Wendy PoV
I could feel the guilt writhing in my stomach, yet again, Eavesdropper had driven someone to the extremity of suicide. This time however, it was all my fault.
"We need to check the orphanage before we jump to conclusions." Emily reminds me, not bothering to fill Wendy in on the gossip she had not yet encountered.
"I can't carry on like this." I read from the note which was clenched in my fist. "I can be at peace at last? What else is that supposed to mean?"
"Maybe he... Went to KFC for dinner instead of McDonalds..." Wendy shrugs and Emily glares at her.
"Not now." I brush her off, although I knew she was just trying to lighten the situation.
"Maybe we should split up?" Emily suggests, checking her phone. "Francis is on his way."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I ask her.
"Look we need to not panic." She stops me and my eyes widen. "Things like this have happened before."
"What do you mean?" I frown. "What? That he doesn't mean it?"
"Oh he means it." Emily shakes her head. "But it's not a cry for attention or whatever. He just... Gets to these points sometimes. He was brought up by a suicidal family and then abandoned... You can't blame him, he doesn't understand any other way out of it."
"But... He was the one who convinced me to go to the doctor about my... Depression." I linger on the word, still in denial about the whole situation. But it was then that I realised Wendy's gaze on mine. Shit, score Stan. "Anyway, yeah... Why don't you two go look near Stark's and I'll meet Francis and head to the orphanage?"
"Uh..." I see Emily exchange an awkward glance with Wendy. They weren't exactly the best of friends. "Yeah, sure."
"...Well..." I mutter, hesitating before wrapping Emily in a hug. "Good luck."
Kyle PoV
"Have you seen Eavesdropper?" I hear a freshman girl ask, thinking she was talking to me before I snap out of my daze. I see her run over to her friend, smart phone in hand, both eyes widening in shock. What had I done?
"Oi, faggot." The harshness of Clyde's voice sounds as he approaches me.
"Don't call me that." I shrug him off, not really giving a damn anymore.
"You seen Eavesdropper?" He holds out his phone.
"You know what, I don't think I have..." I roll my eyes sarcastically.
"Douglas the tramp's dad is a gay porn star!" Clyde deepens his voice, pretending to be a reporter as he rolls out one of the latest headlines. "Abandoned by his family back when he was in kindergarten! Did tramp's mother kill herself over ex-hubbies porn star career?"
"What?" I glare at him. "Why has a stupid... Rumour, escalated so fast?"
"Douglas is so lame that no one wanted to adopt him!" Token reads from his own phone.
"Douglas was such a waste of space, his own mother killed herself with gun in mouth!" Bridon recites, I was surprised he could even read the headline. "Click here to see an exclusive interview. Ooh..."
"Is Wendy a banging both Craig and Kenny? Find out at 8pm tonight..." Craig suddenly frowns at the article he was reading. "Wait what?"
"...You seriously believe this bullshit?" I slam my locker door, preparing to walk away.
"And you don't?" Clyde calls after me. "Why else would that tramp have left a suicide note?"
I freeze, as if my feet were wedged in mud. What did he just say?
"...What?" I turn, my voice hoarse, as I see Clyde's sickly expression.
"Aw..." Clyde pulls a face. "Sorry... Were you hoping to get a piece of him after Stan did? Looks like you're out of luck now... Hey, Craig's up for grabs if you're that desperate... Why is this school turning into some sort of Gay Pride movement-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP." I yell, forcing the corridor to fall silent, even Clyde looks taken aback at my sudden outburst. I feel the eyes of students burning into the back of my head. "Fine. I'm gay. I'M GAY. YOU ALL GOT THAT?" My chest is rising and falling heavily, my fists were sweating, my veins were palpitating. "...So go put that on Eavesdropper... Because I fucking deserve it."
I stare at the shocked expressions for a second, before kicking a nearby can at a locker in a rage and storming off down the corridor.
Cartman PoV
'NEW PHOTO! Looks like love might be in the air for Tweek as he's spotted walking home alongside Butters!'
"Ahaha!" I snort, as I read the latest headlines. "Sweet."
Photo surfaces from Jessie and Kal's weekend slumber party! Looks like the two are more then best friends according to this photo of the pair sharing a immediate kiss!
"Weak." I mutter. "This is why I don't get the girls, because everyone in the God damn school is bent."
EXTRA! EXTRA! An audio clip proving Red is a lying bitch and Stan didn't bang her just popped up on Youtube! For those of you who still care about this crap, be sure to click this link!
"Ha!" I exclaim, clicking the link stupidly, as it forwards me to a Porn Hub video. "Share with friends? No thank you." I click off it, going back to the Eavesdropper feed.
School files hacked to find out the most up to date penis sizes and said 'culpit' then posted them online just to piss off a certain morning announcer!
Check out who has the biggest you know what here! confidential/seniors/penis-sizes-list
Check out who's number 3! I'm sure that's not a factor in Lola's decision to start dating Stoley!
"Oh for fucks sake." I groan, slamming my fist down on my desk. "Again? Why again?"
"What's up hun?" I hear mom's voice from the corridor.
"Mom!" I yell and she enters my room as I spot another article. "Apparently Cartman's mom is on the cover of the latest issue of Crack Whore magazine!" I read. "Really says something about Cartman's choice for a first time doesn't it as she and his mom have similar professions..."
"You wanted that new video game." She shrugs, leaving the room. I stand up, heading over to the racket outside my window to see a group of middle school students with copies of the magazine, cameras and notepads.
"Mom your fans are outside." I snap, heading down the stairs to chase them off. "Get lost." I pull the door open and they all stare at me with surprised expressions.
"We wanna see Liane." One of them grunts.
"Tough shit, now beat it." I tell them, menacingly.
"What are you? Her body guard?" Another voices.
"If you like, and I'd beat you to a pulp in seconds." I explain. "So like I said-"
"ERIC CARTMAN!" My head is turned by Stan's angry voice, as he races towards me, parting the crowd. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU."
"Ey?" I frown, before he shoves me up against my own house, his arm locked over my throat.
"Why? Why would you do it?" He hisses, his eyes virtually popping out of their sockets. "What has he ever done to you?"
"Who?" I splutter, as the grip tightens around my neck.
"Douglas." He spits. "You asked my dad about him earlier, then went and posted it online."
"Ok only one of those statements is true." I plead with him. "I swear to you Stan. I asked your dad, I did, I confess to that. But I didn't post it online... Someone else got there first."
"Stan get off him." Francis begs as fatigue washes over me, my head was spinning, my sight was blurred. I could hardly breathe, it hurt to breathe. I close my eyes briefly, willing Stan to release me, before opening them and realising he already had. But there was a pressure on my chest as I stare at him, blankly, his blurred outline. I wheeze, trying to find something to grip onto to remain upright.
"Cartman?" Stan sounds panicked. "Cartman, are you alright?"
"Call an ambulance." I hear Francis say, as I begin slipping down the wall, my eyes submerging into a pit of darkness as I struggle to remain conscious.
Wendy PoV
"Emily..." I have the courage to say her name, as we race around the streets. "What Stan said..."
"I'll talk to you about it after." She tells me, forcing a sympathetic smile as my eyes land on a figure in the distance. "...What?" She follows my gaze to where I was staring at the bridge.
"Douglas? Shit!" She screams, as he turns his head in our direction. I whip my phone out and dial 911, although I know it's probably not what anyone wanted, I needed to do the right thing for once.
"911 what's your emergency?" I hear the voice pick up.
"Police please." I panic as I try to steady my gaze on where Emily was climbing onto the bridge. I run after her, my feet precariously sliding on the shining metal.
"South Park police department, how can I help you?" Another voice asks on the other end of the line, I'm about to reply before I slip again, my ankle twisting as I slip towards the edge, my phone flying out of my hand and falling into the water below. I'm pulled back by Emily's hand, tightening around my own.
"Douglas, don't." I beg him, panting as I let go of Emily's hand. "Ignore what anyone is saying online, please." He looks shocked to see me standing, begging him to rethink his decision. I had never spoken to him in my life, but everything happening recently was making me see that there were more important things in life than popularity. "Think about everything you can achieve? Hey? You can get married, have children, let them live the life you never had. You could do so much..."
"I'm not you." He yells, over the sound of the crashing water. "I don't get up every morning, knowing that I have a future."
"Yeah well neither do I." I tell him. "I could have months, weeks... I have my first chemo session tomorrow... So you see; we're not all perfect. And I can assure you that if you jump now, you have no chance of waking up tomorrow morning knowing you have a future."
There's a silence, I can feel Emily stood solidly by my side, hope emanating from her. Douglas takes one look down at the water, hesitantly edging towards us.
"You stupid idiot!" Emily screams, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Never do that to me again, alright?"
"I'm sorry." He sighs, as they embrace and it's my turn to be surprised. I cough awkwardly, before Emily turns round, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Thank you, Wendy." She smiles. "Seriously, thank you so much."
"...What you said?" Douglas stammers, still in a daze. "Did you... Do you actually..."
"...Yeah." I admit, quietly. "But please don't tell anyone."
"I promise." Emily nods, squeezing my hand gently.
Stan PoV
"So you don't have any clue why it might have happened?" Liane quizzes me and Francis as we sit, rigid in the waiting room of Hell's Pass. I was desperate to try and find Douglas, but since this was seemingly something to do with me, I couldn't just walk away and leave a blubbering Liane here alone.
"We uh..." I stammer. "We were having a bit of a uh... Heated-"
"Mrs Cartman?" A doctor approaches us and she stands up abruptly. "I have run a few tests on Cartman... It seems, he collapsed due to a severe case of malnutrition."
"Yeah because he eats nothing but burgers and candy." I cover up, relieved it might not actually have something to do with me.
"Not according to the bloods I've taken." He turns to me. "In fact Eric's blood sugar levels are dangerously low. Not only that but it appears to look as if he hasn't been eating at all, or at least very little."
"What?" I splutter. "Are you sure you got the right kid?"
"We've compared his records to the previous ones we gathered and he's lost a dangerously large amount of weight." He explains. "Although he may not be severely under weight, from what his body capacity used to be, it's a drastic amount to lose in just a few months."
"...So what are you saying?" Liane frowns, clearly oblivious to everything going on.
"I'm saying, that your son appears to be starving himself..." He informs her. "It seems to be a case of anorexia."
"What?" She gasps. "No... No, not my son... That's only girls... It's only girls who get that..."
"I'm afraid not." He shakes his head. "Although it is more common in teenage females, it can often be a disorder that occurs in boys as well."
"Stan?" I almost jump out of my seat when I see Douglas, wrapped in a blanket and holding Emily's hand.
"Oh my God." I run at him, practically jumping on him. I didn't care about my masculinity, it was as if a wave of relief had lifted me off the sea floor. "You're OK? Yeah? Everything's alright."
"Wendy talked me down." He tells me, and I throw a confused glance at the shivering body who was stood a few paces behind him. "I'm so sorry, for everything. I just... It was a moment of weakness."
"Don't apologise." I shake my head.
"We've gotta go and get him checked out." Emily tells me and I nod briefly before they head towards the counter.
"...You alright?" I step closer to Wendy and she meets my gaze, managing a small smile.
"Yeah I uh... I just did what anyone would do." She tells me.
"Not by the sounds of it." I reply and she shuffles her feet slightly, still shivering. Without thinking I take my jacket off, wrapping it around her shoulders and closing the gap between us. After an awkward moment of closeness, I back away, coughing slightly. "Thank you. Seriously, thank you." I squeeze her shoulder slightly before leaving her and walking over to Francis to fill him in.
"You're welcome." I hear her whisper. I don't think I was supposed to hear it, but I did.
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