Chapter Text
Nyctophilia. That's what Craig Tucker had. It was a weird type of philia. The love of darkness; the love of night. It was peaceful and calming, quite the opposite of Craig's personality. He could be quiet but was one of the rowdiest boys in his school. He enjoyed that.
Most nights if he couldn't sleep, he'd climb out of his window and head out to the fields outside South Park to smoke.
He was caught by his parents a couple of times but always covered by telling them that he was going to Token's or Clyde's.
Craig was tall and lanky, he'd tower over most people by a couple of inches. Tallest boy in his school at six foot one. Second tallest was Stan Marsh at five foot eleven. Craig also despised Stan, not just because he got most attention from the girls when they did soccer. But because of how annoying he was.
He also hated Stan's best friend Kyle, but he would mostly tease him by smoking which Kyle said was bad. Calling them cancer sticks. The name had stuck to Craig's cigarettes.
He couldn't sleep at the moment. Staring around his messy room. There wasn't much to do, he had a computer to play video games on but he hardly played them any more. He also had porn but wasn't in the mood.
Craig was sat on his bed. His window next to the bed was wide open, letting the air drift through. Cold, he pulled down his hoodie sleeves. Standing up, he pulled the cigarettes out from the pocket of his skinny black jeans.
"Argh. Empty." He sighed, throwing them to the floor. It was time to get some more. They was a gas station near the fields, they held his favourite cancer sticks. Virginia Slims. He normally bought Maverick's but when Clyde told him to by the Virginia Slims, he had taken quite a liking to them.
The only reason Clyde told him to buy them was because they reminded him of the word 'vagina.' At the time, Craig laughed at the time but it was quite immature when he
thought back on it.
He pulled on his black sneakers and made his way to the window. Before he left, his bedroom door opened.
His eleven year old sister, Ruby, stood there staring at him.
"Where are you going?" She asked. Craig grumbled shit and fuck under his breath.
"Out."
"Where?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"I'll tell mom you left."
"Fine. I'm going getting more cancer sticks. Okay."
"Ah, the old name to annoy Kyle. I love that name. Get me some skittles and I won't tell."
"Sure." Craig answered. Ruby left and I climbed down the side of my house and dropped to the ground. The sound of crunching leaf's could be heard under his shoes. Freshly fallen snow covered it though, so it made another crunching sound.
Craig headed to the front of my house to start by journey up to the gas station. It was a familiar journey, since he went this way quite a lot.
Craig and his family lived on the edge of town, so it was quite a short walk. He passed the school which was on the very edge of South Park, it was shut obviously.
But a light beamed from one of the bottom window's. Craig, now curious, made his way to the window to peak inside. He didn't normally do this since the school lights were not normally on.
Peering inside, he could see the stressed Principal Victoria, sat at a desk in the school staff room. Both of her elbows rested on top of the table; her head rested in her palms.
Craig could feel sympathy. It had been a hard year for the school, most of the students had been depressed due to the recent departure Annie Knitts. She had committed suicide earlier on in the year.
Craig's dumb ass town, as he would refer to, thought it was the school's fault. It had cost Victoria and the other teachers thousands. It wasn't because of the school, it was because of her parents.
Mean and abusive to a girl so nice and smart. Craig hated them, most people in the town were assholes, the school had also dealt with two suicides before. Jenny Simon and DogPoo Petuski.
DogPoo because of the same reason as Annie. Jenny because she was afraid of going to hell. It sounds stupid but everything they learnt in Religious studies was pretty weird. You were mean, go to hell. You were nice, go to heaven. In a town like South Park, it was weird to be nice. Jenny took it out the easy way.
Craig felt a ting of pity in him. He tried to stay as nice as possible in school, even though he failed most of the time, he was sure the teachers were thankful.
Stepping away from the window, he strides to the gas station.
Reaching it, he stared inside. Open as usual. Kyle's dad was there, fuelling up his car. Why was he out so late? Craig was always suspicious.
Stepping inside, the bell of the door tinged. It was kind of relieving to Craig for some reason. He always thought it was because he was some where he knew.
He crept up to the counter. Pip was working here, as normal. At the moment, he was stacking Coca Cola's on the shelf behind him. Pip was a friend. Even though he got much hate of Stan and his asshole group, most people at school had accepted him. He was grateful for the kindness, but he always stuck with Damien.
"Hey, Pip." I greet. Pip got startled, dropping one of the cans.
"Oh. Hello, Craig. You startled me then." He let out a small laugh before picking up the can he dropped and stacking it.
"What would you like? The usual?" He asked, turning around smiling.
"Yeah. Can I get some skittles aswell?" Craig ask. Pip nodded and headed into the back room of the station. They always kept the cancer sticks in the back room. Same with the candy, because Kenny would always try and steal it.
The door bell rang behind him. Craig glanced to who it was, it was Nichole.
Nichole was one of his close friends, due to the fact that she and Token were dating. There was this one time when Kyle thought Nichole liked him. Craig thought he was wrong, but for once, the little asshole was right.
"Hey, Craig." Nichole greets being her jolly self. Placing her bag on the counter, she zips up her coat. Craig smiles in response.
"Bit cold, isn't it." She complains, pulling on gloves. Nichole was the newest person in South Park, even though she moved here four years ago. Craig guessed she was still getting used to the coldness.
"I know." He replied. At that moment, Pip stepped out from the back room and handed Craig his cancer sticks and the skittles.
"That'll be six pounds." Pip reminds. Craig nodded and handed him the money. As he turned back around, Pip's voice stopped him.
"Uh. Craig, chap. May I ask? What do you do every night?" Pip questioned. Craig thought about his answer. It was pretty suspicious that he bought cigarettes most nights. Craig thought he might aswell come out with the truth.
"I go sit in the fields."
"Why?" Nichole asks, Craig turns around. Nichole was sitting on the counter and Pip was leaning on it.
"I like it. The darkness. Why all the questions?"
"You like the fields? Why?"
"Okay. Stop it! No reason." Craig suddenly bursts out. Pip looked like he jumped out of his skin. He was easily scared.
"Oh, okay. Sorry." Nichole apologized. Pip nodded in agreement of the apology.
"It's fine." Craig says, adjusting his hat to it's proper place on his head. "Tell Token that I said hello." Craig finishes before leaving.
Craig had had anger problems in the past. Sometimes it was bad, sometimes just a little outburst like in the gas station. He didn't want to be angry all the time, he was just annoyed by people getting in his business.
Wind instantly hit Craig as he stepped out. The cold air was something else he liked.
He walked down the street until he reached the top a hill. Heading down, he walked for a little while before sitting down and pulling out his his cancer sticks, along with his lighter.
He lit it and took and puff. Relaxed, he lied down and stared at the sky. Stars shined above. It was really dark, so the stars stood out. For some reason, Craig always spotted constellations. His favourite was: 'The Big Dipper.'
Taking another puff, he blew out the air. It drifted off into the sky, joining the fog that was already above.
He realised, the tip of his cigarette was the only light apart from the glowing stars. Until it became brighter.
Sitting up, Craig stared out into the near fields, a light was approaching. The grass was quite tall so he couldn't see.
Perplexed, he called out.
"Hey. Who's there?"
No answer, instead the light revealed itself.
It was a shorter boy, blonde messy hair which was covered by a beanie. He was wearing a green jumper with a huge blue scarf covering his neck and mouth. The boy also wore super skinny black jeans along with winter boots. The light was emitted from a small lantern he was holding.
It was Tweek Tweak.
"Hi." His firsts words were, next to Craig. Craig was confused.
"Tweek. What are you doing out? It's late." He chuckled.
"What are you doing out?"
Craig stared him dead in the eye before saying. "Touche."
"I always come out here at night. The field were in now is one I haven't searched." He explains, setting the lantern down in front of him.
"Searched? For what?" Craig asks, Tweek smiles at the confusion on his face.
"Nothing. I just like searching around." He laughed. Craig nodded. Tweek had drifted of as Craig's friend when they were twelve, all because of Tweek hanging out with Jason. They still remained friends though, but never talked.
"So. We haven't talked in ages. How are things going man?" Craig questioned, smiling. It was quite easy to talk to Tweek, he was direct.
"Good. Thanks. How are you and the guys?" He asked, pulling off a black backpack that Craig didn't see till just now. He pulled out a flask of coffee. Of course.
"They're doing good. So am I. Thanks." Craig responded. They sat in silence for a couple of seconds. Craig took another drag from his cancer stick.
"When did you start smoking?" Tweek asked, surprised.
"About a year ago. I'll stop soon. But now is not that time." He explained. Tweek nodded. More silence. Tweek had an idea though.
"I'm not liking this silence. You wanna go searching?" He asked, taking a sip from his flask and standing up with his lantern. Craig nodded.
"Me either. Let's go."
Tweek smiled. Pulling the scarf up to the bottom of his nose. They began their trail through the tall grass of the fields.
Craig felt the grass as they walked, it was slowly moving in the wind. He had been following Tweek for about ten minutes and was getting bored.
"Where are we going?" He asked in a bored tone. He couldn't see it but he sensed that Tweek smiled.
"We're nearly there. Be patient."
"There?"
"Yes. There." Tweek pointed to a barn a couple of metres away. Craig thought it was cool.
"C'mon then." He grabbed Tweek's hand and started running towards it.
Once they reached the barn, Craig dropped his cancer stick and stepped on it. Tweek grinned.
"I shall give you the honour of going first." Tweek laughed, trying to imitate a posh accent. Craig laughed.
"Dude. You suck at accents."
"Shut up and go in." Tweek responded. Craig grinned. He placed his hand on the rotten wood door. Slowly opening it, it made a creaking noise. Craig noticed light coming from inside. Coloured light. Opening it fully, Craig stepped inside and was amazed.
Fairy lights were hung up all around the room. Glowing purple, orange and blue. Posters of TV shows and movies covered the walls and roof. Three bean bags were in the centre of the barn, one of a burger, one of Snorlax from Pokemon and one of a sharks mouth.
Around the bean bags were stacks and stacks of comics, hung from the roof was some hanging bat decorations. Taped onto some of the fairy lights were photographs, Craig could see Tweek and Jason in one.
On the floor was some tin cans with holes poked into them, candles were placed inside which gave it a glowy effect.
Apart from all the decorations, Craig could still see the barn's old design. It was fucking amazing.
"Dude. Dude..." Craig couldn't get any words out. Tweek grinned stepping inside, he placed himself on the shark bean bag, placing down the lantern next to him and simply told him. "Welcome to paradise."
Craig, still lost for words, made his his way to the Snorlax bean bag and sat in it. He finally said his first actual sentence from entering this room.
"Did you do all this?" He asked.
"Yeah. My dad and I found a bunch of spare decorations in the attic, and I always hid out here at night so I decorated the place. I bought the bean bags and took the photos myself though. You like it all?" Tweek asked.
"Like it? I fucking love it. Holy shit." Tweek grinned at Craig's answer.
"You can come here whenever you want. It's cool. Jason doesn't like the place so, he doesn't come." Tweek explains looking at ceiling.
"Look." He pointed to the ceiling. Craig looked to where his finger was pointing. There was a hole in the roof, and outside of the hole was a couple of stars that formed: 'The Big Dipper.'
"The big dipper." Craig whispered to himself. "Dude. The big dipper is my favourite constellation." Craig smiled.
Tweek laughed.
"What's so funny?" Craig asks, looking to Tweek in perplexion.
"I didn't know you liked constellations."
"Well. People don't know a lot about me."
"Well the big dipper is one of the brightest constellations in the Ursa Major formal constellation." Tweek explained. Craig knew already.
"I know that."
"Oh. I didn't expect that."
"Shut up, dude."
"I'm kidding." Tweek laughed.
Craig looked at his watch, two in the morning. Was he really out for two hours, he must of took a while in the gas station.
"Dude. I gotta get going. I'll meet you back here after school, alright?" Craig asked, wondering if it was okay. Tweek nodded and Craig smiled. Tweek waved Craig away as he rushed home.
Craig knew that his friendship with Tweek would grow again. Maybe even bigger than before.