Chapter 9: Best Friends No Matter What

Bebe

Bebe was at a loss for words.

This was the very first time Wendy didn't sit with her on the school bus. They always sat together even if the other was in a bad mood, they were best friends after all. If either one of them was down, then the other would do their best to cheer her up. When Bebe saw Wendy board the bus - the frown still present on her face ever since her return from the nurses office this morning - she walked past their shared seat. Bebe's confused eyes followed the girl. "Wendy?" She questioned, but she was ignored. She slid to the end of her seat to watch Wendy saunter to the last seat in the back, removing her book bag and sitting on it close to the window. She refused to meet Bebe's gaze of bewilderment, her orchid-colored eyes gazing blankly out of the window.

With a pained frown, Bebe turned around. She then looked to her right, seeing Heidi sitting by herself. Bebe grabbed her hot pink book bag. "Um, Heidi? Can I sit with you?" She asked, a bit shy. She didn't know when the last time she sat with someone other than Wendy on the bus was, but she did know that she hated sitting alone. The girl with light brown hair and jade green eyes looked surprised for a moment, but scooted over to the window, allowing Bebe to come sit next to her. "Thanks," Bebe said with a small smile. She got up and ambled over.

"You're welcome, but how come Wendy isn't sitting with you?" Heidi asked, finding it odd that they weren't sitting together this time even though they did this morning.

Bebe felt her frown returning at the question. She placed her book bag on her lap, and rested her chin on top of it. "I don't know. She won't tell me what's bothering her," she sighed.

"Oh, okay..." Heidi murmured, not pushing the issue.

A slightly awkward silence settled over them, but Bebe didn't care. She preferred it this way, so she could think about her best friend's elusive behavior. She tuned out the other children's chatter as she thought. Bebe knew something was troubling Wendy, but she didn't know the exact cause. The only thing she knew was that something must've happened when she took Stan to the infirmary this morning.

Bebe lifted her head from off her book bag and looked towards the back of the bus, Wendy was still staring out the window.

*Flashback*

It was difficult for Bebe to pay attention to Mr. Garrison trying to teach the class; the man was still unnerved from whatever happened between him and Stan, so she wasn't the only one that was distracted. However, the reason for her lack of concentration was different from her teacher's. She wasn't worried about anything per say, rather she was feeling antsy. Her eyes would travel to the door from time to time. It had already been ten minutes since Wendy left to take Stan to the infirmary, and she hadn't come back. Bebe couldn't help but wonder what was taking her so long to return.

Bebe placed her elbow on the table, then rested her cheek against her palm, drowning out her teacher's failing attempt at teaching. After a while, she stifled a yawn. She wished Wendy would hurry back already. She glanced around the classroom, her, Leopold, and six other kids were the only ones that didn't have their heads down. Seemed she wasn't the only one feeling bored. Turning around, her eyes met lavender-colored ones diagonally across from her until Clyde buried his face into his folded arms, a late attempt to hide the blush Bebe caught coloring his cheeks. "Clyde is so weird sometimes," she thought amusedly.

When five minutes gradually ticked by, the classroom door creaked open. Bebe opened her weary eyes, having took a short nap. She's relieved to see Wendy walking in, however her elation changed to concern the instant she noticed the perturbed expression on Wendy's face. She closed the door behind her and walked to her seat. When she sat down, Bebe looked over at her. She had a distant look in her eyes, as if she was trying to figure out the cause of her own distress. Bebe wanted to respect her silent wish to be left in her thoughts, but she also wanted to find out why Wendy was troubled. They were best friends, and Bebe felt it was her duty to allay her of her worries in any way she could. "Wendy?" She whispered. Wendy didn't answer, instead she only moved her eyes to look at Bebe. "What's wrong?" Bebe watched the frown on Wendy's face deepen, and she looked down at the table. When she still didn't answer, Bebe softly uttered, "Please tell me, maybe I can help you."

Wendy's face contorted with discomfort, but she opened her mouth, albeit slightly to finally provide her an answer. "I...can't tell you...Not right now..." she said in a sad whisper, much to Bebe's dissatisfaction. Before she could question Wendy again, Mr. Garrison called for his class' attention.

"Everyone, sit up." He clapped his hands to wake up the students that were napping, but Mr. Hat muffled the sounds of his clapping. Groans of annoyance filled the classroom as the kids raised their heads. "Y'all quit whinin'. Since nearly all of you wanted to doze off while Aah was teachin', you all are gonna have a quiz tomorrow on what Aah just went over today as punishment." He began to erase everything he wrote down on the whiteboard.

More groans and whines of protest erupted from the children, however Bebe could care less about a quiz. Something was worrying her best friend, and figuring out what the cause could be was her primary concern.

Bebe narrowed her eyes with determination. "Whether you want my help or not, I will find out what's wrong."

*End of Flashback*

Bebe's frown changed into a sad small smile. "I was so confident to help Wendy out earlier, but then she started avoiding me. Whenever I tried to talk to her, she would ignore me. She didn't even sit with me at lunch today...I haven't done anything wrong, so why is she treating me like this...?"

Bebe's heart ached. She gripped her book bag tightly, feeling tears building up in her eyes. But she fought them back, and quickly wiped them away. She blinked her eyes open just in time to see Craig walk past her and down the aisle. The bus slowly began to drive out of the school zone. Confused, Bebe was about to look at Tweek for his reaction, but remembered that she's sharing a seat with Heidi, so she couldn't see the boy. She looked behind her once again, her eyes widening when she saw Craig sit beside Wendy. "So he can sit with you but I can't?" Bebe thought bitterly. Turning away, she glared at the back of the seat in front of her. The ache in her chest grew, and she pulled her book bag closer, practically hugging it. She wanted to hurry home, hoping tomorrow both she and Wendy would be talking to each other again.

*Earlier In The Nurses Office*

Stan

Stan's sapphire eyes stared dully up at the white ceiling, trying desperately not to doze off. Sleeping was something he dreaded doing now because of a certain someone. Ever since he first encountered him, Stan began to see him every night.

He would see Chris. His Inner Guardian. Who started acting different the second time they'd met.

Stan didn't hesitate to question Chris about his changed demeanor, but was impatiently told to focus on getting over his extreme fear of the darkness. Stan was both glad and thankful that Chris stayed true to his word, but his way of giving him moral support was rather...mentally exhausting to say the least. Chris thought the best way for him to overcome his phobia was to stand in a dark, empty space all by himself. This was his strategy for only two nights. But before Stan got accustomed to being alone in the dark, which would've been very slight progress, Chris took it a step further. He started adding horrifying looking creatures to accompany Stan in the abyss. They would lurk and creep around as if they were trying to figure out ways to gobble him up.

"N-no...don't think about it..." Grimacing uncomfortably, Stan pulled the thin white blanket up to his shoulders, then turned to lay on his right side. The window's unpigmented curtains were blocking the outside view. He stared at the colorless drapes, its white color reminding him of the snow that constantly engulfed South Park, although it looked like it hadn't been snowing these past few days. The pure color also reminded him of the pretty tree leaves he had dreamt last week, which also led him to recall the ocean that had numerous white leaves moving slowly across its surface. Next, were the sun and the clouds that were in the blue sky, giving off the vibe of Spring. Just remembering the breathtaking landscape sent a faint breeze of comfort over Stan, making him yawn. To prevent himself from losing the battle to keep awake, he sat up and rested his back against the metal headboard. The coolness of a single bar seeping into his plain black T-shirt gave him the push he needed to keep on fighting his fatigue. He saw his jacket neatly folded up by the metal footboard, remembering that the nurse did it for him before she stepped out. How long ago that was Stan wasn't too sure, but he was glad that she was gone otherwise she would be insisting him to get some rest. He glanced around the room, which was big enough to contain eight beds (four were on each side and were split apart by grey-colored shower curtains), a white medical supply storage closet that's behind the nurses wide desk, and a clock that's stuck on the upper left side wall upon entering. He was the only one in here. He then wondered what time it was, but couldn't recall when he was brought here. It could've been minutes or even hours ago for all he knew. He tugged the cover up to his shoulders.

He didn't really know why he was in here to begin with. He's aware that Wendy ushered him here, but how long ago that was, was also a mystery to him. Lately, his mind and perception of time have been completely off. And it's all Chris' fault. Stan had even forgot to wear his signature hat today. His parents weren't around to scold him into putting it on, or rather they were, but he just didn't hear them. He would've forgotten his book bag too if his mother hadn't given it to him before he had got on the bus.

Stan heaved a sigh, the silence that's been pervading the room was starting to become intolerable for him to bear. He wiggled his feet underneath the cover, emitting faint shuffling noises to overlap the silence. "I wonder if it's lunchtime yet," he murmured to himself. Laziness prevented him from getting up to look at the clock.

Minutes flew by, but the nurse had yet to return. Stan began to get restless as he sat in bed, he had stopped moving his feet some time ago. Deciding to leave since he didn't feel all that tired anymore, he removed the cover off of him and crawled towards his jacket. He put it on but didn't button it up, then looked down at the floor for his snow boots. He didn't see them. Baffled, Stan checked the other side of the bed, but they weren't over here either. "Huh?! Where did my boots go? Did I take them off somewhere else?" He thought scratching his head in wonder. He looked around the infirmary again, this time searching for his black snow boots, but instead spotted something peeking out from under some messily scattered papers on the nurses desk. His confusion and boredom stimulating his curiosity, he got down from the bed. The instant his feet made contact with the floor, the cold tiles replaced the slight warmth in his socks. He shivered, then made his way over to the worktable. Upon a closer look, he could make out a bit of the buried item's colors: black and sliver. "It's probably just a pen," he assumed. Then, he got an idea. He could draw something to pass the time until the nurse returned, and he could ask her where his snow boots were.

Stopping near the desk, the moment he stood up on his tiptoes to move the papers out of the way, a sudden voice said, "You'd best not touch that."

"AUGH!" Stan screamed, startled to the point where he stumbled back and fell onto his butt. He looked in the direction he heard the monotone voice with wide eyes. His gaze landed on an easily recognizable redhead standing in the doorway. There was no mistaking the boy's red afro nor his orange jacket, green pants, and brown snow boots. However, there was one thing that stood out, and it was his lime-green eyes. They were a darker shade, making his eyes appear pupil-less. "K-Kyle?!" Stan exclaimed, surprised at the abrupt appearance of his super best friend.

A blank-faced Kyle walked into the infirmary, heading towards the wide desk. Stan watched him with his eyes reducing back to normal size, and was about to question Kyle until the boy reached up and moved the papers to the side, grabbing the object Stan was about to get. "This thing is dangerous," Kyle said showing Stan a black and silver pen.

Stan made a confused face. "How? It's just a pen." He got up on his feet.

"A deadly weapon in a harmless disguise." Kyle pushed the small button at the bottom of the pen, prompting a sharp, thin blade to spring out of its tip. Stan flinched with a gasp, horrified. "You need to hurry and wake up, Stan. So far, the nurse is the only one in the school that has fallen victim to the Being of Darkness within this town," Kyle explained in a tone so bland that it was disturbing to Stan. But then he realized what Kyle just said.

"W-wait...you know about the Beings of Darkness'? But how?!"

A Mona Lisa-like smile graced Kyle's lips. It gave Stan the chills.

"I'll tell you how I know, but..." Without any warning, Kyle flung the pen at Stan. It flew way too fast for Stan to react, but luckily for him, the blade only grazed his cheek. The fake pen embedded itself into the wall further down the room. Once he felt a burning sting erupt on the side of his face, Stan yelped but a cold hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him from putting a hand up to his cheek, which was now oozing a small string of blood. His eyes glistening with tears, Stan watched Kyle close the distance between them, leaning towards his ear. "Weren't you warned to be cautious of me?"

Stan stiffened, his breath hitching in his throat. "H-how..." Was the only word he could utter out in his confounded state.

Chuckling at his speechlessness, Kyle leaned back to lick up the trickling blood from Stan's cheek, who shuddered in disgust and quickly used his other arm to wipe off the saliva on his injured cheek. Kyle let go of his wrist as he stood back a little. "I know about the Beings of Darkness' because my mother got corrupted by one," he finally answered.

"What?! It was your mom?!" Mrs. Broflovski was the last person Stan expected to be a victim of the Being of Darkness out of all of his friends' mothers.

"Yes."

Stan frowned. "When did that happen?"

"That's something you're going to have to ask the real Kyle Broflovski," the redhead said. "Would you like to know why you must be wary of your super best friend?" Stan appeared conflicted, but his eyes portrayed his strong desire to know. The fake Kyle picked up on this. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you much, but your friendship with him will change drastically. I'm an example of how he's going to behave in the future."

Stan stared into his dark lime-green eyes, quickly becoming uncomfortable by the redhead's empty gaze. "H-how will that happen?" Stan asked, equally nervous and bemused.

The imitation of his super best friend gave him a cryptic smile. "You'll notice his changes as you grow older." Stan wasn't satisfied with his answer. "Before you wake up, I want you to know that you, your friends, and other children and even some adults across the world were unlucky to have been chosen to defeat the darkness and the Beings of Darkness' that threaten the earth. But even so, I believe there's a reason why you all were selected...and why Kyle must be cautious of." The fake Kyle's expression became serious, and the room they're in began to swirl and distort. "But he's not the only one you should be careful around, Stan. Your Inner Guardian isn't all that trustworthy. He's hiding something from you, and whatever it is will change your future in more ways than one. Be sure to heed and never forget my warning, Stanley Marsh...or you will regret it."

Stan opened his mouth, but no words came out. The dream world warped into nothingness.

Bebe

"Okay. Sorry for bothering you, Mrs. Testaburger."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize. I'll talk to Wendy for you if you'd like."

Bebe contemplates the woman's kind offer. "N-no, you don't have to. But thanks anyway."

"...Okay, if you say so. Goodbye, Bebe."

"Bye." Bebe hangs up the phone with a dejected sigh, slumping back against the brown sofa in the living room. She had decided she would call Wendy as soon as she stepped foot into her home. Aware that Wendy wasn't at her own home just yet, Bebe took her time taking off her casual attire in her bedroom, well after removing her book bag first. She put it on her bed that had an aqua-colored duvet and pillowcase, though the designs on the fleecy cloth were white swirls. The colors of her bedroom walls were purple and pink, the top half being purple whereas the bottom half was pink. The moulding trim dividing the two colors was dark purple. She had a few pictures of drawings she and Wendy had drew together and one poster of a unicorn on the wall behind her bed. She had a brown dresser and a black bookshelf. Two shelves contained a couple of board games while the rest of the shelves had children's books. She also had a white toy box that was on the violet carpeted floor by the foot of her bed. Her nightstand was white as well - on its surface were a lamp, an alarm clock, and a purple flower with yellow petals that was made out of Play-doh.

Bebe is currently wearing a pink onesie designed with daisies without the stems. Before she called the Testaburger household, she had decided to wait a few more minutes by watching whatever that was on the television. She knew she had waited longer than intended when she heard her mother getting ready to cook dinner. When she dialed the Testaburger family's number, she crossed her fingers hoping Wendy would answer the phone. But her hopes were dashed when Mrs. Testaburger picked up instead. She told Bebe that Wendy went straight up to her room once she came home.

Just what was it that happened between Wendy and Stan that caused the girl to act secretive, Bebe wondered. But then there's Craig. For some reason, he looked spooked when he was getting off the school bus earlier. A brief memory of Wendy and Craig sitting together on the bus flashed through Bebe's mind. She felt anger rising from within. "Did she tell Craig what was bothering her? She would tell him but not me?" Bebe can't stand the thought of her best friend going to someone else about her problems instead of her. Not once has Bebe hid anything from Wendy, she always told her everything whenever something bothered her. "We made a pinky promise that day, when you kept that Trent and his gang were bullying you a secret from me. We swore that we would never keep things from each other since then. Don't tell me you've forgotten..."

Bebe was so absorbed in her thoughts that she jumped when she felt a presence right next to her. "Bebe, are you alright? You've been glaring at the t.v for almost five minutes," says her father, a short-haired brunette with plum-colored eyes behind black round-rimmed glasses. He's clad in a white dress shirt with a red tie, brown khaki pants, and black dress shoes; preparing to leave for work soon.

Bebe alters her angry expression into a small, forced smile before she looks at her father. She doesn't want him knowing of her and Wendy's...she doesn't even know what to call it. They're not fighting, but they're not talking to each other either. Bebe's fake smile drops as she looks away, frowning at her lap. "Dad...what do you call two best friends that aren't getting along with each other?"

Her father doesn't reply right away, frowning as well at his daughter's miserable mien. "Are you and Wendy fighting?" He asks, assuming the reason she asked such a question is because they aren't on good terms.

Bebe shakes her head. "We're not...it's just...Wendy won't tell me what's bothering her. She told someone else instead of me," she mutters, almost tearing up.

Her father's lips curl into a small smile. "Bebe...it's not something to be upset about," he says earnestly.

Bebe snaps her attention back at her father. "But dad-"

"Hold on, let me finish." Her eyes traveling back down to her lap, Bebe's lips form into a hard line as she holds her tongue, allowing her father to continue speaking. "Just because she told someone else about her troubles shouldn't make you unhappy. Jealous? Yes, but in most cases, a person most likely doesn't want to burden the people they're close with, with their problems. Maybe this is what Wendy thought, she didn't want to trouble you."

"But I'm her best friend, and we made a pinky promise to never hide things from each other," Bebe says sadly.

"I understand, but sometimes...a pinky promise can be broken. If something was seriously troubling you, you wouldn't want anyone to find out now would you? You wouldn't even tell your best friend or a family member because you wouldn't want them to feel the sadness you're feeling." Bebe sees a big hand lightly grab her smaller hand throughout the corner of her eye. "You and Wendy are still young and have yet to understand the true meaning of a pinky swear, let alone a promise. As you grow older, matters like this will become clearer to you. Trust me." A sad glint shimmers its way into her father's eye. He tries to cover it up by pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose with his other hand. "Just give Wendy some time. She'll tell you eventually."

It takes a few moments, but Bebe begins to comprehend everything her father just told her. Smiling softly, she envelopes her father into a hug, inhaling the man's sweet-smelling cologne. Her father pats her back soothingly. They stay that way for a couple of more seconds until Bebe separates from him. "Thanks, dad."

Her father returns the smile. "You're welcome. I'll see you again tomorrow." He gives her forehead a gentle kiss. "Love you."

Bebe giggles. "I love you too," she beams. Turning the television off, she hops down from the couch. "Have a good day at work." Then she goes up to her bedroom. Once she's inside, she closes the door and walks over to her bed, turning her lamp on. Her room brightens up in a dull amber glow. She looks over at her window, then gets off her bed and walks over to it. She splits apart her pink curtains to see a few snowdrops descending from the grey clouds above. Pleased by the sight, she returns to her seat on the edge of her bed. Rolling up her right sleeve, she looks down at her bracelet. She touches each of the plastic purple and silver hearts with care. A memory of her and Wendy smiling with glee as they picked out their bracelets makes Bebe feel warm inside.

"I'm not mad anymore, and I have no reason to be. I understand now that we have things we don't wanna tell others. If you don't wanna tell me what's troubling you, Wendy...then it's okay. I won't let it bother me anymore, because..." Bebe pauses her thoughts, holding out her right hand in front of her, then bringing it to her chest while closing it into a fist. She gazes out of the window again, her eyes glimmering with forgiveness.

"We're best friends...no matter what."