Watch the Pendulum Swing
When the lunch bell sounded its end, Stan was concerned that Wendy still had not returned, convinced Cartman did something to her. I thought of mentioning that I saw her look in at us through the cafeteria windows at one point, but thought better of it. Why cause unneeded questioning? I gave a wave to my friends and departed from them in a different direction, listening as Kyle tried to calm Stan down. I'd think Kyle would be more than happy that someone else is pissed at Cartman as he always is. But its rather obvious, he's not trying to calm Stan down about Cartman, but Wendy. I can tell he was happy she never came back and he'd been trying not to relay that through the lunch.
At the end of school I wasn't happy to be the one to carry the news to Stan as he stood leaned against his car, waiting for Wendy.
"Dude, she isnt coming," I said finally, settling myself in the back.
He looked at me in question, Kyle too.
"I saw her and Cartman drive off already in his car."
"What!" Stan looked down and frowned to himself, before eventually opening his door and sitting down in the drivers seat. Both Kyle and I eyed him from the back, as Stan drummed his hands on the steering wheel for awhile. He suddenly started the engine and took off.
An hour of awkward silence. I'm used to it, but Kyle was fidgeting. He wanted to say something, his aura was blinding me the way he was bursting with his withheld comments.
"What Kyle?" I had to ask, and noticed that instead of Stan usually looking in the rear view mirror, in order to look at us occasionally as he drove, his eyes stayed on the road.
Kyle glanced at me in surprise. I don't think he thought he was being obvious. "Oh, uh, I was thinking we could all go to my house tonight? We could just hang out, play some video games...?"
I didn't make a move as I looked at the back of Stan's head. Had he even heard Kyle? I looked back at Kyle and nodded a yes.
"Stan, what about you?" Kyle pressed.
Stan finally looked up at us through the mirror, he looked sort of out of it, but he shook his head slightly. "I think I'm going to go to Wendy's tonight."
Kyle wasn't happy, and he voiced his unhappiness. "Why? Dude, she ditched you for fat ass, why would you want to go see her?"
"She didn't ditch me! Cartman probably blackmailed her about something! I'm going to go over to her house to find out about what."
"What is wrong with you Stan, are you so blind! Cartman has a fucking thing for her! She probably wants him too the way she took of with him. It makes perfect sense that a bitch would go out with an asshole."
My body jerked forward, Kyle's too as Stan smashed his foot on the break. His eyes stayed straight ahead on the road and he didn't say anything. Beside me Kyle released a deep sigh as he closed his eyes, clenching his fists. "I'm sorry," he began. "She's not a bitch I shouldn't have called her bitch and she doesn't want Cartman. I'm sorry."
Stan didn't respond but he continued driving. I was reluctant to get out of the car when we arrived at my house. Neither Kyle nor Stan had said a word after Kyle's outburst on Wendy, and I almost didn't want to leave them alone together. Unfortunately I could hear the crashing sounds inside my house and it was best if they got out of here before either one saw something unpleasant.
I didn't bother asking Kyle if he was still up for hanging out tonight, that was silently cancelled through the fight. "See you guys tomorrow?" I asked stepping out of the car.
Kyle nodded and gave me a slight wave and Stan turned to face me giving me a small tight smile. "Later dude." Then he drove off.
I walked toward the front of my house, glancing once more at the back of Stan's now distant car before entering. Dodging a flying glass bowl that barely missed my head I walked past my fighting parents without saying a word and they didn't acknowledge my presence. My moms cheek was freshly bruised but I didn't give a second thought to it as I began scooping up broken dishes, empty cigarette packs on other miscellaneous junk, dumping it all in the garbage in the kitchen. I reached over the broken coffee table and turned down the blaring volume of the second hand television so my parents could hear as they screamed at each other. Proceeding to my room I fell face forward down on my bed, giving in to the tiredness I suddenly felt, wondering slightly, where the hell Kevin was.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up from the banging on my window. Shaking my head a bit, I climbed out of my bed tripping on some empty beer bottles.
"Shit..." I cursed and rubbed my stubbed foot, kicking the bottles to the side. The banging on my window increased.
It was then that I realized it was dark out, I glanced at my digital clock, it was out. I went to turn on my lamp. It was out too, looks like someone didn't pay the electricity bill... again.
The banger banged louder.
"I fucking heard you the first time!" I yelled groggily. "Dammit..." I reached over to pull open the window, just as I opened it a crack, the window pane fell out of the restrains. I heard someone curse in pain. This house was falling apart too much to bear. I leaned my head out looking at the dark figure.
"You okay?"
The pane was resting on the persons leg, he moved it aside and stood, coming no more than two inches from my face, our noses almost touched. I backed away.
"This isnt Kyle or Wendy's, you can just walk in through the front door, you don't have to sneak in through a window. Which by the way is it broken?"
Stan shook his head, rubbing his neck as he looked down at it. "Is it supposed to come out like that?"
I snorted. "Help me put it back in and go around front."
He helped me heave the giant pane of glass back in before walking off into the dankness toward the front of the house. I met him before he knocked and lead him to my room, stepping over Kevin who was watching the blank television screen.
"Idiot," I muttered to him.
"Does he know the tv is off?" Stan asked.
"Probably not, but the power went out," I sighed and turned the corner to where my room was located, ignoring the thumping sounds from the room a little ways down the hall. Stan looked appalled.
"What the hell is that noise?"
"Either my parents fucking or my dad, beating my mom, but I'm going for the former."
He said nothing as we entered my dark room, the small amount of light coming from the full moon in the night sky. I sat on my bed and motioned for Stan to take the broken chair to the side.
"Don't lean too far to the left, or the whole thing will collapse on you," I told him, as he nodded and sat down slowly, adjusting his weight slightly to the right. "So... what's up? And do you know what time it is?"
Stan glanced down at his watch. "Only 9:30, I thought you'd be awake for sure, sorry to wake you."
"Its fine, I usually go to sleep when there's nothing else for me to do. Oh and you're alright right? Since the window glass fell on you and all?"
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, it just hit my leg a bit, no big deal."
I nodded and so did he. Ice was broken time to go in. "So what are you doing here anyway? You never come to my house."
"Well... its just... Wendy broke up with me tonight."
I said nothing and waited for him to go on. He didn't.
"Okay...," I've never been the best at consoling people, that's why Kyle is his best friend and I'm not, because he'd know what to say in these types of situations. "That's... unfortunate for you?" I hope it sounded more like a statement for him rather than a question like it did for me.
Because of the lack of illumination I couldn't quite make out Stan's expression, but I'm pretty sure he looked at me weirdly, so I went on.
"What did Kyle say?"
I noticed as Stans silhouette looked down for a moment before meeting my eyes in the darkness. "I didn't go to Kyle, I came here."
"Why?" I asked bluntly. "Kyle is much better at this kind of thing."
"I can't go to Kyle." He stated firmly.
"You two still fighting from earlier today?"
"I guess, but that's not it," he rubbed what was most likely a nonexistent itch on his left shoulder before going on. "When I asked Wendy why she was breaking things off, she said it was because she didn't want to stand in the way of the affection Kyle and I had for each other."
One of my brows raised in curious interest.
"And then she said she'd rather be around an honest guy like Cartman. Cartman. Can you believe that? I'm still in shock about that one, but, she broke off with me because she thinks I'm gay for Kyle. How can I go to him with this?"
I thought back to when Wendy had peeked in the cafeteria. She looked in at the perfect time, when Kyle's hand was laying atop Stan's. Cartman must have said something, Wendy must not have believed it and then Cartman must have had her look in through the window, knowing Kyle and Stan give each other pats a lot. It wasn't uncommon for their hands to brush, but Kyle helped Cartman when he left his hand on Stan's for so long.
"It would be awkward I guess. Well... what do you want me to do about it?" I couldn't help but to ask, and even in the darkness I know he looked taken aback. I did say I wasn't a consoler.
"Nothing really... I just wanted to tell someone I suppose."
My mothers screaming suddenly broke off our conversation. That isnt something a teenage guy, any guy, any person should ever hear.
"Christ." I stood from my sitting position and looked down at Stan. "You want to go outside and talk? The screaming wont die down any time soon."
He quickly nods and as we're about to leave he glances back at me. "Do you want to stay the night? I don't think I'd be able to sleep after hearing this."
"Uhh..." I look at him and at my room, trying desperately to block out the noise. "Sure, yeah, thanks." I pack a bag quicker than I ever had before and Stan and I high tale it out of there. I mutter where I'm going to Kevin, but I know he doesn't hear me, he's still too absorbed in his blank television show.
When I close the door behind me the screams fade and I already feel that much more relieved, what would make this moment better would be a nice smoke. As I pull out a slightly bent, but still good, cigarette I make grab for my lighter but before I can lite it, Stan snatches it away. I glance at him thinking he'd be mad but he looks amused.
"Looks like we're just going to keep stealing this from each other huh?"
I smile, and for once today, I mean it. "Yeah."
We walk to his house in a comfortable silence, he explains the situation in a g-rated version to his mom on why I'm spending the night on a school night and we head up to Stan's neat room. I love the Marsh' place. Everything is so clean, so orderly and best of all nothing is broken. It's already late and even though I'm kind of hungry, having not eaten since lunch, I want to go to bed straight away.
Stan lays out some blankets and a sleeping bag for me at the end of his bed, and I at once hop into it, snuggling beneath the warm covers. I'm more than ready for sleep and I start to close my eyes when Stan speaks up.
"So what do you think I should do?" He asks quietly in the dark after he's turned off his light.
Oh yeah. We were going to talk. I open my eyes and face the popcorn ceiling. "Do you really want to get back together with Wendy that badly?" I ask.
There's a few moments of silence before he answers. "Maybe not. I think I'm just used to having her as a girlfriend, its become routine and I don't care much for change. Also... if I don't try, don't you think she'll keep on thinking I have a thing for Kyle and that he has one for me?"
"That isnt a good reason to want to get back together with her."
"I know... I just don't know how she would get that assumption."
I push up so I'm leaning on my elbows so I can peek over at him on his bed. He sees me trying to make eye contact so he lifts himself up as well and looks over and down at me.
"Stan...," I hesitate. "It isnt much of an assumption. You and Kyle... you're close. Really close... maybe too close..." I mutter the last part to myself.
"But we're best friend, why wouldn't we be?"
"Right...what are you going to say to Kyle tomorrow?"
"..."
He hadn't thought of it and before I can say a word more, my stomach rumbles.
"You're hungry?" He questions me.
"A little, but I'll be okay till morn-"
He's already climbing out of bed and turning the light back on. "Come one there's still plenty of leftover dinner. We just have to be quiet since the family is asleep by now."
I follow him back downstairs and we blindly go across the living room and he turns on the kitchen light, at once heading for the refrigerator, pulling out tupperware full of food. He hands me a fork and knife and places the food in front of me, its still nice and warm and I don't hesitate to start eating.
"Thanks," I murmur in-between mouth fulls of food at the dining table.
"You don't have to thank me for everything Kenny," he says as he eyes me eating.
"Okay. Err... did you want some?"
"No," he gets up and grabs an apple before sitting back down at the kitchen table. He starts munching on it. "Hey have you changed that arm bandage yet?"
I swallow before speaking. "And what would I change it with?"
He puts his apple down and disappears into the blackness of the living room. I can hear him going up the steps and I can hear the groan of the floor boards above me as he places his weight on it. Stan returns soon with some new dressings, takes a bite of the apple and rummages through what he's gathered. I continue to eat and watch as he pulls up my sleeve of my sweatshirt. He gently takes off the old bandages that are caked in dried blood.
He begins to clean off the blood that's still on my shoulder and a shiver goes down my body as his hand comes in contact with my shoulder. He doesn't seem to notice and starts to re-wrap my arm. I'm still eating and the only sound present is my chewing.
"Kenny are you happy with your life?"
The question catches me off guard and I glance at him before returning my gaze to the food in front of me, spooning some in my mouth. "That's got to be the dumbest question you've ever asked me." I tell him.
He laughs despite the fact that my answer wasn't a pleasant one. After a moment or two he steps back to view his handy work on my arm and nods to himself in approval. Now he's staring at me again.
"What?"
"You should cut your fucking hair dude. It'd look cleaner." He reaches out a hand feels the grit of my hair, my eyes dart at him and he pulls his hand back. "I could cut for you if you want." He feels his own locks. "I cut my own and Tweeks once too."
My heart lurches, not in a good way, at Tweeks name but I nod, and he gets back up again this time disappearing into the side bathroom and returns with a pair of hair scissors. He stands and eyes my hair for a moment before thinking of something and gets to work on my hair, a few pieces fall into my food.
"Dude, you're getting my hair in the food I'm eating."
"Just brush it aside," he mutters more to himself than me. He seems to be really absorbed in my hair. I watch to the side as more hair falls and I keep eating, doing as he suggested my brushing the hair aside. As I finish eating all the leftovers from the Marsh's dinner he finishes my hair.
He stands back to look at what he's done and I look at him. He's frowning. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken so much from the side, I think its lopsided." I sigh as he hands me a hand mirror. I guess it doesn't matter, a bad haircut for a black sheep. I glance in the mirror and grin before swiping a hand at Stan, he dodges my attack with a laugh. My blonde hair looks great, still dirty as it needs to be washed, but the cut looks professional.
"I appreciate it dude," I say with a smile.
"No problem."
We clean up the mess of my hair and I put the tupperware and utensils in the sink and we trudge back up to Stan's room and to bed. I stay awake longer than I mean too, getting entranced by the popcorn ceiling, a few lingering thoughts forming into my head before I drift completely. Stan's being really nice to me. The letting me stay here, the food, the haircut, and he's going to be distant with Kyle and he'll probably beat up Cartman tomorrow. All things, that are at this moment, worth smiling about.
"Night Kenny," he says in mid yawn. I do smile and say it back before sleep takes me in.
AN: Too much droning? Oh well, its for Stan and Kenny's developing relationship. Next chapter will be a little more... active... I think, I hope. Please review!
Faery Goddyss
