Bound By A Book (KYMAN FIC)

A horrible, horrible fate.

Monday dragged on like a bad dream. Cartman barely noticed the winter chill that crept through the air as he walked to school, his mind a fog of discontent left over from the weekend. He was still tense about the things Stan and Kenny had learned, wary of the possibility they could ruin everything.

He'd worked hard to keep his crush a secret—it wasn't something he was proud of, after all. But the last thing he wanted was for anyone to know, especially Kyle. The very thought made his stomach twist.

Yet something strange hung in the air as he entered the school. There were whispers in the halls, and glances that lingered a little too long, students stifling giggles as he walked past. A jolt of irritation shot through him each time, his eyes narrowing as he tried to catch someone—anyone—staring, but they'd always look away just in time. The uneasy feeling gnawed at him, until he finally overheard a group of kids talking by the lockers.

"Did you hear the rumor? Apparently, Cartman has a crush on Kyle. Can you imagine? Those two together would be, like, the apocalypse."

Cartman's heart skipped a beat, plummeting into his stomach. A rumor? He couldn't breathe for a moment, his mind racing, panic clawing at his chest. He hadn't told anyone outright, so who could have possibly spread it?

He'd been careful, damn it! Stan and Kenny. They were the only ones who could've said anything. A hot flush of anger surged within him, his hands balling into fists as he forced himself to keep walking, pretending he hadn't heard.

But everywhere he went, the whispers and the looks followed him, each one chipping away at his patience. By the time he reached the cafeteria, he was barely holding it together, his eyes burning with barely concealed fury as he kept his head down, trying to ignore it.

But just as he sat down, a familiar voice floated across the cafeteria, sharp and mocking. He looked over at the table in front of him to see Kyle talking to Tolkien.

"...Seriously, Cartman? That's the dumbest rumor I've ever heard. Like, can you actually imagine me dating him?"

It was Kyle, his voice laced with derision, the words slipping out in a casual, almost dismissive way. Cartman's hand froze on his lunch tray, his heart pounding as he forced himself to listen.

"I mean, the guy's a total nightmare," Kyle continued, his voice tinged with disgust. "Lazy, racist, selfish, fat—what more could you not want in a person? The idea of dating him is just... ugh." He laughed, loud and sharp, as if the thought itself were too ridiculous to take seriously. "I wouldn't date him if he were the last guy on Earth. I'd rather die."

Cartman's chest tightened, his face flushing hot with embarrassment, but there was something else, too—an ache, deep and raw, spreading through him like fire.

He felt like he was about to cry. He had already lost his appetite for breakfast anyway. It was one thing for Kyle to hate him; he'd always known that, accepted it even. But hearing it out loud, the casual way Kyle brushed him off as though he were worthless, like he was nothing but a joke? It hurt in a way he hadn't expected.

He shoved his lunch tray away, his appetite gone, and kept his head down for the rest of the day. The day dragged on pretty fast, But each whispered laugh, each lingering stare, each quiet giggle felt like a fresh stab, and by the time the final bell rang, his anger had curdled into something cold and sharp, twisting in his chest.

When he got home, he went straight to his room, slamming the door behind him. The memory of Kyle's voice echoed in his mind, the contempt in his tone like salt in an open wound. He tried to take his mind off of it by any means possible as to not cry and look 'weak'. Music, video games, even food weren't enough to take his mind off of the rumors.