Kenny yawned scratching his head. Everything in Butters room was dark besides the dim glow beneath the door. Kenny crawled towards the light, still heavy with sleep. In the hallway he could hear the water running.
"He's taking a shower?" Kenny thought out loud, heading towards the bathroom. The steam almost choked him as he opened the door.
"I love to sing~, sing in the shower~! As the water falls, I let my voice ring loud and clear! I love to sing~ ,sing in the shower~! Cause I like the way that my singing sounds in here~!"
Kenny was quick to close the door. He had every intent to never mention the incident to Butters, but of course he got the stupid catchy tune in his head. Kenny sat cross legged on the couch downstairs, trying his best to keep focused on the television set. One of the steps creaked, warning him that Butters was on his way down. Kenny shut his eyes tightly.
"K-Kenny?"
Kenny slowly re-opened them. Butters stood in front of him looking confused…and wet.
"Hey Butters."
Water ran down Butters forehead and off the end of his nose.
"Were you trying to sleep or somethin?" Butters asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Yeah."
"Did ya eat already?"
"Yeah."
Butters took a seat next to Kenny smiling. "Oh good, me too."
He was captured again. Kenny couldn't help that his eyes wandered, it was in his nature. But he felt different with the boy beside him. He burned inside. And Butters sat completely oblivious to this. Kenny closed his eyes again, humming, trying to cool off. He quickly shut up.
Butters stared at him with widened eyes. "H-hey! How do ya know my shower song?"
Kenny drew a blank.
"I was looking at you- I mean, I was looking for you…and…I heard you."
Butters brow furrowed in thought. He suddenly leaned forward, eyes twinkling.
"What do you think of me?"
Kenny blinked repeatedly.
"Am I good at singing?" Butters asked grinning.
Kenny almost burst out laughing at his own absurdity.
"Yeah, sure." What else could he have meant?
Butters curled up in a ball next to him.
"Wake me when we gotta go. I'm tired cause I got up extra early to take a shower and get clothes ready…"
Kenny stared at Butters, humming the catchy tune stuck in his head.
"Stan~" Kenny called over to the boy standing further down the hallway. Stan looked around until he spotted the voice.
He looked up at Kenny nonchalantly as he came over. "What's up?"
"Can you go to the movies with me today?"
Stan shook his head.
"No way dude! Last time I was alone with you in a dark room, I couldn't show my neck, or my arms, or my legs for like two weeks afterward!"
Kenny gave a crooked smile.
"I wouldn't have gotten that far is you had told me to stop."
Stan grimaced and turned his back towards him.
"Don't you twist around that situation! You know I was drugged up on flu medication! And it's a weekday anyway, I've got work to do."
"Aw~ Come on! I'm really stressed! I need to get out!"
Stan looked back at Kenny who was trying his best to look pleading.
"All right."
The bell rang for the next class.
Butters sat in class rubbing his eyes, still tired from staying up. To his relief, most of the girls had left him alone now that he was back in his sweater, but some were still persistent. Butters shell of thought was broken as one of the newer female students poked him in the side.
"Hey Butters."
"Hey…D-Demitra."
"Hey. Hi. Um, well…hey."
There was a silence between the two.
"Well, um…bye."
Demitra ran back to her seat. Butters watched her for a moment, then buried his head in his arms. It had been hard to pay attention in class. Kenny had told him at lunch that he was going to the movies with one of his friends. Well even if Kenny wasn't his friend, it still was going to be lonely without someone to walk home with. But Butters couldn't tell him that. Kenny would definitely laugh at him and call him some sort of queer. So as the last bell rang, Butters built up the will to drag himself home.
The walk was cold and lonely for Butters. And he was used to being cold and lonely, but it always felt worse after being with someone who treated him nicely. And it was strange after being with Kenny for only a couple days, it felt empty without someone there. Butters was good and finished his homework like every day, and used the rest of his time to ponder. He decided to walk to the park and maybe he would see someone who would want to talk to him.
The park was empty for the most part to Butters' disappointment. He sat down on an empty bench to think about the day he had. It had been normal for the most part. But there had been Demitra coming up to talk to him. She had seemed even more nervous than himself. The snow started to fall down in large flakes as Butters closed his eyes.
Butters woke up slowly, wiping sleep from his eyes. It was still light out so he couldn't have been out for too long. It was surprising how after falling asleep outside, he wasn't frozen. Someone sniffed beside him. Butters looked over to see Demitra sitting next to him, looking a bit surprised herself.
"D-Demitra?"
"Bu-Butters! Uh, you woke up…well, I guess you would think I'm weird sitting next to you…I-I'll go then-"
"No."
Demitra stopped from getting up. Butters smiled, grateful that there was someone with him. He wasn't alone.
"Oh, ok. Well…how…are you?"
Butters found someone who would be kind again.
"Oh…I was a bit lonely for a while but I'm ok now."
Demitra scooted closer.
"Well- well why were you lonely?"
Butters face hurt from trying to hold his smile. It was different to have someone want to know about him.
Butters and Demitra talked until the sun was close to setting.
"Hey can you sit with me at lunch tomorrow? I haven't got any friends besides you and I'd like it a lot if you did."
Butters smiled widely.
"I'm your friend?"
Demitra laughed.
"Of course you are!" she said wrapping Butters in a hug.
Kenny was walking back to Butters place, confused as ever. He had spent most of his night with Stan and no matter what he did, he couldn't create the same feeling he had with Butters. He made plenty of moves which he thoroughly enjoyed but it was still different. Kenny plunged his hands deep into his pockets as a cold breeze cut through his clothes. He would have to think more tomorrow. Butters was probably asleep by now and who knew if he left the door unlocked or if he had to crawl through a window.
The sun was hugging the horizon as he made his first few steps through the park. Kenny slowed down noticing a couple ahead of him.
"Wonder if they would mind me jumping in…"
The pair ahead broke apart and started walking in separate directions. Kenny eyed the girl that came closer and closer with each step. She looked up and seemed to notice him for the first time. Kenny stopped a few steps away. It was Demitra.
" He- Hello…" she murmured dropping her head low.
Kenny raised his eyebrows. "Hey."
"I'm sorry…I have to get home…"
Demitra was quick to keep moving. Kenny shrugged, jogging towards the other figure who was slowly disappearing into the distance. It was easy enough to catch up with them, and he was surprised when he was able to recognize the blue-green sweater.
The words slipped out before he could think. "Butters? Was that you with Demitra?"
The blond turned around with widened eyes.
"K-Kenny? Well I thought you were with your friend!"
They both stood on the frozen path for a moment with nothing to say.
Butters shifted in place. "So...how was the movie with your friend?"
Kenny gave an offhanded glance over his shoulder. "The movie wasn't so great… the killing couldn't have been more cheezy…"
"Oh really?" Butters said, starting up his walk again. Kenny kept pace so they remained side by side.
"Yeah. So what did-" He cut off in mid-sentence as he suddenly remembered Demitra. And it scared him how much he felt sick thinking about the two.
"Um…I saw Demitra pass by."
Butters mouth opened slightly.
"Yeah…w-we were just talking…"
Kenny frowned.
"You were kinda close to be just talking…"
Butters face fell. "I'm not lying."
Kenny breathed out. He could feel that same heat creeping over his body. It was driving him crazy. No, it was Butters that was driving him crazy.