"Uh... hey dude."

You looked up from where you were reading in the library to see Stan standing in front of you, eyes flitting towards the ground with his hands in the pockets of his coat, almost like he was nervous about something. Eventually, he continued.

"Listen, I... I know you've been having a rough time lately, especially with Cartman and all the crazy bullsh*t that goes on around here, but like... this isn't something you're going through alone, alright? I've been going through the same motions since way before you moved out here, I know what it's like. And sometimes you feel like you can't deal with it anymore, like you need some kind of outlet or release that'll make things easier... and then it backfires because those things don't end up making you feel any better and you probably should've gone with something a bit healthier. I've made that mistake a few times."

...

"You know I nearly contemplated burning down my dad's weed farm, when we were all stuck at home during the pandemic? Like, just lighting a match and letting it all just f*cking burn so that I'd never have to deal with that sh*t ever again?" he then asked, before looking up at you with a serious gaze. "I didn't do it, though. Too much of a d*ck move, even for me. It's the life I have, and I'm not going to ruin it all because I feel like a selfish b*stard half the time."

He cut himself off, then pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds. "Okay, I'm rambling, just... the point I'm trying to make here, dude, is that I know. I know how sh*t things are, because I've been through that same kind of demonizing sh*t before, and it's not great. But we're here for you, alright? Me, Kyle, Kenny - less so with Cartman, but he's still there. You're our friend, and nothing that happens here is on you. So don't feel like it's selfish for you to look after yourself, because it's not."

With a sigh, he looked back down again. "Sorry, I just... I felt like I needed to say that. So, yeah."