Sorry this chappie took so long for me…again. The inspiration was there, the ending for this chappie was not. It took a long time to write an end for it…; I have to say writing this has been an enjoyment...

Kyle stumbled over a branch on the trail to Stark's Pond. He felt like he was sobering up, but the tears stinging his eyes in the night made it harder for him to continue on. He was almost glad it was summer or he probably would have frozen to death. He rethought the glad part.

The Jew's nails dug into his palms as he reminisced on the hours, no the years that led up to this moment. The alcohol had worn off when his best friend's door had slammed and clicked. Kyle hadn't even known there had been a lock on the door, ever. The gush of tears increased.

He stopped and looked around the area he had set out for. Stark's Pond twinkled and glittered with the stars it reflected on its mirror like surface until a turtle came up for air and broke the reflective plane.

"Seven years bad luck for you, my friend…" Kyle murmured into the darkness. He tried to remember back through the years for a time he had broken a mirror perhaps. He couldn't remember. It was just his own doing…

The red head sat down miserably on the nearest fallen log he could find and gazed at the pond for a few seconds or a few hours, he wasn't sure. He played through his mind the last little while, his confession, not at all how he would have wanted it. His cheeks flushed at that. How else would it have been? Stan grinning, coming to him and holding him, whispering sweet things into his ear and stroking his hair?

His head throbbed to match his chest and gut. How was he going to face his best friend now?

"Kyle…?"

The Jew flew around to meet the voice in the darkness. He could feel his cheeks light up even when he averted Stan's eyes. "Hey…" he murmured as he slowly turned back around and took a deep breath, planting his head firmly in his hands, "I thought you went to bed…"

Carefully, Stan placed himself next to his depressed counterpart. "Sure is nice out here. Stark's pond is never thawed out like this…Sure is pretty…" he sighed. An awkward silence pursued for what felt like several hours. Kyle did not move. Stan decided to face the situation head on.

"Look, I know you were drunk and it didn't mean anything, dude. I am not holding it against you and I am sorry I yelled at you…I was drunk too you know…" he whispered, keeping his concentration on the pond. His words didn't seem to help his friend like he had expected, though. Kyle was now trembling.

"Wou…wou…would you ever…h…h…hate me, Stan? Would you ever not for…forgive me for anything?" Kyle muttered from his palms. He felt an arm go around him and his friend move nearer to his face.

"Fuck Kyle, do you think I am that bad of a friend? Jesus dude, I would forgive you anything…We're super best friends for Christ's sake. We're bros…"

The Jewish boy slowly lifted his soggy face towards Stan, giving his best friend a glimpse of a side of Kyle he had never seen but once and never wanted to see again. Kyle still wouldn't look at him.

"I would ask you for this not to change anything, but that's a fucking stupid thing to ask...I…do love you, Stan…for as long as I can remember…"

His raven haired friend blink once, blinked twice. "W…what?"

Kyle put his head back into the protection of his hands and felt more tears heat his face as they streamed down. He would not lose control, though. He would not weep, even though it was over. Stan stood up and walked a few paces away from his friend, at a loss for more words.

"So you are…gay?"

"I don't know…I don't know, dude…" Kyle's voice cracked and popped in his reply. He fell silent again, waiting for the reply to his answer.

"So you have been in love with me for, what did you say, as long as you can remember?! You, mister Confess-Your-Sins-I've-Learned-Something-Today?! How long were you going to keep this a secret? What the fuck, man?!" Stan yelled, backing away towards the log and the boy sitting on it.

Kyle was full out crying now. The grief and sorrow in his eyes almost affected his raven haired friend when he reached out towards him and dropped to his knees weeping. "Stan…please understand…I…I was…I was afraid…oh please Stan…" he sobbed between breaths, "I didn't…want…to…lose your…friendship…"

Stanley shook his head, heart pounding, and turned around before continuing on back from the way he came. Just as he reached the trail some feet away he paused, but did not turn around. Kyle could hear a sigh even through his stopped up head and wet face.

"Dude, you're my best friend…my bro…and I would never hate you or not forgive you of anything but…I just need some time to think about all this…" and with that he started back up the trail to his family's house, leaving Kyle alone by the pond.

-

Stan woke up early with thoughts of a certain Jew floating through his mind. Had the crazy night all been a dream? He had had those sorts of things happen to him before…no. He could vividly see the drunken Kyle, tears and snot smearing his usually so reserved pale face. Fuck, he had been so mean to his red headed friend…

"Kyle, I am really sorry about last night. I love ya man, no matter what! I care about you and I hope we can get going on this trip and think nothing of it…" he rehearsed to himself on the way down his stairs where Kyle would probably still be asleep on the couch. He would have to jump on him and wake him up.

No Kyle.

A wave of guilt flooded Stan like it never had before. Hurting beavers and flooding a city long ago hadn't made him feel this bad. "Shit, I bet he went back to his house last night…" He pulled on his shirt and shoes that had been left carelessly on the couch and headed off to the Broflovski's. He could feel the impending doom. Man, was Sheila going to be angry.

Doom upon himself changed to a different feeling when he reached his best friend's house. "Wha…what's going on?" Stan felt himself ask as he walked up to the step where the police officer was standing in front of a very different Mrs. Broflovski than he had ever seen.

"My bubby! There has to be some mistake! He never even drank! He knows better being diabetic!" Stan calmed a little. Kyle had gotten himself arrested. Jesus, what a thing to do on the night before their big trip, too. "I'm sorry Sheila, but this is definitely him and we found a large amount of alcohol in his system…" officer Barbrady admitted softly.

Stan chuckled, "Ya, sounds like Kyle. Sorry bout that…I shouldn't have talked him into drinking. It was my fault Barbrady. What's bail? We gotta get going!"

The adults turned to look at Stan as if they hadn't even noticed he was there. Sheila wailed and the officer dropped his head. "Stanley, Kyle isn't in jail…Kyle is…Kyle had an accident. A couple of kids found him in Stark's pond this morning…Kyle is dead."

One more to go I think…