Author's Notes: To anyone following me for my GW story End of the World, please accept my apologies. I've been out of touch with and keeping my writing postings up to date... most of what I've done recently is gift exchanges or anonymous stuff, but I am still working on EotW and have no intention of abandoning it. Life has just been a lot crazier in the last year than I expected.

This story started as a quickie one-shot idea and after sitting down for a marathon of all 14 seasons over the holidays, grew into something much more. It's all outlined already, but I don't think it will anywhere near as long as EotW. This is for my Stan & Kenny - exploding fist bump... and sparkle!

The Kids of Yesterday

Do you know how a song can sometimes just encompass an experience? Anytime you ever hear it again, no matter where you are or who you're with… it always reminds you of that same certain experience? Yeah? Well… this is one of those songs, one of those experiences…

"Bye, Mom!" Kyle Broflovski called out as he held the front door of his house in one hand, waiting for the predictable reply.

"Have a good day at school, Bubula," she called back from the kitchen as Kyle mouthed the words perfectly in rhythm. "Study hard and don't get into any trouble!"

"'K!" Kyle pulled the door shut and skipped down his front steps, heading towards the bus stop, where he could already see two of his friends waiting.

"Hey, dude," Stan Marsh greeted his Super Best Friend, looking up momentarily from his Nintendo DS screen to smile. It was one second too long, though, and he groaned as his eyes returned to the game, smacking one hand to his forehead.

Next to him, Kenny McCormick snickered and raised one fist triumphantly in a mimic of his champion's victory pose.

"Guys, I have excellent news!" Kyle bounced lightly from one foot to the other, hardly able to contain himself.

"Spill!"

"Yeah, spill!"

"Well, you know last night was the last night of Channukah, so my parents had my final present waiting for me after dinner, and at first, I was kind of disappointed, because it was only an envelope and I'd been hoping for Rock Band 3…"

"Dude, get to the point," Stan waved one hand at him, used to Kyle's tendency to ramble when excited.

"How do you guys feel about a road trip?" Without waiting for a response, Kyle barreled ahead in his explanation. "One of the guys at my dad's office, he's got this condo, but his family's not using it this year, so he asked if my dad wanted to borrow it! And since I already know I'm getting straight A's again this semester, my parents thought they would…" And here Kyle raised his hands to give quotations marks as he mimicked his mother's voice. "Reward my sense of ethics and responsibility…' and they're letting us go skiing! Alone, just us!"

"Dude, seriously?" Stan's eyes widened, trying to imagine his own parents trusting him that much. Not a chance in hell. His mother was always snooping around his room looking for evidence that he'd gone to the Dark Side – as if he'd keep anything important where she could find it – and his father was just… irrational and unreliable. Well, that was really a generalization… One day yes, one day no, one day my "buddy", the next, my executioner… Stan never knew what reaction he'd get from his father on any given topic on any given day – or whether Randy would even remember to give the same response both times if asked twice. On the other hand, Kyle's parents were usually more overprotective than anyone else in the entire town. "They're actually letting us go unchaperoned? Where is this place, the next town over?"

"No, Wyoming!" Kyle exclaimed proudly, lifting his chin a little as if daring his friends to mock the offering. Getting out of town, especially getting out of town with parental consent, was worth a lot these days and Kyle had his own reasons for wanting to escape for awhile. He was actually just a little surprised at his parent's offer, but he'd be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. No school, no parents, no excuses… "The condo's in Jackson Hole, at the base of the Teton mountains…"

"Native Americans named the Tetons after titties," Kenny offered, then added. "Sounds cool." Of course, any chance to hang with his friends was fine by Kenny, and getting out of town (likely all expenses paid knowing the Broflovkis) sounded like an awesome Christmas present.

"…and I am somehow not surprised that you already know that," Kyle grinned with a slow shake of his head, then crossed his arms over his chest and addressed them more seriously. "Over the break, New Year's," he continued in explanation. "There's only one problem…"

A loud rumble sounded from down the street and Stan glanced towards it as he finished Kyle's sentence. "None of us has a car."

As if on cue, a bright yellow Hummer sped towards them, squealing to a stop with the passenger window already rolled down. "Morning, peons," Eric Cartman called out over the thumping bass of the music coming from his car.

Stan took one step closer to Kyle until they were shoulder to shoulder and then muttered, just loud enough for only the redhead to hear. "You gonna ask him?"

"Got a better idea?" Kyle muttered back, shifting the shoulder strap of his book bag restlessly.

"Anyone wanna beg for a ride to school?" Cartman sneered, revving the engine a little. "Or are the babies going to ride the wittle ole school bus wiff Butters?"

An outsider might think this scene was a first, Kyle thought, but in fact, Cartman had pulled up to the bus stop every day since he'd gotten the yellow monstrosity for his 16th birthday with the same line. No matter who answered what, they all invariably ended up riding together every day anyway. Cartman just enjoys lording it over us as often as possible.

Kenny leaned in the open window to be certain the other two wouldn't hear him. "We still on for tonight? I know tomorrow's Christmas Eve, but it's Wednesday-"

"Duh," Cartman cut him off gruffly, then added loudly. "What's that, Keh-neh~" he sang. "I didn't quite hear that please."

"Fuck you," Kenny responded loudly, opening the passenger door and sliding in, knowing the other boy wouldn't stop him. "Shotgun." He sounded pissed off, but behind his favorite orange parka, he was smirking.

Stan yanked open the door to the back seat and climbed in, reaching back to offer Kyle a hand up into the vehicle as Cartman abruptly switched songs on his Ipod, inspired by Kenny, and turned up the music. Cee-lo was playing and he began to parody the words as they took off towards the High School on the other side of town.

"Yeah I'm drivin' 'round town with Stan & Kyle, and I'm a-like FUCK Yooouuuu~~~ Kenny stole the change from my pocket but it wasn't enough and I'm a-like FUCK Yoooouuuu~~~"

Kyle rolled his eyes, tapping Kenny's shoulder and making a motion to turn down the stereo. "Hey… Eric…" Kyle started carefully, unsurprised when Cartman tilted the review mirror to glare at the suspicious use of his first name. "Are you going out of town for the holidays?"

"What's it to you, Jew?" Cartman snapped back, screeching the car to a halt again and taking a side street as he glanced at the clock. Perfect Timing, as always, Eric. Hitting the button to roll down his window, he leaned out and cackled loudly, reaching with his other hand to crank the music up again. "I pity the foooooo~ooool who's gotta ride the bus~ he's a huge turd, yeah, just thoughtcha should know it~~"

Kenny reached to turn the music down again, but looked away from Cartman and intended victim Butters, pretending to fidget with the other myriad buttons on the dashboard.

Kyle watched the sun roof open and close, open and close, then eyed the clock. I really don't want to be late to Physics again. "Knock it off," he smacked Cartman in the shoulder, then waved out the window at Butters. "Good morning!"

"Oh, umm… good morning, Kyle… " Butters fidgeted awkwardly, but Cartman didn't give him time to say anything else. The window snapped back into place, Cartman swung the car though a u-turn that almost set them on two wheels, and the ride to school resumed.

"You were saying?"

Kyle frowned, but decided now was not the time to resume the war over Cartman's treatment of their friend. "We're planning a trip over New Year's to go skiing-"

"Snowboarding," Stan and Kenny interrupted simultaneously, reaching to slap each other an exploding fist bump.

"Whatever," Kyle continued, "Point is, we're getting out of town and want to know if you want to come with us. One of my dad's coworkers lent him a timeshare."

"Parentals?"

"None."

"Seriouslaay?" Cartman swung the car into the school parking lot, making sure to park just over the line so that no one would park next to him.

"Seriously."

There was silence in the car for a long moment and Kyle and Stan met eyes, mutually shrugging without word or gesture.

"I'm in – on one condition!"

Kyle forced himself to hide his inward cringe with a small frown. "Condition? What the fuck? I'm inviting you on a free vacation, you asshole!"

"Right," Cartman snorted. "Because I'm the only one who can get us there! Say it, Kaahl!" Cartman turned to look over his shoulder, lowering his aviator sunglasses to sit on the end of his nose. "Say that I am the only one who can get us there. Tell me you need me, Kaahhhhl~! Princess Leia style, Kaahhhl~!"

"Dude," Stan tried to interrupt, but Kyle reached out to touch his knee as he sighed dramatically, repeating in a monotone. "Help me, Eric Cartman Kenobi, you're my only hope… come on, seriously, dude, we need you to drive and you know it, so save the speeches for after school – I really can't be late to Physics again!" He flung the door open, slid out and was gone with Cartman's whiny reply calling out behind him.

"Fiiine, I'm in!"

"Jesus Christ," Stan muttered under his breath. He flung the back door open and slid out of the car, chasing after Kyle, who was already halfway up the stairs, and Kenny caught them just as they all hit the main doors.

"He agreed to that way too easily," the blond warned them, but neither of his friends looked concerned.

"Nah," Kyle shrugged as he stopped at his locker to deposit his lunch and his afternoon books. "You really think he'd let us go on an awesome trip and leave him behind? Argue with me too long and I'd find another way to get there and he knows it."

"If you say so," Kenny shrugged, then waved as he disappeared around the corner to his morning Study Hall – aka, cafeteria back door morning joint… excellent.

"You don't even have a school bag today?" Kyle observed as he shut his locker and started to walk towards his Physics class.

"Why bother? It's the last day before break," Stan shrugged and grinned, pausing when they reached the door to Kyle's classroom and leaning casually against the door frame. "Meet you in the usual spot and I'll-"

"We'll check the mail together," Kyle finished with a grin.