Disclaimer: All places and characters referenced to the television show South Park are the property of Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
It was an unusually cold Thursday night in South Park, Colorado for October 18th. The temperature was already well below freezing in the mountains.
Kyle sat at his desk with a small square of wrapping paper in front of him folding and taping it very carefully to get this present wrapped just right. This present was special. It was a gift Kyle had bought with many weeks' worth of saved allowance. It was a gift for his super best friend.
Stan is going to be so psyched when I give this to him! He told me he's been wanting this video game for at least a month now.
Stan's birthday was tomorrow, October 19th.
He had just finished taping the edges of the gift when Sheila walked into his room.
"It's getting late, bubbe; time for bed."
"But mom… It's only nine…," Kyle whined.
"This isn't a discussion, Kyle! You have school tomorrow. Lights out in 10 minutes," She mandated, exiting his room.
"Gah!" Kyle said aloud in disgust as he hopped down from his desk chair and changed into his pajamas.
In compliance with his mother's order, he was in bed by 9:08.
Sheila checked back in a few minutes later.
"Goodnight, Kyle."
"Night, mom."
I can't wait to see his face when he unwraps this! Kyle thought as he turned to his side and shut his eyes in an attempt to sleep.
This has got to be the best gift I've ever gotten him! He opened his eyes and turned again to look at the clock on his nightstand: 10:03PM.
God. It hasn't even been an hour yet… This is going to be a long night… He shifted again moving his pillow trying hard to calm his anticipation and get some sleep.
He's going to be so happy when he sees what's in there! Kyle restlessly shifted yet again and relooked at his clock: 11:36PM.
Jesus Christ… He lay on his back staring at the ceiling.
I don't think I can wait until morning to give him this. I'm just going to go over to his house right now and give it to him early. I'll be able to sleep better after I see his reaction. Kyle concluded to sneak over to Stan's house and be back in about half an hour.
He jumped out of bed and eagerly grabbed the present off his desk before carefully and quietly sneaking downstairs in the dark. He reached the door without problem and slipped on his shoes, but before venturing forth the freezing air blowing through the cracks of the door reminded him how cold it was outside. Wearing only his PJ's, he wanted his jacket. Not entirely sure where he had left it earlier that afternoon, he search around in the dark not wanting to risk waking anyone by turning on the living room lights. After searching hopelessly for a few minutes he just decided to give up.
Stan's house isn't too far away. I'll be alright.
He tucked the gift away in an inner pocket of his pajama top to shield it from the cold and set off toward Stan's.
He walked quickly to maintain body heat and to get out of the cold as soon as possible.
It only took him a few minutes to reach his destination.
Kyle approached the trashcans near the overhang by Stan's window and very deliberately climb on top of them and then onto the overhang. He cautiously inched over it to Stan's window and looked in.
Stan appeared to be fast asleep under a heap of blankets.
Knock. Knock. Kyle tapped on the window lightly.
"…," No response.
Knock. Knock. Knock. He tapped louder this time.
The pile of blankets turned toward the window and Stan yawned as he tiredly cracked his eyes.
"Kyle?" He became more alert as he saw a faintly illuminated boy shivering on the overhang by his window.
Stan quickly threw back his covers and hurried to unlock and open the window.
"What are you doing here, dude?!" Stan questioned, pulling Kyle into his bedroom and resealing the window.
"Is everything alright?" He asked worriedly.
"Yeah… Every-Everything's alright…," Kyle responded through teeth chatters, shivering violently as he took a seat on the floor.
"Dude, where's your jacket? You must be freezing. You're gonna get sick."
Stan walked over to his bed and pulled off a thick blanket to hand Kyle.
"Thanks…," He wrapped the soft blanket around himself. It was still warm.
The two sat on the floor together side by side in silence as Kyle unthawed.
After a few minutes Stan reiterated: "So if nothing's wrong, what are you doing sneaking out to my house at 11:45 on a freezing cold school night?"
"I was thinking about something and I couldn't sleep," Kyle responded removing the gift from his inside pocket and clenching it under the blanket.
"What were you thinking about?" Stan turned to him, concerned.
"I was thinking about how you would react when I gave you this," Kyle extended the gift out from under the blanket toward Stan.
"What's this?" Stan accepted the small rectangular shaped object and surveyed it under the dim light refracting through the window from the streetlamps below.
The small rectangular object was a gift. It was wrapped in a blue and orange paper dotted with football helmets and on the front side there was white tag which read: 'To: My Super Best Friend; From: Your Super Best Friend' in his nicest handwriting.
"Happy birthday, Stan!"
"But my birthday isn't until tomorrow…," Stan commented.
"It is tomorrow, dude," Kyle laughed.
Stan turned around and looked at his clock: 12:03AM.
"You made a special point to come over here and give this to me tonight... Why?" Stan was still confused.
"Because I couldn't wait to see your reaction when you opened it," Kyle beamed.
"Open it, dude!" He implored.
Stan delicately ripped the wrapping paper away from the gift to reveal a brand new copy of the video game he had been trying to convince his mom to buy him for the past month.
"Wow!" Stan nearly yelled. "I've been wanting this game like forever!" He was ecstatic.
"I know! That's why I got it and couldn't wait to give it to you," Kyle said happily.
"This is expensive, Kyle. You didn't have to do that."
"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I saved up my allowance for weeks," Kyle smiled.
"Thanks, dude! I have the best friend ever!" Stan proceeded to pull him into a tight embrace, an embrace which Kyle returned.
"Kyle?" Stan asked a few moments later.
"Yeah?"
"Since it's my birthday we get to do what I want to today, right?"
"You're the boss today," Kyle nodded.
"Well I want you to come back over here after school tonight and spend the whole weekend beating the game with me, kay?" Stan requested.
"Okay!" Kyle enthusiastically agreed.
"Sweet!"
Kyle looked at the clock across the room: 12:17AM.
"Well, Stan, I better be getting back to my house before my mom finds out I snuck out and grounds me for the rest of the year," Kyle said handing Stan his blanket back and warming his arms preparing himself for the cold walk home.
"Wait a sec," Stan got up, walked over to his closet, and took out a spare jacket of his.
"Here," he handed the jacket to Kyle, "take this for the walk back. You can give it back to me in the morning."
"Thanks, Stan," Kyle said, slipping it on and zipping it up as he made his way back to the window.
Stan opened up the window to see him on his way.
"Thanks again, dude."
"No problem, birthday boy. I'll see you in a few hours," Kyle chuckled, climbing out.
"Alright. Goodnight Kyle."