Red was hanging out with her friend Heidi Turner on South Park Elementary's playground on a cold January afternoon. It was recess time at their school and they watched as the other fourth graders played and talked with their friends. While Red and Heidi had always been friends since they were basically part of the same "clique" of girls that included their other friends like Wendy and Bebe (among others), they had found their friendship to be growing over the past few weeks. It had all started when a bad December snow storm made it difficult for all the girls to hang out together at Red's house like they had planned. As a result, only Heidi was able to make it to Red's house, since the two lived closest to each other out of all the girls in their class. They ended up having a lot of fun hanging out one on one and it resulted in a closer friendship between them.

"So Red," Heidi started, with a smile on her face, "Who do you like?"

"You mean which of the boys?" Red asked.

"Yes," Heidi replied.

"Um… Let me think a moment…"

Red always trailed off into thought whenever she was asked this question. She didn't really like any of the boys at her school. She liked some of them as friends but none of them interested her in terms of a relationship. The thing she had wanted so much for the past several years was to be Wendy's best friend. Red was always on very good terms with Wendy and Bebe and she knew they considered her a close friend. But they were best friends with each other, so Red was never able to be Wendy's best friend. In the past few months, Red had begun to realize that she was in love with Wendy. She hadn't yet told anyone but the feeling was eating away at her and she knew eventually something would have to give. Red continued to think and worry about this situation until Heidi's voice interrupted her and resumed the conversation.

"Well, come on Red, who do you like?"

"Oh! Um…" Red snapped out of her tense daydreaming, "Uh, I don't know. I'll have to get back to you on that, I guess. But… who do YOU like, Heidi?" Red decided to shift the subject around a bit and ask Heidi who she liked.

"Well," Heidi began, "I'll tell you, but you better keep it secret!"

"Of course, Heidi, you can count on me," Red told her.

"I think I like Kyle," Heidi said.

"That's great," Red replied supportively, "Are you gonna tell him?"

"Oh, I doubt it," Heidi said, "You just… never know what could go wrong."

"Yeah, but things can go right too," Red replied, "You need to give it a try."

"Maybe…" Heidi said softly. Then recess was over. Red and Heidi made plans with each other to hang out and talk later before heading back to class.

As the school day wore on, Red couldn't stop thinking about Wendy and her feelings for her. Soon school would be over for the day and all her friends would be hanging out together at the mall, or on the playground, or perhaps at one of the girls' houses. Red was tired and needed time to think some things over. She decided she would just go home for the evening and be alone for a while. Besides, she'd recently been getting a strange, tense feeling whenever she was around Wendy or even whenever she looked at her. It probably had something to do with being in love, Red supposed.

After the bell rang and class was over, Bebe approached her. "Hey Red, we're all gonna be spending the afternoon at my house this evening," Bebe explained, "We're going to talk and gossip and maybe play video games a little. Then we might go out shopping a bit before everyone has to head home." Red enjoyed video games more than any of the other girls at her school, which was part of the reason she was able to become friends with some of the boys. Still, she had to refuse.

"Sorry Bebe," Red began, "I'm not feeling well today. I think I need to go home and rest."

"Well, okay. Get well then," Bebe said, a bit confused. Red didn't seem like anything was physically wrong with her, but if her friend wasn't feeling well, she wasn't going to pressure her to hang out.

Later that evening, after dinner, Red got ready for bed earlier than usual. She hadn't eaten much, resulting in a mild admonishment from her parents. She was too busy thinking about Wendy to care about that. After changing into her pajamas and retreating into her bedroom to be left alone for the night at the early hour of seven o'clock, Red finally had time to make a calculated decision about what to do with her feelings for Wendy. After about 45 minutes of deep thought and worry about the consequences of admitting she had feelings for another girl and how she would possibly be able to deal with such strong feelings for Wendy, Red decided she would have to tell someone and get advice on how to deal with her feelings. She resolved that she would tell Heidi about her feelings the following day while they were hanging out and chatting during recess.

The next day, during lunch, Red ate very little at lunch as she anxiously waited for the bell to ring and send her and the rest of the fourth graders out to recess. She also talked a lot less than usual and had trouble keeping her eyes from staring at Wendy. All the girls in Red's circle of friends typically sat at the same table during lunch, so she could only hope that none of them noticed her odd behavior. Unbeknownst to Red, Bebe did notice.

Finally it was time for recess. Red tapped Heidi on the shoulder and said "Come on, Heidi, there's something I need to talk to you about…" The two walked out onto the playground where the other kids were also starting to talk with their friends and play.

"What is it?" Heidi asked.

"Look," Red began somewhat quietly, "You MUST keep this secret. It's really been getting to me lately and I have to tell someone."

"You can trust me completely," Heidi said, "My lips are sealed."

"Well… you remember yesterday when you asked me who I liked?" Red took a deep breath, "I like… Wendy. I mean, I love Wendy. It's true, I love Wendy Testaburger."

Heidi remained silent for a moment, unsure of how to best react as to help her friend. She couldn't think of much and said "Well, at least Wendy is single right now. Remember, she didn't want to be with Stan anymore because he didn't spend enough time with her."

"I would spend time with her as much as possible," Red said, "But I don't think she'd ever like another girl."

"It may seem that way, but you never know," Heidi said, "If you get a chance to tell her, I think you should. Even if she doesn't share your feelings, I'm almost positive that Wendy will understand your situation and still be your friend."

"I don't want to say anything and ruin my friendship and reputation," Red said bluntly.

"You won't ruin your reputation, Red," Heidi replied, "And you encouraged me to tell Kyle how I feel, I'm just telling you to do the same with your crush."

"You're right Heidi," Red sighed, "If I ever get the chance, I will." Red wasn't sure if what she was saying was true. She doubted that she would have the confidence to really tell Wendy. However, she couldn't deny that she was feeling better after talking to Heidi.

After a momentary pause, Heidi said "You have seemed a bit tense the past few days, Red. I hope we can always talk to each other like this. You're my best friend." This was the first time that either of them had suggested the idea of being best friends and it made Red feel extremely happy inside the instant she heard Heidi say such a thing.

"Of course Heidi, I love being your best friend," Red exclaimed. They then gave each other a hug. Red felt so much better than the night before. Though she was still sad and anxious about her feelings for Wendy, she knew that her secret was safe with Heidi. And Heidi would be very dependable as a best friend. However, neither of them knew that another conversation was taking place between Wendy and Bebe elsewhere on the playground at that very moment.

"So Wendy, have you noticed anything strange about Red lately?" Bebe asked.

"Yeah, she seems a bit tense," Wendy replied, "And she isn't talking much…"

"And you didn't notice anything else today, during lunch?" Bebe continued.

"She didn't eat too much, that's about it," Wendy said, slightly puzzled.

"Wendy, as your best friend, I think you should know," Bebe said, "Red has a crush on you. It's kind of obvious."

"What?!" Wendy cried, taken aback, "How can you tell that? How do you know it's true?"

"Well, I can't prove it's true, but that's the way people look at someone when they have a crush on that person. It's the way Heidi Turner looks at Kyle and the way you used to look at Stan before you found out that he's kind of an asshole when it comes to spending time with his girlfriend. And Red wasn't eating much because she probably gets butterflies in her stomach when she's around you." Bebe explained everything to Wendy. Wendy would have never considered that Red's strange behavior was the result of a crush on her. But she couldn't deny that Bebe was the most knowledgeable girl in school about crushes and relationships despite never having been in a relationship herself that lasted more than a few weeks.

"And if I'm right, and I probably am," Bebe went on, "We're still going to be Red's friend, right?"

"Of course," Wendy exclaimed, "If one of my friends is going through that kind of situation and those kinds of feelings, I'll be the first person there for them to confide in! It may be a little strange if Red does turn out to feel that way about me, but I'll still be her friend! We just have to get through the initial awkwardness…" Wendy's voice trailed off as she began to think of how she felt about Red. As long as Red was a good friend to her, Wendy knew that their friendship would remain close regardless of other feelings. On the other hand, while Wendy knew that she did like boys, she had never really entertained the thought of being in a relationship with a girl. Red, while very feminine in appearance, had both a feminine side to her personality and could sometimes be a bit of a tomboy. When she wasn't talking with her girl friends at recess, she highly enjoyed throwing a football around with some of the boys, among other activities. Wendy had always found that to be kind of cute.

"Yeah, you're right Wendy," Bebe began speaking again, snapping Wendy out of her train of thought, "You know what's best for a friend in need." Bebe knew how to give relationship advice, but she knew that Wendy was the most intelligent and compassionate person in school.

"Thanks," Wendy said. But she didn't tell Bebe that she might actually have the same feelings for Red that Red had for her. Now, Wendy was experiencing some of the same anxiety that Red was feeling about their romantic interest.

Soon recess was over again and it was time to head back to class. Red and Wendy sat at opposite sides of the classroom that day, each not knowing that the other was trying to increase the space between them to reduce the tension. Red sat with Heidi and Wendy sat with Bebe. After a few hours of class, it was time to go home.

That night, Wendy had a dream. She was sitting under a lone tree on a lone hill in a flowery meadow, writing something indiscernible on a notebook (after all, such details are not often clear in a dream). Suddenly, Red came from behind the tree and hugged Wendy around her waist. The next thing Wendy knew, they were sharing a kiss before climbing the tree to watch the beautiful, sprawling meadows from above. They held hands and stared deep into each other's eyes. Then Wendy woke up from the dream. She reasoned that she must have tossed and turned a good deal because her hair was a mess. Wendy look over at the clock and saw that it was only 2:30. She managed to finally get back to sleep after some more tossing and turning and anxious thoughts about Red.

The next day was Friday. It was a bitter cold morning. A large snow storm had been forecasted to begin at 2:00 in the afternoon and the high temperature predicted for the day was a mere 11 degrees, but school was going on as planned with no delays or early dismissals. Red always had cheerleading practice after school on Fridays, which she hoped would get cancelled for snow on this particular day. If not, she would have to walk home in the storm during the dark January evening in the icy cold. Red was one of the few students at South Park Elementary who almost always walked to and from school.

Shortly after Red arrived at school, she went to her locker. Heidi approached her.

"Hey Red, do want a ride home from school today? It's really going to snow a lot and I'm sure my parents would be glad to help you," Heidi said.

"Sorry Heidi, I have cheerleading practice after school," Red explained, "So I won't be leaving until two hours after you."

"Damn it," Heidi sighed, "Well at least we won't have that problem next semester when we'll both be cheerleading." The second semester was set to begin in two weeks and Heidi would be joining the cheerleading team. Red had convinced her to sign up, saying it would be fun for two best friends to be involved in it together.

A few hours of class went by, with Red day-dreaming and drifting in and out of listening to Mr. Garrison's lesson for that day. Then it was again time for lunch. Red was still nervous sitting at the same table as Wendy. Of course, she was still ignorant of the fact that Wendy now felt the same anxiety. The two of them both acted a bit awkward at lunch that day, although both were able to keep themselves distracted with the typical idle conversation they made with the rest of the girls at their table. Both of them, however, couldn't keep from glancing over at each other from time to time. They made brief eye contact a few times, but both would quickly glance away to avoid an awkward moment.

Wendy could only keep asking herself do I really feel this way about Red?

After lunch, the kids went out for recess to find that snow was already flurrying down. By the time they were back in class it was coming down a bit harder. At 3:00 in the afternoon when school was over, Red looked out the window, to see that a few inches of snow were already on the ground and even more snow was piling on. Maybe they'll cancel cheerleading practice so I can go home on time Red thought to herself. She sure hoped that that would be the case so she could take Heidi up on the offer for a ride home. Red listened intently to the end-of-the-day announcements to see if it would indeed be cancelled and was incredulous when she heard that cheerleading practice would continue as scheduled.

"I'll see you later, Heidi," Red said to Heidi at her locker.

"I'm sorry you have to walk home late in this weather," Heidi frowned.

"Thanks," Red replied glumly.

"Just be safe and I'll see you later," Heidi said giving Red a comforting smile and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks," Red said again, this time a bit more hopeful, before giving her best friend a hug and heading to the gym to get changed for practice.

Cheerleading practice was supposed to last two hours, but ended up running fifteen minutes late. Of all the times to keep us here late Red thought, deeply irritated. After changing, packing up her stuff, and bundling up as best she could for the snowstorm outside, Red was finally able to leave school that day at 5:30. In addition to the snowstorm, it was a cold, dark January evening and the temperature was a mere five degrees Fahrenheit. About half a foot of snow and counting was already on the ground.

Red walked out into the cold and felt the chilling wind bite into her. She could feel the snowflakes brushing against her cheeks. Red was already freezing cold after walking half a block. She was a bit short of breath having to trudge through snow, weighed down by a heavy backpack that contained the two textbooks she would be doing her weekend's homework out of and her shoes, which she had to take off in favor of boots for walking in the snow.

Red pushed on through the snow, each block she had to walk becoming more difficult. The snow poured down relentlessly, adding another inch or so to what was already on the ground. Red's face was starting to match the color of her hair. Without a hood or a hat, she knew she would soon be in trouble. Red was only about a quarter of the way home and realized that she would likely not make it that far. Despite the fact that Red walked home most of the time, her parents usually picked her up from school during inclement weather like this. However, a recent accident had rendered the family car broken the week before, when Stan's dad, Randy, crashed into her family's parked car while driving. Fortunately no one got hurt, as Randy was okay and no one was in Red's family's car at the time of the accident. The car was in the process of being fixed, but it would be another week. Her only option now was to see if a friend could take her in for a few hours and she could then call her parents. Hopefully a friend's parents might be able to drive Red home in this weather.

Red thought for a moment. Whose house was she closest to?

Then it hit her. She was closest to Wendy's house.

Red was obviously very nervous about the prospect of seeing Wendy, but she was freezing and did not yet have time to worry about that. She was one block from Wendy's house. By the time she reached it, her legs were almost completely numb. Now the nervousness set in on Red much more as she walked up to Wendy's doorstep, but she knew that she could get frostbite if she didn't get warm soon. So she rang the doorbell.

Wendy was in her living room, doing homework while her parents were busy preparing dinner.

"Wendy, answer the door," her mother cried from the kitchen.

Wendy got up, opened the door and, to her surprise, found Red standing on her doorstep. Their eyes met for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. Wendy couldn't help but feel a strong protective impulse towards Red as she looked at her. Red's red hair and navy blue jacket were dotted in unmelted snowflakes. Her red face, a sign of the cold outside, bore a distraught look as she stared into Wendy's eyes.

Wendy invited Red in and asked her what she wanted. Then she explained her situation to Wendy and her parents. Wendy's parents agreed to let Red stay and get warm for a few hours and said she could have dinner with them. Red thanked them for their hospitality and sat down in the living room with Wendy to wait for dinner. As the two of them made idle conversation, Red noticed that the feeling was returning to her hands and legs, then her fingers and toes as she was able to warm up in Wendy's house. It was a awkward for both of them to be in the same room alone. Red did not yet know that Wendy had begun to have romantic feelings for her. Wendy was not sure if what Bebe had said about Red having a crush on her was true. Neither of them made any comment on the subject.

Soon Wendy's parents called the girls to the dining room table to have dinner. Dinner for Red was a bowl of warm soup and warm, lightly buttered bread. Wendy's mother asked her what she would like to drink and Red told her apple juice. Red ate this warm meal quickly, as all the walking in the cold had made her hungry. The aroma of the food was pleasing and the meal filled her belly to a level that satisfied her. After dinner, Wendy's father decided it was time to call Red's parents.

"Why don't you girls go upstairs for a while and hang out while I call Red's parents," he suggested.

The thought of being alone together again made Wendy and Red both feel nervous, but they obliged and headed upstairs to Wendy's room.

"So, um, what do you want to do," Wendy asked Red.

"Let's just, uh, play video games a little," Red replied.

Wendy didn't feel like playing video games, but she figured Red would be heading home soon and video games would be a good way to pass the time and relieve the tension. Wendy dusted off her Nintendo Gamecube and put in the first game she found. They played the game for about twenty minutes, neither of them saying much. Then Wendy's father came up after calling Red's parents.

"Girls, I talked to Red's mother," he began, "And we agreed that Red can stay and sleepover with Wendy tonight. Wendy, you let Red use your sleeping bag."

"Okay, dad," Wendy said.

"Thanks, Mr. Testaburger," Red said.

"I'll leave you two alone now," he said and shut the door.

"Let's just keep playing video games for now," Red suggested to Wendy.

"Okay," Wendy sighed.

Red needed some more time to think about how she would get through this night with Wendy without creating an awkward scenario that could ruin their friendship. What if Wendy found out that she loved her?

As the two played video games, Red thought more about her feelings for Wendy and recalled the promise she and Heidi had (sort of) made. Didn't they say that if they had a chance to tell their crush how they felt, they would? Red wondered. Should she try to fulfill that obligation right now? Was it for the best that Wendy would find out and they could deal with it accordingly to salvage their friendship? Red pondered these questions as she and Wendy played video games and talked very little.

After about an hour and a half, Wendy grew tired of playing video games.

"What should we do now, Red?" Wendy asked.

"I don't know," Red said softly, staring off into the distance. Then she looked at Wendy and they stared into each other's eyes again.

After about thirty seconds Wendy nervously, but hopefully asked "Red, is there… Um, is there something you want to tell me, Red?"

"What, I, um," Red stuttered. She paused for a brief moment. She didn't know what Wendy meant and she was caught off guard before (partially inadvertently) blurting out "I love you Wendy!"

Red paused again. She gasped, realizing what she had said. Then tears came rolling down her cheeks as she sobbed, trying to explain herself to Wendy.

"Yes, you heard right. I love you Wendy! I'm IN LOVE with you Wendy! I know you won't love me back but I hope we can still be friends, I'm so sorry if-" But before Red could continue, Wendy grabbed her and gave her a loving, passionate kiss, using her hand to wipe the tears off of Red's cheek. Red was lost in the moment. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"I… love you too," Wendy said softly, staring into Red's eyes. A smile formed across Red's face and a few more tears fell from her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. She leaned in to give Wendy a hug and start another kiss. Red and Wendy kissed again, both of them extremely happy that the other reciprocated their feelings.

Both of them were elated and relieved to not only end the anxiety their feelings had previously caused them, but also begin what looked like it would be a beautiful relationship. Wendy and Red talked for a little while, trying to get to know each other better (even though they had already been close friends). Red leaned her head against Wendy's shoulder and Wendy ran her fingers lovingly through her thick red hair. Soon it was time to get ready for bed and settle in for the night. Wendy and Red each took a warm shower and brushed their teeth. Wendy let Red borrow a pair of her pajamas since they were about the same size and Wendy had plenty of pajamas.

Afterwards, they stayed up until 11:00 since it was a Friday night. Red wanted to play video games some more and this time Wendy was happy to oblige. They were no longer quiet, as they happily chatted and laughed while they played. When it was time to go to bed, Red rolled out Wendy's sleeping bag on the floor next to her bed.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you, Wendy," Red said affectionately, "I love you Wendy. Good night."

"Good night, Red, I love you too," Wendy replied, equally affectionate.

Red laid down and closed her eyes. After about ten minutes, when she was nearly drifting off to sleep, Wendy's voice woke her.

"Red, you don't have to sleep on the floor," Wendy said, leaning over the side of the bed, "There's plenty of room in this bed for us both."

"Thanks Wendy," Red said sleepily as she climbed into the bed.

Red cuddled up next to Wendy, resting her head on her right shoulder and lightly draping her hand across Wendy's body in a hug-like fashion. Wendy laid her head gently above Red's, her cheek softly resting on Red's hair.

Red, who was so cold hours ago, now felt more warm and content than she ever had in her life. She opened her eyes one more time to see the snow, still majestically falling outside, before drifting off to sleep. The two of them looked so peaceful and happy in Wendy's bed, in their pajamas, beneath a warm blanket.

That night, Wendy had another dream about the lone tree upon the hill in a meadow. This time, she sat up against the tree while Red rested her head in Wendy's lap. They stared peacefully and lovingly into each other's eyes. This time the dream didn't make Wendy anxious, but actually put her into a deeper sleep.

The following morning, Red was the first of the two girls to wake up. She got out of the bed and looked at Wendy, still sleeping and with a smile on her face. Red brushed her teeth and came back to find Wendy just waking up. Red sat next to her and put her arm around Wendy.

"Good morning, love," she said playfully and affectionately.

"C'mon Red, it's soon time to eat breakfast," Wendy said, brushing sleepy dust from her eyes. Wendy kissed Red on the cheek and headed downstairs. Red soon followed her.

They had oatmeal for breakfast. More warm food to counter the cold outside. The snow had stopped falling, but according to the local news, it had left fourteen inches on the ground. Wendy's parents made her help shovel the snow and Red happily volunteered to help Wendy and her family shovel the snow. Wendy shot her an appreciative smile. Her ex-boyfriend Stan would have never volunteered that kind of help.

Red was able to stay until late in the afternoon, when enough snow had finally been cleared that her parents could come pick her up from Wendy's. Before it was time for her to leave, Wendy pulled Red aside for another kiss and a warm hug.

"I love you, Red" Wendy said. Now tears of joy were streaming down her eyes.

"I have to go home for the day, Wendy," Red said, "But don't worry, we'll be spending lots of time together, I promise. Love you."

They hugged one more time and Red got in her parents car to go home. That Saturday evening, Red called Heidi on the phone so she could talk with her best friend about what had happened.

"Hello," Heidi answered.

"Hey Heidi, it's Red."

"Did you get home safe last night?" Heidi asked.

"Not exactly," Red replied, "I couldn't make it home so I had to go to a friend's house… I went to Wendy's house."

"Oh," Heidi was surprised, "Well, how did it go? Did you… tell her?"

"Yes," Red exclaimed, "And she felt the same way! I still can't believe it!"

Heidi gasped with excitement. She was very happy for Red.

"See I told you anything could happen," Heidi said.

The two of them talked for a bit more, as Red cheerfully explained what had happened and how wonderful she felt. After that, the rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful. Red called Wendy Sunday night, just because she wanted to talk to her a little.

The next day, Red and Wendy arrived at school and held hands as they walked through the hallways. When they went to their separate lockers to get their things for class, Red was approached by Stan.

"Red, what the hell is Wendy doing with you?" He asked in a manner that was both concerned and a little bit threatening.

"Why do you care?" Red responded in irritation. She didn't want to deal with Stan.

"Because she used to be my girlfriend!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Yeah, well, you hardly spent any time with her," Red said even more irritated as she slammed her locker shut and tried to walk away. But then Stan grabbed her arm.

"This shouldn't be happening!" he yelled at her.

Wendy took notice of what was taking place and came over to the two of them. She threw Stan off Red and punched him hard in the nose. Then she grabbed him and pinned him against a nearby locker.

"Now look here, asshole," Wendy said angrily, "I don't like you anymore. Now we can be friends if you stop acting like a dick or you can keep harassing Red and I can kick your ass even worse than I did to Eric Cartman!"

Wendy took Red's hand again and walked off to class, leaving Stan stunned with a bloody nose. Red had stared admiringly at Wendy during this confrontation. She loved it when Wendy stood up for other people, including herself.

"He won't be messing with you anymore," Wendy said protectively, looking into Red's eyes.

Red smiled to herself, knowing how lucky she was. In less than a week, she had officially become best friends with Heidi and also had become Wendy's girlfriend. Things were only going to get better.