To my followers: I'm sorry I haven't updated any of my fics in…well, years. I've grown out of a lot of fandom and hit walls on some stories, having not planned them out but just running with them were my fingers take me. Though I will be coming back to Dirty Little Secret soon!

This is my first South Park fic, so the characters may be OOC; please forgive me if that's the case. This will eventually be a Style. It may have other pairings throughout. And this is a high school setting, junior year.

South Park belongs to Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Enjoy!

To Love is to Hurt

'Damnit, Kyle,' Stan thought as another note he had passed to his redheaded friend was lazily pushed aside. 'What's wrong with you?'

He had noticed over the past few days a slow downwards spiral of his friend's usual mood; even his comebacks to Cartman were weak and halfhearted. And now Kyle wouldn't even say but two words to him through the day and he would simply push notes aside. Even at lunch he would stare past his food with his head lying on his crossed arms, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. This wasn't Kyle.

At least he would hopefully have a chance to talk to Kyle at the 'Overnight Gaming Party' at Craig's house tonight.

Stan decided to stop wasting his notebook paper and simply sighed, propping his head up on one hand while he tried to pay attention to the teacher's droning. Five minutes of this seemed like eternity, which was exactly how many minutes he had until the bell rang to dismiss school.

"Dude," the raven haired teen called after Kyle not too far from the classroom, gently pulling him back by the shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Kyle replied emotionlessly as he shrugged off Stan's hand. "Everything's fine."

"No, everything's not fine! This isn't you!" he protested as he stood in front of his friend, placing both hands on Kyle's shoulders so that he couldn't evade him further, not caring that he had just abandoned his book and notes all over the hallway floor.

Even as concerned azure eyes locked with saddened emerald, Kyle simply replied, "Leave me alone."

Stan was slightly taken aback at the tone of Kyle's voice, his green eyes changing to ones of hurt and pain, wanting to be left alone to wallow in his own problems.

"No, I won't. If you don't tell me now what's bothering you, I'll make you tell me tonight at Craig's."

"I'm not going."

The hands on Kyle's shoulders fell limply to Stan's sides. "You're kidding, right? I mean, we've all only been planning on going to this party for a month now."

"Yeah, well, plans change," he mumbled as he stepped around Stan and over his pile of school things to head to his locker. And just as Stan turned to call after him again, he noticed the redhead had abruptly stopped, clutching his books to his chest as a girl neared him wearing a smug little smirk. Stan could only imagine the face of his best friend as Wendy passed him, what with the way he standing, he was scared.

"What did you do to him, Wendy?" Stan growled lowly as he grabbed her arm much harder than intended, causing her to wince slightly.

"What are you talking about, silly?" she smiled sweetly, casting that evil smirk and glance over her shoulder only briefly as Kyle started walking away again.

"You said or did something to him, I know it!" the raven haired teen said as he released and pushed Wendy's arm away in one motion. "What did you do to him?"

"All I told him was that he should stop spending so much time with you. There are other girls besides me who want the chance to occasionally talk to you, you know, and with him there…well, you both look and act like total butt buddies," she smiled none too kindly.

"Who are you to decide how much time we spend together? Kyle and I have known each other for way longer than I have you or any other stupid girl!"

"So you don't mind that everyone thinks that you're gay for each other?"

Azure eyes narrowed darkly as he looked down at his ex, but he said nothing. He glared a few seconds longer before bending down and picking up his belongings.

"It's in your best interest to keep your nose out of my business," he warned as he stood, turning his back to her. "We wouldn't want any rumors to start about you, now would we?"

If Cartman was useful for anything, it was starting rumors, and Wendy knew that better than anyone. All he needed was a little incentive, such as some KFC for example.

"I told him something else too," she giggled sweetly yet mischievously, keeping her back to him. "I told him that if he didn't stop hanging out with you, I'd tell you his dirty little secret."

Stan faltered momentarily in his stride as these words entered his ears.

She knew something that he didn't about his best friend.

But he continued on as though he didn't mind her words. He would sort everything out one way or another, he was sure of it.

"I'm staying at your house tonight if you're not coming to the party," Stan stated matter-of-factly some odd minutes later, having stopped by his own locker to trade out books and load his backpack for homework before heading to his Jewish friend's.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," Kyle sighed in irritation as he began cramming things in his bag, blowing a stray red curl from his eyes as he did so.

"Since when has you're telling me that ever stopped me before?" the raven haired teen grinned lopsidedly as he leaned against the wall of lockers. "Wendy told me what she told you; to stay away from me. You should know by now to not listen to her."

"She's right though," Kyle again sighed, going cross-eyed to glare at the intrusive curl before tucking it behind his ear and slinging his backpack over his shoulder at the same time, kicking his locker shut. "You haven't dated anyone since her."

"So, what? Who said I'm ready to start looking for another relationship. I'm rather happy being single or spending time with you."

The ginger smiled despite his earlier irritation. "I'm sorry."

"All is forgiven, dude," Stan grinned as he slung an arm around Kyle's shoulders, the pair walking out to the bus. He would wait till tonight, be it at Craig's house or Kyle's, to bring up the secret that Wendy had mentioned earlier.