"Thanks for coming with me, Ken," I said, still slightly nervous.
"No problem, dude," he said. Kenny gave me a comforting look and led the way into the school gymnasium. I brushed lint off of my tux and followed him inside.
It was somewhat relieving not having to keep everything bottled up as usual. Kenny was a very good listener, if you could ignore his incriminating, rather disturbing comments.
I glanced around the gym, unimpressed. It looked no different from our junior prom, lame lights, lame decorations, lame music, the whole works. The only thing that immediately caught both of our attention was the food table.
Kenny proceeded to stuff his face with triangular-shaped sandwiches, while I looked around. When my eyes set on Stan and Wendy, dancing and laughing happily, I had to resist the urge to throw the various finger foods at them.
I said 'see you later' to Ken and started towards Stan.
"Hey," I said wearily. Stan turned around and gave me a look. It was a cross between confusion and annoyance. I looked at Wendy, in her slutty, low-cut, frilly pink dress, who frowned at me. I made a point of ignoring her.
Stan leaned closer to me. "What are you doing?" he asked.
I looked into his deep blue eyes. They looked worried and stressed. "What do you mean? We can't be friends, at least?" I demanded firmly. I lowered my voice and added, "You owe me that much."
Stan drew back, guilt obvious on his tanned features. "I…I don't know what you're talking about."
I held back from throttling him right then and there. Wendy looked at me with fire in her eyes, and I just shook my head. I grabbed Stan by the arm and pulled him aside, out of Wendy's earshot.
He looked at me blankly, numbly, almost with sadness. "Stan," I began.
But before I could say another word, a cheerful voice came over the speakers.
"Hellooo, seniors!" a girl's voice said. Everyone in the gymnasium turned towards the stage at the front of the room. "It's time to announce the winners of this year's prom king and queen!"
I rolled my eyes, but Wendy squealed excitedly and lunged over to us, putting her arm around Stan's waist. I sighed.
With an obnoxious flip of her long, blonde hair, the spunky girl at the head of the gymnasium continued: "This year's prom king and queen are…" she took her grand old time flipping through a stack of cue cards, and finally smiled flakily again.
She looked surprised, almost appalled. She said, "Kenny, and uh, Wendy."
The crowd clapped, and Wendy blushed. Stan seemed to disappear as she pushed past him and onto the stage. A few moments later, someone dragged Kenny onto the stage. He looked at Wendy, and then at the crowd.
"WOO HOO!"
Stan scowled as Kenny kissed his girlfriend deeply. The girl from the stage left and everyone resumed dancing and talking with their friends as Kenny and Wendy pulled away, smiling.
A few moments later, Wendy reappeared next to us, her hand in Kenny's. A few friends stood around her, laughing and talking excitedly. She beamed at her boyfriend.
"I won, Stan! Kenny and I won!" she exclaimed, turning and pecking Kenny on the cheek. He blushed deeply. Stan, I could tell, held back from saying something and simply looked from her to Kenny, and eventually faked a smile.
"Er…congrats, Wendy," he muttered. I frowned.
Suddenly, words emerged from my mouth before I could stop them. "Stan, how the hell could you let her walk over you like that?"
A few kids looked over at us, but I ignored them. Stan glared at me half-heartedly.
"Kyle," Wendy said harshly. "You better watch what you say," she warned. "Or things could get ugly." I laughed.
"What are you going to do, Wendy? Turn all your stupid little girlfriends against me? I don't care," I said bravely. I had no idea how I suddenly had this much rage and confidence. "I'm sick of you treating Stan like shit!"
Wendy rolled her eyes. Now, probably about fifty kids were watching us.
She looked around at everyone, and gave me a nasty look. "You don't know what you're talking about. Maybe I should tell everyone something they might not know about you, Kyle," she said threateningly. I heard what she said, but somehow, didn't really give a shit if everyone knew my secret. I wasn't embarrassed about it anymore.
"Kyle is in love with Stan!" she announced. "He even told me. Isn't that just wrong?" All the kids who were now listening intently raised their eyebrows in disgust and whispered.
Stan turned to look at me, surprised. I felt my face get hot and fought it off. It wasn't over yet.
"Maybe I am," I said carefully. Suddenly, Stan seemed to realize where this was going.
He said, "Don't." I gave him a look of apology and continued.
"But I think it's only fair for you to know, Wendy," I paused and looked around. The whole room seemed to be hanging on my every word. Stan buried his face in his hands and Kenny looked at me with wide eyes, shaking his head frantically. Cartman and Butters looked at me in disbelief.
"That Stan and I made out," I said loudly. Wendy scowled at me, but for some reason, I couldn't stop: "And then we screwed. While you two were going out!" I added unnecessarily. I didn't dare look at Stan.
After a short round of 'Ew!'s and 'Those two? For real?'s, Wendy came closer to me. She dropped her angry look, and instead looked simply disappointed. Somehow, guilt still managed to tear at my sides, despite everything that'd happened over the last two months. I hated her, but I still hated doing this to her, and eventually, to Stan.
She slapped me.
I put my hand to my face and glanced at Stan, who looked bewildered. Wendy turned to Stan also, stomped on his foot, hard, in her six-inch stiletto heels, and hurried out of the gym without another word.
The crowd surrounding us was quiet, save for the few whispers and snide comments being passed around. Stan stared at me sadly, shook his head and sighed. He hurried out of the gymnasium after his girlfriend. I ran after him.
Stan burst into the hallway and looked around for Wendy. She was nowhere in sight.
"S-Stan, I…" I muttered, unable to say what I was feeling. "I'm so sorry. I just got so pissed, and she just kept pushing me…"
Stan shook his head. "Kyle, you ruined it!" he said suddenly. "You ruined everything! Why can't you just…go away?" he asked. My heart pounded painfully in my chest.
I held back tears and said, "I'm sure that if you just explain to her – "
Stan stopped me, and said, "Kyle, I don't want you in my life. You've already done enough." I nodded and looked away from him. "I have to go find Wendy. I love her, and if she leaves me because of you…" he muttered. "I'll never forgive you."
And he hurried away down the hallway, leaving me to my tears.
The cold, harsh wind ripped at my skin, and pulled at my shoulder-length orange curls. I shivered, being without a coat in South Park, and sighed. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and flipped it open.
1:24 am. I shook my head. It had been over a half hour since I'd texted Stan, now. I pointlessly glanced around the cold area, stupidly surveying it for any form of life.
Something creaked behind me and I jumped, turning around quickly. A crow had landed on the parapet behind me. The iced concrete beneath my bare feet burned at my skin, but I paid no attention.
The high school's roof was completely barren of life. (Except for the crow and I.) I glanced back down to the phone in my pale fingers, and sighed again, flipping it shut.
I started towards the edge of the roof. I looked over the ledge at the ground. It was so far away…
With a deep breath and one last glance around the area surrounding the school. The stupid building I hated so much. It seemed only fitting that I would die from its height.
"Stan's not coming," I painfully thought to myself. "He only cares about her. He doesn't care if you live or die." Tears rolled down my face as I heaved myself onto the brick ledge. My mind swayed, and I was suddenly overcome with a terrible dizziness. I crouched on the ledge and stabled myself.
His last words to me rang throughout my head. "Kyle, I don't want you in my life." I cringed.
I reflected on everything suddenly, like my life was flashing before my eyes. Our pleasant, happy childhood with Kenny and Cartman, our equally as adventurous quest through school, and then, most recently, the sadness that accompanied our hidden relationship.
I couldn't bear to think about it anymore, so I distracted myself with gazing down upon the barren, depressing South Park night.
I looked around the street again intently, hoping to catch sight of someone, anyone, But everyone had left an hour ago, probably including Stan and Wendy. "He's not here. He never was."
Silently, I agreed with myself, and stood up, getting ready to breathe for the last time.
A/N: One more regular chapter, then an epilogue. Thanks to all my loyal readers. :D