Hello, friends! Sorry about the long wait. Classes have been kicking my ass. And I think this is the shortest chapter so far... And it's basically all dialogue. *sigh*

Anyways, here it is. Hope you enjoy.

Beside Me in the Morning

Chapter 10: You Go to Hell! You Go to Hell and You Die!

"Kyle?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you mad at me?"

Kyle lay down on his side across Wendy's bed, resting his head on her lap. "No," he murmured.

It had been another long fucking day, and Kyle didn't have the energy to be mad at anyone anymore. Not even Cartman. And he was always mad at Cartman.

Wendy ran a hand through his hair. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

He sighed. "Wendy, I'm…pathetic."

"No you're not!" she protested.

"Look at me," he insisted, sweeping his hands in a wide gesture over himself. "Who am I? I never used to be this pitiful wreck who wastes him time liking someone who'll never like him back. And who wears skinny jeans. I look like a fucking douche bag."

"I think the jeans look good on you."

"Well I hate them. Why do I have to care so much about what other people think of me?"

Wendy gave him a sympathetic smile. "Because you're human?"

"I'm gonna tell Stan."

"That you're human? He'll be happy to hear that."

Kyle narrowed his eyes at her. "That I'm gay."

Wendy smiled. "He'll be glad you told him."

"But what if it…" Kyle bit his lip. "…I don't know…changes the whole dynamic of our friendship. We've been best friends since we were in diapers. I just don't want things to change."

"They won't," Wendy assured him. "If anything, it will just make your friendship stronger. I mean, look at you and me."

"It's different with guy friends than it is with girl friends," Kyle argued. "Kenny practically accused me of trying to rape him after I told him."

"Well Kenny has more issues than Time Magazine."

Kyle turned his head to plant his face in Wendy's knee. "You know who he's with right now?" he murmured, his voice muffled by the fabric of her jeans. "Heidi Turner."

Wendy toyed with one of his curls. "Maybe he's trying to make amends. She doesn't really have a whole lot of friends since he told everyone she's pregnant."

"Don't be naïve, Wendy. You know the only reason a straight guy goes out with a pregnant woman."

"You don't know that's what he's after, Kyle. Maybe he actually likes her."

"This is Kenny we're talking about."

"Yes," Wendy replied, placing a hand on each of Kyle's cheeks and directing his gaze back up to her face. "And do you remember how things turned out the last time you accused Kenny of something without hearing him out? I think we both owe it to him to give him the benefit of the doubt this time."

He grimaced. "Would you think I was horrible if I told you part of me hopes he doesn't like her and he is just after sex?"

Wendy laughed. "Honey, do you really think I of all people would be the one to judge you for that? Shall I write you a list of all of the things I've done and said to people out of petty jealousy? You, on the other hand. You're one of the best people I know."

"Yeah, I am," Kyle agreed playfully, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "I just never saw myself turning into one of those…" He planted his hands on his hips and tossed his head back. "…bitchy gays."

Wendy snorted, giving him a little shove. "Kyle Broflovski, if you weren't gay I would so jump your bones, you know that?"

"Thank you, Wendy. That's very sweet."

She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he returned the hug, squeezing gently and planting a kiss on her cheek.

It was at that moment that Wendy's bedroom door flew open and Stan burst in, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

"Oh, God, don't tell me you're fucking Kyle too."

Wendy pulled out of Kyle's embrace. "Yeah, Stan. That's exactly what's going on. Good thing we hadn't gotten to the good part yet, since you clearly don't know how to knock." She crossed her arms irritably. "And what do you mean 'too'? Who else is fucking Kyle?"

Kyle smoothed out his shirt. "What are you doing here, man? I thought you said you had plans after school."

Stan strode over to Wendy's bedside. "I did," he responded. "I went to Cartman's to ask him what the hell is going on."

Kyle's breath caught in his throat. He looked at Wendy, who had turned rather pale.

"What did he tell you?" she asked quietly.

"Everything," Stan replied. "He told me everything. How the two of you had sex in his basement. How you told him it didn't mean anything. How he told you he had feelings for you. And how Kenny betrayed his trust and told all of this to Kyle."

Kyle cocked his head to the side. "Was that…all he told you?"

Stan shrugged. "Why, is there more? How is it all of this happened, and I'm the only one who didn't know about it?"

Kyle glanced at Wendy, who was staring at Stan like he'd lost his mind. "You didn't ask, Stan."

"What am I gonna do, sit down with you at lunch and say, 'Hey, Wendy. Have you had Eric Cartman's dick in you lately?'"

"And who cares if I have? It's not a crime to have sex, you know."

"But with Cartman? You don't even like the guy."

"Look, I don't owe you an explanation. It's my business who I have sex with."

"He's in love with you."

Wendy stood up. "And you're here now…why? To judge me?"

"Wendy, the guy is a mess."

"And I guess that's my fault. I must be a heartless bitch for not being in love with him too."

"You had sex with him."

Wendy threw up her arms. "So? I have to be in love to have sex with someone? Is there some contract I was supposed to sign beforehand?"

She looked to Kyle for support, but he couldn't find the words to help her out. He turned his eyes down and began tracing patterns on her bedspread.

She pursed her lips. "So you think I'm the bad guy too?"

Kyle shrugged. "I don't know, Wends… I mean, don't get me wrong, I hate the guy. But…you kind of broke his heart."

"It wasn't like I planned it," Wendy replied, snatching up her coat from the back of her desk chair.

"Like you planned to break up me and Bebe?" Stan shot back.

Wendy laughed, tugging on her coat. "That's the real reason you're here? Because you think I broke you guys up?"

"Look, I know the real reason you don't like her is because you had a stupid crush on me. Cartman told me."

"Stan!" Kyle hissed.

"I didn't break you guys up. I didn't have to," Wendy retorted, zipping up her jacket and marching toward her bedroom door. "She never liked you to begin with. She told me so herself." She spun around in her doorway to face him one last time. "And the word is 'have', Stan. Present tense. I have a stupid crush on you, you insensitive ass."

Kyle sighed. "Wendy, where are you going?"

"Out," she snapped, slamming the door behind her as she left.

Stan shoved his hands into his pockets, turning and looking at Kyle guiltily. "That didn't go the way I pictured it."

Kyle snorted. "With Wendy? Dude, you've got to be crazy."

"You think one of us should go after her?" Stan asked, sitting down beside Kyle on Wendy's bed.

"Bad idea."

"You'd know better than me. She's your best friend."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "You're my best friend, Stan."

"Come on, Kyle. Whatever time you don't spend with Wendy you spend with Kenny."

"We've both been dealing with our own shit. That doesn't mean you're not still my best friend."

Stan leaned back on his elbows, looking up at Kyle curiously. "What shit have you been dealing with?"

"Oh, you know," Kyle said casually, waving his hand dismissively. "School. Parents. I'm gay."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "You're gay?"

Kyle sighed, lowering himself so he sat at eye-level with his best friend. "I know I should have told you a long time ago."

"Wendy knows?"

Kyle smiled sheepishly. "I chose the wrong girl to be my beard."

"Who else knows?"

"Kenny. Cartman. Ike, Bebe, possibly my parents…"

"So basically everyone but me?"

"Believe it or not, Stan, it's not really about you."

"I know, but… You could have told me."

Kyle bit his lip. "I only didn't because I care too much about your opinion of me."

Stan smiled, bumping his shoulder lightly against Kyle's. "Well, for the record, it hasn't changed."

"Good," Kyle replied. He stood up, straightening his jeans. "Let's get out of here. I feels weird being in Wendy's room without her."

"So…you and Wendy aren't fucking then?" Stan said, following Kyle out of the room.

"Bite me, Stan."

Heidi rubbed her stomach nervously as Kenny reached up and rapped on the rotting door. He took a step back, standing next to the pregnant girl.

Seconds later, they heard footsteps coming their way, and the door creaked open just wide enough to reveal a man in his early twenties, unshaven and wearing nothing but a raggedy pair of sweatpants.

He rubbed his eyes. "Ken? What's up?"

"Hey, Kev," Kenny greeted his older brother. "Is Susan around?"

Kevin yawned, scratching the back of his neck sleepily. "She's at her mom's. Why?"

Kenny wrapped an arm around Heidi's shoulder. "We need some advice," he explained.

Kevin blinked, noticing Heidi for the first time. He furrowed his brow. "Who are you?"

"This is Heidi," Kenny replied. "Heid, this is my brother, Kevin."

Heidi stuck an awkward hand out toward him. "Nice to meet you."

Kevin ignored her outstretched hand. "Is she pregnant?"

Kenny sighed. "Kevin, it's not like you think."

"Dammit, Kenny. I told you this was gonna happen, didn't I?"

"It's not Kenny's," Heidi jumped in.

Kevin pursed his lips, glancing back and forth between his brother and the girl.

"He's just…" Heidi licked her lips. "…the first person who's been nice to me in months."

"And the father…?"

"Is not in the picture."

"She doesn't have anyone else," Kenny told him, clearly knowing what to say to tug at his brother's heartstrings.

Kevin sighed, swinging the front door open. "Come in."

Kenny ushered Heidi inside and Kevin closed the door behind them. Kenny led Heidi to the couch, and she shoved him away lightly when he tried to help her to her seat.

"I can sit down by myself."

"Sorry," Kenny mumbled, sitting beside her.

"Susan will be at her mom's all day," Kevin said, perching himself on the edge of the sheet of plywood he called a coffee table. It rocked slightly on the milk crates it rested on, but held his weight. "But I'll help however I can."

"I don't…" Heidi glanced nervously at Kenny, rubbing her stomach. "I don't really know where to begin. I don't know what I'm doing."

Kevin wiped his palms on his sweatpants. "Well…are you gonna have it?"

Heidi blinked. "Have it?"

Kevin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You haven't considered all of your options, have you?"

Heidi swallowed. "You mean like an abortion?"

"It's only a suggestion. You may want to think about it."

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"More dangerous than carrying a child to term and giving birth?" Kenny pitched in.

"It's safe," Kevin assured her.

"Well isn't it expensive?"

"More expensive than a baby?"

"I'm not saying it's what you should do," Kevin said. "That's for you to decide. You should do what's best for you."

Heidi stared up at Kevin. "Do you think I should? Have the baby, I mean?"

Kevin sighed. "I can't tell you that."

"Well, you're having a baby, aren't you?" Heidi pointed out. "You must have an opinion."

"Maybe you should talk to your parents," Kenny suggested.

"My family is my future," Kevin replied. "When I think about what I want out of my life, I see Susan and our daughter. And that's all I want."

Heidi bit her lip.

"Now think about your future," Kevin said, staring back at the girl seriously. "What do you see?"

Cartman wasn't sure what time it was when he woke up, but he was freezing cold from the waist up and the record in the player was skipping. He squeezed his eyes tightly closed and curled his toes around the bottom of the afghan, trying to stretch it so the top could wrap comfortably around his shoulders. Alas, the blanket sprang from his feet and settled on his knees. He sighed.

"Mom!" he shouted toward the stairs. "I need a bigger blanket!"

He waited, but received no response.

"Mo-om!" he shouted again.

Finally, he heard footsteps thumping down the stairs. The record stopped suddenly and a soft blanket landed on his torso. He hummed contentedly, spreading the blanket out over his body.

"Thanks, Mom."

"I'm not your mom."

Cartman's eyes snapped open. "Wendy!" He sat up on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to talk to you. And don't try to kick me out again, because I'm not leaving until I've said my part."

Cartman sighed. "Well, sit down then."

Wendy nodded, taking a seat on the couch beside him.

"Make it quick, yeah?"

Wendy narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?"

"How could you…?" She licked her lips. "Look, I don't know what you said to Stan to make me out to be the bad guy in all of this. I just came here to remind you of what really happened."

Cartman blinked. "Okay?"

"We had sex," Wendy stated.

"Thanks, Wendy. I'd forgotten that part."

"We had sex, Cartman. As in both of us. As in, I didn't have any more sex with you than you had with me."

"Yeah, Wendy, I know that."

"Then why are you making it sound like I conned you into it?"

"You used me for sex."

"You didn't have to have sex with me. You could have said 'no'."

"I'm a guy."

Wendy stood up. "So? Being a guy is not a handicap, Eric."

"You know what I mean."

"What? That because you're a guy, it's natural for you to want to have sex, but since I'm a girl I must be a manipulative bitch with some ulterior motive?"

"I didn't say that."

"Didn't you?"

"Wendy, sit back down…"

"Do you know why I had sex with you?"

Cartman sighed. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to."

Cartman clenched his fists under his blanket. "I told you that I'm in love with you."

"Yeah, you did," Wendy snapped. "And ever since then, you've done nothing but make me feel guilty. For having sex with you. And for not loving you back. But when Stan burst into my bedroom today and started flinging accusations at me, I realized something."

"And what would that be?"

"That I've done nothing wrong. I'm not gonna apologize anymore for having sex and not wanting to sign a marriage contract the next day. And I'm not gonna feel guilty for not being in love with you just because you think I owe it to you."

He set his jaw. "Is that all?" he muttered through his teeth.

"That's all," Wendy replied, crossing her arms. "If you want to kick me out now, you can."

Cartman lay back down on the couch, turning away from her and pulling his blanket over his face. "Get out."

"Have you talked to Wendy yet?"

Kyle nodded, opening his locker. "She's not mad anymore. Not at me, at least."

"So, I've been thinking more about this gay thing…"

"Keep your voice down, Stan."

"…and it made me wonder something."

Kyle groaned. "Here it comes."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Here comes what?"

"The endless string of 'If you're gay, does that mean…?' questions," Kyle replied, digging through his locker. "Go ahead. What do you wanna ask me? As long as it's not a 'What does it feel like?' question, because I already told you I've never done it."

"How come you've never tried it on with me?"

Kyle laughed, locating his hat in the back of his locker and tugging it over his head. "Are you for real?"

"What, am I not attractive enough or something?"

"You're smoking hot, Stan. Is that what you wanna hear?"

"Yes. That was what I wanted to hear."

"But you're also my best friend," Kyle explained, closing his locker. "It'd be like kissing my brother."

"Ouch."

"And besides, I'm still firmly in the closet. I've never tried it on with anyone."

"Well, you're missing out, because I happen to be a major catch," Stan teased.

Stan heard a scoff from behind him. He craned his neck to see Kenny rounding the corner, shaking his head lightly.

"You told him then," he remarked, sidling up to Stan.

"Yes, Stan's in the loop now," Kyle replied.

"About time," Kenny remarked. He nudged Stan's shoulder with his own. "Already trying to get in his pants then? That's shameful, Stan."

"Um, I'm straight," Stan corrected him. "I was merely wondering why he hasn't tried to get into mine."

Kyle crossed his arms. "Seriously though, guys. Keep your voices down. I don't want the whole world to know."

Kenny grinned, looking Kyle up and down. "You're wearing your hat again?"

Kyle tugged at his ear flaps protectively. "I like my hat."

Kenny shrugged. "That's alright. It suits you anyways." He glanced at Kyle's pants. "Back to the old jeans too?"

Kyle shook his head. "The skinny jeans are staying in the closet."

"Such a shame to hide that ass from the world."

Kyle blushed. Stan wrinkled his forehead pensively.

"Hey, it's Kyle's ass, and he can do with it as he pleases," Stan defended his best friend.

"Hey, that's fine with me," Kenny replied with a shrug. He glanced down the hallway, his chin raising slightly as he spotted someone over Kyle's shoulder. "There's Heidi. I should go talk to her."

Kyle shifted uncomfortably. "You don't usually talk to them the next day," he commented.

Kenny squinted. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You should go if you want to catch her before class," Stan advised.

Kenny nodded, waving briefly at his friends before trotting down the hallway. Kyle turned to watch him leave, his shoulders sagging.

Stan tilted his head to the side. "Oh my god."

Kyle turned back to his best friend. "What?"

"Kenny? Come on, Kyle. I'm better looking than Kenny."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Stan."

Craig let out a loud groan as Cartman slid into the seat beside him. "Are we letting him sit with us again?"

"Craig!" Bebe scolded.

"It's not like you're the best company either," Cartman shot back. "I can sit somewhere else."

"Stay where you are," Bebe ordered, clutching the edge of Cartman's chair to keep him from moving.

Cartman looked at Clyde, his eyebrows raised. "Seriously, do they always fight like this?"

Clyde nodded, shimmying a straw under his cast. "Believe me, I've tried everything to get them to stop. I think it would take an actual miracle."

"Well if that's the case, maybe I don't want to sit here."

"Stay put!" Bebe ordered, her lips pursed.

"If he wants to leave," Craig replied, "I say, let him."

"And I say, be nice."

On her last word, Craig gave a little jump in his seat, his hands flying under the table to his shin.

"Did you just kick me?"

"It was a love tap," Bebe replied, sipping her milk. "On the shin. With my heel."

Cartman rolled his eyes. "Well, make up your minds. Am I staying or leaving?"

"You're staying."

Craig sighed in defeat and Clyde merely continued to scratch under his cast.

"Alrighty then," Cartman said, picking up his fork.

"I don't get why you have to try to see the good in everyone," Craig muttered.

Bebe rolled her eyes. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be friends with you assholes, would I?"

"Hey!" Clyde cried.

"There's nothing wrong with being nice to people, Craig. You should try it sometime."

"Says the girl who just kicked me in the shin," Craig shot back. "Anyways, it's Cartman. He doesn't deserve our sympathy."

Cartman scooped up a forkful of macaroni. "I'm still sitting right here."

"I know."

Bebe stabbed a green bean with her fork. "I like to give people the benefit of the doubt."

"That's noble of you," Cartman deadpanned, shoveling his macaroni into his mouth.

"It sounds like an invitation to walk all over you," Craig commented.

"Beats pushing everyone away," Bebe retorted.

"My god," Cartman muttered around a mouthful of mac and cheese. He swallowed. "Will you two just fuck and get it over with already?"

Bebe and Craig went silent, both becoming suddenly interested in their own trays.

"Ha." Clyde looked up from his turkey sandwich at Cartman, grinning. "You can stay."