A/N- Hey guys, sorry this took so long, and sorry this chapter is kind of a filler. I promise the next one will be better.
I end up walking into class a little late despite getting to school on time. It took me a bit to catch my breath. The teacher doesn't look at me as I walk in a and sit down. Stan gives me a questioning look and I ignore it. I'm not sure if I'm still bright red or not. I'm sure I was while I was standing in the parking lot for five minutes trying to feel my legs again.
I can't even begin to wrap my head around Kenny. That boy makes no sense. I kiss him and he leaves and now he comes back and brings it up like it's nothing and was he flirting with me? I mean, I think that's just how Kenny is, how he talks to people.
Then again, maybe he just talks to me like that. Maybe the kiss gave him the wrong idea. Maybe he's looking for a rebound after Craig. Maybe I'm just not paying enough attention. Or maybe I'm just freaking out over nothing and my friend is just super weird and casually holds peoples hands and calls them love. That's probably it.
Stan lightly hits my arm, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Dude, you okay? You look a little, um… I don't know. You look out of it, I guess."
I put on a smile and shrug. "Just tired, I guess."
Stan just looks unimpressed and raises an eyebrow. "Kyle. You're always tired. But you don't usually look like you just saw aliens outside and you're trying to figure out how to tell everyone."
I chuckle and look away. "Having an off day, that's all."
"Again. Figures. You know, the day has barely started," he replies, raising both eyebrows at me. Then he pauses and taps my arm again until I look over. "Is it because Kenny is back? How was the drive with him this morning?"
"It's not always about Kenny," I reply sharply, giving Stan a look. I mean for it to be a look of back off, but Stan doesn't exactly pick up on things.
"Isn't it, though?" he says, and he looks annoyed. "I mean, it seems like a lot of your issues lately have had something to do with that guy."
"Yeah, whatever," I reply. I look back at the teacher and pretend to be really interested in her boring lecture. I take the most extensive notes I've ever taken. Stan tries to tap my arm a couple more times but I just push his hand away and he gives up quickly. I hear him sigh and I ignore it.
The class feels like it's dragging on and I have a feeling the rest of the day will feel this slow, too. I'm dreading having to drive Kenny home and my heart is pounding just thinking about it. It's stressful and stress has a way of making things go in slow motion.
"Ky. Class is over," Stan says.
I blink and look up quickly and he's standing and holding his bag and mine. "Right," I say quietly and he hands me my bag as I stand up.
"Seriously, are you alright? I mean, how was it? This morning? Any less weird?" He looks concerned and sympathetic and I don't know why but it makes me feel like crying.
I open my mouth to respond but nothing comes out, I don't know what to say. I adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder and I shrug, looking at the ground.
He sighs. "What class do you have next?"
"English," I reply slowly.
"Alright," he says. He grabs my arm and pulls me out of the classroom. "We're skipping and we're going to go get coffee."
I half-heartedly pull my arm away. "We skipped half the day yesterday."
"Exactly, we have nothing to lose," Stan replies.
"We can't skip twice in the same week."
"I don't remember reading that rule," he says and we're already ten feet away from the exit.
"I didn't think it needed to be written down," I answer but I let him lead me out of the building.
He lets go of my arm when we get out the door and he runs his fingers through his hair. "Come on, I'll drive," he says and he practically speed walks across the parking lot as I half-jog behind him.
I get into him car and almost immediately feel calmer. "Should we go to Tweek's or Harbucks?" I ask as he starts the car.
"Harbucks," Stan replies. "Don't want Tweek's dad to see us."
"We're bound to be caught by someone we know," I answer, looking out the window as we drive away from the school and away from English class. "It's a small town."
"Yeah, whatever," he says. "So what's going on with you?"
"He mentioned it," I reply, keeping my eyes locking on the trees and houses outside the car.
"You're going to have to be more specific," Stan says. I glance at him and he has his eyes on the road.
"Kenny mentioned the kiss," I say and he turns to look at me.
"Wow," he replies, eyes wide. "What did you say?"
"I didn't," I reply. I can't look at him anymore so I stare ahead.
He doesn't reply, although it could just be because he's terrible a parallel parking and he's trying to concentrate. As we get out of the car and walk up to the coffee shop, I see a look of panic cross Stan's face and at first I'm not sure why. He freezes a couple feet away from the door and right then, Wendy walks through it.
She freezes, too, but she doesn't look panicked. Just surprised and a little awkward. It almost makes me mad because I can see how upset Stan is. "Stan!" she exclaims, putting on a smile.
"Wendy," he replied, unable to mirror her expression.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" she asks as she inches farther away from the door and farther away from us.
"Free period," he answers curtly, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Right," she says. She puts on another smile. "Well, I'm off. See you around, Stan, Kyle."
Then she walks away, her lavender skirt flowing around her knees and my blood boils. How can she act to nonchalant and calm? When I look back at Stan, he looks a little better. Maybe even relieved.
Then he looks at me and smiles and walks into Harbucks.
"What can I get for you?" the barista girls asks Stan with a wide smile, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. She tilts her head as she looks at him and her brown ponytail swings.
"I'll take a mocha and whatever he's getting," he replies, gesturing to me.
"Latte, extra shot, please," I say with a polite smile, but the barista is paying no attention to me anyway. This isn't uncommon when Stan and I go places together.
As Stan pays for our drinks and picks a table, I just stare at him. "What?" he says, a little defensively.
"That was just an odd series of events," I answer, not planning to elaborate.
He shrugs. "I kind of feel better. I was dreading running into Wendy, but it really wasn't so bad."
"I'm sure flirting with the barista helped," I say, raising an eyebrow at him.
"What?" he says with a scoff and a chuckle.
"Okay, maybe you weren't flirting, but she was," I say, rolling my eyes. I can't tell if he pretends not to notice to be modest or if he's actually oblivious.
"All she did was take our orders, dude," Stan says.
"Sure," I say.
"So about Kenny," he says suddenly, leaning across the table. "Seriously, what'd you say when he mentioned it?"
I shrug. "I didn't say anything. I started speeding and got pulled over."
He scoffs. "Yeah, you speeding. Funny."
"No, really. It was my first reaction," I say with a laugh.
"Did it work?" he asks.
"Kind of," I reply. I tilt my head a little and frown. "I think it just postponed it. I'm not as good as Kenny at avoiding things."
Stan shrugs. "You could always run away for a week and come back as though nothing happened."
I chuckle and shake my head. "No, I have obligations and a sense of responsibility and maturity."
He grinned. "And your mother."
I glare at him and then the ponytail barista girl comes and gives us our coffee, giving Stan an extra smile.
"Well, look at that," he says with a small smile. "You were right." He shows me the cup and it has a phone number on it and a smiley face.
I raise my eyebrows. "Looks like Holly wants you to call her."
He smirks. "Guess so."
I roll my eyes and check my watch. "You know, we should probably head back. I don't want to miss Stats."
He nods. "And I don't want to miss my free period. I have an essay to write."
"Of course you do," I chuckle.
We headed back to school with our coffee more or less in silence, and my mind wanders back to Kenny again. As it always seems to.
