Stan world has been shattered by Wendy, again, this time she send a short to the point text. He didn't understand why he couldn't let her go or why he continue accepting her and back . It became a cycle that worsen an already existing pain, no one would listen to his cries for help as much as he wanted an outlet. 'It's unfair! What did I do to deserve this?' Stan asked himself. He knew Wendy couldn't stand the alcoholic that he had become; A result of his eventual growth into what he is now, which had gotten him to despise the world.
"It's shit." He would say about everything not knowing his view of everything made his friends distant. Stan realizing the problem, doing what he found as the solution to cover his flaw, alcohol. "You know, no one is perfect." the voice of a familiar goth girl reaching his ears. Caught in taking a few swigs of a bottle of liquor, he hid to the side of the stairs. "Go away." Stan quietly voicing his anger in the reveal to the cause of his daily happy facade.
The girl held herself from back lashing as she heard about what happened, Wendy didn't wait to let the whole school know about her being single again. She went directly to sitting down, needing no permission to stay. Taking out a used box of cigarettes and a lighter from her bra, she took a cigarette out, lighting it up until she inhale, he saw her staring at him in his state of drowning misery. He turn away not being able to keep a hold of eye contact with her but he knew she didn't look away.
"You should join us instead of being by yourself Raven." emphasis on his old goth name as she said it. "I can't Henrietta" as he finally let it be acknowledge to their former acquaintance ship. She still remember the day he left, it had hurt to allow someone in the mostly isolated group. Letting out a sigh, "It's fine. You don't have to deal with your emotional pain alone." Stan watching as she spoke to him, taking in the details of something he didn't notice. Henrietta in the three years becoming an entirely different person.
Her figure had become thin over the years, which was once thought unlikely, actually happened. Henrietta became self conscience in between the years along with her dressing in fashionable outfits, matching the usual darkness that clouded her, having a personality not like the other girls. He must of been staring to long as she gave him a vicious glare. Bringing him out of his intense focus, he produce an answer, "Sure, it be better than this. I really haven't had anyone who wants to deal with me in a while." His voice breaking from what he dealt with, the awful weeks of seeing Wendy dating as her presence became unavoidable for him. Even as Henrietta inhale smoke deeply, a small smile formed at a thought inside that didn't betray her lips.
Rumors spread immediately the next day as Stan emerge into the school hallways, being seen walking down the hall with the goths, it felt like a lot change in the dynamic after Kenny sister joined them. Her laughter contradicting the rest of them, showing Stan a funny video on her phone, while the group did their best to ignore the attention they're receiving, "Seems you're the latest news Raven." Michael stating the obvious as Henrietta glaring at people to make them look away. "Why do they care?!" Henrietta stating loudly as Karen stood next to her, nodding in agreement, knowing a similar thought to what Stan is thinking, curious students gather to the oddity of seeing Stan in the group but he suddenly pause his movement. "Hey, why are you stopping Raven?" Pete noticing the sudden halt from their friend, Stan shook head to continue walking, staring at someone particular in the crowd. 'Dammit. I reacted out of habit.' Henrietta seeing what made Stan make a sudden change in his movement as Wendy disappeared in the crowd of students, everyone alert now to the noise of the bell ringing, moving into their own classroom.
"I have to get going." Michael, the tallest of the goth announcing to the group as they began dispersing, leaving the last three members Stan, Henrietta, and Karen by themselves. "I got to go Henrietta. Later Raven." They watch as Karen left, when Stan stood waiting for Henrietta to leave. "You don't even pay attention to who's in the same class, do you?" Instead he was left behind as Henrietta went inside the classroom. 'How could I not known!' Like reading his mind, she look at him than toward Wendy making him respond silently. "Oh." as he sat down watching Henrietta walking behind him hearing as she put away her backpack which she look at him.
'She was behind me too!' Stan mentally facepalm. Letting the fact repeat in his head as the hour went slowly until Stan got a tap on his shoulder to take him out of his bored daze. "You doing anything later after school?" He turned to look at Henrietta, thinking on what to say to her. "No. I got a lot of free time." as they began discussing plans a certain girl watch in jealousy, Henrietta aware of this as Stan didn't miss when she flip off Wendy. 'What was that?' He question himself but let it go when he felt good about the shock expression Wendy began showing. "We can make her madder." Without hesitation as her seductive look put his mind into a much more different feeling, one he use to have for Wendy.
'Henrietta is really enjoying pissing off Wendy.' Staying quiet he didn't know how to respond having internal conflict of the recent break up. "Don't over think. We need to get going." Henrietta getting up as the bell rang to end the period. He did exactly the same, hurrying to pack his stuff away, he follow behind as Henrietta phone rang, she move ahead of him to answer the call. "Hey Stan." Before Stan could look back to the voice calling him from behind, he felt a hand grab his own, forcing him to walk away and only catching the glimpse of pink. "We're going to be late." Stan hearing Henrietta tone, he peek at her face to confirm her that it match her voice.
The walk to her home wasn't eventful as they made small talk with Henrietta occasionally looking behind them for some reason, they got to her house, walking up stairs to her bedroom where she would hang out with her friends but Stan mind focus on something else, they're alone in her room. A perverse thought playing of the possibilities but he kept his mind away from such idea's. "What wrong?" Henrietta smirk when Stan reaction is obvious as she knew he's been staring at her. "I'll be back Raven, have to let my mom know I'm home." Leaving him there sitting on her bed as she left, Time passing until hearing the door open, he watch as she brought drinks placing them down near a table in the middle of her room, taking her seat next to him on her bed. "So what we're going to do" Stan breaking the silence, making Henrietta get serious.
"Do you smoke weed?" She scooted over to her night stand. "No, i haven't done it but I've been around it before." He didn't want to lie to her, it was enough for her to pull out a green bag with rolling papers and metal tray with skulls decal covering it. Stan notice the logo on the items which made him smile, he began playing music from his phone allowing her to get done with the preparation, she look at him after an intense concentration. "Okay, I'm done rolling." Henrietta displaying the joint as she walk to lift up her window, returning back to Stan side. "Now when you smoke it, take a deep breath" She search inside her bra, pulling a lighter out, not giving time for Stan to ask her about that as she spark up a flame.
Stan grabbing the joint from Henrietta hand, as he inhale the lit joint, he cough hard as he didn't understand how much to smoke. "I don't feel anything…holy shit." A first time to every life, Stan felt himself out of touch with a weird sensation taking over. "Is this normal? This doesn't feel right." Henrietta put a hand on him to reassure him, "It's okay Raven, just take it easy on the joint." She grab the joint from his hand while helping to ease his worries as she got up to give him the drink she brought him. "This is reminding me of alcohol except it doesn't make me sick." She took a hit herself, frowning at his mention of drinking, not losing focus to keeping track on how much he's smoking.
"You really need to avoid the bottle." He didn't get mad at her mentioning his drinking, slightly surprising Henrietta. "I Know." The mood sobering up, Henrietta watch Stan for a while trying to think of a way to comfort him, deciding to go with the flow, not interfering with his first time experience. "Let's go outside, want to show you South Park in a different perspective." As Stan got up from her bed to descend toward the darkness of the night, the flickering of lights turning on to keep the streets bright. "I'm hungry Henrietta, this is pretty intense hunger too." She watch him look around the place they call home, the moon soon guiding them toward a restaurant. "Can I get a two medium size burger with fries." his heart racing as he order both their meals, his relief into not bumping into anyone familiar.
One thing he didn't like is his increase alertness, from the smiles to the laughter and thinking everyone is staring at the them, as they sat down at the nearest table. He shook off the worries and took a big bite of his burger, looking at her in his bewilderment by the food. "This burger has never tasted like this before. I can see why a lot of people enjoy eating while they're like this." Henrietta allowing him to talk, taking in the details of Stan. Stan had coldness in his eyes as he spoke, she knew Wendy had made him like this, years of cheating on him broke his heart. His addiction to alcohol ironically to be happy, the thing about his drinking is it got worse a year ago.
'Raven, I'll somehow figure out how to make you happy.' Henrietta didn't know Stan couldn't go back to being the old him. Raven is Forever More.