(no subject)
Title: Why Drinking is Bad for You
Chapter: (Five) Revelation and Reactions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Stan/Kyle
Other Chapters: One Two Three Four
Summary: Stan and Kyle get a bottle of vodka and a whole load of problems.
In this installment: Stan makes an announcement to the school.
Stan went to school the next day with considerable trepidation. He had no idea how to take his plan from blueprint to concrete and was hoping that some opportunity would simply jump in front of him, waving loudly and screaming for attention. Opportunity completely failed to visit Stan on the way to school, whilst walking to class in school, whilst in class in school, so Stan decided to screw that bastard opportunity.
With grave resignation etched onto his face, he stepped onto a table during lunch period rather like a boxer stepping into the ring. The curiosity of his schoolmates had hardly abated and eyes had kept swivelling onto him even before he did anything unusual. With this simple act, Stan had captured the attention of ninety percent of the students present. Those who had failed to notice were being nudged, whispered to, and quickly hundreds of eyes were boring into Stan.
“Uh, hi,” Stan began, unable to stop his nerves. “I know there's been a lot of gossip about me lately...”
“You and your little wookiee boyfriend!” someone called out.
“Yeah, thanks for that. Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk about. We're not dating.” He wasn't surprised at the reaction to this assertion. Stan had never heard such a skeptical tut en masse; it was like hearing hundreds of ancient typewriters at work. There was a long, low murmuring. He couldn't make out all of it, but the words 'yeah, right', 'that's not what we saw' and 'denial' could be made out from those nearest to him. “I mean it. Kyle isn't gay. He's straight. He's totally not interested in me.”
“Oh, yeah? And what about you Stan? What about you?” Cartman yelled. Immediately, the rabble broke out into cries of, “Yeah! What about you?”
Stan swallowed. He could do this. He knew he could. He just wished that he could have had a more typical experience, but then, when had his life ever been normal?
“I'm bi.” The crowd fell silent, momentarily stunned, aside from a yell of delight from Cartman.
“I knew it, I knew it, you're a total faggy-fag!” Cartman sung.
“Shut up, douchebag,” said Stan. His skin was tingling all over and he felt detached from his surroundings, like he was a visitor from another planet. “So yeah. Rip on me all you want. But I'm not dating Kyle and that's the truth.”
Numb, he climbed down from the table. He could hear people all around him animatedly discussing what he'd just revealed, but their words turned to indecipherable buzzing. He seemed to move more slowly than usual; it took what felt like hours to walk out of the room. People around him waved him over, called to him, but he couldn't even consider acknowledging them.
Not knowing what to do, he went to the library. He sat in the spot he usually found Kyle in. He opened a book up in front of him but didn't read a word. He wondered how his life would change now. He was pretty sure that the change he'd just made was irreversible. He wondered how Kyle would react. He probably wouldn't be too happy. But Kyle was still out of school. He could have one last normal evening with Kyle tonight. So it was just the rest of the school, over a thousand people, that he needed to worry about.
The word was even spreading to the library. Kids who never left the book covered walls were catching word from their friends that the guy from the YouToob video had just outed himself in the school cafeteria. People kept wandering over to his corner of the library, on the obvious, flimsy pretext of needing books on the effect of global warming on women's position in the workplace, and gawking openly at Stan. Stan had no idea what they were hoping for; it wasn't as if he was hosting his own little gay disco in the back of the library, but the droves kept coming nevertheless. He was relieved when the bell rang, declaring lunchtime over. Life wasn't going to get any easier for him, but at least it was passing.
He could hear the hubbub of his classmates chattering from the other end of the corridor, but as soon as he passed the threshold they all fell silent. They watched him make his way over to his desk, watched him sit down, watched him look out of the window. Their stares followed him to his next class, which was just as full of people staring at him. The staring continued right through the afternoon, through his journey from school, until Stan reached the safety of Kyle's house. He knew that it was a bad move. He didn't care. He was entitled to one last peaceful evening with his best friend, consequences be damned.
“How was school?” Kyle asked, reading his friend's face with worry.
“Crap.”
“People still giving you shit about that video?”
“Yeah, but I've got it under control.” Stan slumped into Kyle's chair and switched on his computer.
“Really? How?”
“I'll tell you tomorrow.”
“Huh? Why tomorrow?”
“It'll be easier,” Stan lied. He checked his email. Already over a hundred new emails, some from good friends, some from acquaintances, some from people he didn't even know, all offering themselves as Stan's confidants during this difficult time. He deleted them all.
“If you're sure,” said Kyle, a little doubtfully.
“How're you feeling, anyway?”
“Lots better, except mom's still claiming that I shouldn't strain myself by doing anything more strenuous that sitting upright.”
“That sucks, dude.”
“I know. But after I go back to school tomorrow, she'll have no reason to stop me doing stuff normally.”
“You're going back to school tomorrow?” Stan asked, unable to keep a twinge of dismay from his voice. One evening it was.
“Sure. Why? I thought you said it was under control?”
“It is. Wanna play a board game again?”
“Stan, what's going on? You look really worried.”
“It's just been a stressful day, okay?”
“All right, all right. Grab a game from the wardrobe.”
Stan did so. He was clumsier than normal in setting up the pieces, but Kyle diplomatically failed to comment on this. They played amicably for a while, Stan eventually even forgetting his school related worries. Kyle's mom came in later in the evening to bring them stew.
“Be careful, you two,” she advised as she left. Kyle groaned.
“I take it she's not under control?” he asked Stan under his breath. Stan could tell Kyle was trying to lighten the situation, but his emotions had plummeted again.
“Not yet,” he said gloomily, “but I'm sure word will reach her soon enough.” He felt an unusual warmth on his hand. Kyle's hand was on his. His cheeks flushed a little. He reminded himself that it was just a platonic act, they were close friends, Kyle had no idea what had happened, he should stop over analysing right now and Kyle was talking, what had he said?
“Stan? Dude, you sure you don't want to talk about it?”
“Yeah. It's all cool.” The hand was withdrawn. They switched on the TV, which unsurprisingly completely failed to cause any damage to Kyle. As always, the time came too soon for Stan to leave. He groaned about the time, he grumbled about school nights, he fidgeted and procrastinated from leaving, but the time had come. He had to wave farewell to years of friendship.
“See you tomorrow,” said Kyle as Stan pulled his trainers on.
“See you,” Stan mumbled. He got as far as the door before he turned around. “Dude,” he began, his voice completely serious, “you're...the best person I've ever met. You're really, y'know, important to me.” Kyle stared at him like Stan was the one who needed to be bed bound.
“Are you dying?” Kyle asked, straight faced.
“No! What kind of question is that?”
“You're acting like you'll never see me again. Or you've turned into a massive fag.” Stan forced a laugh.
“I've missed having you around,” he lied. “See you!” He bolted before he could break out into any more sappy crap.
His home, if not exactly welcoming, was at least a shield from the stares he had been getting all day. It was even relatively peaceful, until around midnight, when it sounded as if his house was being broken into by an elephant.
“Stan! Stan!” His father's voice staggered from octave to octave and from high to low volume like a drunk staggering along a street. Stan groaned but went to see what his father wanted. His father was collapsed at the base of the stairs, sporting a new black eye.
“Yeah, dad?”
“I did it! I fought for your rights!”
“What rights?”
“Your right to fuck your new butt buddy!”
“I don't have a butt buddy, dad.” Randy's face fell.
“Kyle broke up with you? Lemme go speak to him!”
“No! We were never dating!”
“I'm so sorry, Stan! We'll find you a new butt buddy! One even more fabullillious than Kyle!”
“Who did you fight, anyway?” Stan's eyebrows shot up. “Not Kyle's dad?!”
“No, he was on my side...I think. He said that you two should fuck if you wanted to, anyway. I don't know who he ended up fighting.”
Stan pinched his nose and let out a prolonged growl. Behind him, his parents' bedroom door open and his mother came out, dressed in a nightgown and a frown.
“Randy! What're you doing?”
“Sharon! I protected Stan's right to fuck his friend!”
“I'm going to bed!” Stan yelled.
“Why don't you ring up your little friend first? He can even come over if you want! Because I'm such a cool parent!”
“What kind of example do you think you're setting?” Sharon hissed.
“A supportive one! Sharon, our boy loves cock and I'm supporting his right to love it! And if you can't accept that, then you're -”
“I'm fine with Stan's sexuality! I'm not fine with you coming back drunk late at night after picking fights!”
“I'm representing my son!” Stan decided he had had enough. Even school was better than this.
Chapter: (Five) Revelation and Reactions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Stan/Kyle
Other Chapters: One Two Three Four
Summary: Stan and Kyle get a bottle of vodka and a whole load of problems.
In this installment: Stan makes an announcement to the school.
Stan went to school the next day with considerable trepidation. He had no idea how to take his plan from blueprint to concrete and was hoping that some opportunity would simply jump in front of him, waving loudly and screaming for attention. Opportunity completely failed to visit Stan on the way to school, whilst walking to class in school, whilst in class in school, so Stan decided to screw that bastard opportunity.
With grave resignation etched onto his face, he stepped onto a table during lunch period rather like a boxer stepping into the ring. The curiosity of his schoolmates had hardly abated and eyes had kept swivelling onto him even before he did anything unusual. With this simple act, Stan had captured the attention of ninety percent of the students present. Those who had failed to notice were being nudged, whispered to, and quickly hundreds of eyes were boring into Stan.
“Uh, hi,” Stan began, unable to stop his nerves. “I know there's been a lot of gossip about me lately...”
“You and your little wookiee boyfriend!” someone called out.
“Yeah, thanks for that. Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk about. We're not dating.” He wasn't surprised at the reaction to this assertion. Stan had never heard such a skeptical tut en masse; it was like hearing hundreds of ancient typewriters at work. There was a long, low murmuring. He couldn't make out all of it, but the words 'yeah, right', 'that's not what we saw' and 'denial' could be made out from those nearest to him. “I mean it. Kyle isn't gay. He's straight. He's totally not interested in me.”
“Oh, yeah? And what about you Stan? What about you?” Cartman yelled. Immediately, the rabble broke out into cries of, “Yeah! What about you?”
Stan swallowed. He could do this. He knew he could. He just wished that he could have had a more typical experience, but then, when had his life ever been normal?
“I'm bi.” The crowd fell silent, momentarily stunned, aside from a yell of delight from Cartman.
“I knew it, I knew it, you're a total faggy-fag!” Cartman sung.
“Shut up, douchebag,” said Stan. His skin was tingling all over and he felt detached from his surroundings, like he was a visitor from another planet. “So yeah. Rip on me all you want. But I'm not dating Kyle and that's the truth.”
Numb, he climbed down from the table. He could hear people all around him animatedly discussing what he'd just revealed, but their words turned to indecipherable buzzing. He seemed to move more slowly than usual; it took what felt like hours to walk out of the room. People around him waved him over, called to him, but he couldn't even consider acknowledging them.
Not knowing what to do, he went to the library. He sat in the spot he usually found Kyle in. He opened a book up in front of him but didn't read a word. He wondered how his life would change now. He was pretty sure that the change he'd just made was irreversible. He wondered how Kyle would react. He probably wouldn't be too happy. But Kyle was still out of school. He could have one last normal evening with Kyle tonight. So it was just the rest of the school, over a thousand people, that he needed to worry about.
The word was even spreading to the library. Kids who never left the book covered walls were catching word from their friends that the guy from the YouToob video had just outed himself in the school cafeteria. People kept wandering over to his corner of the library, on the obvious, flimsy pretext of needing books on the effect of global warming on women's position in the workplace, and gawking openly at Stan. Stan had no idea what they were hoping for; it wasn't as if he was hosting his own little gay disco in the back of the library, but the droves kept coming nevertheless. He was relieved when the bell rang, declaring lunchtime over. Life wasn't going to get any easier for him, but at least it was passing.
He could hear the hubbub of his classmates chattering from the other end of the corridor, but as soon as he passed the threshold they all fell silent. They watched him make his way over to his desk, watched him sit down, watched him look out of the window. Their stares followed him to his next class, which was just as full of people staring at him. The staring continued right through the afternoon, through his journey from school, until Stan reached the safety of Kyle's house. He knew that it was a bad move. He didn't care. He was entitled to one last peaceful evening with his best friend, consequences be damned.
“How was school?” Kyle asked, reading his friend's face with worry.
“Crap.”
“People still giving you shit about that video?”
“Yeah, but I've got it under control.” Stan slumped into Kyle's chair and switched on his computer.
“Really? How?”
“I'll tell you tomorrow.”
“Huh? Why tomorrow?”
“It'll be easier,” Stan lied. He checked his email. Already over a hundred new emails, some from good friends, some from acquaintances, some from people he didn't even know, all offering themselves as Stan's confidants during this difficult time. He deleted them all.
“If you're sure,” said Kyle, a little doubtfully.
“How're you feeling, anyway?”
“Lots better, except mom's still claiming that I shouldn't strain myself by doing anything more strenuous that sitting upright.”
“That sucks, dude.”
“I know. But after I go back to school tomorrow, she'll have no reason to stop me doing stuff normally.”
“You're going back to school tomorrow?” Stan asked, unable to keep a twinge of dismay from his voice. One evening it was.
“Sure. Why? I thought you said it was under control?”
“It is. Wanna play a board game again?”
“Stan, what's going on? You look really worried.”
“It's just been a stressful day, okay?”
“All right, all right. Grab a game from the wardrobe.”
Stan did so. He was clumsier than normal in setting up the pieces, but Kyle diplomatically failed to comment on this. They played amicably for a while, Stan eventually even forgetting his school related worries. Kyle's mom came in later in the evening to bring them stew.
“Be careful, you two,” she advised as she left. Kyle groaned.
“I take it she's not under control?” he asked Stan under his breath. Stan could tell Kyle was trying to lighten the situation, but his emotions had plummeted again.
“Not yet,” he said gloomily, “but I'm sure word will reach her soon enough.” He felt an unusual warmth on his hand. Kyle's hand was on his. His cheeks flushed a little. He reminded himself that it was just a platonic act, they were close friends, Kyle had no idea what had happened, he should stop over analysing right now and Kyle was talking, what had he said?
“Stan? Dude, you sure you don't want to talk about it?”
“Yeah. It's all cool.” The hand was withdrawn. They switched on the TV, which unsurprisingly completely failed to cause any damage to Kyle. As always, the time came too soon for Stan to leave. He groaned about the time, he grumbled about school nights, he fidgeted and procrastinated from leaving, but the time had come. He had to wave farewell to years of friendship.
“See you tomorrow,” said Kyle as Stan pulled his trainers on.
“See you,” Stan mumbled. He got as far as the door before he turned around. “Dude,” he began, his voice completely serious, “you're...the best person I've ever met. You're really, y'know, important to me.” Kyle stared at him like Stan was the one who needed to be bed bound.
“Are you dying?” Kyle asked, straight faced.
“No! What kind of question is that?”
“You're acting like you'll never see me again. Or you've turned into a massive fag.” Stan forced a laugh.
“I've missed having you around,” he lied. “See you!” He bolted before he could break out into any more sappy crap.
His home, if not exactly welcoming, was at least a shield from the stares he had been getting all day. It was even relatively peaceful, until around midnight, when it sounded as if his house was being broken into by an elephant.
“Stan! Stan!” His father's voice staggered from octave to octave and from high to low volume like a drunk staggering along a street. Stan groaned but went to see what his father wanted. His father was collapsed at the base of the stairs, sporting a new black eye.
“Yeah, dad?”
“I did it! I fought for your rights!”
“What rights?”
“Your right to fuck your new butt buddy!”
“I don't have a butt buddy, dad.” Randy's face fell.
“Kyle broke up with you? Lemme go speak to him!”
“No! We were never dating!”
“I'm so sorry, Stan! We'll find you a new butt buddy! One even more fabullillious than Kyle!”
“Who did you fight, anyway?” Stan's eyebrows shot up. “Not Kyle's dad?!”
“No, he was on my side...I think. He said that you two should fuck if you wanted to, anyway. I don't know who he ended up fighting.”
Stan pinched his nose and let out a prolonged growl. Behind him, his parents' bedroom door open and his mother came out, dressed in a nightgown and a frown.
“Randy! What're you doing?”
“Sharon! I protected Stan's right to fuck his friend!”
“I'm going to bed!” Stan yelled.
“Why don't you ring up your little friend first? He can even come over if you want! Because I'm such a cool parent!”
“What kind of example do you think you're setting?” Sharon hissed.
“A supportive one! Sharon, our boy loves cock and I'm supporting his right to love it! And if you can't accept that, then you're -”
“I'm fine with Stan's sexuality! I'm not fine with you coming back drunk late at night after picking fights!”
“I'm representing my son!” Stan decided he had had enough. Even school was better than this.