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Pairings: Kyle x Cartman, Stan x Wendy, hinted Stan x Kyle, and friendship amongst all of our favorite South Park characters.

Disclaimer: All characters in this story do not belong to the author.

Author's Note:

This project has taken me quite some time to complete, and I can hardly believe that I am finally able to upload it. I want to thank everyone again who read and reviewed my story Hate. It gave me the confidence needed to work on another project. I hope that you all enjoy this one just as much, if not more, as my previous one. It is must more plot-driven than Hate, and although it is a kyman story (what else?) their relationship isn't the only focus in the story. Please let me know if you enjoy it or not. It will help me with any future projects. I would also appreciate it if you could let me know if you like this style of story better than the one used for Hate, for those of you who read my other work. Thank you everyone!

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Redéfinition de l'individu

By Kymanlvr

On the outside, Kyle Broflovski was a normal kid in South Park. He was always polite to the adults. He got amazingly good grades in school. He laughed loudly whenever he was hanging out with his friends. But inside, Kyle was facing a personal crisis. It was sometime after entering high school that the feeling began, but it wasn't until the start of tenth grade that Kyle started to feel depressed about it.

Every day was exactly the same. He would wake up and adhere to the same morning routine that he had been following since he was four. He would walk to school following the same path. He would stand, waiting for the same bus with his same three friends. He would go to school and go to the same subjects he's been studying since elementary school. He would walk home with Stan and sometimes Kenny, taking the same path they always have.

Kyle was sick of his dull life. He hated it. He loved his friends, and he enjoyed hanging out with them, but he felt like something was missing. He had grown sick and tired of the people and the town of South Park, but most of all, of the path that was set up before him. He felt as if he constantly floated along with no real sense of purpose.

He felt lost.

He tried to accept the fact that things in South Park didn't change. Once in a while, a family would move away, or a new one would come. And sometimes, someone would die or a baby would be born. But overall, the people in South Park stayed and those who left would invariably come back.

He once tried to explain his dark feelings to Stan, but the other boy just didn't understand. Certainly, Stan listened to his rant and sympathized with Kyle, but he didn't feel the same way. Stan was happy with how his life was going. He was dating Wendy steadily and was on the football team. Things were going great. Kyle felt even more alone after their talk.

He also started explaining to Kenny his feeling that his life was a meaningless existence, but Kenny, not realizing the seriousness of Kyle's feelings, brushed off the conversation before it even began. Had Kenny known what Kyle was beginning to talk about, Kenny would have immediately dropped everything and listened to his friend, and would share his own feelings of how his life was a set path that he couldn't escape from. Instead, Kenny was unaware of Kyle's plight.

Kyle floated through each day, merely existing. He became a little quieter around his friends, and even Cartman's insults barely made him react. Kyle ceased to care. More significantly, he stopped being passionate, which was the complete opposite of who Kyle was. Stan and Kenny barely noticed the change, figuring Kyle was just going through some sort of phase. Kyle craved to do something different, something that he had never done before. He yearned for something – anything – in his world to change.

Besides his yearn for something new, he also had discovered his lack of interest in girls. In fact, he was quite sure that he was gay. He knew that announcing that he was gay would be complete and utter social suicide, and it would follow him until the day he died. Everyone in town would find out in a heartbeat if anyone knew, and he was pretty sure he would be humiliated by most of his classmates. Although he suspected he could trust Stan with his secret, he wasn't quite ready to share his most recent discovery with his best friend. He wasn't sure how Stan would react, and besides – he was currently harboring a small crush on the boy. He knew it wouldn't turn into anything, and it wasn't too serious, but he refused to ever tell Stan of his secret feelings. Stan was just so… hot.

Kyle was confused and lost. He threw himself mostly into his studies, but the passion wasn't there anymore. He didn't want to become a lawyer. He didn't want to see the same teachers and the same classmates day in and day out. He didn't want to be in South Park anymore.

But Kyle also didn't want to leave South Park permanently. He loved his friends, and couldn't imagine a life without them. They had been there for as long as he could remember, and although Kyle craved change, he didn't want that to change. It was his friends who kept him sane, even if they didn't notice Kyle's dilemma.

It surprised Kyle, however, when one of them did notice.

"What the hell is wrong with you lately?"

It was a cool, crisp winter morning in March. The earth was frozen with piles of snow on top, which was pretty typical in South Park. It was on this particular morning, however, that Kyle was at the bus stop earlier than normal. More unusual was the fact that Cartman had gotten there before him.

Kyle shrugged, watching the snowflakes fall gently to the ground. "Nothing's wrong."

"Bullshit. Something's wrong. Something's BEEN wrong for at least three months now. Spill."

Kyle looked at Cartman, surprised. Out of all the likely people to have noticed, Cartman would have been at the bottom of the list. The other boy had barely changed at all since elementary school. He still was an uncaring, selfish boy with little interest in anyone else but himself. Kyle used to fight with Cartman, back when he cared. Recently, the only thing left of their old relationship was Cartman's insults. He would mercilessly egg Kyle nonstop in a desperate attempt to get the other boy to respond. Most of these attempts failed miserably.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Kyle kept studying Cartman. He still wore the same jacket and hat that he always did, only a few sizes bigger. He was scowling in Kyle's direction, obviously more than miffed about the situation.

"Cartman, this is YOU we're talking about. I don't share things with you for a reason."

Cartman's scowl deepened and he looked away, fixing his eyes straight ahead. "Fine. But you need to snap the fuck out of this. You've been such an emo pussy lately."

Kyle didn't respond, following Cartman's example of looking straight ahead into space.

"See?" he spat. "This is what I'm talking about. Get a grip."

"Do you ever wonder if the world out there is like it is here?" Kyle speculated absentmindedly, his voice almost lost in the wind.

"What do you mean?"

"Unchanging."

They stood in silence, listening to the wind as it blew past their covered ears. Kyle couldn't even feel the cold anymore.

That day ended, and another began; after that, another. The days dragged on slowly, and Kyle felt like he merely existed instead of lived. Every day was exactly the same. He wondered why he even went on. It was like he was on a never ending ride that he couldn't get off of.

On a typical Monday in May, Kyle didn't expect that a single conversation would change the rest of his life. His French teacher pulled him aside after class, and handed him a small packet.

"Here, Kyle," she said, smiling. "I really hope you will give this consideration."

Kyle looked down, flipping open the booklet. He immediately closed it. "Yes."

She laughed. "Yes?"

"Yes," he repeated. "I'll go."

It seemed only natural, or perhaps necessary, that he agree to attend a language camp just outside of Chicago. It would last the duration of summer break, which would mean he wouldn't be able to see his friends for an entire three months. However, he would be meeting other high school students from across the country. Also, he would be immersed in a setting where he would be surrounded by French all the time. It was a great opportunity to improve on his French, and be a year ahead of others in his grade, but more importantly, a chance to get a break from the small town of South Park.

It took some time, but he was finally able to convince his mother only a few days before the signup deadline. He highlighted the educational aspect of it, and she couldn't argue with him. His friends were naturally disappointed.

"What?" Stan exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "What do you mean, 'gone for the whole summer?'" Stan still wore his signature blue hat; in fact, he still wore the exact same outfit that he did when he was younger. His black hair stuck out a bit from under his hat, and he was definitely taller than he once was. Everyone knew how gorgeous Stan was, and if Stan wasn't already dating Wendy, all the girls would flock to him in a heartbeat. Kyle was just a little bit jealous. Although Kyle had no interest in girls, he wished he looked as good as his Super Best Friend did.

Kyle sighed. "I leave a week after school lets out, and I don't get back until the day before school starts up again in the fall." He calmly stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"But… that means I won't see you the entire summer!"

"Mmph mmph mph mph mmph mhmhmmph?" Kenny asked from under his hood. Like Stan, he still wore the same outfit. As a matter of fact, everyone in the town of South Park always wore the same outfit.

"Well, I was thinking about it for a while, but I just finalized it with my mom yesterday. It sounds really cool."

"Mph."

Stan still looked shocked, trying to digest this new information. He was quiet while Cartman walked up to the bus stop where they were all waiting.

"Hey, fags, what's up?"

"Mmph mph mmphn hm mph mmmph mmph mph."

"… what?" Cartman stared at Kenny for a second, and then his eyes swept over to Kyle. Kyle glanced over, knowing what was coming. Cartman blinked once. "You… you're going away for the WHOLE summer?"

Kyle nodded.

Cartman stared at him for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing. He started doing an obnoxious dance. "YES! I am without Jew for three whole months! This is the beeest!"

Kyle pursed his lips disapprovingly, but didn't respond. Cartman's response was predictable.

"Not cool, Cartman," muttered Stan grumpily. "Kyle, I can't believe you didn't tell us about this sooner!"

"Sorry, dude. I didn't think my mom would let me go, but since she gave me permission, well… I think it's a great opportunity. You know… for something new."

Stan opened his mouth to argue, but the bus screeched to a halt in front of him. The four boys quickly filed in, sitting in the same seats they always did. Conversation quickly turned to the usual subjects, but Stan was quieter than usual. When the brief bus ride ended and they started walking to the school, Stan lightly grabbed Kyle's arm. Kyle paused, looking at his friend questioningly.

"Kyle…" Stan started. "I… I'm glad that you get to, you know… go do something different. I'll miss you, but it won't be that long… so… yeah."

Kyle blinked a few minutes, and then smiled warmly. "Thanks, Stan. I'll have my laptop and access to internet, so we'll chat every night. It won't be so bad."

Stan smiled. "Yeah."

More uneventful, pointless days came and went. Kyle felt himself get more excited about his trip every day. The closer it got to his departure, the slower time seemed to pass. But eventually, school was out, and it was the day before Kyle was leaving for Chicago. They were all over at Stan's house, playing rock band. It was moments like this that Kyle appreciated the most. Despite his overall dissatisfaction with his daily life, he truly valued the times that he was able to hang out with his friends. Cartman was singing passionately into the microphone as Kenny enthusiastically went into a quick drum solo; Kyle grinned as they finished the final few notes of the song, finishing in unison with Stan.

"Mmph! Mph mhmhmph!" Kenny exclaimed.

Stan laughed. "Wow! You're right, Kenny! Awesome job, guys! All 100%!"

Kyle smiled, plopping onto the couch. "Cool."

"Yeah, that was pretty sweet," Cartman agreed. Kyle glanced over at Cartman and grinned.

"Yeah."

"Hey," Stan started. "Kyle, we're going to miss you."

"Hey! Speak for yourself," Cartman quickly interjected.

"I'll miss you guys, too," Kyle replied, ignoring Cartman's comment. "I'm sure it will go by quickly… I mean, summer break always does. I'll be back before you know it."

Stan grinned. "You guys hungry? Let's order a pizza."

"Sounds good!" Kyle replied.

"Mmph!" Kenny agreed.

They watched old reruns of Terrance and Phillip while they ate their pizza, reminiscing of old adventures. When it was time for Kyle to leave to finish some last minute packing, the goodbye was long. Cartman didn't say anything as Stan and Kenny wished Kyle good luck while making him promise to go online every night. Kenny punched Kyle's arm affectionately right before Stan hugged him. Kyle laughed a bit nervously, patting him on the back. Stan pulled away quickly, grinning sheepishly at his friend.

Kyle glanced at Cartman, who reluctantly met his eyes. A brief moment passed before Cartman spoke.

"Good riddance, Jew."

Kyle couldn't help smiling a bit. It was Cartman, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel affection for his nemesis. "Bye guys!" His smile turned into a grin before turning around and heading out the door.

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Within the three months that Kyle was away, nothing in South Park changed. Daily life went on without interruption, and although Kyle was missed, things weren't much different. In contrast, Kyle felt that he had completely undergone a life altering experience. He met many different kids, many of whom he befriended. Each day had been unique and special in some way.

Kyle felt refreshed when he returned to South Park. He felt confident, passionate, and for the first time in months, he felt like himself. His time away had re-centered Kyle. It was exactly what he needed.

He took a look at himself in the mirror before he left for the bus stop. He hadn't been able to see his friends since he got back, and he hadn't chatted online with them for almost a whole month. He had gotten busy in the last month of his stay, and hadn't had the time or energy at night to go online. He was excited about seeing them again. He grinned at his refection before glancing at his old, green hat. He wouldn't need that anymore.

He was a little worried leaving his house that morning without his hat. He had worn that hat since he was little. The original reason for wearing it was due to the cold weather outside; however, the hat also hid his hair so that Cartman wouldn't make fun of it. Due to its dual purpose, and to the fact that no one changed their appearances in South Park, Kyle had always worn it. But he had stopped wearing it during the camp, and he wasn't going to start wearing it again anytime soon. He was tired of covering up just for the sake of hiding who he was. He was done. He was going to go back to being Kyle.

With a deep breath, he left his reflection to start the short walk to the bus stop. It was cold, as usual, but it wasn't too bad. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, shivering slightly. He wondered what his friends would say.

As he neared the bus stop, he saw that all three of his friends were there already, facing in the same direction they had always faced. He calmly walked up to them, taking his usual place at the end. Little did the others know that their lives would never be the same again.

"Hey guys."

There was no turning back now.