A/N: Decided I should just post chapter two as well, lol
Depending on how many more chapters I'll write this week, I'm hoping to post chapter three this weekend, but the possibility I'll post it next week instead is also there; I'm starting a new job this week :))
"You're sure about this?" Karen told her, eyeing the name on the form with disgust, and Wendy nodded in defeat. She should've expected this and blamed no one but herself for the outcome. Sure enough, the day after she'd dismissed Cartman and went to Denny's with Stan, Cartman approached her first thing in the morning with a filled form and application on hand.
He'd only told her with a smug face and glint in his eyes, "You said it was mostly paperwork, right?" And put the folder in her hand, ignoring her wide eyes and open mouth.
"Maybe, if you call in a meeting and get everyone else's vote, you could overrule-" "Forget it, Karen. There's nothing we can do. Unless there's a valid reason to kick him out, I'm afraid he'll be part of the student council. He was the one who decided to leave in the first place, so we don't have reason enough to expel him." Wendy said, and Karen sighed in frustration. Wendy appreciated her concern and diligence.
As a freshman and a goth, Karen McCormick was surprisingly proactive with school matters. She was part of the cynical outcasts but still friendly and good-natured. Wendy remembered once Kenny speaking about her, how she'd always sought to do good, and the goths who were cold and unapproachable were also highly protective of one another. They didn't seem to mind Karen's "conformist good ways" or whatever Kenny had said back then. He and Stan were on good terms with them, so Wendy tried to look past their scary nature.
"Well, if he misbehaves, be sure to tell me. Henry recently bought a spells book, and she'd be delighted to try one on that fat ass." Karen said with a smile. Timid as she appeared, she was a goth through and through. Wendy smiled at her and shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, Karen. But I believe I can handle him if he misbehaves."
"If you say so," Karen said with a knowing look, and Wendy tried to ignore it. Thankfully no one suspected her secret rendezvous with Cartman, but her friends sometimes teased her about it. Nichole always gave her a look whenever she spoke to him in public, and Bebe merely rolled her eyes but still kept a hidden smile.
It didn't take a genius to know the only reason for Cartman to re-join the student council was to get back at Wendy. It was the beginning of the thin end of the wedge with him. Their encounters hadn't been many, but they felt more desperate and passionate each time if she dared to admit it. And each time she fell back into the arms of Stan, Cartman would make her life miserable. He'd personally see to it. At least for a month…or until she'd break up with Stan again.
Classes continued to be dull, homework was bearable, and the stress of studying for college exams was gone. Still, Wendy felt unsatisfied. Her night-outs with Stan were fun, but they sometimes felt too domestic. Too friendly . Wendy was an only child, but she wondered if that's what having a sibling would feel like. She discarded the thought as soon as it entered her mind.
She didn't want to say she was bored, but Wendy felt something was missing in her relationship after getting back together. There was no challenge left, no excitement. She discerned Stan must've sensed it too. For some reason, he was more eager to do physical stuff with her, but at the same time, he was never in the mood. Whenever they kissed, she'd feel him tense up as if it was the first time they kissed, and while he always wanted to do it, it also took ages for him to finish.
Wendy was too immersed in her thoughts to hear someone calling her name, and as she passed through the hallway, someone tripped her. Wendy closed her eyes, put her hands first, and hoped for the best but felt an arm grab her and stop the fall.
"Wha-?" She started saying but stopped the minute she saw who it was. "Jesus Cartman, why on Earth would you make me trip, you asshole! There are better ways to get my attention, you know."
"I called your ugly-ass name twice, and you didn't listen." He said, and Wendy noticed he was still grabbing her arm. He seemed to see at the same time and let go of her rather brusquely. She scowled at him but said nothing; it was preferable to be angry than admit she was disappointed with the lack of touch.
"What do you want? I need to get to sixth period." She said, and he rolled his eyes. "I know. We have physics together." He almost sounded hurt if Wendy knew Cartman any better. She shook the thought away. It was impossible. He cared little about no one, and he was a master manipulator. So why would she be the exception?
"Where's the stupid paper that says I'm part of the student council again?" Oh . Wendy blushed. Wendy got the signature of the PC Principal the day after Cartman submitted his application, but she wanted to hold on to it for a little longer, making the inevitable wait a bit more. It had been a week and a half since then, and Wendy still had to give the paper to Cartman.
"Oh, right, the paper." She feigned ignorance, not caring if Cartman fell for it or not. She guessed it'd be the latter.
" Ouh reit thee peiper . Yes, the paper. Now give it to me, bitch." He said, and she gave him a warning look as she rummaged through her backpack. She hated when he mimicked her. "Here."
"What the fuck? This is dated almost two weeks ago!" He said, angrily pointing at it. Fuck she mentally cursed. She foolishly hoped he wouldn't notice.
"I've been very busy with the duties of the council, and now that I'm back again to being the captain of the volleyball team, I-" She bit her lip, her excuses faltering; he wasn't going to buy them anyways.
He gave her a bored stare. "So you just forgot?" She nodded, not meeting his gaze. "You're telling me, Wendy Testaburger, world's most stuck up, perfectionist bitch, forgot about it?"
Wendy bit her lip, trying not to flip off Cartman, and just continued to nod. Of course, he was doing it on purpose, but it was the price she had to pay for underestimating his smartness yet again. "Yes, Eric, I forgot. Now could you please let us go to our class? I don't want to be late."
He eyed her, and miraculously deciding against any word-calling, he rolled his eyes and started walking towards the classroom.
"Why did you want to join the school council anyway? Need I to remind you, you were the one that left?" Wendy tried hard to keep up with him; her short legs had to go twice as fast as his long ones.
"I want to make some changes in the school, or it could be possible I got bored; maybe I just wanted to see your annoyed, bitchy face every Tuesday and Thursday," He stopped his tracks, and she almost bumped into him. "Or perhaps, I wanted to see the world burn. So you tell me, Wendy, which one is it?" He gave her a mischievous smile, and she rolled her eyes. "Just don't be late for tomorrow's meeting, please."
"You're sure you're okay? You've barely touched your meatloaf." Stan said, eying her with worry.
"It's alright, Stan, I'm fine. It's just… Cartman returned to the council, retook his former role as vice-president, and I don't understand why." She took a small bite from her meatloaf, not savoring the meat.
"Has he tried anything yet?" Kyle said from the opposite side of the table, and Wendy shook her head, her eyes on her plate. Stan's parents were out of town; his mom told him there was too much meatloaf left on the fridge, so he invited them over to dinner. They were supposed to finish their history paper afterward.
"That's the thing; it's been days since he joined, and… he's helping?" Stan gave her a funny look.
"What's so bad about helping?"
"Dude, do you know Cartman like, at all? That's his move. It always is. He manipulates the situation until he gains your trust, and when you least expect it, he attacks."
Kyle was right, Wendy knew. She'd seen it firsthand on multiple occasions, but at the same time, she hadn't seen any of Cartman's nastiness over the current school year. Not really, anyway.
Even as kids, when he'd claimed they were never, ever playing with her, she'd always receive "mystery" messages with a raccoon's symbol, giving her the leads to the places they'd go. He could sometimes be worse than the devil, but Wendy noticed he would secretly make up for it.
"Wendy? You there?" Stan waved his hand in front of her, and she blinked. She needed to stop spacing out. It wasn't like her.
"I'm sorry, I just remembered we have to start preparing for prom. We haven't decided on a theme yet, and this year's inflation won't be good for the budget." She quickly said and squeezed Stan's hand, missing the jealous look in Kyle's eyes.
After dinner, Wendy and Kyle finished their essays quickly, while Stan was stuck with writer's block. "It's not that hard, dude. You just have to read the chapter and make your own arguments about it."
"Do you need any help with it?" Wendy asked, and Stan shook his head. "Nah, I have a free period tomorrow; I'll worry about the essay then. I thought maybe you could stay and watch a movie together?" Stan said, looking at them both, and Wendy bit her lip. She had already started to put her things in her backpack.
"Oh, I don't know, Stan. It's getting late, and tomorrow I've got volleyball practice. Maybe some other day?" She gave him an apologetic smile. He returned the smile and shook his head, standing up from his chair.
"Don't worry about it. The three of us don't get to hang around often anymore; I guess I got carried away and totally forgot it was a school night." He opened his bedroom door and said, "I'll give you a ride home, Wends." He turned his head towards Kyle, "You're staying, right?" Wendy saw the redhead's ears turn pink, and his eyes met hers. She could've given him a stare that said, " I know, " but instead gave him a reassuring, naïve smile. Kyle let out a small breath of relief and enthusiastically nodded at Stan.
Stan smiled. "I won't be long, then. Pick the movie while I drop Wendy off!"
Wendy knew Kyle and Stan always stayed at each other's houses. Stan told her they even had the set of keys of the other. She knew it was expected, and she knew it always happened. Yet, she couldn't shake away the feeling she was the third wheel in her relationship. It wasn't precisely jealousy, not anymore, at least. But it was awkward and uncomfortable. Stan still seemed blind to it all, but for Wendy, it was plain to the sight Kyle harbored the biggest crush on her boyfriend.
She wasn't mad at either of them; feelings can't be controlled, but she wondered if it was plain to the sight for other people.