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Craig is a very light, small person. He's tall, towering over mostly everyone in their school. However, his frame is so tiny. Thin, gangly arms and legs. Collarbones that jut out. Ribs that are prominent, like a thin layer of flesh coating bones. It's like you could knock him over easily if you tried. Kenny doesn't want to let go when he wakes. He can feel Craig's cold nose in the hook of his neck, brushing against his adams apple.
Kenny's fingers comb through Craig's dark locks. He stays there, fingers cold to the exposure of morning bitter. But he doesn't care. He closes his eyes, though he can't sleep. And enjoys the feeling of holding another human being. Cuddling has always been one of Kenny's favorite things about hooking up with people. Since Craig and him had not hooked up, there was no concern for his least favorite part of it. Which was the unreciprocated feelings Kenny usually has.
He doesn't like Craig in a romantic way. Though he does admire him. Something about him draws Kenny in. But Kenny knows he won't have to deal with the emotions he usually has to deal with from the other person. Craig isn't close to anyone. Kenny doesn't think he's ever had a girlfriend or boyfriend besides Tweek. They have a sort of similarity in there. The only girl Kenny has ever been super steady with was Tammy. The two remained friends, but ever since then Kenny hasn't made a commitment. He loves everyone a little bit. Everyone has so many traits that are admirable. Nice smiles, big passions, pretty hearts. He loves it. But with the that good comes bad, and maybe Kenny just doesn't want to see the bad in people when he tries to idolize the goods. Being in a relationship exposes a human for all their flaws.
Kenny's head pounds from the hangover he knew was to come on. He lays there in a quiet pleasure and suffering. A contrast between enjoying Craig's bony frame and pain from the hangover. An hour has to have pass when Kenny feels Craig's fingers curl and bunch the fabric of Kenny's shirt. Craig pulls away. Eyes opening to look into Kenny's. His browns are half lidded and tired, always sleepy. Kenny's eyes dart to the eyelash that lays on Craig's cheek. Kenny has a desire to press his fingers down where it rests and wipe it away. But he feels like that would be crossing a boundary. He stifles the yearning, gulps it down like he does a lot of the emotions he feels towards Craig.
"Morning." Kenny says, groggy. Craig exhales through his nose and it tickles Kenny. He hides his face in Kenny's neck again. The freckled man freezes. He can hear his heart beat quicken. His tongue darts out to moisten his lips and he eventually lets it fall on the back of Craig's neck.
"I think we have b schedule today." Craig says, it's muffled from where he is burying his face into Kenny's flesh. And yeah, shit. It's Monday. Who decides to host a house concert on Sundays anyway? Of course everyone would come. Kenny tries to remember that it was mostly a group of 20 somethings, who don't have their time consumed in school. Inconsiderate.
"Fuck my life. We have Bolden today." Kenny mumbles out. He lets high fingertips stroke the flesh at the nap of Craig's neck. Soft. Unfortunately Craig pulls away, stands and stretches. The light filtering in from the blinds colors him so beautiful. In shades of gold shimmering on tan flesh. Arms over his head, the back of his shirt lifting up a bit and exposes said skin.
It makes Kenny feel something he can't explain.
Craig pulls his cap over his head, backwards as per usual. They have 45 minutes until they have to separate to their first class.
"Hola. Mi llama Stan. Uh… Como ti…uh. Como ti llama." Stan squint down at his notes as if this is the hardest thing to do for him. The other male has never been especially good with foreign languages. When he and Wendy dated, she'd speak to her mother in Arabic. He'd sit in the back of the car, uncomfortable and confused and unsure of what to say in his own native tongue.
"Buenos dias, Stan. Mi llama Kenny. Como estas?" Stan looks up at him and lets out a frustrated sound.
"I don't understand any of this. Fuck spanish." Kenny grins and shrugs his shoulders.
"it's not that hard. It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang out it. They say if you can learn Spanish you can learn any other language…right?" Kenny explains. It may be easier for him to say though. He's always been around immigrants because of his job at City Wok as a kid. Stan shrugs his shoulders.
"Beats me dude." Stan closes his notebook. The room is full of chatter from their classmates practicing their spanish notes. Stan looks down at his cellphone, and Kenny just draws in his book. The conversation between them subsides as they go their own way. However, there are five minutes left in the class when Stan says
"Dude. Gay." And flips his phone around to show Kenny a picture of him and Craig at the party they were at last night. The facebook logo was in the upper left corner. In the picture, Kenny has his neck stretched back as his laughs so hearty. His hand rests on Craig's thigh, and Craig has a small smile on his face. Their sides are pressed together.
"How is this gay, Stan? Inform me." Kenny says as he rolls his eyes. He taps his fingers against the surface of his desk.
"I mean. There is nothing wrong with being gay. But you aren't right? Is Craig attracted to you dude?" Kenny lets out a scoff. He's not gay. Kenny likes woman. Craig dated Tweek, and it was a well known fact that he was gay. Even if
Tweek and Craig broke up a few years back.
"No, asshole. We got high, it was packed in the van. I'm not fucking gay like Craig. And Craig didn't like anyone but Tweek." Stan looks at him blankly for a few seconds and shrugs his shoulders.
"Okay, dude." Stan responds. He shoves his books in has backpack as the bell rings. People line out the door, and Kenny drags his ass to his second to last class of the day.
Kenny has Literature, and in that class he sits next to Clyde and Craig. The three of them take up the round table. They have one other partner, Nelly. She hasn't changed much from when they were in elementary school. She never liked Kenny too much, and she refuses to meet his eyes when he sits down. The four of them sit down and wait for their teacher to arrive.
"The concert was fucking awesome." Clyde explain as Craig looks down at his cellphone and Kenny's eyes dart to him, briefly. Craig remains quiet though, focused on whatever he's doing.
"Yeah it was. Saw you got some last night!" Kenny says. Clyde bumps his fists with his and they grin at each other. Nelly lets out a scoff, not taking her eyes off of the book in front of her.
"You guys are pigs." She says. And they ignore her.
As she says this, the teacher walks in. Ms. Eve was everyone's favorite teacher. She has long, black hair that she always keeps in a bun. She wore a lot of dresses and bangles that jingle when her arms move. As if she were a grand act, everyone quiets.
"We are going to do a short story unit." She writes this on the board, in loopy, fancy script.
"Today I'd like you to pick one short story to read from the list that I've written up. You will have a partner, and you are to do a small presentation of what you've both gathered from it. Your differing perspectives and likenesses." She says this as she hands out the lists, when it gets to Kenny he looks down at it. Blue eyes scanning the stories.
"You can pick your partner." Said blue eyes flick up to Craig. And finally, Craig looks up to him. Kenny grins at him, gap toothed and sweet. Craig just smiles half heartedly. He picks his bags up and sits closer to Kenny. Clyde goes off to find someone to partner with while Lockie sits next to Nelly.
"So what should we do?" Kenny asks, skimming the list again.
"Franz Kafka." Kenny looks up at Craig and stares curiously. Craig didn't strike Kenny as a literature person. He places the list down.
"Alright, is it on there?" Craig highlights the title of the short story by Kafka.
THEATRE IN THE PARK
COME ONE, COME ALL, COME TO THEATRE IN THE PARK. WHERE OUR VERY OWN TWEEK TWEAK WILL BE PERFORMING IN DENVER WITH THE BIG LEAGUES. SUPPORT YOUR CLASSMATES. TICKETS ON SALE.
PERFORMANCES WILL BE DECEMBER 1ST TO DECEMBER 5TH AT THE CITY PARK
Kenny stares down at the flier. He's in his fourth and last period and he just wants to go home. There are posters everywhere about it. Apparently Tweek landed a big gig in Denver. The school was supporting him. Kenny, Clyde and a few of Clyde's friends were to go. Kenny sits next to Kyle as he looks down at his text book, taking notes. They are in study hall.
"Are you going to the halloween concert?" Kenny inquires. There wasn't a big concert going scene for the people in his grade. But whenever there were holiday parties everyone seemed to go. Especially if It was actually in South Park and not the surrounding towns. Halloween was on the weekend. Another Sunday, but the party was going to be held Saturday.
"I mean." Kyle doesn't look up from his notes.
"No dude. I have to study with Nelly." Kenny rolls his eyes. Kyle and Nelly were close after they both joined the debate team. Their morals and values matched up so well. Nelly had a hot temper and believed in equality and feminism. While Kyle floated along a similar boat. They were both friends with Wendy too, and often teamed up against Cartman.
"Uhg. Lame man." Kenny says. He taps his foot. He opens up his cellphone and goes to facebook. The first thing he sees is that 57 people liked a tagged photo of him and Craig.
