- Omni Mix -
Wendy's funeral is today. At noon.
Stan wakes, bleary eyed and stinking of whiskey. He stumbles to the bathroom and stares at himself in the mirror, his beard is growing in, mostly stubble, his eyes have bags under them, his hair is unwashed and sticking up oddly. He's been listening to "Up All Night" on repeat since he heard the news about his childhood girlfriend. He's been drinking since as well. Luckily, work gave him a week off, for bereavement because they had his paperwork about his depression and this was something that it had covered, something he never thought he would need to use. As his exhausted expression stares back at him he pulls his fist back and smashes the glass. He stands there, his hand bleeding a little and crying, his entire frame wracked with sobs as he soon sinks to his knees and continues to cry until nothing else will come out. He needs to hurry or he'll be late.
Mechanically, he goes through the motions of shaving, showering, and getting dressed. He digs a black beanie from deep within his closet and starts the walk to the funeral home. He doesn't trust himself to drive.
Kenny sat alone in his apartment, in the dark, on the couch. Just sitting there. He couldn't wrap his head around what had happened to Wendy. She did not seem like the type at all. He forced himself into motion, he made a quick breakfast of cereal before taking a shower and dressing in his nicest black clothes and walking to the funeral home, lost in his thoughts of why.
Kyle hadn't been back in South Park in years. He never expected to come back, least of all under these circumstances. Fall Semester started in mere days, he had to be back, but he couldn't not attend her funeral. He hadn't liked her, but he had respected her. He smoothed his hair down with a pomade and washed his hands, straightening his tie as he descended the stairs of his parents house and they climbed into the van to go to her funeral. Idly, he wondered how Stan was taking it..., he knew they broke up an incredibly long time ago..., but Stan wasn't the best at letting go.
Butters slowly dressed for the funeral. Black slacks, a black button-up shirt with an equally black tie. He didn't bother with make-up, he didn't even touch up his nails which were badly chipped due to his nail-biting. He couldn't believe it. Wendy..., Wendy of all people. Why did it have to be her? Tears fell as he stood in the living room of his house. He wiped them away vainly as more fell and he stepped out into the cold day.
Tweek hadn't stopped twitching or slept more than two hours a day since he heard about Wendy. His parents let him have time off, since he couldn't even focus to make his own coffee, they left him plenty of instant premeasured around the house. If that could happen to someone like her, what chance did he stand?! A violent spasm sent the cup flying from his hands. It was the fourth that week. At least it was empty. He cleaned up the ceramic and made his way upstairs, changing quickly and with difficulty before also heading to the funeral. A twitching mess, his fingertips covered in bandaids as he chewed at them despite even those.
Craig hadn't heard from Tweek since hearing of Wendy's death. He was worried, not that he was likely to admit such a thing out loud. He gave Stripe some more treats and then got up and dressed in his nicest black clothes and hurried to the funeral home, hoping to find Tweek there and make sure he was all right.
The funeral was awful, not that they're ever good, but..., everyone that spoke cried and often times were helped back to their seats by someone. Wendy's family had a private burial setting that Bebe, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny were invited to, but all declined, instead, for the first time in a very long time, decided to go to Stark's Pond together. Butters was also invited by Stan, which surprised the other two as they didn't recognize him.
"I... just can't believe it...," Stan whispered, staring out at the freezing pond.
Kyle awkwardly patted his former super best friend's back. "I don't think anyone can man."
"You don't get it Kyle..., you never did." Stan spoke bitterly, but it wasn't with malice, it was statement of fact.
Kyle looked like he wanted to reply but he wisely did not, instead he wrapped his arms around his shorter friend and held him tightly to his chest. Stan sobbed into his lanky friend's chest, as Butters and Kenny talked quietly.
"I didn't realize you were back," Kenny told him first.
"I don't think many people know," Butters smiled bitterly.
"How are you holding up?" Kenny asked, looking out at the water.
"Better than some," Butters replied with a sigh, walking a few feet away from Stan and Kyle to give them some space.
"I understand..., I can only say I never knew. I never would have suspected."
"That's the thing about depression, it can happen to anyone, at any time. It lies, you know? But..., eventually, you start to believe it. Until you're convinced it can't be lying, look at the proof you created yourself," Butters says softly.
"Yeah," Kenny swallows thickly, tears in his eyes as he stares at the ground.
Butters slings an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Yeah."
All too soon, Kyle has to go and Stan is still a desolate mess. He tells Butters and Kenny he wants to just keep drinking, that he knows he can't, that he knows it's bad for him to. But it's what he wants.
They talk him out of drinking and Butters invites them to his house to hang out and just be around each other. Both accept and they return to his house. Butters puts some awful show on tv and they just sit in moderate silence, Stan occasionally crying, the other two doing their best to be their for him.
Craig seems to materialize beside the twitching blond. Craig looks down at him, he's not seen Tweek look this bad in a very, very long time.
"Hey," the deep baritone seems to bring Tweek back from wherever he was.
He buries himself into Craig's muscled chest, tears escaping his tightly shut eyes as he twitches. Craig wraps his arms around the blond, resting his chin atop his head.
Eventually, Tweek requests they go back to his house. Tweek holds Craig's hand and sticks to his side, much like he used to in high school. Craig doesn't talk much but neither does Tweek.
Soon they're in Tweek's house and Craig has him sit on the couch before going to make some of Tweek's favorite coffee. At last, he's back and he hands Tweek the mug and sits beside him, an arm around his slender shoulders as the blond sips his coffee, not twitching as badly, but his leg bounces erratically.
"Thank you," Tweek eventually says as he leans back into Craig's arm.
"It's nothing," Craig responds, deeply worried for his friend.
Silence stretches before them as Tweek seems to relax around Craig, eventually, his head lolls to the side, his ear winding pressed against Craig's chest. Craig stares down at him for a few seconds before realizing he's fallen asleep. Craig sinks back into the couch, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling.
Wendy..., fuck. He never expected something like that. Not in a million years. Someone like him, yeah maybe, but her? He sighs and closes his eyes.
He's not sure how much later it is, but Tweek's parents come home and make their dinner, no comment on Tweek being asleep on his chest or anything. They do tell him there's dinner that can be reheated if he and Tweek want anything before they retire to their room.
Soon after that though, Tweek stirs.
"GAH! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!" is the first thing he shrieks upon waking.
"It's all right Tweek," Craig reassures him, a small smile on his lips.
Tweek visibly relaxes some and sits up, stretching.
His face creases back into stress all too soon though.
"Wendy...," his face crumples as more tears fall.
Wordlessly, Craig wraps him in another embrace. He holds his friend as he cries, though he wonders why he's crying over her. He never knew the two of them to be close. For now though, he just wants to be there for his friend.