Build me up, Buttercup.

Chapter Seven: i wish i could

POV: Leopold "Butters" Stotch

I woke up to the abrupt ringing of the school bell and my head shot up. Groups of my classmates were rushing out the door, ready for our lunch break. I sit there blinking slowly as I watch the cluster leave one by one. Letting out a yawn, I get out of my seat and stretch. I find the room empty once my eyes properly adjust.

I presume, much like my classmates, Mrs. Garrison had left for her lunch the first chance she got. There were bookbags shoved under desks, even some leaning on sides of desks, and more toppled in the middle of the desk rows. A couple of desks had notebooks out, the others remained bare, as did mine. Catching a glimpse of my desk, I find a fault in my last statement.

A piece of folded paper sat atop the smooth wooden surface of my desktop. I pick it up and unfold it.

Hey Sleeping Beauty, I can hear your snoring. - K ;)
P.S. Ur in my group for the project. I'll c ya at lunch and tell u abt it.

I felt the blood rush to my face and hastily folded the paper up and shoved it in my pocket. I then begin briskly walking, out of the classroom and towards the cafeteria.

The halls were empty and classrooms were dark. To add to the ambience, my shoes made those clear crisp footfall noises with each step. After a while, my pace slowed back down. I could take as long as I needed to get to lunch, besides, I enjoy the quiet here. I walk in uninterrupted peace, for a moment before I feel a hand fall on my shoulder.

"Hey, Buttercup," My eyebrows furrow. Did he just- "Are you finally awake?" It's probably nothing.

I let out a small chuckle, "Not yet." Ken's face faltered for a bit, so I opted to fill the silence. "What's the project we got?"
Kenny began to explain that it was a group project. Our group was me, Kyle, Clyde, and him. Kenny continued explaining which book they chose and what the basis of the project was.

I could hear his words, see his mouth moving, but none of which I processed. Instead, what my focus stuck on was Kenny himself.

His body moved in a pace that matched mine as we walked alongside each other. His golden hair framed his face. His face. His hood had always used to be so big on him that it sheltered his whole face, but now the hood lay atop Kenny's head slightly slouched. Kenny's cheeks were littered with freckles, his thin lips were shaped perfectly, his right eyebrow had a slit, his nose was almost grecian, everything about him looked like something straight from a magazine.

I could tell he was expecting a response from me once I heard my name. I raised my eyebrows and brought myself back to reality.
"... Butters parents will care, they'll probably just be happy he's 'working harder on his studies'. If it's a no, that's okay too. Maybe we can go to Kyle's house."

"Of course! Yeah that's totally fine! ...For the project, right?"

Kenny gave a fist pump, shortly adding "Yes! Sweet, thanks bro! Is four good?" I nod and after a moment of silence, Kenny speaks again. "Cartman has been acting.. You know, recently. I'd find it weird if he didn't try to sabotage our project somehow. For one, Kyle is in our group and you know how that goes. Then for some reason he's pissed at me. And he's always been a bitch to you. I'm not sure what his stance is with Clyde, I just know he hates about everybody in our class except for his girlfriend."

I take a deep breath and my shoulders fall. "Thanks for letting me know, Kenny. I'm just. Not sure what to do about it?"

Kenny gently nudged an elbow in my arm and gave me that toothy smile of his. "Don't worry Bunny, I've got you."

I feel myself grin, and I mutter a thank you as we now turn into the cafeteria. Weaving through the tables, we find ours. In it sat Stan and Kyle, following them were a few empty spots. Kenny took his seat next to Kyle as I sat in the space next to Kenny. Across from us were Tweek, Craig, and Tolkien. The only other occupants were Eric, who was given two spaces of distance between him and Tolkien.

The conversation we had joined in on was one that was hard to follow. Eric was yelling, Kyle was trying not to laugh, Stan was laughing, Craig had scoffed, Tolkien's head rested face down on the table, and Tweek was attempting to take a drink from his water. I turned to look at Kenny, who was now solemn and silent.

"Want to get in the lunch line?" I leant over to Kenny and he nodded, soon following me as I got up.

He pushed his hands deep into his coat pockets and swayed on his feet as we stood in line. We passed through the line, and once I got to the end, I slid up quicker. I typed my lunch pin in the keypad, once, then twice, and thanked the lunch lady. I step back, wait a few seconds until I see Kenny reach the end of the line. He exchanges a nod with the lunch lady and joins me as we walk back to the table.

"I'm.." He gives an exaggerated face and pauses. "I'm still surprised that school lunch is free now." I turn my face and sit in my seat, my only response being a slight chuckle.

"Fucking hell, man. That's nasty." Kyle's lip pulled up in disgust.

"And this is why no one likes you." Craig joined in. "One. Just one normal conversation with you. Is that so much to ask?"

"You guys are just lame, once I'm rich and you're not, you guys are going to be sorry." Eric retorted.

Tolkien, entirely fed up, says "I still don't think being an asshole is something you can get rich off of."

"Is too! My mom told me so."

Kenny spoke between bites of his sandwich, "Yeah then why do you still live in a hotdog."

Eric stood up. "I am so done with this bullshit." Everyone glanced at one another, not a single one of them seemed shocked. "Screw you guys, I'm going home." He grabbed his lunch tray and stormed out of the room.

After taking a bite from his lunch, Craig deadpans. "He'll be back by next period."