Sorry about missing last week's update. I usually write a chunk of the story in advance but it's finally caught up to me. This particular chapter is veryyyy long and veryyyy eventful. So hopefully worth the wait! ;)

. . .

. .

.

Stan slammed the brakes to stop his wheels from damaging the car on the curb, pulling in by Clyde's house as the rough stop catapulted a muddy puddle another car's way. It dirtied the bumper of Kevin Stoley's silver Mazda as Stan cursed under his breath. He shut off the engine, deeming it good enough as he slammed the company car door and passed by the teenagers making out and chatting on the lawn as they loomed outside the party bass booming from the inside. Stan entered the clutter of body fumes and cacophony, immediately running into Clyde and Kevin by the entryway with their red solos.

"Hey, dude," Clyde shouted over the music and clatter. "How've you been?"

Stan lifted his six-pack. "Not drunk enough."

Stan was already sweating buckets and had a wild look in his eyes, weird considering he'd just got there. "You okay?"

"Super," Stan said as he unwillingly returned Kevin's bro shake and finished with a back-pat. "Have you seen Kyle?"

Clyde pointed his cup to the unclear path through the living and dining room. "Uh, somewhere with Ken and Heidi. Where's Wendy?"

Stan cracked a can, scooting past them. "Driving herself.."

He joined the party fever, leaving Clyde to stay on sight with a blonde across the room. Bebe looked over her shoulder every here and there as she conversed with Red to meet racy eyes with Clyde.

"Psh," Kevin noticed, chugging his rum and coke. "So you'll be gone for a dicking all night."

Clyde looked over the rest of the crowd, looking for other familiars. "Maybe.."

Kyle babysat a cup and leaned against the back-end wall of the dining room while Kenny and Heidi took the reigns to get blasted as soon as they'd arrived. As Heidi and Jimmy conversed in active, quick drunk conversation, Tolkien cleared the dining table of people's drinks and snacks, making room as Kenny set up the triangle racks of red solo cups.

"Who's in? Heidi?" Tolkien offered in their round of beer pong.

"Whoever doesn't mind losing with me."

"I will," Kenny said, pairing up with her. "I wanna black out this year.."

"Fucking ay.." Heidi agreed, clinking plastic cups with him.

Kyle noticed the unsteady pep in Kenny's step. "You sure, Ken..?"

"Hell yeah.."

"Alright." Kyle wouldn't protest, watching the game open as Jimmy paired with Tolkien and they got into their team positions. Heidi chugged down the remainder of her vodka mix, making herself a fresh one for the game as Kyle kept wary of her handling the glass bottle in uncoordinated hands.

"We should.." Kenny tapped Heidi's shoulder profusely. Getting drunk eyes to meet his. "Pour my piss into each of those cups, so if they lose, they also gotta drink natural lemonade.."

Heidi snorted, Jimmy just scowled. "We heard all of that, what kind of p-p-pointless plan is that?"

"The..BEST." Heidi agreed, looping an arm around Kenny as they giggled like fools. "And if he doesn't piss...I will."

The others just cackled as Kyle still kept a close watch on the game's set-up. Stan budged through people blocking the dining doorway, getting some snooty looks from some girls he shoulder blocked in the process. He chugged down his beer as he came and met Kyle, letting down the pack on a side table as he crumpled his finished can and threw it to the floor.

"Yeah?" Kyle observed.

"Pft.." Stan cracked open another. "Fuck all of this.."

"Fuck what?"

"Everything.." Stan burped after a sip. "Wendy hasn't gotten here yet, has she..?"

"Uh, I don't think so. Is she still-?"

"Pissed?" Stan scoffed, watching the beer pong commence amongst his rowdy friends as Kenny readied his first throw. "Can't be more than me."

"You good, dude?"

"Not really.." Stan chugged down the remains, trying to get tipsy faster. "And I don't wanna talk about it.."

Kyle figured if he tried to play therapist now, Stan might just smack him. He looked at the remainder of his drink at the bottom of his solo before sighing. "Fuck it.."

He chugged the remainder, clinking drinks with Stan.

"Shit!" Kenny complained after missing his shot, stumbling around to his best friends. His face lit up at the sight of Stan as he left the game. "Bro, hey! Where's Wendy?"

"I don't know!"

"Whoa, 'kay.." Kenny eased. "I don't know about you, but I'm drinking this whole year away, and hopefully the future.."

"What does that mean?" Kyle asked.

Kenny grumbled behind his cup, realizing the more he drank, the more he tended to word-vomit. He burped loudly. "I'm not getting into CalTech.."

Stan stopped for a breath from drowning his beer. "How d'you know?"

"'Cuz I would've heard by now..."

"Well, there's other schools-"

"But, CALTECH!" Their drunk friend reminded, shoving his half-full cup against Stan and dampening his shirt. "Or nothing! Then my old man is gonna be right...and I might as well spend the REST of my life...helping him fix that stupid truck.."

Stan brushed off his shirt annoyed, and Kyle just pushed Kenny back from the rancid liquor breath pinching his nostrils. "Kenny, you wanna take break..?" he asked, reaching forward for his cup.

"No!" Kenny hugged his cup like a preserver. "You just worry your lil ass about Hides-"

"Dude!" Kyle suddenly reeled him forward by the arm, rather enduring Kenny's unhinged breath than having him spill any more this wasted. "She's right there!"

"Sheesh, what's with you guys?" Kenny lazily tugged his sleeve from the hand that grabbed him. "Both freaked the fuck out about your girls-"

"She's not my girl.."

Stan glued himself to the wall, not in the mood to have a good time, and not in a mood for the semester's biggest party. "Kenny, don't be a dick.."

"Ken! That's one for me!" Tolkien called from the table's other end.

Heidi cackled. "I'm not gonna drink myself!"

Kenny looked at his two brooding friends, scoffing at their behavior. If they wanted to bring down the rest of the room with their cynicism and criticism, he wasn't gonna stop them. They'd always been good at that.

"Fine, enjoy yourselves.." Kenny let them be, rejoining the game.

Stan let another can fall to his feet. "I should just go.."

"You're just gonna go home?"

No, that was the last thing Stan wanted to do right now. But, being around a bunch of people drunk and acting like there was no tomorrow seemed like second to worst. There was a tomorrow, and he was gonna have to face it whether he liked it or not. Not now though.

"I can't.." Stan said. "I don't know when Wendy is gonna show up and if she's even gonna wanna talk.."

"Then.." Kyle sighed, watching Heidi indulge in a loud group cheer after she successfully scored against the others. "Just..wait for her...get drunk together and forget about it tonight.."

Stan sipped his lager, liking the sound of that better. "Really?"

"The last thing Clyde would want is a big sob fest breaking out in the middle of his party, anyway."

"Hey!" Heidi came and joined the boys, eagerly grabbing Kyle's wrist. "You guys down for a round?"

Stan supposed forgetting about how shitty he'd been was the best. "Well, it's that or sob fest. Kyle?"

As Heidi's fingers laced with his, Kyle had already forgotten the question. "Uh..yeah! Heidi, you're playing right?"

She giggled, dragging him along. "I just asked you to."

Stan followed as he helped Kenny set up again. "Whipped.."

Only a room over in the kitchen, the recently arrived Craig and Tweek waited on Butters and Nichole's contraption, making some type of margarita mix for them and a group of other seniors. Combining some stuff out of the ordinary into the blender like balsamic vinegar and pickling liquid, along with regular margarita bases.

"What is this called..?" Tweek asked, rather to just have his Sprite and vodka mix and be done with it.

"Caprese Margarita," Nichole enthused, closing the blender lid after Butters poured the last of the citrus syrup.

"Butters, you're drinking?" Craig asked the usually abstinent teen.

"Well, yeah." He started the blender up. While he'd gotten a little more out of his funk this semester with being unable to do the seniors' final play and being at odds with everyone, he'd turned a lot of that turmoil into party antics with Nichole's help.

"'Kay, well I'll pass on the vinaigrette cocktail.." Craig declined. He wasn't sure he wanted to be around a drunk Butters either, alcohol did weird things to him.

"Oh, c'mon, don't be such pussies." Nichole said, salting the rims of the glasses in prep. "It's just a lil' liquor."

"Hey! It's not the liquor, it's the cherry tomatoes you're putting into it."

"Whatever," Nichole chuckled as Butters stopped the blender when they got their icy mix ready. "Who's first?"

Craig looked for an out, and it was perfect timing for Clyde to enter the kitchen as well. Making rounds in checking on everybody and pretty satisfied that all the seniors were on some pretty high levels. A party that would go down in the books for sure.

"C'mon," Craig tapped Tweek, budging through others in Clyde's direction.

Tweek saw his target of interest and was confused. "What're you doing..?"

"I just wanna go say hi.."

"Why?"

"C'mon, he's hosting.." Craig urged, taking his boyfriend's hand. Clyde found them and met them mid-kitchen with a friendly smile.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey," Craig greeted, exchanging a fist bump. Tweek crossed his arms spitefully. "Uh, great turnout."

"Yeah, for sure."

Even in the dim party light, Craig could make out the red trail of pigmented lips along Clyde's neck skin. "Get some action from Stevens?"

"Heh, girl has no chill."

Tweek eyed his boyfriend. "Well, aren't you such a straight dude.."

Clyde ignored the tension. "Um, yeah. I might disappear in a few with her. But, if you want, some of us are gonna do King's Cup if you wanna join."

"Yeah, sounds cool!"

"Just don't add that stupid spicy rum you did last time," Clyde nudged his friend. "I can't smell that shit anymore."

"I don't think you can smell anything anymore after that."

The two were all giggles like little girls, and Tweek's patience was wearing painfully thin. "Okay, so what, you're gonna start a game and ditch early for Bebe?"

Clyde retorted with an awkward laugh. "I mean, yeah, usually how it goes."

"Yeah, we would know. Ditching sounds super familiar for you."

Clyde bit his tongue looking the other way as Craig shot irritated eyes at his boyfriend. Tweek used to be the one who would tell him there was a time and place for everything, but apparently it didn't apply the other way around.

"Well, I can hold it off...Bebe would get it."

"No, if you guys wanna go, you should." Craig said, internally cringing at himself for being the cheerleader for Clyde and Bebe's sex games suddenly. "It's your fucking party, dude."

"'Kay, well you're both free to join King's Cup before," Clyde made sure of looking Tweek's way. "I'll see ya."

Clyde turned to join the dining room's swarm of drunk chatter, as Craig stepped into Tweek's line of sight. "What was that?"

"Oh who, me? You seem to act like everything's just been swept under the rug."

"Maybe it has."

Tweek gawked, almost crunching his red solo in his fiery grip. "Well, I wasn't there for that conversation!"

"You didn't have to be a dick."

"You're telling me that?!"

Craig rolled his eyes. "Whatever, stay here if you wanna mope, I'm gonna go see my friend."

"You're what?"

"My friend, Tweek! Just because he's not yours, he's still mine!"

He left, and Tweek wasn't gonna stop him from going to crack beer cans with his BFF. Tweek rejoined the party of margarita drinkers, budging his way to the front. "Nichole, give me the stupid vinegar drink.."

Red stepped away from the group enthused about starting up a round of King's Cup. That was a hard pass for her, the last few times really fucked her up and she didn't know how she was getting home tonight. As she left, a tower with raven black hair and beer breath stumbled out of the dining room.

"Hey, Stan the Man." Red greeted, seeing him almost trip catching up to her. "Whoa, there."

"Sorry.." he burped. "How you doing?"

"Pretty good," Red observed the hype all around her and lifted her drink. "Didn't really plan how I'm getting back, so this might be my last."

"I can drive you.." Stan burped again, covering it with a fist. "Or...someone can drive me."

Red snorted. "How about I drive both of us? And you can get the car back in the morning?"

Well, there was no getting behind the wheel for him tonight. So long as he didn't know where Wendy was and if she was gonna drink at all. "Yeah..okay. Just don't get caught. It's a company car...no one else can drive it.."

"Sounds good."

Stan looked over the crowd as Red followed his unsteady gaze. "Red, has Wendy been with you..?"

"No, I figured she was with you. Haven't seen her all night."

"I'll ask Bebe.."

"Too late. There she goes."

Turns out Clyde and Bebe could barely last the beginning of King's without Bebe nibbling on Clyde's ear. As she led Clyde up the stairs eagerly by the grip of his shirt, Stan groaned and sipped his rum and coke.

Red pulled out a pack of Malboros from her jeans pocket, sticking one between her lips as she offered the open pack to Stan. "You smoke?"

Kyle finished his round, tossing the cup aside and weighing heavily to a free spot on the couch. He figured he should stop at least for now before knowing what his plan of action that night was instead of sleeping on the Donovan's living room floor. As Heidi too finished another, she came and cuddled her knees up on the couch near Kyle.

"Hey..havin' fun..?"

Kyle smiled at her giddiness, she was nothing but free and all giggles in her state. "Yeah, are you..?"

She answered with a snorty laugh, making Kyle laugh at how much she entertained herself.

"I don't know if I can drive you and Kenny, now." He reeled her by an arm to get her to pay attention. She was wobbly. "But, we'll see who else is driving later, okay?"

"Super.." Heidi agreed, clutching his chin and making Kyle's eyes go wide. "You've got little red caterpillars for eyebrows.."

"I sure do.."

"Hey!" Kenny slammed himself next to them, making the couch shake as Heidi laughed and Kyle jumped. "Sorry to split up the makeout fest."

"Dude."

Heidi cuddled Kyle's shoulder, and the warmth in his chest amped up to a million degrees. "What's wrong with that..?"

"I just wanted to say...that I love you guys." Kenny threw his arms around both of them, squishing Heidi in the middle. "And this night turned out better than I thought."

Kyle gave in, returning the awkwardly positioned hug. "It did, didn't it."

Heidi looked beyond the arms under her chin. "Too bad nothing else can."

"What?"

"Fuck it," she wriggled herself free from their grips. "I saw some juniors show up."

"Yeah..what about them..?" Kenny asked.

"I should do what I should've done since the beginning...and go tell-!" Heidi pointed triumphantly across the room. "Go tell that Jessica bitch what's what!"

"Yeah!" Kenny agreed.

"No," Kyle stood up. He knew drunk regrets, and Heidi would certainly regret something like that. "Heidi, maybe you should take a break from everything down here?"

"Who are you, my mom?" Heidi snorted. "Wait...scratch that...fuck my mom.."

"Hides?"

"But FINE," she agreed, poking Kyle on the chest. "I'll go take a bullshit break.."

"They have a guest room upstairs.." Kyle pointed. "Just kick out whoever's making out, they're all doing it down here anyway.."

"Yeah.." Heidi agreed, parting her hair back that was getting in her face, and finding her path to the stairs across the room. "Yeah, okay.."

Kyle watched her go, and the instant drunk giddiness seemed to be replaced by something Kyle couldn't help but think he caused. Just like the way she'd been acting when they picked her up originally.

"Kenny, I'm gonna go make sure she's okay. Stay here."

Kenny sprawled out on the couch. "Where the fuck am I gonna go...'cuz it's not Cal.."

Clyde and Bebe's clothes found their way to the floor as quickly as Clyde's sneaker was able to slam the door behind him. Bringing Bebe to his bed as the lustful pair fell into one another driven by a fever for each other in their endless sensual game. As Clyde controlled their rhythm from above with nothing to cover them, Bebe hungrily latched his lips with her own while moaning in bliss against him. Clyde parted only briefly to trail near her ear and whisper a request;

"..slap me.."

Bebe opened confused eyes as he reattached his lips to hers, though kept up with the rhythm. "What..?"

"I want you to slap me.." Clyde begged, rolling them over so she was on top. "Tell me I don't deserve you.."

She parted from his lips breathlessly, looking at him in confusion. "Like...punish you?"

"Yeah.." Clyde pulled her back down to play at her neck.

Well, whatever got him going she guessed. As he trailed kisses all along her collarbone, she lowered a hand onto his thigh, the nearest to his bottom she could access. Going for it as she gave him a firm but unaggressive hit. "You don't deserve me.."

He pulled back, reeling her down for her lips as he spoke in between. "No, my face.."

"What?"

"Hit me across the face.."

She parted from him, putting everything on hold. "I'm not doing that, Donovan."

"I deserve it.." He took a handful of blonde curls to bring her face closer. "Might as well make it fun.."

Bebe liked their kinkiness. In fact, she proposed most of it. But, something about Clyde's behavior lately, now implementing this weird punishment he had on himself for weeks into their hook-ups? Something was off that Bebe didn't wanna indulge in.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Clyde."

"It's just like an ass slap.."

Bebe pulled his hand from her hair, sitting on his torso. "I'm not telling you you deserve this...not if you actually mean it. You've been punishing yourself for weeks."

Clyde sat up, holding her by the hips. "It's just sex, Bebe."

"Not anymore." Bebe said. "This isn't the first time you've taken your personal problems into this."

Clyde realized what she meant. They agreed on this friends-with-benefits thing because they just weren't interested in gaining anything emotionally out of one another anymore. Now he was starting to use his self-blame as a way to get off, and he knew Bebe would catch on. It was just another way of being...emotional.

"This is starting to get emotional, isn't it?"

Bebe rolled off him and laid down. "I thought we agreed we weren't doing that anymore."

They laid looking at Clyde's bedroom ceiling, and Bebe huffed from the instant lady-boner kill. As she would put it. She really couldn't afford to handle anything emotionally with Clyde and while she didn't wanna hurt him in the process, it really wasn't her fault.

"So...no sex?" Clyde asked.

The girl just laughed. "I mean, if you wanna get off. I don't think I want to, though."

"Nah, I'm good.." Clyde sat up, looking for his boxers. "I kinda killed the mood.."

She didn't mind being the bearer of bad news, and if that meant putting their little situation on pause, so be it.

"Look, Donovan," Bebe said, looking for her bra. "I like what we have going on. But, you need to do yourself a favor and start facing your own problems before you turn them on me."

Clyde gave her a look. "What are you talking about?"

"I know Craig and Tweek are still pissed at you, and you're all self-punishing," Bebe explained, putting each strap on and clasping the hook and wire in the back. "I've got issues too. I'm not so sure I can just keep sleeping around at my age, I'm trying not to look like a mess to my parents. I'll wait till' college to sleep around again."

"I don't have issues." Clyde muttered.

Bebe paused from putting on her underwear and took a seat on the mattress. Clyde looked up when her hand touched his.

"You're a nice guy, Clyde," Bebe assured. "You're better than Cartman to ditch those who've been better friends to you."

"People grow apart.."

"Yeah," Bebe lifted off the mattress, gathering the rest of her clothes. "But, they haven't."

Heidi threw open the guest bedroom door as Kyle awkwardly trailed behind her. Looking at the quaint, flower-patterned bedding mirroring the doorway and matching shades. With whitish-eggshell carpeting surfacing the whole floor and a crystal-flower accented chandelier with matching sconces along the white, round bedframe.

"Wow, someone put their whole fucking life savings into this.." Heidi muttered, going to sit on the end of the neatly tucked duvet. "Remind me to ask Clyde's mom to re-decorate my whole life this nicely.."

Kyle kept his hands in his pockets, seeing Heidi was probably just gonna sit if she wasn't gonna go back downstairs. "You need anything, Hides?"

She stared at him doleful for a minute, before her eyes cleared and she forced herself to sober a bit. Tucking her hands on her lap as a part of her usual charm Kyle recognized returned under the new attitude she was putting on a front with.

"Sit with me for a bit? If you want.."

Kyle didn't have anywhere to be. He wasn't sure he wanted to be downstairs anymore with all the reminders of how miserable his friends were and how they were unwilling to deal with their own problems. If there was any person he did want to help right now...

He took a careful seat next to her, creating another dent in the mattress and keeping his hands to himself. Heidi kept her distance as she played with her hair, wondering for a mid-second if maybe tonight had been too much on Kyle.

"I'm sorry if I've been a lot, tonight.." she said, continuing to force herself past the drunk blur. "I'm trynna do stuff for myself...I dunno if it's making things weird for others..."

Kyle shook his head. "Fuck the others if you need to do something for yourself."

Heidi smiled at his understanding, thinking fondly before a realization wiped horror over her face. "Oh my god...you sent me the final draft of your speech weeks ago...right around the time I...oh god Kyle, I'm sorry, I never sent you my notes.."

"It's okay, Heidi." Kyle genuinely assured.

"No, I was so busy with this stupid.." Heidi looked at the leather dress she wore, wishing she'd gone with the short green blouse dress she had planned for weeks. This whole attitude really made her question herself down to every detail. "...This stupid change and I forgot the one thing I fucking promised you.."

Kyle's hand gently turned her to him by the shoulder. "You've been busting your ass for yearbook and weekly school posts. I can survive without your edits, I swear."

Heidi stared at him with antsy eyes.

"I mean," he chuckled. "Your edits keep my hope for speech finals alive, but you know what I mean. You gotta put you first."

"I'm sure your edits were just as good.."

Kyle smiled assuringly If she couldn't see her specialty, he wouldn't stop to make sure she knew. "Let's be real, Hides. I believed I could go far with Speech and Debate because of your prowess."

"That's an exaggeration.."

"You're really, really good at what you do," Kyle admired. "I know you know that. You carried the school's yearbook and articles to create a better curricular for everyone. Down to every detail."

Heidi felt her soul elate. Kyle never ceased to amaze her ever since she knew him. This boy had made her wonder for years.

"And your writing is amazing. It's more than-"

When her lips gently meshed with his, Kyle's heart skipped a beat.

Tweek poured his whatever-numbered cup of Caprese margarita down his throat, putting the glass in the sink as he took his other drink of an unfinished vodka mix. Leaving the kitchen on a prowl to shake off this anger that built with every drop of liquor hitting his stomach. His usual shakes and nerves were replaced by the hype of rage as he stormed through the dining and living room, shoulder bumping dancing and chatting teens with little to no care.

He sipped on his vodka mix as he let a tiny burp slip. Finding where his oh-so-loyal boyfriend was in a corner with Nichole as they chatted about whatever. He was surprised Craig wasn't off TP-eeing someone's house with Clyde.

"Hey..!" Tweek approached the two. "Craig, we need to talk."

Craig knew his boyfriend's levels of drunk, and this triggered one was rare. "You okay?"

"Of course NOT," Tweek waved his cup, spilling some of the vodka and Sprite Nichole's way. "This whole night...this whole year is a disaster!"

Craig rolled his eyes. "Tweek, if you're so pissed with Clyde, go talk to him yourself. I'm not gonna get between this anymore."

"What, you're over it?"

His boyfriend shrugged. "I told him I forgive him."

"HA," Tweek pointed. "That's rich for a kid who won't give his dad an ear for anything. But, you'll forgive Clyde!"

Nichole awkwardly cringed, trying to make an exit though Craig exploded. "Yeah, Tweek! Clyde actually has supported both of us coming out since day one! My dad hasn't, and I don't think he ever will! You can't compare that to this!"

"I can though," Tweek growled, frowning as he felt like he could cry. That would just be humiliating in the middle of the party now though. "I've put so much trust into Clyde almost as much as you and for years he kept shattering it for all this superficial shit.."

"..Or maybe you just hog friends."

"Craig, stop!"

"Tweek, this isn't about Clyde ditching us for Cartman! You're afraid of getting any more hurt, because you insist on hogging Clyde and anyone else so you don't have to face change!"

"Whatever..I say a lot of things you don't know."

"I'm your boyfriend!" Craig scoffed. "This is why I couldn't tell you I forgive him! 'Cuz you're so obsessed with holding Clyde accountable you can't even admit that you're a dick, too! Clyde's just trynna make things right, he knows you're scared of losing friends, we all are Tweek!

"You told him that!?" Tweek growled. "You know how embarrassing that is for him to know!? I hate that I'm losing Clyde on top of you next year, why do I need to risk us both getting hurt again!?"

"Why is that embarrassing, he knows everything about you!"

"Was I ever the friend in this situation? Or was I the tag-along? The boyfriend that comes in addition to the two best friends!"

"You are the most jealous person I ever met!"

"He hurt my feelings, Craig!" Tweek reminded angrily. "He betrayed both of us! I'm not doing it all over again, he's been on and off with Cartman since the third grade, leaving us on the sidelines!"

"You're so fucking dramatic," Craig pinched his eyes by the bridge of his nose. "We all fuck up, Tweek! Clyde fucked up! I have bigger shit to deal with than this! So why don't you put this petty thing aside while I do that!"

Tweek gawked, handing his red solo cup to Nichole. "Fine! Sorry to get in the way of your friendship!"

"FINE!"

They split, leaving Nichole in the crosshairs as Jimmy approached. "What was that about?"

Nichole lifted Tweek's drink for a sip in exhaustion. "If I only knew.."

Red exhaled smoke after a long draw, flicking her dart free of ash to the concrete walkway as Stan coughed up smoke from his chest next to her. Red watched as he polished off another drink, accompanying each cigarette with each drink of two more he had since Red offered him a smoke.

"Holy shit..." Stan muttered through a puff.

Red lifted her dart to her lips. "What?"

"I'm so chill...but like on some levels. And this isn't even weed."

"'Cuz you're drunk, and it's nicotine, smartass," Red reminded. "I don't smoke to increase my anxiety."

"Thanks, Red. I mean...Rebeccaaaa..." Stan poked her shoulder. "You're my new favorite therapy."

She shook her head. "Great, I'm the reason you'll have a smoking addiction."

He threw his dart to the ground, stepping on it to die out the spark. "Y'know what we should do..?"

Red watched him rise, wary of whatever nonsense he was gonna spur. "No, what?"

"Call Wendy."

Red sighed. "I dunno, Stan. I think she didn't show for a reason."

"But that's not Wendy.." Stan muttered, kicking his pressed cigarette on the ground. "Wendy shows.."

"Wendy freaks out more than she likes to admit.."

Stan scratched his hair, huffing arrogantly at another couple choosing the front lawn as their makeout corner. "Yeah, you like it now! Wait until she rejects you!"

The high schoolers stopped mid-necking to eye Stan, Red leaned back in her seat. "Dude, don't do it."

He pulled out his phone, looking up Wendy's contact with unfocused eyes.

"Stan, you're not gonna make any sense-"

"I know what to say-!" Stan assured sloppily, lifting his phone to his ear after another voicemail greeting from Wendy's phone. "Hey, gurl."

"Great opening."

"Wendy, Wendy, Wendy, Wendy..." Stan muttered, pointing into his speaker with a weirdly happy-looking grin. "I want you to know...if you don't care about getting married...then I guess I don't care...neither."

Red put out her dart in the ashtray. "Yikes.."

"Not showing up is a pretty cowardly thing, Wendyyyy.." Stan continued to slur. "Very unlike you to not show up without...words to explain why..."

"Are you using words?" Red asked.

"Just tell me..!" He complained into the voicemail. "Where are you? Cuz it's like..freaking me out. You don't just not show up...SO, if you need help...I'm here...stone-cold ready to help...but if you're just ignoring me again...THAT'S FINE. You've been pretty good at that lately...like..shit. Anyway...please show up so I don't panic anymore...'kay...bye."

He hung up, tossing his phone to the grass which Red went to retrieve. "Smooth, Stan."

There was only one time. One other time he'd ever had the chance to kiss her. It was the fourth grade, a time when Heidi turned to Kyle for assurance and it ended up escalating to something neither of them planned. Where his journey of feelings and confusion all began. For that brief time, they were just some little kids holding hands and dating the way any nine-year-olds would. In the park on a lone bench, after getting ice cream at Willy's Chilly, Heidi had told him he could kiss her if he wanted to. So he did. And he never regretted it.

Even now, both with alcohol in their systems, Kyle let all warning signs loose. The hands that were once gripping her wrists traveled with one finding her hip and the other finding her jawline as he brushed back the ashy brown locks tickling his fingers. Her grip on his shirt pulled his weight back on her before Kyle realized he was pulled on top of Heidi. But, the kisses and the assuring press of her body against his kept him from thinking before doing. His hand roamed very lightly along the leather dress she was wrapped in. So many of the little things made him keep on kissing his biggest crush to date. The assuring and soft grip of her lips, the smell of her aroma, the light graze of her hair in his hand that to him felt like touching liquid gold.

But, he could also smell the alcohol on her breath. And the vulnerability she bore.

No wish for her to be his was worth this advantage. He would be just as bad as Cartman with her in this state.

Kyle gasped for air, pulling back. "O-Okay.."

"It's okay, I'm cool.." Heidi breathed, reeling him close by the back of his neck.

"Heidi, you're really drunk.." Kyle reminded as she breathed down his neck.

"Drunk enough to know I want this.."

Kyle pulled back gently, resisting his temptation. "Like this, though?"

Her eyes, beautiful but dazed by intoxication, watched him from underneath. Carefully, she pressed her palms to Kyle's chest and he took the message to roll off her. She sat up, readjusting her strapless by the hem.

"I'm..sorry, Kyle."

"No, you're okay," Kyle tried reaching for her hand though she placed them in her lap. "I liked it."

"My timing is shit.."

Kyle stifled a laugh, though Heidi fell back on the mattress. "Hides.."

"I have some things to figure out.."

As much as he supported her change lately, he knew it was a matter of time before Heidi started really facing the reality of everything. She'd dealt with enough anxiety and depression periods already, and she'd fallen into the wrong hands like her father and Eric Cartman. Kyle just wanted her to know she was supported.

"We're all here, Hides. Whatever you gotta do."

She wiped the tears she swore she wouldn't shed tonight.

"I'll be here, promise. This has happened to the best of us."

"Then why do I feel responsible...for everything that's ever happened to me..?"

Kyle too laid down, staring at the empty ceiling as Heidi covered her tears. "I don't know.."

"Dude, where are you!?"

Cartman clucked loudly at Kevin yelling over the background boom over the phone, turning his Subaru onto the freeway after his already eventful night of detours. "Relax, I had to help my mom throw out our old couch, then I went to Aspen."

"Did you say Aspen?"

"The shrooms, dude!" Cartman reminded as he pulled into the fast lane and sped past some slow retirees. He flipped them off in the process for honking at him. "You're stupid dealer told me he was out there tonight when I said he was gonna have to hook me up."

"Oh yeah, he lives there."

"Yeah, no shit-" Cartman skidded the car and pounded his horn as a guy behind him entered his lane abruptly without signaling. "Asswipe-! Is Clyde there or already pounding his bitch?"

"Nah, he came down early. Think he and Bebe called it quits."

"Ha, was only a matter of time until she moved on to the next one."

"Clyde's barely around, I think he's with Craig Tucker somewhere."

"That's weird.." Cartman watched through his rearview the same car behind him swerve in and out of the lane. Causing other cars behind him to pull back on speed to avoid the zig-zagging maniac. "Dude, pick a fucking lane!"

"You good?"

"Some assclown that doesn't know how to drive, my mom does better." Cartman said. The guy sped up behind him coming in close proximity. "Bro! Fuck it, I'm getting off. I'll be there in half an hour."

"Sounds good."

Cartman scoffed at the headlights behind him, taking his eyes off the rearview for a second. "If this guy ever-"

The impact of the guy's car against Cartman's quickly sent those speeding on the freeway to a violent halt. And for the teenager's Subaru to skid out of the speeder's way and off the side of the highway to a light ditch. An already unconscious Cartman flattened against the dashboard on impact, blanketed by the shattering glass from a branch piercing the front. The freeway had never gone so quiet.

"Cartman? Eric?"

To be continued...