Cheeks of Glitter
Chapter Nine
"I texted you all day and haven't heard from you at all," Stan said as he peered over his best friend's bed.
Kyle was laying there, but he was slightly up against his pillow so he could have a proper conversastin. However, he looked extremely equaskted, and much more weighed down than he had been recently. "I was on a lot of pain meds," Kyle replied. "They made me sleep all day."
Stan nodded in understanding. He kept quite for a moment as he thought back to what had happened at the animal shelter.
After Eric had took off, Stan had gone back to check on Heidi, but she was nowhere to be found. The boy figured she went back into the shelter building to clean herself up. He was sure she was alright, but the girl did seem distressed about Eric's attack with the urine.
Stan wanted to tell Kyle what happened. Not that he didn't care about his best friend's pain and foot, but he was very frustrated and had confused thoughts that made his head spin. Was Heidi going to really ask him out? What were his current feelings for her?
Stan almost brought it up, but Kyle's little brother, Ike interrupted by running in the room.
"Kyle!" the five year old exclaimed as he made his way over to the bed. "How do you feel?"
"Hey, Ike," Kyle replied softly. "I'm okay, but I'm still in pain."
Ike continued to ask his brother questions before crawling into the bed to get comfortable next to him. It was clear to Stan that Ike was going to stay for a while and bother Kyle, so he decided to say goodbye and take his leave.
I guess I'll tell him on Monday, Stan thought as he left his best friend's house. He was a bit disappointed, but he wasn't going to ask Ike to leave them be. Afterall, Kyle was a great big brother and would do anything for the five-year old. Being a big brother was something Stan could never be.
He, however, could be a great friend, and he was going to prove that to himself when he got to school the next morning.
Before the bell rang then, Stan waited for Heidi to walk up to the school building. It took a little time, as far as Stan was concerned. However in a few moments, he saw the girl coming his way, and she had her eyes on the ground.
Heidi was obviously still upset about the incident with Eric, and Stan felt bad. He had to talk to her and get her through this. He was beginning to care for her a lot, and there was no way he was going to avoid her.
"Hey," the boy said with his hands in his pockets. He watched as Heidi stopped in her tracks and glanced over to him. She didn't smile, but she did acknolwege him.
"Hi, Stan," she said softly and what sounded sad. She continued forward and that made Stan aprensive. Was she trying to keep away from him?
Stan hurried behind in worry as he felt his stomach twist and turn. "Hey, I'm sorry about Cartman. You know how he is. He gets jealous, angry, and—"
"I know how he is, Stan," Heidi said in a slightly firm voice as she stopped to turn to Stan, who was feeling a bit off guard. Noticing that she must have sounded harsh, Heidi sighed sadly and looked to the ground. "I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe he," she stopped there and turned her back to Stan.
"Thought that he would what?" Stan asked.
Heidi shut her eyes, then opened then and peered up at the ceiling. "Nothing. I'm sorry he did what he did."
"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything."
Heidi turned back to her friend and finally grinned. "I guess I've been so use to being responsible for his actions, that I forgot." She giggled with Stan for a few seconds, then stopped.
"So, are you okay?" Stan asked.
"Mhm. I am now. Walk me to my locker?"
Stan was stunned to hear those words, because it sounded a lot like something Wendy use to say to him when the two were dating. Feeling glad to hear Heidi ask him that, the boy smiled. "Sure."
As the two walked, Stan brieftly glanced his head around to watch out for Eric, who Stan knew would be angry in an instant if he saw the two together.
"The girls invited me back to the cheerleading team," Heidi said as she walked.
"Really? You sound uncertain."
"Well, it's not like I don't want to go back, but I do spent time helping out at the shelter." She stopped as she got to her locker and opened it before getting into her backpack.
"That's true, but maybe you could limit your time there and try to do both."
Heidi turned to the boy and smiled. "You really think I should be a cheerleader again?"
"Yes." He was smiling with satisfaction, and suddenly froze when he noticed how beautiful Heidi's smile was. Not only that, but her laugh was adorable, and her heart was full of kindness. Maybe I do like her.
Stan thought about yesterday when Heidi had attempted to ask him out. Maybe he could save her the trouble and ask her himself. However, before he could open his mouth, Butters came rushing over while calling his name.
"Stan, I tried to call you," Butters said as he leaned down to catch his breath. He didn't notice the annoyed expression on Stan's face as Heidi began to put her books in her locker.
"I've been busy," he said in a way that sounded like he was trying to dodge his friend's attempts, but Butters didn't notice it.
"Well, mind if we talk?"
"I'm busy now. We can talk later."
"Oh, well, alright then. How about at recess?" His disappointment went to hope, and he couldn't help but continue to badger Stan until he agreed.
"Yeah, that's fine."
"Woopie! Hey, Heidi!" The blonde-haired boy took off in excitement, and at that instant the warning bell rang.
"We better get to class," Heidi said as she shut her locker.
"I'll meet you there," Stan said. "I have to get to my own locker." After watching the girl take off, Stan walked to his own locker and put his stuff away.
As Stan turned around, he could almost see Eric standing in from of him, giving him an evil look. It made the boy drop his books, causing a clattered echo in the empty hall.
Stan knew how Eric was. If anyone angered the obese boy, it was their funeral. He had a history of getting revenge, even if it risked people's lives. Eric had also done terrible things to his friends, and Stan wouldn't be surprised if he did something to him for spending time with Heidi.
After rubbing his eyes and blinking twice, he saw that nobody was there. It had just occurred to him that it was an illusion, and that concerned him. Sure, he was a bit stressed and apprehensive about the situation, but he never thought he would go crazy.
Stan then thought about how Eric had gone soft over the passed few weeks, so there was no guarantee he would get back at Stan for angering him. That's when Stan realized he didn't need to be afraid because he wasn't. He was more concerned for Heidi then himself.
If Eric did attempt to harm him or Heidi, Stan made the decision that he would beat him up for that. He was sure that Kyle would appreciate it, but would Heidi?
The boy shook his head to knock the thoughts out of his head and went straight to class. He yawned as he sat in his desk, realizing that he went to bed late last night because he was working on a new song with his guitar. However, he was unsure of his feelings yet to finish it.
As Mr. Garrison took attendance, Stan peered over at Heidi, who was whispering to Bebe, one of the cheerleaders, and Wendy's best friend. The boy was sure she was giving her decision about rejoining, and by the smile on Heidi's face, it looked like it was good news.
Stan suddenly caught Heidi glancing over at him and giving a thumbs up. The boy didn't realize he was smiling at her until now. He felt embarrassed and his heart raced. However, he kept I together and nodded in understanding.
At morning recess, Stan met up with Heidi on the swings, completely forgetting about his talk with Butters. Stan wanted to hear about Heidi's cheerleading plans.
"I will volunteer at the shelter on the weekends," she said as she gently swung back and forth while Stan sat still with his hands on the swing handles. "Cheerleading on the weekdays."
"That's great," Stan said. "Are you sure you wanna rejoin?" Of course, he had encouraged her, but he wanted to make sure she was ready. Afterall, she had been through a lot and the boy couldn't help but worry.
"Yeah, I need this." The two went quiet for what seemed like an eternity, and that's when Stan finally had the opportunity to do what he wanted to before school.
"Do you wanna go to the arcade this weekend after volunteering?" he asked.
Heidi stopped moving in her swing and gave the boy a puzzled look. That question sounded odd to her, but some how it made her happy. "The arcade?" she said like he asked her to jump off a building with him.
Stan almost laughed at himself for thinking that. Heidi was obviously not a gaming girl. Still, the boy couldn't help but feel the arcade was the best place to take her. He was so familiar with it. "Yes, I can show you my favorite games."
Heidi smiled as her heart skipped a beat. She was starting to realize how kind Stan was, and although the thought about her playing at the arcade seemed silly, she couldn't help but feel eager to try it out with him. "Okay," she replied.
"Cool."
"Hey Stan?"
Stan stared at the girl, waiting for her to continue. He could see the emotion in her eyes, and he could feel it in his stomach.
"Will you push me on the swing?"
That was when Stan, with no doubt, knew that Heidi was his now, and he felt joy dwelling up inside him. At that instant, the boy got up from his swing and shifted behind Heidi. From there on, he gently pushed her, making her go up slightly. Then, Heidi's giggles echoed in Stan's ears.
