Marina PoV

Marina spent the rest of the week busy with work, practice and her grandma being in town. It was fairly quiet. She couldn't complain. It was Friday morning and she was driving herself to school. Marina was running a bit late so Kenny went ahead and left with the guys.

She was putting her stuff into her locker, talking with Wendy, Stan and Kenny.

Cartman walked up to them slowly, "Marina?"

"What's up?" She asked.

"Can you possibly come talk in private for a sec?"

"Sure." She shrugged, wondering why he looked sad. Marina followed Cartman as he led her outside. "What's going on dude?" She asked as soon as the door shut.

"Look, I'm going to tell you something very upsetting. I hope that you understand that I am not trying to hurt you, I just think you should know."

"Okay." She answered slowly.

"I just found out that your dad and my mom are like.. together. Like actually going on dates."

"I'm not surprised."

"You're not?"

"No. I caught them sleeping with each other."

"My mom said something about how we needed to start packing my room. I really don't think they've been together long enough to move in together, so maybe we are just getting a new house."

Marina felt like she was going to be sick, she didn't really talk to her parents this past week since she had been pretty busy and this morning her dad wasn't downstairs. She had no idea if they were discussing anything or talking about someone moving. She tried to tell herself she was just being scared. The thought of her Grandma suddenly coming into town was beginning to seem suspicious and bother her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah I'm just worried. I don't want them to separate. I don't want to move." She felt tears stinging her eyes.

"It's going to be okay. Do you need a hug?"

She nodded slowly and Cartman wrapped his arms around her.

"I just wanted to give you a heads up. Because I feel like anyone deserves that."

"I know." She sighed.

They stepped apart and then walked back inside, she spotted Kenny waiting by the entrance to the hallway of their 1st period class.

He fell in line with her as she passed him, not saying a word.

Marina was pretty sure that it was obvious she was fighting tears. She was repeatedly telling herself to be strong and not think about it.

When she got to her desk she sat her stuff down and then slowly lowered herself to the seat. She was desperately trying to keep herself together. She didn't want to cry at school. She didn't want to cry at all.

The teacher instructed them to read their chapters after doing their essays, as usual.

She pulled out a paper and wrote her name and Kenny's at the top.

"I can write some of that if you want?" He told her.

Marina shook her head.

"I really can. It's okay. I don't mind. I don't want you to have to do all of the work."

Marina held her hand up slightly, gesturing her hand in a "don't worry about it" way, knowing if she opened her mouth to talk she was probably going to talk through cry breaths and she knew she would start crying if she allowed herself the oxygen for it.

"You okay?" Kenny asked in a soft voice, just the tone itself made her eyes well up.

"Don't." She replied in a quick breath.

She realized that she couldn't focus on the paper anymore, so she slid it over to him. Marina couldn't help but try to remember any interaction she had with her parents this past week and even during the weekend. She thought her mom seemed normal. She didn't even remember really seeing her dad that much. Which was what had her very worried. She just wanted to run home right then and make sure everything was okay. She had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't right.

"Marina?" She barely heard Kenny through her thoughts.

She looked over at him, probably too quickly.

"Did you hear me?"

She shook her head, biting her lip, knowing full well if he asked if she was okay she would burst.

"I was saying that you should make sure this looks okay."

Marina grabbed the paper and started reading over it. Her mind was still trailing back off to her parents. She started spiraling into worrying about moving schools, not being able to see her friends again. If her parents moved back to their hometown they would be very far from South Park. She thought about her friends, and how she knew them better than any other friends she had. She didn't want to start over on a new life somewhere else.

"Marina sweetie, I'm trying not to push you, but what in the hell did Cartman say? Don't let him affect you like this. If it was about this weekend, I haven't talked to him about any of it since Monday, so if he said anything to upset you, it was made up."

She shook her head, wishing she could talk to Kenny about it, but she knew she couldn't without drawing attention from everyone in the room.

She finally looked over at him, his eyes were filled with concern, and the look on his face made a tear escape down her cheek, and then after that another.

Kenny put his hand on her leg and she lost complete control over her tears.

Marina quickly grabbed her stuff and stood up, "Sorry, I need to step out." She mumbled to the teacher as she practically ran out of the classroom.

"Damn Kenny what did you do to her?" She heard someone say as soon as she reached the hall.

She let out a sob into her hand and then started looking around, trying to figure out where she should go.

Kenny ran out into the hallway and almost ran into her, "Come on." He placed his hand on her shoulder, leading her in a direction down the hall.

Kenny finally stopped in front of the Janitors closet and knocked before opening the door, after a quick scan he pulled her inside.

Marina let out another sob as she let her body fall back against the door, and then she slid to the floor, her crying increasing. She couldn't get out of her head. She wasn't able to stop thinking of every life change her parents separating would cause. She didn't even know for sure if that was what was happening. But she felt so strongly like it was.

She didn't even realize she was gasping for air until Kenny quickly dropped to the floor in front of her and grabbed the sides of her face, "Hey you gotta try to calm down. Look at me Rina. Take a deep breath okay, babe? Can you take a deep breath for me?"

She couldn't catch her breath long enough to even take a deep breath, realizing this made her feel like she couldn't get a breath hardly at all. She looked at him in fear.

"Shh, shh. It's okay sweetie."

She grabbed onto his arm as she was gasping for air. Kenny quickly reached around her and tucked his arm under her knees and his other arm around her back, he pulled her toward him, moving off of his knees he put his legs in front of him and pulled her body to him, he pressed her head against the crook of his neck, resting the side of his jaw against her forehead. He wrapped his arm around her, holding on tightly to her upper arm and then he wrapped his other arm around her waist. He rubbed his arm up and down the side of her arm.

Marina let herself try to relax against him, still gasping, "I…don't…want.." She spoke a word with each breath.

"Shh." Kenny shushed her, "Don't try to talk right now. Just try to calm down, try to think of something different than whatever you're thinking."

"I…can't."

"Just think about this room, think about what you're doing right now."

She changed her focus, opening her eyes, she told herself she was in the janitor's closet at school, she could feel Kenny's skin against her forehead, and his soft blue shirt was against her cheek, he smelled like his soap and deodorant. The smell of him made her think of being in the car with him. She closed her eyes, replaying the image of the moon illuminating his painted face and when his lips were moving smoothly in rhythm with hers.. Marina felt herself calming down. "You're okay." He kept repeating softly, rubbing her arm still.

She finally took a deep, shaky breath.

"Ken?" She whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You promise...to be my best friend forever?"

"Of course babe."

"No matter what?"

"Absolutely! Nothing would change that. You're one of the small handful of people that completely knows me and doesn't judge me." She could hear the smile in his voice, he leaned his jaw more against her head.

"Even if I moved away?"

"Of course. I'd call you after school every single day. You're not my best friend just because it's convenient. You'd be my best friend no matter what happened. Don't worry about that. Is that why you just went into a panic attack? Are you moving?"

"I don't know." She felt another tear fall from her eye and she sniffed, "I think I need to go home right now though. I have a really bad feeling." She moved her hand to wipe her face and she moved to stand, he stood up before her and then helped her up.

"Does my make up look bad?"

"Do you want me to be honest?"

She let out a single laugh, "Great." She tried to wipe it up better, he reached out running his thumbs over her face to help her. Marina tried to ignore the warmth that spread through her from the gesture.

"You okay to drive? I can take you home if you want me to."

"I got it. I promise."

"Okay. Will you tell me when you make it home? Please?"

She nodded and he opened the door for them.

When she pulled into her driveway, her mom's car was still in the open garage. She knew that wasn't a good sign already, she should have been at work.

Marina walked into the door and her mom jumped, dropping a box, "Marina! You just scared me!"

"What are you doing home?" Marina asked numbly, afraid to even know the answer.

"I should ask you the same. School only just started about two hours ago."

"I felt sick."

"Did someone upset you? You look like you've been crying."

"What are you doing with that box?" Marina ignored her.

"Oh I'm.." Her mom looked at the box and then back to Marina, "Well um... I was hoping to have this conversation either later today or tomorrow."

"I think we should have it now." Marina snapped.

"Calm down Marina."

"Are you leaving?"

Natalie pulled a chair out at the kitchen table and gestured for Marina to sit down. She numbly walked toward it and sat down slowly, her mom sitting down in the chair beside it.

"Your dad and I are extremely unhappy Marina. We have been for a while. He came to me and told me that he has been in an off and on again relationship with someone in town, and they are pretty serious now."

"What an asshole."

"Hey, watch what you say about him. That has only been going on for just under 2 years. I have been in a long distance relationship with my high school boyfriend for about 4 years now. I wasn't giving him sex anymore. I don't blame him for wanting to go out and find someone else."

"What?!" Marina gasped.

"He lives in California. Every time I have said I was on a work trip, I was going to see him." Her mom sighed, looking sadly at the table, "I'm not proud of it. Your dad had suspicions but he let it go for the most part. Obviously now I see why. I don't condone cheating, and I shouldn't have done it period. I shouldn't have even messaged him back when he contacted me on Facebook. But he was my first real love, and I don't think I've ever been able to love another man the same way. I never loved your dad the way I loved Gary."

"Soo are you moving out? Are you staying in town or moving to California?"

Her mom winced, "California."

Marina glared at her, "Okay, I'm going to go pack."

Natalie grabbed Marina's arm, "No." She told her softly.

"What?" Marina's voice broke as tears stung her eyes. She was not staying here with her dad.

"You are going to stay here with your father."

"No I am not. I am going with you. I won't stay with him." She cried.

"Marina. You have only one year of school left. Your friends are here. I will be back, I co-own the grocery store, if anything needs to be signed by me I have to come back here. You'll see me often and I will call you daily if you let me. But I have to do this. Gary and I are going to see the world. I need you to stay here and go to school with your friends. I love you so much, more than anyone in the world and this is what I think is best for you. This is what I want you to do. It isn't that I don't want you with me. As soon as you graduate you can move right to California and be with us, but for now, I need you to stay here and finish school. Graduate. Go to homecoming and prom and spend your last year with your best friends. Don't cry babygirl." She reached out and wiped Marina's face, "You're going to be so much happier when you don't have a house with tense parents. I've been so unhappy with your dad for almost 10 years now. I only stayed with him for you. But now that I know he has moved on, I feel like I can finally go live my life happily. "

"I don't want to be here with him without you." She sobbed.

Her mom stood up and hugged Marina, holding her face against her stomach, "I know babygirl, he is a good dad to you though, and you will have a better life here with him. I won't have my job anymore. Gary's house is smaller."

"I don't care about how big my house is mom. I don't care about money. I want to go with you please!" She stood up and hugged her mom back, leaning down and laying her forehead against her mom's shoulder.

"I'm sorry sweetie. You have to stay here until you graduate. I'll come see you often, I promise. You can come visit me on breaks too. I love you so much, so much more than you can ever imagine."

"I love you too mom." Marina replied, knowing it wasn't worth asking anymore, she wasn't going to change her mind.

"I leave on Sunday. I've been packing my stuff since this weekend."

"Is that why Grandma came? Because you're moving to California?"

"Yes.. She came as soon as I told her I was going to do it."

Marina went into her room and closed the door, laying on her bed, she cried herself to sleep.

"Marina, you gotta get ready for the game?" Her mom woke her up.

"I can't cheer, I left school and said I was sick."

"Okay." Her mom sighed.

Marina picked up her phone and looked at the messages she had gotten while she was asleep.

Wendy

Are you okay? What the hell did Cartman say to you?

Helllooo. Where are you?

Kenny

Havent heard from u, hope ur okay...

Wendy

Marina, Worried over here! Pls let me know you are ok!

Cartman

U good Morrison? They r all really worried about u, I promise I havnt sed anything. I didnt want to be the one to tell them. Hope ur okay dude...

Kyle

Everyone is worried about you.. everything going okay? Cartman wont tell us what he told you

He better not have said something to hurt you bad enough to make you leave school, I'll kick his ass.

Stan

Hey Mar, please let us know if ure okay.. everyone is freaking out. Cartman is being an asshole and wont tell us what he said to u. Did Kenny do something? U left the room crying after talking to him.. Let me know what is going on okay? Wendy has almost left school twice because she is so worried..

Marina texted every one back individually, just saying she was okay. She wasn't going to go to the game but she decided against it. She figured she could just sit with Kyle. She threw her leather jacket on and some skinny jeans, then she fixed her makeup and hair before heading out.


She found Kyle in the middle of the student section.

"Aren't you supposed to be cheering?" Butters asked her, Kyle was beside him and his attention turned to her when he heard what Butters said.

"I left school early and said I was sick, so I won't be allowed to cheer." She told him as she sat down on the other side of Kyle.

"Oh." Butters nodded.

"You good?" Kyle asked.

"No, but I am going to be." She sighed.

Marina and Kyle walked down to the fence line after the game. Marina watched Stan and Cartman shove each other and a cheerleader from the other team ran up to Kenny. She pointed in the direction of the group of cheerleaders, as he turned to look over there, his eyes met with Marina's. He looked at the girl again, said something and started running in Marina's direction.

She watched the girl look at her and then head over to her friends, she shrugged once she reached them, one of the girls looking over at her and Kyle. Kenny's body blocked her view and she made eye contact with him and gave him a small smile."You okay?" He asked.

Marina barely shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek.

"I'll go change and shower real quick, don't leave me, I'm going to ride home with you." He told her quickly.

She nodded and he ran toward the locker rooms.

"There you are!" Wendy's voice called out as she crossed the rest of the distance to Marina.

Wendy hugged her over the fence, "I'm here if you need anything. Stan said that you ran out of the room after Kenny touched you, are you okay? Did he say something?"

"It's not Kenny." Marina told her easily, "I don't really want to talk about it right now. But we can do it another time."

"Whenever you're ready."

"Hey guys," Stan walked up to them, "Come over to my place tonight? Friends only?"

"Can I invite Lacey?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, girlfriends are cool, just trying to keep it our group ya know? I feel like we haven't hung out just as a group in a while."

"Sounds good!" Wendy beamed.

"Will you be there Mar?"

"Yes." She gave him a smile.