I'm gonna make this chapter better than the last. Because despite all your kind words I still think it sucked.

Yes, I posted a one-shot called "Snowflakes." Read it. Review it. You'll make me really happy.

I'm answering reviews next chapter. Wow, apparently you guys went crazy with reviewing chapter 14. But it's all good.

Uh, may I begin?

Chapter 16

"Stan, there's a phone call for you!" called Mrs. Marsh through the hallway. The boy, who had his face crushed into his pillow, mumbled with frustration, and did not bother making an effort to get out of his bed. His mother, of course, had been quite surprised when Stan had arrived home alone without the Donovan family, and even more shocked with the attitude he had given her when she had inquired. Stan's first move when he arrived home was to dive into the comfort of his bed, and three hours later he had neither fallen asleep nor moved his position. Simply put, he was consciously dead.

"I'm trying to sleep, mom!" yelled Stan, slamming the ends of his pillow against his ears. What would it take for his mother to realize that he didn't want to talk on the phone?

"Clearly," snapped his mother, and by the sound of it she was now at Stan's doorway. "It's your friend Kyle, and I'm not going to tell him that you're trying to sleep. So you better pick up that phone, Stanley." Stan was quite surprised at the usage of his full name, yet it was to good effect; he had immediately risen from his lying position to grab the phone. He sighed as he took the telephone from his mother and talked into it.

"Hey, dude."

Shit, Kyle! Where had he been when his mother told him who was on the line?

"Hey yourself," Stan replied. Even though they were only communicating by telephone Stan could still feel the nervousness of his voice. The image of Kyle and Kenny at the movie theater was still painfully instilled in his mind, and as he tried shaking the visual out of his mind he felt a stabbing pain inside of him.

I believe you don't know what you've got until you've said goodbye...

"Where'd you run off to?" Kyle asked innocently. Whether he was actually being innocent depended on the eye of the beholder, so of course Stan naturally thought Kyle to be lying.

"I went home," snapped Stan.

"Dude, you don't have to be so sharp about it," said the voice on the other side of the phone. "But why the sudden hurry? You left your own boyfriend there." He could hear Kyle's distaste in saying that sentence. Stan figured that it was probably because he had denied him but not Clyde. Though of course... Stan really did wish it was because he still wanted Stan to be his.

Who said it wasn't okay to dream?

"It's nothing," Stan dismissed.

"Bullshit." The language startled Stan, but then he supposed he deserved it. "You're hiding something from me, Stan."

"Am not," said Stan. "And even if I am, what's it to you?"

"Stan, I'm you're best friend!" said Kyle, and Stan could hear a change in his tone, and it was almost as if he were ready to cry; then again maybe he was, because moments later when he resumed speaking his voice was hitched. "A-aren't I?"

"Yeah," said Stan. "But you have Kenny... I have Clyde..."

"Me having Kenny and you having Clyde doesn't change anything between us," said Kyle. "Look... I'm going over there. Expect me in a few."

"Kyle, don't-" but the boy had already hung up. Sighing, the raven-haired boy slammed the phone onto his desk, and found his way into the restroom. He hadn't changed when he arrived home, but his hair was still a mess and he wanted to at least look decent for his guest. He messed up his hair with his hands, and after splashing water into his face and hair he was satisfied with his appearance. He looked at the restroom mirror one last time, straightened out the hems of his shirt, and left. He found his way to the living room, flopped onto the couch, and turned on the television.

"Breaking news from North Park-" muttered the news reporter before Stan switched the channel. There wasn't much to watch this late at night, which annoyed Stan since it disrupted his channel-surfing. after returning to the local news station he shut the television. He needed a better plan to pass time. He supposed that Kyle was walking over to his house, and so the boy would be arriving any minute. There wasn't much luck in making a grand escape.

Several minutes later he heard the doorbell ring, which surprised Stan because he thought that Kyle would have enough sense to think that perhaps Stan's parents would be asleep. Thankfully they weren't though, and so Stan opened the door without causing any commotion.

"Hey dude," said Kyle, taking off his hat and shaking off the fallen snow.

"Hey yourself." Just like on the phone. The two stood in their positions for several moments, Stan not stepping aside to let Kyle in, and the other not making an attempt to do so. It was only when Mr. Marsh peeked his head out of the kitchen to see who was at the door when Stan was told to let his friend in. Kyle shook off his boots and placed them neatly by the front door. Then the two looked at each other again, another silence taking control of the moment. After some time Kyle decided to clear his throat.

"Want to talk in your room?"

"No."

"Here?"

"No."

"Where?"

"Nowhere." Kyle chose to deny Stan's request, and instead pulled the boy up the stairs and into his own room. He made sure that the two of them were fully into the room before closing it shut behind him. Stan made his way to the bed, where he fell onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Kyle followed suit, and soon the two of them lay on the bed beside each other. Stan could feel himself turning red, but he did his best not to show it.

"Kenny doesn't replace you," said Kyle at last, breaking the silence that had seemed to find its home in their conversations. "Ever since Kenny asked me out you've been... distant. It's like you're bothered by the fact that we're together, or you're jealous, or something. I just want you to know that whatever happens between Kenny and I... if we split or if we grow into something more... I'll always regard you as my highest friend. And I hope you think the same about me." Stan nodded, agreeing with his friend. It made enough sense in his mind... at least he thought.

"I'm sorry," said Stan, and with that they ended the issue with a friendly hug. Stan went through the roof with this, but because of the hug Kyle couldn't see how red his face was turning. One day he knew he'd have to tell Kyle, and one day he knew that Kyle would be angry for Stan's decision to turn him down and suddenly want him back. For now though Stan willed himself to keep what he could... once he lost it it'd be hard to get back... he knew that now.

"One more thing... Stan?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I... crash here for tonight? My mom's not too happy for what Kenny and I did..." Stan bit on his lip as the visual returned to him. Hopefully he wasn't making his uneasiness too obvious. "...I think she might murder me. So can I...?"

"Sure," said Stan. He flashed Kyle a genuine-looking smile, though Stan knew it was fake, and motioned his hand towards his bed. "You can have the bed. I'll find a sleeping bag to crash on the floor."

"Thanks," said Kyle, and as Stan left the room he shuddered, trying to avoid the visual that was now taunting his mind. Yet as he informed his skeptical mother of Kyle's sleeping over he remembered a line to a particular song he had listened to not that long ago...

I believe you can't appreciate real life 'till you've been burned...

Stan knew he would find out soon enough.

- - - - - - - - - -

"That's absolute nonsense, Stan," Kyle said defiantly. The two boys were dressed in their pajamas, both standing on a red sleeping bag, and staring at Stan's bed. Stan had returned to find Kyle lying down on his bed, dressed in his pj's though not yet under the covers. Kyle took one look at the sleeping bag and immediately got up to his feet and began shaking his head. Stan hadn't noticed this, and it was only when the bag was set up on the floor that he had heard Kyle's disagreement.

"Dude it's fine," said Stan. "You can sleep on the bed. I don't mind."

"But it's your house! Your room! You shouldn't be sleeping on the floor!"

"You're my guest," Stan shot back, "and guests don't sleep on the floor."

"Then I'll sleep on the couch so that you can sleep in your own bed," said Kyle.

"Don't do that," said Stan. The argument had lasted for some time, and each time as it seemed about to end the other shot out something that incited it once more. Simply said it was a rather pathetic topic, but that didn't stop either boy. However, just as Stan shot a reply to Kyle's idea of sleeping with his parents, Kyle said something that halted anything that Stan would've said after him.

"If you don't want to sleep anywhere else just sleep here with me." Wait, what?

"Kenny would probably get mad at me, dude," said Stan. "Besides... I might catch the kooties sleeping with you."

"Kenny won't know," said Kyle, "nor will he care. We're just sleeping next to each other...not with each other." Stan took a look at the ragged sleeping bag and gave in. He felt his body temperature rising exponentially, but as before he did his best to keep it under control. He had to admit though... sleeping next to Kyle on a bed would probably feel more comfortable than on the floor.

No duh.

"Goodnight then," said Stan, and he dove into the far side of his bed and buried his face into his pillows. After a few minutes the lights went out, and a weight beside his own signaled that Kyle was also on the bed. He did his best to keep calm and to fall asleep. Still though... Kyle lying next to him...

"Stan?" asked Kyle, and Stan could almost argue that he had asked in a hopeful manner.

"Yeah?"

"What did Clyde have that I didn't...?" Ah, shit.

"I'm tired," replied the boy, turning even more red, yet also trying to answer the question for himself. "Wake me up early before school tomorrow and I'll answer that, okay?" He heard the boy beside him mutter something, and he had assumed that to be a yes. Yet within the silence that proceeded Stan asked himself that question slowly... what did he have that Kyle didn't? And why was he asking? He had Kenny, didn't he? Why was he still concerned with what Stan saw in him?

Unless... he still was concerned... was Kyle really in a situation not that much different from his own? Maybe Kyle had only said yes to Kenny because he didn't want to let go of another chance... Stan was sure he had thought this situation before but... now it was almost as if he was hoping it to be so. He sighed, turned his head towards the boy, and asked:

"Do you love Kenny, Kyle?"

"I'm rather tired and I can't answer any questions," mocked Kyle. "Wake me up tomorrow before school and I'll answer your question in the most groggy way possible." Stan hoped that things would be sorted out soon. For now he'd have to sleep on that thought, which naturally was a hard subject to sleep upon.

But he was left with no choice, right?

Eh. Sucky chapter again. Beware Clyde fans... next chapter won't pass easily for you...

New story, Snowflakes. Read it, review it, and other stuff. Right now I'm going to dash back to my fictionpress account and make a story there, because I'm dying to get it off my chest. Then I'll return here.

So, of course, REVIEW!