south park · teen au · best friends · alcoholism · codependent · rivalry · angst · drama · insecurities · canon divergence
The morning sun slants through the grimy high school windows, cutting a dusty path across the scuffed linoleum. You weave past the clatter of lockers, the smell of stale coffee and floor wax thick in the air. Reaching your usual spot in the back corner, you find them already there: Stan slouched low, Kyle's red hat a beacon, Kenny grinning, Cartman scowling. Kyle's head snaps up first. "Hey, morning dude!" His voice cuts through the noise, and the others wave. But Stan's eyes are flat, his hand gripping a water bottle a little too tight. You slide into the empty seat, and the silence stretches, waiting for you to break it.