(A/N: Love the coupling, and this is quick since when I post the chapter the first time I forgot to disclaim. So I don't own South Park or the Characters. I hope you like it)
It was just past 11 when I heard my drunken father's furious stomps going down the hall towards his room. I flipped my fringe and held my breath when he went pass my room, hoping it sounds like I was sleeping. When I heard his bedroom door close and his loud snores filled the house, I exhaled lighting a cigarette before watching as my sister barged in flipping her fringe out of her eyes before sitting beside me and taking my cigarette from my mouth before taking a drag. "You know I hate when you do that..." I mumbled, taking another one out of the packet and lighting it. She snorted "I ran out..." she said, making rings with the smoke.
I frowned at her, wondering how she got so good. As most of the other Goth kids wouldn't say, my sister isn't a conformist. She is pure Goth with an emo-poser haircut to piss off our father. She knew how much he hated her hair looking like that but does it anyways, wanting none of her decisions be judged and care so much about just one person's opinion. My name is Pete, but most people know me as the Red Goth. I'm now sixteen, 5 ft 2, and going to South Park High School with Henrietta and Michael. Firkle is only in grade 8 but he skips class to hang out with us.
Things have changed from when we were in South Park Elementary. Firkle isn't as short as he uses to be, sporting at just less than 5 feet. He's come out of the closet and is in a pretty steady relationship with Ike Broflovski. Henrietta has lost some weight when she grew to be 5 ft 4 and has already gotten a Goth boyfriend Damien. Michael... He's been distant. Sure he's failed grades and is now in my class. Still the tallest at 6ft, Michael seems to be ditching our group when we schedule days at the cemetery or at the Village Inn and seems to be getting way to friendly with the Paris Hilton Wannabe Wendy Testaburger.
"How bad was it...?" I asked as I watch her wipe a bit of blood off her lip, cringing as more seem to blossom. "Pretty bad... Black and blue bruises under my ribs, lips cut opened and a mild concussion I think." She muttered, grabbing a tissue from my desk. It was a well kept secret that my father would go to the bar, get drunk and come home only to beat the shit out of us. It wasn't always like this, but doesn't change what he's done. The only people who know are my sister's boss, the lady at the CPS, and Firkle.
Firkle and the others were never to know, but Firkle had climbed the tree outside my window to check on me. That was the night poor Firkle realized what true torture was. He watched in horror as my dad pushed me into the corner of my desk, causing the desk to cut my head open a bit. It hurt him more when he seen my sister jump in front of me only to have him grab her by the back of her head and slamming it into the mirror. When he left to go back to the bar, Firkle opened the window and helped us clean up and went to the CPS, allowing them to grant sis custody over me as she was eighteen at the time, and she said she was saving up for an apartment for us to share. Firkle agreed to keep this secret, knowing that I'll be safe soon. He admitted to me that the worst part was not being able to barge in and help me. I had told him that it was best he hadn't, being as my sister would've protected the both of us and I would protect Firkle.
"You need another dye job, the red's fading..." my sister murmured, breaking me from my train of thought."Do it tomorrow for me?" I asked, taking out another cigarette. She chuckled and ruffled my hair before nodding. "How much until we can get the fuck out of here?" I asked, watching as she fiddled with her black combat boots. "We only need a bit more, and then we can get out of this hell hole." she said, ruffling my hair again. I groaned as I flipped my fringe out of my face. She snickered as she grabbed the keys out of her pocket. "Want a lift?" she asked, going into my bathroom to cover up the bruises. I snorted and got dressed for this torturous Monday. We switched after and I took a cold shower while she changed into the spare clothes she kept hidden in my desk drawer. When we were ready we opened the window and climbed down running to my sisters black car.
I sighed, watching as the scenery blurred passes me as she pulls into the parking lot of South Park High. "You do realize I'm probably going to skip all my classes' right?" I asked, making sure my cigarettes and Zippo were in my pocket. "Yeah but it's better than being beaten to the point of broken bones and internal bleeding..." she said, parking and motioning to get out there."Touché..." I said, getting out of the car. "I'll text you what's going on..." she said, tossing me her matches. She revved the engine and sped off to work, leaving me in the parking lot fumbling with the matches. I snorted before stuffing my hands in my pocket and heading to the back of the school to where we usually hang out. When I arrived the only person who sat there was none other than Firkle. I nodded at him before sitting down and lighting another cigarette and taking a long drag.
"Where are the others?" I asked between drags. Firkle shrugged taking a drag. "Ike has a doctor's appointment today. Damien and Henri are at the bleachers making fun of the Brittany and Justin wannabes and Michael is god knows where." he said, putting out the cigarette before grabbing another one. I nodded before we continued sitting in silence. We both frowned as the stench of those Vampire kids in front of us. We looked up to see Mike, the leader of the vamp kids, followed by Larry and some kid with black and purple hair. "What do you want Mike..." I growled putting out my cigarette as Firkle reached into his pocket and grasp around the knife he kept for safety. Mike's poser friends hissed at us, unhappy at how we address their leader. Mike preferred the name Vampir when addressed but I call him his name to spite him.
Mike held a hand out to silence his followers as he approached me. "It's Vampir. Anyways we wanted to know when Michael becomes a conformist" he said with venom. Firkle and I looked at each other before looking back at him. "What the hell are you talking about Poser?" Firkle asked, fixing the gray beanie he had on his head. Mike smirked as he walk over to me and pet my fringe, causing me to recoil from his touch. "I mean, he is dating that girl Wendy Testaburger now, wouldn't that make him one." He said smirking, reaching towards my fringe again. Firkle withdrew his knife and held it at Mike's hand, dangerously swinging it around closely to his hands. "I suggest you and your fucking poser-wannabe-Nazi-conformist posse get out of here, or you'll lose that hand." Firkle said dangerously, watching the kids every move.
When some tried to take the knife away from him, he brought it down closer to Mike's hand before he snapped it away. The vamps ran, scared shitless of the knife. Firkle huffed before taking a seat next to me, trying to catch my attention. I snapped out of state of shock as I turned to Firkle, his eyes as curious and worried as I felt. "Do you really think Michael joined the conformists? Or are the Vamp kids just trying to get into our heads?" he asked, pulling the beanie just over his eyebrows. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and slightly gave him a hug. "I don't know Firkle but I do know two things. One, I might end up cutting my fringe to get the germs from those posers off my hair. Two, I'm going to find out." I said, pulling out my cell before typing in a number before pressing dial.
As I put my phone on speaker, the person picked up the phone. "Hello?" the muffled sound of Stan Marsh on the other end. Firkle looked over at me with shock. He knew I was the first to hate Stan when he left. "Raven, its Red..." I said. "What's up dude?" he asked. "Kinder and I need to know something and we think you may have the answer." I said. There was a small pause before he answered. "What is it?" he asked, sounding concerned. "The vamp kids told us that Curly is dating Wendy... Is it true or not?" I asked, watching as Firkle looked in awe at the fact I could hold a conversation without venom in my whisper of a voice. "Yeah, she just told me. Do you mind if I come hang with you two?" he asked, sounding a bit sad. I looked over at Firkle before he nodded his approval; I turned back to the phone. "We don't mind, see you soon." I said, hanging up.
Firkle looked at me with a weird look in his eye. "What?" I asked irritated, flipping my fringe out of my eye. Firkle grabbed a cigarette and lit it. "I thought you hated Stan. After all, it took you almost half a year to get Michael back to being himself." he pointed out, watching as a faint pink dusted my cheeks. Firkle may be the youngest, but I trust him with both my secrets. One was my abuse, the other was the love I felt for Michael. Michael was my other half as conformist as it may seem. He was always protecting me from the Vamp kids and earlier in life from people who pushed me around. When Stan joined, we all took a liking to him, but when he left, Michael took the hardest blow. He even gave him his cane and no one is allowed to even gaze at it for too long.
"The Marsh's are friends with my sister, and are willing to take me in without any questions when my father is shit-faced drunk. Stan is still Raven, but he doesn't show that side of him much." I answered, watching as the figure of Stan Marsh walked over to us. "Hey..." he said as I nodded towards him, Firkle copying me. He nodded back towards Firkle before sitting on the other side of me. "Why did you guys ask me instead of Michael?" he asked us, looking between us. "Because you know how Michael gets. He would either deny it or he would point out the fact Firkle here is dating Ike." I explain, the two nodding. "But Ike is more like you guys then like us." he pointed out. We both nodded again, remembering how Ike told his brother off for talking down Firkle and their relationship. "Maybe but he will try to spin it on us. He's always saying love is for conformists. Besides, we aren't going to tell Henrietta anyways since he will probably get caught. Besides... If I see him now Firkle will probably have to hold me back." I said, Firkle again nodding.
"What do you mean?" Stan asked. "Michael promised he wouldn't hide secrets from us, and Red is big on promises." Firkle explained, Stan patting my shoulder in understanding. Firkle looked down at his phone. "Ike's back, I'm heading to class. Later guys" he said, grabbing his skateboard and riding it back towards the middle school. "We should probably head to class. Mind sitting next to me, I don't feel like dealing with Cartman and them today." Stan said. I sighed and nodded, grabbing my backpack and headed back in the school with Stan. He nodded at me before heading towards his lockers, mine being the other way. As I came to my locker I was suddenly turned around and pushed back against it, coming face to face with Mike. "What the hell?" I hissed pushing him away from me. I watched as some students stilled at the commotion.
He just smirked putting a hand beside my head. I glared up at him, hoping someone would come help me. "You and Stan seem to have been cozy, is there something going on between you two?" he asked."No you stupid poser. He came to hang with Firkle and I..." I hissed, venom oozing from my voice. His smirk got bigger as he got closer his face inches from mine. "So then, you are now free from Michael correct?" he said, my hands trying pushing him away. It wasn't that I was weak, but Mike also had become a lot stronger since we were kids. He started to reach again for my hair to stroke it once more. Suddenly a football hit Mike in the head. "Hey vampire poser, go back to your cave!" Stan said as he rushed over and got him away from me. Mike just growled before turning, leaving the hallway.
Everyone gawked as Stan turned me around and we walked side by side to our class, "You okay?" he asked, as I nodded my response. "Michael just sat there and watched. I know he's with Wendy but seriously? Aren't you his best friend?" he ranted on, causing a small chuckle to escape my lips. Stan looked at me stunned. "Michael believes friendship is only for conformists. We just consider ourselves a group." I stated, flipping my fringe out of my eyes. We took the back two seats of the class as we watched the other students filled in. "I'm skipping next period so don't try to find me..." I informed Stan, earning a nod in understanding. My eyes lifted off my desk as they connected with Michael's. I saw the flash of emotions before I turned away not wanting to see any more.
Today is going to fucking suck I just know it. I groaned as I hit my head on my desk.