Chapter 1: The Best Part of "Believe" is the Lie

He was an actor, playing a role, singing a song and doing his very best to make everyone around him buy the lies he was selling. He tried his best to bury that tug in his chest, to hide his flushed face and keep his musings to himself, but those damn blue eyes, that smile, everything about him was intoxicating. But he was unavailable tied to a girl who seemed to make it her mission to make them miserable. The worst part of it all was he kept going back, every time Wendy broke up with Stan it was Kyle who had to pick up the pieces and when they were together it was Kyle who was left behind. What Stan didn't realize was Kyle was always there; always even when it hurt. Some days it was easy for Kyle to pretend he wasn't in love with Stan Marsh. Maybe one day he would actually believe his own lie.

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Kyle was currently in the basement of the Lopez residence, Stan had ditched him yet again and he went to the only person he felt he could talk to: Sophia Lopez known to most as Starr for her ability to stand out in a crowd despite her best efforts. She had moved to South Park from Chicago freshman year and had been with Stan and friends ever since.

"Kyle, come on you can't tell me you didn't see this coming?" Starr questioned the moping redhead.

"He promised." Kyle mumbled.

"Jesus," Starr groaned. "How many times are you gonna let him do this to you dude? How many times are you gonna let that bitch win?!" Starr harbored a deep animosity for Stan's raven haired girlfriend and her controlling nature after doing a stint as the choreographer for the dance team. Wendy decided that she didn't like the routine a week before the game and changed it then had the nerve to blame Starr for the lackluster performance. Long story short Starr didn't take too well to that and the two got into a fight, Starr branched off and formed her own dance team; the two haven't spoken a kind word since.

"You only say that because you hate Wendy's guts." Kyle countered turning toward her.

"That has very little to do with it, I've seen what she's done to Stan and the effect it has on you, that gives me more fuel to hate to her."

Kyle laughed chucking popcorn at her.

"I hope you know you're helping clean this shit up."

"Yeah, yeah, what are you doing?"

Starr was shoving another handful of popcorn into her mouth while looking at something on her computer. She tossed her second earbud to Kyle while she chewed and rewound the video she was playing. Soon she and Kyle were nodding along to the Christina Aguilera, Nicki Minaj tag-team.

"I like, what do you want to do with it?" Kyle asked. Starr just stared at him. "Oh no, no no, not happening."

"Aww, Kyle come on, you got a gift!"

"Starr, I told you I was through with that I got to focus on my career path."

"Kyle you have been focused on your career path since you were a fetus, doing a little dancing on the side is not gonna throw a wrench in your plans, Mr. Medical School." Before Kyle could respond Bang the Doldrums by Fall Out Boy started blaring from Starr's phone.

"Well, well, well" she muttered answering it. "Hey Stan" There was murmuring from the other end and Starr glanced at Kyle who began to rapidly shake his head.

"Nope, he's not here." Starr pursed her lips. "You know what I don't like your tone." More silence followed and Kyle assumed Stan was ranting on the other end.

"Well fuck you too bitch!" Starr shrieked into the phone her voice going almost impossibly high in annoyance. "Look dude I can't make him talk to your negligent ass if he doesn't want to." Starr rolled her eyes at whatever Stan said before pulling the phone from her ear and pressing the speaker button.

"Did you do it?" Stan asked his voice garbled by the phone's speaker.

"I most certainly did Lord Dumbass, and might I say you have quite a bit of ass-kissing to do." Starr replied sweetly.

"Fuck you, Starr."

"Love you too Stanny-boy." Starr cackled.

"Look, Ky I'm sorry I know I said today was your day but something came up."

"That's what you always say." Kyle whispered.

"What?"

"He said: 'That's what you always say.'" Starr translated.

"Can you hand him the phone?" Starr sighed and stretched across the couch to pass the phone to the redhead. Kyle took it off speaker and put it to his ear.

"I'm really starting to get tired of this dude." Kyle stated. "You've done it six times this month alone."

There was silence and Starr could tell that Stan was trying to plead his case.

"That's the problem Stan, it always has been, she always gets top priority and nobody else fucking matters to you!" Kyle sighed through his nose. "You know what I can't do this right now and Starr wants her phone back, get back to me when your done being an asshole."