what happens after school - creek

most on-the-nose author award

Tweek and I ditched the library and club today. I think I'm a bad influence on him. We're never doing our work anymore.

We hung out outside the school in the courtyard with Clyde, Jimmy, and Tolkien.

We all laughed together and sat on the field underneath some big tree near the parking lot.

"What do you guys wanna do today?" I ask

"I should get going now. I have an hour to drive so I wanna get started on that. Plus, I promised Stan and Nichole I would finally play a board game with them so that'll take at least two hours." Tolkien got up

I laugh "Two hours?"

"I should get- get going too. This has been real fun but I'm studying with Kyle at that new tea place" Jimmy said

Tolkien helped Jimmy get up and put his crutches back on

"Bummer."

There was a second of silence before Clyde's face lit up

"Yeah. I gotta go, too" he said trying to hide his huge grin

"What? Whys that." tweak said, though it sounded more like a statement rather than a question

Clyde got up and was now slowly walking backward

"Yeah. Yeah, I gotta go. I totally spaced out, I forgot I'm hanging out with... with Kenny."

"Kenny?" I asked

"Yeah. Hangin' out with Ken."

He was pretty far away from us so we just stopped talking to him

"He's so weird," I say

"You wanna go for a walk?" tweek asked

"Sure. Why not." I said

We got up from the grass

"Man. Too bad everyone ditched us." tweak said,

"What? You don't wanna hang out with me?" I say teasing him

"Dear god, that's the last thing I want" he teased me back

I laughed but I didn't say anything in return. I didn't need to. It just wasn't necessary. I've never found conversation to be incredibly dire when it comes to enjoying someone's company. If I'm in the same room with them, then that's a love language itself.

I'm giving up time to be by myself just to be with you. Is that not enough on its own?

My random spurt of thoughts is interrupted by Tweek

"So... About yesterday... How much did you hear? Like exactly?"

I think for a moment. I honestly can't remember all too well

"Not much. I remember you and Clyde talking about what sounded like a crush" I say

My heart picks up as if I just got done doing something risky

"Crush?! I don't know if I would say crush. Crush is a strong word" tweak says, obviously embarrassed

I feel excited... Which is odd... I usually fall asleep on the subject of other people's crushes. But this time,

I'm excited to hear him talk

"Crush is not a strong word," I say laughing "it was literally invented just to be a softer way of saying love"

"Okay well I'm definitely not in love," he says "maybe I do have a small crush. I don't know! It's complicated!"

"How's it complicated?" I ask