Future, Past and Present

Chapter 2: Roller Coaster V. S. Ferris Wheel

THIRD GRADE:

Butters got off the bus, and couldn't help but feel a little overwelmed at seeing the entrance to the Grand Cow festival. There were huge roller coasters towering above everyone. There also was a ginormous ferris wheel. Butters heard people screaming, who he thought were on the roller coasters. That made him a little scared.

"You scared Butters?" Kyle asked him, coming up behind him.

Butters jumped back, Kyle surprised him. "N-no," Butters stuttered.

"It's okay, is this your first time at a carnival?" Kyle asked.

Butters didn't want to admit that it was, his parents had rarely ever taken him out to such places.

"Hey, guys!" Stan came up to them.

Thank you, Stan for saving me from another embarrassing truth. Butters thought.

"Hey," Kyle said. "Oh, do you wanna-" He was cut off by Mr. Garrison. "Okay class, now everybody get a buddy."

Right away, kids were linking arms with others, showing that they were buddies, others held hands.

"Wanna be my buddy, Kyle?" Stan asked Kyle.

Kyle nodded, and held hands with Stan.

Butters felt lonely, almost all the other kids had already made buddies, and Stan saw that as well. "Hey Butters, I don't think that Kenny has a buddy yet, why don't you ask him?" Stan told Butters.

"Okay!" Butters said, cheerfully. He maneuvered his way through the crowd of children, until he saw a boy, who was wearing an orange coat.

"Hey Kenny, I was wondering if we could-" Butters cut himself off, as he saw that Kenny was holding hands with a girl. She had dirty blonde hair, and majestic blue eyes. "Oh," he said, in realization.

"Huh? Sorry Butters but I already have a buddy!" Kenny said, although his words were muffled because part of his coat covered his mouth. The girl smiled, at Butters, then said, "sorry," to him.

Butters just nodded, and walked away, feeling lonely, again. He couldn't help but feel a little sad as well. He knew that he shouldn't feel sad, and that he should get used to feeling lonely, but he never did.

"Okay, if you don't have a buddy, then raise your hand." Mr. Garrison said. All the kids grew silent, and looked around. Butters didn't want to raise his hand for the fear of being embarrassed, and the thought that he would probably have to be buddies with the teacher. But it seemed like that wasn't going to happen, because a hand with stubby fingers shot up. Butters was a little shocked to see a hand being raised, and was happy that he wasn't going to be with the teacher, so he raised his hand, as high as he could manage.

"Okay, Eric, your buddies with Butters." Mr. Garrison announced, as he and Eric Cartman walked up to Butters.

"Oh, come on! Do I have to be buddies with him?" Eric said, putting as much hate into the word, 'him' as possible.

"Yes," Mr. Garrison told Eric, then practically shoved Eric next to Butters. Butters blushed, slightly, but he didn't know why. He always hated Eric, because Eric would always bully him, and get him in trouble with his parents.

"You kids can go anywhere in the carnival, as long as you have a teacher with you." Mr, Garrison said. Then, almost right away, all the kids rushed into the carnival, and the adults followed them. But they forgot about Eric and Butters.

"I'm going on the roller coaster." Eric announced, walking into the carnival, his chin raised.

"But I don't want to go on that." Butters said, in a small voice.