I couldn't tell you why I was here except that he and I had another outlandish fight about something neither of us would remember tomorrow. I was walking around town to dissipate my annoyance when I spotted Token's house and the music blaring from it. I needed a drink. Yes, Kyle asked me not to go to this party for fear I'd get drunk, but what was the harm if it was just one drink? I knocked on his door and grinned when my dark-skinned friend answered with a beer in his hand. "Any left for me?" I joked, and entered the threshold when he moved aside.
"Not if you find it there won't be." He jabbed and, closing the door, sauntered off to continue what he'd been doing prior to my entrance. Soon, I was flying and feeling glorious- nothing and no one on Earth would be bringing me down tonight. It was that moment I happened to glance to the couch on the opposite wall. I wondered why he was here, but figured it was to find me so we could reconcile and not end the night on that terrible note.
Red hair bobbed from across the room and light eyes laughed from above the barest trace of freckles, and I made a beeline for them. "I'm sorry!" I burst as soon as I arrived, nearly toppling myself over Kyle as I skidded to halt. He turned to me, slightly off-green eyes widening as I grabbed his arm and asked for forgiveness. "I didn't mean any of it. I don't think any of those things about you; you're the smartest person in our class, the kindest person- the cutest." I enthused, trying to make him understand how much I actually cared about him despite our petty complaints about one another.
"What are you talking about Kenny? I'm not mad at you- I never was."
"Really?" I laughed and embraced my boyfriend- who felt a little chubbier than usual, but I didn't say anything in case I hurt his feelings. "I should make it up to you though." I winked and pinched his ass when no one seemed to be noticing. He smiled in spite of the initial gasp of shock, and we both headed off in search of a free bedroom.
I was really starting to get into it when I heard the door open followed by a scream of rage. Damn, I should've remembered to lock the door. As I turned around to apologize to Token and tell him we'd be finished soon, I noticed the face and stopped. It looked an awful lot like Kyle's…. I faced front again to see my Kyle slowly morphing into someone with curves and a more feminine face.
"What the…!" I yelped and, suddenly sober, I scrambled away from the girl I'd been having sex with.
"Sorry to have interrupted you, I'll just leave you to whatever the hell you thought you were doing." With that, the only person I'd had a serious, long-lasting relationship with closed the door with a resounding slam. Rushing out to stop him, I never checked to make sure I was decent, and only vaguely processed Red yelling in the background, "Wait, you're not going to help me finish?"
"Kyle wait!" I screeched, not really caring how I sounded or who heard me. I had more pressing matters at the moment than what my reputation at school would turn into on Monday. He wheeled around and for the first time in years, I could see water forming underneath the malice in his eyes.
"I don't want to hear what I have to say, Kenny. You left me at my house to get drunk at a party after I asked you, I asked you not to drink Kenny! You know where that leads! I know we have trouble understanding where the other's coming from sometimes, but I never thought you would so blatantly disrespect my feelings on this matter. And what's worse? I find you screwing Red!" He took at a deep breath in a poor try at calming his nerves. "It's over between us Kenny- I just don't see how it can work after this." And he turned from me again, getting farther away as some of the partygoers held me at bay.
"Kyle, you don't understand! Kyle! Kyle!"
Honestly? She would never compare, could never compare, but the fact remains that I was the one who'd screwed everything up because of her. I didn't care about her and if she disappeared tomorrow with neon signs pointing out the path she took, I still wouldn't follow. So I watched as Red messed around with Dogpoo, dated Dogpoo, fought with Dogpoo, and eventually left Dogpoo and South Park for university. Kyle on the other hand, took weeks out before he decided he was past it enough that we could be friends again. It was months before his face found a smile that could finally be called genuine, and still years before he moved on to- surprise, surprise- Stan Marsh. Anyone could see this coming from a mile away if they thought it about long enough. Stan was with Wendy sure, but that only made it easier for Kyle to like him. They could hang out as friends while Kyle pretended Stan had something more on his mind. They could sleep in the same bed without Kyle getting weird looks from his best friend because, ultimately, he could just blame it on morning wood. And best of all, because Stan was so in love with Wendy, they would never date, Stan would never cheat, and Kyle wouldn't get his heart broken again.
Safe to be happy, safe to pretend. And I pretended to be happy for him too- he deserved better than me, deserved more than constant arguing and makeup sex that didn't last. When Stan finally married, I helped Kyle find a band to put on his right hand- significant enough that the two of us knew the meaning, but unless they were really searching, it'd be difficult for others to figure it out. When the Marshes had their first child, I picked out a fluffy black cat with charming jade eyes and watched as Kyle's face lit up, glad to have a child of his own to care for. And I was happy.
I was happy.