"Who let you in here, faggot?" The voice was so close, he could feel the disgusting salami scented breath on his neck. Butters felt his heart drop to his feet. He was standing in the boy's bathroom. He'd told Kenny he'd only be a minute. That wasn't likely to happen now. He'd already braced himself for the blow that came when he failed to answer Salami-Breath's question. "I asked you a question, faggot." Butters could see the other boy's heavily pimpled face in the mirror now. And, he wasn't alone. There was a heavy-set blonde with a unibrow who always followed Salami-Breath around like a dog, and a tall and muscular boy with a nose that lay crooked on his face, having been broken multiple times.
"I-I don't want any trouble fellas." Butters said, his large blue eyes meeting Salami-Breath's gaze in the mirror.
"No? You just wanted a look at our cocks didn't you? That's why you're here, isn't it faggot?" He didn't give Butters a chance to answer. The slammed his head into the wall from behind first, then twisting his arm painfully, they turned him around to face them. The air was knocked from his lungs quickly, and then his stomach took a good number of hits. He did try to fight back, but there were three of him and his feeble resistance only further enraged the attackers. There was no one else present to witness his shame or come to his rescue. Then, someone delivered a powerful kick to the groin and Butters fell to the ground, where the kicks continued. Salami-Breath left when the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. Kenny would wonder why Butters had ditched him. He might be angry, Butters feared as he vomitted up his lunch.
As a matter of fact, Kenny had worried when Butters didn't come back from the bathroom. His fear multiplied by ten when he saw Salami-Breath and crew exiting the building with satisfied looks upon their cruel faces. Class had already started, but he didn't care.
The bathroom was quiet and seemingly empty. "Butters?" He called.
There was a sound from one of the stalls and a door drifted open. Butters was holding on to the edge of the toilet seat, his lips trembling. He'd already ejected the contents of his stomach, but the dry-heaves continued. His face was splotchy red from crying.
"Goddamn it, Butters." Kenny crouched beside the boy, and using a bit of toilet-paper dabbed at a drop of blood that was seeping down his forehead. "Did Salami-Breath do this to you?"
Butters nodded weakly, his eyes filling with new tears. "I-I just want to die, Ken." He whispered.
"No." Kenny wrapped his arms around the trembling boy. "Don't even say that. You hear me? No fucking way are you dying on me." He planted a gentle kiss on his friend's pale forehead, while Butters attempted to hide his face.
"I'm disgusting." Butters whimpered.
"No you're not." Kenny said.
"Yes-yes, I am. Look at me... I peed myself." And, sure enough he had. But, after the punches to the gut he'd endured, who could blame him. He was hurt more than he was letting on, and Kenny realized that. They might have ruptured some internal organs. For all he knew, Butters could be dying of internal bleeding.
"Those bastards." Kenny growled. "I'll fucking kill them." His grip on Butters tightened, but seeing his friend wince in pain he willed his arms to relax slightly. "But, first we've got to get you to the nurse's office."
Butters shook his head. "No... I cuh-can't go to the nurse's office. She'll send me home, and then my parents will ground me."
"They can't ground you for this." Kenny said, his heart breaking as he wouldn't put it past Butters' parents. "It wasn't your fault."
"I shoulda stood up for myself better." Butters mumbled into Kenny's shirt.
"This wasn't your fault goddamnint." Kenny was rubbing his friend's back in a comforting way he imagined a good parent would to comfort a child. "Do you think you can walk to the nurse's office?"
A look of horror crossed the tiny boy's face. "I-I can't go out there! People will see me..." He sounded more miserable than Kenny could ever remember.
"Here." Kenny ripped off his orange parka and wrapped it around his friend's waist. "Now, no one can tell." Kenny's blonde hair was a mess outside of his hood.
The tears began anew. "Thanks, K-Kenny... I don't know what I'd da-do without ya."
Standing up now, Kenny pulled Butters into an exceedingly gentle embrace. "You wont have to find out, Butterscotch." He meant what he said. "Now, come on." He helped his friend limp down to the nurse's office and refused to go back to class until Butters begged him to leave and not risk getting into trouble on his account. Kenny left reluctantly, only finally leaving when Butters worked up a cheery voice and told him he was feeling much better. As soon as Kenny was gone the dread of facing his parents consumed Butters and he had to search his mind frantically for something funny to keep himself from crying. Tears would only make his punishment worse.
A class period ended, and the hallways were filled with racket. Halfway through passing period the nurse's door swung open and in walked two friendly faces (two of the very few Butters knew). Stan Marsh was practically carrying Kyle Broflovski who was protesting loudly, ("I'm fine! Put me down!")but nonetheless seemed to be enjoying himself, before Stan dropped his friend unceremoniously down on a cot.
"Can I help you?" The nurse inquired coldly. It sent chills down Butters' spine hearing the coldness in her voice. She was nothing like the elementary school nurse, who'd been sweet and helpful despite the scary fetus on her face.
"Kyle twisted his ankle-"
"Stan! I can explain for myself!"
"Can you walk on it?" The nurse inquired, the same mildly irritated tone in her voice that she always had.
"Yes-" Kyle began.
"No, he can't." Stan said flatly.
"Dude, let me finish!"
"There is ice in the fridge. Keep the foot elevated, and ask your parents to take you in for x-rays if it doesn't stop hurting by tomorrow." The nurse said, eyeing South Park's youngest gay couple coldly. "Do you need a pass to class?" She asked Stan, impatiently.
"Um, yes. Thanks." Stan seemed uncomfortable under the woman's gaze. "See you afterschool, Kyle." Then, he turned to acknowledge Butters at last. "Hey, Butters."
Kyle was the one who started the conversation. They were both still waiting for a parent to pick them up, and there wasn't much else to do but talk. "Don't let people give you shit for being gay, Butters. Homophobes love to make you feel like you're somehow different from everyone else, but that's all just a bunch of crap."
"But-but, how can I help it? They're always pickin' on me. Even before I was gay."
Kyle considered this for a moment. "But, you can't let it get to you. You've just got to tell yourself you're above their bigotry, and move on with your life."
"But, th-they wont leave me alone!"
The lapsed into a grave silence. "I don't know what to say, dude."
That was when Butters heard his mother's voice down the hall. His heart seized. "Uh-oh. I'm gonna be in big trouble now."