AN: Sorry about the delay. I really have no explanation except lack of inspiration. Hopefully that won't happen again. Also, I do not own South Park.
The hours flew by like minutes, but by the time the fourth bell rang I knew it was time for lunch. "Fuck!" McKenzie jumped up, wiping dirt off her jeans and holding her hand out for me to take. I accepted, unsure what I had done to put her in a mood like this. "Sorry, Marjorine, I have to turn this essay in." She didn't let go of my hand, just took off in a sprint that made me wonder why she wasn't on the track team, dragging me behind her.
"I thought," I huffed, finding it hard to breath, let alone talk, "We were skipping." She didn't bother to answer me, just kept running, her breath erratic as she did so. We reached the school in record time, and as I stood in front of the gates, bent over panting from the exertion, I couldn't help but wonder how we would get in.
McKenzie was in better shape, though if her hands shaking were any indication I'd say it was mostly for show. "So, how do we do this?" She smirked at me, her hands steadying as she motioned to the fence at the courtyard. "Oh hamburgers."
She finally dropped my hand, walking ahead of me to crouch down and cup her hands to give me a boost. Adrenaline was still flowing through me in a steady thrumming, which was probably the only reason I was able the muster the courage to place my left foot in her grasp. She gave me a push and I was able to clamber over without making to much of a mess.
McKenzie just scaled it on her own, with a prowess that left me a bit speechless. She landed next to me in a crouch, before raising to a pose and bowing. "You've done this before," I deadpanned.
"A few times. Oh look, just in time to grab a bite. Maybe Stacy with let me bum a couple of dollars..."
"I could buy you lunch." She turned back to me, a huge smile on her face.
"Really Marjorine? I'm starving!" She grabbed my hand again and pulled me to the cafeteria, that goofy smile still on her face. Now that I thought about it, McKenzie always looked hungry. And it wasn't just the way she scarfed food down like she'd not eaten in days, despite the almost preternatural size of her chest, she was so frail, her legs mot quite brushing together, her ribs showing just a little to prominently.
Not that it was any of my business. But I couldn't help but hope that it would be. That we would be close enough friends for her to talk to me about her problems, that I could help her. And maybe we could talk about mine, and finally someone would care.
"Is this too much?" I blinked out of my thoughts, giving her tray an appraising stare. It was just a standard lunch tray, full with as many things as she could.
"Not at all." I just pointed at the first thing I saw, a slice of cheese pizza, and we checked out. I almost expected us to part then, her to go to the table with all of her friends, and me to look for an empty seat with a group that would take me, But instead she grabbed my hand once more and nearly skipped to the table where Kayla and Stacy were already eating.
Kayla barely looked up from her AP Chem book to acknowledge us with a grunt, but Stacy smiled cheerfully enough. "Hey Marjorine." She then focused on McKenzie, her face concerned. "Where were you for the first few periods?" McKenzie shrugged, working on chewing her chicken a little faster to respond.
"Me and Marjorine skipped."
"Well, well, looks like Bacon-Bits here got Little-Miss-Perfect to cut class." I was tempted to ask what she meant by Bacon-Bits, but thought better about it. McKenzie seemed to brush it off anyhow, just eating with the same amount of Gusto. Erica frowned a bit before squeezing in next to me, slamming me into McKenzie. I squeaked, but once again she was unaffected.
"There really isn't room here for five people you know..." Erica trailed off and I knew where she was going with it. Before I could stand though Kayla glared up from her textbook, eyes bloodshot. "Then find somewhere else to sit." Erica hissed, her amber eyes narrowing.
"Shut the fuck up Bar Code. This is my seat."
"You fat, racist bitch!"
"Ha, says Porky herself, fucking Jewess!"
"Hey, calm down fellas, I can just move to another table" I was cut off by McKenzie standing and storming out of the room.
"Look what you did Cartman." Erica looked after her friend, an almost wistful look on her face.
"Well, never let it be said that McKenzie is too poor to know how to be polite." I couldn't help but regret sitting here until I felt a presence behind me. It was McKenzie, with a chair from one of our classes. She put it at the head of the table and took a seat, sliding her tray in front of her and continuing to eat.
The calm returned as Erica also began to eat, her face smug. I couldn't help but feel that McKenzie was the only one who really liked her.
After lunch It was time for AP Gov, a class I had with Kayla and Erica. Sometimes I thought it was funny how they hated each other, even though they were intellectual equals. They were still angry it seemed though, as they refused to speak, taking seats on opposites sides of the room. I decided to sit next to Erica, mostly because she was someone I could ask about McKenzie without her questioning me.
"Hey, Erica?" She glared at me, but I ignored it, deciding to just go for it. "Does McKenzie look... Different to you?" Erica frowned, turning back to her homework to double-check it.
"Well, she looks about as poor as usual, though she could really use a bath."
"I meant, does she look especially etherial today?" Erica scoffed, yearning back to me with an amused smirk.
"She's white trash Marjorine, not an angel or a ghost or anything..." She trailed off, he smirk widening. "Unless, you have a crush on her or something." I blushed, kneading my hands as I tried to say something coherent.
"Golly no Erica, McKenzie's just a friend."
"And to think, I thought Stacy and Kayla were the only muff-divers around here. Well besides Crystal and Tweek, but I'm not even touching that. Oh wait till I tell McKenzie. Girl's the biggest whore in school, loves dick like the best of sluts, and little Marjorine has a crush on her!" She began cackling then and I felt tears start to well.
"Leave her alone Cartman." It was Wendell giving Erica a disparaging look. "If she like McKenzie that's her business." I sputtered, trying to find a way to convince him otherwise.
"Shut up hippy. Go put that tongue to use on Stacy." I blushed, sinking further into my seat and praying for the day to end soon.