The investigation continues in Stan's chapter! Hopefully the team will learn something new by going back to Kenny's house!
Chapter 8 – Stan
Stan waited outside Kyle's house with his friend as they waited for Craig. He was feeling anxious. He hadn't gone anywhere near Kenny's house since he disappeared, and he hadn't seen any of his family either. He had no idea what, if anything, they would find there.
"Maybe we should go over to Craig's house," Kyle suggested, breaking the silence, "It's not really safe to be out alone."
"No need. Here he comes now," Stan pointed out, gesturing down the street, "Oh, and he has Clyde with him. Smart." He felt Kyle cringe beside him.
"Are you sure?" he asked, "Clyde's not exactly the brightest bulb, you know."
"No, but we can always use an extra set of eyes," Stan argued. He looked at Kyle and knew he wanted to argue more, but Craig and Clyde had arrived, so he shut up.
"Hey," Craig greeted them, "Sorry I'm a little late. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"You're still having nightmares?" Stan wondered, though he wasn't surprised.
Craig sighed. "Pretty much every night this week," he replied, "I hope you guys don't mind, but I brought Clyde. He was at my house, and I can't leave him alone or he'll just sit by the door and stare at it sadly until I get back."
While Clyde frowned at being likened to a dog, Stan couldn't help but laugh. At least someone was trying to lighten the mood.
The four of them started heading towards Kenny's house. Stan felt a wave of sadness just crossing the train tracks to Kenny's part of town. He could remember when just last week he had gone over to Kenny's house so they could all hang out together. Sometimes it was more fun to get into trouble in the run-down part of town than a nicer neighborhood. Would they never be able to return to those care-free times?
The first thing Stan noticed when they got to Kenny's house was Stuart McCormick on the front porch with a hunting rifle sitting in a wooden rocking chair. His eyes darted around, no doubt ready to shoot anyone who came too close. The four of them hesitated, worried that Stuart might shoot them. Stan flinched when Stuart looked at them.
"Hey, you!" he growled, "You'd better watch yourselves around here! I'm not losing another kid to you lousy kidnappers!"
"But sir, we're not the kidnappers," Stan explained calmly, "We're Kenny's friends! You remember me and Kyle, right?"
Stuart scoffed. "Yeah right," he sneered, "That's what they all say! Git off my property before I run ya off!"
"We're not on your property," Craig pointed out.
Scowling, Stuart aimed his gun at them, and that was all the warning they needed before they took off running.
…
Stan huffed to himself as he flopped down onto his bed. The other three had gone home, leaving Stan alone in his house. Why did Stuart chase them off like that? They only wanted to help! He wondered if they should try going back later after dark, but then he questioned how sensible that would be. Maybe he could talk to Karen and get her to convince her dad that they weren't a threat. Stan knew how close Karen and Kenny were. Kenny would do anything for her, and vice versa. Ok, he would be sure to talk to Karen tomorrow.
Right now, though, he felt a little drained. He felt like he needed something positive in his life right now to take his mind off of things. Whelp, that was one of the joys of having a girlfriend. Stan pulled out his phone and texted Wendy.
Stan: Hey, you want to come over for a while? I could use some company.
He was glad he didn't have to wait long for her response.
Wendy: Sure! I'll be right over. I'll have my parents drive me.
Stan sighed with relief. Sure, Wendy's house wasn't that far away, as nothing ever was that far away in South Park, but if her parents drove her, that meant there would be no chance of her being kidnapped on the way over. And since driving meant it took even less time to get here, she was at his house in less than two minutes.
"Hey Wendy," Stan greeted her when he opened the door to let her in.
Wendy smiled and gave him a hug as she stepped through the door. "Hey Stan," she greeted back, "How are you doing?"
"All right, I guess," Stan replied with a sigh, "It's kind of lonely in our group without Kenny and Butters. I just can't stop worrying about them."
"I can't even imagine what you must be going through," Wendy sympathized, "I would hate to lose one of my close friends to a kidnapper." She took Stan's hands in her own. "But I'm sure it'll be ok. Everything always works out for you in the end, doesn't it?"
While Stan appreciated her words, he still couldn't help but worry. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and he was terrified for his friends.
"I guess so," he muttered, "But I don't really want to think about that right now."
"I understand," Wendy said, "What do you want to do instead?"
Stan sighed a little. "I don't know," he admitted, "I guess I didn't really think it through."
Wendy smiled at him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Well, I know one thing we could do," she said in a flirtatious voice. Stan's heart did cartwheels as Wendy leaned in and kissed him. He was so glad he gotten over his nauseous stage when kissing her. It had really helped their relationship now that he was no longer nervous around her, and they hadn't broken up since they were ten.
Eagerly, Stan returned the kiss, putting his arms on her waist. They leaned into it, sharing a tender moment.
Which was promptly ruined by Shelly opening the door into them. She rudely pushed past them without even acknowledging Stan or Wendy were there in her eagerness to get to her room. Stan rolled his eyes and looked back at Wendy.
"How about we go up to my room?" Stan suggested, "We'll have more privacy there."
"I like the sound of that," Wendy cooed.
Since they were only fourteen, Stan and Wendy hadn't done anything real sexual yet beyond some topless make out sessions. Stan was perfectly ok with this, as Wendy was growing into a beautiful young woman.
And because Stan was in a low mood, Wendy decided that some topless making out might cheer him up. When they got to his room, Wendy pushed Stan onto his bed and climbed on top of him. Stan eagerly pulled off his shirt while Wendy did the same with her shirt and bra. Stan couldn't help but stare up at her.
Wendy's breasts were growing in nicely. They were cute and small, not too huge and round like some other girls, like Bebe. Stan never got what was supposed to be sexy about huge tits. They were just distracting and got in the way.
Stan leaned up to meet Wendy's lips as she bent down to kiss him. He opened his mouth and let her tongue enter. They passionately kissed as Stan slowly ran his hands up her body and gently cupped her breasts. Wendy sighed into his mouth as he did. They started moving their hands around each other's bodies, gently feeling every curve, every muscle. Wendy moved her mouth to start kissing Stan's neck and the top of his chest. Stan let out a soft breath of content. Wendy always knew how to make him feel better. He arched his back a little as Wendy kissed him. He tangled his fingers in her hair and ran a hand down her back.
"God, Wendy," Stan sighed, "Your lips are so soft, it's driving me crazy."
He felt her grin against his skin and she began kissing along his jawline. He felt her soft skin against his own and it was making his heart go wild. They kissed for quite a while before finally pulling apart, panting.
As Wendy lay on top of him, Stan could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It was nice to not have to worry about anything for a while. There was a strong part of him that wished he could just stay in his bubble and ignore the problems of the world.
…
When Stan woke up the next morning, he nearly forgot that he had invited Wendy to spend the night with him. They were both still topless. Stan blushed fiercely as Wendy was still laying peacefully on top of him.
Just as he was trying to figure out how to get off his bed without waking her, Wendy started to stir. She stretched her arms, nearly whapping Stan in the face.
"Oh, good morning, Stan!" she greeted with a little giggle, "Sorry, I forgot I fell asleep on top of you last night."
Stan felt his blush deepen. He tried not to stare too much as Wendy sat up and stretched. Even though she was his girlfriend, he didn't like feeling like a pervert by staring at her breasts for too long.
Wendy finally climbed off of him allowing Stan to sit up as well. He went over to his dresser as Wendy put her bra and shirt back on.
"It's a good thing I thought to bring my school stuff with me when you called," Wendy remarked off-handily, "It totally makes up for the fact that the author forgot it was Sunday yesterday, making today a school day so it would be weird if my backpack just showed up out of nowhere. Though, she might be the only one who would notice."
Stan stopped for a moment, then turned to Wendy. "What?" he asked, having no idea what she was talking about. Wendy looked at him.
"What?" she repeated, "I was just talking to myself."
Stan blinked at her. "Oh, ok," he muttered.
They got done getting dressed and had breakfast together before walking to the bus stop together. Cartman and Kyle were already there. When they looked up and spotted Stan and Wendy, Cartman grew a wide grin.
"Ooh! What's she doing here?" he asked, his voice full of implications, "You two spend the night together?" He wiggled his eyebrows at them, and Stan rolled his eyes. "Do the naughties?"
It annoyed him that Cartman was always teasing him about his sexual experiences with Wendy, or lack thereof. They were only fourteen, for God's sake! He was only like, halfway through puberty or something! Sure, a lot of other guys in their class had already lost their virginity, but those guys were disgusting.
Thankfully, he was saved from having to make himself look stupid when Wendy smiled sweetly at the larger boy.
"So, Cartman," she said in a nice sounding voice, "How's Heidi been doing? I hear she's going out with David now."
Cartman cast the deepest glare at her. As soon as they had hit middle school, Heidi finally woke up and realized how horrible Cartman was, and that he was never going to change, and broke up with him. Cartman tried to act like it didn't bother him, but his friends knew he was still really mad about it. Kyle, especially, was smug. It still hurt Eric when someone brought up how much better Heidi was doing without him.
Instead of answering, Cartman grumbled to himself, and Stan grinned at Wendy.
A few minutes later the bus came, and they all got on board. The bus ride to school was uneventful. During school, there were whispers going around, wondering if anyone had been kidnapped over the weekend. There were some who, upon hearing that no one had, automatically assumed that the kidnappings were over. But Stan knew better. If his guess was correct, and it was the same kidnapper from ten years ago, then the kidnappings were just beginning.
Stan tried hard not to let his thoughts get too distracted by his thoughts during the day, but he found it hard. Even during history class, which was probably his favorite class simply because of the teacher, Mr. Biggleston, he couldn't concentrate. He was too occupied trying to come up with theories and suspects.
Mr. Biggleston was a rather large, plump man, with a pumpkin shaped face. He reminded Stan a little of Mr. Adler from the elementary school. Except Mr. Biggleston was even rounder and had more hair. Also, his hair was black. He was very jolly, and was very relaxed with his teaching. But he could be scary if you made him mad, which did not happen very often.
"All right students, settle down," Mr. Biggleston urged when the bell rang. "Now, before we begin our lesson for the day, the school wanted all the teachers teach you students about safety, and what to do in certain emergencies. Considering the string of recent kidnappings, I think this advice will come in handy."
He waddled over to his desk and took up a stack of papers. He started handing them out to the students, and as he did, he spoke. "This paper will give you tips and tricks to keep you safe," he said, "Always walk home with someone else, or maybe get a ride with a friend. Never open the door to strangers. Stay to well-lit areas."
As he talked on, Stan couldn't help but let his mind wander. He wondered if some of these tips really would help. What if the kidnapper was someone they all knew? What if they didn't have someone to walk home with or get a ride from? What they lived in a poor neighborhood that had no lights? He knew Kenny definitely fit the last one. Then one of his questions struck him.
What if the kidnapper was someone Kenny, Butters, and Tweek all knew? Butters had been in his house when he was kidnapped; surely he would only open the door for someone he knew? The thought made Stan's heart start racing.
At lunch time, Stan pulled out a piece of paper and started writing on it. Kyle, with a tray of food, sat down next to him and looked over at him.
"Aren't you going to get lunch?" he asked his friend. Stan shook his head.
"Nah," he replied, "I had a thought during history, and I wanted to write it down before I forgot."
Kyle gave him a confused look. "What kind of thought?" he wondered. By this time, Cartman, Craig, Clyde, Jimmy, and Token had joined them. Token and Clyde looked kind of pissed at each other, but Stan ignored that.
"I was thinking about the tips Mr. Biggleston gave us during class today," he explained, "Like the 'don't open the door to strangers' thing. Well, I'm pretty sure Butters knew that, and he was kidnapped in his home. What if the kidnapper is someone all three of them knew?"
"Well that really narrows it down," Cartman muttered, "All the teachers from both the middle and elementary schools fit into there."
Stan cast a glare at him. "At least I'm trying to do something," he growled, "Besides, not all the teachers are in there. Tweek, Butters, and Kenny don't all have the same classes and teachers. At least this way we can try to narrow it down."
Cartman huffed, but said nothing.
At gym class, Mr. Pounsya had them doing something different than running laps for once. He decided to teach them all basic self-defense.
Mr. Pounsya was quite a different man from Coach Rottenburg. Where Rottenburg was uptight and shouted a lot, Pounsya was very calm and spoke rather softly. He was a well-built man, and though he wasn't as large as the coach, he had muscle.
"Now class, I think it would be good for all of you to learn some basic self-defense moves," Mr. Pounsya explained, "That way, if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, you may be able to fight your way out long enough to get help."
Stan wanted to play close attention to these moves. He didn't want to miss anything. If the kidnapper indeed went after black haired kids next, he didn't want to go down easy. Mr. Pounsya demonstrated the moves, then had them all practice on each other. Stan was paired with Kyle, which was good because they knew how to take it easy on each other.
After a while, Mr. Pounsya, dressed in full protective gear, pretended to be a mugger, and challenged each of the kids to try to get away from him using all their moves and strength. He didn't go easy on them either, and when Stan finally managed to fight him off, he was panting and tired. Be he also appreciated that he didn't go easy on them.
When the entire class had taken a turn, they hit the shower.
"I hope Mr. Pounsya keeps showing us more self-defense moves," Kyle said as they all showered, "I think it might help, especially in this town."
"Yeah," Stan agreed, "I think I heard him talking to Token, saying tomorrow we're going to learn some moves to disarm someone if they have a weapon."
"Good," Kyle nodded, "Maybe this'll help stop the string of kidnappings."
Stan sighed heavily. "I sure hope so," he muttered, "I really miss those three."
After school, Stan asked Wendy if she wanted to hang out more, but unfortunately, she had to stay after school and get some help from Mr. Biggleston. So, instead, Stan went home with Kyle, not that either were complaining.
"Did you notice something?" Kyle asked when they got back to his house, "Jackson wasn't as much of an ass today. He didn't cause any trouble during lunch or gym."
"Huh. He must've been in a good mood today," Stan contemplated. Kyle let out a hearty chuckle.
"I didn't think Jackson had good moods," he laughed.
The two stayed up until nearly midnight talking about this or that, and trying to think of ways to narrow down the suspect list. But until they could find more evidence, they had no way to be certain of anything.
Stan had a nightmare that night. Darkness was closing in around him, crushing and smothering him A hissing, taunting voice was laughing at him. "You'll never save them!" it cackled, "They're doomed! And you're next!"
Waking with a start, Stan sat up, his brow dripping with sweat. Kyle was still asleep next to him, and he seemed untroubled. Watching his friend sleep so peacefully somehow calmed Stan down, and he managed to lay back down and fall asleep.
The next morning found Stan, Kyle, and Cartman waiting at the bus stop as usual.
"I wonder if anyone was kidnapped yesterday," Cartman wondered out loud, "I didn't watch the news this morning, so I don't know."
"I hope not," Kyle sighed, "I really hope the police start getting some leads soon. I just want this whole thing to be done with."
Stan couldn't agree more. He really missed Kenny, and his perverted sense of humor. He missed Butters, and how happy and optimistic he was all the time. He even missed Tweek, even though they didn't hang out that often.
They got on the bus, and not much happened until they arrived at the next stop. Craig, Clyde, Jimmy, and Token all climbed on. As they passed, Token stopped and put a hand on Stan's shoulder.
"I heard about what happened," he said, solemnly, "I'm really sorry."
Stan gave him a confused look. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
Token looked a little taken aback. "Didn't you hear?" he asked, "Wendy was abducted after school yesterday!"
Who saw that coming? Certainly not Stan! Because next chapter is Token again, you will get to see Stan's reaction. Next chapter also starts with Tweek, but don't worry! There's no rape this time. Anyway, leave a comment or something!
