When Pete walked into his homeroom, very few people greeted him. It was a small class - smaller than anticipated. He wondered who would have been there if they hadn't been killed or pulled out of the town by parents out of fear of the mysterious disappearances.

Of the few people present, Stan was in the homeroom with him; which surprised him since he heard a rumor that the Marsh's were moving out of fear like so many others had. Pete felt a twinge of hope inside. Perhaps the athlete wouldn't hate him. The two weren't always the closest, especially after Stan got out of his short-lived Goth phase, but in these times, Pete would take whoever he could get - granted that Mike didn't already forbid talking to them.

Since his "vampiric transformation" as the others called it, Mike slowly began whittling away at what he was and wasn't allowed to do. Smoking was the first thing to go. Pete had been a week without a cigarette and it was still affecting his psyche. Showing emotion was the second thing. He couldn't express his nicotine deprivation or angst about his situation appropriately unless Vamp-Queer, as he still called him in secret, told him it was appropriate. Which it never was. Third was the coffee. Fourth, the ability to go to loved one's funerals - starting with Firkle's. Now, he couldn't even speak to Henrietta and Michael about other things even if they wanted to. He doubted they did. If he were in their position, he would likely have thought of the newly made outcast as a conformist. A poser.

A traitor...

"Hey Pete." The cheery voice of Stan suddenly greeted. "There's empty seats on either side of me if you want one them." The words seemed to pull Pete from his thoughts, and he quickly took vacancy in the desk right next to the jock.

"Er...hi." The Goth replied, a bit awkwardly; not usually use to conversation with anyone outside the society, Mike, or his mother. "Um...so, it's been awhile since we've seen each other. How are you?"

"Pretty good." Stan replied with a slightly sympathetic expression. "Although, I kinda want to know if you're okay. I've noticed you seem kinda down lately when I see you around Mike. Sort of like...your whole personality just changed overnight. And actually, it's sort of the reason I got your attention to sit next to me." The athlete then paused for a moment before slowly, almost carefully, asking, "I guess what I'm trying to ask is...Mike's not….abusing you, is he? Because from what I've heard about it, you're showing the signs and I'm not gonna stand by while a friend suffers."

The Goth's jaw nearly dropped.

He had convinced himself that no one genuinely cared about him anymore, but...there was Stan; asking him flat-out if Mike had been hurting him because he noticed how depressed he's been lately. Even though it didn't change the fact he'd never know the truth, it felt nice to know at least one person seemed to care about him.

"...No, he's not abusing me." Pete said slowly as he looked down a bit; trying to think of a lie to just tell the other so he could just switch the conversation over to another topic as soon as possible. "It's just...I've been a bit depressed lately is all. Ever since Firke's disappearance, me and the other Goths have been drifting apart. Mike is just helping me through it is all. Plus, it's the first day of school, so I just have a lot on my mind..."

"But it's not just in here in school." Stan pointed out. "It's all the time. Like the other day, I happened to see you and Mike walking downtown together, and even though you guys were holding hands and everything….you just looked so miserable with him. Almost terrifiedto be near the guy, actually."

Damnit Stan, stop asking question! I'm trying to save your skin here! Pete pleaded in his mind as he carefully considered what to say next. "Look, I see where you're coming from, but...Mike's been like my rock lately. I just feel safe around him, and feel that...it's okay to show how I'm really feeling inside around him. And I swear to you he's never done anything to hurt me before, and if he had, I'd already have him reported to the police. There's nothing for you to worry about."

The Goth inwardly admitted that the whole thing sounded like a lie, but hopefully, he put just enough of a convincing tone to it as to fool Stan.

The athlete stated at Pete for the longest time, almost assessing if he were telling the truth, before finally saying, "Well….okay then. Sorry for questioning you like that I guess. It's just that abusing someone is pure bullshit, and even though we haven't been that close since my Goth phase a few years ago, I just want you to know I always have your back."

"Stan...I...don't know what to say to that." The Goth said in a bit of awe. "Thank you."

"Hey, anytime. What are friends for, right?"

"Yeah…right." Pete said, trailing off slightly.

It was at that time the Goth wondered if maybe he should just damn the the consequences, and tell the other everything that had really been going on in his life. Sure, it was a risk, but at least someone would know of the atrocities against humanity Mike had committed.

At least someone would be there to help him.

Pete then mulled it over in silence for a few minutes, and finally, came to a decision to tell the athlete. With any luck, him and Stan could actually take down Mike, and get him locked away for a very long time; possibly even life. Of course, as soon as he finally got the courage to do so, the door to the classroom opened, and an excited squeal follows.

"Stan!" The familiar male voice of Kyle Broflovski shrieked out in excitement. "You didn't mention we had homeroom together! I thought I had to wait till next period to see you!"

"Hehe, I was just keeping it a secret to surprise you," Stan explained as a faint blush dusted across his pale cheeks; obviously happy to let himself get distracted off such a sensitive subject as that of abuse. "I had it switched this morning while you were at your locker. I couldn't go that long without seeing you, cutie pie."

"Aw! You are too sweet, Stanley!" Kyle gushed.

Oh Jesus Christ…Pete thought to himself while giving an eye-roll in real life. These two were making him sick at his stomach with their obnoxiousness. Where was Mike at the moment anyway? Maybe he could flip him off and get himself killed.

He had actually heard that the two had hooked up over the summer since Kyle had been the one who was helping Stan get over the pain of Wendy moving away with the rest of her family because of the disappearances, but he had never thought it was true. Actually seeing it however, Kyle sitting next to his raven-haired boyfriend and the two staring so intently at each other with their hands lightly touching, was on a whole different level than just hearing rumors.

Plus, thanks to Kyle's arrival, Stan was now hopelessly distracted. Honeymooners.

Damn it! My one opportunity to get help is gone! The Goth growled in his mind bitterly. That freaking idiot ruined everything! Who does Kyle think he is, anyway?! Now Stan won't be able to focus on anything except him! Bastards!

The more the goth thought about it, the more he became infuriated at both of them.

And in his infuriation, he suddenly remembered the task Mike had assigned him earlier that morning when the vamp leader had snuck into his room: To get names for possible sacrifices. In the height of his emotion, he quickly got out a piece of paper and pencil, and without really thinking, scribbled down Kyle's and Stan's first and last name on the top two line; making sure to put the red-head's name in bold lettering out of spite.

When he was finished, he stared at what he had written, and after a moment, quickly folded the paper up before slipping it into his pocket before anyone could notice.

For the remainder of homeroom, Pete sat quietly by as Kyle and Stan continued to mentally undress each other; occasionally leaning in for a kiss when they saw the teacher had their back turned or was passing out papers on the other side of the room.