South High

Surprise

"Mooom, I'm home!" Eric whined out when he stepped through the door, Kyle in tow behind him. Ms. Cartman, a petite woman with shining blue eyes, peeked in through the kitchen doorway.

"Welcome home, sweetums! Oh, you brought your little friend?"

Eric rolled his eyes and started stomping up the stairs. "Mom, I told you to stop calling me that. Kyle's staying the night."

"Oh alright, sweetie. Don't stay up too late." Ms. Cartman ducked back into the kitchen, leaving the two boys to step quickly up the stairs.

"Welcome to the lair!" Cartman swung open the door to his room and spread his arms out, making a fake echo with his hands cupped around his mouth.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "I've been in here before, you idiot." The room was pretty fascinating. Cartman had learned basic decorating, so he had posters hung on his wall and the like. The walls were still the same dark indigo they had always been. Posters of different bands, all ranging from five finger death punch to the neighborhood, hung on every wall. His computer desk was filled with trinkets and knick-knacks, all collected over the years. Along with faded books that looked like they had never been touched.

"So, what's first?" Cartman asked, looking over at Kyle with a questioning expression. Kyle replied with a shrug and sarcastic frown. "I dunno, it's your room. Got any games?"

"I got Black ops?"

After about an hour of yelling curse words at a controller and shoving each other off of rolling chairs, Ms. Cartman knocked on the door.

"What mom??" Eric whined, turning in his chair to face her. She stood with a small bottle of water in her hand and something small clutched in her other.

"Sweetie, it's time to take your meds." She padded into the room, setting the bottle on the table and setting the pill in Eric's hand. Kyle watched with an eyebrow raised. He had no idea that Eric was on medication.

Ms. Cartman pat her child on the head and smiled over at Kyle. "Night boys, sweet dreams." She walked to the door and left the two in a tense silence.

Kyle set the controller down on his lap and watched Eric swallow down the pill out of the corner of his eye. "...What's it for?"

Eric didn't look at Kyle, instead he picked up his controller and sucked down the water he was given. "It's zoloft. Don't worry about it."

Kyle seemed surprised at first. He had a million questions. Why was Eric on zoloft? How long had he been taking it? Was Eric..depressed?

"Earth to Kyle?? Hello?" Kyle was snapped back to reality when Eric spoke to him, a look of confusion spreading across his face. "Why are you on zoloft?"

"Why do you think? Yea yea, Eric's a depressed little crybaby." Eric spat, rolling his eyes and waving his pudgy hands around. "You tell anyone and you're dead. Hear me, jew?"

Kyle couldn't even be mad at the jew comment. He was...kinda surprised. Even though he shouldn't be. Eric had plenty to be upset about.

"I'm sorry-" Eric cut him off the moment he began to talk.

"Sorry for what?? Sorry that you're friends with a fuck up?? Sorry for shit you can't control??" Eric's face was turning red, and Kyle could see that he was tearing up. Kyle just stared, a frown pressing his cheeks and his hands fiddling in his pocket.

Kyle pressed his lips together and reached out a hand for Eric to take. Eric just looked between him and his hand for a moment before grabbing it and squeezing it as hard as he could. Tears streamed down his face as he let Kyle hold him, the sobs echoing throughout the room.