A Secret I Already Know

Ch. 2

C: can you come to my house in about ten minutes

I stare at the text Cartman sent me about a minute ago. I look up from the phone at my mom.

"Can I go hang out with Cartman please?" I ask her.

She looks shocked. "That's the first time I've heard that... sure, just be back before ten." She answers. I thank her, grab my hat, and leave the house.

K: yeah, I'll be there.

I respond back to him. I walk slowly so I don't get there early. Seven minutes pass and I make it to his house. I knock on the door, being almost exactly ten minutes from when he first texted. I knock on the door again and wait a few seconds before Cartman's mom opens the door.

"Eric, your little friend is here!" She yells gentally through the house. After a few seconds, I see Cartman walk to the door.

"Okay, mom, we'll be back in a while." He walks out the door. He gestures for me to follow him and I do. We just silently walk down the street. I look at him and see that he's just looking down. I can see a little red on his face, but I look back forward before I can make out any more details that just keep adding up to the same conclusion. After a while, we turn down a road that leads only to one place- Stark's Pond. I start questionig what's going on in my head, but I don't make any motion or emotion that says it.

He walks me over to the ege of the water and gestures for me to get into a boat he stands next to.

"You're not going to try to kill me with a whiffle bat again, are you?" I ask.

He chuckles a little and looks down. "No, I'm not..."

I sigh and get in the boat like he says. He pushes it away from shore and jumps in before the water can touch him.

"What did you bring my out here for?" I ask him, completely emotionless.

He sits down and rows a little out into the middle of the water.

"I have something I really need to talk to you about.

And here comes the confession that I already know about. What am I supposed to tell him when he tells me? I already know I just hate your guts so it means nothing to me? I already know and I can't answer?

I don't hate him anymore. He's become a lot nicer to me, and I'm kind of happy about it, but I don't know about this. I'm not gay... it hasn't gone well with any girl I've ever been with, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go for guys.

... most likely.

"What do you have to say that's important enough to drag me out into the middle of Stark's Pond at eight-thirty at night?" I ask.

He looks up at me with a face of confusion and worry.

"Usually, when someone says that, they would make it sound like I forced you to do it. You added no hint of that, or anything, for that matter... you've been like this lately. What's going on?"

So someone actually noticed... Stan hasn't even said anything... maybe he's just worried that he'll upset me or something.

I shrug and look over the side of the boat at the water. "I dunno..." I respond quietly.

"No, you know something and I need to know. What's going on?" He asks.

"Why should I tell you? Why do you care, fatass?" I ask, still with no emotions.

"I'm not fat, you fucking Jew." I don't respond. "Something's wrong with you, and I want to know what. I'm trying... to actually bond friendship, I guess..." He says.