Valentine's Day arrived at South Park Elementary and the school had arranged a special treat for the students. Lolly's Candy Shop had set up an event for the students where they get to make and take home their own chocolate. Of course the children were very excited.
Those that didn't want to participate in the candy making, had the option of study hall instead.
"Who the fuck would give up all the chocolate you can eat to go study?" Cartman had blurted out in class when the event was announced.
"I will." Scott Malkinson said. "On account of my diabetes-"
"Blah blah I'm Scott Malkinson and I have a lisp and diabetes. I'll explode if sugar touches me, bleh." Cartman mocked back.
"I think I'll sit out too…" another voice called out, Sophie Grey in the back.
"Oh of course. Sorry, Sophie." Cartman said quickly along with a chorus of other boys in class apologizing.
Scott nearly passed out, and it wasn't from low blood sugar for once.
Sophie.
Her soft red hair, bright blue eyes and dazzling smile that nearly made Scott sputter the first time he met her, thank goodness he had the lisp to cover that up.
Sophie, who was so cool, kicking ass on the soccer team, knew more about Star Wars than anyone else in class, rode horses on the weekends.
Sophie who had every guy in the school clamoring to talk to her, which pissed Scott off. He and Sophie were meant to be, he knew it. Even when Scott lost hope, Sophie showed up on the playground with a candy bar and a kind word. She even touched his shoulder and said she would talk to him about diabetes sometime. Of course that time never came, even if Scott had waited months. But all that would change on Valentine's Day. Study hall alone with Sophie. A dream come true.
Scott had saved up his allowance for weeks, getting her some flowers, a card, and candy - sugar free of course. He scoped out the classroom where the study hall would be held. A plain, unassuming classroom, but he was sure he would have stories to tell his future children of where he had met their mom. He could hardly wait, counting down the days until Sophie would be his.
February fourteenth finally arrived. After lunch their teacher Mrs. Nelson announced to the
kids to report to the gym, and those sitting out to report to the study hall. "I'll be right there, Sophie." Scott told her happily. "Going to the bathroom first."
Sophie just shrugged but Scott hurried to his locker, looking both ways before pulling out a large box of sugar free chocolates, some daisies and a little card with his feelings. He did a quick blood sugar check, 110 on the dot. He was ready.
Scott headed to the classroom, his face red as he looked down. "I know it sucks that we can't have the regular chocolate, so I brought these sugar free ones for us to share." He looks up to see Sophie sitting at a desk next to someone else, both looking up from the books they were reading.
"Kyle? What the- this study hall is for kids with diabetes." Scott said a little too angrily.
Kyle shrugged. "I know, it sucks. At least I can get a jump on my book report."
Both he and Sophie look curiously at the items in Scott's hands. Scott turns red at this. "I-I thought the flowers would brighten up the room." He slips Sophie's card into his pocket. Settling into a desk next to Sophie, the box of chocolate under his arm.
"So…" Sophie asks.
"Yeah of course." Scott tries to hand her the box of chocolate.
"Oh maybe for later. Kyle was saying we work on the book report together so it's done faster." Sophie opens up the box of chocolate and places it in the middle of the table, within reach of everyone.
"Oh well if Kyle insists." Scott grumbles.
Kyle gives him a weird look but leans over at Sophie, with his book. "So I think the point of the story was the girl wanted to be raised by wolves." He reached over and grabbed a chocolate, popping it in his mouth.
"Hey!" Scott said. "Those are for-"
Sophie gave Scott an irritated look.
"Uhhh the diabetic kids." Scott said quickly.
"So I can have some?" Kyle asks, holding the candy halfway to his mouth.
"Well, are you diabetic?" Scott says.
"Yeah? Just don't really talk about it." Kyle pushes the box away now. "Didn't know it was such a big deal, damn."
"No, no please eat them, I can't finish this huge box. But thanks for thinking of bringing snacks for study hall." Sophie gives Scott a small smile that made his heart leap as he crushed the card for Sophie in his backpack and grabbed their book for assigned reading.
Nothing but silence for the next few minutes, other than Kyle irritatingly crunching on the candies. The noise was making Scott seethe. No wonder Cartman hated this kid so much. That stupid fucking…asshole, ruining his chances with Sophie.
"God fucking dammit." Scott muttered as he watched the two over his own book. Sophie was still so pretty as she casually turned a page and took down a note or two in her binder.
Kyle looks up from his book. "You okay, dude?"
"You know…just diabetes stuff. You should know." Scott says again, trying not to get too jealous that Kyle was sitting next to Sophie so he was stuck across from her at the table.
"Do you need the nurse or something? We can call her." Sophie says, genuine concern in her eyes.
"Maybe you can walk me to the nurse?" Scott asked hopefully.
"Oh um I guess." Sophie looked at Kyle for help.
"Well what are your symptoms? Do you need to check your blood sugar? Maybe we both should walk you in case you pass out." Kyle said as he set his book down and started to look in his backpack. "I have apple juice in my lunch box."
"No! I don't want you to walk me. I'll be fine!" Scott said as he sat down.
Sophie looked at him awkwardly. "You sure? Maybe check your blood sugar just to be on the safe side."
"I swear I'm fine, Aw dammit." Scott went to grab his supplies out of his backpack, used to doing his blood sugar routine out of sight. He figured he was in the company of other diabetics; they wouldn't mind the blood. "So ahh, how long have you been diabetic?" Scott ask, meeting Sophie's pretty blue eyes again.
"Uh a few years now. I kept eating but not keeping weight on, then one day in class I passed out. Woke up to my parents fighting and the nurse looking concerned for me. I had diabetes and my parents' marriage was ending. A big adjustment but now I live day to day and making it just fine." Sophie blinks back a few as Kyle puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Scott wanted to kill him.
"I'm sorry, that sucks, dude." Kyle said gently before giving Sophie a small side hug.
"Damn your diabetes caused your parents to divorce?" Scott asked, trying to see if he could get a hug. Instead Sophie gave him a dirty look.
"No! They had problems before but me being sick just caused another fight. They're better off divorced." Sophie turns to Kyle as he lets the hug go. "I didn't even know you were diabetic, Kyle. What's your story?"
"Yeah I don't talk about it much." Kyle looks around sheepishly, as a curl of red hair pokes out of his green hat. "I was three and my mom saw me pass out. They didn't know what was wrong for a few days until they settled on type one diabetes. It's always gonna be a part of me, same with the kidney transplant." Kyle shudders as he goes to pick up his book again.
Sophie looks concerned. "Kidney transplant?"
"Hey Sophie, don't you want to know how I got diabetes?" Scott asks, feeling like a horrible third wheel with a lisp and diabetes.
Kyle's cheeks redden, Sophie noticing how cute his freckles were against his green eyes. She wanted to brush that curl back. "I got really sick when I was eight. I almost died. My mom wanted to do holistic medicine but it was killing me. If it weren't for Stan I wouldn't be here."
"Oh you poor thing, did Stan give you a kidney?" Sophie asked, eyes wide.
"No, he tricked Cartman into giving me one. Cartman is an asshole but Stan, he's the best friend a guy could have. I don't deserve him sometimes." Kyle slouched in his seat before Sophie got up again to give him a hug.
"Sorry." She said with a smile, her hand brushing some of his curls back.
"It's okay." Kyle grinned and turned even redder.
Scott couldn't believe this was happening. Sophie was supposed to be the girl for him, but everyone just kept getting in his way. He wanted to throw the box of chocolates at Kyle. "No, no, no. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all. Sophie, you were supposed to spend time with me. Fall for me, not this loser."
Sophie backs away from Kyle, her eyes angry. "Excuse me, Scott. I'm not supposed to do anything but study with you. What, did you think this was a date? I'm sorry, I'm nice to you but don't want to be your girlfriend or anyone's girlfriend for that matter."
Kyle stood up now, pushing back his chair and desk. "What the hell, Scott? Do you want to fight me? Not over Sophie but this weird possessive behavior is fucking creepy."
"I had it all planned out. This was supposed to be our Valentine's Day, Sophie. I've been planning for it
. I got you flowers. I got you candy, sugar free! We're both diabetic, you should be my girlfriend!" Scott sputters as he grabs the box and pulls it away from them.
"Just because you got me a few gifts doesn't mean I'll be your girlfriend." Sophie says as she crosses her arms.
"Girls are not machines you put kindness coins into until a relationship falls out." Kyle adds.
"I don't need your help!" Sophie snaps at Kyle, who holds his hands up as if in surrender.
"I'm sorry!"
"But Sophie!" Scott whines. "We had that moment on the playground. You were so nice, you wanted to talk about diabetes. I thought we had something."
"Scott, that was months ago, we haven't talked at all since then. I'm sorry, I don't like you in that way." Sophie says, getting up to put her books into her backpack.
"You didn't even give me a chance! It was supposed to all go to plan. Why are you leaving?" Scott asks, getting up to follow her as Kyle gets between them. The box of candy is knocked off the table and scatters to the floor.
"Stop dude. It's almost recess. Don't make this worse on yourself." Kyle holds Scott back, hoping he doesn't have to fight him.
"How am I supposed to even get a girl to go out with me." Scott asks weakly as he stops struggling against Kyle's grip.
"I don't know, confidence I think. You say, 'hey, do you want to see a movie with me'?" Kyle says as he lets Scott sink to the floor among his ruined chocolates.
Sophie grabs her backpack to get to recess early but she stops. "Huh? Yeah Kyle, I would. How about Saturday?" She smiles at him again.
"I-I'm sorry." Kyle looks down as Scott is huddled into the fetal position now. "Okay, yeah it's a date. Sorry dude." Kyle takes his own backpack to continue chatting with Sophie out on the playground.
The school bell rings for recess but Scott doesn't move. Someone comes up to him, dropping a card on top of him.
"Hey ya, Scott. I made the entire class valentines, but didn't have a chance to give you yours yet." Butters grins as he pulls on his red suspenders over a pink heart print shirt.
Scott stares ahead and finally sits up. He yells and grabs the heart shaped box to throw at Butters. Butters yells and jumps out of the way. "Aww Scott you didn't have to give me anything back. But it's the thought that counts, right? Happy Valentine's Day!"
Scott gets up quickly to leave the classroom, utterly dejected. "Happy Valentine's Day." He mutters, and slinks off down the hall to take his insulin and nurse his broken heart.
Author's Note: Happy Valentine's Day! Title came from my friend Wishful Stargazer on AO3 and edited by my Friend Leafsdude on FFnet and AO3.