Chapter 27:
A/N: There's gonna be a bit of a two part chapter going on here, especially where Cartman is concerned. Also, the lyrics in Wendy's PoV are from a song I wrote with my friend, if you want to check it out, take a look; watch?v=1h8LG2HhacQ. It would be much appreciated:)
Kyle PoV
I could hardly see anything it was so dark, the snow was cold beneath my feet, so cold it was almost warm. I was feeling my way with my hands because I could only see buildings very faintly in the thick of the night. This was a stupid idea Kyle, a very stupid idea.
But I had to reach him, I knew that even if I caught hypothermia or got hit by a car right now, I will have died trying to get to him. I call out his name but there is no response. Again and again. My voice was echoing against the midnight air, cutting through the chill like a sharp blade. I was going to wake everyone up by yelling this one word. But I didn't care.
Something suddenly lights up the path in front of me. I rub my eyes to get used to the sudden illusion, blinking several times through the blinding light. But it wasn't a light. It was him.
"Kyle?" I hear him say, wincing through the darkness.
"Stan?" I reply, my voice hoarse from all the shouting. He reaches out his hand and I take it. His palm was warm against my frozen flesh, pulling me up and towards him.
"What are you doing?" He asks me, concern in his face. He studies me carefully as no words come out. What was I doing? Why was I here?
"I um..." I stutter. "I just..."
"Are you ok?" He puts his hand on my shoulder, sending sparks through my skin and all through my body. "Kyle?"
"I just..." I stammer. "...Needed to... Find you."
"Well you've found me." He grins and we stare at each other for a while, a smile also appearing on my face to mirror his. Suddenly the chill of the air disappeared and I was surrounded by warmth and comfort. I stare into his eyes. Those big blue eyes which I had always depended on since Kindergarten. There is complete silence as any hurt I ever felt melts away and is replaced by this moment, right here, it was all I ever wanted.
"...Stan?" I open my mouth to say something but before I can, he is leaning in. His hand gently touching my cheek, pulling me closer. I feel his lips; soft and warm against mine as they connect. My mouth feels alive, my heart begins to glow, time stands still as he very slowly clasps my bottom lip between his. I join him, finding it easier than I expected, Stan leading the way as I become one with him.
I sit bolt upright.
It takes me a second to register where I was, but it is the Moop poster that I made in fourth grade that gives it away. My bedroom. What the fuck had just happened?
I rub my eyes to check I was back in reality. Panic was surging through my body but it made me feel... excited. I was shaking so vigorously. What was this feeling?
I reach down to the crotch of my pyjamas and feel a patch of wet. Shit. I hadn't wet the bed had I? Surely not, I hadn't done that since... Seventh grade...
No, there wasn't enough of it for it to be pee. I feel around and notice that I feel incredibly tingly, almost like after I have masterbated... like the sparks that had been shooting through my body in the dream. The dream. I think back to it and remember snow, beneath my feet. I had been sodden from the damp night air, perhaps that was why...
Stan. I remember seeing his face, reaching his hand pull me up, feeling his lips against mine. Soft, gentle, passionate.
WHAT THE FUCK? I almost shout, shaking my head to clear the image. Why the hell had I been dreaming about Stan... Especially... Like that... I have to reach my hand to my chest to check that my heart was still beating, as everything was so silent. Like it had been that night, outside, just me and him.
STOP IT KYLE! I think, smacking myself hard in the face as a punishment. I stop hitting myself and turn to look at my alarm clock. Five in the morning. Great, at least it was Saturday so there was no rush to get up. I fall back onto my pillows and just stare up to the ceiling. Well that was weird... That was very weird.
Wendy PoV
I had been staring at my clock all night, watching as the seconds ticked by. I couldn't sleep. Well, how could I? What was the point in sleeping? I may be sleeping for eternity sooner than I thought...
I squeeze my eyes shut and try to forget about it. Which was an impossible thing to do. I was just glad that the hospital hadn't contacted my parents after my... scene a few days ago. I woke up wishing I was dreaming and I hadn't slept since.
It was now half past seven and I had told Craig I would be at his for eight. Why he wanted me there so early on a Saturday, I didn't know. I really did not feel up to doing anything right now. But I knew that if I cancelled on him, he would think something was up. Plus I had already let him down once because of an appointment so had postponed it until now.
The worst thing about it was the topic, how I was going to sing and write about... it, I didn't know. But I would just have to grin through the pain and put up with it for a few hours. I was strong, I had always been tough and I was used to putting on a front, so I just had to put all of this into practice today.
I reach to feel the lump on my breast, the one I had run my fingers over so many times. It was spreading, every second I spent lying here, doing nothing, the cancer was spreading. I needed to do something about it, fast.
Half an hour later and I was standing outside Craig's wooden front door, ringing the bell with full force. He appears almost instantly; washed, dressed, a smile on his face. It did not match my facial area, which consisted of purple bags under my eyes and no make-up. I can see in his eyes for a split second that he is taken-aback by my appearance, but he doesn't comment on it and instead invites me inside.
"I thought you'd bail on me." He grins, as I follow him through to the kitchen.
"How come?" I muster, my mouth incredibly dry, so I was grateful when he offers me a glass of water.
"It's hardly the most exciting way to spend a Saturday, is it?" He chuckles to himself.
"Well I have no other plans." I respond. "How come so early?"
"Sorry... Is it a problem?" He asks. "It's just because my mom is always out doing her shift at this time in the morning so the house is empty."
"That sounds ominous..." I give a slight smile. "But it's not a problem at all, I didn't really sleep..." I indicate to my face. "As you can probably tell."
"Why?" He questions, pulling a pile of sheet music out of a box on the kitchen table.
"Oh just... A rough night." I lie, but it seems to convince him because he doesn't question me further.
"Right well, I think I've pretty much got the basic accompaniment sorted, melody is in place and lyrics are written." He explains as he sits down at the piano. "All thanks to you."
"I did nothing." I brush him off.
"So, do you want to go through it once?" He studies me. "I'll sing with you if you like, the first time so you can get the hang of it. I think you know the tune, it's just getting it in time with the piano."
I nod at him, not saying a word. He begins to play the introduction to the song; a sad, slow but beautiful melody.
"...All you want to ask is why, never want to say goodbye. Everyone wants to think it's ages from now." I begin to sing, my voice was wavering but I tried to cover it up. "Thinking you're not at the age, to put a full stop on the page. But you're still being forced to take the final bow..."
I stop singing for a second but Craig continues, as if nothing is wrong.
"There's no one to say your future lies before you... Stuck with counting down the days that dreams are crushed black and blue." My voice suddenly cracks as tears gush down my face. I wipe them away instantly as a reflex action but Craig already knows something is up. He stops playing and turns to face me, seeing me wipe the last tear from my cheek. I hold them back with all the force I have. Not now Wendy, not now.
"...Are you ok?" He asks me and I can see the concern in his eyes. I nod vigorously, worried that if I tried to say anything, the tears might start flooding again.
"Yeah, I'm just... A bit unsure of the next part." I manage to muster. "Can you sing this bit?"
"Uh... Yeah." He shrugs, hesitating before turning around again.
"Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die." His voice belts out. "If there were unlimited wishes, they'd all be to never see you cry."
Just the mention of the word cry makes he tears fall again. I had been wrong, I couldn't handle this. There was no point in trying to be all defensive and tough. I just needed to get out of here. I grab my coat and head towards the door as I hear Craig turn in his chair again.
"Wendy, talk to me." I hear his voice, soft and gentle from behind me. "I can tell something is up. Whatever it is... Maybe I can help."
"No one can help." I croak, my eyes glued to the door as I stand frozen to the spot, clouding over with a fresh set of tears.
"...Why?" He pauses and I take a deep breath.
"...I have cancer." The words roll off my tongue before I can stop them. There is a very long silence, so I decide to fill it with another set of words. "...Breast cancer."
I wait for what seems like eternity before turning round, very slowly, to face him. He is staring straight at me, complete shock written all over his face. Pretty much the same expression I had shown when I had been told.
"I um..." He stammers, closing the lid to the piano and rising to come over to me. "...When?"
"I found out this week." I inform him. "But I got checked out a few weeks ago... No one else knows..." I start and before I know it, I am blurting out everything I haven't been able to tell anyone. "I don't know how I'm going to tell my parents, or Stan or Bebe. I don't know what to do, it's all happened so fast. I just feel so alone with it all... I don't really understand... How... And why me? Why did it have to be me?"
"...Because you are strong." He tells me, I can see he is close to crying too, but he is fighting it back for me. "It's only the strongest people who get hurt, because they are the ones who come back fighting."
I raise my head to meet his eyes, gently shaking it back and forth as tears slide down my cheeks.
"...I'm so scared." I whisper and he immediately pulls me into a hug, his body warm and safe, somewhere I could stay forever.
Cartman PoV
The last party I had been to was Butters' 'Care Bear's' birthday party last September, the one before that was... Butters' Disney dress up party... The September before that... Basically I only really ever got invited to Butters' birthday parties and the only reason I went was because firstly, no one else went, so a tiny part of me felt sorry for him (just a tiny part). Secondly, his mom made awesome birthday cakes (so I probably wouldn't be attending next year). Lastly, his birthday was on September Eleventh, which was a very unfortunate date, but it also meant I didn't have to watch the documentaries with my mother... It was mainly the second option.
But here I was, knocking on the door of Portia's house, present in my hand, without having to disguise myself as someone else.
"...Hi." A tall dark haired boy answered the door.
"...Hi." I reply, trying to understand why he wasn't moving aside. "Can I come in?"
"Who invited you?" He observes me, rudely. I can see his abs through his T-shirt.
"Um... Portia?" I frown and he begins to laugh.
"Yeah right! Like Portia would invite someone like you!" He seems to find this hilarious and I sigh as it begins to get chilly on the doorstep. "PORTIA?" He suddenly yells into the noise of the party. "SOME FAT KID SAID YOU INVITED HIM!"
"Cartman?" I hear her voice before her face appears at the door and roll my eyes. Yep, that was me, the 'fat kid' of South Park. "Oh hey."
"Hi Portia, this dick wouldn't let me in." I tell her.
"Oh I know, he can be such a tease." She giggles and then turns to snog his face off. I wait patiently while they play tonsil tennis, trying to pick up some tips for when I get laid tonight.
"Right... Well." I mutter, once they have pulled away. "I got you a present... I didn't really know what to get you as I didn't have much time... But I thought a dildo would suit you nicely... Although you already have tons, I'm sure... I didn't really buy it though, it's my moms... I mean, it's unused... Still in the packaging... Yeah."
"...It's not my birthday." She replies, bluntly and the creepy but hot guy starts laughing again. "I'm just having a party. But thanks, this will come in handy."
She takes it off me and walks back into the party, clearing some space for me to get through.
I wander in, hands in my pants pockets to try and look cool. I had gone down two sizes, so I was feeling pretty good despite the sinking feeling in my stomach. It sinks even more when I see the long table of food that is laid out in the large living room. There were many very attractive girls and boys dancing in there, including Portia and the twat who had just screwed me over, so I knew I wouldn't really fit in. I head on outside, where there is a large heated swimming pool, a dance floor and a gazebo where several people are sat smoking. There are people dancing round by the pool too, but not as many as there were in the living room. They were a bit less attractive out here though, so I was more likely to pull one of them. Except for one girl... My eyes fall on Lexus, who is helping herself to shots that are on a nearby table.
"Lexus, hi!" I greet her, glad to actually know someone. She turns to face me, looking pretty together considering she was necking shots. I suppose she had undertaken a lot of practice.
"Hey cutie." She waves. For a second I think she is hitting on me, but then I remember that she says that to everyone; it was a habit she had picked up from Raisins. I study her up and down in her black mini skirt and purple tank top, stilettos on her feet. How did Butters think he could ever pull her? He was such a douchebag... "You did come then?"
"Well yeah, why wouldn't I?" I ask her and she just shrugs, offering me a shot. Ah, this was the issue with coming here; alcohol made you put on weight. "Sorry, I can't."
"Why?" She giggles, waving it under my nose. "You come to a party and take no shots? What are you, an amateur?"
"Ha... No..." I lie.
"Come on you lightweight!" She teases. "Lighten up! Do shots with me."
Ok, my name was Eric Cartman. The tub of lard that walked the streets of South Park. Yet here I was, alone with a drop dead gorgeous, sexy girl, who wanted to do shots with me and I was rejecting her?
"Oh what the hell?" I laugh, taking the shot from her and throwing it back all in one. I had no idea what it was, but it made my eyes water like crazy. It tasted like I was drinking wallpaper stripper... Not that I knew what that tasted like, but I could imagine it was something like this. "Eugh! That tastes like poison!"
"Tell me about it." She grins, seemingly not affected by it when I felt light-headed already. Probably because after weeks of eating nothing, this deadly substance had just rocketed through my body. "It's effective though."
"...Clearly." I study her, she must have had at least seven.
"Another?" She raises another shot glass to my lips and begins to count down. What the hell? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me!