"Dude!"
Kyle snorted, almost meeting the floor before Stan grabbed his arm and practically pulled him back up. His best friend had watched him not seconds ago fall asleep by simply leaning against the lockers as Stan gathered his stuff for homeroom.
"I'm here, I'm here.." Kyle assured, rubbing his hands along his eyes. "Geez.."
"When did you go to bed last night?"
"I..don't.." Kyle yawned, "...remember. Ike had hockey and then needed homework help.."
"Then?"
Kyle rid of his yawn. "Then I needed to do my own homework."
Stan snorted, shaking his head as he collected his books.
"What?" Kyle ridiculed.
"You can't keep this up..you're gonna faint in the middle of the hall one day."
"I promised to help."
"I hate to break it to you Kyle, but," Stan closed his locker. "It's one thing to have your kids help around the house, it's another making them rearrange everything in their life for their help."
"I'm not rearranging everything in my life.." Kyle said. "They've been super stressed lately, I don't wanna make it harder on them."
"But they're fine making it harder on you, I get it." Stan nodded, leaning against his closed locker.
Kyle shot him a stare. "Look, just 'cuz you're having issues with your dad, doesn't mean you have to take it out on my parents and I." His friend watched other students pass by with a hint of defense curling his lip. Kyle looked away with a heavy huff. "Sorry, I just-"
"You've done favours your whole life, Kyle," Stan reminded. "No one's gonna disown you for saying no once and a while."
Kyle crossed his arms with another yawn, debating if he should get a coffee before class.
"Be honest?" Stan asked. "Is this school year building up to everything you thought it would be?"
Kyle didn't wanna answer that. It's not like Stan's year had been peaches and cream, so why was he gonna make it harder for his best friend? Kyle avoided Stan's waiting stare as he kicked the floor with his shoe.
"I'm sorry, dude.."
"No..you're fine." Stan said. "Let me help you.."
Kyle held an agreeing hand out. "If you don't throw mason jars over your dad's head, again.."
"Wendy told you.."
"You're going crazy, bro."
Stan took his hand in a small shake. "Deal."
Kyle tucked his hand into his pocket, holding his books at his side. "So, I guess you never talked to your dad about what happened."
"No, but, lucky for you and Wendy," Stan sighed. "I might have to."
"What does that mean?"
"Letter came in," Stan admitted, making Kyle lift off the lockers in shock. Stan smiled his way. "I got into MSUD."
"Dude!" Kyle shook him by the shoulder. "Are you fucking with me!? We talked about my sleep deprivation before deciding to tell me that!?"
"So, you admit you're sleep deprived."
"Oh, fuckin' whatever.." He blew off as Stan chortled. Kyle fell back against the lockers and lazily turned his head the other way, looking down the entrance of the main hall and spotting Heidi.
He did a double take, not sure if he was still sleepy.
Gone was the baby blue overall dress, floral green blouse, and any typical accessory that was familiar to Heidi's look. The bystanders took notice of the chunky black block heels on the ends of combats striding down the hall. Attached to the girl with a usual bubbliness to her she did not emit today. Skin-tight black stockings went up to her lower thigh, though didn't make coverage of the still exposed skin accentuated by her black leather mini-skirt. Her torso wore a mini lace cami top with a spaghetti sleeve and a leather black choker thick with a silvered buckle on the front. Pulling the view up to her face of darker makeup and ironed straight hair curtained over each ear like a linear waterfall.
She held her same writer's bag by a shoulder as her combats clomped past Stan and Kyle.
"Uh, hey Hides," Stan tried.
Heidi just gave a nod, still walking. "Hey, guys."
"Heidi?" Kyle called. She stopped in her steps and turned around waiting. "Um.."
Her face was still. Completely unbothered but not patient either.
"..Sup?" Was the only thing Kyle could say.
Heidi huffed a laugh. "You're weird.."
She kept walking. Jimmy, hung up against a locker with Clyde, both had traveling eyes on Heidi in watching her make her grand exit. Jimmy's eyes slowly fell to the behind in her leather skirt.
"Dude," Stan called.
Jimmy shook out of his trance, diving his nose back into his book.
"Did she say anything to you?" Stan asked Kyle.
Like giving up her flowers for leather? Kyle couldn't remember ever having that conversation.
Kenny turned the corner just from the west quarter into the main hall. Passing by a chick in leather as he did and nearly tripping over himself. Recognizing the ashy brown hair as Heidi and not believing what he saw. He traveled backward before his backpack hit hard with another kid's, knocking them both to the ground as Kenny looked over his shoulder at Butters rubbing his knee from the impact.
The poor guy had been on a quiet shutdown for weeks, Kenny hated to make him feel worse. He got up to give him a helping hand. "Sorry, Butters. I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's all good, Ken.." Butters said, accepting the tug up as he dusted himself off.
Kenny readjusted his sweater, throwing his hood over his blond hair. "What's up with Heidi's new look?"
"Oh," bringing up Heidi when he still had a sore spot with her didn't help the damage. "I..I wouldn't know."
Kenny frowned in worry. "Have you guys talked since she and Cartman split?"
"I mean a bit in class.." Butters shrugged. "But, nothin' about the 'thing'."
His friend decided to take Butters along with him, leading them both in the same direction for homeroom. "I know you probably don't wanna hear this. But, I feel like you would have to bring it up first."
"Yeah, I know.." the kid nodded. "I just...don't wanna cause her more trouble or nothin'.."
"I'm sure she'd appreciate it."
Butters shrugged his hands into his jeans, avoiding making eye contact with anyone at seemingly any cost. Kenny was wary of how sensitive he was, but he wasn't gonna keep beating around the bush.
"I'm sorry what Cartman did to you.." Kenny said. "He put you in a really shitty position."
"I hurt Heidi.."
"He hurt Heidi..you were just his...unlucky pawn."
Butters shook his head, clearly not believing a word anyone said.
"Cartman's the asshole," Kenny assured. "Heidi and everyone get that. I'm sure if you just talked to her during class. Doing the Spring play together will patch things up for sure. Look at how well you guys did last term!"
"Oh.." Butters seemed to shrink more. "I'm not doing the Spring play.."
Kenny stopped, taking him by the shoulder. "What? Why not?"
"Well, I.." he rubbed a nervous knuckle to his jeans by habit. "I never held up my deal with Eric. So..he told my parents I was taking too many curriculars with classes."
Kenny was almost more shocked than finding out Cartman cheated on Heidi. That he had to go even lower in selling Butters out in the process. Kenny stuttered to stop him, but Butters paced back and waved a small goodbye.
"I'll see you in homeroom..'kay?"
"I'm so proud of you," Wendy smiled, walking downstairs to her living room on the phone. Stan had been working so hard to make it for school in Denver, and she couldn't be thrilled for her incredibly smart and talented boyfriend. "I always knew you would make it."
"So," Stan's voice hummed from the other end. "..You think that might decipher a bit of a yes or no..?"
Wendy's throat dried from him having to bring it up. She peered into the kitchen past the dining table, covering her speaker as she circled the living room. Let her parents find out something about her high school boyfriend asking her to marry him...
"Yeah, um," Wendy sat on the couch. "It...um.."
Her boyfriend's silence wasn't helpful for her racing pulse.
"I...still don't know."
There was more pause. "Don't worry, Wends. I figured."
A little presumptuous, but Wendy wouldn't fight over it. She'd been dragging out an answer for more than a few months now. Eventually, Stan was gonna confront her on holding it off until who knows when. She could feel that confrontation tapping her on the shoulder, but she still shoved it down every chance she got.
"I'm sorry, Stan.."
"It's cool."
His lazy response didn't help to hide his impatience. Wendy sighed, curling her legs up on the couch. "Stan..I love you more than life. It's just crazy, y'know?"
"I know."
"I mean how am I gonna break it to my parents?"
"This is about us."
"I mean sure, but.." Wendy looked to the kitchen again, to make sure there were no listening ears. "I still care about having a healthy dynamic with family...and at least being honest about some things."
"Wendy, you can't just revolve your life around keeping them happy."
"I know but I'm already questioning going to Harvard so early.." Wendy whispered. "Imagine telling them on top of that I'm engaged at eighteen?"
"You're still a Harvard prodigy at eighteen, period. Harvard material. They can't cut you some slack for living a little? You never do anything wrong, ever!"
"Can you cut me some slack? I don't just constantly succeed!"
"What?"
"Harvard material, can't do anything wrong! I feel like plastic!"
"I'm just trying to help-"
"Gwendolyn? You have a sec?" Her mother quickly reentered from the kitchen and Wendy shut everything down.
"I have to go, I'm sorry.." she said, getting up. "I'm really proud of you, Stan. Congrats."
"Wend-"
"I'll text you." She shut her phone off and put it away. "Hey, mom.."
"Sit," her mother took her by the hands, lowering them both to the couch. She saw the apprehension in her daughter's eyes and pushed back her hair, fixing a messy strand as she did. "Honey, I know you've been under a lot of stress."
"You have..?"
"And I know your dad has been pushing a little more since you had that tiff about Harvard.."
"I wouldn't call it a tiff-"
"But, I came up with a solution." Maria eagerly smiled, squeezing the life out of Wendy's hands.
"Mom, it's been a weird day.." Wendy rubbed her aching head. "With Stan, and Heidi's also going through something, and...what is that?"
She stopped when her mother handed her a very cheery and welcoming Harvard pamphlet. But seemingly not for regular programs and courses when Maria gave her a stamped and signed letter on top of it labled with Wendy's full registered name. Wendy couldn't read it when Maria had already busted out with an excited squeal.
"The Harvard Summer High School course wants you to come!"
"But, I never signed up-"
"We thought you were starting to realize how big this was and thought we'd give you the helpful push," her mother assured, handing her housing info for the month-long experience on top of it. "It'll be a great program to really get a taste before you go for real in the Fall! It starts a week after graduation. Both your father and I will fly out with you. Get your dorm set up, and see the kind of place you'll be living in next year-"
"No."
Her mother's brow twitched in confusion, but her smile remained. "Sorry, baby?"
Wendy handed the papers back. "Can they refund you?"
Her mother lowered the letters. "Wendy, this a great first step-"
"I was serious, y'know," Wendy said. "What I said last semester. I don't know if I'm ready yet."
Maria looked at the letters Wendy still held out for her to take back.
"And going to a pre-college program isn't what I agreed on."
"Wendy," Maria placed the papers out of the way. "That's how this works. Do you know what I would've done at your to get an opportunity like this? Ever since you said Harvard was your dream school, you signed up for any protocol necessary."
"Well then, that's bull."
"Gwendolyn-!"
"Mom," Wendy got up from the couch and headed for the stairs. "I really hope they can refund you, 'cuz I would hate for your money to go to waste on something I'm sure a billion other kids are much more ready for."
"Mija? What has gotten into you?"
Wendy scoffed loudly as she went upstairs. "What has gotten into everyone else!?"
Adrenaline and hormones ran high as two teenagers found them alone in a compromising situation that evening. Clyde panted from the ecstasy as Bebe, just as naked as he, crawled off him after another successful round. She laid beside him amongst the disheveled sheets of his bed, flipping her mop of curls out of her face as she stole half the duvet to bring over her chest. Bebe caught her breath with a hand resting above her head on the pillow. Her tired eyes traveled the open air of Clyde's room in observing the mismatched Playboy and torn sexy robot posters amongst his blue-grey walls.
Bebe turned her head. "The functuay of your bedroom really bums me out.."
"Sorry.." Clyde panted, reaching to his bedside to take a sip of a half-empty beer. "I didn't bring you here for interior redecorating."
"No," Bebe shifted over, pressing her skin to his from up top as Clyde felt what lay underneath the cotton sheets with tempting hands. Bebe blinked down at him with husky eyes. "But, I'm always pleasantly surprised whenever you bring me up here.."
Clyde reeled her in by a hand full of blonde girls, tasting her lips. Unable to resist the extremely sultry pull she had on him, and other noticeable...voluptuous elements of her's.
"Three out of three, then..?"
He was answered by her diving for his neck, quickly responded with Clyde flipping them both over so he could take control. As Bebe wiggled in pleasure underneath him with a gasping smile, the phone by Clyde's unfinished beer buzzed.
"Ignore it.." Bebe begged, gripping his hair.
The buzz continued and Clyde lifted his head.
"Fuck.." Bebe complained as he crawled off her. Clyde reached for his phone to see Cartman's name flashing across.
"What does he want? Another hoe to cheat with?" Bebe said, shifting away.
Clyde ignored the call, but it was shortly followed by a spam of texts telling him to come down to Stark's to crack open some beers. With his usual football crowd, but, the point in having Bebe over for another booty call was to escape from everything else.
"Forget it, we're doing our own thing.." Clyde closed his chat with Cartman.
"Actually," Bebe opened the sheets, searching for her tossed bra. "I'm gonna call it."
"Why?"
She put her undergarments back on as her legs left the bed. "Having Cartman fresh in my mind kills the mood for anything.."
Clyde flipped over, watching her get dressed. "Cartman...ruins the mood for most things.."
Bebe scoffed, throwing her crop on over her bra. "And yet, you're ruining your chances with your real friends for him."
"Hey, I didn't ask you to come here for advice."
"I don't give advice," Bebe fixed her hair, facing the open window. "I just call it how I see it."
Clyde sat up and reached for his phone, again. Opening a new chat with someone he'd been giving the space to. But, after hearing about the fight with his dad, Clyde felt like he should say something. He knew how ruthless Mr. Tucker could be with Craig, and he knew Craig's response was probably nothing less than unforgiving.
I know we're not talking, I just hope you're doing okay.
He didn't expect nor feel the need for a response. He just wanted to give Craig another voice of assurance. Knowing his dad after all these years, whatever went down for Craig to stay out of the house for a week must've been bad.
He certainly didn't expect a text back he'd missed when with Bebe.
Did you know? About Cartman and the junior?
Clyde typed back as Bebe reached over his legs to grab her skirt.
I really wish I had.
To be continued...