We Were Delicate, Now Meet Me in The Afterglow (Stendy)

chapter six: last kiss

Stan's PoV

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?" Kyle asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing," I mumble, avoiding his gaze.

"Bullshit. You've been moping around for months now, ever since you left Wendy. And you're still drinking like a damn fish. When are you gonna snap out of it?" Kyle says, frustration evident in his voice.

"I can't just snap out of it, Kyle. It's not that easy," I reply, my voice tinged with annoyance.

"Well, you need to do something about it. You can't keep avoiding your problems and drinking them away. It's not healthy," Kyle says, his tone turning serious.

"I know, I know. But I just can't deal with everything right now," I say, feeling overwhelmed.

"Then let me help you. That's what best friends are for, right?" Kyle says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I let out a heavy sigh, knowing that Kyle is right.
"Okay, fine. But don't expect me to just magically get better," I say, a hint of bitterness in my tone.

"I don't expect that. But I'm here for you, no matter what," Kyle says, giving me a small smile.

We continue talking for a while, with Kyle trying to cheer me up and make me see the brighter side of things. But my thoughts keep going back to Wendy. I still love her. He saw I wasn't paying attention so we stopped talking for a while.

"Hey, I saw Wendy earlier. She looked really upset," Kyle says, breaking the silence finally.

"Yeah, I saw her too. I feel like such an idiot for leaving her like that," I admit, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Then go talk to her. You can't just keep avoiding her forever," Kyle says, giving me a nudge.

I shook my head. "She's way too good for me." I looked down, misery taking over me again. "She needs to move on."

"I love you, dude. But you reslly are an idiot."

Wendy's PoV

"Ugh, I can't believe Stan just walked out on me like that," I groaned to my best friend Bebe as we sat in the school cafeteria. I know she was sick of me bringing that up all the damn tkme.

"I know, girl. But you deserve better than that loser. You need to move on and find someone who actually appreciates you," Bebe replied, taking a sip of her soda. Something she had told me multiple times before.

I sighed and played with my food, not feeling very hungry. "I just miss him so much. We've been together since we were eight years old. How am I supposed to move on from that?"

Bebe rolled her eyes. "You're not moving on from the memories, Wendy. You're moving on from the person who he's become. A drunk, selfish loser."

I laughed at her bluntness and shook my head. "You always know how to make me feel better, Bebe."

"That's what best friends are for, bitch," she said with a smirk.

We continued to talk and joke around, trying to take my mind off of Stan. But every time I saw him in the hallway or heard his name, my heart ached. I couldn't believe he had changed so much over the past few months.

As we were leaving school, Bebe grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. "Listen, Wendy. I know you're hurting, but you need to get back out there. Go on a date, have some fun. You deserve it."

I sighed and shook my head. "I don't know, Bebe. I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Bebe gave me a stern look. "Bullshit. You need to stop moping around and start living your life again. And I have the perfect guy for you."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh yeah? Who?"

"His name is Kyle and he's in our English class. He's cute, funny.." Bebe said with a sly smirk.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Stop!!"

Bebe burst out laughing too. "It would be hilarious though."

I playfully nudged her before sighing. "We did have some really good times though, you know? He's just.. struggling. Deep down, he's so sweet. Depression is an illness. And he has an addiction.."

"Don't. Stop trying to fix the unfixable." She warned me. "He didn't have to leave you. He knew you loved him so much, everyone can freaking see that, if he can't.. he's stupid and not worth anymore of your time."

Maybe she had a point, but my points are still valid. I thought I'd found my soulmate, I thought I was lucky... I guess not.

Later that evening

I sit in my dark room, the only light coming from the flickering candle beside me. It's been months since Stan left me, but the pain still feels fresh. I can't help but think about all the memories we shared together, and how everything changed when he walked away.

I remember the look on his face that night at 1:58, when he told me he loved me for the first time years ago. His words were whispered, just for us to know. I thought we were happy (when he wasn't drunk and struggling - but I was always there, I always will be) so why did he go away? I can still feel his arms around me, and the beat of his heart as we hugged. I miss his hugs.

He was the life of the party, always showing off, but I loved him for it. And even though I wasn't much of a dancer, I couldn't resist when he pulled me in his happiness before he got older and sadder.

I loved everything about him, from his handshake that impressed my father - he made the best impression, my parents adored him, to the way he walked with his hands in his pockets. Even his habit of the rude interrupting me with kisses didn't bother me, in fact, I miss it now more than ever. I never thought we'd have a last kiss, or that our relationship would end like this.

Now I find myself sitting on the floor, wearing his clothes, trying to find a way to be something he misses. But I know deep down that I can't make someone miss me if they don't want to. I can't make someone be with me if they don't want to. And that thought breaks my heart all over again. I tried not to cry but that failed.

I look through old pictures of us, trying to hold onto the memories and pretend that he still cares. I'm just a name on his lips, a distant memory.

I hope wherever he is and ends up, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day. I hope something reminds him of me, and he wishes he had stayed. But I also know that life goes on, and we can't always plan for changes in weather or time.

I never thought he would change his mind and leave me behind. But I have to accept that he did, and now I'm left here with a broken heart and a name forever on my lips, just like our last kiss.