- Butters -

He sat in his library, no book in hand, just sitting, thinking.

'How did I get here?' he wondered, and soon, he was drowning in memories he thought were long gone.

Elementary school, who thought a bunch of kids together all day was a good idea? Butters thought glumly, as he trudged to the cafeteria, he'd gotten beat up earlier for his lunch money. He had fifty whole cents left. He could maybe get a bag of chips. or a drink. He wasn't sure which he wanted. His ribs were sore, but that wasn't just from the bullies. His father frequently tried to "beat the gay" out him, not that he was even sure if he was gay, his dad just wanted to be sure, he guessed.

The kids at school were no better, except for Wendy. He sat at the usual table, with Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, Wendy, Craig, Clyde, Token, Nichole, Tweek, Kevin, Bebe. They weren't all friends, not close, at least not to him, but he didn't want to sit alone. As he appeared with only chips, Wendy shot him a knowing look and wordlessly passed him a dollar, enough to get an entree. He looked at her, wanted to ask if she was sure, but she just smiled and looked away, returning her attention to Stan and Bebe.

He snatched the dollar from the table and with his chips(he couldn't trust Cartman not to take them), went back in line to get something more filling than just chips. He returned to the table and ate his lunch, occasionally joining in the conversation.

A year or two later, Wendy materialized at his side as he was cowering against some lockers, upperclassmen had shoved him into them and were poised to take more shots. He was so tired of this, his dad hadn't let up either, his back had welts from a belt across it. He was tired, defeated. But Wendy, she stood strong and sure, she used words first, but her stance made it clear she could and would kick ass if needed. The other guys, sometimes, made comments about how Wendy came to his aid, he just looked away, he didn't want to fight. He would get grounded(and worse) for sure if he fought back.

Wendy knew, on a level, why he couldn't fight back, she never said anything, but he could see it in her eyes.
When they got to high school, after the first two years, she stopped coming to his aid, she was... a different person. He couldn't pinpoint it, but she didn't appear at his side anymore, she barely sat with the group at lunch. But he never forgot how she had been so kind to him.

When he moved for college, he hit the gym, hard. He studied journalism with a minor in health and wellness. He studied hard, and by the time he graduated, people from high school would never recognize the man he became. He dyed his hair, painted his nails, and wore eyeliner. He mostly dressed in blacks and grays, he worked through a lot of things in therapy, and never went to see his parents once he moved back to south park. He lost touch with everyone when he left, but he remembered Wendy, he would wonder how she was, but he was too shy to ask how she was, because he remembered the change in her, but he never found out what that change was.

He snapped back to the present. He still wondered what that change had been. Obviously, it was something huge as she took her life. Not then, but recently. He had never thought something like that would even be a remote possibility for someone like her.

He checked his phone, therapy was in about an hour. He had better get going.
Once at his appointment, he relaxed in to the chair. This was familiar. Comfortable.

The session began and he spoke more of Wendy, of who she had been to him, of the weekly meetings the first of which, that would be later that day. His therapist listened and asked about wendy and the meetings, talking was easy. They spent the last fifteen minutes of the session meditating, letting him center himself before scheduling their next appointment.

He drove home, more at peace with things than he had been when he left.
He wasn't sure how he fit in with everyone now that they were adults, given he had never really fit in with them before, the only one really giving a shit about him being Wendy, and Cartman constantly had messed with him, but not in friendship.

He took a long deep breath, letting it out slowly, as he parked back at his house and decided a brisk walk to Tweek Bros would be nice. He paused and went inside first, grabbing his laptop bag before resuming the walk to the coffee shop. He meditated as he walked, it didn't take long to get there, he set his laptop down at his customary booth before going up to the counter and ordering his usual from Mr. Tweak.
Idly, he asked about Tweek, to which his father replied that he was with Craig still, and would be coming in when the two could disentangle themselves and then Butters stopped listening as the man went off into some weird metaphorical nonsense that Butters couldn't be bothered to follow or understand.

So..., Tweek and Craig had finally gotten together. He was happy for them, they deserved happiness. He sat at his booth and took out his laptop, letting his coffee cool before taking any sips. He pulled up his latest work, and set to it. It was a piece on Bebe's newest direction, he had interviewed her over a call, rather than in person. This cause, she had said, was about the reality that too many people ignore, it affects millions and yet, nothing is done. Nothing is done until it's too late. He knew as a journalist he had to ask the questions, but he still had hesitated to ask about Wendy. But he did, because he was good at his job.

He stared at the computer before preparing to type the exact quote.

"Did you know?"

"No. None of us did. No, that's not entirely accurate. I knew something had changed, but by the time I knew that, she had stopped talking to me. She used to tell me everything, and I told her everything. But then..., we just stopped. I guess I was too wrapped up in my efforts, and she had seemed fine, as always, she was always top of the class. I had no idea that anything had changed. Not until..., not until it was too late."

He swallowed hard as he typed that. But he finished his article with a few more words. He sat back and sipped his coffee, staring at the screen before abruptly shutting it and gazing around the shop, there was Tweek, shirt buttoned improperly as always. Butters' eyes flicked around the shop and he finished his coffee before going to order another and a muffin. Tweek cheerily handed him his order and he returned to his seat to enjoy the food and coffee. He was happy for Tweek.

He didn't know how he fit into the group, and they were meeting here at Tweek Bros before it closed, then they would head to his house. He didn't know what they would do, he had gotten sodas and a few snacks, in case people wanted things, but otherwise, he wasn't sure what they would do.

He took to the group chat to ask what the general plan was for that night.

Craig replied that he had no idea, Bebe said they could talk or just have some movie or show on and just exist in the same space. If he had games, they could game, it was whatever people wanted to do.

"I have games, but I don't know what everyone wants to do."

Butters returned to his work, as his phone occasionally went buzzing, he didn't check it though, between his coffee and his editing, hours passed and soon he was joined by Craig, Kenny, and Stan.

He closed his laptop and glanced at the guys sitting with him. He barely knew them, now or before. He knew them more by reputation than talking to them.
Stan was scruffier than usual, Kenny looked tired, and Craig looked vaguely uncomfortable but kept glancing over to Tweek.
Soon Bebe slid into the booth as well.

"Stan, is your friend coming?"

"Uh..., yeah he said he'll be here soon."

Small talk was made, as Butters put away his laptop amd soon they were joined by Pete, one of the goths, someone Butters hadn't seen since school days, he looked much the same, dressed all in black with purple shoes, black and red hair with the fringe in his eyes, chubby but his height offset it a little. He looked nervous and unsure.

Butters moved further into the booth and beckoned him to sit next to him. He wordlessly took the offered seat and Butters relaxed into the booth as Bebe formally introduced herself. Pete also introduced himself and then just stared at the table, nervously tapping his fingers. Butters recognized it, the anxiety, the outsider status.

So Butters tried to help, and asked him how he was, if he had known Wendy.

"Not really, she was a preppy bitch. I knew her reputation, I hear she was extremely smart. Smarter than the majority of south park."

"Yeah, she was. To be honest, none of us knew her really well. Not even Bebe." I murmured, absently fiddling with my empty coffee cup.

"Do any of us really know each other?" Pete implored, looking at Butters with a blank expression.

A wry smile appeared on Butters' lips as he replied, "No. We don't."

Pete seemed to relax some at that, and offered to get everyone a coffee, on him. They gave their orders to him and he went up to Tweek, in two trips he returned with coffee, and relayed the news that Tweek would be ready in about five minutes.

"Are we walking or are some of you driving?" Butters asked, holding the warm coffee.

"I'm driving with Tweek," Craig was the first to answer, looking over at the blond.

"Walking," Stan muttered, and Pete inclined his head in agreement.

"I generally walk," Kenny shrugged.

"I can drive," Bebe offered.

"Blonds wanna drive and the rest of us will walk?" Butters asked.

Bebe laughed, "Yeah sounds good."

"I'll put my address in the group chat, it shouldn't take long regardless," Butters told them, opening messenger.

"If you guys are ready, we can get there and I can turn the lights on," he said to Pete and Stan.

Pete shrugged and slid out of the booth, stepping back so Butters could also exit and lead the way.

"See you guys soon," Butters grinned at the rest of the group before he, Stan, and Pete left the shop for his house.