Chapter Four: These hands are not more like.
"Stan?"
Stan blinked, inhaling deeply as he was shaken from his thoughts. Through the dark, he could make out a tall, lanky frame that he instantly recognized. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around his super best friend and crushing him in a hug.
"Hey Kyle." They held each other in an unawkward silence. "I didn't know you were going to be here," Stan coarsely whispered, burying his head in the crook of his friend's neck.
"Neither did I, honestly." Kyle rubbed light circles onto Stan's back.
"I still can't figure out why Cartman threw this party: to help us recover from Kenny's death or to celebrate him and Bebe's new relationship." Stan let go of Kyle and took a step back, staring into his friend's eyes.
"How are you, Stan?" Kyle smiled weakly. "You still thinking about Kenny?"Kyle knew Stan was still grieving over one of his best friends. He knew that Stan replayed the scene of the last time they saw him alive over and over again in his head before he fell asleep. Stan had told him everything.
"Yeah." Stan sighed and closed his eyes. He could see Kenny smiling and laughing like he always did. He could see Kenny shaking his head at him in an affectionately patronizing way. That image in his head was so real, he could almost feel Kenny's long arms wrap around him in a bear hug. "I still see him."
"W-what?" Kyle cautiously asked.
"I can still see him in my mind. He just looks so real." Stan stared at the frosted grass. "But, I know I won't see him again. Not any time soon, at least."
Kyle kicked at a clump of dirt on the ground. An uncomfortable silence poured into the air around them. Stan waited, knowing his friend would have something to say. Kyle was always the logical one, the comforting one, the one who knew exactly what to do or not to do in an emotionally draining situation. He would have something to say, something to lift Stan out of his blues, even momentarily. He always did.
"I saw him last night." Kyle finally blurted out.
Stan gave him a puzzled look. Kyle must have changed the subject and Stan was too distracted to notice. "Saw who?"
"Kenny."
"...Kenny?" Stan stumbled back, once again leaning against the brick wall for support. Kyle saw Kenny? Kenny's dead. It didn't make sense. Stan started breathing heavily, trying to fit the pieces together in his mind. "What do you mean?"
"Let me explain, Stan." Kyle began calmly, taking a few cautious steps toward his friend. "One of the goth kids told me that they kept seeing someone who looked like Kenny walking around the school at night. They asked me to see if it was him. So I went with them yesterday"
"and..."
"I saw Kenny. He walked right up to me. He recognized me." Kyle leaned against the brick wall too, turning his head to face Stan. "He looked like he wanted to say something."
"Did he?"
"No. He just sort of... left. I tried calling after him, but, he just kept walking." Kyle bit his lip.
"He didn't say anything?" Stan stared, dumbfounded. "You sure it was him?"
"It was him alright. Parka and all." Kyle watched as Stan squeezed his eyes shut, fighting off a wave of tears. Kyle could almost feel the memories washing over Stan as he tried to process what was going on.
"Why wouldn't he talk to you?" Stan choked out.
"Stan... I think Kenny doesn't need to talk to me." Kyle placed a hand on Stan's shaking shoulder. "Maybe he needs to talk to you."
Author's Notes
Well, on to the next one I s'pose.
Thank you for reading, and review if you wish. I'm so flattered and flustered by the number of people who have read this. I'd really love to know what you think, honestly.
~A.P