Chapter Text
Stan’s eyes squinted through the sunlight as he slowly arose from his bed. He glanced around, staring at the uneven band posters that littered his bedroom walls. He yawned before reaching for his phone that laid face down on his shelf, checking what time it was. 10:23 am. He swore under his breath as he swung his legs off his bed; rushing towards his closet to desperately try to find something exceptional to wear. Stan flicked through his small collection of shirts and pants that hung on pink hangers, which had recently become his. Stan gave up before finally looking down and taking notice of his favorite tees spread across the carpet. Fuck it. He reached the top shelf of his closet, grabbing his blue puffball hat before pulling it over his golden hair. He moved all of his hung up clothing to the side to reach his chocolate-colored coat in the back, quickly unzipping it to remove the hanger from the inside. Stan pulled it around himself, covering the shirt he had just woken up in. He grabbed his phone off his shelf and shoved it into his front pocket before quickly making his way out of the door.
He hurriedly made his way down the stairs, struggling to keep his eyes open as they adjusted to the much brighter part of the house. His mom was in the kitchen, as usual, pouring pancake batter onto her trusty skillet. Stan’s mouth watered, imagining the soft pastry on his taste buds; accompanied by sweet strawberry syrup layered on top. He slowed down as the savory aroma traveled from the kitchen to his nostrils, before picking up his pace as he rushed to the shoe rack. “Good morning, Stanley. Where are you headed off to?” Stan was already on the couch, tying the laces of his beat-up converse shoes. “It’s nothing important, I’ll be back in a bit.” He stood up, turning his head to give his mom a smile. She grinned back, before turning her attention to her cooking. “Okay, be back soon though. Your father wanted to take us all out today. It might be fun.” Stan groaned at the mention of his father, before promising his return and shutting the front door on his way out.
A soft breeze blew through Stan’s hair as he stepped outside. He instantly put his hands in his pockets; shielding a part of himself from the unexpected frigidness. He made his way through the driveway and made a right, aligning himself with the sidewalk ahead. Stan quickened his pace, knowing how much ground he’ll have to cover in order to get there at a decent time. He was already late, so it didn’t matter right? She’s definitely going to be pissed at me, I wouldn’t be shocked if she left me for this. Brown leaves crunched beneath his feet, a sound normally blocked out by Stan’s earbuds that were currently in the drawer of his unkempt room. He sighed and desperately attempted to tune out the noises of birds chirping and the engines of cars passing by.
As he neared his destination, Stan had caught sight of South Park Elementary. The once bright yellow hue that covered the school's exterior had turned into an olive green; accompanied by the rotting plum-colored roof. The American flag still flew from the flagpole, despite being tattered to the point that one strong gust of wind would send it flying to the next town over. A place that was once filled with life and joy was now just another hell-hole for a new generation of students. Stan caught himself slowing down to stare at the pitiful building, before turning his attention to the curving sidewalk ahead. Orange trees nearing their inevitable nakedness aligned the pathway, revealing the single bench that stood in front of the murky pond.
There she was. Stan caught his breath, still surprised by how beautiful even her silhouette looked from afar. As he approached her, he then was hit with the realization that she had been sitting here for over thirty minutes awaiting his arrival. He sat beside her, staring out at the water instead of meeting her gaze. "Hey Wendy, sorry I'm late." Stan should have been used to this feeling, but he tensed anyway as he awaited her response. "It's fine, Stan. What I want to say won’t even take that long.” He finally forced himself to face her, surprised to see an absence of anger on her face. Her silky dark hair rested neatly behind her headband, joined with a surprisingly calm expression and a determined look in her hazel eyes. Stan had grown familiar with this sight, tensing as she was lost in her own thoughts; choosing her next words carefully. “We should break up.” There it was. Stan nodded his head, humming in response. This whole ordeal was basically a holiday at this point; one that Stan couldn’t even bother himself to ponder about. He shook his head, acknowledging that he’ll only have to wait a couple of months before things return to normal. Wendy sighed in annoyance and raised her eyebrows. “Like, for real this time. We can’t keep doing this.”
Stan scrunched up his eyebrows, curling his lips up into a smile. “What do you mean? What did I do this time to upset you?” He chuckled a bit to himself before instantly feeling a pit in his stomach when her glare didn't mimic his own joyous expression. Wendy’s eyes turned to slits, shifting to a more irritated manner. “How you basically turned our relationship into one where you only call me when you're sad and never check up on how I’m doing.” Stan drops his grin, now staring at her quizzically. “What started out as a fifty-fifty turned into a seventy-thirty over the years and I just can’t do it anymore, Stan.” Her words hung in the air as Stan desperately tried to piece together any words that could change her mind about this. “Well, if I’m that bad of a boyfriend, then why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner? Like- why are you so ready to quit on me now?” He was completely in the dark about her mindset, and the moment he’s finally brought to the light about it, she’s just going to leave him? That’s bullshit.
“I have brought it up before! Jesus Christ, have you ever listened to me whenever I voiced my concerns? The only time you pay attention to me is whenever you call me up late at night because you-” Stan’s adrenaline rushed through his veins and he instantly put a hand on her shoulder. “Okay! I get it now.” He let his hand fall to his side in defeat, now feeling as if he isn’t even worthy enough to even glance in her direction. A silence fell between the two, with the only sound being the morning birds mocking their quarrel. Stan’s mind flashed with images of all the times she was there for him; and how she would drop everything she was doing just to be a shoulder to cry on. He felt as if his heart was caught in his throat, knowing that he had never returned the favor. His thoughts were put on hold as she sighed and turned her head away from him, now staring at the sun-lit lake ahead. “I have a big future ahead of me, Stan. After senior year, I’m going to a really prestigious college that doesn’t make room for…” Wendy paused, looking at Stan before returning to her eyes to the water. “...pathetic relationships like ours.” Pathetic. That word cut like a knife in Stan’s heart. Something he had worshiped for so long was now slaughtered by his own wrong-doings. He felt a stinging in his eyes, blinking rapidly as he joined her stare-off with the pond.
Wendy shifted her body to face his, hesitating before grabbing his hand and intertwining his with her own. Stan bit his tongue, now face to face with his now ex-girlfriend. She half smiled as she stared at their interlocked hands; giggling a little to herself humorlessly. “This doesn’t completely mean the end for us. We can still be cool with each other, right?” She had just carved a hole into his chest, one that Stan didn’t think he could heal from. And now, she was just pouring salt all over the wound. “Yeah, we’re cool.” He forced a smile, watching her take a breath of relief. She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her head into his chest as he peered his head over her shoulder. Her loose hairs beneath her headband tickled his nose, making his face tighten to stop his tear ducts from fulfilling their purpose. She pulled away, taking her phone from her back jean pocket and staring at the time. “Shit, I gotta get to work soon.” She shut her phone off, returning it to its original position. Wendy stood up, adjusting her clothes before giving Stan one last kiss on the cheek. When her lips left his face, he felt as if she had stolen a piece of him that he would never get back.
“I’ll see you around, Stan.” She waved goodbye to him, with him returning the gesture with a new-found loss of energy. She quickly turned on her heel, making her way down the sidewalk ahead. He watched as she faded off into the distance, with the dying trees swallowing away her thin shadow. Leaves flurried around him, sucking him out of his trance. He turned his attention to the lake that had just witnessed his final break-up with the love of his life. He had his entire future planned out with her: with the two going to college together and getting an apartment to share. Waking up every morning to the sight of his beautiful girlfriend, who he can no longer call his. Stan just couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that his long awaited aspiration was now nothing but a dead fantasy. He leaned back onto the bench, spreading both arms out as it creaked in protest. He sighed defeatedly to himself. What a great fucking way to start off senior year.