I still Love You - South Park Post COVID [Style]

Chapter 1

Stan

I felt it again with the call. It felt like a spark reigning a broken flame. All hate I had against him was gone the second I heard his voice after so long. I knew it was him without my Alexa even saying anything. He had one of those voices, once you hear it, it'll never escape your head.
'Kyle'
I thought to myself the second I picked up the phone.

Ever since we were little, Kyle and I always had a connection much deeper than friends. We were each other's number one, always, the Super Best Friends. But I always wanted more from our relationship growing up. I felt better when I was around him, more like myself, I felt genuine happiness. I saw us spending the rest of our lives together. So when Covid tore us up, I lost my happiness. I lost my everything. I lost the love of my life. It didn't matter who else I dated since then, no one could replace the love I felt for my Super Best Friend.

But he was gone, and if he wanted the same he would've reached out sooner or made up with me, but he didn't. And I knew I couldn't. We were supposed to stay friends until Covid happened. And now that we disbanded, I knew I had no chance of being with him the way I wanted.

"Oh hi. I-is this Stan Marsh, from South Park?"

The second I heard his voice over the phone, I couldn't move. I was paralyzed as my love for him came crashing back to me. It pounded in my mind and tugged at my heart. I stood still, my mouth agape stunned that I still felt so much love towards him.

"Kyle?" I asked like a question. Still in disbelief that I was talking with him.

"Oh, dude. It-it is you!
H-how have you-- How have you been?" He stuttered over the phone.

I could tell he was nervous, but not as nervous as I was feeling the heat rise to my cheeks and buzz in my fingertips.

"I'm.. fine. How are you?"

I still couldn't grasp the fact he called. Did he want to make amends? Did he want to fix things? Why now after so long?

"I'm good, I'm..." He trailed off for a moment. Stuttering once again. "I-I know this is weird. We haven't talked since.. n-well, you know, since it all happened."

"Yeah, well, the pandemic is about over now. I'm moving on with my life." I stated with slight anger in my tone. I said it trying more or less to convince myself.
I knew none of my questions would be answered and I couldn't love him with the way things ended. I couldn't let myself be dragged back into loving him. But I couldn't help but fall in his trance despite the serious conversation we were having.

"Stan... you should come back here. There's a lot going on."

"There's nothing in South Park for me, Kyle! I'm not going back there. Ever!"

"Look, dude, you remember when we were little? When the pandemic, first started? Us friends said we'd always be there for each other when things got bad."

"What do you mean? What's happened?"

"Stan... It's Kenny. He's dead."

...

I froze. Slowly dropping my phone out of my hands at the news.
'Kenny?.. dead..'
I couldn't believe it. Out of all of us, he shouldn't have been the first to go. It didn't matter to me how things ended, I missed out on Kenny's death once, and I wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Come back, please Stan. Meet me at the Denny's Applebee's MAX. Okay?"

I didn't respond, just hanging up the phone on him, I called my Alexa and explained the situation. Immediately packing a bag and getting in my car. I'm not letting Kenny go again. I need to say my goodbyes like I had failed to do last time.

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Kyle

Stan hung up without a response. I didn't have to worry much, I still knew him more than I know he'd like me too. I know he's going to show up, for Kenny.

Some days I wish I had made up with Stan, the way things ended with us as friends wasn't how I wanted it to go down. Not that I wanted things to end at all. I was young and angry. Unable to contain my reaction to covid I lashed out at the people I cared about the most. Minus Cartman. He deserved it. But Stan and Kenny didn't.

And now that Kenny was dead I knew I had to reach out to him. The entire call I was stuttering like a school girl, nervous. I'm unsure why my anxiety was up. I knew we had beef with each other but that wasn't what I was nervous about. I felt a tingle in my veins and a burning sensation in my mind talking to him. I couldn't help but smile during our awkward conversation even though he was upset. His voice brought back so many memories that made me happy. Stan made me happy. I wish we had the same connection we had as kids now.

After covid broke us apart, the loss of my Super Best Friend swallowed me whole. I regretted it my whole life. I lost everything when I lost Stan. Not that I'd tell him that. But talking with him felt nice, calming, and nostalgic in a way.

Surprising to me, I was more excited to meet him in person than I'd admit. I wonder what he grew up to look like..