I've been trying to "dumb down" my writing – specifically the way characters think and talk (to match the way they talk on the series) – but it's proving to be more of a challenge than I initially thought. So, if you find any grammatical mistakes and/or inconsistent speech patterns, it's probably the "dumbing down" thing. I'm also trying to work on my descriptions, but it's also proving to be more of a challenge than I thought.
Stan woke up a few minutes after passing out and realized that his friends were no longer in the room. He approached the first nurse he saw and started asking about them.
"Hey, where are my friends?"
"The two boys with amnesia? Room 210."
"Thanks."
"Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
By the time Stan arrived at the boys' room, they were just starting to get to know each other.
"So... What's your name?"
"They tell me it's Kenneth. What's yours?"
"Kyle."
"Great. I get the ugly name."
"Although I also get a cute roommate, so I guess that's OK... Kyle... that name sounds familiar."
"Nah, your name's fine."
"You go by 'Kenny'. Nobody actually calls you Kenneth." said Stan.
"'Kenny'... That doesn't sound right, and neither does Kenneth." thought Kyle.
Kenny and Kyle glanced at each other in confusion. Stan suddenly remembered that they didn't remember him anymore and introduced himself.
"Oh, sorry. I forgot about... I'm Stan. I'm the one who rescued you."
"...Hey."
Both Kenny and Kyle were a little hesitant to trust Stan since, to them, he was just a random stranger.
"How are you guys?"
"Well, other than our..."
"...Amnesia?"
"Right, that. Other than that, I guess we're fine. Right, Kyle?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know what happened?"
"I-I... found you guys at Stark's Pond. You fell in somehow, a-and then you got... electrocuted."
"Did you hurt yourself while you were helping us?" asked Kyle.
"Still concerned for everyone, I see..."
"I'm fine. Thanks."
After Stan answered Kyle's question, the three boys fell silent. Kenny and Kyle weren't sure of what their relationship with Stan was like, nor did they feel comfortable speaking to one another in front of him. Stan also felt uncomfortable around his friends, mostly because they didn't remember him. If he tried to push it too hard, they would reject him. If he did nothing, he would probably lose them anyway.
"How are you supposed to talk to someone you've known your whole life if they don't even remember who you are?"
"By the way, where are our parents?"
"Well, your parents are on their way here, but Kenny's are..."
"...Are they dead?"
"No, nothing like that... It's just that your parents are probably not coming."
"...Why not?"
"W-Well, sorry to tell you this, but... your parents aren't exactly the best parents in the world."
"So I have a crappy name and crappy parents... Awesome."
"What about brothers and sisters?"
"Well-"
Stan's explanation was soon made irrelevant. Kyle's parents and brother had arrived, but not Kenny's parents or siblings, much to his disappointment.
"...I guess Stan was telling the truth."
"Kenny?"
"Yeah?"
"Um... Would you like us to take you home?"
Kyle's father wanted to avoid mentioning his real motivation for asking that, as he thought that Kenny already had enough to deal with.
"...Sure. Thanks."
However, once they tried to leave, the nurses informed them that the boys were still going to remain at the hospital for a few days for observation. Kyle's mother freaked out at first, but her husband was able to calm her down, although not before Kyle began to question her sanity.
After a while, Kyle's family members left, leaving him, Kenny and Stan alone.
"Is my mom always like that?"
"He seems more relaxed."
"Sometimes. She's just too emotional. You'll get used to it."
"I probably had. I just don't remember it."
"You did. I think you'd go insane otherwise."
"Yeah... Hey, Kenny, what's wrong? You haven't said anything for a while."
"...I'm OK."
Of course, Kenny was lying. He was trying to figure out why his parents hadn't come. Was it his fault? Or did they simply not care about him? What about his siblings? Maybe he was adopted and his parents and siblings didn't see him as part of the family?
Although Kyle noticed that Kenny was having a hard time, Stan didn't care. He was entirely focused on Kyle. Being this close to him was intoxicating (in a good way); the very sight of him was mesmerizing. It made everything else seems insignificant. All that mattered was Kyle.
"Stan?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Isn't it kinda late?"
Stan checked, and Kyle was right. Time was really messed up when you were with someone you loved. Stan wanted to stay just for a little longer, but he knew he couldn't.
"...You're right. I gotta go."
"Did I make him angry?"
"W-Wait, I didn't mean-"
"It's OK, Kyle. I know."
Stan wanted to hold Kyle in his arms and kiss him, but he would never do it. He was afraid of what Kyle would think of him if he did. After losing his memory, he'd probably never speak to him again. He had to let Kyle find out about their friendship on his own, without pressuring him. After that he would just have to hope for the best.
That night, Kenny had several confusing nightmares involving Kyle, Stan and the accident. They were mostly flashes of when he almost drowned mixed with a painful freezing sensation, but there was one moment that made all the others seem insignificant – when they kissed. It played itself over and over in every single one of his nightmares, standing out like a beacon of light amidst all the pain. When he woke up, however, that beacon and the flashes were gone, and all that was left was the pain. He was shivering, as if he had been in that icy lake again. He knew he had dreamt about something important, but he just couldn't remember any of it. The more he tried to remember the more his eyelids weighed on him, until he finally fell asleep again.
When Kenny woke up for the third time, the sun was up, and Kyle was gone. He searched around the hospital and found him with Stan. He didn't want to interrupt them, so he just went back to bed and tried to remember his nightmares, to no avail.
The boys stayed at the hospital for a full week. Stan visited them every day, although he didn't talk to Kenny a lot. Of course, the blond boy wasn't stupid. He thought that maybe Stan and Kyle had a relationship before this happened, and that Stan was just trying to get him back, so he stayed in the sidelines and also tried to minimize their interactions. Kyle, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to all of this because he only considered Stan a friend of sorts. He didn't really know anyone, so Stan was the closest thing he had right now, since Kenny usually kept to himself.
Kyle's parents arrived a few minutes after the doctor called them, saying that the boys were ready to go home. Once again, Kyle's father offered Kenny a ride, which he gladly accepted.
After a short drive, Kenny was back in his room, trying to figure out who he was. There were a few pictures of himself along with Kyle, Stan and Cartman, but nothing about his life.
"This fat kid... His name... It's... Dammit, why can't I remember?"
Kenny clutched his head in pain, whilst trying to force himself to remember something; anything. Even his brother's name would be a start. Suddenly, a name popped into his head – Cartman.
"Cartman? That sounds like a weird name..." thought Kenny as he smiled to himself.
"Hey, bro. I heard what happened... Sorry we couldn't make it."
"Hey..."
"I'm Kevin. Your sister's name is Karen. We had to stay home to make sure mom and dad didn't kill each other."
"...I saw them on the way up here. Are they always fighting?"
"Most of the time. When they're not, they're drunk... Sorry."
"It's not your fault, Kevin... Hey, do you know who this fat kid is?" asked Kenny as he handed over the picture.
"Yeah. That's Cartman."
"I was right!"
"What's with the grin?"
"I remembered his name. Just a few seconds before you came in."
"That's great, Kenny!"
"Hey, do I have a diary or something like that?"
"I don't know... You never told me about anything like that..."
"Yeah, makes sense... Thanks, Kevin."
"You're welcome, bro."
Kevin thought that it would be better to give Kenny some time alone to deal with the situation, and so he left. Kenny's head was still throbbing, but at least he had successfully remembered something. And if he could remember one thing, then he could remember everything. It was just a matter of time.
"I wonder if... Kyle is also remembering some stuff."
Unlike Kenny, Kyle's family was swarming him with every bit of information they knew; from what he liked and disliked to who his friends were. He was having trouble keeping up with all of it, but they just kept giving him more information. They weren't giving him the information too quickly, but it was still overwhelming for him; eventually he had to tell them to stop. Afterward, he went upstairs into his room to rest.
Everything his family had been telling him was meaningless to him; every name, every date, every event – nothing seemed real. He felt lost.
"Hey, Kyle."
Kyle was so distracted that he didn't even understand what Stan said, nor did he recognize his voice. Once he looked at the door and realized who it was, he invited him in and sat down on his bed.
"Anything new?"
"Yeah. Apparently my family is trying to get my head to explode with all of this stuff."
"They're just worried about you."
"You're probably right.."
"How do you feel, by the way?"
"Like crap. I know you guys are telling the truth, but... I don't remember any of it. I don't feel anything for my friends or family."
Stan approached Kyle and sat down beside him, trying to calm him down. Kyle's first instinct was to get away, but he found Stan's presence soothing, yet somewhat strange; almost as if he could remember him doing it.
"It's OK, Kyle. I'll help you figure it out."
"...Thanks, Stan. You're a good friend."
Kyle put his arms around Stan and gave him a light squeeze before getting up and grabbing a picture from his desk.
"This kid here... Who is he?"
"Uh... That's Cartman. You two don't exactly get along."
"Why not?"
"I honestly don't know. He just doesn't like you."
"I see... Then why do I hang out with him?"
"It's hard to explain."
"OK... Do I hang out with anyone except you guys?"
"Sometimes. Butters usually hangs out with us, and I guess... Craig does it sometimes."
"We actually have a friend named Butters?"
"Oh, no. That's just a nickname. His real name is Leopold."
"And Kenny was worried that his name was crappy..."
"What about Craig?"
"Well, he's not really our friend; more of an acquaintance."
"Why do Craig and... Butters hang out with us?"
"Sometimes one of us isn't available and they step in to replace him."
"Why?"
"It's just our thing. You get used to it."
"Craig and Butters... Two more names to remember."
Stan stayed with Kyle for a few more hours and left once the sun started to disappear in the horizon. Kyle wanted him to stay, as he was the only one he really trusted right now, but he didn't say anything. He was afraid that it would make Stan upset in some way. After Stan left, Kyle dragged himself back into his room and started crying. He no longer felt lost; he felt utterly empty, and without anyone there, he also felt alone.
The following day, Kenny and Kyle arrived at the school almost at the same time. Most of the students were indifferent to their situation or hadn't heard what happened to them, but the ones that cared were just talking amongst themselves, rather than talk to the boys.
"Hey, Kenny."
"Hey."
"...Where do we go now?"
"We should probably talk to someone about this..."
"Who?"
"Um... That guy's an adult. Maybe him?"
"S-Sure."
Kyle stood next to Kenny without saying anything. Kenny understood what he meant and approached the teacher, with Kyle following closely behind him. He was scared to go anywhere without Kenny.
Kenny explained what had happened to them, and the teacher told them to talk to Mackey, so he could decide what to do.
Once they arrived, Mackey told them to sit down and started talking to them, completely unaware of their situation.
"I'm guessing that two guys losing their memories isn't a big deal around here..."
"Mr. Mackey, me and Kyle lost our memories. You didn't know that?"
"No, I didn't, m'kay? Sorry about that, m'kay? How are you boys doing? Have you been treated for anything?"
Mackey hadn't been the school counselor for a while; he had been promoted to principal years ago, but he still acted like a counselor.
"They made us stay at the hospital for a few days, but we're fine."
"Great! So, listen, m'kay? I can't just put you back in your regular classes, m'kay? You'll have to take special classes, m'kay?"
"Why does he talk like that?"
"When should we go to those classes?"
"Well, for now you should just go home, m'kay? I'll need some time to prepare this. It should only take about a week or so, m'kay?"
"OK..."
Kenny and Kyle hurriedly left Mr. Mackey's office, trying to leave the school as quickly as they could, but Butters had seen them go into his office and was waiting for them outside.
"Hi Ken!"
"Ken..."
"H-Hey... You must be Butters, right?" said Kyle.
"Yeah!"
"How do you know?"
"Stan told me about him."
"Just how much time did you spend with him?"
"How are you guys?"
"W-We're fine, really. Thanks for asking."
The boys were beginning to feel uncomfortable with Butters' attitude, but he didn't even notice it. Thankfully, the bell rang, announcing the start of another school day.
"I hope you are. I gotta go now. See ya!"
The boys once again rushed toward the exit, this time without interruptions.
"Alright. I gotta go home now, Kyle. I'll see you later."
"W-Wait!"
"What is it?"
"...Can you come over?"
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I... I just don't want to be alone..."
Kyle wasn't being entirely truthful. He really didn't want to be alone right now, but he also wanted to be with Kenny. Ever since his parents dropped him off at his house, Kyle had felt a compelling need to go after him. He just hadn't had the opportunity to do so. Now he did, and he wasn't about to let it go.
"Please, Kenny?"
"...Sure. Where do you live?"
"Come on, I'll show you."
Kyle stretched his hand towards Kenny's, but stopped before he actually grabbed it.
"What is it?"
"N-Nothing." said Kyle as he put his arm firmly next to his body. "Let's go."
Kenny and Kyle walked for a very long time, as Kyle kept getting lost every few meters, but eventually they arrived at what Kyle thought was his house.
"...I think this is it."
"I hope this is it... I don't know how much longer you're going to be following me around before you leave."
Kyle unlocked the door and smiled to himself. He was right. He rushed upstairs, into his room, with Kenny following closely behind him. When they were finally inside, Kenny instinctively closed the door behind him. Kyle thought that he should feel more uncomfortable, yet he didn't. He couldn't explain it, but he felt at ease around Kenny, even more so than around Stan. However, he had spent a full week with Stan, whereas Kenny usually kept to himself. It didn't make any sense. Sure, they were friends before, but he didn't feel this way about anyone else, and Stan said that he was Kyle's best friend; not Kenny. Had he lied about that?
"...Are you alright? You look kinda... worried, I guess."
"I just have a headache. I've been trying to remember, but..."
"I guess you weren't as lucky as me."
"I'll be fine, Ken."
"...'Ken'." whispered Kenny.
"What?"
"You called me 'Ken'."
"O-Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"It's OK, Kyle... I kinda like it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Kyle pretended to look at the window on the opposite side of the room to hide his now blushing cheeks. He didn't understand why any of this was happening. Seeing Kenny smile made him forget about everything that was wrong. Even the fact that they had lost their memories seemed irrelevant.
"...You know, I started to remember a few things."
"Like what?"
"That fat kid's name – Cartman."
"That's great! I haven't really..."
"I know."
"My family's been all over me with this crap... I needed a break, but then Stan came, and..."
"Stan?"
"Yeah. He's been really nice to me; trying to help me remember."
"I guess I was right about their relationship... I shouldn't interfere."
"...Listen, Kyle, I should probably go."
"Why?"
"I don't... I just need to go home right now. Trust me, it's for the best."
"...I don't want to be alone, Ken. Please stay with me for a little while. Stan's probably gonna come over after school. You can go then if you want, but... don't leave me alone."
"What's wrong?"
"I..."
Suddenly, the crushing feeling of defeat he had felt just hours ago returned, and Kyle couldn't handle it. After being so happy just from seeing Kenny smile just made everything worse. Kyle broke down and started crying and yelling at Kenny, explaining his situation inbetween sobs. Kenny put his arms around his crying friend and gently pulled him towards himself, whispering that he'd stay for as long as he needed him to.
When Stan arrived, Kyle had already recovered, thanks to Kenny, and was even showing signs of happiness for the first time since he went to the hospital. Not even Stan had accomplished that minor miracle.
Upon seeing his best friend with Kenny, Stan grew angry and jealous, but he tried his best to hide it.
"Look, Stan's here. I gotta go now."
"I don't want you to go, Ken..."
"Can I talk to you for a second, Stan?"
"...Sure."
"Alright. See ya, Kyle."
"...Goodbye."
Stan and Kenny went outside Kyle's room for a while, leaving him confused and curious. What were they discussing outside? And why did they need to go outside anyway? Were they talking about him? Despite his curiosity, Kyle just sat on his bed and waited for Stan to return.
"Stan... I gotta ask you something."
Stan suddenly became very tense after hearing those words.
"Were you and Kyle... together before this?"
Stan tensed up even more, clenching his fists as hard as he could. Ever muscle in his body was twitching slightly, begging him to hit Kenny. He stared at the taller boy for quite some time, his hate burning inside him, until he finally answered the question.
"...Yes."
"I see... Look, I don't want to get between you guys. I wanted to leave sooner, but... Anyway, I promise I won't get in your way."
"...Thanks, Kenny."
Kenny started walking toward the exit, unaware that Stan's lie was taking a toll on him. However, he couldn't just tell his friends the truth. Kyle was already slipping away, just like a year ago, when he started developing feelings for Kenny. This time, in spite of his best efforts, it was happening a lot faster than before. Why? Was their bond just too strong? Or was he making a big deal out of nothing? Stan tried to convince himself that the latter was true, yet he couldn't help but wonder if he should just tell the truth about everything.
"Hey! Are you guys done yet? I'm bored!"
In the midst of his insecurity, Stan had completely forgotten about Kyle. He hurried back inside and apologized for the interruption. Kyle started to ask a few questions, but Stan wasn't really paying attention. He was still wondering how long he'd be able to keep up his lie, and what would happen if Kenny found out.
Kenny, on the other hand, was struggling with yet another headache. Leaving Kyle with Stan didn't feel right, no matter how much he told himself that it was the right thing to do. Something was off about Stan. He seemed strange, almost angry, simply because he asked about something that happened before they lost their memory.
"Maybe he's just shy... Nah, that's stupid. Was he worried about something? He sure seemed worried..."
Suddenly, as a memory finally broke through, Kenny's headache worsened. He clutched his head in pain, and became concerned for what he remembered. The memory was hazy and incoherent for the most part, but a few moments stood out amongst the rest. He remembered holding Kyle's hand for the first time and even kissing him. Was that what had Stan so worried? Had Kyle been cheating on him? He sure didn't seem like the kind of guy who would do something like that.
"My head hurts too much... I need to go home."
And so he did. Within minutes, Kenny was back at his house. Unlike Kyle, he didn't have any trouble finding it. His memories were slowly returning, although every time they did, his head felt like it was going to implode. As he dragged himself into his room, Kenny wondered if he should go talk to a doctor about it. They said his memories would probably return anyway, but they never said anything about the pain.
"Maybe tomorrow... I'm too tired."
Kenny lied down on his bed, his head still throbbing in pain. He blinked a few times, and felt his body go numb until he finally fell asleep.
"...My head hurts."
"Kenny, open your eyes."
Kenny did as the voice told him, and was surprised to see none other than himself, standing in front of him.
"I'm either high or dreaming."
"We don't have much time. Listen, you need to talk to Kyle."
"Why? He's with Stan. He's fine."
"I don't mean now, you idiot!"
"...You're me."
"...Shut up. Anyway, you need to go talk to him."
"Why?"
"You know why."
"No, not really."
"You've felt it. Something's not right about Stan."
"Do you think he's trying to hurt Kyle?"
"I don't know."
"Right, how could you know if I don't know?"
"There's something else, too..."
"What is it?"
"I'm sure you know this one."
"...I don't know what you're talkin-"
"I'm you! You can't lie to yourself. That's just stupid."
"Alright, so what if I like him? Stan said-"
"Are you really this gullible?"
"No, but apparently I'm stupid enough to insult myself twice."
"Stan's lying about what happened. What makes you think he's not lying about that too?"
"...Good point."
"Go talk to Kyle. Stick with him for as long as possible, but don't let Stan see you."
"How the hell do I do that?"
"Mackey won't have those special classes ready for a week or so, right? Stay with Kyle, and leave before Stan arrives."
"Good idea."
"...We're out of time. Go."
Kenny opened his eyes again, and he was back in his room. The sun was high in the sky, which made him wonder just how long he had been asleep for. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand and panicked – it was almost noon.
Although his dream vanished from his memory just as quickly as his nightmare had a week ago, a single thought had been imprinted in his mind.
"I gotta go talk to Kyle."
Kenny rushed over to Kyle's house as quickly as he could, but stopped before knocking on the door. He started to question his motives for coming here, as well as the repercussions for doing so.
"Shouldn't I have called first before coming here? What if Kyle doesn't want to see me?"
Suddenly, the door opened. It was Kyle.
"Are you gonna stand there all day?"
"S-Sorry. I was just..."
"I was about to call you anyway."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're the only friend I have right now. Well, you and Stan, of course."
"Of course..."
"Come on."
"A-Alright."
Kenny followed Kyle into his room where a game of Monopoly awaited.
"...Were you expecting me to come over?"
"N-No..."
"I just really missed you... I've been missing you ever since you left yesterday."
Kenny expected him to explain why he had the game ready, but Kyle simply dragged Kenny a little closer to it and handed him the dice.
After a few hours, Kenny noticed that it was getting late; Stan would be there soon. If Stan knew that he was still hanging out with Kyle, it would be bad.
"Uh... Sorry, I should go."
"Again? Why?"
"I just want you to stay with me, Ken... Is that really so bad?"
"I-I'm sorry, Kyle... I just gotta go."
"...Fine. Go."
"I'm sorry... I'll be back tomorrow, alright?"
"...Sure."
Kenny opened his arms, but Kyle simply turned around and started putting the game back in its box.
"Dammit, Kyle..."
Kenny still approached Kyle and put his arms around him, pulling him towards himself. Kyle didn't react, and simply went back to doing what he was doing.
"...I'm sorry, Kyle."
Kenny turned around to leave, Kyle suddenly ran up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running back toward the board. Kenny put his hand on his cheek and smiled to himself before finally going home.
A few minutes later, Stan arrived and found Kyle daydreaming with a big smile on his face.
"Hey, Kyle. What's up?"
"H-Hey, Stan. It's nothing."
"Come on, you can tell me."
"W-Well... Kenny was here, a-and..."
Upon hearing Kenny's name, Stan clenched his fists as hard as he could. A small amount of blood started dripping from his hand, but Kyle didn't notice it and just continued his explanation. Stan couldn't even hear him over the sound of his own blood pumping in his ears, until Kyle asked something.
"D-Do you think he likes me?"
Stan snapped. He felt an intense desire to do what he should've done in the first place – hurt Kenny for ruining his chances with Kyle. However, right now he needed to bide his time and wait until he could leave without drawing any attention to himself.
"Stan?"
"I don't know, Kyle."
"H-Hey, your hand is bleeding."
"Perfect."
"Is it? Damn... I'd better go home and fix this."
"Already? You just got here!"
"Yeah, I know, but it's Tuesday, and I got a lot of homework... I should go. I'll be back tomorrow, alright?"
"That's what Kenny said..."
"...Alright. See ya."
Stan ran home as quickly as he could to drop off his things and then went straight for Kenny's. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he wanted to hurt Kenny. Of course, he wasn't about to do it in his own house. The lake seemed like a good spot, though.
Stan called out to him, and within minutes the blond boy was before him, trying to hide his embarrassed face behind his hood. Stan's rage had subsided, for the most part, but he still wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with Kenny.
"...We gotta talk."
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what-"
"Save it. I already know what you did."
Stan started walking towards the lake and Kenny, focusing only on what Stan was saying, followed him without even noticing it.
"Do you know why I wanted you to stay away, Kenny?"
"Yeah. You didn't want me interfering with getting Kyle back."
"That's not all. Do you know what you were like?"
"Not really... I didn't find anything in my room that could help me with that."
"You were a junkie. A drug addict. You were constantly seeking more and more thrills, barely avoiding death each time."
"What? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I guess they were afraid you'd go back to that lifestyle. Personally, I don't give a shit. I just want you to stay the hell away from Kyle."
Kenny was starting to get annoyed. Stan's know-it-all attitude and his ever-increasing volume was really pissing him off. Tempers were hot, and Kenny wasn't about to back down.
"Dude, what is your problem? I'm not going to hurt Kyle. He's... Well, you know how he is. I can't hurt Kyle!"
"You can, you have and you will. It's only a matter of time. I remember when we were younger... Kyle was always worried about you. Every stunt you pulled; every drug you tried; he was always there, worried about you. And now..."
"...Now what? He likes me? Is that what you're so worried about?"
"...You don't know what you're talking about."
"That's your problem, isn't it? You're afraid I'm going to 'steal' him from you or something. Well, I got news for you – he doesn't like you. He likes me."
"And how do you know that, asshole?"
"For one he kissed me when I was leaving, dick!"
Kenny immediately regretted saying that. His emotions had gotten out of control. He lowered his head in shame, but it was too late. Stan's anger was back. The raven-haired boy clenched his fists once again, which once again started bleeding. The crimson liquid against the pure white snow didn't go unnoticed by Kenny; he could tell that Stan wasn't fully in control of himself right now.
"...He what?"
"I-It was just a little kiss on the cheek."
"He what?"
Stan's muscles once again begged him to hit Kenny. This time he listened. He punched Kenny as hard as he could, which made him lose his balance. Kenny got up as quickly as he could and tried to reason with Stan, but it was of no use. Stan was driven by an insane rage to kill Kenny where he stood. He tried to defend himself, but his reflexes were slow, due to the years of drugs. Eventually, Kenny was back on the ground, blood oozing from various cuts on his body. He wasn't getting up.
Stan started dragging him towards the lake. When Kenny finally opened his eyes, he became frightened.
"Wanna know a little secret? I wasn't dating Kyle. You were. You stole him from me once. I'm not going to let you do that again. Oh, by the way, I'm the one who did this to you. I was just trying to scare you guys, but when you fell into the lake... It was a gift. A second chance. And you're not about to ruin it for me. Goodbye, Kenny."
Stan picked Kenny up and threw him into the lake as far as he could. Kenny struggled in vain; his body was too badly damaged, and so he drowned. Stan smiled to himself, thinking that it was all over. He mixed the blood on the ground with the snow and left, certain that he wasn't being followed and that nobody would ever be able to tell what had happened.
Kenny woke up several hours later in his bed. He was confused and angry, but it soon gave way to hope when he realized something miraculous had happened – his memories were back. He remembered that he couldn't die; he remembered his childhood, and he remembered the most important thing to him – Kyle. The surge of memories gave him a headache even worse than the others, but he didn't care. He had to go to Stan's and give him a piece of his mind.
Kenny was so focused on going to Stan's that he hadn't even realized how late it was. The streets were completely devoid of life. He would have to be a little stealthy in his approach.
"I haven't climbed walls in a while... I wonder if I can still do it."
Kenny tried to go in through the window, but he slipped about halfway through and fell onto the snow. He covered his mouth as quickly as he could to muffle his scream and made the obvious conclusion – he couldn't go through the window.
"Basement. Stan's dad never locks it."
Kenny rushed towards the small pair of doors and opened them slowly, so as not to alert anyone. When they were finally opened, he went inside and slowly closed them again.
"Perfect. Now I just have to go 'talk' to Stan."
Kenny went up the stairs as quietly as possible and finally reached his goal. It was very dark, but the moon light provided some visibility. Unfortunately, it also made everything blurry.
"Dude..."
"Boo."
"Kenny?"
Kenny put his hand around Stan's neck and forced him to stand before putting him up against a wall and punching him as hard as he could. Since he had just woken up, Stan's reflexes were even worse than Kenny's.
"Hey there, Stan."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I'm fine. In fact, I'm better than fine. I know you're the one who did this to us, Stan. I remember everything."
"What? How-"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Anyway, tomorrow you're going to admit everything to Kyle. Is that clear?"
"What if I don't?"
"...You make a good point."
Kenny once again punched Stan in the gut as hard as he could, which convinced him that he was serious.
"Got it? I'll be waiting for you at Kyle's house. And I swear, if you don't tell him, I'll-"
"Kenny? What are you doing? Let go!"
"Kyle?"
Since it was too dark, Kenny missed it, but Kyle had been in a sleeping bag the whole time.
"What the hell is going on here?"
"Stanley here has something to tell you. Isn't that right?"
"...I'm sorry, Kyle."
Stan reluctantly told Kyle the truth – his involvement in what happened, why he did it and why he didn't say anything. Kyle couldn't believe any of it. Stan had been pretending to be his friend, when all along he had been lying to him about everything. Unlike Kenny, Kyle couldn't handle it and ran out the front door towards the lake. Kenny ran after him, but Stan stayed behind, crying on the floor.
When Kenny finally caught up with him, Kyle was staring at the lake. He seemed to be leaning towards it, as if he was considering jumping into it.
"Kyle!"
"What! Are you here to tell me that you've been lying to me too?"
"Of course not! Look, what Stan did was wrong, but..."
"...But what?"
"...I dunno. I guess there's really no justification for what he did."
"Oh, good!"
"Look, I'm sorry... I'm not good at stuff like this."
"No kidding."
"Please, just... come here. You must be freezing."
"...I kinda am."
Kyle walked back to Kenny, who welcomed him with open arms and tried to keep him warm.
"...I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Kyle."
"It wasn't your fault. Stan-"
"He was the one I should've protected you from. I couldn't, and now... now you don't even remember me."
"How did you get your memories back? Maybe we can do the same for me."
"It won't work."
"But maybe something else will."
"...Do you trust me?"
"...I guess."
"You know how sometimes you can unlock memories of certain events by going through them again?"
"...No. Who told you that?"
"Well, you did."
"I sound smart."
"You are. You're the smartest, kindest, most beautiful guy I know, and that's why I love you so much."
"...What did you have in mind?"
"Just close your eyes."
Kyle hesitantly did as Kenny asked. Kenny then slowly bent over and repeated the same kiss they had shared on that frozen lake before they lost their memories. At first, Kyle became a little tense, but it wasn't long before he gave in, enjoying the proximity with Kenny.
"...Anything?"
"I... I remember... the lake. We went... ice skating."
Every word broadened Kenny's smile and gave him an indescribable feeling of fulfillment. Although he hadn't been able to protect Kyle from danger, as was his self-assigned task, he knew he could fix it. And that was just as good.
"...We should go, Kyle."
"Why?"
"Well, first of all, you're barefoot in the snow. Don't you know how bad that can be?"
"Good point."
"Come on. Let's go home."
Kenny carried Kyle in his arms all the way back to his house, whereupon he laid him down on his bed and lied down with him. Kyle cleared his throat, which Kenny interpreted as a sign that he wasn't yet comfortable with that level of proximity.
"I-I'm sorry. I'll go get a sleeping bag."
"N-No, it's OK... I'm just... What do you think Stan's going to do now?"
"...I don't know."
"But he's not going to hurt you ever again."
"By the way, do you remember what I promised?"
"Which time?"
"Before the accident. You wanted everyone to know that we were together."
"Yeah..."
"We'll tell them tomorrow, alright?"
"...Thanks, Ken."
Kenny didn't know how right he was. After he stopped crying, Stan locked his bedroom door and moved the bed so that it would block it completely. He then did the same with the window. He decided that life without Kyle simply wasn't worth living and stuck a pocket knife into a wall socket. The surge of electricity killed him instantly and woke up everyone, but they were unable to reach him for some time. At the hospital, the doctors were able to revive him, but not before he suffered brain damage. They told his parents that like Kenny and Kyle, he too had lost his memory. However, unlike them, he would never get it back, no matter how much he tried.
The following day, the boys got a call from Mackey, who wanted to see them in his office as soon as possible. They did as he asked and were surprised to find Stan. They thought that maybe he had told Mackey about what he had done, but they were soon proven wrong.
"So you see, Stanley here also has amnesia, m'kay?"
"How did that happen?"
"It appears to have been self-inflicted, m'kay?"
"Yeah... That's what they tell me."
"But Stanley won't be getting his memories back, m'kay?"
"Why not?"
"Apparently I was dead for several minutes. My head is... They say I'm lucky I can talk."
"I guess you didn't want to live without Kyle."
"...Well, I'm Kenny, and this is my boyfriend, Kyle."
"Hey."
"Come on. We'll show you around."
I was told that the plot was too predictable, but I didn't know how to fix it. Sorry about that.
I also apologize for the delay, but as you can see, this chapter is a lot bigger than the first one (although for some reason the actual file is a lot smaller by comparison). I didn't split it because I felt it would ruin the "flow", so to speak.
I'm gonna stop writing for a few weeks (or months or maybe even forever) because I've run out of ideas for the moment (sort of). However, I'm still taking requests, so feel free to ask for a K2 (Kenny/Kyle) story.