To Love (With Style)

Chapter 1: Kyle's Confession

The bell, the recess bell. It’s a sound that kids at South Park Elementary kill to hear during a class, they itch to leave the boring lessons even if they just began. Even the most studious of kids can’t deny a good fifteen minutes of fun. Despite ringing five times per week, it’s a sound that doesn’t get old and is sometimes foreign, a saving grace to the kids in classes. As it rang now, many kids ran out in excitement, killing for a break from the boring school work and teaching they were just enduring. They were met with a cold rush of winter wind, one they were all luckily used to. Stan ran through the hallways and outside, where mostly everyone was. Talking between themselves, fighting, debating dumb bets, tossing balls at one another, playing on playground equipment, and more. The moment he went outside though, he stopped and turned around him. ‘Oh yeah, that’s right’, he thought to himself, rolling his eyes. Cartman (as awful as he was) and Kenny were both absent today, which sucked for Stan. Two people less to talk to. He kicked the snow at his feet in boredom, eyeing the playground to see who else he could talk to. Yet as if on cue, Kyle put his hand on his shoulder as he stood behind him. “Hey Stan!”

Stan turned to see his friend, grinning. “Hey Kyle! Didn’t see you there, thought I would have to hang around the goth kids again”. Stan started to walk as he spoke, Kyle just following him at his side. “Well I was looking for you, dummy! I was in the hallways thinking you were gonna wait or something”. Stan shook his head as he scoffed and chuckled. “YOU’RE the dummy. Dude, Mr. Garrison’s class is boring as fuck! No way I’m waiting for recess”. He playfully punched his friend on the shoulder, both continuing to laugh between themselves. Both kept walking out in the playground. "So, anything about Cartman or Kenny?". Kyle just shook his head

"No, I'm a little worried about them. They promised both they'll be better. Cold must be worse than they thought…". Kyle kicked a pile of snow before him and exhaled, while Stan patted his shoulder. "Eh, I wouldn't worry. Fatass has come back from worse, dude". His friend smiled lightly. "Hehe, thanks". He spotted a little bench in the playground area, looking at Stan for a moment and abruptly asking him, "Hey, can we sit down, Stan?". Stan tilted his head slightly, looking at Kyle with a confused look. "Wwwwhy?". "Look, just do it, okay?"

He walked over and sat down, Stan following him and sitting at his side. "Alright, what's up, Kyle?", Stan worryingly asked, attentively looking at his friend as the loud world around him seemingly went quiet for the sake of this conversation. Kyle felt the same, alone with his thoughts however. He rubbed his neck and sighed, preparing himself over and over as though reading a script. "Stan…look, this is hard to talk about. But I'll try, I swear!". It was hard to not stumble on his words, but the more he talked, the harder it was to just drop this conversation entirely. "I…have a crush on you…and I've had it for, God, maybe a year now?". He could feel his ears get red as he slowly began to zone out, speaking his mind out without thinking as he felt like fainting. "I know it'll maybe go nowhere, but I want to develop this. You're my best friend, and my crush. I want you to be my boyfriend, and I'll be yours. It'll be great, it will! So…yeah! Well, what do you think? Can we be boyfriends, Stan?"

Stan noticed how flustered Kyle was, his sweating and his stumbled speech. He didn't comment on it, nor did he actually respond. He stared at his friend, dumbfounded at his confession before looking at his feet, continuing his silence. He couldn't even think, this was a bombshell for him. It took Kyle twenty seconds to break the silence on his end as he gulped in fear. "L-L-Look, ah, if this is a lot, it's okay! I just meant I have a crush and all, we don't HAVE to instantly be boyfriends, okay Stan? Stan?". Nothing. In his head, the confession echoed over and over. He tried to grasp not only what Kyle meant, but the weight. He wasn't deaf, he heard Kyle's desperate pleas, but he couldn't even face this implication himself, nor could he do it enough to even respond with ANYTHING. Kyle was worried now, whimpering a little as he put his hands on Stan's shoulders, who was frozen to him. "Stan! I mean it, it's fine!". He felt embarrassed, like his words did THIS to his friend. If he could even call him that anymore, perhaps he had forsaken a friendship as well. "Y-You know, I, I uh, I don't even have a cr-". Before he could take it all back, the bell rang. The students around the two ended their chatters and games, wrapping them up while Kyle looked in horror. Stan was snapped out of the blank train of thought to just turn to him. "Sorry dude, we gotta go back to class". Kyle felt his heart sink slowly. He was entirely ignored as Stan got up, shuffling out with the crowd pouring into the school.