Build me up, Buttercup.

Chapter Three: for now i'm only people watching

POV: Kenneth McCormick

I don't think I really ever.. Worry. I've never necessarily had to. Whatever I'd worry about would usually be gone by the next morning.

But whatever that was.. That was different. Why I worried that much about my friend, I'm not sure. I mean I have a right to worry, it's just.. Weird that I showed it.

I closed my locker and the clang could be heard down the hall. Nobody paid any mind to it; everyone was all caught up in their own conversations.

I walked down the halls alone, if I'm going to be all emotional I'm NOT doing it infront of any of my friends. I wafted past each group of people, finally entering my first period classroom.

Sitting at my desk, I lay my head down. Yesterday was rough. And it was.. different. More different than usual. I'd like to say it was the reason I'm suddenly so emotional, but normally I don't get caught up on that. It's always been easy to hide. So why now?

The first bell rang. Five minutes.

I pull my hood further over my head trying to achieve full privacy as I rest. Chatter enters the room as my classmates arrive to class.

My peaceful attempt at a nap was soon interrupted by one obnoxious voice.

"Why hello, Kenny."

Without sitting up, I raise my middle finger in Cartman's direction. I can smell that shit-eating grin from here.

"Kenny~. Since you wanted to be a good boyfriend to Butters~ and make him not do my math homework~, you get to do it."

A plop of papers sounded right next to my head.

"Thank you, Kenny~, I knew I could count on you~."

I sit up and stretch all whilst giving Cartman what I like to call a death-stare.

"No fuckin' way. Nice try, fatass."

"Ay!" Cartman points a finger in my face. "I'm not doing it and Butters isn't doing it so that means you do it!"

A simple roll of my eyes is the response I give him.

"Fine, fine," he settles down. "If you would prefer not to, I can always get you a room." He stands up and yells "To suck Butters's dick in!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! I'm not- Butters doesn't- God! Just do your own goddamn homework!"

As Cartman opens his mouth, the bell rings. Being saved by the bell would be the right phrase.. If it wasn't for Cartman.

At this point, the teacher has not yet entered the room, meaning the whole classes attention was on him.

I stand up and slap his homework back on his desk. Then I pick up my bag and move all the way to the back of the classroom.

He's got a tremendous stick up his ass and I am NOT going to deal with it this early in the morning.

---

First period went as smoothly as it could've after that whole fiasco. Second period gave me a bit of a break. Third period was actually pretty fun. And now I set off to 4th and 5th period.

I have a 2 period block for that class and, what would you know, it's got my friends (plus one dickhead) in it. Not especially looking forward to it. Not after..

A couple claps on my shoulder causes me to whip my head around. Kyle walks behind me with a giant grin.

"Boy you really made Cartman mad!"

"It's not really that hard."

He laughed at this and nodded. "That's true. I just wanted to let you know how fucking funny it is to me. He kept saying shit about you and Butters making out and how that connects to his math homework?"

We both laugh whilst we walk into the classroom. Kyle sets his bag on his desk and I drop mine on the ground next to my desk.

"But are you really?"

"What?"

"Are you really with Butters? Making out, fucking eachother, all that shit."

I tensed up a lot more than I assumed because Kyle definitely noticed. "What? No. Cartmans just saying that because he's.. Well he's fucking Cartman."

Kyle shrugs and takes a seat. "Alright."

A few seconds later, Stan enters the room and takes a seat next to Kyle. He greets me and they start talking about God knows what.

People file into the classroom and before I know it, the bell is ringing.

Leo rushes into the room and practically collapses in his seat behind me, Mrs. Garrison following soon after.

"Alright class, have I got the lesson for you. About Mr. Slave."

The whole class is either on their phone or asleep, all pretending to pay attention though.

"Who remembers Mr. Slave? Right, right."

Does she ever actually figure out any lesson plans?

"Well when I was out shopping, guess who I saw? No, not Mr. Slave. I saw-"

The door to the classroom opens and in walks Eric Cartman.

"Eric, you're late."

He halts in his steps and puts on a charade. "Oh, oh thank you Mrs. Garrison, I had no idea!"

His charade promptly drops as he moves to sit behind Leo. Fucking hell, he is getting on my nerves today.

As Mrs. Garrison continues her story, I hear Butters and Cartman talking behind me in hushed voices.

Stan and Kyle were happily texting each other underneath their desks.

On the other side of the room, Wendy and Bebe giggled to each other.

Clyde set his feet atop his desk, almost leaning back into Tolkien who was too asleep to care.

Everyone in the room was doing their own thing.

I reach for my notebook and begin doodling whatever comes to mind.

Boobs.

Lots of boobs.

Me.

Mrs. Garrison who never shuts up.

Me sleeping.

Boobs again.

Butters.

Cartman being an asshole.

Kyle and Stan being gay.

Boobs.

Butters.

With flowers and hearts and.

I shut my notebook and shove it back in my bag.

A forlorn glance at the clock tells me there are 10 minutes until lunch.

10 more minutes.