Kenny decided to tell Stan at the boys' weekly "get-together-and-pretend-we're-doing-biology-homework-night" On Saturday. Not that any real studying went on at all; they just needed an excuse to get together and stay overnight at someone's house to do stupid things. This week they'd be at Stan's place because his parents would be out of town, and Shelly would be out with her girlfriends (Whoring themselves off to whoever'll give a damn and toss a nickel at them, Kenny thought when he'd gotten word) that night.

Kenny went to school the day he got back, a pounding headache adding to the stress of his situation. All day he was forced to listen to long, pointless lectures; and all day his mind wandered to thoughts of how he would confess his feelings to Stan. He must have gotten told off more than a dozen times the whole day, but didn't pay attention to any of his warnings. Instead, he'd think, what if Stan doesn't return my feelings? Nothing good will come of this… Maybe I shouldn't tell him… but no… I should… I have to… It'll get this off my chest…

Then, fleetingly, Should I kiss him first? Will that do anything? How will I do it? Maybe I should take him up in my arms, sweep his breath away with a touch of my lips to his… will our tongues meet? I wonder; will it tickle? Will he return the kiss? Will he hold me?

No, he'd think. It may put too much pressure on him. He might try to avoid me… He might hate me! I don't want that… no, I'll just tell him. But wait, I should kiss him first; otherwise he won't take me seriously… but how do I do it?

Needless to say, this thought process went on the entire day, repeating itself a million times before Kenny realized he had no idea what to do.

-----

Saturday rolled around faster than Kenny hoped. He still hadn't a clue what to say, and now he was actually sitting in Stan's bedroom, leaning against the wall next to the object of his affection, whom, strangely, didn't have much to say that night. He seemed to be contemplating something.

"Something wrong with you?" Kenny asked when Cartman had wobbled out of the bedroom in order to pursue a certain smart-ass Jewish boy and beat him to a pulp. Stan merely shook his head in response. "I'm thinking about something Cartman said…"

"That idiot doesn't deserve a second thought – no, he doesn't even deserve a first thought," Kenny said, mumbling through his hood. To anyone else, it would have sounded like total gibberish, but Stan knew better. He liked to think the two of them had a special understanding, but Kenny never thought about it once.

"That's true," Stan said. "Just… I think he might be right…"

"What did he say?"

Stan shifted uncomfortably. "Uh… it's… it's nothing. Never mind."

Kenny raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe Stan for a second. Stan let out a sigh, closing his eyes. "Tell me," Kenny said. "I want to help you…"

"No," Stan said, eyes remaining closed. "It's not important. You don't really need to know."

Kenny blinked. "Yes, I do," he said firmly, moving a gloved hand to Stan's face and placing it on his cheek. "Tell me." He turned Stan's head to face him, looking directly into the crystalline beauties that were Stan's eyes. Stan gazed into Kenny's eyes, too, lips parted slightly and his expression betraying shock at the sudden contact. "I… I don't… it's just…"

Suddenly, Cartman burst into the room (How can he do that? He barely fits through the door! Kenny thought, over-exaggerating a bit more than slightly) with a bottle in his hand.

Pills?

"Ahahaha!" He laughed. Uh-oh. Kenny knew something bad was about to come. "Look, Kaaaahl, I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna walk over hmeeyah -" Kenny rolled his eyes. "That's here," he said to nobody.

"And take these sleeping pills…"

"Don't do it Cartman!" Kyle cried out urgently. "Stop! I'm warning you!"

"Dude! What's he doing?!" Stan asked, standing up and getting out of Kenny's comforting grasp. Kenny also stood up, a little fearful. Why did he have sleeping pills?!

"And shove 'em down Kenneh's throat! Wonder how many it'll take 'fore he dies!" he said, grabbing Kenny by the hood and forcing his mouth open.

One pill.

"Cut it out!" Stan and Kyle yelled in unison, both springing onto the fat lump. Stan managed to beat the bottle out of Cartman's hand while Kyle blinded him. "Ey! Get offa me you bastards!" he yelled. "Respect mah Authoritah!!"

Stan jumped off, grabbing the pills and throwing them unceremoniously out the window.

Kenny, still standing, had begun to sway slightly. He was losing focus, and trying his hardest to balance. Drowsily, he forced his eyes open only to see Stan rushing towards him, and Kyle and Cartman stumbling out the door, still beating each other. Do those two ever quit? He asked himself before falling into Stan's arms and having a much unwanted sleep force its way into his consciousness.

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A/N: Ah, finally! The next chapter has actually been planned out before the first one was. I'm looking forward to writing it. It might even be up tonight as well. This chapter was a bit more angsty, wasn't it? I hope you like it!

Keep the reviews coming!

-- Chiba