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

chapter eight: a year

Wendy's POV

"Hey Wendy, why aren't you eating? You know you need to keep your strength up for cheerleading practice later," Bebe asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

I sighed and picked at her food. "I just don't have an appetite. It's been a year since Stan left me and I still can't believe he ghosted me like that."

My friends exchanged a sympathetic look. They knew how much I had loved Stan and how devastated I was when he suddenly disappeared without a word.

"Fuck that guy, seriously. He doesn't deserve you," Red said, her fiery red hair matching her fiery personality.

"Yeah, he's a piece of shit for leaving you like that," Nichole added, her usually sweet voice laced with anger.

I couldn't help but laugh at my friends' words. They always knew how to make me feel better, even in the darkest of times.

"I know, I know. But I just can't help but wonder what I did wrong. Did I not support him enough? Was I too clingy?" I said, my voice trembling with emotion.

Bebe reached over and grabbed my hand. "Wendy, you did everything you could. Stan is the one with the problem, not you. Don't blame yourself for his actions."

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. I knew my friends were right, but it still hurt nonetheless.

"Hey, let's change the subject. We don't want to ruin our lunch with talk of that asshole," Red said, trying to lighten the mood.

We started talking about our plans for the weekend and upcoming cheer competitions. I tried my best to join in, but my mind kept drifting back to Stan. I couldn't help but wonder if he was okay, if he was getting the help he needed.

After lunch, we headed to cheer practice. I was the captain of the team, and i put all my energy into perfecting our routines. It was the one thing that could take my mind off of everything else.

As we were stretching, I overheard Bebe suddenly speak up to the others. "Hey, have you guys heard from or seen Stan at all? I heard he dropped out of school and no one has seen or heard from him."

My heart dropped. I hadn't heard anything about Stan since he left me. I had tried reaching out to him, but he never responded.

"He's probably off somewhere feeling sorry for himself. He doesn't deserve our thoughts," Red said, a hint of anger in her voice.

I knew my friends were right, but I couldn't help but worry about him. I still cared for him, despite everything he had put me through.

Why can't I get over him?

Stan's POV

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on my nightstand. I groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore it and go back to sleep. But it kept buzzing, relentlessly, until I finally gave in and picked it up. It was Kyle, my best friend, asking me where I was and why I hadn't been showing up to school.
I scoffed and tossed my phone back onto the nightstand. I know I lied to him..

Rumors had been spreading that I dropped out of school, but that wasn't exactly true. I just couldn't bring myself to go anymore. It all seemed pointless and meaningless, and I was drunk more often then not; it started out with one, then a few then bottles and everyday... I was drowning in my own darkness and couldn't find a way out.

I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, my dad had way too much and drank and replaced enough himself to even notice I take shit from here. I took a long swig, letting the alcohol burn its way down my throat. It was the only thing that gave me any kind of relief. I didn't care about school or anything else for that matter. I just wanted to numb the pain and escape reality.

I spent most of my days alone in my dark room, drinking and wallowing in my own self-pity. I didn't want to talk to anyone, including my friends. They didn't understand what I was going through. They couldn't possibly understand the weight of my depression.

Wake up, drink, help my dad out on the farm (when he forced me to), drink some more, and pass out. It was a sad existence, but at that point, I didn't care. I felt like I was suffocating and the alcohol was the only thing that gave me any kind of relief.