never too late /style💙💚

chapter 10: not even death

it had been almost two days since stan, eric and kenny went missing leaving no trace. everyone in town was searching for them but nothing, it seemed like they had evaporated into thin air. the last person who saw them was the supermarket's cashier, but he had no idea of where they could've been now.
every street in south park looked now extremely empty. four fourteen years old boys, one dead, three missing.
this town had already suffered enough, but this was way too much.
four names, four lives, four ruined families. four empty kid rooms. four empty chairs at four different tables.
a younger brother hoping for his older brother to come back from "the hospital". an older sister who started missing her younger brother for the very first time. two siblings searching for their brother everywhere.
four moms and three dads who now live with anguish of their disappeared sons.

[meanwhile, in purgatory]

kenny: "we're almost there, guys. only three more layers and we'll meet kyle again"
stan: *thinking* "only three, only three, only three"
cartman: *panting* "i need- i need a break, guys"
stan: "what?? no way. we're basically arrived, you just have to keep going for three more layers, fatass."
kenny: "not to be a jerk, but eric's right. we've been walking with no stop for 7 hours. we should rest for a while."
stan: "alright, fine. let's sit down for twenty minutes. while you guys rest, i'll think about what to tell him"

they all sat to the ground and took a breath: those last three days had been really long

cartman: "what an adventure this has been"
kenny: "right, and it's still not finished yet. after we take kyle's soul back, we have to put it in his body"
cartman: "yeah, and then romeo has to say: «i love you, juliet»"
stan: "HEY!"
cartman: "what? it's true though"
stan: "i still don't know what i want to tell him, there are so many things.. and you better not interfere"
kenny: "stan, don't worry. everything is going to be just fine"
stan: "i really hope you're right.. i don't ever wanna loose him a second time"

[after a while]

stan: "are you guys ready?! this waiting is killing me!"
cartman: *while getting up from the ground* "yeah, we can proceed"
kenny: "let's go, follow me"
stan: *thinking* "who knows what will happen when we'll meet.. i really hope he still likes me and does not hate me for what happened.. i'm really, really nervous about it, everything that matters to me is him, as much as i never thought before. i really hope he'll be happy to see me, because his smile is so pretty"

while he was thinking the last thing, he smiled and blushed. but this time, he was aware of it. maybe, for the first time he realised how much he loved him.

cartman: "dude, are you becoming a tomato or something? your face is completely red"
stan: "who? me? no, of course not! i'm not red at all.."

he knew he was, but he was too embarrassed to admit it

kenny: "yes you are.. don't worry, prince charming! everything will be fine, i promise"
cartman: "yeah, you'll save your princess and you guys will get married soon"
stan: "SHUT UP YOU GUYS!!"
stan: *thinking* "i wouldn't mind marrying him, at all... godammit i feel like i fell really, really hard for him.."

[a few minutes later]

kenny: "this is the 36th layer, now we just have to go up for only another layer"
stan: *thinking* "only one layer.. only some steps.. only a few minutes and i'll be in his arms again.. a couple weeks ago i would have taken it for granted, but now it still sounds impossible.. maybe we all only start understanding how one person really matters to us when we loose them..
i love him, and not in a platonic way. i just love him, i love the way he is, i love his personality, his red curly hair, his bright green eyes, his ninety's styled glasses.. i love everything about him, even things that he hates about himself.. and even things that he doesn't even notice. if only i told him before, maybe none of this would have happened.. maybe we could have just been the couple we want to be, with no heaven, no hell nor purgatory, and not even walking in a graveyard in the night of the 31st of october..."
kenny: "guys.. we did it. this is the 37th layer. now we just have to look for kyle"
soul 1: "kenneth! here again?? how are you?"
soul 2: "kenny!! we missed you so much here"
kenny: "hey guys! i'm doing good, thank you. may i ask you something?"
soul 1: "sure, buddy. go ahead"
kenny: "have you seen here a tall, red haired boy?"
soul 2: "does he wear glasses?"
stan: "YES!! YES HE DOES! NINETY'S STYLED GLASSES!"
soul 1: "if he also has green eyes, you gotta go straight for 65 meters and then turn left, there on that street you'll find a building for souls who still don't know what to do here, it's usually for young people who died accidentally"
stan: "thank you, sir!"
soul 1 and 2: "you're welcome!"

as soon as stan received those indications, he started running as described by the souls. kenny knew where the building was, since he went there too sometimes, so he told stan the address number.
after entering the building, they asked for kyle to the building's caretaker, who was at the reception.

kenny: "i'm sorry, man. we're looking for a certain kyle, kyle broflovski"
caretaker: "yeah, sure. he's in room 23, 5th floor"
kenny: "thank you"
caretaker: "you're welcome, kenny!"
stan: "is there anyone who doesn't know you?"
kenny: "i don't think so, no."

in that moment, stan and kenny were interrupted by cartman, who just screamed:

cartman: "GUYS, LOOK!!"
stan: "WHERE? IS THERE KYLE??"
cartman: "no, of course not. i just noticed that there's finally an elevator!! no more stupid fucking stairs!"
stan: "i should have imagined.."
kenny: "yeah, for what else could he be this happy?"
stan: "uhm.. food?"

stan and kenny laughed for a few seconds.
they went and took the elevator, selecting the 5th floor.

first floor, the longer stan waited, the higher the number of new words to say appeared in his head, and even seconds became hours to him.
second floor, just a few more seconds before meeting the boy he spent his entire life dreaming about again.
third floor, hundreds of sentences he needed to say walked on repeat in his mind, thousands of words he thought about for a week, but which he felt all his life.
fourth floor, the person he needed the most was now just a few steps away from him, because not even death could've separated their relationship. not even death could've broken two young lovers who have been best friends all their lives. not even death could've been the end of everything they had.