I know I've been slow on updates and it's cuz as soon as I did a basic outline of this story I just went ahead with it cuz I was so excited. But, I'm really glad people are loving it and I hope you'll continue with me!

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Lilah scribbled her notes down quickly as she paid close attention to Ms. Williams' lesson on long division. She enjoyed math almost as much as science because she was good at it. The classroom kept Lilah focus and when she put a lot of energy into school it made her feel like she had something worthy. It also distracted the girl from the inevitable at lunch.

Remi was out sick, and Lilah felt like she was in open ocean. She couldn't really tell if Remi truly wanted to be her friend but at least Remi was a green card for Lilah to be a little more invisible. She hadn't been alone with those girls she'd been sitting with and Lillian was still a little hard to handle.

"Now that we bring the two back to the division bar, what's our next move?" Ms. Williams looked to the other hand raised aside from Lilah's. "Adam?"

"Multiply the quotient by the divisor."

"Which is?"

"Two by three."

Lilah hadn't noticed much about the red-head boy except that he usually volunteered to answer like her. And he was never wrong. Perhaps he liked the focus too.

By the time they finished the equation Ms. Williams picked up a stack of boring teacher files. "I'll need a special volunteer to bring these to Ms. Mertz in the computer lab. Lilah?"

No, not when they were in the middle of math. But her face remained unbothered as she closed her notebook.

"We all take turns. Has Remi shown you where the computer lab is?"

Lilah shook her head and Heather almost reconsidered before she looked to a kid she could trust wouldn't stray Lilah off path.

"Adam, will you be her substitute buddy today?"

The red-head who'd finished organizing the equation in his book looked up and to the brunette girl who didn't look back. He doesn't think she had ever shown her eyes before.

"Sure.."

"Thank you. Be back quickly you two."

Adam got up trying to cover his sigh, taking the folders from his teacher as Lilah followed him out the door with her fingers entangled.

They started as Adam walked relatively quickly while Lilah tried to keep up. It was nothing against her, he wanted to be back in time for the lunch bell. He blew through his lips as Lilah quickly flicked her eyes in his direction. She never had much luck with girls and boys were always the same to her in being complete dicks.

"..Do you like South Park?"

The small talk was really not necessary but Lilah never found comfort in being rude. "It's nice.."

"You don't have to lie."

That wasn't a lie, it didn't mean she liked being here though. Why were boys so snooty?

"It's different from Denver.."

"Yeah, I'd guess," Adam scoffed. "At least in Denver you don't constantly run into the same people."

Not unless you stuck to your neck of the woods. Lilah didn't wanna correct him though, he seemed like he preferred being right.

"What does Cartman mean?"

"Huh..?"

"Your last name."

The legal name she'd like to chuck out of her identity forevermore? Who knows, it was never one she was proud of.

"It's probably British.." Lilah gave her best guess.

Adam knew it was a strange question, but it was so he could transition to his real question. "Your dad's...the same Mr. Cartman from around here, right?"

Lilah nodded, and Adam saw a shame wash over her like he was about to judge her as they turned the hallway corner. The boy didn't have anything to judge. The extent about what he knew of the man was that he grew up with his parents and somehow his life took a turn for the worst. That's it. Eric Cartman was otherwise a town mystery for the new generation.

"Well, it's better than my last name," Adam assured in case he'd offended her. "Broflovski takes everyone a billion tries to pronounce."

"Your dad is the counselor..?" Lilah asked. She saw the resemblance now that she compared them.

"Yeah, welcome aboard." Adam sighed. "Doesn't get any weirder than that."

That intrigued Lilah, going to school with a parent with that kind of job. Mr. Broflovski seemed good at his job too so he was probably a decent father. That must've been nice to have at your school.

"That's cool." Lilah said. She never used that word and cringed internally for even trying.

Adam made a face and that deepened her embarrassment. "What's cool about it?"

She retracted again as she shrugged, paying attention to the quiet lockers they passed. "He's there if you need him."

Adam wasn't about to draw on to this girl he hardly knew that his dad was suffocating enough. Counsellor or no. But at least she was the first in a minute to not make fun of him for it.

"So, what d'you do?"

Lilah didn't seem to understand. "School..?"

He snorted over how she misinterpreted. "Not like a job, dude. Like what're you into?"

Great, another reason to sell out her dorkiness. "I..play trombone."

"You own a trombone?"

"No, my old school band rented me one," Lilah said. "We weren't very good, but I liked it.."

Adam laughed again. Lilah was confused, she wasn't trying to be funny.

"See, that's cool. Not having your dad for counsellor."

Heidi grunted as she turned the raggedy shopping cart around the corner, skidding off track from it's loose wheel. It was as if she was cursed to pick out this same accursed cart every time she did her mid-week shopping for all her hungry mouths.

Luckily she was about to finish off as she turned to get the coffee grinds that so desperately kept her awake through hours of her seat-of-the-pants writing. Right as she came to realize she shared the aisle with her not-so-fav PTA mom Tiffany checking out the instant coffee.

She would've made a quick getaway if it weren't for that damn wheel.

"Heidi!"

The ashy brunette plastered on the fakest smile. "Tiffany, good morning."

"Ouh, so formal, you act like I'm a stranger."

Considering they met through their kids' school and Heidi hasn't liked her since, Tiffany might as well be. And Heidi had a higher tolerance of being nice compared to her husband and most of her friends.

"I'm glad I ran into you," Tiffany shifted her basket to her other arm, getting fewer items compared to Heidi's loaded cart. "We need to establish chaperones for the school dance."

That wasn't for a while, but Heidi was pretty sure they'd already taken her proposal. "Well, we have a few parent volunteers. Kyle and I agreed to help out."

"And you're such a sweetheart for that!" Tiffany love-bombed before getting a dig in. "I think your councellor can fend for his own."

Once again, played off as just a wife of faculty with nothing real to add to the PTA. Heidi never wanted to be part of it at all, but all these moms had come from outside of South Park before they married their husbands from here. They already tried to amplify this town daily, Heidi wasn't going to let them get to her old school as well.

"Kyle and I have kind of been looking forward to it," Heidi insisted with an awkward giggle. "We get to see Adam go to his first dance and the school holds special memory for us."

Yet of course the blond couldn't give her that satisfaction, grinning her lips tightly. "You have a trunk of groceries to load so I'll leave you to accomplish just that. Mwah! Ta-ta, Miss Heidi!"

And she zoomed off past her. Heidi would never judge another woman for her enthusiasm and leadership, but she would if it made you think you could treat people as bitterly as you want.

"Bitch.." Heidi was so ticked off she hardly noticed in time for her cart to crash against the head of another turning the corner in a clatter.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry-"

Heidi shut her mouth at the distant stare by her ex-boyfriend from a long time ago. Just staring with that dumbfounded look he had since elementary.

How many people could she run into in one aisle?

"Eric," Heidi pulled her cart off from it's impact. "..How've you been?"

The man in a greasy shop uniform, who just wanted to get his few groceries in peace, played along with a sigh. "Just fine."

"Good."

"And you..?"

She grinned, somehow faker than she was with Tiffany. "Excellent."

Maybe part of Heidi worried Eric Cartman still had a read on her, which he probably did. But he didn't seem to care.

"Kyle says you have a wonderful daughter."

What Cartman wouldn't pay to hear that asshole admit that to him. Kyle probably didn't say that at all but his wife was better at saving face.

"She's, um, improving.."

Heidi had no idea what that meant and if it was meant nicely. She just chuckled awkwardly.

"Lilah shares homeroom with our son Adam, huh?"

He hadn't even thought about Lilah easily meeting the Broflovski kids and Kyle at school with everything going on. "I guess so."

"You look good." Heidi insisted, hoping that came off more genuinely than did in any pity.

Cartman truly didn't want her to think he cared for her or any of the town's approval. "..thanks."

As she drummed her fingers against the cart handle, looking for an out but also a way to make peace, her ex didn't let her reach that option.

"I gotta go."

"Right."

"Your cart."

"Oh!" Heidi hastily moved out of the way so she wasn't blocking the whole aisle. He scooted on past.

Awkward run-ins always ruined her day. Especially with a blast from her past.

The football flying overhead of students in the school yard was caught promptly by Adam from Liam's throw. Despite an easy game to distract him, the eldest Broflovski child was growing tired of it.

"Wanna come over after school?" He called to his friend on the end of their throwing line.

Liam caught the ball from his best friend's throw. "My mom wants my brother and I home for some family dinner with relatives I see like every two years."

That oughta not be fun. Adam wouldn't try to persuade Liam out of it though knowing his mom tended to be the stricter parent compared to Clyde.

"Speaking of, I gotta find Noah," Liam's eyes surfed the crown for the little kids. "Make sure he doesn't try to wriggle his way out of this one too like last time. Or I'll beat the shit out of him."

His friend left their game and Adam had the football to himself. "C'mon, I'm bored enough already!"

"You're bored with everything lately!"

Left to his own elements, Adam went to go see if some of the other familiar boys were up for a game until he noticed they were heavily occupied with a round of four-square. Something Adam played way too often that he'd grown tired of and he also just didn't wanna deal with Jack and Gabriel being assholes right now.

The red-head's gaze fell on where some of the girls from his grade usually occupied the merry-go-round. The girls Remi hung out with now including the new girl, who seemed distant from the conversation as she sat with the girls but not entirely in their circle.

Whatever. Suppose there was no harm.

Lilah drew imaginary shapes on the ground below her between her shoes as Lillian went on about something. Not expecting any attention on her before a shadow crossed over her finger on the ground and she looked up at the boy she properly met that morning.

"Can you throw a football?"

Lilah blinked as some of the girls took notice.

"That's sexist, Adam!" Willa accused.

The boy rolled his eyes but Lilah nonetheless followed him. All she'd been doing lately was sulking, moving around might do her some good.

Adam turned when they were at a good distance, giving her a gentle toss. Seeing she caught it, he had nothing to worry much about.

"Do you play sports?"

He asked a lot of dumb questions and she was becoming less afraid to make it obvious. "Not really, but throwing and catching are pretty simple instructions."

The boy couldn't help but crack a small laugh though he tried to cover it. Another toss and this time she missed as the ball fumbled and she picked it up. Continuing where they left off.

Most boys, and girls for that matter, would quickly make excuses. Say they're athletic but off their game today. Adam may have barely known Lilah, but she didn't seem to have a competitive bone in her body.

"If Remi's still sick tomorrow wanna eat lunch together?" Adam randomly proposed.

Lilah hugged the caught ball to her body. "With..your friends?"

Maybe Adam needed a temporary change of scenery without being entirely alone. And maybe Lilah needed it as well.

"Nah, just us. We could chill." Adam said as he caught her throw.

Lilah didn't know what she could've possibly done other than breathe air for this boy to be friendly to her at all. But, maybe it was her calmness that Adam was missing when surrounded by too much drastic energy lately. Maybe it was that this girl was one of the only other kids to properly answer questions in class like him. Maybe it was a lot of undiscovered things.

"Okay.." she complied.

Adam blinked at her meak agreement. "Well, don't sound so excited."

And unlike the stupid jokes he made in the hallway that morning, this one got her to smile.

To be continued...

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I too, like Heidi, am a seat-of-the-pants writer. Which is why writer's block is my worst enemy. Thus these slow-ass updates :)))