Little fingers gripped tightly at little hands. Sirens screamed into the humid night air. Flashing lights blinded out the stars. Four pairs of bare little feet stomped in the cold dirt, heading away from the panic and loud bangs. Four little girls ran from their parents in search for safety. None would let go and it was a slow trek further into the woods, broken only by occasional pauses.
"Ouvel ableck ichi?" panted a red-faced blonde, her grey dress tattered and dirtied. "Ouvel mon Penken?"
The skinny brunette at the front of their small line shook her head, cheeks stained with tears. "Jah didtch nair."
Another loud bang sounded behind them, ringing in their ears. Panicked, they shared looks with each other as they fumbled for some kind of plan. After another bang rang out, the plump red head perked up and pointed ahead. "Jah nair hublen upskin. Tehn gardicht parlemon."
Without another word, the brunette led them through the woods, following the directions the redhead would huff out until they came to the mouth of a cave. Silent and shaken, each child ventured deep to the back of the dark cave, huddled together as the world around them erupted with light and blood. Voices soon approached, followed by more bangs. The noirette child whimpered into her fist, trying to stay quiet.
But it didn't matter.
"Hey! They're some in here!" The strange words grew closer until an alien face peered at them from the mouth of the cave. "Come out!"
The alien was met with faces of confusion and the noirette bit back a sob. She could not lose her friends. As the alien approached, it's killing machine pointed at them, the little girl grabbed tightly to the redhead's hand, knowing she would do the same down the chain. With more strength than she knew she had, the girl pulled forth a familiar rush of adrenaline and sent it to the redhead and down to the last child until her strength poured through each one.
"Didtch beven godich."
The campus looked beautiful. Teenagers in crisp blue uniforms milled about, laying on blankets on the grounds or playing checkers or reading books by the large, sparkling fountain. A gaggle of plain-clothed teenagers looked around at the campus life curiously accompanied by parents currently listening intently to their tour guide. Talking about the academics, no doubt. Four teenagers huddled close together in the back of the group, taking in everything and barely believing that they all had been given the chance to go to a prestigious academy with their friends.
Suddenly a slim figure darted between them, a blur in their vision as they jumped apart. It was followed by a slightly taller and thicker blur, heading straight for the fountain. "What the-"
The slimmer figure seemed to have caught sight of the fountain and tried to stop but the taller blur barrelled into it, sending them both crashing into the fountain, water sparkling in the sun in the air. Girlish screams followed quickly by giggles broke the confusion that settled over the entire tour guide.
Tangled up into each other, soaking in the fountain, was a rim-rod brunnette, her long hair a wet curtain around her, and a tan, toned noirette, her short pixie hair dripping water down her chin. Smiles lit up their faces as they struggled to help each other up, but that wasn't what kept the tour group staring. It was the tattoos on their bodies.
"Atrians are allowed into this school?" Kyle nearly winced upon hearing his dad's tight, nervous voice.
The tour guide smiled politely, seeming to get this question a lot. "Yes. We have a group of eight Atrian teenagers going to school here in the hopes of spearheading integration."
Mr. Broflovski continued despite the obvious warning in her voice. By now they had earned the stares of the tattooed Atrians in the fountain. "Why on earth would you let our kids intermix with those-those colonists? Didn't we learn anything from our future selves?"
Looking a bit uncomfortable, the tour guide answered, "Because they deserve freedom. Now, if you would all wait patiently, our star student will be here shortly to answer any questions your children have over the school and it's studies."
"No child of mine will be going to school with a Tattie." One parent said vehemently. Others murmured agreement but no one made a move to leave. This was one of the best private schools in the country and they wouldn't want to throw away all that money.
"That's a shame, I would have loved to meet him." said a polite, friendly voice from behind Cartman. They all turned to see a tall, curvy teenager with an unruly mop of red curls. Smiling, she let them take in her form. Especially the green tattoos crawling up the left side of her neck and jaw, like tree branches. "Hello all, I'm Kylie and I'm here to answer some questions you may have."
Cartman had to admire how her smile never faltered underneath the glares of future peers and parents, her chin raised as if challenging anyone to make a comment. Silence met her statement in which her gaze never faltered. "None? Well, alright. Let me just say a few words then.
"This school is filled with wonderful and skilled teachers whose sole purpose here is to guide your children. Beyond academics, this school fully supports the arts and offers a wide variety of electives and clubs to help your child belong. Within these walls, you will find a family that will never abandon you in your time of need. Plus, you're guaranteed to get into your college of choice just by going here."
Kylie's gaze softened as she looked at the crowd. "So don't let us Atrians stop you from giving your child the best that you can. Enjoy the rest of the tour." Leaving people shocked and bewildered, Kylie skirted around them to the fountain where she helped the other two girls up and out of the water before walking with them back towards the dorms.
It was then Kyle noticed they were on roller skates. That would explain how fast they were going. "Okay, let's go back to the office and I hope to see many of your here next week for your first day." chirped the tour guide, rounding up the people's attentions expertly.
"What was that about?" demanded the petite brunette, dark eyes shooting Kylie an annoyed glare.
"Cool it, Erica, there's no sense causing a fuss. The faculty has already been so nice to us, we can't turn away business." She answered with a tired sigh. "And nice crash back there."
Her best friend, Sarah grinned and brushed her hair back, the maze-like tattoos on her arms glinting like water in the sun. "Thanks. Hey, are we meeting Kenzie for lunch?"
"Dad, please just listen to me." Kyle begged, straining against his seatbelt from the backseat. "Who cares if Atrians go there? It's ranked number one in the country! Think of the lawyers who've gone there!"
His dad stayed silent, stony, in the front seat. The stout, curvaceous woman met her son's pleading gaze and tried her hand at swaying her husband out of his overreaction. "Gerald, it is a great school. And we have to trust we raised Kyle to do what's best for him."
No answer. Not even when they returned home and Kyle trudged up to his room, trying to come up with some way to convince his stubborn father. There was no way he could leave his best friends and stay in this crummy South Park. There was no way he could pass up this opportunity and not live to regret it. So he called Stan and bounced off ideas with the jock before being called down for dinner. Each plea or argument Kyle made was met with a glare and aversion from Gerald until Kyle was finally fed up.
"I'm going."
"No."
"Dad, I was accepted into Harlington Academy and I'm going. You can't stop me."
"Like hell I can't. You aren't going and that's final. Any more word out of you and you can just march yourself up those stairs."
Green eyes glaring, Kyle stood from the table and marched himself up the stairs, much to the bewilderment of his parents. Once inside the safety of his room, Kyle texted his friends, resorting to low manipulation. As requested, Kyle could hear the phone ringing downstairs and his mother say it was for his father. This happened three times before he was finally called down, Gerald's voice tired and frustrated.
"Fine, you can go. But if I see you conversing with one of those, I'm pulling you out immediately."