South Park High

Chapter 18-An Old Friend's Return

Kyle was relaxing in his living room, watching the news. It had been a few months since his conversation with Cartman, and while Cartman had been extra nice, Kyle still wasn't sure if it was completely sincere.

"We interrupt to bring you breaking news!" The tv anchor communicates. This grabs Kyle's attention quickly. South Park was a pretty small town, so breaking news was rare.

"Tom, I'm standing outside South Park County Jail, where 23-year-old convict Scott Tenorman has just escaped. The young man was locked up two years ago for attempting to murder his younger half-brother. Police have put out a citywide BOLO and are warning residents to stay inside. The man is said to be armed and dangerous."

Kyle gasped in surprise at what he had just heard. Even though he hadn't met Scott Tenorman too many times, Kyle knew of him because Eric was the younger half-brother Tenorman had targeted.

He switched off the TV and pulled out his phone to warn Eric when he felt a prick in the side of his neck. A sharp, stabbing pain flashed through his body, and everything became blurry. The last thing Kyle remembered was a thick sac made of coarse material being thrown over his head. Then everything went dark.

When Kyle woke up, he was in an abandoned garage, tied to a chair. Old cars and trucks lined the inside of the cold, ominous site. He could barely move his body, and his head was throbbing in pain. Kyle anxiously examined his surroundings in search of an exit. Kyle could feel the song 'Vendetta' by UNSECRET going through his mind as his eyes fell upon Scott Tenorman. Kyle's swallowing and breathing increased, and he could hear a ringing in his ears.

Scott looked just like Kyle had remembered. The criminal had frizzy Ronald McDonald red hair and brown freckles all over his pale face. His tall slim frame was covered by a bright neon orange jumpsuit.

"Well, Well, it looks like someone is awake," Scott taunted.

"If you let me go, I won't say anything. My dad's a lawyer. I'm sure he would be willing to help you get a reduced sentence."

"But you see, I don't want a reduced sentence," Scott smirked with an evil glint in his eye and a sharp knife in his hand.

"What do you want then?" Kyle implored, feeling panicked and uneasy. The fluorescent lights from above bounced off the knife causing it to glisten. Kyle began to sweat, anxiety and dread filling his soul.

"Revenge," Using the knife as a nail file, Scott meticulously scraped off the dirt under his fingernails. The delinquent was nonchalantly leaning against an old pickup truck.

"How did you even escape?" Kyle trembled. He hoped that the longer he kept Scott talking, the more likely the police would arrive before anything worse happened.

Scott hummed in response to the question. "I got a package with instructions for escaping, a gun, a knife, and cash. It even included the perfect revenge plan with your address."

"Who sent it?" Kyle asked, surprised that the package had managed to get through the prison security. It also made no sense why the package contained his address. How could kidnapping him allow Scott Tenorman to get revenge?

"Don't know, Don't care," Scott replied nonchalantly, twirling the knife in his hand.

"B-But...Why me?" Kyle fretted.

"How self-centered," Scott sneered. "You know the world doesn't revolve around you! You are merely a pawn in the game of chess."

"You're after Eric," Kyle whispered, more to himself than to Scott.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the boy a prize!" Scott sarcastically exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"Are you going to kill him?" Kyle paled in horror.

"What do you think?" Scott looked down at the tied-up boy in annoyance. "And here I thought you were smart."

"He is," a familiar voice declares from behind Scott. Scott turns around in confusion, only to be suckered punched in the gut, causing him to fall backward. A large cracking sound resulted from the impact of Scott's skull hitting the cold cement ground.

Eric rushes over to Kyle and hugs him. "Oh my god! I was so worried!"

Eric then blew the whistle around his neck. Suddenly, the cops storm the building.

The police sergeant handcuffed Scott and dragged him toward the vehicle. Scott's attempts to flee were all in vain, and before being thrown into the police car, he screamed, "I was set up!"

"H-How d-did you-u find-d u-us?" Kyle sputtered, still spooked from what had just happened.

"I just followed my heart," Eric cheesily remarked while untying the restraints that bound Kyle.

Kyle rolled his eyes and hugged his savior tightly, letting his question go unanswered.

An EMT checked up on Kyle before Kyle was permitted to give a police statement.

Throughout the night, Eric stood by Kyle's side to provide comfort and support.

"So...." Eric began. The police business had been wrapped up, and the two boys were sitting on the front door steps of Kyle's home.

"Yeah?" Kyle replied, still deep in thought, running through the events that had occurred previously in the afternoon.

"I would say saving a life counts as proof that someone has changed," Eric cockily smirked.

Kyle shook his head in amusement. "Fine, let's give us a chance."

"Yes!" Eric pumped his fist in the air. Kyle smiled, getting up from the steps and entering his house.

"See you later, Cartman." Kyle waved goodbye before closing the front door behind him.

Eric waved in response before pulling himself up from the ground. Skipping home, Eric hummed 'Play With Fire, ' getting lost in his thoughts. His plan, with a bit of help from Mitch Connell, had worked, and no one was nonetheless wiser.

After returning home, Eric opened his backpack to make sure he still had the package he had grabbed while the cops were not looking. He smirked in delight when he found the only connection he had to the crime scene inside. Eric took the package and threw it in the lit fireplace. The flames engulfed the brown paper turning it into ash.

Sure Eric let loose a criminal to kidnap the boy he liked so he could play hero, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that Kyle was finally his!

THE END