Bound By A Book (KYMAN FIC)

So close yet so far

After school on a Friday, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny made their way to Cartman's house for what had become their weekly gaming ritual.

The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow through the living room window, illuminating the clutter of snack wrappers, empty soda cans, and the flickering light of the TV as Kenny set up the console.

Cartman's mother was nowhere to be seen, a common occurrence when she left the boys to their own devices.

"Dude, I'm totally wrecking you guys today," Cartman boasted, sauntering into the living room with an air of confidence. He plopped down on the floor, grabbing the controller from Stan, who was adjusting the settings. "I've been practicing. Prepare to witness greatness."

"Yeah, right, you just play those stupid mobile games," Stan retorted, rolling his eyes. "You're not even good at real games."

"Shut up, Stan! I'm about to show you how it's done," Cartman shot back, his finger jabbing at the controller buttons as the game loaded. Kyle and Stan exchanged amused glances, accustomed to Cartman's boastful antics.

Kenny, already immersed in the game, started explaining the strategy to Stan. "Okay, so the key is to get to the high ground first. If you can hold that spot, you'll have the advantage," he said, his eyes focused on the screen.

As the game began, they fell into the familiar rhythm of friendly competition, their voices rising and falling with excitement. Cartman was loud and obnoxious, naturally, while Stan and Kenny provided a mix of encouragement and playful jabs.

"...I'm gonna go get a snack." Stan says getting up and going downstairs.

After a few minutes Cartman also stood up and declared, "I need to take a leak. You losers better not try to cheat while I'm gone!" He strutted off to the bathroom, leaving Kyle and Kenny alone in the room.

With the controller still in his hands, Kenny continued playing, though he seemed to lose interest quickly. Kyle sat on the floor, watching the action unfold on the screen but feeling the familiar boredom creeping in. His eyes wandered around Cartman's messy room, finally landing on the desk where he spotted something unusual amidst the clutter.

"Hey, what's that?" Kyle said, pointing toward Cartman's sketchbook, which was carelessly left out, its cover slightly ajar. He had never known Cartman to draw, and the idea piqued his curiosity.

Kenny glanced over but didn't stop his gaming. "Oh, that? It's Cartman's sketchbook. Don't mess with it," he warned, though his tone was somewhat casual. "It's probably just doodles of food or some dumb comic."

Kyle raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Why are you being so defensive? It's just a sketchbook. What's he gonna do, get mad at us for looking at it?" He leaned closer, intrigued by the idea that Cartman might actually have a creative side hidden beneath his brash persona.

Kenny paused the game and turned to face Kyle fully, his expression serious. "I just think it's better if you leave it alone. Cartman can be weird about his stuff. Trust me." His voice had a note of finality, and Kyle felt a flicker of hesitation.

"What do you mean weird?" Kyle pressed, unable to shake the feeling that there was more to the story. "You're saying he's hiding something?"

Kenny shrugged, his eyes flickering back to the game screen. "I mean, he can be sensitive about certain things. If it were me, I wouldn't want anyone snooping through my stuff." He gave Kyle a knowing look. "Besides, what if it's really personal?"

Kyle rolled his eyes, not fully convinced. "Come on, Kenny. We mess with Cartman all the time. It's not like he's above it or anything." But the more he thought about it, the more he wondered what could be in there that was so important to Cartman.

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching. Cartman returned, a smug grin plastered across his face. "What are you two losers plotting over there?" he asked, plopping back down beside them.

"Just talking about how bad you are at video games," Kenny said casually, a playful grin creeping onto his face. "You know, the usual."

Cartman scoffed, clearly unfazed. "Whatever, I'll show you who's bad once we get back to it." His gaze drifted to Kyle, then back to Kenny. "You guys want to play some more or what? I'm ready to crush you!"

Before they could respond, Stan returned, a bag of chips in hand, and plopped down next to Cartman. "You guys are still terrible at this game. I'll show you how it's done," he said confidently, opening the bag and tossing a chip into his mouth.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not the one stuffing my face like a pig," Cartman shot back, earning a scoff from Stan.

As they settled back into the game, Kyle found his mind drifting back to the sketchbook. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Cartman than what they saw on the surface. The way Kenny had reacted nagged at him, and he felt an inexplicable urge to discover what Cartman had hidden away.

When the game reached a particularly intense moment, Kyle's attention shifted back to the screen, but the urge to know more about Cartman's sketchbook lingered in the back of his mind.

The dynamics of their friendship had changed slightly over the past week, and he felt a growing sense of camaraderie with Cartman that he hadn't expected.

After a while, as the game neared its conclusion, Cartman suddenly exclaimed, "I'm gonna go grab a drink! Stay right here, you losers!" He jumped up again, heading toward the kitchen.

As soon as he left the room, Kyle glanced at Kenny, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What do you think is in that sketchbook?" he asked quietly, trying to keep his voice down.

"Dude just don't touch it ok?" Kenny said with a frown, knowing exactly what was in there, and how mad Cartman would be if he just stood by.

"But- come on." Kyle pleads, getting more curious.

"Can we focus on the game and not a book? Plus who knows if he even uses that for art..." Kenny responds trying to lead Kyle off.

" fine. Sure. Whatever." Kyle angrily sits down next to Kenny and picks up the other controller, as they play together waiting for Stan and Cartman to return.

Kyle can't help but continue to think about what could be inside the sketch book that Kenny was guarding so much.