The rest of Eric's week was spent coming up with ways to blackmail Kenny into giving him the details of the party on Friday. He probably could've come up with something halfway decent if he could only get a single good night's sleep. He kept waking up in the middle of the night after having the same reoccurring dream.

It began with him floating on his back in the middle of a blood red ocean. He couldn't see anything but endless red stretched out under a stark white sky. Suddenly, two lanky freckled arms broke through the waves and wrapped tightly around his waist. They began to pull him under. No matter how much he thrashed he couldn't break free. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. As he sunk beneath the surface, the water became black and thick. Thicker than blood. It seeped into his mouth, nostrils, ears, eyes. He was drowning, suffocating in black, coppery syrup.

Every night Eric woke up disoriented and covered in sweat. When he finally gave up trying to fall back asleep he would either play Call of Duty until he had to catch the bus to school, or he would go hunting for small animals in the woods to temporarily satiate his bloodlust. By the time Friday arrived, Eric was incredibly exhausted. He no longer wanted to go to either party, but he knew that until he could get another taste of Kyle's blood he would continue to be haunted by the spine-chilling dream.

School was a blur. Eric probably wouldn't have gone at all except that he was hoping to run into Kyle. He wanted to get him alone and give him a preview of what he should be looking forward to that evening. It was difficult because they didn't have Health on Friday, but still he went out of his way to linger in the hallway between classes in hope that their paths would cross. However, the only glimpse he caught of the elusive redhead was when he left the cafeteria with Stan at the end of their lunch period.

Just when Eric had given up, he discovered they were both riding the bus home together. Kyle only rode the bus when he couldn't get a ride with Stan, which was almost never and always had something to do with Wendy. Eric was elated. Finally, it was just Eric and Kyle, …and Kenny. Eric silently cursed when he saw a familiar blonde mop of hair already seated next to the infamous poof of red curls. That was Eric's fucking poof. He quietly sat down the seat in front of them, pretending to ignore them even though he could see Kenny smiling knowingly in his peripheral vision.

"So Kyle, Stan told me you're gay," Kenny said casually. Eric had to restrain himself from turning to see what expression was on Kyle's face. From the pause that followed he knew Kyle must be trying to regain his composure.

Kenny continued. "Don't be mad at Stan for telling me. It wasn't his fault. Besides I could've guessed anyway."

"It that so?" Kyle asked crossly.

"Well, you've never been interested in girls, at least not sexually. And let's be real, all those girls you liked in elementary school kind of looked like dudes."

"That doesn't necessarily mean I'm gay. I could be asexual."

"Hmm. Maybe we should make sure."

Eric heard Kenny shift in his seat, and he couldn't help sneaking a quick glance over his shoulder. Kenny was bent over with his face in extreme proximity to Kyle's. Kyle was backed up all the way against the window, face flushed and uncertain. It was about time Eric spoke up.

"That's a bullshit test, Keenny. Literally everyone wants to fuck you."

Kenny smirked. He had been waiting for Eric to interject. Kenny moved away from Kyle and flopped his head over the back of Eric's seat, biting his bottom lip flirtatiously. "Even you, Eric?"

Eric shot Kenny his darkest glare. "Only if you begged me."

"Damn, Cartman. That was kind of sexy. Don't you think so, Kyle?"

Kyle's scowled and his blush deepened. "Quit kidding around, asshole."

"Aw, Kyle! You're so serious!" Kenny leaned back and casually wrapped his arm around Kyle's shoulder. "I know. How about you come to a party with me tonight and I'll show you how to loosen up." Eric silently fumed.

"Sorry, but I'm going to the Women's Equality Club dance tonight."

"Come after! You can bring Cartman!" For a second, Eric and Kyle's eyes met. Kenny smiled as he watched them both quickly look away. "Poor Cartman wants to go to this party so bad, but I won't tell him where it is. If I tell you, maybe he'll stop bothering me."

Without breaking eye contact with Eric, Kenny turned to whisper into Kyle's ear. Then Kenny winked at Eric and let Kyle go. Eric was struggling to justify if he could kill his closest friend in cold blood when bus came to a stop.

Kenny stood up. "I'm getting off here. I hope the two of you have fun getting off later." He walked off the bus laughing.

"What a fucking dick," Eric grumbled before turning back to Kyle, who looked royally pissed.

"What the hell was that?" he asked angrily.

"What? Kenny is always a huge dick."

"Both of you are dicks! You're sadistic fucking dickholes! I don't want to be involved in your retarded mind games!"

"Hey it's not my fault!" Eric protested. "I was trying to protect you!"

"Protect me? Jesus Christ. The only way you could protect me is by never speaking to me again."

The bus had arrived at Kyle's stop, and he stood up to leave. Fuck fuck fuck fuck! Eric was mentally kicking himself. He had imagined this interaction going much more smoothly. In a split second Eric was getting off the bus after him. When Kyle heard him step onto the sidewalk he spun around in surprise.

"This isn't your fucking stop!"

"It's fine! I'll walk the rest of the way."

"What do you want, Cartman?"

Eric's brain was working slower than usual from the lack of sleep. "I… I don't know. I'm really excited to see you later."

Kyle was caught off guard watching Eric struggling for words. "Oh. Ok. It's sure to be an exciting night…"

Eric awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't say you never want to talk to me again."

"That's not what I said," Kyle said softly. After a minute of awkward silence, Kyle turned to leave.

"Um," Eric said loudly, "where did Kenny say that party was going to be?"

Kyle's blushed. "He didn't actually tell me. He was just fucking with you."

Eric eyes narrowed angrily. "What did he say to you on the bus?"

"Well," Kyle said, fidgeting uncomfortably, "he said the party that you are so desperate to go to is in my pants."

Eric tried to form words to express his outrage, but his thoughts were muffled by insomnia and embarrassment. Kyle looked absolutely mortified.

"I'm going home now," Kyle said as he began to walk away.

Eric wanted to tell him to stay, but he had no idea what to say next. Instead he began walking home. On the way he decided that murdering Kenny might be entirely justified after all.