Chapter Text
It was a sunny spring day and the playground was filled to the brim with south park elementarys fifth graders, all of which were spread out over the area, enjoying their recess. Some were chatting excitedly about their summer plans, and the eagerness (or dread) of them finally being in middle school next year.
The boys had been doing exactly that until Eric Cartman had stormed out of the principal’s office and started running his mouth.
“Look Kyle-“ Cartman raised his arms to create some form of shield between himself and the fuming boy slowly approaching him. “all I’m saying is that its pretty weak that you won’t own up to the fact that you pulled the fire alarm and knowingly let me take the fall for it.”
The New Kids blank eyes turned toward Kyle in preparation for his response. She had enough time to blink twice before the Jewish boy retaliated.
“Stop telling everyone I did it! you did it because you wanted to get out of class! Now you’re putting the blame on me because you don’t want go to detention!”
Stan glanced up from his phone just in time to see Kyle jab his finger into Cartmans chest.
“OH? Then why are you acting so defensive?”
Craig and Clyde passed a soccer ball between themselves. Token let out a long, annoyed sigh before drawing in the snow with a stick. Tweek dozed off.
“I’m NOT! You did it Cartman! You pulled it, you were found with blue dye on your hands, the janitor saw you trying to leave the school, and for fucks sake YOUR HANDS ARE STILL FUCKING BLUE!”.
Things were silent after Kyles outburst. The only sounds that could be heard was Kyles heavy breathing and Kenny’s snickering. Everyone was too distracted to notice the footsteps in the snow approaching.
Slowly Cartman put his visibly blue hands in his pockets and cursed under his breath. He closed his eyes and inhaled before looking Kyle dead in the eye.
“I was framed.”
Kyle screamed.
Everyone was expecting him to continue this argument further (Some were even betting weather or not Kyle would just punch Cartman and get the whole ordeal over with already) but before he could, he was interrupted by someone loudly clearing their throat. Everyone’s heads turned to the source.
Wendy Testaburger stood across from the boys, casual and composed.
Ever since the whole “Mitch Conner incident™” the tension between the girls and boys have been slowly melting away. Probably due to the passage of time and help of Wendy defusing the situation on the girl’s end. So, at least for the moment; both parties can have civil conversations without the need to lunge at each other’s throats. If not, Wendy wouldn’t even be approaching them.
“I hate to interrupt but I need to borrow New kid.”
Wendy eyes locked on with The New kids, she gave her a sweet smile and gestured for her to come over. The New Kid did not exactly know how to reciprocate the gesture. By all means, she liked Wendy and even admired her to some extinct. But she knew too much of her for her to be comfortable with, and that reflected on her attitude around her: always cautious, always ready to defend.
She stood up hesitantly and brushed the snow off her pants, all without braking eye contact with the still smiling girl. She took several steps forward before someone grabbed two fistfuls of her hoodie and yanked her back.
“Be careful around this one, Kid” Cartman spoke in her ear, sending goosebumps down her spine. “The bitch is crazy.”
“Hey, stop saying shit about my girlfriend.” Said Stan.
“OH MY GOD CAN I GO SEVEN SECONDS WITHOUT BEING ATACKED!”
The New kid took this opportunity to slip out of Cartmans grasp and walk over to Wendy, who was glaring at the overweight boy. She opened her mouth and looked like she was about to say something but quickly decided against this and settled for letting out an annoyed huff.
She turned towards The New Kid and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, lets go somewhere more private.”
She quickly glanced at Wendy’s hand, then her face. Her smile had returned. Although she does not want to admit it, it calmed her in the slightest.
As the duo began to walk away, Wendy turned her head and gave a little wave behind her without slowing her pace. “See you after school, Stan.”
The boys watched as they walked across the playground, dodging various activities and projectiles as Wendy led The New Kid to the school’s entrance. Even with the distance between them, they could see Wendy open the door for her. However, some of them had to squint to see Wendy narrow her eyes, suspiciously looked around the playground as if to make sure they weren’t followed, and slowly close the door behind her.
“Huh” Cartman hummed as he quizzically rubbed his chin, leaving blue stains on his pudgy face. The gears in his head turned, already calculating the worst-case scenario. His face twisted into a grimace. “Oh my god.”
“What.” Token asked more as a response then a question.
All the Boys exchanged puzzled glances as Cartman began to pace back and forth. He stopped and suddenly turned his back to the group and stared off into the sky, his eyebrows furrowed, and head tilted up. Giving off an odd sense of seriousness that only confused them further.
“The New Kid was not here when the war between us and the girls broke out.” He whirled around and lowered his voice. “He has not felt the pain we have and by extension; does not know what the girls are capable of.”
That once sentence burned. It brought up painful memories of how both sides acted like complete assholes during the gender war and it embarrassed the hell out of them. They felt shame for destroying everything that was precious to Cartman and being a part of a messy domino effect that let to things spiraling out of control between the boys and girls.
And don’t even get them started on Butters. Although he will be heroically remembered for turning the spark of male revolution into an uncontrollable forest fire (and almost getting in a fist fight with Nelly) He would probably be looking down and twiddling his thumbs at the memory of his past actions if he was there.
Yet at the same time, they still felt the sting of what the girls did. It still hurt to look back and remember how they left them grossly sobbing in the hall, only having each other for comfort. It banded them together and made them much more cautious when it came to women.
Cartman seeing that his words resonated with his audience, continued by pointing a fat, blue finger at the school’s entrance, right where Wendy and The New Kid disappeared through moments ago.
“I know we’ve all had our differences with Douchebag in the past but goddamnit he’s innocent.” He squeezed his eyes shut as if he were in pain. “And you can bet your bottom dollar the girls will take advantage of that.”
Stan shook his head, trying his best to not let Eric Cartmans words get to his head. “Dude, this is retarded. Things are ok with us and the girls now.”
“Are they Stan?” He leaned forward for emphasis. “Are they?”
“yes. They are.” The black-haired boy raised his voice and inched closer to Cartman. He’s not looking for a fight, but he’d be damned if he just stood aside and let Cartman threaten the balance. He doesn’t have the will to go through another war, to go through the anger and heartache. The bottom line is that fighting each other got really fucking old really fast, so he can safely bet that he speaks for the other kids when he says he doesn’t want a repeat of past mistakes.
“That’s exactly what they want us to think. They make it seem like things are fine and dandy and then-“ Cartman lifted his foot and stomped on a pile of snow, crushing it under his sneaker. “BAM! They strike without warning.”
Craig picked at his nails, appearing to not have been paying attention to the conversation. “He’s just saying this stuff because he’s still butthurt Heidi Turner dumped him last year.”
A series of chuckles and smirks passed through the group. It always made everyone’s day a little brighter when they we’re reminded of Eric’s relationship failures, especially when they had the pleasure of watching his face and ears turn an angry beat red at the utter of the name ‘Heidi’.
“OK first of all Craig-“ he stuck out his thumb and pointed it at himself. “I was the one who broke up with her. I want to get that cleared up with everyone.”
“That’s not how I remembered it, Fat ass”
“Shut. up. Jew.” He said through gritted teeth. He was at the end of his rope with these morons. “Second of all, I’m going to find out what the fuck is going on; weather you assholes help me or not-” He promised, glaring at each boy as he backed away slowly. “And I’ll show you, I’ll show all of you that the girls can’t be trusted when I save New Kid from their clutches before they can manipulate him into being their man slave.”
“Dude, I think your reading way too into this.”
But it was too late; The tomato faced boy with the blue hands had stormed off and none of them had any intention of going after him.
“God damn it.” Kyle sighed wile pinching the bridge of his nose.
“ACK- He’s going to get us k-killed.” Tweek’s eyebrow was twitching uncontrollably. “We c-can’t go through that shit again.”
“No one’s killing anyone. If he does do something, the girls are smart enough to figure out its just Cartman and not all of us.” Although completely monotone, Craig spoke logic everyone could agree with. It helped settle the nerves that some of them had in their gut.
Save for Clyde, who looked white as a sheet. He was sweating, and his breathing was a little too heavy to be normal. It was obvious Cartmans words had shook him to the very core. It terrified him to think that Bebe might be secretly conspiring against him, even if he had no such proof this was the case. But there was something even more pressing to him, something he knows the other guys will never admit out loud.
They are screwed if the girls somehow do convince The New Kid to turn on them. His dog like obedience and raw fighting skills are in a league of their own. And it’s not like he’s a stranger to infiltration either; he tricked the freedom Pals during their civil war, and Bebe even told him stories on how The New Kid snuck into an abortion clinic (by apparently disguising himself as a whore of some sort) and walked out with pictures of someone’s personal medical files and never got caught.
For all Clyde knows, they could have been paying him off this entire time. Maybe as far back as ‘The stick of Truth incident™.’
He shook his head, stopping that train of thought. He’s giving New Kid too much credit. Sure, he can fight and be shady but he’s no god. Clyde just needs to forget about all of this before it makes him paranoid. He however, couldn’t help but sneak in one last glance at the school’s door. For a brief second, his eyes narrowed, and the corner of his lip turned down in a moment of uncertainty. But then he blinked several times and quickly looked away, ignoring the door for the rest of recess.
Kenny noticed this.