Prologue
Cartman sat at the table with a thud, the bench bending under his weight.
"Fuck!" He yelled, catching the attention of all at the table.
"What the hell is your problem, fat ass?" Kyle asked, his words dripping with annoyance that it was once again Cartman tantrum time, not much had changed in the past 8 years.
"My fucking bitch of a mom says I have to get rid of my pad in the basement, so my dumb slut of a cousin can move in." Cartman exclaimed, not even thinking twice about the insult Kyle threw at him.
Stan quietly rolled his eyes at Cartman's use of the word "pad" even if it was the best hangout spot out of all four of the boys' homes. It's still a douchey word to say, but Stan wasn't in the mood to get into with Cartman that day.
"I bet she't just ugly and fat as you." Kenny responded, making the whole table laugh as Cartman's face burned with anger.
"Just wait! You laugh at me now but you'll be sorry when you lose the only place you can drink at and she Yoko Ono's one of you." Cartman stood up quickly, the bench bouncing from the sudden release of weight. He only took a few steps before quickly grabbing the lunch he left behind in is anger and grabbing a handful of Butters' fries.
"S-s-so do yu-you guys th-th-th-think she-she will b-b-b-b-be as u-ugly a-a-as Cart-Cartman?" Jimmy sputtered out.
"Nah… She'll probably be uglier!" Kenny joked, once again gaining a round of laughs from the table.
Chapter 1
Ella Cartman never in 100 years thought her dad was serious about shipping her off to Colorado. But here she was just minutes away from her aunt's house. She watched the endless fields of farm land, the Colorado Rocky's lying in the distance. It would be pretty if she were her on her own volition. But this wasn't going to be like Flagstaff, it was her last year until complete and absolute freedom, and Ella was determined not to mess it up. For as long as she could.
It was about a 20-minute drive from the airport to her new home but it felt like it was mere seconds had passed before she was standing on the steps of a green house, bags in hand. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. It didn't take long before Aunt Liane was standing at the door.
"Oh, if it isn't little Ella!" Her singsong voice putting Ella's nerves on edge. Before she knew it, she was wrapped in a strong embrace, the smell of vodka, pizza and perfume filling her nostrils.
"Hi Aunt Liane," Ella tried to match her excited energy," It's really nice to see you."
"Oh, let me show you where you are staying!" Liane began to gather Ella's bags," I've never had a daughter but I've always dreamed of one." Aunt Liane was just as ditsy as Ella remembered. Liane led Ella down to the basement, the wooden stairs creaking as they walked down.
Thanks Dad, not only am I sent to live with a crazy woman and her obnoxious kid, I also get to live in a basement, Ella thought to herself but was pleasantly surprised at what lay before her. It helps a large flat screen TV and some video game console, a mini fridge and a bean bag chair in the corner, it wasn't until she turned and saw the bed, a full out sofa with unicorn bedding and an assortment of plushies. Ella probably would have loved it when she was 9, at 17 not so much. But this was a different Ella, a nicer Ella. She turned, plastering a genuine appearing smile onto her face, "I love it, Aunt Liane," setting her luggage on the floor.
"Oh, I am so happy you do, I've always wanted to decorate a room like this."
Like a 8-year-old stoner princess? But Ella continued to smile.
"Look at the time, Eric should be home soon and I have to get his snacks ready. I'll let you settle in and just come up whenever you're ready." And with that, Liane left the room to Ella.
Ella let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion. It wasn't that the flight was particularly long, but already this act was difficult to keep up. Before even opening up her suitcase, she began to search around the room for a place that she could safely store items that reflected her life in Arizona more than the one she was trying to portray now. It didn't take long to find a hole behind a movie poster of the Titanic that was clearly only placed there to hide the obvious fist sized hole in the wall. It also just so happened to fit a carton of cigarettes, and a substantial amount of weed. Ella promised to be a good girl, not a sober one.
Just as Ella was half way done changing, she heard the sound of feet and muffled voices above her.
"Shut the fuck up, I'm not fat, you fucking Jew!"
Ella could never mistake Eric's voice, even if she hadn't seen him since 7th grade.
"Just admit that she is as ugly and fat as you." An unrecognizable voice interjected, who Ella assumed would be the "Jew".
"No way dude, no one can be as ugly and fat as Cartman, but I'm sure she's close." Another stranger's voice interjected.
"I don't even know why we have to meet her in the first place, she is going to our school anyway, so we will probably just see her tomorrow." Said another voice
"Well, don't ya know, Stan, it's only the right thing to do when you get a new neighbor." Said a hesitant voice that she could barely make out.
The voice and steps faded into the distance as Eric and his friends(?) walked into the kitchen for the food that was waiting for them. Ella would have loved to walk up there and give them a beating of a lifetime, but as she began to step towards the stairs, she stopped herself. Just one year of being on the straight and narrow and although she was close to being free, Ella had no doubt that she would be shipped off to the military school near her grandparent's house. A hellish idea only brought Ella only thoughts of fear and disgust. Even if it was in the middle of the semester, her dad would do what he could to continue to exert as much control over Ella as he still could.
A good girl, just for a year… Ella reminded herself as she changed into a pair of jeans and a blouse, much different from her usual attire of baggy shirts and sweatpants. Slipping on a pair of flats, Ella gave a last glance at the mirror that lay in the corner, undoubtable another addition from Aunt Liane as it was painted a sparkly pink. Ella felt uncomfortable in her new clothes, a wardrobe that her father insisted that she pack for her new life. She was able to sneak in some of her own clothes under the guise of being for pajamas, which might be the case if she is able to keep up her facade for long enough.
It wasn't that Ella thought the clothes looked bad, she even admired other girls who were able to put effort into their appearance, but no matter the efforts, she was just not able to style her hair or do her make up, it seemed to always end in either burnt hair or a poke in the eye. At some point, she had just given up of putting effort into her appearance at all. After a moment of analyzing her image, Ella gave a sigh before turning toward the steps and dragging her feet up the stairs.
Right as school ended, Stan and Kyle insisted on meeting the monstrosity that would be his cousin, Kenny following along for the ride. He personally wasn't interested, he was much more focused on the plenty of girls who were not related to Cartman. But Kenny was avoiding home. Life at home had gotten better in some ways and harder in others. Both his parents had been sober for the last three years but now his sister, Karen, was 14 and his older brother knocked up a girl, adding another two people in the already cramped space. So although there was less violence, it seems as though their financial struggles have only gotten worse.
"Guys, you won't even believe what an ugly bitch my cousin is," Cartman whined as the five boys walked to Cartman's house. "She is a fucking four-eyed, brace -faced cunt who looks a Little Caesar's pepperoni pizza."
Then their typical banter and insults began, Kenny piping in every once in a while to add his own insults. The conversation continued into the house and then the kitchen, where Cartman's mom had laid out a spread of Cheesy Poofs and Snacky Cakes.
"Now, Kenny, don't go eating all the food just 'cause you won't have dinner tonight."
"Fuck you asshole." Kenny responded to Cartman without much of a thought. He was used to these insults from Cartman, but Kenny took solace in knowing that no matter how poor he was, he wasn't Eric Cartman.
Once all had collected their stash of food, they moved their way into the living room. Although Cartman was being a bitch about how his cousin had taken over his "pad", Kenny couldn't deny that the living room was just not the same.
It didn't take them long for all of them to become so engrossed in watching Stan play Red Dead Redemption 2 that it had taken a while for any of them to notice the new person who at the doorway.
"What the hell is that?" Cartman screamed, a look of absolute disbelief on his face, his screeches attracting his mother to rush into the room with concern.
"What is it, Poopsie-kins?" His mom's voice dripping with worry.
"Who is that!? WHO IS THAT?!" Cartman was now standing, his voice at full volume and his finger pointing accusingly at the stranger, her own face obviously repressing an eye roll.
Is that Cartman's cousin? She doesn't look at all like he described. Kenny thought to himself. She was a short girl, brown eyes, her light brown hair hitting her at her shoulder and freckles that were splattered all over her nose and cheeks. Plain and not at all what Kenny looks for in a girl. Either way, she certainly wasn't the mutated dog that Cartman described. Kenny would even go so far as to call her cute, but not much else.
"Oh honey you know who this is," Cartman's mom replied as if this was all just a silly, little mix up rather than her teenage son throwing a tantrum, "This is your cousin, Ella from Arizona." And with that she hummed her way back to the kitchen without another word.
By now all in the room had their eyes trained of Ella, Kyle and Butters seeming to show a visible nerves around the girl, Kyle hiding it better than Butters of course. Cartman looked at Ella with a mix of rage and shock, a combination leaving him with a red face and a gaping mouth. Stan and Kenny seeming to be the only ones able to keep his composure. Stan was hopelessly in love with Wendy, despite their off and on relationship and both of their jealousy. As for Kenny, he never seemed to be nervous around girls, even the hottest ones in South Park, let alone a girl related to Cartman.
Kenny watched as Kyle stood up quickly, wiping his hands on his jeans.
"Hey I'm Ella- I mean Kyle, my name is Kyle," He stumbled over his words, scratching at the back of his neck.
"It's nice to meet you." Ella smiled, her hand looking as though it was going to form a fist bump before quickly it into a handshake. Kyle only seemed to blush harder as he shook her hand for longer than appropriate.
"I'm Butters!" Butters said from the couch, his nerves seeming to be replaced with his excitement of meeting a new person.
"Hi Butters." Ella's voice was polite, her hands clasped behind her back.
"Stan." He seemed the only one out of the bunch besides Kenny who was unfazed, giving her a friendly smile and wave from his spot on the floor, Ella responding with her own friendly smile.
From the armchair, Kenny's eyes locked with Ella, waiting for his introduction. The silence was longer than expected as they both seemed to show a spark of curiosity of in their eyes.
"I'm Kenny," A grin flashing on his face before turning his attention back to the Cheesy Poofs.
"It's nice to meet you, Kenny." Ella replied, "I think I will go and do some studying before dinner, want to be ready for my first day tomorrow." and with that Ella disappeared downstairs.
"Kenny! I said this wasn't fucking dinner, asshole, go eat a some road kill or whatever you poor people eat." Cartman's attention moved from Ella to Kenny.
"You know what? Fuck, you dickhead, I'm going home." Kenny was full anyway.
"Yeah, I think I might head out to dude, it's getting late and I need to get home before dinner." Stan said, standing up, the other boys saying some variation of the same.
"Oh, well wait, maybe we should say bye to Ella before we go?" Kyle asked sheepishly, Stan rolling his eyes, while Cartman sat glued to the TV.
"Why, that is a terrific idea!" Butters exclaimed.
As the three walked away, Kenny moved towards the door, more concerned about going home to give his mom a break with the baby. Both Kenny's brother, Kevin, and his girlfriend spent many evenings out, forcing his mom to watch over baby Karter. As Kenny began to walk down the street towards the bad side of the tracks, he catches a small ember light in the dark from the side of his eye. He turns to look and he sees Ella, standing near the trash cans smoking what looked like to be a cigarette. Kenny gave a soft shake of his head in amusement, then silently continued on his way home, his orange parka close to his face, protecting him from the night's cold.
Maybe she isn't that much of a goody-goody.
Kyle had seen girls as pretty as Ella before, but there was something different to her, she held this gentle innocence that Kyle found lacking in his small town. From the moment he saw her, his heart began to pound. He thought he was a nice guy, he would even go so far as to call himself a good guy. But was he good enough for her? He was popular enough with the girls in his school, but besides of a dance date or two, he had little to no experience with them. It just always seemed like the girl he liked, never liked him back and the girls that liked him… well he didn't like them back. This time, Kyle knew that Ella would be the one to change his string of unfortunate attempts, the chemistry he felt spark between them told him enough.
With a knock, Butters, Kyle, and Stan sat at the front of the basement door, waiting for Ella to respond. After a moment, Kyle knocked once more and they waited.
"I bet she's just really involved in her studies right now," Kyle said, placing his green trapped hat over his red curls and making his way through the door.
"She does seem like a hard worker." Butters replied, while Stan just rolled his eyes.
Kyle tried not to show his enthusiasm for their new neighbor too much as they all walked home together. This excitement last the rest of his walk home and all the way through dinner, not that he was going to say anything in front of his parents and little brother. It wasn't until Kyle fell asleep that he stopped thinking about Ella.
The next morning, as Kyle got ready for school, he began to plan his strategy. He needed to give her time to settle in to town, maybe make some friends of her own, and then he would make his move. Kyle didn't want to come on too strong but he also wanted to let her know he was available, he would ask if she wanted to walk home but nothing more.
With his plan in place, he made his way over to the bus stop to meet his friends, who were patiently waiting for their ride to school.
"Hey guys, hey Ella" Kyle was sure to play it much smoother than he did the day before. She responded in a wave, clutching her books to her chest.
They all continued to stand in silence, too tired at this time to have much to say. That is besides Cartman.
"Guys, I heard that Allie Nelson gave Token herpes!" It was almost impossible for Cartman to keep his mouth shut for longer than 30 minutes.
"Dude no she didn't," Stan replied, not wanting to indulge Cartman and his gossip.
"No she did. I promise, I heard it from Clyde."
"Clyde. Allie's ex-boyfriend Clyde. Second-biggest liar in our class. That Clyde?" It's not that Kyle believed it or not, more that it was none of his business and especially not Cartman's. It also didn't hurt that Ella would see him defending someone.
"Whatever bro, I bet she did, she looks like a dirty skank." Cartman huffed as if that was all the argument he needed.
"Eric, you can't call someone a skank if you haven't even gotten to first base."
Kyle's head shot up to see that Ella was the one who had let out the retort.
All three boys let out snickered as Cartman pouted, the bus pulling up right in front of them. Walking on, Kyle was sure to put his bag on the seat next to him, in hope that Ella would sit next to him.
"Move your shit, asshole." Stan said, grabbing Kyle's bag and roughly tossing it on to his lap, taking his typical seat next to Kyle on the bus. Letting out a sigh, Kyle reminded himself that he had the whole year to get to know Ella and make a move.
Kyle took in another deep breath as he realized that maybe all this planning and prepping was a waste of energy. He hadn't even known her for a full 24 hours, and he had let her completely overtake his mind. He just needed to let things happen naturally. School would take his mind off it, and with that the bus stopped in front of South Park High.
A/N: Thats it. Tell me what you think.