Author's Note: This is just a brief little snippet I thought of after a few of my friends and I played some soccer/rugby. The idea sparked and I kind of thought of it as a missing scene from "Simple and Clean"- from when Butters and Kenny are about 14 shortly after Kenny's birthday. Hope you enjoy! :)
Butters hadn't expected to hear screaming when he walked up the old driveway to Kenny's house. He really didn't expect it to be followed by two boys laughing, and a grumble from a girl. As he approached the cinder-block front steps, he second guessed knocking on the door; instead, he went around to the back yard of the McCormick house and paused.
He was unsure if he wanted to interrupt this scene. He was coming over to ask Kenny if he wanted to go see a movie. Instead, he found himself watching the three McCormick children kicking an old, half-flat soccer ball. Kevin and Kenny kept kicking it to the side, as Karen tried to block it from the middle; it was an odd version of "Monkey in the Middle" and they all seemed to be having so much fun.
"That's not fair, I'm short!" She cried, as Kevin kicked it way over her head; Kenny bounced it on his knee, then kicked it to the side. Karen chased after the ball, but Kevin's legs seemed almost twice as long as hers and kicked it before she even had a chance. "Guys, c'mon!"
"You're gettin' exercise, Kar," Kevin quipped with a smirk as he barely tapped the old soccer ball; it went soaring over the house, bounced on the garage, and disappeared. Kenny gawked.
"I hate you," he spat, but laughed as he and Karen both bolted for it. Kenny skidded to a halt when he saw Butters. "Hey!" he chirped, pink from the warm sun and his blonde bangs clung to his forehead with sweat. He was slightly breathless and he wiped his brow, then dried his hand on the ribbed tank top he wore. "What're you doin' here?" His question wasn't rude, he was just curious. No one usually made the trip to his house, even though it wasn't too far from his friends.
"Uh… well, I was gonna see if you wanted to… see a movie or somethin' but you're busy and-"
"GOT IT!" Karen screamed triumphantly from the other side of the house. The seventeen year old brunette roared with laughter as he pointed at his younger brother, who grimaced. Butters blushed and gazed at the ground; the grass was dead around there house, and half of it was covered with kicked up dirt. "Kenny, you're the soap in the water!"
Butters tilted his head in curiosity and a small smile grew on his face. Kenny raked a hand through his near shoulder-length straw blonde hair and sighed.
"It's what we call "Keep Away"," Kenny mumbled dismally, looking slightly embarrassed as his younger sister ran with the grass and dirt stained old soccer ball that looked like one of the ones from the school. Except it was dirty and cracked and had a few holes in it.
Butters laughed softly and watched as Karen jumped triumphantly in front of her older brother, who managed to swing her over his arm and carry her without feeling the wrath of her flailing arms and legs. He walked up to Kenny and raised an eyebrow at Butters.
"Kev, put me down!" their twelve year old sister whined as she now tried to bite at the brunette, who grabbed her ankles and let her fall down his back. She screamed, and he laughed; Kenny turned to Butters with a weary expression.
"I'm not sure if I can make a movie," Kenny mumbled with a tone of shame; he didn't have enough money to pay for it and he didn't want Butters buying again. "But… d'you wanna play with us?"
"Uh… if you all want me to, well… I wouldn't mind at all," Butters gushed with a blush; he rarely invited to play any sports with anyone. It had been that way since he was a kid and determined he had the worst coordination out of all of them, with sports at least.
"Yeah, man," Kevin barked, then clapped the bright blonde on the shoulder; the force of his hand made Butters feel as if he had just been hammered into the ground a few inches. His knees buckled slightly, and he saw a faint smirk on Kenny's face. "We were playin' soccer with mom before she went to work and then we were short a person. It was boys versus girls but now it can be blonde versus brown hair. Huh, Karl?" Karen glared slightly at the nickname her brother had given her, and made a face as he ruffled her wavy brunette hair.
"If you're sure…"
Karen tossed the ball at Butters, who tried to catch it yet it fell as it hit his chest. Kenny smiled brightly, however, and took a couple of steps back. He kicked the ball as hard as he could, and they watched it fly passed their backyard, passed the broken fence, and near the tree line.
Kenny put his arm over Butters' shoulder, which caused the shorter blonde to blush, and smiled smugly at his brother and sister.
"Okay…" he began with an air of confidence that Butters had a feeling Kevin would have punched him for had he not been there, "game on."