Somethings Change

This is Awkward

"Oh wow. When you said secret this isn't what I expected." The high school sat across the road from a lake, beautiful and blue. So now Wendy followed Kenny down the wooden stairs to the beach. He just chuckled and walked under the stairs into a hidden area, still filled with light but out of sight of the school. The area had a picnic table in it which Stan and Kyle already sat across from each other at, Kenny promptly took a seat next to Stan and motioned for her to follow. "We're not supposed to leave the school. Aren't we going to be in trouble?"

"That's why it's perfect, no one comes to bother us here." Kenny reassures. Wendy took a seat next to Kyle.

"We still eat in the cafeteria sometimes, otherwise it would look suspicious." Stan chimed in. "Sometimes I'd stay with you while these two came here because Kyle didn't really want you here." He smiled, no sadness or trace of anything upsetting. Still Kyle jumped on the defensive.

"Hey! Don't phrase it like that dude!" Wendy frowned, looking at Kyle like he'd just kicked her puppy. "It was nothing against you specifically. I didn't want anyone here, this place was special to us."

"It's okay Kyle, I understand." Wendy nodded in understanding. "But why bring me here now?" There was no response, because frankly they didn't have an answer. The table fell silent as they all ate their lunch.

"I mean you're pretty cool I guess." Kenny broke through after half of the lunch period was over.

Wendy laughed. "Thanks Kenny. You know I was also curious, where'd the table come from?"

"Oh we took it from the park awhile back." Stan rubbed the back of his head, the other's laughed remembering that day.

After that the conversations started up, there was laughing and talking. Honestly Kenny was surprised of how little communication skills these three had. A loud ringing started coming from Kyle's pocket. He pulled out his phone and swiped it off.

"Time to head back." Kyle stood. Kenny and Stan were already ahead of him, having started when the alarm actually went off. "Come on." He held out a his hand, helping Wendy to her feet.

"Thanks." She said smiling up at him brightly. He smiled back in response as they started to walk to catch up with the other two. "Hey do you guys wanna hang out afterschool today?" She asked grabbing stan's hand you slow him down. It almost hurt her when she felt him flinch and almost pull away. Despite everything, Wendy still really loved Stan and at least wanted to try to be his friend.

"I can't, I got work." Kenny sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I gotta take Ike to soccer practice today, sorry."

"Oh." Wendy looked down sadly. Stan noticed this out of the corner of his eye as he watched her. He'd known her long enough to know that Wendy had a large social battery and got lonely pretty easily. Since joining high school, a lot of her girl friends got too busy or just didn't spend time with her anymore. Mixed with the fact that her parents were always too busy for her, Stan knew just how lonely she really was. Maybe that's what prompted him to answer yes to hanging out, despite not really wanting to talk to her or be around her alone just yet. But when he fully looked over and saw the happiness in her eyes, the smiling pulling wide at her lips, he couldn't help but smile back.

They entered the school as the first bell rang, kids started to head to their respective classes. They started to get weird looks from some students passing by them. Kenny spotted a cute little blonde over by his locker waving at him. He turned around from where he had been walking in front of them. He waved them a good bye, and motioned downward before taking off toward his locker. They looked down to where Kenny had been pointing. It took them till this point to realize that Wendy was still holding both Stan and Kyle's hands. The three took their hands away, highly flustered. Wendy laced her own hand together while Stan stuffed his hands in his pocket and Kyle rubbed the back of his neck.

"So I guess I'll see you after school." Stan started walking away toward his locker. Wendy just nodded.

"I'll meet you in class, save me a seat?" Wendy waved to Kyle, heading to her locker.

"Yeah, sure." He replied.

Once they were out of sight Kyle let out a heavy sigh before heading to his locker. Wendy got to class before him, not really a surprise considering she's left to get her stuff way before he did. Still the redhead took a seat next the her and they started chatting like normal. Class started and they both seemed to become absorbed in the lesson. About 40 minutes later the teacher gave them the homework and told the students to work on them for the rest of class. Kyle scooted his desk closer to Wendy and the two started going through problem after problem together.

"So can I ask, are you going to be okay alone with Stan?" Kyle asked while they filled out more of their paper.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Wendy replied not looking up from her paper.

"You know, because you guys broke up."

"I still love him, but I want to at least be his friend." She almost whisper. Kyle felt something pull at his chest.

"Well I'll message you during Ike's practice."

"Don't worry about it, go support your brother. I'll message you later."

They continued to work until class was over. The rest of the school day was mundane but seemed to go by pretty quickly. They all met up in front of the school before parting for the day. Then it was just Stan and Wendy, they talked very little on the way to Stan's house. Both almost felt like breaking and running away. They reached Stan's house and sat in his room as a random movie played on the TV.

"You know... this is different." Wendy muttered.

"It is, for one we wouldn't be on opposite sides of the room." Stan replied from his desk chair, looking away from the movie and over to Wendy who was curled up on his bed.

"You can come over here and sit with me you know?" She scooted over, still curled up holding her knees. Stan shrugged and made his way to his bed, sitting against the head board. After a while of being engrossed in the movie again, Wendy spoke again very quietly. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"No problem." Another few moments of silence passed.

"Why'd you agree?"

"I know how lonely it can get for you."

Wendy smiled and hugged her legs tighter. "This still feels so awkward."

"Well it is awkward... The last time you were here, we broke up." Stan tried hard not to let the sadness seep into his voice, but failed miserably.

"I know, I'm sorry." Wendy her head, looking directly at him. Stan shook his head but couldn't meet her eyes.

"It's okay, really. What you said before," He turned toward her, still not lifting his eyes from his sheets. "about Kyle, you were right. I do like him, I have for a long time." Wendy could feel pain in her chest

"Have you told him?" She whispered, tears threatened to slip from her eyes. Stan nodded and Wendy felt another flash of pain, tears breaking over. "I'm sorry." She said wiping her eyes. She didn't even know what caused it, why it was upsetting to her, or why she couldn't stop the tears.

"Oh no." Stan got on his knees in front of her. He tried brushing her hands away, grabbing her wrists lightly. "I'm sorry, please don't cry." He begged, tears starting to brim his eyes too. Wendy started muttering more apologies. Her eyes were screwed shut and her tears continued to fall quickly.

Stan didn't know what to do, or say, or think. He couldn't get her to stop, I couldn't even stop the tears from falling from his own eyes. Stan always knew he messed everything up, but he was also the most sensitive of any other guy he knew. He couldn't stand to watch the people he loved cry, and he did love her. So he did the one thing his body could do on impulse.