(A/n: Eager to know what's happened to Tweek? Read and find out! Please enjoy)
Chapter 14: Taking Responsibility (Taking The Blame)
It is the next morning. It's still raining, albeit not as heavily as before, and the clouds are a tiny bit brighter. There is also a faint breeze in the air, chilly, as it weakly sways the branches of dead trees.
Kyle is laying in his bed in a daze, he'd gotten used to his wet uniform clinging uncomfortably to his body. His damp hair is disheveled, but managed to remain in a ponytail. Not one light is on and the curtain is closed, coating the room in darkness. By the sound of nothing but raindrops, Kyle knows that he is the only one in the room, much to his relief since he needs some time to himself. And with Luke as well, getting the suspicion that the other redhead has something to do with this situation.
He wonders what happened yesterday, only recalling leaving the courtyard after being spotted by...
His lips curl downward at the thought of Kenny. Remembering the conversation they had puts him in a dour mood. Kyle really wants to tell Kenny about Luke and about what he did to Tweek, but then again, he doesn't. He doesn't know how Kenny will take it, and he doesn't want to risk ruining their friendship even more than he already has. He's scared of Kenny severing their friendship, he doesn't want it to come to that. Not ever.
Kyle closes his eyes with a groan, he feels tired but he can't sleep while drenched. He opens his eyes sluggishly and sits up in a similar manner, another bed enters his peripheral. Usually, it's tousled sheets would trigger his OCD, but he doesn't feel compelled to straighten out Kenny's bed for him today. At least their introverted roommate knows how to keep his bed tidy.
Kyle gets out of bed and trudges over to a dresser that's situated off to the side a few inches away from his bathroom. There are two more dressers for Kenny and their other roommate, both are on each side of the window which has enough wall space for them near the corners. Their room is the only one that has three dressers, reason being their roommate refused to have his clothes meshed with either of theirs since he already had to share a bathroom. So after much persistent begging, a third dresser was put in here.
Kyle opens two long drawers for a casual shirt and jeans, then two more for a pair of underwear and some socks. He lays them on top of his dresser, then looks back at his bed. He frowns, from here he can tell that the pillow and sheets are heavily wet. He walks into his bathroom flipping up the light switch, he closes and locks the door just in case Kenny comes back, which will most likely be the case to check up on him. Ruined friendship or not.
His bathroom's colors (Actually all of the students' bathrooms) are red, black, grey, and white with the walls being red. The floor is patterned in black and white square tiles. The shower is a grey walk-in one with a folding glass door, and is in equal alignment of the doorway. Inside the shower are two shelves facing the opposite end of where the shower head is, on them are a bottle of shampoo, a bar of soap, and a red sponge. A black sink with three drawers - two small ones and a bigger one below them - is positioned on the left side wall in the middle upon entering the bathroom. On top of the sink on one side is a bottle of hand soap and on the other side is a clear cup containing a dark red toothbrush and toothpaste. Above the sink is a square-shaped, black-rimmed mirror. There is a towel rack with two white towels folded over it on the wall near the shower. Underneath the towel rack is a porcelain toilet, a plastic toilet paper holder is in the center of that and the sink. A brown basket is on the floor right next to the sink, empty of any clothes for the time being, and lastly is an ebony trashcan that's across from the toilet.
Kyle first unbuttons his blazer. Once he takes that off and dumps it into the basket, his remaining clothes follow suit. He sets his armband down on top of the sink. He lets loose his long hair, then throws the clammy rubber band into the trashcan. He nears the shower, opens the glass door and steps inside, turning the knob for hot water to come out of the shower head.
He closes the door and stands there with his head held down and eyes closed, allowing his pale body to thaw under the steaming stream of water. Although his body is becoming at ease, his mind on the other hand, is far from it. He's experienced this before, this nagging feeling that he'd done something wrong yet he has no recollection of doing it.
Which means Luke had taken over and done something, again...
Kyle curls his hands into fists as he furrows his eyebrows. "Luke," he calls for his twin mentally, but he doesn't receive a response. "Luke!" Still no reply. "Answer me, I know you're around."
Just when he's about to call the other redhead's name again, he hears the teen heave a sigh. "What is it?" He says flatly.
Kyle relaxes his posture. "What happened yesterday?"
"...What do you mean?"
Kyle knits his eyebrows again in slight irritation. "Tell me what happened...after I left the courtyard."
Luke curls his lips into a weak grin inside the void of his twin's mind. "Oh, you mean after you left your only friend in the dark about us?" Kyle tenses, gritting his teeth. "That was actually pretty cold of you, you know? I thought you trusted him, you'd said so yourself."
Kyle did-no, does trust Kenny, but now isn't a good time to tell him about his deceased twin being able to access his body. "Don't switch the topic. Just please tell me what you did yesterday. I need to know."
Luke sighs again. Although he's not feeling the best at the moment, the thought of seeing Kyle's reaction as to what he did last night makes him a little excited. It took quite a lot of energy to make the conversion process short after all, and to also maintain a bit of leftover energy for Kyle's body so he wouldn't feel fatigued like he is. "Would you rather I tell you or would you like to see it for yourself?"
Kyle's eyes fly open at this, beginning to panic. "What the hell did you do...?"
"It's nothing for you to fret over. In fact, I think once you see it, you'll actually thank me."
Kyle goes silent as he thinks up what Luke could've possibly done to think he would praise him for it. But not a single good thing comes to mind, and that only increases his worry.
"You better hurry up or your skin'll melt."
Kyle blinks, aware that standing under the hot water for too long will damage his skin, so he shuts the shower head off. He bites back a hiss as he opens the door, releasing the built-up steam that gradually heats up the bathroom. His body tingles once exposed to the cool air around him as he steps out and grabs the towel from off the rack. He dries himself off with it.
Once he's done several minutes later, he wraps the towel around his waist and grabs the other one to dry his hair. He dries his long locks until he no longer feels any water dripping, then lets the towel rest over his head, leaving a gap for him to see through. He bends down for the basket and walks out into the room, he'll let his armband air-dry.
He sets the basket down by his bed, takes off the towels and begins to put on his clothes. After putting on his underwear and jeans, just as he's about to slip on a red shirt, there is a knock at the door.
"Kyle? You up?" And the door creaks open.
Kyle freezes upon hearing the familiar voice, eyes wide and directed at the opening door.
"I guess you areee..." The teen trails off into silence once the door is opened all the way. His hazel eyes are glued to Kyle's bare torso, and his cheeks flush in something Kyle isn't able to identify, but knows it's more than just from embarrassment. His cheeks heat up also, and he quickly grabs his shirt to cover his upper body with.
"G-get out!"
"B-but I like what I see-"
"Now!"
"Okay, okay," Kenny chuckles as he raises one hand up in surrender while closing the door.
Kyle looks away with a deep sigh, his eyes narrowing when he hears Luke laughing. "Shut up, that isn't funny."
"Yeah, it is. I don't know why you got embarrassed when you've seen each other half-naked before." But what Luke finds even more hilarious is what Kenny said before he left. "Pfft, b-but I like what I see." He laughs even harder.
Kyle tunes him out as he puts on his shirt, untucking his hair then shaking his head to let his hair hang freely behind his back. He can't help but feel chagrined since he wasn't expecting his best friend to come back this soon. Kyle curses his timing. As he slips on his socks, his reddened cheeks return to their normal, pale shade. Afterwards, he rounds to the other side of his bed. Bending down, he pulls one of the drawers open and takes out a pair of red and white sneakers. He puts those on then goes back for the basket. Taking a deep breath, he heads for the door. He opens it finding only Kenny in the hallway, standing right next to their bedroom. The blonde's shoulders visibly flinch when he hears the door softly click shut, turning his head Kyle's way.
Kenny's lips curl into a gentle smile. "You should have your hair down like that more often. Makes you look sexy." His honest, flirty compliment makes Kyle blush again.
"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Kyle asks avoiding eye contact.
Kenny pushes himself away from the wall. "It's lunchtime now, and I came to get you."
Kyle appears shocked, it's that late? He could've sworn it was still morning when he woke up. His expression relaxes. "If you're here to drag me down to the cafeteria, then-"
"That's not it." Kenny's expression becomes serious, taking Kyle aback. "Drop the basket, there's somethin' you need to see."
Kyle furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "See what exactly? I need to give this to one of the janitors-"
"That can wait, this is more important." Kenny seizes his wrist causing him to release his hold on the basket. The blonde drags him down the hallway.
"Kenny, what the hell's going on?" Kyle's question is left hanging in the air for a few seconds.
Kenny turns his head sideways, his visible eye narrowing. "It's Tweek."
That simple answer is enough for Kyle to know that this is indeed important.
/
They reach the nurses office a few minutes later, Kenny stops them in front of the white door. The note is no longer on it. The two can hear a hushed conversation from inside. Kenny knocks twice on the door, Kyle getting an uneasy feeling in his stomach as they wait for entry. A few seconds later, the door opens, Dr. Kero first peeking through the small gap to inspect whom they are before allowing them entrance in.
There is silence with the exception of the rain as the duo walk into the room, the eyes of Stan (whose are narrowed), Pip, Ike, and Gary watching them, mainly Kyle from their position by Tweek's bed, their figures blocking the teen. Kyle notices that Gregory isn't among them, but doesn't worry about his absence. Instead, he worries about the Principal's reason for being here, the man standing next to the unoccupied bed with his back to them and his arms crossed. Kyle's uneasiness accumulates, and he takes no further steps. He lowers his head to look at the spotless floor as he grips Kenny's hand, forcing him to stop.
Kenny turns around to look at him, concern evident on his face. "Kyle-"
"Right here is good," he says quietly, still not looking up as he lets go of Kenny's hand, his own going slack beside him. Kenny's frown deepens, he stares at Kyle for a second longer before looking away.
"Alright, now that everyone's here," Principal Brimestone says, breaking the tension in a stern tone. "Let's get down to business." He directs his attention to the root cause of this gathering. "Kyle, they think you know what's wrong with Tweek."
Kyle knits his eyebrows confusedly as he raises his head, Luke smiling in anticipation of seeing his twin's long-awaited reaction. The four humans move to the other side of the bed so Kyle can see the condition Tweek is in now.
The first thing Kyle notices is how pale Tweek looks, both his skin and hair color have lost their healthy hue. He's sitting up in bed refusing to meet anyone's eyes, and his fingers are tightly gripping the colorless sheets over his legs. The bandages around his neck were removed, exposing the bite wound Craig gave him. Fortunately, there aren't any traces of his sweet-smelling blood wafting or lingering about in the air, his wound appearing to be gradually closing. His blazer and tie are neatly folded on top of the nightstand, two buttons on his dress shirt are undone exposing a bit of his undershirt underneath.
"Dr. Kero told us that the reason why Tweek's been sick is because," Stan hardens his accusatory glare at Kyle. "Someone drunk his blood again."
Kyle frowns nervously, an uncomfortable weight settling in his chest. "What?" Deciding to get a closer look at the supposed fresh canine punctures on Tweek's neck, Kyle is only able to take one step forward when-
"Don't come near me."
He comes to a halt in that instant, all eyes now on Tweek. Slowly, the pale-haired blonde lifts his head in Kyle's direction, ire-filled blue-green eyes meeting lime-green ones. But what greatly shocks Kyle are the other's pupils, they're similar to his own.
"I-it can't be..." Luke's smile broadens.
"You did this to me," Tweek seethes, clutching the sheets to the point of nearly ripping them apart, his hands trembling in anger. "Why the fuck did you turn me into a Goddamned vampire?!"
Stan's eyes enlarge in disbelief. "What?!" His friends are just as baffled. Michael, however, his expression is indescribable at the moment. Dr. Kero, who's sat in his rolling chair, just looks disappointed.
"I know it was you who did this to me so don't even try to deny it!" Tweek continues, keeping an intent scowl on the stunned redhead's face. "First, you sucked my blood, then last night you..." He glares at his lap, lessening his grip on the covers. "I thought you feeding me your blood was a sick dream. But when I woke up with the taste still in my mouth, I knew right then that it wasn't." He grimaces in disgust.
Although Kyle knows it's pointless to oppose Tweek's accusation, he still wants to deny it, to tell everyone in this room that it wasn't him who sucked Tweek's blood nor turned him. But his whole body is dumbfounded into silence. "L-Luke...how-why would you do this...?"
"Kyle."
The austere call of his name snaps him out of it with a jolt, turning his head and looking at the Principal with anxious eyes. "Let's talk out in the hallway for a minute." The order left no room for objection as the older vampire is already making his way towards the door. The fringes of Kyle's hair covers his eyes as his head angles downward, he walks toward the door like a child getting ready to be scolded by their parent. Dr. Kero watches him as he makes his way out into the hall, closing and leaving the door faintly ajar.
Tweek once again becomes fixated on the clean white bed sheets. Stan, Pip, Ike, and Gary eye him at a loss for words. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Pip swallows his nervousness down and opens his mouth to try and comfort Tweek. "T-Tweek-"
"I'm a monster now," Tweek mutters, his quiet voice barely going unheard over the rain. Unclutching the sheets, he looks up at his four friends with glossy, defeated eyes. The group looks into his slit pupils, frowning sympathetically. He averts his gaze back down, messy bleached bangs hanging over his saddened eyes.
Kenny balls his hands into fists, shaking them slightly as he glowers at the floor. "So you did more than just drink his blood..."
Two minutes later, the sound of the door opening draws everyone's attention, except for Tweek's and Dr. Kero's, to it. Walking in is Kyle with a blank look on his face, Principal Brimestone is standing in the doorway with his hand on the doorknob.
"It has been decided that Tweek will be appointed to Kyle's and Kenny's room," he declares, but before anyone - mainly Stan - can object, he continues speaking. "Their former roommate will be moved to a different room, but if there aren't any empty ones available, then he will be assigned to Stan's and Gary's. All of Tweek's belongings will be transferred to his new room today, and he will be released around this evening." And with that, he closes the door.
The developing fretful silence is soon broken by a sigh from Dr. Kero. "Even though this is our first time having humans in this academy, you do know that what you've done is prohibited amongst vampires, right Kyle?" When the redhead doesn't reply back, the male nurse shakes his head. "To think you of all vampires would do this. I know that you were worried about Tweek, but turning him wasn't the answer. Not the right one, at least."
Kyle balls his hands into fists, his expressionless face contorting into a mien of conflict. A short chuckle reverberates inside his head. "Luke, you son of a bitch, was this your stupid idea of a good deed?"
"Of course it was, or I wouldn't have done it otherwise," the blood-eyed teen states prudently. "You can thank me now."
Kyle closes his eyes, calming himself from getting riled up any further by Luke's nonsense. "You're right Dr. Kero, and I'm deeply sorry," he says, earnest. He opens his eyes, looking at Tweek. "I know there's no way you'll accept my apology nor will you forgive me, and I understand that completely, but..." He doesn't want to say it, to admit it. But it's either he takes the blame or confess that his deceased twin took over his body and did it...He makes a bitter face as he utters his next set of words. "I did it to save you. I'm truly sorry for doing such a selfish thing without taking your feelings into consideration first."
Kenny frowns at Kyle as the slightly tense silence returns. Stan looks like he wants to say something, but decides against it, thinking it wouldn't do him any good which leaves him scowling at his feet. Silently, Kyle turns and heads for the door. Kenny spares Tweek a solemn glance before following.
"Dr. Kero?" Tweek murmurs, breaking the quietude with his head still down.
"Yes, what is it?" The brunette responds.
Kyle's hand is on the doorknob, and is ready to twist it and walk out of the room. He assumes that once they're out in the hallway, he'll be bombarded with questions from Kenny. But Tweek's next set of words surprises him.
"Can me, Kyle, and Kenny have some time alone to talk?"
Dr. Kero closes his eyes in thought, opening them seconds after with his lips forming into a line. "Okay, but don't take too long, and try not to kill each other." He stands up heading for the door with Stan and the others following suit, but not without giving Tweek a look of mixed feelings as they go.
Kyle and Kenny move away from the door, standing next to the wall as the group of five exit the room. Kyle ignores Stan's corner-eyed glare as he passes by, his hatred towards him is nothing new and he's used to it now.
Once they're out, the door shuts with a faint click. No one says a word as seconds fleet by, the rainfall's soothing flow does nothing to ease the tension surrounding the three teenagers.
*Earlier With Kyle's And Michael's Conversation In The Hallway*
Kyle pulled the door not all the way closed, and stood in front of it. Principal Brimestone was before him with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Lime-green eyes traveled down to the floor, unable to hold eye contact with the disgruntled man.
"First, tell me why you had the humans go meet Craig, Clyde, and Leopold?"
Kyle shot his head upwards, incredulity written all over his face. "H-how-"
"Gregory told me," Principal Brimestone answered before he could get his question out, deepening his scowl. Kyle cursed Gregory for snitching, he'd specifically told him and the others during breakfast yesterday not to tell anyone about that night, especially the Principal. "Have you forgotten that I forbade everyone from interacting with those three unless I gave the order to? Because you disobeyed such a simple rule, you ended up putting them in danger and as a result, Tweek nearly got killed. Thankfully, no one else was harmed." Kyle looked back down at the floor with tightly pressed lips, he didn't know what to say. He wasn't the one who had them go see 'The Dangerous Three'. "And now, you do this," the Principal continued to scold him. "I know you know damn well giving humans vampire blood is forbidden. Not only do you take away their humanity, but also their ability to live as they please."
Kyle clenched his hands into fists. The back of his mind was warning him not to tell this man about Luke, that it would only make his predicament worse. Especially if he didn't believe him. But...what if he's already aware of Luke? It wouldn't astound Kyle since he had disclosed information about Craig, Clyde, and Butters.
"Go on, tell him about me. About 'us'. Tell him that we are one, that we share this body and that 'I' was the one who turned Tweek into a vampire."
Kyle disregarded his twin's negative persuasion, knowing full well that it wouldn't do him any good if he told the Principal of all vampires their secret. "I do know that turning a human is taboo, and it's repercussions. I'm very sorry." Was what he settled on saying, it was better than saying nothing at all.
Principal Brimestone heaved a sigh, his glare relaxing some. "An apology isn't going to lessen your punishment in any way. And besides, you owe Tweek an apology, not me." There's a moments pause. "Your role as President of the Student Council Committee will be passed over to Token. Give him your armband as soon as possible, I will relay this message to him and the other members later on. Also Tweek will be transferred to yours and Kenny's room this evening."
Kyle knew that this was going to happen to him one day, that his position in the Student Council Committee would be turned over to Token had he ever screwed up. Him turning a human into a vampire was the last thing he expected to be the cause...
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Luke chided, frowning. "Why take the blame for something you're clearly not capable of doing? You're just making this harder on yourself by not telling anyone about us."
Kyle lightly gritted his teeth. After mentally telling himself to calm down, he looked up at the Principal with a dull look on his pale face. "Okay."
The older vampire sighed again. "Go and apologize to Tweek."
Turning around, Kyle placed his hand on the doorknob and slowly pushed it forward with one thought plaguing his mind.
"I really am an idiot..."
(A/n: Poor Kyle. I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)