TriceTokushu: Yee, Stan and Craig having it out with their dads a lot rn. I loooove Heidi, but considering how many times she took Cartman back I think she still has some waking up to do.

SouthDown: LOL, it would be a very South Park way if the kids just decided to burn the school down. Not impossible.

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Kyle yawned with his head half slumped in his hand. Trying to keep his eyes peeled on the chem board as he shared a lab table with Stan. As their teacher went through basic formulas and combinations, a lot of it floated in and out of Kyle's ears. Which was not good for him if he wanted to maintain valedictorian-worthy grades. He'd been up late last night helping Ike with middle school math. His parents have been a little more busy with work, especially Gerald with extra town council meetings on top of his law firm. So, Kyle was more than happy to help pick up the slack. It was part of his attitude in making this year have a good effect on everyone.

Ike had been having a particularly hard time in math, so last night's tutoring session lasted more than a few hours. Now here Kyle was, fighting to keep awake for the sake of his own schooling. He knew part of the benefit of helping Ike was teaching him the ropes of helping his parents around the house when Kyle would be gone. Especially when their mother now spent half her work week driving back and forth between here and Denver. Kyle's friends told him he should take some time to slack off. After all, Ike was twelve, he was more than capable of learning a few more things.

Kyle tried relaxing, he really did. But, he didn't want to just pull the chair out from underneath those depending on him. What kind of person would he be, then? Stan's elbow nudged Kyle in the side, and he realized he'd been drifting off again.

"You're not gonna make it," Stan muttered.

Kyle yawned and raised his hand. "Watch me.."

The teacher stopped the lesson to look Kyle's way. "Broflovski?"

"Can I grab a water bottle from my locker?" He asked, remembering he packed a Power Aid in his bag.

Their teacher, having very little patience but knowing Kyle was an honest student, simply sighed. "Yes, just make it quick."

Kyle shot a smug look to Stan who just rolled his eyes. He slipped out of his seat and grabbed a student hall pass. Leaving the chem lab and wandering into the vacant hallways.

The student stifled a yawn through his palm, unable to help it. Tiredness was catching up to him and they weren't even through the first semester yet. He needed to get more awake if he was gonna keep up a certain GPA record. University of Colorado wasn't a terribly difficult school to get into, but he wanted to keep a high average if he was gonna be a psych major.

Kyle turned to the hallway's rows of grade-central lockers. Coming to find his and turning the combination through another yawn before he heard a large sniff. Down the hall to his left he saw a figure sitting between the two still doors of the bathrooms, texting on her phone as means to distract herself though it didn't stop her tears from soaking her blouse.

Kyle forgot about the Power Aid as his hand left his lock. Heidi wiped the water under her eyes and sent a final text to her mother, agreeing to help with some chores after school so long as it didn't spark another fight with her father. That alone was hardly what she was crying about, but it reminded her of every little detail of everything else going to crap.

"Heidi?"

She looked up, and immediately away from Kyle. "Hey.."

"What's wrong?"

She tried wiping away the remaining stickiness on her face. "Just..one of those days."

Kyle frowned and thought about whether chemistry was worth ditching. "Can I join you..?"

Heidi looked up again. "Don't you have chem?"

Yeah, that class definitely had its reputation for failing seniors. It didn't stop Kyle from taking a seat against the wall though.

"One class won't hurt."

Heidi swallowed, wiping the remaining tears.

"D'you wanna talk about it..?"

Heidi put her phone down. "I want to not talk about it.."

Kyle nodded. With all the girl dealt with, maybe she dealt with enough talking.

Heidi sniffed. "Can I ask you something, though?"

Kyle shrugged. "Sure?"

"Why are you taking chem and not physics?" She asked. "Mr. Bogger is the worst."

"I don't know..I like chemistry."

"Look, I'm not a science geek-" Heidi defended, making Kyle gawk. "What?"

"I'm a science geek?" Kyle laughed.

Heidi shrugged in defense. "I figured!"

"Wendy's in freakin' Bio Club, she's not a science geek?"

"Oh, she is," Heidi said. "I didn't say it was a bad thing! I like science geeks."

Kyle hid his smile, shooting his eyes down.

"What I was saying," Heidi continued. "AP physics applies to most college fields. I don't get why you wouldn't take it."

"Yeah, most," Kyle ridiculed. "I wanna go into psych. Would chemistry not make more sense?"

"I guess." Heidi chuckled. "Psh...I dunno how brain science works..."

"Heidi?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you sitting in the hallway?"

Heidi's smile left her lips, and the moment was over. She crossed her arms. "You are, too.."

"Hides."

The girl beside him hunched her shoulders with nerves running up and down her spine. Kyle's eyes being on her with such demand was almost intimidating. "I'm just overwhelmed by a lot, I needed a break."

Kyle looked at the bathroom doors. "Well, the floor in front of the bathroom is definitely a therapeutic escape. Good job."

Heidi hit his arm with a small grin. "If I go anywhere noticeable, they're gonna send me back to class. I have a bathroom to hide in."

Kyle crossed a lot of lines with what he put his nose into. Sometimes he couldn't help it though. "Is it Cartman?"

The girl next to him stared at her shoes. "Partially."

"And..?"

"My parents." Heidi couldn't help but spill.

"Are they getting divorced or something?"

"I really, really hope so."

Kyle's brows raised in shock and Heidi just snickered at his reaction. He just smiled at how easily she could find fun in poking him despite whatever bullshit of Cartman's or apparently her parents' she was putting up with.

"I'm not a psych major yet, but," Kyle haughtily said which Heidi rolled her eyes over. "If you ever need to talk to someone.."

"Aren't therapists not supposed to give advice?"

"I'll make an inappropriate exception."

She smiled gently. "Thanks, Kyle."

He matched her smile and watched her move a little closer to his side. Heidi rested against his shoulder and Kyle swallowed the lump in his throat.

During their free period, Kenny shared the end of a computer row with Jimmy in an open comp lab. Working on his college research and prep when Jimmy decided to join him in working on an essay. As Kenny surfed the Caltech page for the physics program, he considered a few things. Loans were applicable if he got in, yes. But, there were required electives he still needed to finish up. He'd been passing with most if not all flying colours since getting into high school. That's when he really started to care about the work he was putting in academically.

And then there was the issue with his parents. Even if he explained student bursaries they were gonna still have a hard time understanding. Kenny was willing to figure out anything else money-wise; Student housing, living on campus, he knew there were possibilities. His dad mostly was gonna shit a brick thinking Kenny would expect them to have the money. But, that wasn't the main issue and Kenny knew it. His parents only ever wanted their kids to be taken seriously since Carol and Stuart never were themselves. If Kenny showed up to Caltech, would he just be seen as another poverty-stricken redneck who got lucky?

"Find much luck, Ken?" Jimmy asked.

Kenny wrote down some requirement notes for his application letter. "Progress, I guess.."

A blond kid with a radiant smile approached their computer row.

"Heya, Ken! Jimmy!" He enthused before he was shushed by a bunch of students. "...sorry. Heya, fellas.."

"'Sup, Butters," Kenny said, keeping his eyes on the screen.

"Watcha' working on?"

"I'm doing my English report," Jimmy said. "Kenny's working on his Caltech research."

"Oooh, you mean that fancy California Einstein school?"

Kenny clicked back and forth between tabs. "That's the one."

"You won't guess where I came from," Butters continued. "Kyle was talking about how Community Charity Club is a great way to get involved with change. And it looks great on an application! Kyle's gonna put a word in for me to join."

Jimmy stopped typing. "Butters, you oughta be careful."

Butters took a seat, still all smiles. "'Bout what?"

"Your parents are still giving you an-an u-ultimatum, aren't they? On your grades?"

"Yeah, but they won't know!" Butters was sure. "And this is community service, how can anyone be mad about that?"

"What about theatre?"

"I'll do both! C'mon fellas, I can tell a lie as good as the next."

Jimmy and Kenny shared a look. It wasn't exactly his forte, but the kid wanted it.

Kenny scrolled over a page regarding financial aid for the millionth time. "Do you guys know if scholarships cover living arrangements?"

Jimmy and Butters thought about it before giving a resounding 'no.' Kenny blew past his lips in frustration.

"Are you sure Saturday works?" Wendy asked. "I'm sorry about Friday."

It wasn't Stan's favorite idea, but Wendy had student council stuff to uphold. Midterms were already fast approaching and things weren't gonna slow down anytime soon. "It's all good. No issue."

"Black coffee and latte, Wendy?" The Tweek Bros barista called. Wendy turned to get her and Stan's orders, handing him his coffee. They went to go take their seats in the crowded shop at a window table.

"So, um," Wendy said. "I hope things were okay when you called the other night."

Stan lifted his coffee for a sip. "What d'you mean?"

"With your dad?"

"Oh," Stan brushed off. "I mean, same old."

"Yeah," his girlfriend drummed her fingers against her coffee cup. "Stan, you think things are getting worst with your dad?"

"I don't see how they could.."

"But, that's just the thing," Wendy pushed. "You've never had such a dip in your relationship with him like this, and, I'm just worried it's gonna make things bad for you in the long run."

"Wendy, there's not a lot of reasoning with him. I kinda just have to move on."

She sighed, not giving up. It was understandable, he wanted freedom. "What if that's worst? Maybe if you talked eye to eye-"

"I appreciate it," he smiled to show he was grateful. "But, the more Tegridy grows he just seems..further from understanding."

Wendy frowned. "Is your mom okay?"

"She's better...they're better," Stan picked up his hot coffee. "Ever since dad started helping the family more, they've picked up where they left off."

Wendy gently nodded, though saw apprehension as Stan sipped his coffee. Randy's relationship with his wife may have been resecured, but his one with Stan was going into the gutter as a result it seemed.

Stan swallowed. "I guess when he does think of Tegridy, part of it is just pushed on me."

"Baby," Wendy reached across the table to caress his arm. "I wish there was more I could do."

Stan smiled behind his cup. "You don't need to. I'm just happy to know you're there."

She nodded, though desperately wished she could help somehow. "I'm sorry I've been so busy with everything."

Stan hesitated before shrugging. "It's cool."

"My parents are all freaked out about me nailing this proposal for Winter Pep in student council. Say it's good 'Harvard material' to have such a prestigious role in school leadership."

"Well, they're encouraging, I guess."

Wendy scowled to herself. "But, no picnic."

Stan lowered his coffee. Wendy sighed in frustration. "My parents are just really up my ass about me getting into an Ivy League.."

"But, you do wanna go to Harvard."

Wendy anxiously ran a hand through her hair strands back and forth. "I mean...maybe not..right away."

His girlfriend never liked to dwell on her anxieties with others, on account of never showing much weakness to her parents and others close to her. She'd been a rock to everyone since they were kids. Harvard was supposed to be that reward of perfection everyone expected of her.

"Wends? You're really tense."

No shit. Wendy didn't want to be bitter, but her parents' comments about striving for the best have been in the back of her mind so much already this year. With all the perfection Stan also saw her as maybe his expectations of her came off as a little...off-putting.

Wendy stopped running her hand through her hair when Stan's palm touched her other. Making her look up. "Maybe I'm not as ready for life as I thought I was.."

With his girlfriend not knowing, that only made Stan crazy scared.

Red, Nichole, Heidi, and Butters took their seats on the floor of the rehearsal studio attached to the school's auditorium. Amongst the group of the ensemble for the Fall's play, Angels in America, students took out their notebooks and binders in prep for their director Miss Dotty to come in. Everyone was electrified after yesterday's posting of the cast list when it had been weeks since the original auditions. As a murmur of nerves and excitement buzzed over the group, Red clutched her binder with gripping fingers.

"I'm so excited," she couldn't help but say for the millionth time.

"Butters, congrats," Heidi smiled to her left. "You're gonna make a great Prior."

"Thank you, Hides." Butters grinned. He felt pretty good getting one of the protagonist roles. Prior Walter being one of the most tragic characters in the play, Butters couldn't help but feel elated about getting to really stretch his performance skills.

Nichole highlighted her lines for Nurse Emily. "We have such a great lineup, this year."

The door opened as their drama teacher entered, making students rustle and shush one another in eager anticipation.

"At ease little birds," their director commanded, coming to the whiteboard they all sat before. "I know typically we'd use a classroom at this time to do our first table read, but I wanted to establish a few things first."

She turned to snap open a marker and began writing a few scheduling terms on the board.

Nichole leaned over to Heidi. "She seems a little pissed, today.."

Despite how early auditions were this year, it was late in the semester to only be starting rehearsals now. Apparently time commitments were tight for everyone, nowadays. One of the scheduling issues Miss Dotty put in bulk regarded Winter Pep, and Heidi sighed.

"Crap.."

Their director turned around with a frustrated scowl. "So, the Phys Ed department decided to push Winter Pep to the week of our tech week."

The theatre kids murmured in shock and Heidi rubbed her eyes in distraught.

"This wouldn't have been an issue, but since some of you are active in Winter Pep," Miss Dotty made a point of looking directly at Heidi, which Heidi couldn't help but return with an embarrassed grimace. "This shaves two weeks off our schedule. We can't push tech and opening into the final week of the semester when we need two full weeks."

"So we're pushing it back?" One student asked,

Miss Dotty turned to write down the solution. "Tech week is a week before, we open the week of Winter Pep."

Some of the students groaned in disappointment. "It won't be as fun not opening the last week of the semester!"

"I know," the teacher agreed, deciding to throw Heidi another not-so-obscure look. "Too bad some of us have a heavy responsibility for Winter Pep."

"The hell..?" Red whispered, she and others wondered why Miss Dotty was giving Heidi so much slack for being on the cheer squad. It's not like Dotty up-held her promise of starting rehearsals early this year. Now she was frustrated compensating for her busy students? She never had before, and one minor schedule conflict meant it was suddenly Heidi's problem.

Butters patted Heidi's shoulder. Didn't she deal with enough, already?

Kenny hesitated touching his nearly finished grilled cheese and tomato soup as he sat at the family's circle kitchen table. His sister was at his left, eating her soup silently with his mom across from him and his dad on the other end. After a few questions rose from his research today, he wished he could establish some things his parents could answer. It would best help him ease them into the idea of him going far for school, without completely telling them yet.

"How was school today?" Carol asked her kids.

Karen stirred her soup. "I dunno. I still can't think of an idea for an integrative project, and I need a decision by next week."

"Do a theory in instrumentation physics," Kenny said, remembering his own research topic sophomore year. His teacher had tried to convince him it'd be too advanced a level to do a grade ten project on, but Kenny assured him he'd be able to pull through in the end.

"Yeah, no." Karen rejected. She was not as into sciences or mechanics as her brothers were. Let alone following Kenny's steps in doing some crazy physics theory. "I'll just pick an author and do a biography on their writing or something."

"That's boring.."

Karen swallowed her soup quickly, ridiculing her brother. "And physics isn't?"

"'Kay, hush." Carol turned her focus to Kenny. "Baby, when you gotta have your submissions for colleges in?"

"January."

"How're your studies?" Stuart asked through a bite of sandwich.

"Good, dad."

He grunted in approval. Kenny was pretty self-sufficient when it came to studying since he was little, but they always tried to check in. Kenny was glad, he felt lucky to have parents who cared about school as a necessity. Possibly a good sign.

"When you end up going to Colorado State," his mother mentioned. "Kevin said he's moving into a slightly bigger space for y'all."

Kenny pursed his lips, putting his spoon down. "Speaking of..um.."

His parents looked up.

"Do scholarships cover everything?"

They stared in confusion, Karen just bit her lip through an awkward bite of her sandwhich.

"Like.. college-wise?"

"I think for education and books," Carol said, digging into her food. "Gerald Brofvloski got one of them...uh, stipends..for livin' when he went to college."

Stuart scoffed through a sip of beer, though Kenny still didn't get it. "Meaning..?"

"Like a loan, but you can wait years to pay it dependin'."

"Why you askin' 'bout this?" Stuart halted, smelling that something was up immediately.

Kenny dove his gaze to his plate. "I dunno, just based off of conversation today."

He figured a loan or scholarship couldn't cover every detail depending on the school. If he could wait years to pay off living arrangements, he could make ends meet through work. Maybe hopefully with his parents' aid too.

The doorbell rang, and the family looked up at the sound of some teenage snickers running off from the outside's front door. Another family from around town who enjoyed messing with the McCormicks' property on account of thinking of them as 'white trash' and nothing more.

"Ah, not again. Stuart, help me call those shits' parents," Carol got up as Stuart grabbed his unfinished beer while the kids finished up their own dinner. Carol came around the table with a gleaming smile for her son.

"I'm so excited to get your letter for Colorado State. We can open it together!" Carol gave a kiss to Kenny's cheek. "My little baby is goin' to college!"

"Carol! They left the damn stink bomb on our porch, again!"

"Ah, shit!"

Kenny forced a smile as his mother left the kitchen, before dropping his head to the table's surface. This was the third night in a row some privileged kids ding-dong ditched them and it certainly wasn't helping the Mccormicks' self-outlook. "They're never gonna be okay with it.."

Karen made sure their parents were out of earshot before suggesting anything. "..Why don't you just address the letters to the school office?"

Her brother's eyes lit up. "Wait, yeah. That's smart."

"I am smart," Karen gloated, stirring her soup.

"Yeah, maybe you should apply to Caltech."

His sister made a face. "Ew, science school? No way."

"'Kay, geez."

To be continued...