SUSPICIOUS MINDS
Stan was too busy thinking about what he had just witnessed that he ran into a pair of legs when he walked into the front door of his house. He looked up to see his mother looking angry.
"Stanley, where on earth were you?!" was the first thing Sharon asked.
"Oh. On my way home."
"It does not take you over an hour to walk home from school. I called you two more times but you didn't pick up!"
"Sorry," Stan shrugged.
"Sorry is not an answer. Where were you?"
"Um… Kyle's." that was always the first option when it came to lying to his parents.
Sharon crossed her arms. "You knew you had to help me with the basement and you still willingly disobeyed, again. I want you to drop off your backpack in your room and help- now." She pointed a finger to the door of the basement.
Stan rolled his eyes. "But"-
"Or no TV tonight," she added.
Hands in fists, Stan walked upstairs, cursing to himself.
"Stupid basement… doesn't even need to be cleaned. That's Dad's chore. Goddamnit…"
That night Stan was busy trying to get the last of his history homework together when his cell rang. It was Kyle.
"Dude, sorry I got you into trouble earlier," was the first thing he said.
"Yeah yeah…" earlier Kyle had called the house wondering where Stan was. This led to Sharon finding out that her son was not at his best friend's house after school in the first place and he was now grounded with no TV for the weekend for lying.
"Well?" Kyle asked.
"Well what?" Stan said annoyed.
"Where were you?"
"Oh, um, nowhere."
"Nowhere?"
"…yeah."
"So when I called your house a couple hours ago, you were nowhere?"
"Why does it matter?" Stan spat. Getting in trouble with his mom and now having to dig out info to Kyle was not what he wanted right now.
"No reason, just wanted to know if you still needed help with history."
"Oh. No."
"You've been bugging me all week but I can help you know."
"Really, I'm fine," Stan said heavily. He felt something rub against his leg. He bent down to see his cat Basha looking up at him. He scooped her into his arms and hugged her.
"Stan? Stan? Hello?" Stan shook his head as Kyle's voice echoed through the phone.
"Huh?"
"Are you sure you're okay dude? You sound funny."
"I'm just annoyed right now okay? Listen, I have homework left to do and I don't need help. Bye." With that he hung up.
"Mew?" Basha called.
Stan looked into her green eyes and sighed. "You have no idea how lucky you are girl."
Lunch the next day was an uncomfortable affair. At the lunch table Kyle did not take his eyes off Cartman for one minute.
"What do you want?" Cartman finally spat.
Kyle took a bite of his sandwich before answering. "What were you doing yesterday?"
Cartman glared. "Ai! Who said I was doing anything?"
"You've been taken out of class in sixth period three times this week! What gives?"
"I'm not doing anything alright?!"
"C'mon Kyle, maybe Eric's telling the truth," Butters, who was sitting next to Stan, said with a smile on his face as he ate his apple.
"Shut-up Butters, you wouldn't know," Kyle told him.
"Guys, really, who cares?" Stan said.
Kyle blinked. "Who cares? I care Stan!" he finished his milk before glaring back at Cartman. "I know you're up to something Cartman and I'm going to figure out what it is and put a stop to it!"
"And what makes you think you're going to stop anything Jew?" Cartman challenged.
"Aha! You just admitted you're up to something!"
Stan rubbed his eyes as he sat between Cartman and Butters.
"Kyle, maybe, just this once, he's not doing anything bad. Maybe," Stan tried to reason.
Kyle looked at the black-haired boy now. "Do you know what he's doing Stan?"
"What? Of course not. I just want a peaceful lunch for once, damn."
Kyle got up from the lunch table. "Fine, don't care. But when I do find something you're going to wish you put a stop to it too." With that Kyle left the cafeteria.
Stan let out a deep sigh. Butters meanwhile continued to smile.
"Hey Stan, want your apple?"
Stan looked at the surprise bagged lunch he bought at school that day. He handed it over. "Go ahead, can't eat it anyway."
"Thanks Stan! See- see you in English then," Butters smiled and took the green apple and walked off.
Cartman faced Stan, fists cracking. "You didn't tell that nosy Jew anything did you?!"
"No!"
"Because if so"-
"Well, why can't Kyle know?" Stan shrugged.
"He'll only laugh when he finds out what I've been doing that's why! I told you dude, you're the only one who understands," Cartman said the last part quietly.
"Well, maybe I can hint at Kyle what's been going on. Convince him you're not doing something stupid. Maybe then he'll lay off your case," Stan suggested.
Cartman took hold of Stan's collar. "You tell him anything and I'll add on another year for your braces!" his fist neared Stan's mouth.
Stan didn't flinch. He knew Cartman was all talk and no balls and in almost nine years had not hit his face. "Fine, I won't tell him anything. Shit dude, calm down."
Stan was woken up early Saturday morning by the sound of something hitting his window. He peaked outside only to be hit in the head with a rock.
"Ow!" he cried. "Cartman!"
Cartman stood outside; a pile of stones in his hand, laughing that he had hit Stan. "Hhahahahaha! I hit you in the head! Square in the forehead!"
Stan growled. "Hold on a minute, let me let you in…"
A couple minutes later Cartman stood inside Stan's bedroom.
"Sure you aren't pulling my leg or anything? You really want to help?" Stan first asked the fat boy.
"Of course I want to help dumbass! It was my idea in the first place!"
"Alright, let's see here…" Stan took out a notebook and sat at his desk. "First things first- we cannot see the cats every day or people will be suspicious."
"Yeah yeah," Cartman rolled his eyes.
Stan made a makeshift chart on the paper. "Okay, today is Saturday. We didn't see them Friday so I guess it will be alright to check up on them today. So let's have- Saturday be the first official day we see them."
"Agreed."
"So if we see them Saturday… my guess is the next okay day will be- Tuesday."
"Tuesday? Stan, that's like, three days away."
"Do you want people to know what we're doing or not?" Stan glared.
"Fine, Tuesday."
Stan wrote that down. "And so- Thursday will be the third day we see them. Yes. Okay, so if we see them this afternoon then we should see them Tuesday morning, then Thursday after school. I don't see anything suspicious about that do you?"
Cartman looked at what Stan had written. "How do we make sure the Jew doesn't find out?"
Stan glared. "By simply trusting me I won't tell him."
"Pff, like I can trust you won't tell Kahl anything? You told him it was us who broke the beaver dam that flooded Beaverton years ago, remember?"
"Well"-
"And that it was us who put the dead rat in Mr. Straters coffee last year."
"He already knew"-
"And every other fucking thing since we were four! Why should I trust you know Stan?"
"Because I care about those cats just as much as you do dickface! I don't know about you but if I tell Kyle, he could tell my parents and I'd be dead. Having one cat is okay but if they knew I was feeding a shitload of stray cats, many that are crawling in fleas and rabies and disease- they'd have my head."
Cartman took a long while to study Stan's words over. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I dunno Stan…"
"Are we in this together or not?" Stan took hold of Cartman's shirt.
"We are," Cartman said defensively.
"Then this schedule looks okay?"
"Yeah. Now I was thinking... on the Thursdays we will be checking up on them after school, we should tell everyone we're studying together alright?"
"What? Who the hell will believe that?"
"They'll believe what I tell them to believe," Cartman threatened.
"We've never 'studied' together before in our life after what happened in fifth grade... Plus you suck at school."
"So do you hippie! And it was not my fault our science project exploded alright?!"
"At least I can get grades higher than a D," Stan glared.
"Well then what will we tell everyone Stan if you're so smart?"
Stan opened his mouth to speak but at that moment his door opened and Sharon stood there looking surprised but quickly glared.
"I thought I heard voices. Stanley, what is Eric doing here?"
"Um, you know, homework," Stan stammered.
"First you lie about being at Kyle's now you're sneaking friends in. Eric, please leave so I can have a word with my son."
Cartman looked at Stan who looked back helplessly. "Well, you know, um, I agree with- it. Good luck dude." And he left.
"What are you doing up?" Stan asked his mother.
"I'm a light sleeper," she noted but then sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. "Stan, is something bothering you?"
"What?" he was taken aback by the question.
"It just seems as if you have been getting in trouble more often over the past few months. I was wondering if there was a reason behind it."
"I dunno."
"I don't want to accuse you of doing something if there is a reason behind it. Is it because you've had a fallen out with Kyle?"
"We made up weeks ago."
"Butters?"
"Naw, we're cool."
"Any of your other friends?"
"I'm cool with all of them."
"Your sister didn't do anything did she?" Sharon's brow furrowed.
"Not this time. Really Mom, nothing's up."
"There must be a reason why it seems as if I have been scolding you far more often lately. I know, it's because you have braces now isn't it? Sweetie, I'm sorry but you know I can't do anything about that"-
"Mom, I'm fine. If anything, being asked twenty questions is bothering me," Stan rolled his eyes.
Sharon got off from his bed. "Well then I want an explanation as to what Eric was doing in your bedroom at seven in the morning on a Saturday."
"I told you, homework."
"The only one who helps you on homework is Kyle and, on occasion, Butters."
Stan stood up now. "Mom, can you just- pretend this never happened?"
"Why would I do that Stanley?"
"Well, because… it's not a big deal."
"Usually when you tell me something isn't a big deal it ends up being the complete opposite."
Stan wanted to tell his mom what he was up to, he did. He was sure she would do something if he told her he and Cartman found a load of stray cats. She knew how he loved animals; she wouldn't punish him for it. But he also knew she would freak out if she found out, think he would be bringing in fleas which would attack on innocent Basha. She would also have him tested for rabies right then and there. No, for now, it was best he didn't tell anyone.
Stan sighed. "Alright Mom, if you must know…Cartman and I had plans to come up with another brilliant prank to pull on Mr. Straters."
"What?" Sharon gasped.
"We wanted to meet up early in the morning and have it be really secretive. Knowing Kyle he'd rat us out so it had to be a time when he wouldn't be over."
"Stanley Marsh! Mr. Straters isn't your teacher anymore, why do you have to continue to pester the poor man?"
Stan shrugged. "Because it's easy?"
Sharon frowned. "Nonetheless, it is something that will only lead you into more trouble. But thank-you for telling the truth. Since you didn't actually do anything yet, I suppose I won't punish you. Now keep quiet and try to stay out of trouble today."
With that, Sharon left the room. Stan's stomach bubbled with guilt now. He didn't know how much lying he could keep up with before he spilt the beans. He was too honest of a person. Trying to keep it out of his mind, Stan went back to sleep.
The guilt in Stan's mind heightened when he had to lie to his parents hours later and tell them he was going to hang out with Butters at Stark's Pond. If he had told them he was hanging with Cartman they wouldn't allow it after what he told Sharon earlier. Stan just hoped as he walked to Cartman's, that he wasn't going to get Butters in trouble now. He had become good friends with him a few years ago and knew he didn't deserve to be grounded yet again. He knocked on Cartman's front door. Cartman stood on the other side.
"Ready dude?" Stan asked.
"Got the extra food and everything, plus some catnip. Mr. Kitty goes haywire with it so I think it's safe she stays away from anymore," Cartman explained as he slung his backpack over his shoulders.
"I just went down to the pet shop and bought little bottles for those kittens you found in the box. I also have special milk for them that should help if they don't have a mom," Stan told him, indicating his backpack.
Cartman shifted his eyes where Stan was.
"What?"
"Making sure no good –for- nothing Jews are behind you," Cartman's eyes narrowed.
"Kyle doesn't know a thing! Now let's go before I'm in even more trouble," Stan said through gritted teeth.
"Ha, did your mom blow a gasket when she found me in your room?" Cartman chuckled as they began their walk to the abandoned yard of cats.
"No but she was pretty pissed. Next time don't come over at seven AM on a Saturday," Stan told him roughly.
"Next time don't let me in asshole."
Stan growled and decided to not say anything back. After a twenty minute walk they reached the cats. They wasted no time handing out dry food and Stan took up one of the little kittens in the box and began to bottle-feed it.
"That makes you look so gay," Cartman commented.
"Shut-up fastass!" Stan bit back. He looked around. "So all these cats are strays I take it? I wonder why they decided to stay here."
"One probably found another then some began fucking other cats so the population grew," Cartman shrugged and he stroked the same calico he had two days ago.
"I wonder if any of them have an ID. People might have lost a cat and not know they're in this alley here."
The boys stayed with the cats for almost an hour before deciding it was best to head back home.
"We should bring extra blankets or something next time," Cartman told Stan as he closed his backpack. "I'm afraid those little kittens might freeze to death soon."
"We'll think of something," Stan said confidently.
Cartman looked at him. He shuffled his foot in the snow. "Stan, this will make me really sound gay, even gayer than the things you and Kahl say"-
Stan rolled his eyes.
"But- I'm- I'm glad you're helping me. There I said it!"
Stan looked surprised but gave a carefree smile. "No problem dude. You're right; I'm the only other person who would understand. Now let's go."
They said good-bye to the many cats before walking back. After meeting at Cartman's place Stan hurried down the street to his house before he would be in any more trouble. He was too late. When he opened his front door he saw Butters standing there with his mom and dad, who both looked equally as angry.
"Mind telling us what you were up to this time?" Sharon asked, arms crossed.
"God Damnit," Stan cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Hope you liked chapter two. Please do leave reviews, they make my day. Thanks!
Tomboy 24/7: I close out all my fics with the comment 'magical love,' since I write Harry Potter fics as well.
Magical love: Rose, March 26, 2010
