Chapter Text
College was regarded as the promised land. For Kyle Broflovski, it was his ticket out of the quiet little mountain town called South Park. He’d taken a gap year to truly decide which university he wanted to go to, at the request (demand) of his mother. He’d gotten accepted into almost everyone he applied for, so it was merely a manner of choosing. After careful consideration and months of procrastinating, Kyle came to a conclusion:
He had absolutely no fucking idea what he wanted to do with his life.
When he’d applied to those colleges, he hadn’t thought about what program he wanted to do, he just knew he wanted to get away from where he was. He’d voiced these concerns to Stan Marsh, his neighbor and best friend since childhood. Stan had moved off to study in New York with his longtime girlfriend, Wendy Testaburger. He enrolled for some kind of engineering degree the fall after they graduated and didn’t hesitate as he and Wendy twirled off into the night like some dramatic romantic comedy. He and Kyle still kept up with each other over text and video chatting. Kenny wasn’t going anywhere until he’d raised enough money to move himself out because he didn’t want to go to college, so at least Kyle still had him.
And he would have had Eric Cartman, too, had his mom not struck the jackpot with some rich guy who wanted to pay for their lives as long as she ‘hung out’ with him sometimes. A real sugar daddy, Cartman had called it in the most sarcastic and bitter voice he could muster. Kyle distinctly remembered hearing sadness and disappointment beneath it. They moved as soon as Liane got the first check and Cartman didn’t tell anybody where they were going. That was four years ago. No one had seen or heard from Cartman since.
Over the holiday season, Kyle felt pressured to figure out what college he was going to. He wanted to give them an answer that spring so he could start in the fall. “Why don’t you just go for a general degree right now?” Stan had suggested, “you don’t have to narrow it down right away. Nobody ever scoffed at an associates, dude.” When Kyle told this to his mom, she thought it was a great idea and said he should just go to Denver University, then. It would be relatively close, so he could visit for holidays and summer break. Kyle was a little hesitant about the visiting part, but he supposed it wouldn’t be all bad.
And that was how he ended up standing in front of a dorm on the Denver University campus, a suitcase beside him and a box of some simple stuff from home under his arm. There were small piles of snow around, but it hadn’t gotten cold enough to stay yet. He was leaning on the hood of his truck, fiddling with his keys and waiting for the dorm attendant to meet him with his room key. He saw her walking down the sidewalk towards him, her dark hair almost covering one of her eyes and ripped jeans looking very impractical for the chilly weather. She reminded him of the goth kids from his hometown. “Here you go, Brofski,” She handed him a worn, silver key, “You’re the third door over on the second floor. If you need anything changed, just go to the building across the street there.”
“Thanks,” Kyle muttered, not bothering to correct her on the pronunciation of his last name. He was probably going to get that a lot. She gave him a lazy solute before turning and walking away. The welcome wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t the worst. He took a deep breath before grabbing his suitcase and heading up to his dorm room. It was empty save for a dresser, desk, and bed. He’d elected not to have a roommate, so it was smaller than it would have been, but it was still perfect. He set his suitcase down on the floor, box on the desk, and flopped down on the bed with a grin on his face. He laughed to himself, staring at the ceiling and internally congratulating himself on his achievement. He was finally out of South Park.
Now what?
The thought hit him like a brick wall. He was here. What did he do now? Classes didn’t start for another couple of weeks and he didn’t know anybody around. He thought about introducing himself to his neighbors, but this wasn’t a small town. He didn’t think people did that here and he didn’t want to botch his first impression. He sat up, biting his lip and pulling his phone out of his pocket. He supposed he could take a drive around campus, and maybe see a little of the surrounding city, too. Maybe there was a cool place he could go and hang out to meet people.
He unpacked his clothes into the dresser, leaving the bathroom stuff for later and not bothering with the box right now. Grabbing a red hoodie, he pulled it over his head and made sure he had his keys and phone before heading back down to his truck. The first thing he did was Google for coffee shops, libraries, and other places students would gather. It was later in the day, so they likely wouldn’t be too busy right now, but it was good to know where they were. There were two Starbucks on the campus itself, three more immediately off campus by the main roads. The University had a big library, but there was also a small bookstore next to a generic café, both of which looked much more Kyle’s speed.
He visited the bookstore first, since the café was closed and he’d half to come back later for that. The storekeeper was friendly enough, and there was indeed a sitting area for people to read or study in. Kyle noted the location as he drove back towards his dorm. As he neared it, his stomach growled. He tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs, glancing to the time on his dashboard. He didn’t have any food back at the dorm and he didn’t feel like grocery shopping today, so he decided he might as well check out the nearby restaurants.
He wasn’t in the mood for anything specific, looking at the different franchise names and waiting for one to pop out at him. Most of them were nation-wide brands he recognized; others sounded downright unappetizing. He happened to turn at a red light and catch the sign of a restaurant on the corner.
Pastabilities? He snorted. That was exactly the type of pun he enjoyed and was used to. He u-turned to enter the parking lot, which was relatively empty for it being dinner time. His phone buzzed with a text from Stan asking how his move was going. He put his headphones on before dialing Stan’s number instead of answering. “Hey, dude!” Stan greeted him cheerily, “how’s the dorm and campus?”
“It’s pretty fucking cool,” Kyle said excitedly, the grin evident in his voice, “I’ve just been driving around looking at stuff. Figured I’d stop for dinner. Look at this fucking restaurant name, dude.” He took a picture as he got out of his truck, stifling laughter until he heard Stan’s reaction. “Oh my god, new favorite pun,” the young man chuckled. Kyle hummed his agreement as he entered the building. A waitress across the room greeted him and told him to sit wherever he’d like. He picked a booth by the window. “So, what’s up?” Kyle asked Stan, shifting to get comfortable in his seat. There was movement from Stan’s end as he answered, “Just waiting on Wendy to get home. Her zoology class is so damn late, it’s a miracle she wakes up on time for her other ones.”
“You guys still living the good life together?” Kyle smiled, setting his phone on the table and resting his hands beside it. Stan sighed happily, “Yeah. This was a really good decision, dude. It’s been so easy living with her, and we share some classes, so I have a guaranteed study buddy.” Kyle bit his lip, almost envious of how well their lives were working out so far, “That’s great. I’m happy for you, dude.”
A waitress approached him, then, holding a menu, a meal slip, and a pen. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she was wearing a shirt that had the restaurant logo plastered across the front. “Welcome to Pastabilities,” She greeted cheerily, “what can I get you to start?” Kyle had to suppress a laugh, “Sorry, just.. the name. Um.. a water is fine to drink. And do you guys have like a special or something?” The waitress looked amused at the name comment, nodding, “Sure do. This week is a baked ravioli, cheese or beef.” Kyle handed the menu back to her as he said, “I’ll just take that. Cheese, please.” She jotted his order down before sticking the pen in her hair and taking the menu, “Gotcha. It’ll be out soon.”
Stan waited until he was sure Kyle was alone again before speaking, “Lemme know how that is. If I come visit, we gotta go there.”
“You better come visit,” Kyle chastised teasingly, “you and Wendy both.” Stan laughed, “Don’t worry, we’ll be home for Christmas and you can see us then.” Kyle smiled at that. His family didn’t celebrate Christmas, but that was when the school breaks were, so that was when everyone would be visiting. “I look forward to it,” The redhead stated. He heard a door open over the phone and Stan moving again, “Oh, gotta go. Wendy’s home.” Kyle sighed, “Alright. Talk to you later, dude. Bye, Wendy!” He wasn’t sure if she heard at first, but then he got a muffled but enthusiastic, “Bye, Kyle!” Stan chuckled, “Seeya.”
The call disconnected and Kyle took his earbuds out, coiling them up before putting them back in his pocket. There were only a few other tables occupied, which made the restaurant quiet and peaceful. His waitress brought the water he’d asked for and assured him his food was on the way. He didn’t mind waiting. The atmosphere was comfortable and cozy. From his vantage point at the window, he saw an older Jeep model enter the parking lot and pull up a space away from his truck. A guy that couldn’t have been any older than him got out, the Jeep frame jostling on the suspension. He was wearing a Pastabilities uniform and had the apron thing slung over his shoulder.
The young man was heavier set, but tall. Kyle didn’t imagine he’d come up past his chin. Something about his brown hair and profile was familiar, but he didn’t get a good enough look before the guy was disappearing around the corner to enter the restaurant. Kyle tried to see him better once he was inside, but the employee immediately headed to the back and the redhead didn’t get to see his face. A brief shiver went through him from the door opening and wafting in a cold draft. He ran a hand back through his curly hair, breathing in and out through his nose. As he’d gotten older, he’d figured out that he basically couldn’t do anything with his hair unless he had copious amounts of hair gel. So instead, he opted to keep it at a length that the curls wouldn’t get too out of hand, but also didn’t sit too tightly on his head. It was getting longer now and he’d need to cut it soon.
“Sorry for the wait,” His waitress appeared with his meal, then. Kyle smiled and shook his head, inhaling deeply, “Don’t be. It smells delicious.” She grinned and shrugged cutely, then went back to whatever else needed doing.
A couple of women, probably in their thirties, entered the restaurant. They were greeted by his waitress as she passed, and also told to sit anywhere. They picked a high-top table near the back of the joint. After a few minutes, the young man from earlier emerged to greet them and take their order. Kyle could only see part of his face; enough to tell that he was grinning and laughing with them as they joked about something. He forced his attention down to his dinner, stomach reminding him why he was there.
The food was amazing, and Kyle probably ate faster than he should have. When his waitress came around to collect his plate, she asked, “Did you want any dessert?” He bit his lip, “What do you have?” She showed him their dessert menu and he settled on a piece of cheesecake. He was texting Stan to tell him how good the ravioli was when another plate was set down next to him, “Here you go, man. Enjoy.” Kyle barely looked up in time to see the guy with the Jeep smiling down at him. “Oh- thanks,” He almost stumbled over his words as he was struck with such a powerful wave of nostalgia that he couldn’t place. The guy nodded and turned to leave. Kyle flicked his eyes down to his name tag to see if it was familiar. Ricardo? He crinkled his nose. Somehow that didn’t seem right.
He was gone before Kyle could say anything else. His face felt hot, like he was blushing. He finished his text to Stan before quickly devouring his cheesecake and then asking for the check. It was late and colder outside by the time he got back in his truck. He shivered, rubbing his arms as he turned over the engine and started the heat. He briefly glanced at the Jeep beside him, then towards the restaurant windows to see if he could catch one last glimpse at the mystery dude. What was this fascination he had with him? He just looked so familiar, but Kyle couldn’t think why. He’d never known anybody from Denver, not personally; certainly not enough to have this much déjà vu over them.
The redhead shook himself, driving back to his dorm room before he could dwell on it too much. He was as quiet as possible going up the stairs, sighing as he closed his door. He flicked the light switch only to discover that it didn’t work. Snorting, he went to his box of things and pulled out a table lamp he’d thankfully brought from home. It almost illuminated the whole, tiny room. The place felt a lot emptier now that it was dark, but he supposed that was because he hadn’t fully settled in.
Kyle removed his hoodie and changed into more comfortable clothes for sleeping, then plugged his phone in as he laid down. The bed was stiff, and the pillow had barely any stuffing, but he ignored it for now. He could buy a mattress cover and a new pillow later. This place even smelled foreign; he obviously wasn’t at home anymore. With a good night text to Stan, he rolled over to face the wall and closed his eyes to sleep.
At around seven am, Kyle’s room started thumping with some kind of alternative music. He jolted awake, sitting up and blinking as he looked around. “What the hell?” He grumbled to himself, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and grabbing for socks to put on. He stumbled out into the hall looking for the source of the music. A door further down opened and a short, spunky looking female in slippers and button up pajamas came stomping down the hall. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she had a toothbrush in one hand. She passed Kyle without even a glance, pounding on the door next to his and screaming, “Mikah! Turn that shit down, you massive assbag!”
The skinniest person Kyle had ever seen opened the door. He was tall and lanky, black hair down to his shoulders and straw straight. He looked like he’d blow away if a gust of wind hit him right. “Why don’t you go snort a line of coke, Charlotte?” He snarled at the female, who glared back. “I have work in an hour and your God-awful trap music is throwing off my groove,” She sneered. Mikah rolled his eyes, shutting the door in her face. The music turned down a moment later, and Kyle sighed in relief. As Charlotte headed back to her room, she paused and looked him up and down, “What are you looking at, carrot top?”
“Uh, I’m Kyle,” He tried to sound friendly enough. She snorted, shaking her head and moving on, “Good for you.” Her door slammed shut. Kyle licked his lips, furrowing his brow. Not the friendliest bunch of neighbors, he thought to himself, disappearing back into his room. He could still hear the music faintly, but it was nothing compared to what it had been. He sighed through his nose, rubbing his eyes. He would’ve tried to go back to sleep but he was fully awake now and his stomach was begging for food. While he was still in South Park, he’d made sure to save up enough money to have spending cash for the first little bit of his move. His tuition was basically covered thanks to the scholarships he’d earned in high school, but he still needed to get a job if he wanted to do extra stuff. Now was a good a time as any to check out that café, he decided.
It had snowed a bit overnight. Nothing that wouldn’t melt once the day warmed up, but enough to frost his windshield. He scrubbed it off with his jacket sleeve. Turning on his truck radio, he flipped through the new stations he could get here to see if he wanted to save any. Most were hip hop or rock stations, but he did find two that played a variety of music. He assigned those to a preset each. Not that he didn’t have an audio jack and couldn’t play music from his phone, it was just that sometimes he liked to listen to the radio.
The café wasn’t as busy as he expected it to be, probably because it was a small chain compared to the Starbucks across the street. Kyle didn’t mind, getting out of his truck and stuffing his hands in his pockets as he headed for the entrance. A bell above the door announced his presence, and he was promptly greeted by a male barista who didn’t look much more enthusiastic than Kyle felt. “What can I get you this morning, sir?” The barista asked, wiping down the top of the expresso machine. Kyle briefly glanced over the menu, “Um.. the biggest regular coffee you got, I just need caffeine right now.” The guy nodded and moved off to get that. Kyle rifled through his pockets to get his wallet, preemptively getting out his debit card.
There were a few other people sitting at the tables, drinking their coffee and eating breakfast. “You not from Denver?” The barista asked as he set a large coffee cup in front of Kyle. The redhead smiled sheepishly, “No, I actually got here just yesterday. That obvious?” The guy shrugged, “You stare a lot. Most people from the city don’t do that. Also, you look a little lost.” Kyle pointed to a chocolate chip muffin to add to his tab before swiping his card, “Sorry. I’ve never really lived anywhere but my hometown. It’s kinda intimidating.”
“Don’t apologize,” The barista chuckled, handing Kyle the muffin before holding out his hand, “I’m Ryan. Welcome to Denver University.” This was the first person that had officially greeted him the entire twenty-four hours he’d been there, and it made his shoulders sag with relief. Kyle took his hand and shook it, “Kyle. Good to meet you.” Ryan smiled, “Likewise. Your hair naturally that fucked up?” Something about the tone of his voice told Kyle he wasn’t being malicious. The redhead laughed, “Uh, yeah. It’s hard to do anything with that doesn’t involve soaking it in hair gel.” Ryan chuckled and shrugged, “At least it’s interesting.” Kyle grinned. He sat down at the counter as Ryan went about his business cleaning and making sure supplies were stocked for the day.
“So, where’s home, Kyle?” Ryan eventually asked, wiping his hands on his apron. Kyle bit his lip, looking down at his coffee as he mumbled, “South Park.” The barista’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly, “Oh. You’ve seen some shit.”
“I’ve caused or know the people who’ve caused some shit,” Kyle admitted, avoiding eye contact. “Isn’t that Randy Marsh guy from there?” Ryan sounded too amused. Kyle nodded, sighing dramatically, “That’s my best friend’s dad.” The barista would’ve spit out his drink if he had one, “Are you serious? Dude, that guy’s a legend, he’s so dumb.” The redhead shook his head solemnly, “Yeah, I know.” He finished his muffin, bidding Ryan goodbye before heading back out to his truck. It was still early, but the sun was out, and it felt good on his face. He just stood there by his truck for a few minutes, soaking in the morning on his porcelain skin. Ryan’s comment about his hair flashed through his mind. Combined with the sunlight on his cheeks and the bit of fiery bangs he could see if he looked straight up, it reminded him of being called a daywalker. He could only chuckle at it now. Cartman did have some oddly accurate insults, he had to give him that.
Kyle drove until he found a nice, sunny hill near the northside of campus. He parked on the curb and got out to sit on a bench, leaned back to fully take in the sunlight as he sipped on his coffee. He heard a lone bird chirp off in the distance somewhere, the few leaves left rustling in the breeze that picked up. It ruffled through his hair pleasantly. On days like this, he and Kenny would take a walk to the park and people watch. He thought about calling his mom, but it was probably too early. She’d either be at work or on her way there. It was probably best he start unpacking his room, anyway. With a grunt, he stood and stretched, finding a recycling bin to dump his coffee cup in before starting the drive back to his dorm.
As he parked near the front entrance, he saw Charlotte rushing to her car. She made eye contact with him for a brief second, during which he tried to wave, but she ignored him. Kyle sighed. There were plenty of other students in the building, he supposed; it just so happened that the first two he met weren’t the friendly type. He didn’t get out of the truck immediately, still procrastinating unpacking and thinking of other things he could do. He did need to get some groceries. He didn’t have a real kitchen in his dorm room, but there was space for a mini fridge and microwave. He chewed his lip, putting the truck back in drive and backing out to find the nearest Walmart or something.
It was harder than he expected to think of groceries he could have that didn’t require freezing or refrigeration. The mini fridge he picked out was cheap and didn’t have a lot of room, but maybe he could keep some sodas and eggs in there or something. Cheese, maybe? He was having trouble thinking of anything he ever ate, now. Not to mention, he didn’t have any cutlery or utensils. He supposed he’d have to get that, too. That first grocery trip was expensive, and he internally cringed as his debit card slid through the checkout strip. He ended up getting a super cheap little cabinet, as well, to keep the nonperishables in.
The first thing Kyle did when he got home was setup the fridge and cabinet, then found a good space for the microwave before putting all his groceries away. There wasn’t much, but it would do for now. He glanced to his suitcase and the box on his desk. He almost didn’t want to empty them, for some reason. Shaking himself, he got to work putting everything from the suitcase where he wanted it; toothbrush and razor in the bathroom, the rest of the clothes in the dresser, shoes under the bed since he didn’t have a closet. Then he turned to the box. It had some pictures of his family and friends, as well as some little nick knacks he thought would help the place feel homier. He even had a South Park Cows jersey from the high school football team to hang somewhere. It had Stan’s number on it.
It was midday when he finished, and the sun was starting to beat through his window. Most of the snow from the night before had melted. He was plugging in a power strip he’d thankfully snagged from home to have his laptop, lamp, and phone charger powered all at the same time when there was a knock on his door. He glanced over his shoulder, brow furrowed as he hesitated in getting up. When he opened the door, there was a mousey little guy staring up at him with big, round, wire-frame glasses on his face. They were rose gold, matching the stud piercings he had in both ears. His thin hair was faded, and his blue eyes were magnified by the spectacles sliding down his nose. “Hi!” He greeted cheerily, holding up a store bought box of what looked and smelled like chocolate chip cookies, “I’m Sawyer. I’m your neighbor to the left.”
Kyle was at a loss for words initially, staring at this short young man with his mouth hung open stupidly. His jaw clicked as he snapped it closed, clearing his throat, “Um.. I’m Kyle. Nice to meet you.” He offered his hand, which Sawyer took enthusiastically. The cookie box was forced into his arms, then, “I just wanted to welcome you to our dorm. I know Mikah and Charlie aren’t the greatest at that, but they’re tolerable once you get to know them.” Kyle looked down at the cookies and smiled, “Thanks, dude. Uh, Charlie?”
“Charlotte,” Sawyer clarified under his breath, “she doesn’t like to be called that. Says it’s too prissy.”
“Oh,” Kyle glanced down the hall at the door he knew was hers, even though she wasn’t home. “Have you had lunch yet?” Sawyer pushed his glasses up his nose, but they immediately slid right back where they were before. Kyle shook his head. The spectacled boy grinned, “You wanna get subs or something? I’ll buy.” This guy was strange, but at least he was friendly. Besides, Kyle had met weirder people. “Yeah, okay,” He smiled back, “Lemme get my stuff together.” He left the door open as he set the cookies on his desk, pulling a pair of sneakers out from under his bed and lacing them on. Sawyer was looking around his room curiously, whistling as he spotted the Cows jersey hanging over the end of his bed, “South Park, huh? I’ve never met anybody from there. Is it as crazy as they say?”
“Crazier,” Kyle chuckled, grabbing his jacket, phone, and wallet before stepping out into the hall. Sawyer led the way down to the parking lot, unlocking a beat-up old Mazda that had probably seen a few generations. Kyle easily slid into the passenger’s side, buckling his seatbelt on instinct. “So, how’s your first official day been?” Sawyer asked as they turned onto the main road. Kyle shrugged, “Fine. Had a rude awakening, but I went to get coffee and the barista was nice. I went to this Italian place last night and it was really good. Pastabilities?” Sawyer laughed, running a hand through his hair, “Yeah, they’re good. Charlie orders takeout from there a lot because she thinks one of the waiters is smoking hot and hopes to get him as a delivery guy. Full disclosure? She’s not wrong.” Kyle snorted in amusement.
They rocked up to a sandwich shop Kyle didn’t recognize, but Sawyer was confident in claiming their sandwiches were bomb. Kyle got what was recommended, and Sawyer paid like he said he would. They sat at a small table for two by the window. “Thanks for inviting me out,” Kyle voiced his gratitude, “I didn’t realize it was gonna be so weird to be away from my friends.” Sawyer nodded in understanding, “Yeah, we’ve all been there. I’m from Aspen, myself. Mikah came down from somewhere in Montana. I think Charlie is from here, but she doesn’t talk about where she grew up much.” Kyle nodded, biting into his sub and humming. He gave Sawyer a thumbs up, “Good choice, man.” The small guy beamed.
Walking back up to the dorm, Kyle noticed a familiar Jeep in the parking lot. He paused, furrowing his brow, then continued following Sawyer up the stairs before the shorter man noticed. He heard a female laugh, exaggerated and high pitch. Charlie’s door was open, the mysterious waiter Kyle had seen at Pastabilities was standing there holding two paper bags of food like he really just wanted her to take them already. “I always enjoy your name tags, they’re so refreshing,” Charlie commented, leaning against her doorframe and twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger. Sawyer rolled his eyes and looked at Kyle, making a face, “I told you.” Kyle chuckled, shaking his head.
The waiter glanced to them with a tired smile that didn’t reach his eyes, then turned back to Charlie, “Thanks. Most people don’t really notice, which is why I can get away with it at work.”
“I think they’re funny and cute,” Charlie batted her eyelashes. Kyle could see the top button of her shirt was undone from where he was standing at the other end of the hallway. The delivery guy didn’t seem to notice or care, setting the bags down and pulling a receipt out of his pocket, “I just need you to sign here, Ma’am.” She briefly glanced around herself, patting her jeans as if they had pockets, “Do you have a pen I could borrow?” Maybe it was just Kyle, but he thought he saw the waiter clench his jaw briefly before digging into his other pocket and pulling out a cheap, ballpoint pen. Charlie made a show of taking it from him, giggling.
Kyle tried to focus away from them as he headed to his room two doors up from them, “Thanks for inviting me out, Sawyer. I had a good time.” The spectacled young man nodded eagerly, “No problem! It’s nice to have a friendly neighbor.” He pointedly glanced to Charlie, who stuck her tongue out at him. The delivery guy was still just standing there waiting on her to give the receipt back. She scribbled something extra on it, giving him a smirk as she handed it over, “You know, you haven’t ever told me your real name.” The comment piqued Kyle’s curiosity and he dropped his eyes to the name tag the guy was wearing. Tony Ravioli. He snorted, rolling his eyes and then looking back up at the guy’s face.
He was looking at him, the tiniest lip curl suggesting he found Kyle’s amusement satisfying. Then a few other emotions seemed to flicker across his face, the only ones Kyle could pick out being confusion and suspicion. Then the tall man turned back to Charlie, “I told you, you have to figure it out. It’s not an uncommon name.”
“But I’ve gone through entire lists!” Charlie sighed dramatically, “must you be so mysterious?” Tony Ravioli shrugged. “You have a good day, guys,” He directed at everyone as he made to leave. Kyle watched him walk all the way down the hall and disappear at the stairs. “I told you he was something to look at,” Sawyer commented, making Kyle’s eyes widen as he blushed, “O-Oh, no that’s not it! He just looks really familiar, like I know him from somewhere, but I can’t think where.”
“Yeah, somewhere like a dream,” Charlie sighed, picking up the bags of food and giving Kyle a pointed look. Before she disappeared into her dorm, she said, “Don’t even think about moving in on him, carrot top. I got dibs.” Kyle scoffed as her door closed, “As if dibs ever stopped anybody from doing anything, ever.” Sawyer raised an eyebrow coyly and Kyle backtracked, “Not that I want to, I just think the idea of dibs is dumb.” Sawyer put his hands up in surrender, “Whatever you say, Kyle. I’ll see you later.” He went back to his room as Kyle entered his own.
Kyle hesitated before going to his window to watch the delivery guy approach his Jeep. He stood there with the door open a moment, sorting through something. He glanced up and caught Kyle staring at him, raising an eyebrow and lazily waving. Kyle flushed and rubbed the back of his head as he waved back. The guy seemed to smile before getting into his vehicle and driving away. Kyle breathed in and out through his nose, rubbing his forehead and squeezing his eyes shut. It shouldn’t bother him so much, really. He probably didn’t even look like anyone Kyle knew, and he was just being a massive creep by staring at him every time he saw him. His phone vibrated in his pocket, a text from an unknown number.
dude its kenny, i finally got my own fuckin phone!
Kyle grinned at that, sitting on his bed as he saved the new contact and replied.
That’s great, man! Now we can talk more. It’s already too quiet here.
The fact that he was over an hour’s drive away from anyone was still settling over him, like a slow-falling blanket. He knew it to be a fact, but it hadn’t fully hit him yet just how different this was going to be. He thought about asking Kenny when he could come visit, but he didn’t want to put any pressure on the poor guy. God knew the gas alone would probably be too expensive to endure very often; for either of them.
i went to see your mom today, she says you havent called yet, bro
Kyle bit his lip guiltily reading Kenny’s message. He had planned to call her, but when he thought about it earlier, it was too early. He scratched his nose, typing quickly.
I was gonna call her tonight. I wanted to this morning, but I didn’t know if she was at work or not.
He set his phone down to take his shoes off, not bothering to untie the laces. Then he grabbed a bag of potato chips and sat back on his bed, pulling his laptop over with the intent to watch some Hulu or something. When he picked up his phone again, he already had another text from Kenny.
i told her you would. said you were probably just out with your new friends or somethin lol
For some reason, that made Kyle cringe. Not only did he not have any new friends -besides Sawyer, he supposed- but the way Kenny said it made it sound like he was replacing him and Stan. But that was impossible. He could never replace them.
Mostly just checking out the area, actually. I had a rude awakening this morning. Most of my dormmates are kinda dicks.
Kenny’s reply was immediate.
that sucks yo. hope you meet someone cool soon. I gtg help karen with a poster so ill ttyl
Kyle plugged his phone in to charge, setting it on his desk while he turned back to his laptop. He had a couple shows he was into at the moment, but he didn’t feel like watching any of them. Instead, he checked the recommended movie tab and chose something stupid from there. He enjoyed B-rated movies from time to time. In fact, that was one of the only things he and Cartman could ever agree on towards the end. He remembered sitting on the couch listening to Kenny and Stan argue over what they were going to watch. Cartman would be sitting on the other end of the couch, but they’d exchange a glance and Kyle would sneak the remote away from Stan and find something like Two-Headed Shark Attack or Piranhaconda. Stan would groan and complain, but Kenny never minded and that meant they always won the majority vote.
Kyle frowned as he recalled their first sleepover after Cartman had moved. It wasn’t uncommon for him not to be there, as sometimes he sat out their gatherings for one reason or another. But that time was weird because it hadn’t been his choice not to go. Kenny in particular was abnormally subdued and concerningly sober. Stan seemed to care the least, though he did try to console Kenny. Kyle remembered feeling like something important was missing. Even if he was rude and loud and obnoxious, Cartman was their friend and had been around their entire lives up until that point. It was hard to believe he would totally cut himself off the way he did.
Kyle wasn’t even watching the movie anymore, sighing and closing his laptop. He idly tapped his fingers on the top of it, chewing the inside of his cheek. He supposed then was a good a time as any to call his mom. The phone rang a few times before Sheila Broflovski answered. Kyle was greeted with the usual; did he make it okay, how was his room, did he like it so far. He recapped as much as he could remember about the last day and a half, purposefully leaving out the Italian restaurant because he still wasn’t sure if he was just being a weirdo about that or not. “Have you met anyone yet?” Sheila asked eagerly. Kyle hesitated before responding with a lie, “Yeah, a few people. They’re great, you know, they’re all really close in this dorm.” He didn’t want her to worry.
“That’s great to hear, Boobie,” His mom sounded relieved, “and you have plenty of money to get you started?”
“Yeah, Ma, I told you I did,” Kyle chuckled, “I even got some stuff at Walmart today.” The conversation went on for a little longer, Sheila telling him how she and Ike missed him already, but she was glad he wasn’t as far away as he could’ve been. Secretly, he agreed with her. Eventually, she sighed, “Okay, Kyle. I’m really happy you’ve settled in well. I have to go start dinner, so I’ll talk to you again soon, okay?” She almost sounded like she was trying not to cry, and Kyle had to bury that thought deep to keep himself from mirroring the waver in her voice, “Okay, Ma. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Boobie.”
She hung up and Kyle stared at his blank phone screen for a while. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself now. Yesterday, he’d been so eager and full of energy. Maybe he just needed a nap; he was woken up pretty early that morning. He set his laptop aside and laid back with his hands on his stomach, closing his eyes and trying to deepen his breathing.