(A/n: Please enjoy)

Chapter 20: Can They Be Trusted...?

A dull pain stirred Tweek to consciousness, then sounds of something being crunched on registered in his ears. He groaned wanting to sooth the ache in his cheek, but felt the movement of his limbs restricted. Blinking his eyes open, Tweek widened them upon seeing a ground covered in a multitude of twigs and bits of snow.

"W-what the-" Tweek blinked again, instantly beginning to panic.

"If you start squirming around, I'll drop you," a familiar voice threatened. He flinched.

"Don't you dare. Ya already hurt 'em before for no reason," another voice reprimanded them. Oh God, they must be the leader!

"This time I'll have a reason though."

"Craaig."

"Tch."

"U-um, w-where are you guys taking me?" Tweek mustered up the courage to ask.

"You'll see when we get there," Craig crudely answered.

"We ain't gonna torture you if that's what you're worried about," reassured another unfamiliar voice.

Tweek didn't really feel at ease by his statement since he didn't really answer his question. "C-can you put me down?" Being carried like a useless sack of potatoes was pretty embarrassing. "Not as embarrassing as being carried like a girl," he remembered subconsciously.

"So you can run away? Not a chance," Craig said. "And don't even think about teleporting away either."

Tweek just sighed, escaping from these guys was definitely on his mind, but now he's kind of glad he's not given the opportunity to do so. Running away would've not only been pointless, but it would've also angered Craig. He may not be the leader of their clique, but seeing him angry was scarier than when he saw Kenny that way. At least he didn't outright hit him when he intervened his confrontation with Luke. Tweek didn't even know what he did in the first place to get punched, he was just trying to get to class...That he's now very late to...

He wished that he could use teleportation now that Craig had mentioned it, perhaps it's easy to do. As much as Tweek would like to test it out, he couldn't risk actually teleporting out from Craig's grasp.

After much walking, Tweek noticed the ground turning dark, a dusty woody smell traveling into his nostrils, and Craig's and the others' footsteps becoming heavy. With almost every step, the worn wooden floorboards creaked under their weight. Very curious as to where they were, Tweek craned his neck to look up, just in time to see Craig pull a surprisingly well-intact door open, the inside surprising Tweek even more.

The living room starkly contrasted the building's black exterior. As they entered, a sense of homeliness washed over Tweek. Right in the center of the living room was an unlit fireplace, the ceiling fan light was on, but the windows were boarded up to completely shun the lighting from outside view, the walls were colored a baby blue, the couch - that Craig carelessly threw Tweek onto - and the two armchairs in front of it were brown. Lastly, behind the couch was a kitchen, and a hallway that lead to the bedrooms and a bathroom or two.

"Ya didn't have ta throw 'em lac that."

Tweek groaned from the impact against the soft cushions, situating himself to sit into a sitting position. As soon as he did, the three vampires sat down next to him, Craig sitting at the other end of the sofa. Tweek tensed, there's barely any moving room.

"Reelaax porcupine, I told you we're not gonna hurt you," the brunette reinstated.

"H-how can I relax when I'm missing class?!" Tweek yelled angrily in his direction, taking all three of them aback. He then began ranting about the days of classes he'd missed, and how he'd surely fail them at this rate. Once he'd gotten everything out of his system, he was practically left breathless.

There's silence until, "You done?" Craig asked, unamused. Tweek just looked away with a huff.

"We're sorry for bringin' you here, but we couldn't just leave you there knocked out on the restroom floor," the blonde said sounding apologetic.

"I mean we could've since one of his human friends was there." The brunette then shot Craig a look. "Even saw Craig punch the shit outta him."

"Oh yeah...Wait, then we shoulda brought 'em here too!"

The brunette's lavender eyes widened in genuine disbelief at his blonde-haired boyfriend's statement. "Wow, never expected the 'sane and innocent' Butters to say we should've kidnapped a human."

Butters blushed a little at the proclaimed assumptions some of the teachers really thought of him as. "Don't...say it lac that, it's cuz he's a witness, Clyde. He'll probably tell the Principal-"

"So what if he does?" Craig retorted coldly. "We have dirt on him too remember?" Tweek, who had been quietly figuring out who one of his friends were that saw him get punched, had his interest piqued by what Craig just said. "Wanna know?" The query was obviously directed at Tweek, and so was the sly gleam in the noirette's amber eyes. Tweek didn't hesitate to nod his head yes, that way he could relay or perhaps ask his friend that witnessed earlier's incident about the supposed dirt Craig was going to reveal to him. "Those friends of yours plan to escape from the academy," Craig divulged, not beating around the bush.

"With or without you," the brunette Tweek assumed was named Clyde quickly added. Tweek appeared greatly doubtful, and was about to question them when Butters spoke.

"We were in the other hallway when we heard 'em, one of them said that if you weren't feelin' better by the time he had an escape plan, then they were leavin'. This was before they knew you were turned into a vampire."

"..." Tweek broke eye contact with the three, looking down at the stainless brown wooden floor. He still didn't believe what they told him, even with the proof they provided. There's just no way any one of them thought up such a risky and selfish plan...

"Just ask them yourself since you don't believe us," Craig said, uncaring. "Wasn't even gonna tell you had Butters not whined about it."

Butters glared at him. "I did not do that, he had the right to know." He softened his expression as he looked over at Tweek. "But Craig is right, ask them yourself."

Tweek began to fear the possibility of these guys being right. "Yeah...I'll do that."

"Don't tell them you heard it from us," Clyde warned flippantly yet serious at the same time.

Well, that would make asking somewhat difficult. How was Tweek supposed to bring up the topic without telling his friends where he'd gotten the information from? He either had to be straightforward or casually bring it up in a conversation. Ugh, this was way too much pressure thinking about how to go about this. Nonetheless, he agreed to keep their identities hidden, then Clyde suggested he stay here for awhile. "At least until third period ends," Butters reasoned.

Tweek still wasn't all that comfortable being with these guys, but it's thanks to this place's atmosphere that he didn't feel too on-edge. It's very strange how there's a house out here in the middle of nowhere. He glanced around, something about the cozy interior seemed familiar. Not the color of the walls, rather the placing of the furnitures and the fireplace.

"Butters decorated the place all by himself," Clyde told him. "He wanted to anyway. I honestly didn't care what he did, but Craig on the other hand wanted it to look like 'home' for some reason."

"You gotta problem with that?" Craig asked defensively.

"No, no, not at all," Clyde hurriedly said. He enveloped Butters into a hug, nuzzling his head with his cheek. "I would never diss the hard work buttercup did to our little house."

Tweek widened his eyes in realization. Now he remembered where he'd seen this structure before, and that he was advised to keep it a secret. "It looks really nice," he said with a small smile.

"Of course it does, Butters went with my idea after all," Craig boasted.

"You gave him a very vague one," Clyde stated giving him a deadpan look.

"It was vague to you because you're not as smart as he is."

While Butters laughed at his boyfriends arguing with each other, Tweek felt a sense of envy settle in his chest. He knew these three weren't friends, they were more than that and it showed. They were a family. The jealously in Tweek's chest grew the more he listened to their carefree banter and laughter, he frowned bitterly.

"Those friends of yours plan to escape from the academy."

"With or without you."

Clenching his hands into trembling fists on his lap, Tweek really, really hoped that what they told him was a lie...

(A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will up soon)