p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"strongChapter 10/strong/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"January 22supnd/sup/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Cartman sighed as he stumbled around the school. His stomach hadn't been able to settle itself since the conversation with Kenny and Bebe in his kitchen. Both blonde's had come to some conclusion that Eric Cartman loved, or heavily liked, Kyle Broflovski. Of course, after the accusation, he had denied it violently. So much so, that he had almost landed a blow on Kenny's face. But the blonde simply laughed it off, and jumped back dodging the swing./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"He knew it was true though./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"After all, what wasn't there to like about the spit fire redhead with the worlds roundest bottom? It had, after all, been in many of his fantasies at night when his mother had been asleep. He had imagined the way Kyle would bite his lip as he squirmed, and then how glorious he'd be whenever rage contorted his face because Eric wouldn't give in. Not a chance. He would dominate the redhead./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"But that wasn't ever going to be recognized./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Eric wouldn't let it./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Either way, everything that had been going on left the brunette dizzy, and fevered. He would have blamed it on the fact that his heater was broken, but he knew there was some emotional stress added in to make it all the worst./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Cartman!" A deep voice boomed down the hall. And, as if Moses was parting the red sea, the study body subconciously split to either side of the hall. Throught he crowd walked none other than Stan Marsh. He looked perturbed, with a hint of majorly disturbed. No doubt that Kyle had talked to him about kissing and being kissed by the big bad Eric Cartman. He had probably contorted the story whenever Stan asked about the bruise that formed on Kyle's elbow. It was a pretty dark purple—a sign that anyone who stuck around Eric, be it willing or unwilling, would get hurt./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""What?" Eric growled letting his eyes roll into his head. He wasn't feeling up to whatever shit Stan was up to. And he still hadn't forgiven him about the hallway incident./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Believe it or not, there were very few people that Eric disliked passionately. Everyone in South Park would quickly guess that it was the redhead. But, as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Hence the reason that no matter how much Eric hated Stan, he played friend./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""What the fuck are you up to?" Stan crossed his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged under the old t-shirt. Jesus fuck, did the kid only shop at good will or old navy? The shirt itself looked like it was a hundred years old, and too thin. It formed around his muscles quite nicely, but sickeningly so./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""I, believe it or not, am not currently up to anything. Except getting my ass to class. So get out of the way," Eric jerked his head in a 'move it or lose it' motion. "Also, I don't owe you an explanation. So consider me kind today."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Cartman...I'm fucking serious. Leave. Kyle. Alone. He doesn't need your shit chasing him around." Stan glowered down at the rotund boy as if he was garbage. Eric would probably agree with him if he weren't stuck in this god forbidden town. As it were, he had a reputation as a pompous asshole to uphold./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""What the fuck is it even to you? He's a big boy Stan. He can make his mistakes, and deal with his own consequences. You can't be his fucking troll for every bridge he has to cross." Eric snapped. The world tilted a bit as the rage bubbled and broiled; it simmered just below his skin. His fist balled at his side as he tried to ground himself to the situation. This was absolutely no reason for him to jerk his fist back and send it launching into Stan's face. That would only serve to make Kyle hate him even more, and Eric didn't want to mess with any ground that he had until he knew exactly where he stood./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""It doesn't fucking matter. He deserves better than you..and I plan to protect him from making a bad decision." Stan growled as he leaned in closer to the brunette. He was trying to intimidate the boy. And had it been anyone other than Eric, it probably would have worked. But Eric was too used to it. He had been dealing with Stan and his ways since elementary./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Excuse me!" A shrill screech filled the hall. Students all around the duo froze as a rather angry bull surged through the crowd. Jade eyes narrowed in on the two frenemies. "Stanley fucking Marsh...I do believe I said to leave him alone."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""I am!" Stan jerked back quickly, as if he were a child caught with their hand stuck in the cookie jar. "I was just asking him about homework!"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""You mother fucking liar!" Eric shouted in response./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Of course, it would be his luck that Mr. Garrison (why the fuck he wanted to stay with his class, Eric didn't know) walked by. The man had been quite used to the behavior in elementary. But after an ungodly break up, and changing his gender back to a man...well that had left him pretty fucked emotionally and mentally. He snapped at random things. One day saying a curse in class would pass as a giddy joke, the next day it got you detention with the 'roid using coach./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Never a dull day in South Park./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Luckily, Mr. Garrison seemed to be in his more forgiving mood. He simply walked by the trio, eyes dead and medicated, as he scampered to his classroom./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Shut the fuck up dude, before we get in trouble for your mouth," Stan muttered watching the man walk by. The football player was too much of a goody two shoe to handle being in any form of trouble. Hell, he had almost cried when he got detention last semestir because he had shown up to school drunk./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""I don't give a shit," Cartman snapped in response./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Shut up, both you." Kyle glowered at the two boys standing before him. His own arms crossed over his chest as he popped his hip to the left. He was probably the only male in school that could pull off such a feminine posture and still look damned good./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"So good in fact, that Eric's mouth went dry. It was like he had taken a mouthful of sand, and swallowed it until the sand had dried up all of the water in his gullet./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Stan, leave Cartman the fuck alone."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Eric took pause./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Did.../p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Did Kyle Broflovski just stick up for him?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Okay, so what the fuck?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"That wasn't normal. The brunette's head snapped up in confusion at the Jewish boy. Perhaps it was his fever, or maybe it was just something with the weather. Either way, Eric decided it was better to just avoid it all together. Might as well add it to the list./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Another couple of weeks, and it could probably break the world's records for bottled up problems./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Deciding that he just simply couldn't, Eric turned on the ball of his foot and stormed towards the exit of the school. The thought of getting his GED was starting to look more and more appetizing. At least if he did that, he could still get into school. But graduation was so damn close. Just a couple more months, and he'd be walking across the stage. He'd finally be able to see his mother watch him proudly. She would be emotional, grinning like a dumbass, but Eric would be grinning right along with her. He'd be the first one in his family to properly graduate./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"If it took him one day to clear his head, then so be it./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Eric wait," Kyle called out rushing down the hall. His hand latched onto the sweater that was too thin, and suddenly, far too hot. He tugged, instigating the slightly older boy to turn. Eric sighed refusing to make eye contact. Instead, he focused his gaze on a locker just past the red curls. His skin was too hot, and still covered in chilled goosebumps./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""You okay? You don't look too good..." Kyle chewed his bottom lip as he tugged the sleeve of his jacket up. Of course, the fabric slid right back down. He was too thin for his forearms to hold up the loosened fabric./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Fine," Cartman muttered being sure to never look Kyle straight in the face. If he did, he might see a whole new beauty. He might even be able to compare him to the Mona Lisa; lip stuck between his teeth, his brows tightened in concern. He had a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks from the frost and snow that had...shit when had it started snowing?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Don't lie. C'mon, let's get you to the nurse. If anything, she can write us excuses for being late to class."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"When the fuck had the bell rung?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Eric was usually right on top of everything going on. He knew that the final bell for school rung at exactly seven fourty-two. Its shrill ting-ting-ting had been the cause of many a headache. Yet today, apparently it had gone unnoticed./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Huh...oh...sure?" Eric furrowed his brow glancing around. A deep seated exhaustion began to settle into his shoulders. It ached and burned, weighing him down like a sack of rocks. He didn't protest a bit when Kyle started to tug him off in the direction of the nurse./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"January 22supnd/sup/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Cartman sighed as he stumbled around the school. His stomach hadn't been able to settle itself since the conversation with Kenny and Bebe in his kitchen. Both blonde's had come to some conclusion that Eric Cartman loved, or heavily liked, Kyle Broflovski. Of course, after the accusation, he had denied it violently. So much so, that he had almost landed a blow on Kenny's face. But the blonde simply laughed it off, and jumped back dodging the swing./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"He knew it was true though./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"After all, what wasn't there to like about the spit fire redhead with the worlds roundest bottom? It had, after all, been in many of his fantasies at night when his mother had been asleep. He had imagined the way Kyle would bite his lip as he squirmed, and then how glorious he'd be whenever rage contorted his face because Eric wouldn't give in. Not a chance. He would dominate the redhead./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"But that wasn't ever going to be recognized./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Eric wouldn't let it./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Either way, everything that had been going on left the brunette dizzy, and fevered. He would have blamed it on the fact that his heater was broken, but he knew there was some emotional stress added in to make it all the worst./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Cartman!" A deep voice boomed down the hall. And, as if Moses was parting the red sea, the study body subconciously split to either side of the hall. Throught he crowd walked none other than Stan Marsh. He looked perturbed, with a hint of majorly disturbed. No doubt that Kyle had talked to him about kissing and being kissed by the big bad Eric Cartman. He had probably contorted the story whenever Stan asked about the bruise that formed on Kyle's elbow. It was a pretty dark purple—a sign that anyone who stuck around Eric, be it willing or unwilling, would get hurt./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""What?" Eric growled letting his eyes roll into his head. He wasn't feeling up to whatever shit Stan was up to. And he still hadn't forgiven him about the hallway incident./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Believe it or not, there were very few people that Eric disliked passionately. Everyone in South Park would quickly guess that it was the redhead. But, as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Hence the reason that no matter how much Eric hated Stan, he played friend./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""What the fuck are you up to?" Stan crossed his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged under the old t-shirt. Jesus fuck, did the kid only shop at good will or old navy? The shirt itself looked like it was a hundred years old, and too thin. It formed around his muscles quite nicely, but sickeningly so./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""I, believe it or not, am not currently up to anything. Except getting my ass to class. So get out of the way," Eric jerked his head in a 'move it or lose it' motion. "Also, I don't owe you an explanation. So consider me kind today."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Cartman...I'm fucking serious. Leave. Kyle. Alone. He doesn't need your shit chasing him around." Stan glowered down at the rotund boy as if he was garbage. Eric would probably agree with him if he weren't stuck in this god forbidden town. As it were, he had a reputation as a pompous asshole to uphold./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""What the fuck is it even to you? He's a big boy Stan. He can make his mistakes, and deal with his own consequences. You can't be his fucking troll for every bridge he has to cross." Eric snapped. The world tilted a bit as the rage bubbled and broiled; it simmered just below his skin. His fist balled at his side as he tried to ground himself to the situation. This was absolutely no reason for him to jerk his fist back and send it launching into Stan's face. That would only serve to make Kyle hate him even more, and Eric didn't want to mess with any ground that he had until he knew exactly where he stood./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""It doesn't fucking matter. He deserves better than you..and I plan to protect him from making a bad decision." Stan growled as he leaned in closer to the brunette. He was trying to intimidate the boy. And had it been anyone other than Eric, it probably would have worked. But Eric was too used to it. He had been dealing with Stan and his ways since elementary./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Excuse me!" A shrill screech filled the hall. Students all around the duo froze as a rather angry bull surged through the crowd. Jade eyes narrowed in on the two frenemies. "Stanley fucking Marsh...I do believe I said to leave him alone."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""I am!" Stan jerked back quickly, as if he were a child caught with their hand stuck in the cookie jar. "I was just asking him about homework!"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""You mother fucking liar!" Eric shouted in response./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Of course, it would be his luck that Mr. Garrison (why the fuck he wanted to stay with his class, Eric didn't know) walked by. The man had been quite used to the behavior in elementary. But after an ungodly break up, and changing his gender back to a man...well that had left him pretty fucked emotionally and mentally. He snapped at random things. One day saying a curse in class would pass as a giddy joke, the next day it got you detention with the 'roid using coach./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Never a dull day in South Park./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Luckily, Mr. Garrison seemed to be in his more forgiving mood. He simply walked by the trio, eyes dead and medicated, as he scampered to his classroom./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Shut the fuck up dude, before we get in trouble for your mouth," Stan muttered watching the man walk by. The football player was too much of a goody two shoe to handle being in any form of trouble. Hell, he had almost cried when he got detention last semestir because he had shown up to school drunk./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""I don't give a shit," Cartman snapped in response./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Shut up, both you." Kyle glowered at the two boys standing before him. His own arms crossed over his chest as he popped his hip to the left. He was probably the only male in school that could pull off such a feminine posture and still look damned good./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"So good in fact, that Eric's mouth went dry. It was like he had taken a mouthful of sand, and swallowed it until the sand had dried up all of the water in his gullet./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Stan, leave Cartman the fuck alone."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Eric took pause./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Did.../p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Did Kyle Broflovski just stick up for him?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Okay, so what the fuck?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"That wasn't normal. The brunette's head snapped up in confusion at the Jewish boy. Perhaps it was his fever, or maybe it was just something with the weather. Either way, Eric decided it was better to just avoid it all together. Might as well add it to the list./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Another couple of weeks, and it could probably break the world's records for bottled up problems./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Deciding that he just simply couldn't, Eric turned on the ball of his foot and stormed towards the exit of the school. The thought of getting his GED was starting to look more and more appetizing. At least if he did that, he could still get into school. But graduation was so damn close. Just a couple more months, and he'd be walking across the stage. He'd finally be able to see his mother watch him proudly. She would be emotional, grinning like a dumbass, but Eric would be grinning right along with her. He'd be the first one in his family to properly graduate./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"If it took him one day to clear his head, then so be it./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Eric wait," Kyle called out rushing down the hall. His hand latched onto the sweater that was too thin, and suddenly, far too hot. He tugged, instigating the slightly older boy to turn. Eric sighed refusing to make eye contact. Instead, he focused his gaze on a locker just past the red curls. His skin was too hot, and still covered in chilled goosebumps./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""You okay? You don't look too good..." Kyle chewed his bottom lip as he tugged the sleeve of his jacket up. Of course, the fabric slid right back down. He was too thin for his forearms to hold up the loosened fabric./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Fine," Cartman muttered being sure to never look Kyle straight in the face. If he did, he might see a whole new beauty. He might even be able to compare him to the Mona Lisa; lip stuck between his teeth, his brows tightened in concern. He had a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks from the frost and snow that had...shit when had it started snowing?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Don't lie. C'mon, let's get you to the nurse. If anything, she can write us excuses for being late to class."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"When the fuck had the bell rung?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"Eric was usually right on top of everything going on. He knew that the final bell for school rung at exactly seven fourty-two. Its shrill ting-ting-ting had been the cause of many a headache. Yet today, apparently it had gone unnoticed./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;""Huh...oh...sure?" Eric furrowed his brow glancing around. A deep seated exhaustion began to settle into his shoulders. It ached and burned, weighing him down like a sack of rocks. He didn't protest a bit when Kyle started to tug him off in the direction of the nurse./p