Chapter Seven
Wendy's hangover still hadn't left her by Monday morning. Sure it was nothing more than a slight headache and a bit of an upset stomach by now but it was enough to make her wish she didn't have to get up.
She reluctantly hauled herself out of bed to get ready. Fighting off the urge to put on her nicest clothes just to make a point to Stan she pulled on a pair of old jeans. She knew that it was stupid to have anything unnecessary distractions in an exam. She'd have enough of them sitting around her anyway.
She pulled on an old yellow jumper that was slowly turning grey and took a deep breath. You can do this, she told herself before tying her hair back in a high ponytail. Bebe was due to arrive soon. The Testabergers only lived a short distance from the Old Planetarium where the exams were being held.
Wendy wished now that she hadn't asked her best friend over. She knew that she couldn't tell her what Stan had said about Kyle. Not right before an exam but the information still felt like it was bubbling at the surface of her skin she was desperate to get it out.
Maybe Bebe wouldn't be as talkative today. Maybe she'd be more focused on the exam and less on Kyle. The dark haired girl thought as she walked downstairs to make herself some breakfast.
She stole a look at the kitchen clock. 7.45. She felt a nervous twitch in her stomach. All these years of school. All that study and hard work had all lead up to this.
Just as Wendy was digging into her cereal Bebe burst through the door. Of course her best friend was over so often that it would have weird for her to knock but Wendy wished that sometimes she would giver her just a little warning before sneaking up on her like that.
"Hi" Bebe said smiling. She had had obviously decided against dressing for comfort over fashion unlike Wendy. Underneath her thick coat was a short black and white checkered skirt and a tight pink jumper that clung to her curves.
"Bebe you're going to freeze" Wendy sighed.
"I don't care" Bebe said putting her bag down. "I'm not going to look fat and dumpy in front of Kyle".
"Good to know you've got your priorities right" Wendy was trying to be sarcastic but her heart was sinking. So much for Bebe being focused on the exam.
A big, goofy smile was forming across Bebe's face.
"Oh I so can't believe it Wendy!" she cried out. Her voice was far too loud for this time of morning. The last affected nerves of Wendy's hangover stung. "But I'm so nervous, I'm so not going to be able to concentrate on the exam".
Wendy pushed her bowl of cereal away. Her exam nerves were making her sick enough she didn't the disgustingly cutesy boy talk as well.
"Don't be nervous, just focus on the exam".
"I just told you that's gonna be impossible! I really hope we're not sitting alphabetically, I mean, but I kinda do at the same time".
Wendy got up. She knew that her best friend was about to dissolve into nonsensical sentences any moment now. Best to intervene whilst she still could.
"Um Bebe, have you ever considered that Kyle might be-" She started but as soon as Bebe's big hopeful eyes turned to face her she suddenly lost her nerve. "Uh Jewish?"
Bebe raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. "Jewish?" she asked.
"Yeah, I mean it would be really difficult if you wanted to get married or whatever" Wendy blurted cursing her cowardice.
"Are you serious? Wendy it's not like we're going to get married! Since when are you such an anti-Semite? Maybe it's you and Cartman that should get married!"
Wendy blushed furiously at the mention of the idea of marrying Cartman. She could just imagine how horrible that would be. She'd be waiting on him hand and foot a replacement for his subservient mother.
"What? Marry Cartman! Gross Bebe" Wendy blurted feeling herself getting redder.
"Well I saw the way he looked at you in my black dress" Bebe teased her eyes sparkling. "I don't think he finds you too gross".
"Shut up Bebe!" Wendy snapped hoping that the red in her cheeks would quickly disappear before her friend could notice. "He's disgusting".
"Hmmm, he's not actually that ugly" Bebe just didn't know when to stop especially when she was doing the things she was best at. Scoping for male potential being high on that list. "I mean sure he could stand to loose a bit of weight but he's kind of got that mysterious thing going on, like he has a dangerous past or something".
"God maybe I should tell Kyle to watch his ass" Wendy rolled her eyes annoyed. It wouldn't matter to her if Cartman was the most attractive guy on Earth he was still ugly inside.
"I think it's his voice" Bebe was on a roll. "It got pretty deep pretty quick, too bad such a seductive voice has to go to such an asshole".
"Do you want anything? Coffee? Want me to check your cheat sheet again?" Wendy was desperate to change the conversation. She could feel herself heating up even though it was still kind of cold inside. She didn't want to think of Cartman's voice the way he leered suggestively leered at her, always trying to best her, the way it made her hairs stand on end.
"Why do I need a cheat sheet if it's open book?" Bebe asked.
Wendy froze.
"What?" she demanded. All that work she had put into her cheat sheet and they didn't need to take it!
Bebe broke into fresh giggles and Wendy nudged her relived and annoyed at the same time.
"Please don't give me any more heart attacks. I'm sure I'll have more than my share when I see the exam".
"Would you relax brain you're going to be fine" Bebe said looking around the room. "So, um have you talked to Stan yet?"
Wendy paused for a moment. She knew that she had to be careful here. "Um yeah" she said getting up to put her dishes in the sink. "He came over after you left".
"Really? And he's still alive?" Wendy could tell that Bebe was dying to ask questions but didn't want to upset her friend. The blonde couldn't help herself from asking one however. "So what happens now?"
"I don't know" Wendy sighed. It wasn't a lie, she really didn't know what she wanted or even how she felt anymore.
"Try to be positive about it, you guys have been basically married for ten years, maybe it's time for a break. I got plenty of numbers from cute guys at the party on the weekend I could give you" Bebe suggested.
Wendy tried to smile. "No thanks Bebe".
"Well just take time in figuring out what you want" Bebe replied. "Don't go rushing back to Stan just because you think you have too, as much as I love you guys together" she added off handedly.
Wendy had had enough of this conversation. She was almost at the point where even talking about Kyle's real reasons for asking Bebe out would be more favourable.
"I know Bebe, just let me sort it out myself okay, I've got to focus on exams first".
Bebe dropped the subject and the two girls got ready to leave.
"Oh God there he is!" Bebe whispered excitedly to Wendy when they had reached the exam building. Wendy rolled her eyes.
"Just don't scare him too much" she said but her words had no effect. Bebe had already bounded off, her blonde ponytail flying and Wendy was left standing alone.
She looked over to Stan who was standing nearby. He had his hands tucked into his pockets and a worried look on his face. Wendy didn't know whether to go ahead and greet him or not. She would feel weird talking to him now trying to pretend that everything was fine when it clearly was so fucked up. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about him or what was supposed to happen.
Bebe greeted Kyle with a hug. Wendy watched closely trying to pick up a sign, any sign that might back up Stan's story. She desperately wanted to believe him on one hand but on the other she didn't want Bebe to get hurt. The red head seemed to hold Bebe for longer than he needed to, their heads lingered close together for a moment. Wendy frowned just what the fuck was going on here?
Breathing in, she closed her eyes and tried to clam herself. She didn't have to worry about all this extra drama until after the exam.
"Wendy" someone had tugged at her sleeve lightly and Wendy turned around annoyed. For a moment she paused frightened that it was the last person she wanted to see. God would he have field day if he heard about all this.
Red, one of her friends was standing close behind her. The girl had dyed her hair ages ago and was now officially blonde, but her nickname had stuck.
"Oh hi Red" Wendy said relieved. "Are you ready for this?"
"I think so" Red said looking away and Wendy knew that she wasn't here to talk about exams. "I'm sorry about the weekend Wendy, I hope you guys can work it out".
"Right thanks" Wendy said bluntly desperate to get out of this conversation before it even started. "I'm gonna go see Bebe, good luck Red".
She started to walk over and she saw Stan's eyes flicker up from the ground and into her own. There was a sad look in his eyes and Wendy's hopes for avoiding him quickly disappeared. She cringed wishing that he hadn't made it so obvious. She had wanted to be discrete as possible now everyone around them seemed to be giggling and whispering.
"Hey are you okay?" Stan asked walking away from his friends and joining Wendy.
"Yeah, I guess" Wendy replied unable to meet him in the eye and hating herself for it. "How are you? You seem to be getting along with Kyle all right".
The two of them turned to look back. Bebe was talking quickly and animatedly as was her habit when she was nervous and Kyle would nod now and then but didn't seem to be contributing to the conversation much more than that.
"It's really weird actually" Stan said kicking the snow at his feet. "But I couldn't just ditch him. He is my best friend after all".
"Guess you've just got to make yourself as unattractive as possible from now on" Wendy tried to smile but her lips didn't move. She finally got up the nerve to look at him properly. Damnit why did he have to look so good?
"Um yeah listen-"
"Look" Wendy interrupted in fear of where the conversation was heading and nipping it in the bud. She suddenly didn't want to talk to Stan in fact she could barely stand looking at him. "Can we not talk about this just before the exam. I'll meet you outside afterwards okay".
Stan opened his mouth to protest but he closed it quickly when he saw the look on Wendy's face. "Okay deal".
"Good luck" this was the part where Wendy would have stepped towards him and given him a quick kiss. The moment seemed empty without it and both of them were painfully aware of it.
"Thanks Wendy, you too" Stan replied as Wendy turned away and walked into the exam.
Wendy walked out of the exam and found Stan waiting for her. She hadn't really needed all the extra time she'd taken but she wanted to put off this meeting for as long as possible. Seeing him made her emotions swirl into this confusing combination of anger and a desire to be comforted.
Stan's eyes lit up when he saw her it made her stomach jolt.
"You do okay?" he asked as she walked over. "Why am I even asking? You've probably got the best grade in the class".
Wendy smiled weakly at his attempt to flatter her and the pair of them walked off in the direction of her house.
She was surprised at just how easy the pair of them settled back into easy conversation. Wendy even found herself laughing. Maybe just maybe they could come out of this okay. It's not like they had never broken up before. Sure it was never over anything as serious as this but still.
When they neared Wendy's house their conversation became awkward and serious again.
"So…." Stan asked running a nervous hand through his hair. He looked as though he was about to revert back to his eight year old self who vomited every time Wendy spoke to him. "I know I've really fucked up but if you want to um, I really would like to try again".
Wendy sighed. Part of her really wanted to fall into his arms right there and then. The other half wanted to smack him down.
"Or you could never see me again and I could move somewhere far and far away" he said noticing her uneasiness.
"No" Wendy said slowly. "Of course I don't want you to go away".
"So what then?"
"I don't know" Wendy shrugged. This was something that she couldn't look up in a textbook. "But I think maybe we should leave it just until exams are over so we can concentrate".
Stan nodded his eyes still sad. "Yeah that makes sense".
The dark haired boy began to turn away but Wendy stopped him.
"We'll figure it out Stan, we always do" She tried to smile but suddenly she felt as though she was going to cry again. She didn't want him to leave she wanted to hold onto him like she always did and she could pretend that he wasn't some asshole capable of doing this to her.
"Yeah so I'll see you" he said hopefully and Wendy nodded. Stan leant in to kiss her but then realized at the last moment that it wasn't appropriate and waved awkwardly instead.
"Things will be okay Stan" Wendy lied turning away before the urge to hit him overpowered her.
A/N Thanks to everyone reading I hope you're enjoying this so far. I know this chapter was a bit of a filler but I promise that Cartman will be making a dramatic reappearance soon. Thanks for all your awesome reviews I really can't say how happy they make me :)
