FicWad

The Blood of the Covenant is Thicker than the Water of the Womb (bonds that you make made by choice are more important than the people that you are bound to by the water of the womb)
Colorado, September 2010, Fall
On the first day of their Junior year of high school the morning sun streamed into the upstairs bathroom of the Tweak’s house. Tweek stood naked in the shower, sobbing as the water rushed over him and blended with the tears on his cheeks.
Craig shouldered his backpack and began the long walk to school, feeling cold sweat forming on his skin under the t shirt he had been wearing the last time he had seen Tweek, at the beginning of the summer. Even as he gazed up at the early fall foliage on either side of the quiet road he strode down, it felt a lifetime ago.
It was a little after eight when he reached the school. He hoped to get his class schedule from the office before Clyde, Token, or Jimmy arrived. Or, God forbid, the fragile sandy haired boy whose grief-stricken face swam in his mind’s eye.
He would just keep his head down. He was a Junior now. They could go off campus for lunch. Just get in, get the grades, get out.
“Craig.”
Craig’s heart sank as he registered the soft voice that choked out his name from behind. Slowly he turned around to face him.
He looked far thinner than Tweek had ever seen him before. Tweek grappled with his distress as he took in the hollows in Craig’s cheeks, the dark shadows under his eyes, the haunted look behind them.
Craig forced himself to smile at Tweek even as he fought to keep from vomiting all over himself.
“Hey.”
The silence stretched between them.
Tweek tugged at a lock of hair. Internally, Craig winced at how dishevelled he looked.
“How was Boulder?”
“Ha, yeah, it was fine.”
“You shone, didn’t you.”
Tweek coughed.
“I dunno.”
“I saw the picture of you up in reception, dude. I know they offered you a full scholarship when you graduate. I mean, wow. You’re only a Junior now. That’s huge. Congratulations. Honestly, I’m so stoked for you.”
Tweek forced a smile, clutching the strap of his shoulder bag like a life vessel.
“Thanks, Craig.”
For a few moments they simply stared at each other.
“So, uh, how was your summer?”
“It was ok. Just working, you know.”
“How are you healing?”
“Yeah, I’m fine thanks. Don’t worry about me.”
“Craig -”
“Hey, I’m sorry, Tweek. I need to get going.”
“Craig, please -”
Craig gave an awkward thrust of his head that could have been a shake or a nod as he turned and began to walk away from Tweek.
“Fags.”
The word made his stomach lurch. He whirled around to see Clyde standing at the end of the corridor, sneering at him and Tweek.
Craig strode down the hallway towards Clyde, passing Tweek and standing between the two of them. He fixed Clyde’s cruel smirk with an icy cold glare.
“Shut the fuck up, Donovan.”
Clyde took a step towards him. Behind him, Craig felt rather than heard Tweek whimper.
“You know what? I don’t think I will. I was wondering if you’d even show your face here, Buttfucker.”
“You’re an asshole, Clyde. Leave us alone.” Tweek stood beside Craig, his hands clenched into fists. Clyde laughed.
“For fuck sake, Tweek. Or should I call you Twink? Isn’t that what you fags call pathetic little lady boys like you? You’re a joke. I could wipe my ass with you. And you’d probably like it. You’re calling me an asshole like you don’t love doing all kinds of disgusting shit with them. Fucking faggot.”
He stepped forward and shoved Tweek, who stumbled backwards but didn’t lose his footing. Clyde pulled a disgusted face and wiped his hands on his jeans as if he had touched something dirty.
Craig grabbed the back of Clyde’s jacket and whirled him around, taking hold of his shoulders.
“Leave. Him. Alone” he growled. Clyde narrowed his eyes. When he spoke, it was a poisonous whisper.
“Oh, Craig, honey, are you jealous? No wonder your old man kicked you out. Hell, it’s a fucking shame he didn’t just drown you when you were born.”
Craig would have let go of Clyde, but for Tweek shaking behind them. He needed to keep Tweek safe. He took a deep breath.
“Look, Clyde. We’ll stay out of your way and you’ll stay out of ours, okay?”
Clyde’s expression was completely blank. He opened his mouth to speak, but what he was about to say they would never find out.
A door opened behind them, and Principal Anderson emerged from her office. Craig’s heart sank as he saw her over Clyde’s shoulder. As he registered her expression, he knew it was over for him.
“Craig TUCKER!” she screamed.
Craig quickly let go of Clyde’s shoulders, and Clyde fell to the floor. Only Tweek and Craig saw how staged it was.
She strode forward and grabbed Craig’s arm. “In my office. Now.”
He sat on the hard plastic chair before her desk, clutching the strap of his backpack just like Tweek had.
“Principal Anderson -”
“I don’t want to hear it, Tucker. Fighting in the corridors! And before the first day of the year has even begun!”
“But -”
“You’re a Junior this year! You’re expected to be a role model for the younger students!”
“Ma’am -”
“Don’t interrupt me, young man! The punishment for bullying is an automatic three day suspension. We’ll bring your parents in to talk about this.”
Craig almost laughed at the absurdity of the proposition. He tried to cover it by coughing, but her eyes flashed at him and he knew she’d seen.
“I have no idea what you find so funny. Oh, and the police informed me about the protection order keeping you from approaching your younger sister. We’ll be discussing steps to ensure you comply with the protection order. Frankly, I’m astounded by you. We need to ensure you don’t harm other students.”
He blinked at her.
“You have a serious attitude problem, Tucker. A serious attitude problem. I mean, just look at you. Clearly you were up all night playing video games or watching television.”
That time he did laugh.
“Ma’am. I live in a trailer without electricity, let alone internet.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No, really. I do. I wish I didn’t, but it’s true.”
He stood up.
“Sit down!”
He smiled at her politely.
“Principal Anderson, I won’t be returning to South Park High. I’m sixteen. Legally there is nothing preventing me from leaving school without parental permission. So that’s what I’m doing.”
“Tucker -”
“Goodbye, Principal Anderson.”
The metal door clanged behind him as he stepped back into the corridor.

Fortunately Aisha had been looking for a full-time member of staff to take on as a trainee mechanic with an apprenticeship, and was happy to give the position to him. She expressed vague concern at his leaving school, but he politely explained that he didn’t want to talk about it.
As much as possible, Craig didn’t talk to anybody about anything.

Colorado, 2010-2011, from Fall to Winter
Tweek began bringing a knife to school with him.
For whatever reason, Clyde, Token, and Jimmy didn’t approach him. Perhaps they knew that they couldn’t touch the scholarly darling of the Faculty who had made the local news. It was his success at Boulder that stopped the teaching staff from ever questioning his involvement in the confrontation with Clyde, and guaranteed to him that he could carry the knife undetected.
As far as they were concerned, he could do no wrong. But as far as Tweek was concerned, as he spent his Junior year sleepwalking and trying to forget that he had ever known Craig, he could do no right.

Colorado, May 2011, Spring
When Craig saw in the paper that Tweek had come top in the junior class, Craig felt his heart swell with pride. The article stated that they were going to commemorate his achievement at the beginning of the senior graduation ceremony.
Silently, Craig had slipped into the back of the ceremony, and stood alone as Tweek crossed the stage to shake the mayor’s hand. As the hall applauded Tweek, Craig had brushed away the wetness in his eyes. He knew in that moment that Tweek was better off without him.
From the stage, Tweek had scanned the sea of faces. Hundreds of people stood up to applaud him, but there was only one person that he really needed to be there. Almost as if drawn by a magnet, Tweek had seen Craig’s face right at the back of the hall. Their eyes met.
In that instant, everyone else in the room could have disappeared, for all Tweek knew. The mayor standing beside him, his parents beaming from the front row, the entire senior class seated behind him on the stage. Craig was the only person in the room. Tweek felt his body finally stop shaking, after nearly a year of constant tremors.
Craig gave him a little nod of acknowledgement, smiling slightly. He roughly rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, and turned to leave.
He was halfway across the snowy field when Tweek caught up to him, the stupid commemorative robes they’d stuck him in trailing behind in the wet muddy sludge. Craig turned to find those bright green eyes boring into his own, and Tweek grabbed his arm.
“Don’t you dare leave again, Craig. No.”
“Tweek, you are capable of so much. You have so much ahead of you. I have no future. You deserve so much better than me. I’m just a mess, Tweek. You’ll do so much better without me.”
“No, I -”
“Tweek -”
Tweek cut him off, desperate.
“Craig...when I saw you standing there, that was the first time I felt complete since last summer. It was the first time I didn’t feel like my fucking lungs were full of broken glass.”
“I’ll only ever hold you back, Tweek. I know it. I couldn’t live with myself. I’m sorry.”
Craig turned to leave, but Tweek followed him, dragging his robes.
“The only reason I did so well is because someone believed in me! Do you not remember when I got my fucking physics mark back last summer and you bet me fifty bucks that I would top the class in everything this year??”
Craig gave a hollow laugh, fighting the painful pricking in his eyes.
“Alright, man, I owe you fifty bucks.”
“Do you love me?”
The question caught him off guard.
“That isn’t the point -”
“Do you love me?”
Tweek glared at Craig, his face defiant. Craig tried to lie to him, but he had choked the words out before he could stop himself.
“Of course I love you, Tweek. I’ve always fucking loved you. But I can’t let you fuck up your future for me. You deserve so much better than some dropout.”
“You deserve everything, Craig. Don’t you get it? You deserve to be happy. I make you happy. I know I do. We were happy. So fucking happy. And I’m not right without you. And you’re not right without me either. I know, Craig. You can’t hide anything from me.”
Craig had finally broken down then, feeling like the frightened child who used to run to his friend Tweek when his dad had beaten him.
Tweek instantly enveloped him in his arms. They clung to each other, the snow up to their knees.
“I can’t stand it, Tweek. I can’t stand it. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Years later, Craig would never consider that anything Tweek told him could be anything but the truth.

Colorado, September 2013, Fall
She knew exactly what she needed to do. She had known for years.
She just needed to figure out exactly how was going to do it. There was so much she couldn’t control.
Above all, she knew that she needed to do it, no matter what the cost might turn out to be.
The flame-haired girl clutched her school books to her chest as she turned the corner. Yeah, this is the street. The Tweaks had always lived in a much nicer part of town than the Tuckers, she had definitely noticed that a long time ago.
Tricia’s heart thumped under her sweater as she strode down the boulevard, trying not to look as anxious as she felt. She had no idea how this would pan out. But she knew she had to take the chance.
The little coffee shop waited for her at the end of the street. Tweak Bros Coffee. She hadn’t been near the place in years. But she remembered it clearly.
The bell tinkled above her as she pulled the door open and stepped inside.
Richard Tweak leaned on the counter as he smiled at the young woman who entered his shop. He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to place her. She looked so familiar.
He blinked at her as he took in the light red hair, a strawberry blonde hue, pulled into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. He doubted she was older than sixteen or seventeen but she was remarkably tall, standing almost six feet tall as she stepped toward him with a light, graceful gait. She wore a grey sweatshirt over dark blue jeans that stopped a little above her ankles. The trainers on her feet and the textbooks she clutched to her chest were tattered. This girl did not come from money. She did not match the rich kids who came from the local high school to spend their parents’ money on syrupy lattes and fresh cold brew, or, at this time of year, the pumpkin spice range.
He met her sharp brown eyes as she watched him intently, surveying him across the counter. She was a few inches taller than he was.
Richard forced his face into a helpful smile.
“Can I help you, miss?”
She returned his smile, but he could tell it wasn’t a simple nicety. Her eyes were determined, tenacious.
“Perhaps. Mr Tweak, my name is Patricia Tucker.”
He tried not to look too shocked.
“Oh.”
She took a step forward. He knew she had noticed him falter.
“Sir, you’ll be aware of my situation?”
He nodded.
“Yeah. I’m aware.”
She placed a hand on the counter and fixed him with a steely gaze.
“Look, Mr Tweak. I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks. I intend to get out of my parents’ house and to appeal to the state court to repeal the protection order my brother was issued with. It was completely wrong and inaccurate.”
Richard touched the back of his neck and sighed.
“Tricia -”
“If I find out where he is now, I can look at colleges that will let me be near him.”
“Tricia -”
“It’s Richard, isn’t it?”
He looked down at his hands, splayed on the counter.
“Yeah.”
“Can I call you Richard?”
He sighed again.
“You can.”
They were the only people in the coffee shop. She leaned over the counter.
“Richard, you know that protection order had no basis at all. I was fourteen years old when my parents kicked Craig out. The same day my father put him in hospital, for the crime of loving your wonderful son. But that wasn’t enough for them.”
He bit his lip as he nodded.
“Richard, it was entirely corrupt for the judge to issue the order. You must know that.”
He raised his head to look at her.
Her composure slipped a notch as she spoke. “I haven’t seen my brother in three years. It’s been unbearable.”
For a moment they stood motionless, and then he nodded his head.
It was barely a half inch motion, down and then up again without breaking eye contact, but it was enough for Tricia. She leaned further forward, pretending to examine the biscotti in a jar on the counter.
“When I turn eighteen, which is soon, I’m going to get the order revoked. I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to do it.”
She raised her eyes to meet his.
“And when I do that, I need to know where to contact my brother.”
He took a deep breath, shaking his head and looking down at the biscotti jar.
“Look, Tricia -”
The shop was silent but for his fingernails tapping the glass countertop.
“Richard.”
“You know I can’t help you.”
He saw her deflate for a moment, then regain her poise.
“Ok. Well, in that case I’ll take a soy flat white, takeaway. Please.”
She fished in her pocket and slid a money clip across the counter. Silently he looked at it. It was much more than the cost of a soy flat white.
Richard left it on the counter. He sighed, internally this time, as he turned to the espresso machine.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tricia clutching her books as she peered around the shop.
Suddenly he remembered the energetic little girl who used to come around to their house, more than a decade previously. She had been sharp as a tack then, too. His son had loved her. Like her brother, she had the remarkable knack of causing Tweek’s anxiety to recede.
Richard took a takeaway cup from underneath the counter, and locked eyes with her as he began to write on it with a black marker.
“Here you are. You know, there is an unrivalled physics program at the California University of Technology.”
He finished with the espresso and began to pour over the milk.
Those bright brown eyes, so like her brother’s despite her much fairer hair and paler complexion, were fixed on him. He noticed that despite her smaller, feminine frame she had a colt-like lankiness reminiscent of Craig around that age.
“It’s based in Pasadena, California.”
She blinked at him as she accepted the cup.
“Maybe you remember someone helping you with your science fair project once. Magnets.”
He nodded at the cup, a nod as subtle as the one he had given her before.
“No charge. My business is word of mouth. But if you ever need the number of a really good physics tutor, one who may have relocated to Caltech to study, and may have brought his boyfriend with him, you might find one on your cup.”

California, September 2014, Fall
Tweek didn’t feel much better by the time the term started in September, but he forced himself to study for nearly all of his working hours, despite how horrendous he felt. No matter what, he always ensured he made as much time to spend with Craig as he could.
The tutoring began in the second week of the term, and this terms batch of students were already far more demanding than they had been the previous time, which only added to his stress and detracted from his mental capacity. He saw Sam around the tutor’s office and the Faculty and the science library far too frequently. He kept his eyes down and pretended he didn’t notice him, but he could feel Sam’s eyes boring into him.
Tweek was determined to avoid Sam and not be tempted to take anything to enhance his academic performance. After spending the rest of the summer pushing aside the temptation, he had finally resolved that it wasn’t worth it. That resolve wavered whenever he found his work particularly challenging, but he forced himself to think of Craig.
You don’t need meth. You can do this.
Are you sure?
Yes. I mean, I think so.
After they had done the dishes together Craig sat on the couch, his GED course workbook across his lap and Tweek leaning against his legs as he sat on the floor, marking essays for the first PHYS101 assignment of the term. It was silent but for the scratching of their pens and the smoky, horn-heavy old jazz that played on their little Bluetooth speaker through Craig’s phone.
Tweek chuckled softly. Craig nudged his back with his knee. “Yeah?”
Tweek shook his head. “I know this is unprofesh, but it’s you. Goddamn some of this handwriting from the physics freshers is bad. They’re like kindergarteners. I’m almost expecting crayons and poorly drawn caricatures of the lecturers. Or maybe of me.”
“Hey, until you progress to online testing you have to deal with that. At least they don’t write in poo or something. Or blood, for the more fucked up students.”
Tweek tilted his head back to gaze up at Craig, grinning.
“That really went from 0 to 100 in nothing, didn’t it? Ha. At least they overestimate how long it will take me to grade all these, so that’s kind of a perk. It’s funny when you think about it. They pay me based on their hourly estimations. So I just kind of got paid to blow you. And I kind of got paid for you to blow me, too.”
Craig laughed and jostled Tweek with his foot. “Boo, you whore.”
“Literally. How’s it going?”
Craig nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. Honestly most of this is pretty easy stuff.”
Tweek gave Craig’s ankle a squeeze. “You’re so smart. I’m so proud of you.”
Craig leaned forward to kiss Tweek’s hair, then leaned back, stretching his arms over his head and yawning widely.
“Thanks honey. I’m not exactly third year at Caltech employed as a tutor with a four year scholarship level but I’m sure I’ll pass this without too much drama. Mmm, I’m shattered. Bed soon.”
Tweek yawned in tandem, nodding.
“Yeah, that sounds great. I’m just going to check my emails. If a student’s emailed me and I don’t reply tonight they’ll freak out, their next test is tomorrow.”
He dug his phone from the pocket of the cardigan he was wearing and rubbed his eyes as he pressed the side button to illuminate the screen.
Tweek frowned at the announcement of two missed calls from an unknown number. One at 6:12, one at 6:27. The clock on the wall clicked, and Tweek glanced at it. 11:35.
He touched Craig’s calf.
“Hey babe, do you recognise this number?” He handed the phone to Craig.
He saw his own expression mirrored on Craig’s face as Craig shook his head.
“Nah, I don’t think so. I’ll check my contacts in case.”
Tweek leaned forward so that Craig could stand up and leave the room. He checked his emails as he waited for Craig to return. Nope, no emails. Awesome.
Craig padded into the kitchen, his bare feet soft on the scuffed wooden floorboards, the stained linoleum. He ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to remember where he’d left his phone, walking towards the bedroom. Man, I really need to get better at answering that thing.
He picked up his blue work overalls from the floor, stifling another yawn. He felt the tell-tale hard lump in one of the side pockets and fished his phone out. I guess – what is it they say? Old habits die hard. Hm. Die Hard. Not my kind of movie, but Bruce Willis is a total daddy.
Craig frowned as he noticed the ‘missed call’ notification on his phone screen. Not just one, but three. An unknown number. And, unlike Tweek, he had an accompanying voicemail.
By the time a few minutes had passed, Tweek was beginning to worry. He clambered to his feet and moved towards the bedroom, assuming Craig had gone there.
Something about Craig’s expression made him stop in the doorway. He sat on the edge of their bed, staring at the wall, his phone clutched in his callused hand.
Tweek gently knocked on the doorframe. What a weird feeling that is.
Slowly, Craig raised his head to look at Tweek. His expression was unfathomable.
Tweek gave him a slow, gentle smile. “Hey. Mind if I join you?”
“Sure.”
He kept his eyes on Craig as he stepped towards the bed to sit on the edge beside him. Carefully, he placed a hand on Craig’s knee and gave it a soft squeeze.
“Are you ok?”
Craig blinked rapidly, shaking his head and twisting his mouth.
“Craig?”
“Yeah. Sorry, Tweek. I’m fine.”
Tweek waited.
“I figured out who was calling you.”
He turned to look at Tweek. His eyes were damp.
Shakily, he laughed.
“So um, yeah. It was Tricia.”