Chapter 2

"…Sure." Kyle muttered, meeting Cartman's eyes unsurely.

The answer felt too easily won and Cartman cocked his head to the side. He raised both his eyebrows and couldn't help wondering why the redhead would give in so quickly, but decided not to question it. At least he was getting his way.

"Kewl." Cartman replied and smiled at the redhead as he took a basketball off of the rack and spun it on his finger distractedly. "You're probably gonna regret it though."

Kyle's eyebrows instantly came down in suspicion and he opened his mouth to respond, only to shut it at the sight of his super best friend coming down the street with Kenny at his side. He waved and looked to Cartman once more, only to watch the brunet's back move towards the court as he dribbled the ball. Kyle pursed his lips at this, inwardly adding it to the list of rude things Cartman had done today alone. He turned his attention to Kenny and Stan, greeting his friends as they arrived.

"Hey dudes." Kyle smiled and embraced Stan before fist bumping Kenny. He noticed the tall container of Soda through the bag hanging from Stan's wrist. "Oh you brought Pepsi? Sweet!"

"Yeah we stopped by the deli on the way. I bought a box of Gushers too since Kenny wanted something. I mean, it's better than nothing." Stan replied with a laugh.

"Better than nothing?" Kenny scoffed. "Dude Gushers are the shit!"

Cartman made a practice shot and the ball bounced off the hoop, missing. He was decent at the game, not as good as Kyle, but good enough. He retrieved the ball and glanced over at the sound of the others laughing together. He glared at their backs a little before huffing and turning away, grip tightening on the ball as he stared at it.

"Are we gonna play or not?!" Cartman demanded, finally turning his head and looking at his friends impatiently. "Come on you guys, we're burning daylight!"

Stan looked over in acknowledgement and put the stuff on the bench with the rest of their bags. He shrugged his jacket off and walked over to the court, Kyle and Kenny close behind. Cartman passed Stan the ball and he caught it with a smile.

"Hey Cartman." He greeted him and started dribbling the ball.

"Hey hippie." Cartman said casually and pulled his jacket sleeves up to his elbows. Stan laughed softly and watched Cartman do this as he passed the ball to Kyle.

"Dude it's like 60 degrees out!" He pointed to Cartman's jacket. "You're gonna get overheated in that puffy thing."

"No I won't." Cartman scowled and looked to Kyle, opening his hands for the ball as Stan did the same. Kyle looked between them and sighed, passing the ball to Cartman. Stan blinked a couple of times.

"What gives?" He asked.

"We're gonna switch it up today." Kyle replied while rubbing his arm apprehensively. Kenny raised an eyebrow at this as he shrugged off his parka and glanced at Cartman, but said nothing. Kyle looked up at Stan who seemed thrown off. "…Is that... Not okay?"

"He just hates change, remember?" Cartman taunted, which made Stan's eyebrows furrow. Cartman grinned and tossed the ball across the court from where he stood, getting a basket. "Come ON let's PLAY already!"

Kyle shot Stan an apologetic glance before going to retrieve the ball. Stan looked at Kenny who just shrugged and followed the redhead so they could start playing. Stan reluctantly decided to go along with it.

Two games later and Stan couldn't keep quiet any longer. Kyle and Cartman were an unconventional but productive team. It soon became clear how unfair this was. Kyle was the best basketball player of the four of them, and Cartman was almost as good. Their constant bickering was really their only downfall. What the two lacked in teamwork, they made up for in skill. There was no way the other two could keep up, and it was really starting to irritate Stan.

"Ugh! This is ridiculous!" Stan complained as he attempted to get the ball from Kyle who easily dodged and passed the ball to Cartman. With a sigh, Kyle watched the brunet easily make the shot way above Kenny's blocking reach.

"Ohh, here we go." Cartman snickered rolling his eyes, not even out of breath. "Why can't you just play the god damned game, Stan?"

"Kyle, can't you see how unfair this is?" Stan insisted. Kyle pursed his lips and Cartman scoffed as he folded his arms across his chest.

"It's not unfair. You're just a sore loser." Cartman said. Stan scowled and looked at Kenny for help, who scratched the back of his head.

"Ehh, I'm gonna side with Stan on this one." Kenny sighed. "The game's not as fun when it's uneven like this. It's not even a challenge anymore."

"I'm still having fun." Cartman smiled and Kyle scowled at him.

"That's just cuz we're winning." He replied. Cartman walked over with the ball.

"Duhh. That's what makes it fun." He said. Kyle snatched the ball out of Cartman's arms and looked over at Stan sadly.

"It's not that uneven." Kyle mumbled and stared at the ball. "I mean…"

Even though they were still screaming at each other for every little thing, Kyle couldn't help but notice how well he and Cartman were playing together. Not only that, but the longer they played together as a team, the less they argued with each other. Though, Stan did have a good point. It wasn't as fun without the challenge. And that challenge was arguing. That challenge was fighting against each other for victory, putting their skills to the test and betting on who would win. Kyle missed that challenge and that fight a little more than he liked working together.

Kyle still couldn't deny the fluttery feelings in his stomach at the thought of Cartman wanting to play by his side. It made him very… curious.

"It IS uneven. It's totally out of balance." Stan insisted. Kyle smirked.

"I don't know…" He hummed and glanced at Cartman with a teasing look in his eye. "I'm fast and thin… Cartman's fat and slow. That makes it—"

Fwam!

In a swift motion, Cartman swept Kyle's feet knocking the redhead to the ground as he stole the ball from him. He tossed the ball which of course whizzed right over Kenny's head like the last few balls had and went right into the basket.

"OW!" Kyle exclaimed, rubbing his ass and glaring holes into Cartman's back. "You fucking ASSHOLE! What the fuck was that for?!"

"Uhh, don't call me fat and slow?" Cartman snickered turning around, the sunset behind him really illuminating his grin. "Then maybe I won't knock you on your ass."

"That's it! We're switching teams!" Kyle spat at him from the ground. Stan smiled at that as if relieved. Cartman's eyes darkened. He glared over at Kenny, meeting his eyes briefly, before glancing away fast. Kenny rolled his eyes.

"I totally would, but Cartman's mad at me for ditching him yesterday." Kenny sighed. Cartman scoffed under his breath and Kenny watched him go to retrieve the ball. "I told you why already, Fatass. I had a date."

"A date?" Stan asked as he helped Kyle to his feet. "Nice. With who?"

"I don't kiss and te—" Kenny began, but Cartman interrupted.

"He's buttfucking Craig."

"Ugh, c'mon dude." Kenny glared at Cartman disapprovingly. Cartman kicked the ball away and got right in Kenny's face, eyes blazing in anger.

"You really think you're anything but a rebound?!" Cartman exclaimed as Kenny raised an eyebrow. "He's just lonely cuz Clyde dumped him for some fucking cheerleader! Why the fuck would you waste time going on a date with him? How the fuck is that more important than fishing day?!"

"Wait a second!" Kyle pushed Stan away, his eyebrows coming down. He stared at Cartman and felt his face start to burn in anger. "Is that why you wanted to be on the same team? Just because you were mad at Kenny?!"

"That's what it sounds like." Stan said and rubbed the back of his neck. Cartman didn't even seem to hear Kyle's outburst, eyes still locked onto Kenny's. They were hurt, betrayed even. Kenny just seemed annoyed by the exchange.

"Dude, ass is ass." Kenny said simply and pushed Cartman away. "You need to calm down."

"I didn't realize ass meant more to you than FISHING DAY!" Cartman yelled, obviously angrier about this than he'd let on. Stan seemed uncomfortable with the forming tension and smiled nervously, stepping between them.

"Ass means more to Kenny than anything. Haha. everyone knows that Cartman." Stan joked, which made Kenny glare at him slightly, though he remained quiet.

Kyle looked between the blonde and brunet in irritation.

"What the hell is fishing day!?" He demanded.

"It's just this thing we do sometimes." Kenny replied, waving him off.

"Every WEEK!" Cartman corrected. "We do it every fucking week you poor piece of shit! We always did, and now you just ditch me without saying ANYTHING!"

"Whatever, dude. We'll just do it again next week." Kenny replied, obviously losing his patience with Cartman. Cartman bristled.

"That's not the fucking POINT!" He snarled. Kyle's eyes narrowed.

So Cartman was just angry at Kenny over some petty fucking bullshit. Kyle had no idea why he thought it could have been any other reason. And only now when finding out the truth, Kyle felt a sinking in his gut. He was actually disappointed that Cartman didn't want to switch teams just for him.

'WHY?' Kyle thought, frustrated with himself beyond words. He didn't understand why he would have these thoughts and couldn't even keep down the anger he was feeling right now because of it. So, he took it out on the easiest target.

"What's wrong with you, Fatass?!" Kyle demanded and stepped into Cartman's space, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Are you jealous or something?"

"WHAT?!" Cartman boomed, the redhead stealing his attention like always. He tightened his fists and jabbed his finger into Kyle's chest. "I'm not JEALOUS, you stupid fucking Jew!"

"Yeah right!" Kyle scoffed and shoved him away. "That's the only reason you wanted to switch teams today, isn't it?! That's why you were so fucking distracted!"

"Yeah! So the fuck what?!" Cartman snapped and shoved back. "It didn't affect the fucking game, asshole! So fuck off!"

"Are you KIDDING me?!" Kyle yelled back at him, teeth bared. "You were ALL OVER the fucking place! You were so distracted I could've balanced the ball on my head like a god damn seal and you wouldn't have fucking noticed!"

"Oh YEAH?! Well at least I can still get some net when I'm distracted! I made all the shots! All you did was pass the ball!" Cartman threw his hands out in exasperation, face getting redder by the second. His temper was climbing. "GOD I hate being on your team! You fucking suck!"

"Don't turn this on me you fat piece of shit!"

"I'm not the one who fell on my ass!"

"You SHOVED me!"

"You left yourself open!"

"We were ON THE SAME TEAM!"

Kenny and Stan sort of backed away from their bickering friends. They learned a long time ago to steer clear when their fights got this bad. However, as Stan seemed to get more and more absorbed in the scream fest in front of them, Kenny couldn't shake the strange sensation that the four of them were being watched. He turned his head a little and stared at the bushes near the gate. He couldn't explain it, but there was a strange presence over there. It was one that he couldn't resist walking towards.

Kenny started towards it blindly, attracted by the raw energy he felt pulling him in. It was so strange to feel such a familiar and intriguing presence. Stan quickly noticed the absence of his friend and turned away from Cartman and Kyle to join Kenny. He tilted his head to the side and caught up to the blonde, placing a hand on his shoulder and snapping him out of his trance-like daze, though Kenny's eyes never left the bush in front of them.

"You okay dude?" Stan asked in concern. Kenny blinked a few times before nodding slowly and meeting Stan's eyes.

"I think something's over there." Kenny replied and pointed at the bush. As Kyle and Cartman continue to argue, mindless to the world around them, Stan's eyes followed Kenny's finger and he raised his eyebrows.

"Let's check it out." Stan said and followed Kenny over to the bush. He knelt down as Kenny pulled the tangled mess of leaves and branches away to reveal a rather surprising sight. Stan's eyes widened. "…Dude."

Sitting on the grass was a trembling black-furred kitten no larger than the size of a shoe. Its eyes were large and a very dark red, staring directly at Kenny. As Kenny stared into the eyes of the feline, he felt a sense of Deja vu. He didn't even notice Stan waving Kyle and Cartman over, completely transfixed with those intoxicating red orbs.

"Guys! Hey, GUYS!" Stan called, somehow breaking the two out of their heated exchange. They whipped their heads around and replied simultaneously.

"WHAT?!"

"Come here! You gotta check this out!" Stan insisted. Kyle and Cartman shared a glance of quiet agreement that briefly went beyond their disagreement and headed over to Stan and Kenny, shoving each other angrily along the way. Stan moved out of the way so they could see the kitten. He started pulling out his phone. "Look how cute… Wendy would totally freak if I showed her. I gotta take a picture!"

Kyle seemed baffled at the sight of such a strange looking cat and couldn't help but notice how Kenny was staring at it.

"…Ken?" Kyle asked and waved his hand in front of Kenny's face. Kenny blinked rapidly and seemed to snap out of it. He looked at Kyle and furrowed his eyebrows. Cartman didn't hesitate to offer his hand to the cat, presenting his knuckles for it to sniff if it felt like it. Kyle grabbed Cartman's arm without thinking, trying to pull it back. Cartman hesitated and glared at Kyle, trying to tug his arm away.

"It could bite you or something, you idiot!" Kyle insisted. Cartman broke free of Kyle's grasp and shoved him a little.

"I'll take my chances." He replied and looked back at the cat who hadn't moved a muscle. Those red eyes met Cartman's bluish brown and there was an instant connection. Cartman couldn't help but smile a little as he offered his knuckles once more, reaching slowly so he wouldn't scare the poor thing. The cat didn't take its eyes off of Cartman's as it leaned forward and sniffed his knuckles. It made a soft mewl before rubbing it's cheek against Cartman affectionately.

"Awwww…" Stan commented as he snapped a picture. Kenny watched the exchange between Cartman and the cat curiously, very neutral about it. Kyle however couldn't help getting a very uneasy feeling about this whole thing.

Cartman took the friendly mewling as an invitation and carefully reached over to lift the cat up. He did so carefully and Kyle bristled.

"Dude!" He snapped, watching worriedly. "Stray animals can carry lots of diseases!"

"Oops, don't care." Cartman said to Kyle under his breath and helped the cat settle into his hands. The cat continued to stare up at Cartman as it shivered in his hands and limped a little, curling against his chest. It was obviously desperate for warmth. Cartman hesitantly stroked the cat's body, checking for any injuries. The cat stretched out against him and yawned, exposing its very broken leg. Cartman noticed immediately, as well as Stan.

"Oh no…" Stan mumbled. "...It's late. I don't think there's anywhere we could bring a cat to get fixed up around here."

"The leg's just fucked up. I could fix that." Cartman muttered absentmindedly. Kenny looked at Cartman and his eyes softened. He always knew his larger friend was a softie for animals.

"I bet you could." Kenny encouraged, which made Cartman smile a little. Kyle shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.

"Guys, no. Come on look at it! It's weird! It has red eyes! That's not normal!"

"He." Cartman corrected Kyle, continuing to pet the cat soothingly.

"What?" Kyle asked, oblivious. Cartman chuckled at Kyle's stupidity.

"He has red eyes. The cat's a male. Not an it."

"Well, sorry. I wasn't looking to see if it had a dick or not!" Kyle retorted sarcastically.

"You can tell by his head, Kahl." Cartman explained, glaring at Kyle with refreshed irritation. "Male cats have larger skulls than females, and I remember when Mr. Kitty was a—"

Cartman cut himself off as the cat stretched out on his hands and purred softly, mewing under his breath and closing his eyes. Cartman's heart throbbed and he smiled softly, unable to help it. Kyle noticed this and he looked on in worry.

"I feel like I've seen him before." Kenny mumbled and also began to pet the cat gently. Everyone looked at him curiously.

"What, like around the neighborhood?" Kyle asked. Kenny considered this.

"I don't know." He replied. "He's just… familiar somehow."

"It's already getting colder. We can't leave him outside." Stan said.

"It's an animal! Of course you can leave it outside!" Kyle scoffed.

"Not with a broken leg." Stan argued. Cartman nodded.

"I got this." He said simply and cradled the cat against him as he walked over to the bench and pulled his bag over his shoulder. The others followed.

"You got this?!" Kyle echoed, disbelieving. "Cartman, you can't be serious!"

"I'm completely seriously." Cartman replied dismissively and started walking down the block. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"See ya."

"Bye, dude."

"Fatass, wait!" Kyle called after him and stopped in his tracks as Cartman turned the corner. Kyle looked back at Stan and Kenny who were opening up the Gushers and taking out the soda. He tightened his fists and stomped over glaring at the ground.

"I don't like this." He growled.

"Kyle, relax." Stan chuckled and handed him a cup of soda. "It's just a cat. Besides, Cartman probably still misses Mr. Kitty. Maybe fixing up this stray will help him get over her. Right, Kenny?"

"Maybe." Kenny replied with his mouth full of Gushers, rolling the basketball under his foot. Stan smiled and looked back at Kyle, handing him a pack of Gushers. Kyle waved him off and sat down on the bench, soda cup still in hand.

"…That cat's not Mr. Kitty." Kyle said under his breath. Stan looked at him curiously.

"But this cat's alive. Mr. Kitty died 6 months ago, dude. It's about time Cartman got another cat, don't you think?" Stan asked.

"It looks like it's gonna die any second!" Kyle exclaimed in frustration.

"That's a little harsh." Kenny chuckled.

"But it's true! He's gonna get attached to this cat too, just like Mr. Kitty, and then he's gonna get hurt all over again!" Kyle snapped. Stan's eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm gonna be really sad when I have to put Sparky down. And I'll miss him." Stan said, swirling his soda around in his cup. He looked at Kyle. "But after a few months I'll get another dog. He won't be the same as Sparky but he'll be my new friend. You've just never had a pet, Kyle. That's kinda how they work."

"But Cartman's… different. He got so depressed when Mr. Kitty died. Like crazy depressed." Kyle pointed out. Stan nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yeah, that sucked." Kenny agreed. "I thought he was gonna kill himself or something. It was really hard for him. He loved that cat way too much."

"Exactly! So imagine what'll happen if he gets attached to this one, and it dies too!" Kyle vented. Kenny shook his head and Stan looked at Kyle a little strangely.

"Nah. I think you're looking too far into it." Kenny muttered.

"If he gets attached and it blows up in his face, don't you think that's his choice to make?" Stan asked with an amused chuckle, raising an eyebrow at him questioningly. ""I mean, it IS Cartman dude. Why do you care so much?"

"Aagh! I DON'T!" Kyle exclaimed, standing up and throwing his cup to the ground. Soda splattered everywhere and he kicked the cup. "You know what?! I don't give a SHIT! Let him get attached to that weird fuckin cat! I hope it dies TOMORROW!"

And with that, Kyle yanked his bag off the bench and stormed down the block.

"What the hell, Kyle?! Come back!" Stan exclaimed and went after him immediately, leaving his bag and jacket next to Kenny.

"…Geez." Kenny mumbled and stared at the soda cup on the floor longingly with a soft sigh. "…That's just a waste of good soda."