CuriousKat: Hey, guys! It's CuriousKat again with another South Park fanfic. I have so many ideas for stories lined up and depending on the response to these "establishing" ones, they'll get up to either fast or slow. This is only my third South Park fanfic, so let me know what you think and constructive criticism only please. Enjoy!
Brrrrrrriiiiing! The school bell at South Park Elementary rang loudly and signaled every fourth grader that it was time for lunch. Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman all trudged to the lunchroom together but Cartman wasn't looking as excited as usual. His hair was very matted and sticking to his hat and he was clutching his chest tightly as he walked.
"So, how's your morning training sessions with Mr. Heartman?" asked Kyle.
"Don't start with me, Kyle," Cartman said bitterly. "I know you're enjoying every minute of this."
"Well, you shouldn't have cheated at gym, Cartman," said Stan.
"I would've come back eventually," Cartman insisted.
"Yeah, right," said Kyle.
"Well, it doesn't matter now," Cartman spat. "I'm free of him until 3pm this afternoon and I'm gonna enjoy every last minute of it."
The four boys made it to the lunchroom and Cartman saw what was being served.
"Oh, my Christ!" he said excitedly as he read the menu out loud: "'Buffalo or Barbeque wings, with your choice of nachos or loaded potato skins'! Oh, my Christ, yes!"
"I wouldn't get too excited Cartman," said Kyle.
"And why not?" Cartman said irritably.
"Check out the price tag."
Cartman looked below the menu and saw the meal's price: $10.50 per plate.
"The fuck!? Are they fucking serious?" Cartman exclaimed.
"Must be 'cause of the actual meat they're using," said Stan.
"I HAVE to get those wings and potato skins," Cartman said, shaking with anticipation. He darted his eye around and made a pleading look to his friends. "Guyyys? You wouldn't happen to have a little spare cash would you?"
"How much spare cash?" said Kenny narrowing his eyebrows.
"$10.50," Cartman said flatly.
The three boys left for their table without another word and Cartman shouted after them.
"That's fine! That's FINE! I don't need you guys' fucking money!" He clenched his teeth in frustration but softened his expression when he saw another familiar face. "I have other ways of making money," he said to himself as he approached a blonde, fourth grade girl.
"Hey, cuz," he said to Cierra sweetly.
Cierra turned around to face him. "Hi, Eric," she responded. "What's going on?"
"Welp, I'm afraid we have a problem, cuz," he said with a semi-serious tone.
"We do?" Cierra said raising an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid that because of my, ahem, actions last week, Mom's cut off my allowance," he explained.
"Uh-huh…." said Cierra, still skeptical.
"And I'm sure you've noticed the particularly succulent items on the lunch menu today," he pointed to the menu and Cierra curled up her nose in disgust.
"Sounds like heart attack city," she remarked but Cartman continued on.
"I'm sure you wouldn't want your favorite cousin to starve until dinnertime, right?"
"Well…."
"Great! Then, you'll spot me the cash." Cartman said.
"I don't know if I can, Eric," said Cierra. "I lost my allowance for the next two weeks, too."
"Don't give me that, cuz," said Cartman holding up an accusatory finger. "I know you've been saving up your cash for a while now-"
"Yes, and I still am," Cierra said firmly.
Cartman narrowed his eyebrows and said through gritted teeth. "Don't. Interrupt me. Cuz."
Cierra recoiled as Cartman continued. "I know you've been saving up your money for that twinkle-shiny-princess-thing but isn't my hunger a more pressing matter?"
"Maybe," Cierra said. "But…$10.50 would take a pretty big chunk out of my savings. And I don't know if wings and loaded potatoes are worth it."
"They're totally worth it!" Cartman cried but Cierra still looked apprehensive. Cartman then took a minute to think and eventually said, "At least, if you wanna make some friends around here."
Cierra perked up at that statement. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well…." Cartman began. "I'm not the only one looking to purchase my lunch today. Kenny, poor Kenny, has no lunch money at all and I'm sure he'd appreciate a kind gesture like….someone buying him lunch," he tilted his head towards her in hinting gesture.
Cierra looked hesitantly at her purse and Cartman knew he had her.
"I'm just saying, I'd sure love to be friends with the girl who was gracious enough to buy my lunch."
"Mmmm," Cierra whined. "Well…." she reached into her purse and slowly took out a $20 bill and a $1 bill. "..I guess if he really needs it-"
Before Cierra could finish her thought, Cartman snatched the money from her hand so fast it made a whip cracking noise.
"'Preciate it, cuz," said Cartman stretching the bills in his hands, "and so will Kenny." Cartman headed towards the boys table and Cierra began to follow him until he held out his hand to stop her.
"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where do you think you're going?"
"Um...to sit with you?" asked Cierra.
"Ohh, that's so cute," Cartman said patronizingly. "Cuz, I don't know how things worked at that private school you went to, but here girls don't sit at the boys' table."
"Well, then, where am I supposed to sit?" Cierra asked.
Cartman placed his arm around her and sighed. "...Not with us," he said simply. "There's not enough room anyway."
Cierra looked away, dejectedly. "Oh."
"Maybe next time you can sit with us, but I couldn't count on it." Cartman gave her a pat on the shoulder. "But cheer up, cuz. I'm sure there's someone around here that'll take pity on you." He winked his eye and clicked his tongue cheerfully. "See you in class!" he said with a big smile on his face.
Cierra watched him head off to the boys' table and began her search for a seat. She wandered around the cafeteria and eventually set her sights on the girls' table. Wendy was busy chatting with Bebe when she caught Cierra looking at her. Cierra waved nervously and Wendy scowled in response. She whispered something to Bebe, who glanced over her shoulder at Cierra. Joining Wendy in her scowl, she quickly placed her purse the empty seat near her. Cierra clutched her lunchbox and recoiled. She walked backwards away from the girls and eventually turned back to face the lunch line.
"Oh, hamburgers!" Cierra heard a distant voice say. She closed in on the head of the lunch line and saw a boy in a teal colored jacket with a tuft of blonde hair on his head fumbling around with his wallet.
"Just one more dollar," he said desperately. "Come on! Just one more!" He shook his wallet violently with it's opening to the floor and a pleading look on his face.
Cierra dug into her purse and pulled out a crisp, new dollar bill.
"Here," she said softly as she offered the dollar to him.
"Huh?" he gasped. He noticed her outstretched hand and a relieved smile came to his face. "Oh, thanks!" He gently accepted the dollar and gave it to the school chef. The boy took his lunch tray, stepped of the line and approached Cierra.
"Thanks a lot," he repeated. "I didn't know they jacked up the prices again. Is it OK if I-I pay you back tomorrow?"
"No, that's OK," Cierra waved his offer away. "I won't miss it."
"Hey…." the boy held his chin thoughtfully. "I know you! You're Cartman's cousin, right?"
"Yeah," Cierra shuffled her foot bashfully. "I'm Cierra"
"Well, my name's Butters," said the boy, "I sit in the row behind you in class." Butters transferred his tray to one hand and held out his free hand to Cierra. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice meeting you, too, Butters," Cierra shook his hand vigorously.
Butters struggled to keep his tray balanced and felt his wallet fall from his pocket to the ground.
"Oops," he grumbled.
"Sorry," Cierra shrugged nervously. "I've got it." She bent down to the floor and saw a familiar face printed on Butters' wallet. "Hey!" she cried excitedly, "It's Fluttershy!"
"That's right!" Butters exclaimed. "She's best pony in my book." His eyes suddenly went wide with realization. "You...you're a brony too?"
Cierra returned Butters' wallet and said, "Yeah! Though I'm torn between Twilight and Rarity for best pony. And I prefer the term 'Pegasister'."
"They're both cool too," Butters said while heading to his table. "What do you think about Rainbow Dash?"
Cierra walked alongside him. "She's pretty awesome, but a little….overexposed; Know what I mean?"
"Oh, yeah," Butters nodded his head in agreement. "There weren't any Rainbow Dash wallets where I got my Flutters one."
"Doesn't surprise me," Cierra said with a chortle, "not one bit."
The two shared a chuckle and Butters placed his tray on a small table. Cierra's face fell as Butters took his seat.
"Well," she said glumly, "it was nice talking to you, Butters." She turned away from him and was heading back to the cafeteria's main floor when Butters asked,
"Are you sitting with Cartman, Cierra?"
Cierra slowly shook her head no.
"Well, do you wanna sit with me, then?"
Cierra froze and nearly dropped her lunchbox in shock.
"It gets…"Butters continued, "...pretty lonely in this part of the cafeteria."
"Yeah…" Cierra turned around to face him again. "I can definitely see that."
"So…?" Butters patted the empty seat beside him and gave Cierra a friendly smile. Cierra returned the smile and leapt into the empty seat. She started opening her lunchbox and Butters began eating his lunch.
"So," Butters said with a mouthful of food, "how do you feel about Pinkie Pie?"
"Oh, she's ADORABLE," Cierra said while unwrapping a sandwich, "not to mention hilarious! Oh! Have you seen 'Too Many Pinkie Pies'!?"
"Not yet," Butters confessed. "I've still gotta catch up with season three before season four starts."
"Well, you've still got time," said Cierra. "What's your favorite episode now?"
"Definitely 'Hurricane Fluttershy'," said Butters.
"I LOVED 'Suited for Success'. I can relate so much to Rarity in that episode, you don't even know."
Butters and Cierra talked the entire lunch period. While they walked back to class together, Butters asked Cierra, "Got any plans for after school? We could watch some of season three together."
"That's sound like fun," Cierra admitted. "But I've gotta do some volunteering after school. I'll probably be there all afternoon."
"Oh…." Butters felt his face fall but perked back up with, "Well, we'll still see each other tomorrow, right? Same table?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Cierra said happily.
"Cool! I-I'll see you tomorrow then!" Butters said as he reentered the classroom. Cierra was about to follow him in when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, cuz," said Cartman. "Too bad about lunch, huh?"
"Well-"
"Don't even worry about it; Kenny loved his meal and he appreciated the gesture anyway."
"He...did?" Cierra asked raising an eyebrow.
"Not enough to let you sit with us tomorrow…." Cartman explained.
"Oh…." Cierra said flatly.
"...but after a few more…'donations', who knows? You may be on your way to making your first friend here in South Park." Cartman released her shoulder and went past her to enter the classroom.
"Yeah," Cierra said to herself. "Maybe."