Disclaimer: I could never think up South Park all by myself…but I didn't even think it up with help. Too bad.
Author's Note: I've come to the conclusion that there aren't enough Kyle/Cartman stories on this site, so I'm making my own. I'll get back to working on my other story now, though! I'm really sorry about the lack of update on that! Anyway, I thought this would be kind of fun to do. This chapter is just the prologue, showing the personalities of the characters and, of course, the new Eric Cartman. Enjoy!
Kyle's POV
It's Monday morning, and I'm tempting the fates by walking to the bus stop in the frigid air. I think I may be forgetting to breathe, but I really can't tell. It's too damn cold to be sure of anything right now. "Hey, Kyle," my friend Stan says to me with a smile when I look at him. Since I manage to reply, I think it's a safe assumption that I'm alive. Who knew it could get this cold during the winter, even in South Park? Stan is standing there with his arms crossed and he's shivering. He doesn't look to be much in the mood for talking. I let my eyes glance over first to Kenny, wearing his orange parka. The temperature doesn't seem to be bothering him too much, but he has the strings on his hood drawn tight to ward off the chill. He doesn't wear the parka too often now, but this is probably a good time to be wearing it. Now I'm looking at Cartman. I think this is one of the rare days where I actually wish I was him. He must be freezing, he's wearing his normal lightweight jacket and he's holding his hat at his side. All that body fat must come in good for something, I guess. Maybe he's not really cold at all. I kind of want to say something to him, but I notice his eyes are closed and his lips are moving silently again. I think it's become a sort of morning ritual for him, just as it's becoming a ritual for me to watch him. It's just the way that nothing ever seems to faze him. When we entered high school, it was suddenly as if he had nothing left to live for. To most people, he seemed to be the same person, if not one who was a bit nicer, but to his close friends – that is to say, me, Stan, and Kenny – it was obvious that something was gone from his life. We knew he would never confide in us, but we could see it all the same.
I walk over to stand right in front of him. His sorrow and anger are both so intense right now that I can feel it as I look at him. It neither warns me away nor invites me forward, just makes me stop in my tracks to study him. Had he gotten sleep the previous night, or did he always look like that now? I have been becoming increasingly unobservant over the years, and at times I feel like I don't even know my own friends anymore. Cartman's eyes look very hollow to me. His whole face just seems devoid of life, somehow. His lips are still moving, in time to the whistling wind now. It ruffled his hair around his head, but he still didn't open his eyes. To be honest, it looks like he's offering up a part of himself to the Earth, or something creepy like that. I failed to notice earlier that he as one hand up to his throat…not strangling himself, more like clutching something at the base of his throat. Is he wearing a necklace? That thought being too much to bear, I laugh quietly. As I recover, though, I face Cartman's gaze. I think that scares me more than anything. His eyes show recognition, but little else. The Cartman I know would say "What are you laughing about, you fucking Jew?" but this Cartman is just looking at me quietly and thoughtfully. I'm happy when the bus comes. This cold air is making me think way more than a normal person should at this hour of the morning.
Cartman's POV
I can see the bus now, it's coming to a stop right in front of us. I take the time to tear my eyes away from Kyle – almost a painful act, but I've trained myself to not feel pain anymore. I take my normal seat near the front of the bus. The further away I am from my friends, the better I am. I don't want to hear any more questions about why I've been acting so oddly, and I don't want any questions about what I was doing outside. I was the first one to show up there, I didn't even notice when the others arrived. When did they arrive anyway? My hand is still tightly clenched in a fist. I open it to reveal the cuts, first from my fingernails and then from my necklace. I almost smiled at the thought of the great Eric Cartman wearing jewelry. Bad, bad! I can't laugh, I can't smile! If I want to not feel pain I can't allow myself to feel anything else, either. Sometimes I really wonder if this will work. After all, not showing emotion on the outside doesn't mean it's not on the inside. The thought of school bores me, and the thought of my friends makes me happy. The necklace…the necklace is linked to pain. What it stands for isn't painful, exactly, it just reminds me of something that causes me the greatest happiness and the greatest sorrow I have ever felt in my life.
Why is the bus stopping? We aren't here, are we? I spy the school through the thickly falling snow, though. As I step outside I put my hat back on. I love the snow. It allows me to hide my emotions from everyone so well. I wipe the happy expression from my face as everyone else steps out behind me. The snow might hide my emotions, but not if I don't do my part. "Hiya, Eric!" a voice calls to me as I walk in the general direction of the school. "Hello, Butters," I say to him in a soft monotone. I know it's him. Ever since Jimmy got sent to a different school, Butters is the only person of my own age to refer to me as "Eric". I know the monotone is useless. It's just a ploy to fool the other students. Butters is surprisingly perceptive, I doubt I could hide anything from him even if I wanted to. Butters is the only reason I haven't lost myself yet. It's been a whole year since I dared to show emotion. No more evil plans which I enjoy, no more making fun of the people I care about. No more Eric Cartman. But Butters preserved me as best he could. Was it time to start acting normal again?
"Eric, isn't it time to stop acting like this?" Maybe Butters was right. What was I trying to prove to myself, anyway? That I wasn't human? "As painful as some things are to face, you can never move on with life until you feel it. It's still there, and by not letting yourself feel it it'll just be there longer. A year is a long time. Be yourself, Eric." At these words, I smiled. Butters was so nice, so innocent. It almost makes me sorry for the way I've treated him in the past. Almost, but not quite. I'm quite happy being stoic, thank you very much! Wait…that doesn't make sense. How can I be happy about…not having any emotions? If the second part of the statement was right I would feel stoic about being stoic…right? I surprise myself and start to laugh. Maybe this is making me go insane. "Come on Butters, let's go bore ourselves to death in class." I hold out my hand to him, and he blinks in surprise before taking it as we walk towards the school. Maybe in the past I would have been embarrassed to have even been seen talking to him, but not only was Eric Cartman back, he was a different and better person than before. I don't care what the other students think. I don't care if they say I'm gay now, or something. Eric Cartman is no longer ashamed to be seen with his friends.
Author's Note: Big difference, huh? I'm not sure if I'll continue different POV's all throughout the story, but I probably will. It'll be more interesting, then. I hope everyone likes what I've done with Cartman's character, I know it's a bit different than what you're probably used to reading, but I kind of like writing about how he's discovering that he's a different person and that he doesn't have to be mean. I really like Cartman because he's so interesting...I just hate the way he acts, which is why I decided to change it. So hate it or love it, review please! I won't continue on with the next chapter until I get at least three reviews. That's not unreasonable...right?