CHAPTER TWO
Keystone brand beer was about the cheapest kind Kenny knew of.Money wasn't exactly common in his pocket of life.He dug into his father's old wallet, taking a ten dollar bill and a five out.Kenny brought the green tinted paper up to his nose and inhaled its' rich scent, an undescribable rush running through his veins.He knew it would be soon gone, but he figured he'd enjoy the sight of it whilst it lasted.His feet led him to an abandoned alley with one door on the right hand wall.Kenny pounded his fist against the metal door three times and then again twice.A large, sullen, bald man answered, his expression dark and irritated, "What cher lookin' fer?" Kenny made a small wave.The large man's tensed, muscular shoulders eased down. "Oh, jush yew, Kenneh," he muttered, returning to the depths of the dark room he came from.Kenny looked up and down the alley, suspicious someone might be watching him, but found no one.The man came back with a twelve pack of Keystone. "Ere, Ken.Sey 'ello tew yeh dad for meh, eh?" Kenny exchanged the money for the pack and nodded respectively, scrambling down the alley back to the street.
The weight of the alcohol made him walk a bit sideways, but he hardly noticed.He was too paranoid someone might drop an anvil on him, or stab him randomly, or get blown up, or die in some other sort of way.Kenny didn't like dying, it hurt... and he had to get this booze back to his father before it became five o' clock.His worried, blue eyes watched a dark truck go down the road as he strode down the sidewalk.Then, all of a sudden, BAM!Kenny collided into someone, falling to the ground.Instictively, Kenny raised the beer high so it wouldn't get too fizzed up.It landed on top his stomach in his arms, knocking the air out of his lungs. "Oof!" he breathed, his head smacking back against something un-concrete. "Ahw!" the other person yowled, their muscles tensing under Kenny's head from pain.Kenny sucked in a lungful of air and got up with his package, fidgeting concernedly. "Kyle?" he muffled, his eyes squinting at his friend.Yes, it was most likely Kyle Brofloski. "Crap dude, I think you busted my spine," Kyle groaned, his face hidden under red locks and skinny arms as he lay on the sidewalk on his stomach.Kenny helped him up, dusting off his unusual green hat.He looked down at it.Its' ear flaps always covered his ears.It was square-ish, old from being worn since eighth grade (he'd gotten a new one again), and always made Kenny smile.It was what made Kyle, Kyle.Just like Kenny's parka and him.Sometimes nothing ever changed.
Kyle gave Kenny a funny look as he lost himself in his own thoughts and coughed, dusting off his shoulder. "Oh.H-here," Kenny stammered embarrassedly, handing the headgear back to the other boy. "What- ... what're you doing on this side of town, Kye?" Kenny asked through his parka hood, his eyes resting on Kyle's hands as they reset his hat back in place. "I was looking for you," Kyle said simply, his confusing emerald pools glancing down at the pack of beer cradled in Kenny's arms. "What for?" the blond asked interestedly, wondering again on the terms of friendship. "Huh?Oh.I was just," Kyle searched for the right word, "concerned you weren't in class today." That was sweet.Kenny's heart beat faster in his ribcage against the box of booze clutched so tightly to the front of his orange terry cloth parka. "Well, I-I just figured we didn't have any sch-sch-school work assignments today so I... took a sick day," Kenny mumbled, his stupid stuttering creeping over his tongue.Butters' habit had unfortunately rubbed off on him from hanging out with him more since ninth grade.Kyle stood there, shifting his weight to his left foot, looking down at the sidewalk cracks thoughtfully. "I guess today wasn't such a good one, Ken.We have to write an essay on abusing drugs and how they're bad to read next week outloud to the sixth graders," the red head explained.
"Shit," Kenny cursed.Just his luck.He quickly returned his posture and gazed down at the jew, putting on his puppy dog eyes. "Will you help me then?You know I can't write worth a pickle in a bannana cart," Kenny lathered on the pity through his sweetest voice, hoping. "I guess so, dude.I mean, I've got nothing better to do.I've already finished mine in class and turned it in," the Jew shrugged.Kenny grinned happily.They began walking towards his trailor home. "I've gotta get this to Stuart.You know how he is," Kenny explained when they reached his door step. "Sure whatever," the other teen muttered casually.Kenny rushed in and handed over the alcohol to his dad. "Bout time ya little bastard," Stuart grumbled, opening a can. "I'm going over to Kyles' to make-up homework, okay?" Kenny backed away to the front door again.Stuart slurred an un-adiuable response, waving his hand in a 'shoo' manner. "Let's go!" Kyle chirped on the sidewalk outside, signaling Kenny over.Kenny scampered until he was in step with his friend.
He lit up another smoke, breathing in the poisons stuffed into the little white wrapper.Kyle wrinkled his nose in distaste, his eyes glittering. "You should really stop that habit while you can," the other murmured, stuffing his hands in his pockets.Kenny scoffed, "habit?I could quit anytime I wanted.I just don't want to.Addictions, my friend, are for the mentally challenged.Just a state of mind that can be formed in a positive way." He surprised himself as well as Kyle. "Don't lecture me Kye, I know what happens.I mean it's not like I don't regularly die anyways with no one caring," Kenny puffed.Kyle stopped and grabbed Kenny by the shoulders, turning him.His face came uncomfortably close to Kennys' as Kenny held his cigarrette between his index and middle fingers. "Don't joke like that, it's not true dude," Kyle murmured with a scowl, his nose pressed against the other boys'.Kenny could feel his heart in his ears and he dropped his cancer stick unknowledgably, his mouth agape.Kyle searched his crystalic blue eyes for a moments' time, then let go, walking on.Kenny stood dumb-founded, unsure of what had just happened.He blinked and walked again though, catching up.