A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first Kyle/Cartman fic., so I'm hoping I'm getting this right :)

I know the plot moves kind of fast right at first, but I kind of wanted to introduce the main idea of the story right away, so I didn't end up dragging it out for like five chapters, cause I tend to do that a lot...

Also, very sorry if it seems a bit shaky in some parts, I'm not really used to writing in third person- actually I've never written in third person- so it's very new, but it's growing on me, so I am getting the hang of it fast. The reason I wanted this fic to be in third person is because I really wanted it to be about all of them- not just Kyle and Cartman. This way I can really include all of their feelings and thoughts and stuff.

So anyways, I hope you enjoy the first chapter and continue to read on- I have a lot planned for this fic :)

They used to think their lives began the day they started high school. But they soon realized that freshmen aren't exactly the highest on the social ladder, and years of senior torture couldn't be what life was all about.

They used to think that their lives didn't truly begin until they got their driver's licenses. Then they each experienced drunken crashes, speeding tickets and parking fines, and that couldn't be what life was about.

They used to think that life officially began when they turned eighteen. Then they realized that even though they could legally buy porn, cigarettes, and lottery tickets, they still lived with their parents. And that couldn't possibly be what life was all about.

Then, at the end of their senior year, during their graduation ceremony, there was a brief instance when each of them caught the other's eye and they knew, they knew, that this time they were right. Life didn't start until you graduated high school.

"What is it that you need, Stan? My mom is already freaking out about God-knows-what, and I don't need her heading a search party if she thinks I've gone missing." Kyle whined as him, Kenny, and Cartman were pushed along to the side of the South Park High School building.

The senior graduation ceremonies had just ended, and the sun was beginning to sink low into the horizon, casting the school parking lot with a golden hue as parents and classmates clumped together in crowded groups to take pictures and talk.

"Quit complaining, Kyle." Stan rolled his eyes as he leaned against the scratchy brick of the building, relishing the cool shade and slightly damp grass.

They were all silent for a time, Kenny slouching next to Stan, Cartman standing slightly away by nature, with his arms crossed defensively over his chest, and Kyle, glancing nervously around the corner of the building every few seconds.

"Seriously, Stan. What do you want?" Kyle spoke up, sounding acutely agitated.

"Well," Stan started, pushing off from the wall to stand before his three friends. "I was thinking that, since this is our last summer- ya know- together," he paused for a moment to rub the back of his neck out of nervous habit. "And since I know you're all about as sick of your families and this town as I am."

"Amen." Kenny commented, looking up at Stan through the fringe of his blond hair, his blue eyes shining deeply in the dimming light.

"Right." Stan chuckled awkwardly as Kyle and Cartman remained silent. "I kinda thought it would be a good idea if we pooled our money together and just… left- for the summer." A deafening silence followed his words, broken only by the distant sounds of laughter and the constant click of cameras. Stan shifted his weight, feeling self-conscious with the three of them starring blankly at him.

"What do you mean leave?" Cartman spoke up, giving Stan an incredulous look.

"California isn't that far away." Stan suggested, beginning to feel ridiculous for ever bringing his idea up. "And we're all eighteen, so our parents can't technically make us stay." He added, trying to make the offer sound more appealing as he nervously awaited his friend's judgment.

"How would we even pay for something like that?" Kyle questioned, a thoughtful look on his face.

The fact that Kyle, known for nothing but the most rational of minds, seemed to be considering it even a little bit gave Stan a spark of hope that spread rapidly through his demeanor.

"We all have more than enough money saved up- even Kenny!" Stan exclaimed, motioning to their blond haired friend with a flourish. Kenny looked up from the ground, where he had been starring intently, and nodded.

"But Stan, I've been saving that money for-" Kyle started, but Stan immediately cut him off.

"For college, yeah." Stan waved an arm dismissively at him. "But Kyle, you've already got a free ride to Cornell! I've got a decent scholarship to Denver, Cartman is going to business school, and Kenny is starting up his job at the auto repair shop after summer."

"Well fuck," Kenny started suddenly, taking a small step forward to throw his arm around his black-haired friend. "If none of you'll go, I sure as Hell will!" He grinned conclusively at Kyle and Cartman. "The last thing I want to do with the end of my freedom is spend it cooped up with my family in South Park."

There was another pause as Kenny and Stan waited to see if their other friends would agree.

Cartman stepped forward after a few beats to stand on the other side of Stan, throwing his arm over his shoulder in imitation of Kenny.

The three of them stood there, facing Kyle as they waited expectantly for him to join them, like he always did. Like he always would.

"Jesus, guys!" The red head exclaimed, looking down at the ground and shuffling his feet as his clenched his fists in anxiety.

"Oh come on, Kyle. We all know you've agreed since the moment Stan opened his mouth." Kyle narrowed his eyes at Kenny as he spoke. "So stop being a pussy, and get over here already."

Kyle rolled his eyes dramatically and took a step forward, throwing his arm around Kenny's shoulders. "All right, whatever."

Stan gave a loud, triumphant cry of approval and pounded his fist into the air.

"Yes!" He yelled, smiling enthusiastically at his friends. "You guys, we are going to get the fuck out of this town, together, for the last time."

Kenny and Kyle chuckled, shaking their heads at his unusual bout of giddiness. Stan rarely expressed himself in very open ways- he tended to be a bit shy and sensitive most of the time.

"Okay, let's not overdo it." Kyle took his arm off Kenny and started walking away. "Nothing is happening until we all get the courage to tell our parents." He went to disappear around the corner, but paused for a moment to add. "And completely disobey them, if necessary."

"That's what I like to hear!" Stan shouted after him, and the three boys left broke into an excited laughter.

Kenny and Cartman both stepped away from Stan then to lean against the side of the building. They were quiet for a moment before Kenny spoke up, sounding uncharacteristically serious.

"He's right though, Stan." His brows were furrowed with thought as the raven-haired boy raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "We might have to tell our parents to fuck off." He explained as he pulled out a cigarette from the jeans he wore under his graduation robes.

"I mean," he started, talking around the end of the filter stuck in his mouth. "I know my parents won't care, but Stan, I have a feeling your mom won't be too happy about it." He finished as cupped his hands around the flame from his lighter so it would catch.

"She'll get over it," Stan waved the thought off with his hand, not wanting to worry about their plans being ruined by his mother. "If anything, we have to worry about momma's boy." He stuck a finger in Cartman's chest. "I doubt she'll let her poopsie-kins take three steps out the door."

"Ay!" Cartman started, looking offended. "I'll do what I want. Bitches can't make me do anything." He crossed his arms defiantly over his slightly pudgy stomach for emphasis. The boy had seriously thinned out over the years, losing his mass of fat, but was still unable to turn any of it into actual muscle.

"I guess we'll find out." Stan sneered jokingly at Cartman. "But guys," he started, taking on a more serious air. "No pussing out on me, all right? If you're in it, you're fuckin' in it to the end."

Kenny and Cartman nodded, but Stan didn't look completely reassured.

"I mean it, guys. I being real here- this isn't like those stupid cops and robber games we used to play as kids. I actually want to do this."

"We get it, Stan." Kenny situated his cigarette in his mouth before throwing his arm reassuringly around him again as they began walking around the edge of the building and back to the parking lot.

"The way I see it," Kenny continued, cigarette hanging precariously from his lips. "We've always been in it till the end. And this is essentially the end of our lives together, right?"

Stan starred far off into the distance, where the sun was melting into pinks and blues at the horizon.

"Yeah." He replied, voice barely above a whisper.

"Then don't worry about it. We've all got each other's backs." Kenny squeezed him to his side for a moment before taking one last drag and throwing it down on the cement. He then released Stan to jog up behind Bebe and warp his arms around her waist in a way that made her parents cast disapproving looks at him.

Stan and Cartman were the only two left now as they walked along in silence, looking for their parents. The number of people in the parking lot had thinned out a lot, but the growing darkness was making it more difficult to tell who was who. Stan stopped, though, when he caught the silhouette of his mother standing next to a rather large person that he recognized as Sheila Broflovski.

"I'll call you tomorrow sometime, man." Stan declared as he began walking away from Cartman. "We'll all get together and start figuring out what we're gunna do, okay?"

"Right." Cartman nodded and watched Stan walk off before disappearing into the crowd in the opposite direction.

"Hey, man." Stan greeted Kyle as he walked up to the small group consisting of their parents.

"Stanly, there you are!" His mother called out, looking slightly angry. "We've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, mom." Stan flashed her a charming smile. "I had to run inside to use the bathroom."

"All right." She replied, but let a wary look linger on him before rejoining in her conversation with Sheila and Gerald. Stan wondered briefly why it was that mothers always had to be so suspicious of everything you do.

"Anyways, Kyle, we'd better get going." Sheila declared, grabbing her son forcefully by his upper arm and making to turn away from the group.

"Actually," Stan placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder, causing him to stop. "I was wondering if you wanted to stay the night at my house."

Kyle glanced back at his mother, who looked displeased. "I don't know, bubbe." She started in her familiar, nasally voice, letting go of his arm to cross her own over her large chest. "Ike has baseball practice in the morning, and your father and I are too busy to take him."

"Well then I'll leave early, ma." Kyle reasoned, taking a step back from her.

Sheila narrowed her eyes dangerously at her son before stepping forward and grabbing hold of him again. "No, I don't think it's a good idea- now let's go home. I told Ike we'd pick him up from Fillmore's before it got dark."

"But mom!" Kyle hissed quietly, trying his hardest not to make a scene.

"No buts, Kyle!" She nearly yelled, dragging him behind her. "I won't listen to anymore of your childish whining. We're going home, and you're staying there!"

By now they had attracted more than a few stares from the surrounding parents and their kids. Kenny was standing not too far away, shaking his head in an almost expectant way- like he knew something like this was going to happen by the end of the night. And maybe he did. It wasn't too hard to predict the way Sheila Broflovski would continuously embarrass her oldest son wherever there was a crowd of more than four.

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose exasperatedly. He didn't understand why Kyle wouldn't just grow some balls and stand up to his mother for once in his life. But, at the same time, it was understandable. Sheila was scary as Hell, and Stan was just glad she wasn't his own mother.

"Poor Kyle." Cartman's mom shook her head in empathy for the red head as he drove away with his parents. "Too bad he doesn't have a mother like me to spoil him rotten, right shnookums?" She pinched her son's cheek fondly as he tried to struggle away from her.

"Yeah, whatever mom!" Cartman exclaimed, rubbing his face angrily after she let him go. Liane quickly replaced Cartman's cheek for the recently divorced Steven Stoch's arm as the crowd slowly recovered from Sheila's short interruption.

Cartman huffed in annoyance as his mom went back to ignoring him in favor of laughing at Butter's dad's not-so-funny jokes. If he knew his mom at all, he should probably not even bother coming home tonight- unless he wanted to look at Steven in the morning. And that was something he definitely did not want to do. Especially if he had to listen to more of his lame ass jokes.

He walked away from his mother, who didn't even seem to notice, to try and find Kenny. As much as he hated his dump of a house, he'd most likely end up crashing there tonight. He would have asked Stan, but, as long as they've been friends, they've never actually had a sleepover alone before, and, well, old habits die hard.

He walked through the thinning crowd of people twice, but couldn't find Kenny anywhere. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as his eyes rested on the small patch of trees just north of the parking lot that was well known as a hide out for couples. He cursed under his breathe as he stormed across the lot and into the trees, trying to make as much noise as possible to alert Kenny of his presence.

"Shit, man!" Kenny yelled as he approached, jumping away from Bebe, who was resting her back against a tree.

"Jesus, Kenny, can't you go five minutes without trying to fuck someone?!" Cartman growled as Bebe made some mumbled excuse to duck out of the trees and head back to her family.

"Damnit, Cartman, you're such a cock block!" Kenny rolled his eyes at his irritated friend and leaned up against the same tree that Bebe had been pinned against.

"What do you need?" He asked, crossing his arms and starring straight ahead at the profile of the school, barely visible from where they were.

"Can I crash at your place tonight?" Cartman's voice held a small hint of the old whine he used to use when he didn't get his way as a child.

"What for?" Kenny questioned, glancing sideways at him as he shifted against the large oak.

"Well, my mom's been talking to Stoch and… I just think it would be better if I didn't go home tonight." Cartman nearly whispered, his eyes fixed resolutely on the dark green grass under his feet.

"Butters?!" Kenny exclaimed loudly, his body jerking away from the tree in surprise and his eyes widening comically.

"Psh," Cartman scoffed, rolling his eyes. "No, ya perv. Steven."

"Oh, yeah." Kenny calmed down immediately and went back to resting against the tree. "Forgot they separated." He paused, momentarily forgetting Cartman's original question.

"Right," he started after he'd remembered. "Well, Stan's already asked me to stay at his house tonight, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you tagged along."

"Yeah, alright." Cartman snapped, masking his discomfort with annoyance.

"It looks like everyone's finally leaving." Kenny observed, starring at the parents and students all making their way to their cars.

"Think you could give me a ride?" Cartman asked as they began walking back to the parking lot. "My mom drove me here and, as you can see, she's a little preoccupied."

Kenny glanced over his shoulder to see Liane leading Steven Stoch to her car, her hands gripping his ass through his jeans. Kenny frowned, wondering if all the things that Cartman's mom did to him even affected him anymore. He never said anything about it, or even talked about his mom, ever. He pretty much avoided her at all possible costs, which included late night drop bys to Kenny's house, where he would just sit in his room, staying unusually quiet until they both fell asleep.

"Sure, dude." Kenny replied, digging his keys out of his jean pocket, having to push his graduation uniform out of the way again.

"Why haven't you taken that thing off yet?" Cartman questioned. He had ditched his just seconds after they stepped off the stage.

"I don't know." Kenny shrugged and pulled at the collar of the gown, a small frown on his lips. He figured he just wasn't quite ready to let go of high school yet.

They got into Kenny's beat up red pickup truck and he shoved the keys into the ignition. Cartman sat back, not even bothering to try and put his seat belt on. It had been severely brunt by the previous owner, making it stick to the side of the interior.

Kenny took a deep breathe and patted his dash board, trying to coax it into starting with soft spoken words as he closed his eyes and turned the key. It sputtered a few times, but eventually roared to life and Kenny pounded a fist into the air, smiling lovingly down at his car.

Cartman rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. He was too used to this asinine ritual to think it too odd or out of the ordinary. Besides, it was Kenny, and he was prone to doing somewhat eccentric things at times.

The parking lot was completely empty now, so Kenny haphazardly threw it into reverse and pressed down hard on the gas pedal.

"Have you said your last goodbyes?" Kenny stopped so they were facing the school and starred ahead.

Cartman followed his gaze to take in the barely illuminated silhouette of South Park High in a way that he probably never would again. He didn't see it as just a school in that moment, but a place where nearly all of his memories over the past four years had taken place.

He smiled to himself and nodded. "Yeah, Ken. Now let's go."

"You got it." Kenny replied after a few seconds, voice a bit quieter than usual as he threw his car into drive and sped out of the parking lot.

It was only a five minute drive from the school to Stan's house, so they found themselves standing outside his door in no time.

"What are you doing?" Kenny questioned, looking amusedly at Cartman's hand as it rose up to ring the door bell.

"I was gunna ring the fuckin' bell." Cartman spat, looking confusedly at his blond friend who merely chuckled slightly and pushed the door open.

"Dude, it's Stan's house. Not your fuckin' date to the Junior Prom." He laughed to himself as he stepped past a sneering Cartman and into the house.

Stan's parents were in the kitchen, looking tired but happy. Sharon had a coffee mug wrapped up in her hands and Randy was leaning against the kitchen table where he had a beer sitting. They both stopped and turned when they heard the front door open, and Randy poked his head around the door to look into the living room.

"Oh, hey guys." He greeted, giving Kenny and Cartman a small wave.

"Hey Randy." Kenny nodded.

"Who is it?" Sharon asked before appearing in the doorway herself and smiling at the two boys.

"Stan didn't say you two were coming over tonight!" She exclaimed, but didn't sound upset; only surprised.

"Sorry." Kenny smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing the back of his neck in a wonderful act of shyness.

"Don't worry about it." She insisted, waving her hand in front of her. "Stan should be up in his room, you guys go ahead. Randy and I will probably go to bed soon though, so try not to be too loud."

"Right." Kenny nodded, and he and Cartman made their way up the stairs, taking an almost immediate right as they barged straight into his room.

"Hey man." Kenny greeted upon seeing Stan sitting on his bed, starring blankly at the small television hanging from his wall. Stan turned and smiled in greeting.

"Hope you don't mind- I brought the fat ass." Kenny pointed behind himself at Cartman who was idling in the doorway, like he was ready to bolt if necessary.

"Kenny!" Cartman hissed, narrowing his eyes angrily at his friend.

"Nah, it's no problem." Stan replied as he stood up from his bed to turn off his TV. Kenny hopped onto Stan's bed, occupying the spot he had just gotten up from. Stan rolled his eyes as he sat on the chair at the head of his bed as Kenny stretched out and yawned, curling himself into Stan's pillow.

"So, when were you thinking about leaving?" Kenny asked sleepily as he looked up at his black haired friend through heavily lidded eyes.

Stan shrugged and placed his elbows on his knees, letting his hands fall limply between his legs. "It all depends on when we can get everything ready."

"What's everything?" Cartman questioned as he stepped further into the room to sit down in front of an old dresser, right between the bed and Stan's chair. "I mean, all I have to do is pack my bags. I could be ready to leave this place tonight, man."

"It's not that simple." Stan began, shaking his head. "First, we have to get a car that can actually hold all four of us comfortably. We probably won't have a place to stay right away once we get to wherever we're going, so we could be living out of our car for a while."

"Living out of our car?" Cartman looked affronted as Stan narrowed his eyes threateningly at him.

"Hey, no one's forcing you into this, Cartman. Feel free to pussy out, but make it soon because I'm not wasting my time on you if you're not really in."

Cartman held his arms up in defense. "I never said I was out man, I just wasn't aware we'd be living like hippies."

Stan rolled his eyes dismissively as he continued. "Anyway, we need a car, we have to make sure we all have the money we need, we should figure out where we're headed to, we need to pack, and we have to tell our parents."

"I thought we'd agreed on Cali?" Kenny perked up, lifting his head wearily from Stan's pillow.

"Well, that was just an idea I threw out." Stan shrugged. "There's loads of other places we could go, really." He explained, his face lighting up with the same enthusiasm it held earlier at the school.

"I vote California." Kenny sat up, propping his elbow on the bed and laying his head in his hand. "The chicks there are fuckin' hot, man." He added in a dreamy voice.

Stan snickered and knocked his friend's arm away from his head, making him fall into the mattress. "Based on what, Ken?"

"Pure instinct, dude." Kenny replied, smiling lazily up at him.

"I've got no problem with California." Cartman commented. "As long as we stay away from all the hippies and homeless people." He wrinkled his nose in distaste as Kenny threw a limp hand over the edge of the bed and hit him over the head.

"Okay." Stan nodded to himself, smiling happily. "I'm sure Kyle won't have a problem with it either, but I'll text him in the morning. I still want all of us to get together tomorrow."

"Right." Cartman nodded, his back resting against the hard wood of Stan's dresser. "When exactly are we supposed to tell our parents, though, Stan?" He looked up at his friend through his bangs, watching as he unconsciously bit his lip in thought.

"Later rather than sooner, I would think." He responded, nodding to himself. "They may get suspicious of the car and stuff, but if they found out too early they might be able to do something to stop us."

"So, what, we tell them the day we leave?" Cartman scoffed sarcastically, but Stan cast him a concurring look.

"Yeah, that's actually a great idea." Stan sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his dark hair. "That way they won't have any time to tell us no."

Kenny shrugged as he wriggled his way under Stan's bed sheets, a peaceful smile on his face. "Sounds good to me." He yawned as he stretched out lazily and let his eyes fall closed.

Stan stood up and glanced down at Kenny, and then Cartman.

"Well, looks like Ken gets the bed." He stated, bending down to pull out two sleeping bags from under his bed. "You don't mind, do you?" He tilted his head to the side when his arm brushed against Cartman's leg, as he rolled the two blue sacks out on the floor.

Cartman shrugged as he crawled across the floor to sit on top of his sleeping bag. "Nah, not so much."

Stan shot him an odd look before reaching over his nightstand to flick the lights off, and climbing into his sleeping bag. Cartman followed suit, taking vague notice of the heavy, rhythmical breathing coming from Stan's bed, signaling that Kenny had fallen asleep.

The two of them were silent for a long time, both uncommonly aware that the other was wide awake, but neither finding anything interesting to say.

Stan shifted around under his covers, so that he was lying on his back. "Cartman?" He whispered cautiously, starring up at his ceiling that was painted black from the darkness spilling in through his bedroom window.

"What?" Cartman responded, starring up at the same spot as Stan.

"When did you change so much?" He questioned, so quietly that Cartman was afraid he'd heard him wrong.

"What do you mean?" He whispered back, eyes darting to glance at his figure, barely discernable in the dark.

"I mean," Stan shifted in his bag again so that he was starring at the side of Cartman's face. "You kind of used to be a completely insensitive asshole, and I can't quite figure out when you stopped being so… dickish."

"I wasn't a dick to everyone," Cartman declared. "Mostly Kyle." He yawned tiredly before his eyes widened in astonishment at what he'd said. He turned his head quickly to look at Stan, whose brows were furrowed in an intense kind of thought, not really seeing him anymore.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Stan finally concluded. "Why were you so mean to him all the time?"

"Because he's a stupid, greedy Jew." Cartman answered, but his voice sounded mechanical, even to him, and hardly a hint of his old malice was present at all.

Stan bit his lip thoughtfully, starring straight at Cartman's face. "I don't think I believe you." He whispered.

Cartman sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation as he rolled onto his back again.

"Believe what you want, Stan. I'm going to sleep."

Cartman closed his eyes, very aware of the fact that Stan was still boring a hole into the side of his face, but he fell asleep quickly. Stan followed suit not too long after, falling victim to the comforting sounds of Cartman and Kenny's slow, deep breathing.

He wasn't about to end their conversation there, though. He had to find out more about why Cartman had stopped picking on Kyle- and he had the whole summer to do it.

Thanks for reading, everyone! It'd be great if you could give me some advice, or ideas. I'm open to anything- bring it on :)