A/N: These first few chapters are long because they're prewritten, subsequent ones may be shorter, but I'll try to lengthen them.
So what time will you be home today Jew? Cartman had texted him during lunch even though he was sitting right across the table from him. 'Typical Cartman shit.' Kyle looked up at Cartman definitely deciding not to justify that with a reply.
Cartman responded by glaring at him and being especially rude and offensive the rest of the day.
Stan turned to Kyle, "Hey you coming with us tonight? Wendy's still mad, but Kenny and I plan to hit up some arcades. So you coming?"
"Sorry Stan, I have a lot of homework left to do. Last night I didn't get much done." He hated to burst his super best friend's bubble, but he couldn't have a free night of fun right now.
"Weak dude. Okay, well I'll text you later on then in case you change your mind." Stan smiled brightly.
"You in Kenny?"
"No money dude, but," His face looked like a light bulb had come on in his head, "Hell yeah! I can screw some chick there to get in, maybe she'll even give me some extra cash for coins if-"
"Too much information buddy. Ok, you're in. Cartman?"
"Guys, how old are we 8? I wouldn't be caught dead there." He laughed and walked off, tossing his reusable plastic lunch tray in the trash to the irritation of the lunch workers. Chef threw his hands up in the air in an exasperated fashion. "I swear that Cartman boy needs to learn discipline."
"Cartman's so dumb," Kyle said rolling his eyes, "He was there literally two weeks ago."
The rest of the day was uneventful and the bus ride home bored Kyle immensely. He gazed pensively out of the window, realizing none of his friends were on the bus.
Kenny had been in detention for the third time that week, supposedly for sexual indiscretion, basically he was in trouble for being himself. Kyle laughed to himself.
Stan drove most of the time now, but today he had some sports practice. If Kyle remembered correctly it was soccer. Unfortunately, Kyle's mom refused to let him ride home with Stan. 'What a bitch.'
Cartman was who knew where. He appeared and disappeared depending on his mood. Somedays he showed up late, others not at all.
Kyle had barely walked in the door of his house and set his stuff down when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." He called, without bothering to move, figuring it might be Stan trying to convince him to come to the arcade again. If it had been, he probably would have given in.
"Sup Jew," Cartman walked in the door, unceremoniously tossed a ton of study materials on the kitchen counter then plopped down on the sofa. He grabbed the remote from the center table.
Kyle finally found his voice, "What the fuck? You can't just walk in here and expect me to do your projects for you."
Cartman had one response, "Agreement. Or have you forgotten?" He flashed a malicious grin Kyle's way.
"Whatever, but I have one condition and you better follow it." Cartman looked up with mild interest. "Hmmmm, you have to be here when I'm working on your homework.
"How about no." Cartman turned his attention back to the TV, not listening anymore. "Or have you forgotten that I Eric Cartman do what I want when I want."
Kyle couldn't help but wonder why exactly he had asked that. 'Did he actually want the fatass around more?'
"But by the way Kyle," Cartman said waltzing over in a catlike fashion, "Have you made your appointment or whatever yet. I don't care really, but we do have an agreement, slave."
Kyle responded, mumbling something about controlling bitchy fatasses and left the room. He came back shortly, "Now I did, happy?"
"Whatever," Cartman said. "You got any non kosher food?"
"Ugh." Kyle said annoyed. He would have responded with a no, but Cartman was already flipping open the cupboards and Kyle didn't feel like dealing with another argument right now anyway.
While Cartman ate literally whatever he could find that suited his fancy, Kyle began working on the project. He normally would have fought back more, but seeing as Cartman knew his secret and wouldn't hesitate to tell everyone, he decided it was best to do as he said for now, unless it was too ridiculous. He rubbed his head due to frustration not pain, but Cartman was beside him instantly asking if he was okay. "Kyle you need to relax and stay calm."
Realizing this was extremely out of character for him, Cartman covered it up with the most offensive thing he could think of, "Damn pussy kike shitstain fuck."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "What's with you lately? You're acting weird and that wasn't insulting, so much as it was downright stupid. Usually you're at least clever." The Jewish boy taunted him.
"Nothing," Cartman said and actually proceeded to help Kyle with the project. Kyle almost passed out in shock. "Ummm, what exactly am I supposed to do?" Cartman had clearly not even read the directions.
Kyle patiently walked him through the section he had expressed interest in. "Why are you helping now?" Kyle deadpanned nonetheless.
"Well, you'd just do a shitty job if you did it by yourself because you're Jewish." He laughed nervously.
Kyle didn't say a word. "Does that piss you off Kyle?"
Kyle shook his head, "Actually as long as you're helping I couldn't really care less for the reason. It is a group project after all. Okay so this is step one."
Cartman actually paid attention to Kyle's explanation and began working on the section he had picked out.
Kyle settled back in his chair smilling to himself as he opened his Literature book. For once, his exhaustion and irritation didn't stem from Cartman; it stemmed from other aspects of his personal life.
The weird text from Bebe made him uneasy. 'Who cared that he hadn't had a girlfriend in a while? That didn't mean he was gay, dammit. Also, just because he could appreciate traits in a guy didn't make him gay either.'
More importantly, his mom hadn't slacked off about grades lately. In fact, she'd gotten worse with him missing so much school and graduation fast approaching. 'Kyle if your grades drop you'll be stuck here. Only losers would make that score, etc.' His mom surely knew how to motivate someone. NOT.
He elected to take a nap after finishing his Shakespearean sonnet, finding it unusual that he not only trusted Cartman to do the project without him hovering over him, but that he trusted him enough at the present moment to fall asleep in his presence.
He closed his eyes. 'I'm just too trusting of a person', he thought in his half nap half conscious state. He had trusted Cartman before, but the larger boy had proved time and time again how stupid Kyle was for giving him another chance. Call it crazy, but somewhere deep down he felt like, deeper than the depths of the ocean, there was a kind heart and some good in Eric Cartman. He still told him he hated him but had come to terms a while back that he considered him a friend: An offensive, disgusting, unreliable friend, but a friend nonetheless. Things just wouldn't be the same without him. Who would have thought? 'He probably couldn't give less of a fuck about me though and why should I care anyway. I really shouldn't. I mean, I don't. Oh forget it.'
Kyle wasn't sleeping, just resting for a bit. Cartman excitedly worked on the section he had picked while talking aloud. Kyle thought it was pretty amusing considering he had barely ever been around the hellion without him cursing him out or yelling some slur and here he was being amicable. Kyle could get used to this. He opened his eyes and checked his phone.
Stan: Do you have a minute? I really need to talk to you. Like 10 minutes ago.
Mom: Do your homework NOW!
'Wonder what Stan wants. No surprise there, typical Mom shit.'
Ike: hey kyle :))) do me a huge favor and keep that fat bastard out of my room Sent 3 min. ago
'Wow really', he laughed to himself.
He decided to call Stan.
"Kyle', Cartman whined, " you haven't even done your part and you're supposed to be the one doing my shit, retard."
"Stuff it Cartman."
He covered the phone so Stan wouldn't hear Cartman talking, "Hey Stan what's up?"
Stan sounded worried, "Okay, look, don't tell anyone I told you but a bunch of people are going around calling you gay. Apparently Bebe asked you because she heard a rumor and you didn't respond." Kyle opened his mouth to respond, but Stan continued, "So I just wanted to let you know that even though I'm straight as a board, I can accept you, but this is going to sound so gay. Oops, no offense if you are that is. But do you have a crush on me?"
Kyle was baffled, irritated, and downright confused. "I didn't respond to Bebe because she's a dumbass nosy bitch. I'm not gay, Stan, and I don't have a crush on you. You're like my brother, so yeah you don't ever have to worry about that. But if I was gay, you'd be the first to know, trust me dude." Kyle usually didn't call women bitches not even his mother aloud because it was disrespectful and chauvinist, but being that concerned with someone you don't even talk to's sexual orientation had earned Bebe that moniker this time.
"Okay dude, well for real, I'm here for you if you ever need to talk and since you've been acting funny lately I figured I would ask to see if that had something to do with it. Is everything okay at home by the way? You always seem really exhausted and you've missed a lot of school recently."
'Shit, Stan was catching on'. "No dude I'm fine just that virus from about a week ago dragged me down and my classes are no joke. All the AP tests and projects you know all about that. Anyway, I'm working on a project for history right now so I'll catch you later."
"Okay bye dude." They disconnected.
Cartman was currently watching tv. "Nothing good's on damn it."
"Who was that Kyle your bitch of a mom?" He hadn't heard the conversation, thank God.
"Shut up. And it was just Stan, not like it's really any of your business. Are you done?"
Kyle looked at Cartman's portion. "Yeah Jew I did my part now you do the other 4/5. Haha." 'Cartman was still Cartman no doubt about it' Kyle sighed.
"Let me make sure you're not going to fail us." He said as he began to look over the work so far.
He was genuinely surprised at Cartman's work, not only had he managed to not praise Hitler or demean the Jews, he had gone into the music and fashion of the day and Kyle was actually impressed.
"So how cool is my part? Pretty damn right?"
For once he had to agree, his part of the assignment was flawless. "Good job Cartman. Just damn." Kyle didn't really have anything to criticize for once.
Cartman just smiled, not his normal I'm about to curse you out or get revenge smile, but an honestly happy smile. He had a feeling not very many people got to see this. Kyle's heart thudded harshly at the thought; he looked away from Cartman. 'What the hell.' He dismissed it as stress.
He had never ever thought of Cartman as anything but an anti-Semitic asshole, not even for a second, but Kyle hoped they could be friends. Heck, Kyle already kind of considered him one, now it would just be up to Cartman. It would be a welcome addition if he kept acting like this that is.
Cartman got up to leave, "It's been fun I guess Jew, later." As Cartman was about to walk out the door, Kyle called, "Hey if you're not busy, can you take me to my appointment tomorrow?" He regretted the question instantly. 'Of course he fucking can't; he hates you.'
"Sure Jew, now can you let me leave?" He smirked almost playfully. "When is it?"
"Right after school."
"Okay, well just ride home with me, you know what I drive and where I park." 'My car is finally fixed, fuck yes.' And Kyle was the first one besides him who would get to ride in it. For some reason this thought excited him. Cartman suppressed the thought quickly.
Kyle couldn't speak as Cartman left. He just decided to go to bed to silence his swirling thoughts. The next morning Kyle exited his dreamlike thoughts when he noticed Stan was on the bus today. They sat together just like old times and made small talk. Kenny and Cartman sat across from them. Nothing too unusual there.
A/N: Sorry if the chapter breaks are weird. Hope you're enjoying so far!