Do You Even Care? / STYLE SOUTHPARK

☆Chapter 05☆

...Kyle's POV...

An hour until they arrive. I can feel the anticipation killing me with each breath I take. I hear my mom in the kitchen while my dad is busy completing some work upstairs. Earlier I set up a tent in the backyard for us to sleep in so we don't have to worry about my parents trying to sleep while we are up.

"Bubbie!" My mom shouts.

I hop up off the couch, "coming!"

...

The doorbell rings and I have to stop myself from sprinting to the door. I walk to the door, followed by my mom who's ready to greet my friends. I open the door for Butters and Kenny who are both smiling, gifts in hand.

"Welcome boys!" I hear my mom from behind me.

"Hi Mrs.Broflovski," Butters smiles. My mom's always liked Butters. She's neutral on Kenny, doesn't like his family for various reasons.

"Hey guys," I greet them, gesturing that they come in. We all sit in the living room chilling for a while before another knock comes.

I hop up and walk to the door briskly. It's Cartman. "Hey Kyle," Cartman says, walking straight in. My mom makes her way over, glaring at Cartman. He glares back. "Hi Mrs.Broflovski," Cartman says, glaring still. My mom doesn't say anything but instead glares in return. She's always saying how I should stop hanging out with him. She hates Cartman. It might be because he sang a whole song talking about how much of a bitch my mom is or it might be the antisemitism he's always spewing like vomit. My mom goes back to the kitchen as we sit and wait for Stan.

...

I'm still waiting for Stan while my mom calls for us to come to the kitchen. But I'm sure he'll be here soon, he's just running late. I know it. Maybe he took a nap and slept in a little. Whatever the reason, he'll be here soon. He wouldn't miss my birthday.

"Just wait a few more minutes Mom. Stan isn't here yet!" I shout to her. I can hear her sigh but she says nothing more.

A few minutes pass by and I feel a sick feeling stirring in my stomach. He isn't going to show up. "C'mon Kyle, I'm sure he'll turn up during presents," my mom calls us all in. I try to believe that, maybe she's right. I want her to be right.

I walk into the kitchen and sit at the table, still thinking about Stan. My friend's still around the table smiling as we wait for the cake to be brought over.

I do smile a little as my mom brings out a circular cake with a candle on it. For a second I forget that Stan isn't here. They all sing (Cartman terribly off-pitch). As they stop singing, I make my wish. I wish that Stan would show up tonight. I blow the candle out. My mom cuts the cake and my dad helps pass it out.

Then we start to open the gifts. I start with Kenny's, it's a small handmade card. With five bucks taped to the inside. I smile at the handwritten message. "Thanks, Kenny," I smile.

Then I open Butters gift. It's a game for my Xbox. I smile, I haven't heard of it but it sounds like a game that has something to do with escaping a killer. "Thank you."

Finally, my parents bring in the gift they got me. Not wrapped because I guess they couldn't figure out how to. It's a poster, they hand it to me. I look at the little picture and it seems that it's a Terrance and Phillip poster. "Awesome, I'm gonna have to hang this up in my room. Thanks Mom and Dad."

...

Stan never came. It's now 1:17pm and we're watching a gory horror movie on my phone in the tent. I'm half paying attention. "Oh shit!" Kenny yells as the killer throws a knife into the back of the girls head. She has been running from the killer pretty successfully until she tripped.

"Dumb bitch. She shouldn't have worn heels," Cartman comments. Butters is watching through his fingers and gripping the blanket. Stan would like this movie. He would love this movie. I am practically head his voice making fun of the girl in the heels.

...

I watch the end credits roll of the movie we watched. As I grab my phone, I look around, everyone else is asleep. Kenny and Butters practically on top of each other and Cartman is on the opposite side of the tent, his mouth hanging open. It is reasonable that they're asleep cause it's currently 2:50am. Usually Kenny is awake, I guess he was tired tonight. Phone in hand, I crawl to the tent door. I unzip it just far enough. I plant my hands into the grass outside and slither my way out of the tent. I reach for the zipper to zip it back up but I pull my hand away. The zipper is too loud, I'll leave it be.

Right now I feel like crying and I'm not really wanting to do it in a tent full of my friends. Where do I sit? I find a spot up against the side of my house in a dark corner.

While I look up at the sky, I feel my tears run down toward the ground. The stars start to appear blurry. How could he not show up? I always show up for him. My tears turn into those of anger. How could he not show up? I squeeze my fists angrily. I always show up for him.

Vision blurred with rage induced tears, I open my phone. I click around mindlessly until I open Instagram. I scroll through seeing random photos and memes. Then I come across a photo Stan posted. It's a photo of him at a party (that I assume is at Clyde's house), holding a beer and standing next to Craig and Clyde. The anger returns. He chose a fucking party over me. It takes all my restraint to not leave a scathing comment on his post. Instead, I take a deep breath. A few deep breaths. I shut my phone off.

Fuck him anyways. But I don't mean it, I know that. It just hurts.

...

When I wake up with a headache from crying it's to the sound of my phone dinging next to me. I realize I'm still outside of the tent, leaned up against my house. I pick my phone up. Three dings. It's from Stan. Without a thought, I click the notification and unlock my phone. It opens to Me and Stan's messages.

Stan:)

Hey
Sorry I missed ur party
Can u come get me?

No.

I can't even believe he would ask me that so casually. As if he didn't just stab me in the back for Clyde, Craig, and beer. I set my phone face down next to me. More dings.