The only high school in South Park was very odd. The town was a very small area, and there weren't many students attending the schools. However, the people who designed the school insisted on building a large campus, stating that there would be a time where the extra space was needed. The town mayor objected to the idea, but since the parents of that time wanted the large campus the idea stayed. Over the years the class sizes grew slightly, going from 70 in a class up to 120 students, but it wasn't enough yet to actually make the campus filled.

As a result, the five hundred students or so that attended South Park High didn't suffer overcrowding as the more urban high schools underwent. This had several advantages and disadvantages. The cafeteria was very barren, and the hallways were only filled slightly. Classes were small, so the student didn't feel intimidated to ask questions. Of course, this also presented many disadvantages. There was little excuse to be tardy, for starters, and the classroom size prevented you from escaping class participation.

Perhaps one of the biggest disadvantages, as Stan found out that morning, was how quickly things spread in the school. Stan had only been there for one semester so far (it was January in his freshman year), but he had heard from the seniors that rumors spread really quick in the school. At first he didn't believe it, arguing that with a small population there were less people to gossip the rumor. Today he found this to be false.

Stan stepped onto campus that morning and immediately looked for Kyle and Kenny. He told himself to not forget the letter in his pocket, in which he planned to deliver to Jesus that afternoon. He wasn't even sure if Jesus could give that letter to God, but he supposed that Jesus could answer the letter instead if that was to be so.

Stan always got to school twenty minutes early to allow time to hang out with his friends, which was good since they didn't really spend much time together in class (especially with Kyle, in Stan's case). Stan made his way to the science building staircase, which was where the gang usually hung out. Barely any teachers passed through there (they were always passing upstairs, but never on the bottom floor), and though the four didn't do anything illegal it was the perfect place to do so. Stan smiled when he saw Kenny already there. He was equipped in an orange sweater (he had outgrown the parka, except in cases where he would actually need it), and holding his breakfast with his left hand. Stan gave his morning's greetings, and he was responded with a muffled 'good morning', which was due to his mouth stuffed with food.

"Have you seen Kyle or Cartman yet?" Kenny added once he swallowed his food. Stan shrugged, and though he meant to say no his lips didn't really move. Instead, Kenny assumed that as an I-don't-know, so he added; "How do you not know if you've seen someone or not?"

"I don't know," said Stan. "I meant to say no, I'm sorry." Kenny nodded, and took a bite of a crisp-looking bagel. "Kenny, I'm not sure what to do about Kyle and Cartman."

"What'd you mean?" Kenny asked, swallowing his food before taking another bite. "They've been like this since who knows when. They fight all the time."

"Yeah I know," replied Stan, "but it's always been about some stupid thing, excluding the Jewish discriminations. But now Cartman's got some juicy info about Kyle, and I don't know if Cartman is going to go as far as feeding Kyle his parents, or something equivalent." Kenny frowned, swallowing his food yet again, and scratched his chin.

"You have a good point. I didn't really think of it... but now that you mention it, I am starting to get worried. I'm sure Cartman won't chop up the Broflovskis and feed them to Kyle, but he could do something serious." Just then a random guy walked up to them and spat at Stan's feet. This striked as awkward to both boys; they had never seen this kid, nor had they done anything mean to him. They couldn't connect him to anyone or anything.

"You stupid freshman," said the boy. Normally Stan would be very angered at the remark (though almost every freshman had to go through that anyways), but this time he felt relieved. The boy wasn't there to rip on them for something else that was perhaps more hurtful.

Or so he thought.

"You're all going to go to hell," continued the boy. "God doesn't like homo-lovers." Shit. What had Cartman done?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny asked. "Do you have the wrong people or something? Stan here isn't a homosexual, and neither am I."

"Dont' fuck with me," said the boy. "Eric Cartman says that you hang out with that fag Kyle. Stan and Kenny, he said. I have the right people, yes?"

"That son of a bitch hangs out with Kyle too!" yelled Stan in protest, "and he's a freshman too! Why aren't you ripping on him?" The boy snarled at the two boys, looked at his feet to think about the question, and then he walked off. Stan and Kenny were both raising their eyebrows, confused of the kid's action. Then... "That fat-fuck Cartman!" yelled Stan in anger. "Why would he do this to his friend?"

"I don't think they consider themselves friends," corrected Kenny. "I don't remember the last time they really did anything nice for each other." Stan nodded, though he didn't want to. He knew that that was true. Now, Stan was worried for Kyle's welfare. Hopefully he wouldn't be ripped on too much. As the two left their hangout to go to their classes, Stan muttered softly,

"I hope they send Cartman to that death camp of tolerance thing..."

- - - - - - - - - -

First period was one of the few classes that Stan shared with Kyle. Kyle, being the smarter one in the group, was in classes that were one, sometimes even two grades ahead of his own. Freshman English was the only class that Kyle wasn't allowed to get a headstart on, and so he was stuck with his other fellow ninth graders.

The class only had twelve people in it, which included both Cartman and Kyle. Stan saw this as a horrible dilemma, and hoped that Cartman wouldn't announce to the whole class of Kyle's new news, or something along those lines. As the bell rang to signal start of class, Stan looked around the room. There were only eleven students present.

Where was Kyle?

- - - - - - - - - -

Author's Notes: I think I'm going to stop there, folks. It's an awkward place to stop, I know, but I have to get back to procrastinating my homework. I'll only be updating on weekends, so I expect a lot of reviews during the week's course. Also, I'm still opened to suggestions! You know, reviews, ideas as to where to go, and such.
Oh, and I need a CHAPTER TITLE! Suggestions welcome, too