South park summers and always

2 Truths and a lie

Stan wakes up to the blaring alarm on his bedside table. He sits up and rubs his eyes before shutting it off. it was a gloomy day outside, despite summer having finally approached Stan and his friends. He blinks groggily - he's still in the middle of waking up. He stayed up unintentionaly late last night, a whirlwind of thoughts consistently cerculated in his mind while he lain in his bed . He couldn't help but ponder Kyle's odd behavior around Cartman, he seemed more dismisive and absent. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Kyle staring at Cartman instead of the work on his desk. it was odd, considering Kyle had always prioritized his work when they were in class. Like Wendy, he was one of the smarter kids in class - he was easily one of the few kids who got straight As. he couldn't help but think he was acting off, more shy and skittish around Cartman. it was conflicting to say the least.. Stan rubs his eyes and slides out of bed. He picks up his phone and sees some messages from Wendy and kenny - but the mesage from Kyle specificly catches his eye. "Can you hang out today?" it read, it had been sent nearly an hour ago. He types in a quick response before throwing his phone down. Without thinking he hadn't opened the message from Wendy - they'd grown apart but he couldn't find it in him to end things so suddennly. He walks down the stairs slips his shoes on and walks out the door. The air is surprisingly brisk for the time of the month. He shoves his hands into his pockets, and walks down the street to head to kyle's house - he ponders why he might've been so eager for him to be over this morning. he remembers the odd interaction between him and cartman that he'd witnessed just yesterday, and momintarily wonders if it has someting to do with that. he arrives to kyle's doorstop and knocks on his door. The door opens and Kyle is standing there. "Hey dude!" Stan spoke excitedly, but later regreted his eager tone. "Hey." Kyle invited Stan inside and he took a deep breath in. The scent of Kyles house is something he knew like the back of his hand. That scent followed Kyle along with the smell of shampoo and cologne. Kyle always bought a specific cologne that nobody but Kyle used. That, or, Stan only focused on Kyles cologne, but he pushed those thoughts aside. "Do you want to play some video games?" Kyle asked, he looked like he was trying to make things less awkward. Stan felt like there was some awkwardness between the two of them. Stan didn't know if it was just him or if Kyle felt it too but he wanted to make sure Kyle didn't sense anything out of the ordinary or else they're friendship might be tarnished. "Sure!" Stan responded and the two boys left to the basement to play video games. Once they got comfortable it all felt normal. Stan had made up his mind that nothing was amiss with Kyle and things were just as they were before.

An hour or two had passed, the boys weren't sure, they'd lost count. "Loser!" Stan shouted as he won another round "Whatever man.." Kyle said. The boys usually teased eachother in a rough manner and so neither took offense. Then, Kyle paased the game. "Erm.. Stan" Kyle looked at Stan. Stan took notice of the change in manerism in Kyle. He wasn't his usual self again, it actually reminded him of how he acted around Cartman.. Then, Stan wondered if maybe he wasn't acting nervous around Cartman, maybe he was acting nervous around.. Him. Stan adjusted himself in his seat, he was trying to prepare for the worst, and maybe the best. He had many thoughts racing around inside his head. "You can tell me anything Kyle." Stan could feel his heart racing, he was excited with the possibilites on what could Kyle might say next. He knew it was selfish, but he didn't care. "Well.. I don't know if you've noticed.. But.." Kyle was hesitant, Stan was practically on the edge of his seat, but he decided he would act as a good friend and be calm outwardly, though, he wasn't sure if he was doing very good because he felt his face turning red. "I might've been acting strange around.. Cartman the other day." The sound of Cartmans name felt like a large stone had been dropped into his stomach, he felt his heart sink and for a moment, he felt like he couldn't hear or see anything. What was this he was feeling? Why did everything seem so dark? It felt like the world was a candle and it just got blown out. All of these feelings happend within a few seconds, but enough time for Kyle to notice the pause. "Stan? Are you okay? You've gone all pale?" Stan took in a breath, he had been holding his breath since Kyle began speaking "Sorry, what did you say?" His heart started going at a normal pace and he began breathing regularly, but there was something else.. It felt physical. Was he sick? Did he injur himself? "Cartman.. Um.. I wanted to tell you something about.. Erm.." Kyle snapped back into reality "Oh, right. Go ahead, i'm always here to listen." Stan flashed a smile, he still felt something.. He couldn't pin point it. "Well.. You know how i'm.. Not interested in girls?" Kyle continued "Well.. I think i've had my eye on someone and i just want to come clean about it.. It's driving me crazy.." Stan listened, he knew where this was going, he had seen it since the middle of the school year. He always tried to ignore it, but he never could. This hurt, these feelings hurt, he didn't understand everything but he understood that knowing Kyle was interested in Cartman hurt. "Well.. I like him." He blurted out, a smile crept across Kyles face as he squirmed a little bit. Kyle sighed "I'm glad i got that out." Stan cleared his throat "I suspected." Stan flashed Kyle a grin "W-What?! What are you talking about Stan!" Kyle began turning a shade of red, he was blushing. Kyle smiled, he liked seeing Kyle blush, but he couldn't do, or say anything that was against his interest in Cartman, so he just kept smiling. "Well.. Thats not all i have to say.." Stans fingers grabbed at the carpet. There was more? How could stan endure more? "Last night, after we left the skate park.. I ran into him.. Cartman." Kyle blushed at the sound of Cartmans name which made the pain in Kyles chest run deeper, it felt like a knife being plunged into his heart, but he just kept smiling. "I mean i actually.. Ran into him.. We both fell and i knocked his groceries out of his hand.. I was so shocked.. And stunned.. I just froze!" The further into the story Kyle got the faster he spoke, he looked like he had wanted to tell someone about this for a long time but hadn't gotten the chance until now. That explains the early text message. "I helped him pick up his groceries and when i tried to hand him the bag.. Our hands touched.. THEY TOUCHED!" Kyle lain down on the floor, he held his hands to his chest. "Wow.. Thats.. Something." Stan struggled to speak, he struggled to breath. he was having a hard time doing really anything. Kyle looked at Stan "Stan, are you good man?" He sat up. "What? Yeah.. Sorry.. I need to use the bathroom." Stan got up and rushed into the hall bathroom. He sat on the edge of the tub, trying to evaluate what had just happend. He began to sob, he couldn't control it, he didn't know why, he just began crying. He knew he couldnt for long but the tears kept coming and it felt like they had no end. After 5 minutes Kyle knocked on the door "Hey buddy? You eat something bad this morning?" Stan took in a deep breath and in the least wobbly shaky voice he could he mustered out the words "Hah, yeah something like that." "Okay man, let me know if you need anything." Stan collected his thoughts, and he stopped crying. Not because he wanted to, because he felt he had to. He wanted to cry, he felt like crying forever. But instead, he washed his face and left the bathroom "Do not eat 3 week old pizza man, i'm telling you." Kyle laughed and the two talked some more about the interaction between Cartman and Kyle. Stan was able to respond better after he had some time to think, even if that time was cut short. After the talk the two boys played some more video games and ate chips. By the afternoon, Stan was called home. When he left Kyles house he actually felt sick now, he couldn't tell if it was the pizza he ate, or if it was the feelings he experienced at Kyles house. Nevertheless, he knew something within him changed. A new found, more intense hatred for Cartman emerged. He felt betrayed by both Kyle and Cartman, and he couldn't go to his best friend for answers because his best friend was stuck in the middle of it all. Stan didn't talk to kyle for the rest of the day, nor to kenny, or wendy, or any of his other friends. He stayed in his room for the rest of the day.