Chapter 5: Worse Than Nicotine

Stan

"Why would you do that, Stan?" Wendy muttered. "Why would you embarrass me like that?"

"Embarrass you how?" Stan asked genuinely confused. As far as he knew he hadn't done anything, he'd just stopped Starr to try and get her to talk to Kyle on his behalf.

"Talking to that homewrecking slut right in front of me!" Wendy shrieked.

"Do you have to talk about Starr like that? She is my friend after all."

"I don't care what she is, she needs to learn to mind her business."

"She's just looking out for me Wendy, she looks out for everyone." Stan argued.

"Of course you're too stupid to see that her 'looking out for you' is really her trying to break us up, she wants to fuck you and I'm in the way." Wendy seethed.

"You're overthinking it, she doesn't like seeing her friends hurt and I upset her by hurting Kyle." Stan replied. "I kinda deserve the silent treatment, I haven't been-"

"Here we go again! When is he going to realize that he's not your girlfriend and he'll never be? He needs to grow up and you need to stop running to him like a puppy dog with your tail between your legs!" Wendy ranted. "If it's not her trying to get into your pants it's fucking Kyle! And I bet if I weren't around you two would be all over each other!"

'Well she's not that far off...' Stan shook the thought away. Lately he and Wendy had been like this you would think he'd have enough arguing with what went on at home. Wendy was a ticking time bomb, the girl saw enemies everywhere she accused everyone around him of dooming their relationship to failure when really it was the two of them. Wendy had always been a bit of a control freak but it had gotten worse since the start of high school and reached critical levels when Starr outright defied her. And Stan, his heart just wasn't in it anymore; he had loved this girl when he was younger but he found himself turned off by her rude behavior toward his friends. He hated that he couldn't spend as much time with them as he wanted and that he was often forced to break plans with them at her insistence. His relationship with Wendy had put his relationship with his friends in jeopardy and more specifically his relationship with Kyle. Wendy thought that he and Kyle were too close and had made it her mission to isolate Stan from him and practically everyone else. Kyle eventually grew to resent him which in turn hurt Stan more than he could admit. Truth was once Wendy began showing her true colors Stan's heart began to wander and it eventually settled in the lap of a certain redhead. Kyle was someone Stan felt safe with, Stan could be himself and Kyle loved him all the more for it. Hurting him the way he had made Stan feel shitty, wanted nothing more than to be with him even just as his friend but he had an image to keep up and unfortunately for him that involved Wendy.

"Look, Wendy can we not do this right now?" Stan asked quietly.

"What you can't handle me talking about your little boyfriend!?" Wendy snapped.

"Can you keep your voice down?"

"Oh, so you don't want the whole school to know you want to fuck your best friend?"

"Wendy, please? You're making a scene." Stan begged.

'She's only half right.' Stan thought. Stan would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about sleeping with Kyle, sex wasn't his only motivation though, he needed an escape, a safe haven and that was with Kyle. But since Kyle was upset with him right now going to his house wasn't an option.

"You know what, Wendy I'm going home." he muttered turning from her and walking towards the school's front entrance.

"No, Stan wait." he kept walking. "Stanley! I didn't mean it!"

Stan ignored her and kept walking towards his house a place he really didn't want to be. When he opened the front door it was eerily quiet.

'Maybe dad isn't home yet?' he thought to himself. "Mom, I'm home!" he called out.

"I'm in the kitchen sweetheart!" she replied. Stan closed and locked the door and wandered toward the kitchen. He stood in the doorway as she bustled about stirring various pots on the stove, still clad in her scrubs. She turned toward him, she looked sad and drained.

"Are you ok mom?" Stan asked.

"I'm fine sweetie, just tired." she replied. "Your father and I had a little disagreement is all, he left but he should be back later." Stan nodded grimly.

"Now it's mom's turn. How are you doing Stan?"

"I could be better." Stan shrugged. "Kyle still won't talk to me and Wendy is just unbearable." concern filled his mother's face.

"I'm sorry you're having such a rough time, in all honesty you should just leave that girl alone."

"But dad said-"

"I don't care what dad said, a girlfriend or boyfriend is supposed to make you happy and you don't sound happy. And if you're not happy you should let that that person go and find your happiness whether it be in yourself or with someone else." Sharon held her son's gaze. "You tried, you tried so hard to hold your relationship together and it's not looking any better, maybe it's time to move on." Stan hugged his mom.

"Thank you." he murmured into her shoulder "I love you mom."

"I love you too and I know you'll make the decision that's best for you." she replied hugging the teen tightly. "Whether it's being alone or going after Kyle I support you no matter what." Stan pulled back wide eyed and red faced.

"How did-"

"Sweetheart, I'm your mother I know everything. Now get upstairs and wash up. Oh and your sister called she wanted to talk to you so call her later ok?"

"Right." Stan affirmed as he disappeared upstairs. In his pocket his phone vibrated he pulled it out and glanced at it. It was a message from Kyle he was being invited to the Scandal party Butters was having. Kyle wanted him to come, he wanted to fix things. 'So I didn't completely screw up.' Stan ran into his room and flopped onto his bed quickly typing a response.

~{}~

Starr

"Well?" Starr asked sprawled across Kyle's bed. Kyle lay next to her clutching his phone anxiously. The device buzzed and Kyle quickly read the message and typed a reply.

"He said yes but I don't know what I'm going to say tomorrow." Kyle muttered.

"It's best if you don't plan it, it needs to sound sincere and it needs to come from the heart. You know this girl is no good for him and most importantly you know about his mental health issues and how this affects them. Use that to your advantage, although I don't think he'll need much convincing"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, Kyle, he cares about you a lot. And he knows that you care about him and his well being." Starr began. "As such, your opinion means a lot to him and he's more willing to listen to you than anyone else."

"If Stan is more willing to listen to me why does he keep going back to Wendy after I've told him countless times?" Kyle asked.

"Well it could be out of habit or some sense of duty." Starr mused. "Sharon and Randy have been going at it more and more recently." Kyle looked at her questioningly.

"I saw then having a screaming match in the middle of Walmart recently."

"How does that tie-in?"

"Stan could be looking for stability, his home life is rocky at best so he seeks consistency in others, specifically Wendy as he's able to predict her behavior. It's not too much of a reach." Starr could see Kyle analyzing her. She knew he was questioning where this knowledge was coming from but she was not ready to explain quite yet.

"I would think his dad would be the more likely cause, after all Stan picked up his alcoholic tendencies and the pressure he puts on him pushes him to drink." Kyle countered grimly.

It was a little known fact that Stan hadn't willingly joined the football team, his father urged (more like forced) him into it. Stan was in touch with his feelings, this Starr was aware of what she hadn't known was that Randy objected to this often and loudly. Starr sat back as Kyle recounted the ridicule Stan endured at the hands of his father.

"Stan's life is just an emotional clusterfuck, he's getting verbally and emotionally abused at home making him susceptible to the same abuse from his grilfriend. His sister going away to college left him alone to deal with his parents' failing marriage, he feels like everything's falling apart and it's his fault." Starr reasoned. 'My God he's me, how did I not see this?

"In turn that makes him want to live up to his to father's expectations in hopes that it makes things better and he can't no matter how hard he tries. He's never good enough." she continued pain welling up in her chest.

"How do you know all of this?" Kyle asked.

"Don't worry about it, let's just focus on what you're gonna say."