Being in High School was different.
Through the years, the four boys managed to stay together. Even in their last year of High School, they were still here, and almost all of their old classmate too. Close to turn eighteen, they all changed, but not in the way we have all expected.
Stan was a tall and athletic boy, the ideal boyfriend as some people like to call him. An average student, he managed to become the quarterback in the football team of his School. His face was becoming more and more masculine, with some sharp and pleasant features. However, he still was the old kid we all knew. In fact, he had kept the same haircut, and barely managed to change his style. But there's one thing nobody could disagree: Stan Marsh was a pretty handsome young man.
Kenny was quite short, and he kept a thin figure, which combined with his blond hair and blue eyes made him look like an angel. A wounded, dirty and trash angel though. Always wounded, always covered in mud, with the scars he gained through the years, people used to call him a bad boy. That was true. Kenny often got in troubles.
There is also Cartman. Tall boy, for sure. Really tall boy. Still brown hair and brown eyes, with kind of a light punk style. His weight was still consequent. However, he couldn't be considered as obese right now. Only overweight. In fact, Eric tried to lose weight and was on a really strict diet. Why and how did he start it ? Quite simple. He was completely mad at Stan and Kenny when they started to flirt with girl, most of the time only for their pleasant look. Eric had also a nice face structure, so he was convinced that if he'd lose weight, girls were going to fall for him.
In the hallway of their classroom, near the lockers, the three boys were discussing about what seemed to be the most important event in the next weeks: Prom.
-So, Stan, still wanna ask Wendy out? Asked the blond one.
Stan nodded. It was obvious. They were dating for many years now, and nobody could pictures Stan without Wendy.
-For sure, duh. I'm only waiting the perfect moment.
-Don't want to puke on her like two years ago I guess.
Stan stared at Cartman, trying to look as angry as he can, but he knew the taller one was right. He had puked on her. And that had been really embarrassing for both of them. Annoyed, he looked at Eric, asking him back.
-And you, have somebody in mind?
-Bebe. I heard she rejected some invitations only for me.
-She rejected invitations, yeah. But where did you heard it was for you?
-C'mon, for who else could it be? I know she loves me. Like almost all the girls in this stupid school.
The two heard a creepy laugh near them, and they both turned to stare at Kenny. He was smiling in a not-so-innocent-way. He opened his lockers, dug his hand in, took what seemed to be and handful of papers, and showed them to the boys.
-What. Some Kleenex ? Joked Eric.
-Nice try. That's all the love letters I get. Twelve, to be exact. Twelve girls asking me if I want to be with them for Prom. I guess I beat you all.
Stan smiled, amused, while Cartman could only felt jealous as hell. He promised himself to beat Kenny one day. Yeah, he'll gonna do that. Upset, he remembered the law : If you feel bad, belittle other people, and decided to ac this way.
-At least, we all know that somebody isn't getting anybody for this stupid prom. He grinned. You know who I am talking about.
-Shut up, fatass !
They all turned right and gazed at Kyle, who just arrived, right on time. He frowned his eyebrows and gave a mad look at Cartman. None of their relationship had changed. Stan and Kyle were still best friends, and … Cartman and Kyle were still hating each other. Cartman hated the ginger boy for no particular reason beside his natural hate for jews and redheads, and Kyle hated him for being himself. Simple.
Already angry, as always, Kyle headed to his locker and started packing his stuff for the day. Leaned on the wall, Eric looked at him playfully.
-So, pretty, still nobody to go to the prom with?
-You neither.
Cartman frowned his eyebrows, and Kyle closed his lockers. He made a step and faced Cartman directly. That was easy, he was taller than him. In fact, Kyle was one of –if not the- tallest boy of the school.
-Your fatass is blocking my way.
-Then try to move it by yourself.
Kyle sighed, and skirted him, walking fast to his classroom. Stan followed him instantly, worried about his best friend.
-Hey, wait a minute!
But he didn't manage to slow down. Stan ran to him, and grab his shoulders to make him stop.
-You could have said hello.
-Hello, then.
Stan sighed. Since a few days, Kyle was always in a bad mood, and was harsh and rude to everybody, even Stan. He didn't speak a word about why he was so angry, but Stan didn't need it to figure out what's going on. The prom was the main problem of Kyle.
Stan knew he didn't want to go alone, and being the only single one among the four. The hardest part about it was that he wasn't going to find someone.
Kyle was unpopular among the girls.
The cause was mental and physical. Through the years, Kyle became more and more concerned about his grades. He went from a good student to the best. He took the competition really seriously, and wanted in no case to lose his place as the best in his grade. He was indeed really smart, but also really serious. He worked a lot, and sacrificed a good part of his social life to achieve his goals. And even if he didn't manage to get the best mark at an exam, he could be really angry, and literally yelled at everybody.
That was the main reason. Kyle turned into a studious boy, who was keener on chemistry than on flirt. Combined with his anger issues, he was often seen as an angry, neurotic nerd. Most of people didn't really like him, due to his lack of social competences. It looked like Kyle didn't even try.
The other reason was… His look. That's all.
Besides being very tall, Kyle turned out to be really skinny, clearly underweight. Often stuck at home in his bedroom, he also gained a really pale skin. To Cartman's delight, the many sunburns he had caught during the last summers gave him freckles all over his body. The dots covered his cheeks and his nose, but also his shoulders, arms, chest and thighs. More than freckles, he was unlucky enough to get some acne. Pretty bad case in his early teenage years, he got a little less now, but still enough to be made fun of. A pair of glasses and some braces took also place on his face, making him look nerdy as hell. His face was quite long and really bony –strong jawline, prominent cheekbones. His nose was also a little too long, and became crooked a year ago, like his mother's. The last appealing feature on Kyle Broflovski was his hair. It didn't change. It was still and important mass of fluffy, frizzy, curly, ginger hair. He hated it. Kyle would have killed to have a more discreet hair. However, even if he still thought about straightening and dyeing his hair without doing it, he didn't hide it anymore.
Kyle was complexed about his appearance, and Stan was the only person he ever confided in. Not even his parents. He was truly insecure about himself, and hearing the harsh comments students could sometimes yell at him –half of these comments were Cartman's one- made him cry more than once. Not in front of everybody, though. He prefers to keep his pain for himself, and sometimes Stan.
Yet, Kyle didn't speak to Stan about the Prom, nor did Stan. The ginger knew his best friend would go with Wendy, it was obvious. On the other side, Stan knew Kyle wasn't going to find anybody, for only one reason: His lack of confidence. He wanted to do something about it. Not especially finding someone for his best friend, but… Trying to comfort him about himself. If Kyle would stop seeing himself as he actually did, perhaps his confidence will be improved. Stan was convinced, this is what he needed. He stopped in his reflections and looked at his best friend, decided to handle himself the situation.
-Dude, it's Friday, and no homework. Isn't it the perfect time for you to come home? It has been a long time since we didn't see each other besides school.
Kyle seemed to be kind of surprise, but happiness could be seen in his emerald eyes. Giving his friend a small smile, he sneered a little.
-Okay then, but only because I don't have homework.
Stan and Kyle started a little conversation about random subjects. The bell rang, and all students got in their classes. Math classes weren't Stan's favorite, but having Kyle next to him was a great advantage. He often tried to get some answers one the sheets of his friend. Luckily, Kyle allowed him to win on or two points. It was kind of privilege, considering how Kyle refused helping other students in exams.
The hour passes quickly, as the rest of the day. The two boys stayed together, and they started to make their way to Stan's house.
-My parents are absent for the day, and my sister must be with her boyfriend. The house is ours!
He said happily while opening the door. They both entered and went up to Stan's bedroom. The brunette was feeling less and less confident as they climbed the stair. He knew his best friend needed to talk more about himself but… He didn't know how to approach the subject. Because Kyle had talked about it a little before, he knew it was a sensible subject. The first time he understood it was when Kyle had completely refuse to take off his shirt in summer at the swimming pool. He had blushed, and had only tell him he was too skinny to be in a bath suit.
Stan sighed, and looked at the ginger. His eyebrows were a little frowned, and he always looked like he was angry.
-For god's sake, could you be smiling for once?
-And if I don't want to? Sometimes you just don't want to smile.
-Then something wrong.
Kyle winced for a second, and Stan posed his hand on his shoulder.
-Kyle. We've been best friends for many years know. We have spent almost half of our lives together. I know you more than I know myself. I've been here for you, and you've been here for me. And as a best friend, I know something is clearly wrong those last weeks.
Kyle sighed, readjusting his glasses and avoiding eye contact with him. Of course something was wrong. He was complexed as hell. Having to see himself in the bathroom's mirror everyday was a torture for him. He felt ugly. And it was not easy to perspective when a fatass always made you remembered you're flawed. And if only it was only Eric…
Usually, he was great at fencing, and Stan barely noticed the problem. Even when somebody made fun of him for a reason or another, he only responded him, or ignored him. But there was the prom. A pretty big event for all the students. And knowing that Stan, Kenny, Eric, and almost all of the other had found a partner was the straw that broke the camel. There were an odd numbers in their grade, and his fears to be the one who were alone was confirmed. Too scared to talk about it to anybody, having Stan wanted to help him was a great opportunity. He hesitated, but he looked in Stan's blue eyes, and sighed.
-It's a … Complete stupid reason. Promise me you won't laugh or anything.