Drowning Lessons

When you're in Middle school (or High school if you're a Brit like me), no matter how nice or sincere a boy tries to be when he's breaking up with a girl, the girl's friends will always have some sort of vendetta against him. In their eyes, the boy who dumped their friend is the scum of the earth, heartless as... well, a heartless (Kingdom Hearts reference), and as stupid as shit. I've learned this from personal experience on both sides, the friend of the "dumper" and the friend of the "victim". It normally isn't settled until the "dumper" explains to the friends -who really have no business in their relationship- exactly why he broke up with the "victim", which is pretty difficult considering the friends are pretty much ignorant to everything when the "victim"'s relationship status is concerned.

Stan sighed against the glass of the old, beat-up school bus. He turned to look at Wendy in the seat next to him. What was she talking about again? Something about that new girl and how her hair was obviously fake. He sighed again and checked his phone. 3:15. Kyle would still be one his way home right now, alone. He was half-tempted to text him and strike up a conversation but even he could sense the awkwardness in Kyle's reply to his last message.

"Stan? Stan. Stan are you even listening to me?" Stan looked up to meet the angry gaze of his girlfriend.

"Yeah... of course..." He scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly.

"Well?" She said expectantly.

"Yeah, that new girl,such a bitch..." That seemed to settle Wendy.

"I know right. She thinks she's so amazing because she's a vegetarian and 'loves animals'. That leather jacket she wore today begs to differ!"

Stan took that as his cue to zone out again and continued to stare out the window. He vaguely noticed Wendy changing the subject to what she had planned for their date. Now that she mentioned it, he did want to ask her something.

"Hey Wendy?" he asked, "why did you want to go on a date today, instead of tomorrow."

Saturday was Stan and Wendy's usual 'Date Night', but Wendy had bounded up to Stan that afternoon and told him that a new restaraunt had opened and he should pick her up at 7, before walking away to go meet up with Bebe. That was it. She didn't ask if he was free, or if he had any plans.

"I told you," she said, slowly, "that new restaraunt opens tonight, I wanted to try it out."

"Well, we still could have gone tomorrow. I had plans..." He mumbled the last part, not wanting her to hear that he'd rather spend his Friday nights with Kyle at the pond then sit in a stuffy old restaraunt where he'd have to struggle not to fall asleep from the quiet murmers of the other diners.

"Why didn't you say so? I didn't want to interrupt your free time."

"I didn't get a chance to, you walked away before I could." He spoke louder this time.

"You didn't even try to talk. You know Stan, sometimes I think I'm the only one committed to this relationship."

"Why; because I had to cancel my usual plans to meet with Kyle, which I've been doing since he first moved schools, to go on a date that you stuck me in?" He didn't even bother to stay quiet didn't care though, his classmates were used to Stan and Wendy's fights.

"Oh I'm sorry that I, your girlfriend, am getting in the way of your social life. I mean, you barely see Kyle anyway, what does it matter if you miss out one of your little 'bro-dates'?" Wendy's voice, dripping with sarcasm, turned icy.

"It's because I don't see him at all!" Stan stressed.

"Forget it Stan, clearly I'm not important enough for Kyle's schedule!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? Kyle's got you on such a tight leash; I'm surprised you're not texting him right now."

"We only see each other once a week. Am I not allowed to see my best friend now?" Wendy glared at him before sitting back angrily.

"You're not the only one making sacrifices; I had to cancel plans with Bebe and the girls for this!" Stan stared, trying to understand the situation.

"Dude," he said slowly, "you're the one who planned this date..."

Wendy stayed silent, glaring at her shoes.

"Maybe..." Stan said slowly. "We don't get along like we used to, and lately it's been getting worse. Maybe..."

Wendy looked up.

"What, exactly, are you getting at Stan?"

Stan swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Maybe... we should just break up..."

Wendy stood up, slamming her feet on the floor as she did.
"That, is the smartest thing you've said since I've known you," she said bitterly.*

She stalked off to go sit with her friends and started furiously whispering to them, shooting angry glares at him every few minutes.

"Jesus..." said Kenny, sitting down beside him, "what was all that?"

"Not now Kenny," Stan replied, tilting his head back and resting it on the top of the seat.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and briefly wondered if it was too late to text Kyle and ask him if he could still meet up.