I really shouldn't be starting another multi-chapter story when I have another one in progress that hasn't been updated in months. I also really shouldn't be eating cold cereal and Oreos for dinner, but I don't really care. So here's my new story.

For the purposes of this story, they graduated high school in 2001. Since time has no meaning in South Park, I'm not worried that anyone will have trouble playing along.

Fall Back

Chapter 1: Deleted, Blocked, Erased.

May, 2011

"Stan Marsh."

Stan cringed at the sound of that all-too familiar voice. It was his first day back in South Park in ten years, and not ten minutes after his return he was being greeted by the very person he'd spent so long trying to avoid.

"Kyle," he choked out, turning around. He knew he should have blown off the damn reunion, that agreement he'd made with Kenny be damned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on my lunch break. Thought I'd stop by your parents' house to see if you were back for the reunion," Kyle replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "And you are."

"I am," Stan agreed.

Kyle was taller than Stan remembered him being, and his hair looked different. It was shorter. Tamer. Stan didn't think it suited him.

"You look different," he said.

"You look the same," Kyle replied.

It was probably true. As soon as high school was over, Stan had taken off to California, where he'd attempted to reinvent himself several times, but he always reverted back to the old Stan Marsh. If there was one thing he could never escape, it was himself.

"This is weird," Kyle told him.

It was an understatement. This quasi-conversation seemed more like two strangers talking rather than two boyhood friends. Even the way they were standing was awkward—Stan on his parents' front porch, keys in one hand and duffel bag in the other, and Kyle standing across the yard, talking to him from the sidewalk.

"It is," Stan agreed. "I guess when you haven't spoken for ten years…"

"Eleven," Kyle cut him off.

"Eleven?" Stan repeated.

"We haven't spoken in eleven years," Kyle corrected him. "You wouldn't speak to me senior year, remember?"

Stan's stomach turned. "Right."

He'd been trying to forget that year.

Stan sighed heavily, dropping his duffel onto the porch as he took a seat on the front step. "You wanna sit?" he offered, patting the seat beside him.

Kyle shrugged and crossed the yard.

"So," Stan said, as Kyle took a seat. "You still with Bebe?"

"We broke up eight years ago," Kyle replied.

"Oh."

"It just didn't work out," Kyle went on. "She went off to college in Rhode Island. I went to Colorado Law with Cartman and Wendy. They're engaged now, by the way. Isn't that insane? I mean, Cartman, engaged? To Wendy of all people?"

"Insane," Stan agreed. "You still hang out with them?"

"I live with them. At least until they get married and finally move out."

"You live with Eric Cartman?"

"Sure do. Don't really know why, since Cartman's still an asshole. They're family, I guess."

"And Kenny?" Stan asked hesitantly. "You talk to him ever?"

"Oh, yeah. He's living here in town. Bought a house a few years ago."

"Yeah? You know, I'm actually supposed to meet him. You happen to know his address?"

"Sure," Kyle replied, as Stan procured a notepad and a Sharpie from his duffel bag. "What are you meeting Kenny for?" he asked, as he scrawled down the address.

"Just this deal we made graduation day. I was supposed to track him down ten years later. And here I am, ten years later."

"Oh. Well, he lives in that new development by the elementary school. He's home all day, so you can find him anytime." Kyle handed the notepad over.

"Thanks. I think…You know, I might just head over there now."

"Right." Kyle stood up. "We should meet up later. Have dinner or something."

"Okay…" Stan agreed hesitantly.

"Bring Kenny and Craig with you. We can all catch up."

"Craig?" Stan repeated, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Yeah. Didn't you know? He's living with Kenny. They're…partners…or whatever."

"Partners?"

"Yeah. For a long time now. They're even trying to adopt a kid."

"Kenny and Craig?"

"I know, right? I was surprised too. I mean, did you have any idea that Kenny was gay?"

Stan stared down at his lap. "I had no idea."

March, 2001

Kenny watched the boy sitting across from him as he gazed across the cafeteria at his ex-best friend. It was pathetic, really, how desperately Stan always looked at Kyle. Pathetic, but cute, Kenny decided. Stan was a lot of things, but he was nothing if not adorable.

"You should talk to him," Kenny advised.

Stan jerked to attention. "Who?"

"Who do you think?"

"Who? Kyle? I don't want to talk to him."

"Sure," Kenny replied. "That's why you've been watching him for thirty minutes."

"I wasn't…I was just…"

"You miss him," Kenny cut him off. "Admit it, Stan. Kyle's still your best friend."

"He's not," Stan insisted. "We haven't spoken all year."

"You've been avoiding him all year. But that doesn't mean he's not still the first person you want to talk to when something big happens."

"Not true. You're the only one I can talk to about…you know…"

"Being gay?"

"Shh!"

"Chill, Stan. No one can hear us."

Stan went back to watching Kyle, who was sharing food across the table with his girlfriend while Cartman and Wendy had a heated argument beside them. Kenny watched the debate almost wistfully. As crazy as it was, he actually missed that fat asshole. He missed all of his friends, really. A year ago, he'd have been sitting right there with them, listening to Cartman as he said sexist and despicable things just to get Wendy riled up. But everything changed after Kyle started dating Bebe. Now Kenny and Stan sat by themselves, watching their old friends from across the room.

Kenny turned to Stan. "Do you like him?"

"Who? Kyle?"

"Is that why you're afraid to talk to him? Because you like him?"

"I like you, Kenny."

Kenny rolled his eyes. "Stan, I'm not gonna be offended if you say you like Kyle. It's okay if you do."

"Kenny…"

"I'm just saying I know what this is. You and me, I mean. I know we're not in love or anything."

"How do you know I'm not in love with you?"

Kenny crossed his arms. "Are you?"

"Well…I…"

"You're with me because I'm gay, Stan. Plain and simple. Every other guy you know is straight, so I'm your best option."

"Well… It's not like you're a bad option."

"You don't have to feel bad about it. I'm with you for the same reason. Which is why I'd be okay with it if you admit you like Kyle."

"I don't like Kyle."

Kenny frowned. "Okay. Fine. You don't like Kyle."

Kenny turned to his lunch as Stan continued to watch Kyle from across the cafeteria. Somehow Stan's denial bothered him more than if he'd just admit it. It made it seem like this whole thing was even more complicated than he thought. As if things weren't complicated enough.

"Eric Cartman, that is the most masochistic thing I've ever heard, even from you!"

"I'm just telling it like it is. Date rape isn't real rape. It's just when the girl regrets it in the morning."

"So if by some miracle, a girl agreed to go on a date with you, she'd automatically be consenting to have sex with you?"

Bebe placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Wends, don't start with him. Please."

"I didn't start this. He did."

Cartman leaned across the table. "All I'm saying is that if a girl goes to a party with a guy dressed like a skank…"

"Why's the guy dressed like a skank?" Kyle asked, sipping his Coke.

"…and she starts drinking and dancing like a bimbo, she's clearly asking for it."

"I don't care how she's dressed. It doesn't make her vagina public property. 'No' means 'no'."

"Don't be naïve, Wendy. Sometimes 'no' means 'yes'."

"Cartman, you jackass!"

"Wendy, don't let him get to you. We all know he's only saying this shit because no girl would agree to have sex with him ever. Sober or drunk."

"Fuck you, Bebe!"

"It's true," Kyle muttered, snagging a pineapple chunk from Bebe's tray.

Cartman crossed his arms childishly. "I hate you guys."

"Then why do you hang out with us?" Kyle asked. "We obviously hate you too."

"It was either you three or Kenny and Stan, and I'd rather eat lunch with a Jew and his bitches than a couple of fags. At least you can't catch Jew."

"You can't catch gay either," Wendy pointed out. "And we're not his bitches."

"For the last time, Stan and Kenny aren't gay," Kyle muttered around a mouthful of pineapple. "They're just assholes. Stan is, anyways."

Bebe reached across the table for Kyle's hand. "Come on, Ky, you don't really believe that."

"Yes I do. What else do you call a guy who just stops talking to the guy he's called his best friend for sixteen years? No explanation, just deleted, blocked, erased. The end."

Cartman feigned a pout. "Aw, Kywie misses his buddy."

"Fuck off, Cartman."

"What? It's true and you know it. No matter how much you say you hate him, you still wish Stan was your best friend."

"I do not. If he never wants to talk to me again, that's perfectly fine."

"It's his loss," Bebe said, rubbing his hand.

"You say that now," Cartman replied. "But when you're really upset about something, and you want to talk to someone, whose number do you want to dial first? It's not your girlfriend's. It's not her bitch of a best friend's."

"Hey!"

"And it certainly isn't mine. Be honest, Kyle. You know who you want to call."

Kyle's gaze wandered past Cartman, to the isolated pair sitting across the cafeteria. To his surprise, Stan was staring right back.

May, 2011

"Cartman is a better name than Testaburger. There. I said it."

"For the last time, Eric, I am not taking your last name."

"Why the hell not?"

Kyle rolled his eyes, slinging his jacket on the coat rack. His roommates argued just as much as they did back in high school. The only difference now was that they had very passionate, very loud makeup sex afterwards. Which was, it should go without saying, even worse to listen to than the fighting.

Their most frequent argument since the engagement was on the subject of Wendy's last name. As with most of their disagreements, it was one Cartman was sure to lose, but that didn't stop him from bringing it up on a daily basis.

"Because I don't want to be Mrs. Cartman! Your mother is Mrs. Cartman."

"And what do you have against my mother?"

"Nothing! I have nothing against your mother. I just don't want to be her."

"Your mother's a whore, Cartman!" Kyle called from the doorway.

"Fuck you!"

"Hey Kyle," Wendy greeted him. "How was work?"

"Sucked," Kyle replied, making his way to the couch. "As usual. How was wedding planning?"

"Wendy got the final decision on everything," Cartman muttered. "As usual."

"It's not my fault you have awful taste," Wendy snapped. "Your choices are all stupid."

"I chose you, bitch."

Kyle nodded. "Cartman has a point," he admitted. "And more importantly, you chose him. So maybe it's your judgment we should be questioning."

"Yeah!" Cartman agreed whole-heartedly.

"He was insulting you, Sweetie."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "I don't even know why I still hang out with you two."

"Neither do we," Cartman replied, standing up and wandering toward the kitchen. "You're just a third wheel ever since Bebe took off."

"Eric, get me a soda!" Wendy called after her fiancée. She turned to face Kyle, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Speaking of Bebe…"

"You heard from her?" Kyle asked, trying not to sound too interested.

"She's coming for the wedding," Wendy replied. "And she might be coming to the reunion too."

"She might not make it?"

"She said it's complicated. Apparently she has a lot going on, but she was being all mysterious about it. Have you talked to her at all lately?"

"Not since we broke up," Kyle replied. "Which was in college. So no."

"And he hasn't been with a woman since," Cartman said, reappearing from the kitchen, juggling a can of Pepsi, a bottle of Budweiser, a bag of Cheesy Poofs and a package of deli-sliced salami.

"Thanks, Babe," Wendy said, taking the Pepsi from Cartman as he plopped down on the couch beside her.

"So, speaking of the reunion…and people I haven't spoken to in ages…you'll never guess who I ran into today."

"Was it Token?" Cartman asked, sipping his beer. "I heard his parents cut him off after he flunked out of college and now he's bar-tending in Denver."

"Really? I heard his parents cut him off after he dropped out of college to open a strip club in Denver, and he got rich again and married one of his strippers."

"Wendy, don't ruin this for me."

"It wasn't Token," Kyle cut in. "It was Stan."

Wendy's eyebrows shot up. "You saw Stan?"

"Did he actually talk to you or did he track down Kenny and hide behind him?"

"We talked. A little. He's here for the reunion."

"That jackass!" Wendy cried. "He can't RSVP my wedding invite, but he hauls his ass all the way here for a stupid class reunion?"

"We're meeting later. For dinner with Kenny and Craig. You guys should come."

"Why would we want to share a meal with two fags, a Jew and a hermit?"

"Because it will be the old group back together again? And because it's gonna be awkward as hell for Stan?"

Cartman considered this for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'm in."