I'm so sorry for the long wait! I really am focused on this story; I just have a lot going on and I haven't been able to write much. I hope this chapter makes up for that, even if it's less than 2000 words. Reviews are helpful!

Cheeks of Glitter

Chapter Six

The end of the day didn't come fast enough, but when it did, Stan rushed down the hall to his locker to gather his books for his assignments.

"Hey, Stan!" Butters greeted him cheerfully as he appeared behind him.

"Can't talk, I'm in a hurry," Stan said quickly as he zipped up his backpack. As he turned to leave, he didn't even notice the disappointed look on Butters' face.

The blonde-haired boy was also eager when he had approached Stan, who hadn't realized it was the second time he tried talking to him. Although feeling at loss for not getting Stan to have a conversation with him, Butters shrugged it off and hoped for the best next time.

Stan dashed down the hall and out the school building. First thing he wanted to do before heading home was to walk to Kenny's house and search for Stitch. He and Heidi had searched for the dog after lunch, but he didn't seem to be near the school grounds anymore.

So, Stan's next destination was passed the railroad track. He ran so fast he didn't even seem to notice Kyle's attempted approach on him.

Kyle stopped on the spot in front of the school at the street and watched his friend curiously. He knew how busy Stan had been with saving Stitch, but he wondered what on Earth he was in a hurry for.

Rushing through the neighborhood, Stan went straight toward the railroad, where there were no approaching trains. He made it across the track and arrived at Kenny's house.

The area was almost like a junk yard with animals such as rats and cats roaming around. Since Kenny's family was less fortunate, it was the only place they could afford to live.

Stan began his search for Stitch. He circled the house but couldn't find the dog anywhere nearby. So, he head for the shed where Stan was made to promise not to go inside. He circled that as well, and in a few seconds, he heard something falling.

The boy turned to the left, and there he saw a trashcan knocked over with its trash spilled out. Even after that, he could hear something rusting around there.

Stan quietly snuck over, glad that there was no snow to cause such noise with his shoes. That was one up about it being spring. He carefully approached the can, and ever so slowly bent down over it.

On the other side was Stitch, who was trying to find something in the empty pop tart box. "Hey," he whispered to him.

Stitch jerked his head up and stared at Stan cautiously. His bog brown eyes were full of fear, and Stan could practically feel it himself. He wasn't sure where to go from there and wished he would have stopped by his house to grab Sparky's leash. Although it wouldn't do any good since Stitch did not have a caller to clip it to.

Am I dumb? The boy thought. He was so concerned about getting there quickly, he had forgotten to plan and grab some carrots as well. If he left to go get some from his house, chances were that Stitch would be gone by the time he got back.

Stan had to figure out another way to win Stitch's trust. He sighed before sitting on his knees as he watched Stitch go back into the trash. "You want food," he said. "That's all you want."

Suddenly, Stitch perked his ears and ran off, which got Stan back to his feet. He resisted to shout out to him, and instead let out a grunt in frustration. No! The boy didn't stop to think, though, about remaining calm and watching him leave in his spot. He started off after the dog when he suddenly heard a sound from behind him.

Stan, forgetting about Stitch, and worried about what was lurking around, turned to see if he could get a glimpse. Nothing.

Still, the boy knew he didn't imagine it, and froze in his spot to listen. Then, in a few seconds, there was a sound again, as if somebody were snooping around. Footsteps. Stan slowly sifted around the shed. As he did, he heard a familiar voice.

"Stan?"

Stan looked puzzled. "Kyle?" He quickly finished his way back to the front, and saw his best friend searching around Kenny's house. As he continued forward, Kyle stopped where he was and turned to him. "Kyle, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you," Kyle replied as the two were just a foot from each other. He didn't look angry, although very suspicious.

Stan felt a little uneasy. "Why?" this voice was casual, but he especially wondered why his best friend had been following him secretly.

"Because" Kyle said and turned his back on him but stayed in place. He had a lot on his mind and wanted to spill it out. The wind blew, tickling his cheek, before he continued. "I wanted to talk to you, but you ran off."

"Oh." Stan felt a little bad not noticing it before. Even so, he had noticed Kyle's harsh behavior and that made him want to keep his distance. However, his best friend looked calm. "Talk about what?"

"I know I've been acting like a dick," Kyle replied.

"I wouldn't say that." Actually, I would.

Kyle finally turned to face his friend with a soft, yet sad expression. "Ever since Heidi changed, I disliked her. But now it seems she's trying to better herself again. So, I felt like maybe I liked her. Again."

Stan didn't know what to say. He remembered Kyle once saying something about how he would be a better guy for Heidi than Eric, but he didn't think that he had serious feelings for her.

"I think, though, they were old feelings," Kyle continued. "And those old feelings were nothing but pity. I think I just wanted to save her from Cartman, and that felt pretty amazing. However, even the thought of us being together made me feel good, too." He sighed while shutting his eyes before opening again and glancing up at the grey sky. There was a brief roar of thunder.

"Kyle," Stan started, but then stopped. Still, he didn't know what to say. He did, however, know what was going on. Kyle was acting strange because he was jealous. Still, the way he was tired recently in class didn't explain much. There was so much going on in Kyle's head that Stan just didn't know.

"Cartman is a jerk," Kyle continued. "You, though, are my best friend. And you and Heidi are doing a good thing, helping that dog. You're a great time." He smiled.

Stan raised his eyebrow. "Uh," was all he could let out. He was beginning to realize that Kyle was suggesting Heidi a good girl to be with. And to what? He thought. Replace Wendy? No, she's not like Wendy. Sure, she cares about animals like her. But she is different.

Stan hadn't thought about Heidi as a girlfriend. He hadn't thought about any other girl then Wendy, even if he was sure, he was over her. Before he could say anything, Kyle changed the subject slightly.

"So, you came here to look for the dog, right?" Kyle asked as he paced passed his friend to get a look at Stitch, unaware of him being gone.

"Yeah, you scared him off."

"Oh." Kyle didn't feel all that bad, because he suddenly had the motivation to support Stan and his attempts. "Then, let's go get him."

Stan perked up. "Really?"

Kyle turned to him with a grin on his face. "Yeah, let's save him and make Heidi proud." There was another sound of thunder, louder than the first one. "Let's hurry."

A smile grew on Stan's face. "Right."

The two then took off in the direction Stan saw Stitch run off to, which was the woods. They didn't hesitate at all, even as the sky got darker, and the thunder continued. "You got any food on you?" Stan asked as he ran by his friend's side.

"No, but he's not so big," Kyle replied. "We can catch him."

Stan trusted Kyle, and soon hurried into the trees with him. It got darker as they entered the woods, but that didn't stop them from starting their search. They went in opposite decorations to look, Stan going down the pathway, and Kyle going through the bushes.

Lightning struck, and thunder crackled, which startled Stan, almost making him jump out of his shoes. He didn't, however, and continued forward as it began to rain. It was very dark now, making it hard to spot much of anything. "Come on Stitch, where are you?"

"Stan!" That came from Kyle, who was nearby, but still far away for his voice to be briefly faint.

Stan turned around and dashed ahead. Just a moment later, he could spot Kyle behind a bush between the trees, and next to him was a dog. Stitch.

Stan stopped so he wouldn't scare him, but he ran off deeper, and Kyle zoomed after him. "Kyle," Stan said, unsure of his best friend's actions.

Kyle, getting poured on by the rain, leaped forward to grab Stitch. He didn't think about the consequences until he realized he and the dog went rolling down a hill.

The grass was too wet and slippery for Kyle to get up and stop falling. In fact, he kept rolling, hitting rocks and branches, and lastly slid down a small cliff like a water slide. He went splat into a pile of mud, and Stitch, who fell with the boy, whimpered loudly.

Stan gasped when he heard the dog's harsh whimpers and ran after them. When he got to the hill and saw them in the mud pile, the boy felt panic growing in him. "Kyle!"

His friend was laying face down in the mud, unconscious. Stitch was sitting up right next to him but whined in pain.

Stan got on his bottom, and carefully slid down the hill. He leaped to the side as the bottom and rushed into the mud puddle where his best friend lay lifelessly. "Kyle, wake up!"

All thoughts and attempts on helping Stitch left Stan's mind. Replacing that was worry and fear for his friend. He stared down at him wide eyed as the rain poured, soaking them wet. The thunder roared loudly, and Stan had no ideas on how to help.