A/N Okay, here's something longer for you. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it? I feel like we're just biding time until the actual confrontation... noting the name of this chapter, it won't be much longer. Hm. I feel like this Authoress's Note should be longer, somehow, but I suppose there's nothing else to say, except hang in there- the good chapters are coming soon!
Thanks to SparklesMakeMeHappy
Disclaimer I don't own South Park or any associated characters, events, etc.
Stage 6. ([[{p.r.e.f.a.c.e—t.o—c.o.n.f.r.o.n.t.a.t.i.o.n}]])
9:50 pm
July 30th, 2011
South Park, Colorado
Why was he there? She said, he thought frantically while checking the line of text that opened the box, that he would act as a witness to something. But what? Was she expecting him to stand up to Craig? Because, if so, she was going to be sorely disappointed… standing up, defending himself, was one thing so utterly implausible that the very idea of it was near-humorous.
Craig: ah...
Bebe: you're here because it's time for you to stand up for yourself.
Me: ...
Exactly what he'd been dreading. Well… she couldn't make him do it. It didn't matter all that much, anyways. Why was he getting her involved in the first place? It was stupid…
c-craig did...craig did nothing wrong
Craig: see?
Bebe: Don't pull that.
stfu, you
Me: I'm not pulling anything!
Craig: He's speaking truth
Bebe: Yes, you are. Tweek. Listen to me. You're fucking up your life!
It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, Tweek reminded himself frantically. It was Craig who was important here, what Craig wanted, what Craig needed. I don't matter. I'm irrelevant.
Craig: No he's not
Bebe: Yes. He. Is.
Unless you can be the person that he sees in you
As she typed, other words appeared in the second chat box, the one created solely so Craig could shout at him. He seemed angrier than before, if that was possible, carefully detailing exactly how Tweek was going to 'pay.' Desperate, he keyed in a plea to Bebe.
Me: Put Lilies Eat Apples Scarlet Earwigs… Happy Earwigs Lilies Put...More Earwigs...
Craig: What the fuck are you saying, Tweek?
Me: n-nothing
Craig: you're fine aren't you?
Me: y-yeah
He hesitated before adding the next bit, but soon decided that it had to be said at some point. The debate couldn't be had without all the evidence out in the open. Besides, Bebe had to understand, as well… maybe it would help her comprehend his situation more exactly.
Craig
I
Craig: yesss?
Me: i have something to say...
Craig: & what might that be
Me: I...erm...
Craig: go on
Me: i love you?
Craig: Very well
Me: heh
Bebe: And he's just going to let it slide, because he can't even take you seriously.
Me: w-what?
Bebe: he doesn't CARE!
The word hit him as heavily as if she'd actually shouted it in his face. He… doesn't… CARE! But that couldn't be true. He had to care. Had to. Even if he had trouble showing it… but he'd been through a lot, Craig had, more than any of them—
A creak from downstairs echoed through the air, and Tweek froze like a deer in the headlights, a roar in his ears, his surroundings blurring, and seemingly his intestines, as well. If he was—if he was there, now… but, no, there was nothing else. It had been nothing. He knew that much was true, but it didn't stop him from typing a bit more slowly, pressing down on each chipped letter slowly, so that it would be silent, or at least more in that direction.
Me: yes he DOES!
Bebe: he isn't affected by this! I need you to see this...
please.
Me: s-see what?
i don't see anything
Bebe: see that... well... that, for now, he...
CRAIG.
where the fuck are you?
Craig: I am here, watching
For some reason, the words seemed to have a double meaning… a chill sank through all the layers of Tweek's body, through his skin and muscles and ligaments, until it was in his very bone marrow, as if his skeleton had frozen solid.
Bebe: tell Tweek how you feel about him. Right now, in person.
well...internet-wise.
Craig: tell him what?
that i love him?
Me: y-you do?
Bebe: only if you do.
Craig: but I dosly grin
There, it was proven. A small, squeaky sigh was more coughed up than anything. He'd said he loved Tweek. Proof… as much proof as he, Tweek, needed. But her… she seemed to require something more.
Bebe: Then that means that you'll show it? Show that it's love rather than primal want?
Craig: you're being difficult
But as her words danced through his synapses, he realized with a small start that they didn't seem all that unreasonable, not really. Show it. Of course Craig could return to the abuse, if it was… what he needed…
No, he thought.
No.
I don't want that anymore.
He didn't want Craig to do this to him anymore, even if Tweek had given permission. He didn't want it, because it hurt. It hurt in every way that a human could hurt, and several that wouldn't have seemed possible beforehand. It hurt, and he dreaded it, he—he hated it so much, so damn much… no matter… no matter how much it helped Craig… he hated it…
Me: no she's not...
Craig: yes, she is
Bebe: I'm being reasonable.
Me: she's not...
Craig: yah she is
Me: craig...
Craig: what?
Me: y-you need...
Craig: I need WHAT?
tell me Tweek
Me: you...
Craig: c'mon little bitch tell me
haha
Bebe: You tell him, Tweekhugs
Support and bullying, in equal measures. They cancel each other out, he told himself. He could just keep going ahead as if nothing had happened.
Me: you...you need to stop...
Craig: stop WHAT?
Me: just...stop
please?
Craig: Don't push it boy
Me: you...
He remembered those words. I am here… watching… and, just like that, his resolve completely shattered. It didn't matter if things hurt. He, his feelings, didn't matter. I'm so stupid. As fast as his fingers could move, he continued to type.
don't need to stop anything...i am just kidding i am fine
Bebe: Listen to him. (note that I now have a transcript of this chat, too, if it does come to the police)
and it looks like it will
All right, boys, great talking to you, but I have a phone call to make
Police? Police would… they would ruin everything that was still intact! They'd take Craig away from him… tell his parents… would Craig be put in jail? Would they take Tweek to some sort of therapist, or even give him drugs, assuming that he was broken and needed to be fixed somehow, not understanding that this was okay, as long as it helped Craig? He wanted Bebe to work things out, but only if she could easily, if she could without paining either of them. A sudden idea came to him, and he began to hastily copy an old chat with Craig into a compose mail box, to type in the address of the girl who'd be receiving it… so that Craig didn't notice his absence back in the chat, he added a few frightened pleas.
Me: NO! don't do it!
Please!
Hit send... and it was on its way…
i-i have
Apples Near
Earwigs Mail Apples Izzy Lucifer
4u
Craig: stop speaking in code goddammit i can't read it
Oh, no, no… well… if he couldn't read it, that was good, Tweek supposed, but even the fact that he recognized it as a code… not that it wasn't painfully obvious, looking back… was a hazard; Craig was smart, it wouldn't be hard for him to figure things out…
Me: i-I'm not
i was having some sort of anxiety attack...I'm all good now...
Craig: good
Bebe: okay.