like if I stay, I'd be trapped here." He chuckles. "No offense."

"No, it's true. You should leave. I don't know about school. I think it's a little late for that and you still don't seem sure enough to be tossing that kind of money away," he tells me. "What about boxing?"

I shrug. "I don't think I'll do it after I graduate. It was more of an outlet and when Tweek leaves. I won't have anyone to practice with."

"I meant why don't you pursue that."

This time I laugh. I start laughing harder. What the hell is he talking about. "Like professional boxing? What are you talking about? That's not a real thing, first of all and secondly, I can't do that. I'm a novice, at best."

He snorts, "You're so ignorant and naïve."

"What?"

"Craig, if people weren't trying to be boxers, there wouldn't be any fuckin' boxers!"

"Yeah, okay, b- but I'm not good enough to do that."

Coach sizes me thoughtfully, "You're in good enough shape and you've been training for several years. It wasn't formal training or anything special but some of the best only started training in high school and you've been doing it longer than that. I also think Tweek's good competition because it may have seemed like you weren't getting better but really Tweek was also getting better at the same time, probably faster at some points. And you seem to have caught up with him. I mean I don't wanna get killed or anything," he looks around. "But I might even say you're better. Just because you can train someone to be better but you can't train someone to have a better build."

"Ha," I laugh. "That's crazy. I can't do that."

"You set your limits, Craig. You can do whatever you want. But let me know if you're into that and I can help you get started."

I'm at a loss for words. I can't even really process so I head back into the locker-room and continue getting dressed for P.E.

"Hey."

"Hey," Tweek says. We start walking to lunch. "Stop that," he says.

I blink, "What?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Checking me out. It's annoying." Was I checking him out? He scoffs, "Don't act like you didn't realize. You're so obvious about it." It's funnier to me because I really didn't realize and the way he says it means I've done it before.

"Was I staring?"

"Yes! You stare at my head the most and it pisses me off."

I start laughing more. "I like your haircut."

"Are you mocking me?" he says. "I'm not short. You're stupidly tall."

"So that's what this is about? I like that you're shorter."

"I bet you do."

"Wait, are you mad because I'm taller than you?" he blushes. That's cute. "That's not fair, Tweek. It's not like I can help that I'm taller than you."

"You don't have to be a dick about it."

"I'm sorry. I won't stare at your head then."

"Augh," he groans. "Don't do that either."

I start laughing. "Apologize?"

"Yeah and especially not like that. Just… shut up."

"Anway," I say completely disregarding him. "I talked to coach today. I got in trouble."

"Ha, what'd you do?"

"I forgot to lock up and a bum got in the gym and coach got in trouble so now I can't have a key."

"Wow," Tweek says. "Can you tell me what it's like to be that stupid?"

You make me this stupid!

"Yeah okay, but we have to practice with him from now on."

"That's so weak," he says.

"Yesterday was-"

"Yesterday was weird," he says. "And we don't even know if anyone saw. I said I didn't care and I guess I don't but that doesn't mean I wanna do stupid shit like that. Even if you were a girl, you know, I wouldn't have wanted to do that there."

"…I'm sorry." Geez, I'm being scolded a lot today.

"Dude, whatever, just… try to be less reckless."

"I can't tell when you really mean stop. Sometimes you mean don't stop."

He shakes his head. "You can't tell me you didn't think that was stupid."

"I don't know. I didn't mean for it to happen but I couldn't stop myself."

"That's a lame excuse. You're an adult. Control yourself."

"Yeah, you're right…"

He sighs. "It's fine. If I really wanted to stop, we would have."

"That's what I figured."

"Ew, they're having turkey for lunch. I'm probably not gonna get anything..."

"Wanna go somewhere?"

"Huh?"

"I have a car. We can just go somewhere and get something real quick and come back."

"That's... This is why…"

"Hm?"

"I can't, Craig. Just. Ugh. You're too much." He walks away.


"Where the hell were you?"

"Doesn't matter." I push Clyde away.

"Where'd you go the other day too?" Kenny adds. Token glances at me.

"Leave me alone. I'm not in the mood." I don't like how they're surrounding me.

"So it's just fine that you keep ditching us? Noted. Duly noted."

"I went somewhere to get food. I just didn't feel like being in the cafeteria, surrounded by people," I tell them putting my things in my locker. "And that's it. Stop reading into everything."

"I also wanted to smoke a cigarette so I just left. I didn't think you guys were keeping tabs on me or that it'd hurt your feelings if I didn't show up for lunch."

"It's just suspicious. Makes me think you're meeting with someone. Meeting with Mystery Lady?" Clyde narrows his eyes at me. "Maybe she does go to the school."

"Alright. I gotta get home and get ready for work."

"Okay, see you tomorrow, man."

"Yeah."

"Feel better."


I work my shift and then leave early with permission from Sydney, the manager so I can meet with Tweek and coach. Coach makes us stretch and do a few warm ups. Then we get right into it. He hits with Tweek and I individually and then we box together and after it all we do a quick work out. Then we head home. Nothing happens because coach is in his office the whole time doing paper work. Tweek doesn't even ride with me when we leave.

Tonight, will be the worse night anticipating tomorrow and we weren't even able to do anything today. Fuck.