I had an idea for this chapter, but then I lost it. So, let's see if I can't get it back before I get too far into it and it goes nowhere.

Chapter 7 – That Song About Being on Fire

"Are you sure your friends won't mind if I join in on your goth readings?" I asked Henrietta as we got ready to head home for the day.

"Oh, they'll most definitely mind," she said, "But if they have a problem with it, they can answer to me. Besides, they'll get over it. Eventually."

I gave her a smile and leaned over, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "All right, I'll be over to your house as soon as I go with Stan to drop off this homework at Kyle's house. Maybe I can get some juicy info out of Ike while I'm there about the fight."

Henrietta rolled her eyes at me as we parted ways. I joined Stan outside of school and we headed to the parking lot. I was rather grateful Stan had a truck to drive us to Kyle's place. I didn't love the thought of walking around with extra stuff in my pack.

"Man, I haven't stopped thinking about Ike all day," Stan admitted as we piled into his truck. I hopped into the front seat and plopped my bag on the floor.

"Me neither," I confessed, "I mean he's usually such a nice, non-violent kid. I can't imagine what could've set him off."

"Hopefully he or Kyle will tell us when we get there," Stan said.

It didn't take us long to get to Kyle's house, but then again it didn't take long to get anywhere in South Park. When we got to his home, we eagerly knocked on the door and waited for Kyle to let us in.

"Hey guys," Kyle greeted in a somewhat tired voice when he opened the door, "Thanks for bringing me my homework. We didn't go over anything new in any of our classes, did we?"

"Not really," Stan answered, "We're not starting anything new until next week."

"Oh, thank God," Kyle sighed, "I would hate to miss anything important because my parents were too lazy to leave work."

"So, how's Ike?" I asked, trying not to sound too eager. I just really wanted to know what happened. Kyle gestured inside.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" he offered. Stan and I followed him into the house and into the living room.

Ike was sitting on the couch with an ice pack pressed to his eye. He was sporting a nasty bruise on his cheek and a cut on his lip. He looked rather miserable, like he had gotten a good scolding from his older brother.

"Hey Ike, someone's here to see you," Kyle told him. Ike looked up and gave us a weak smile.

"Oh, hey guys," Ike greeted with a sheepish smile, "What are you guys up to?"

"We were just drooping off Kyle's homework," Stan replied, "And we heard you got into a fight at school today."

"Yeah, what's that about?" I asked.

"It's not my fault!" he defended, "It's not like I go around picking fights! Filmore was making fun of someone and getting everyone in on it, so I had to defend them! When I told him to stop, he just swung at me, so I had to fight!"

"The principal told me you started the fight," Kyle pointed out.

"That's because all of Filmore's stupid friends took his side and lied for him," Ike grumbled.

"Did you at least get a few good punches in?" I wondered.

"Kenny!" Kyle scolded.

Ike grinned. "Oh, I got more than a few good punches," he replied, "You should've seen Filmore! He looked he even worse than I do!"

"Nice," I praised, "But who was the kid you were defending?"

Suddenly, Ike blushed and turned away. "Um, I'd rather not say," he murmured.

"Why?" I asked, a huge grin forming on my face, "Was it someone you have a crush on?" I swear Ike's blush grew deeper.

"Maybe," he muttered.

"All right guys, time to stop bugging my brother," Kyle prompted, "He's in time-out until mom and dad get home and decide what to do with him."

"That's all right," I said, "I've gotta go meet my girl anyway. She's letting me sit in on their goth readings today."

"Oh! Tell the goths I said hi!" Ike exclaimed as Stan and I left the house. I gave him a backwards glance.

"Do you want me to give you a ride to Henrietta's house?" Stan asked me once we were outside. I nodded.

"That would be great, thanks," I said, "Plus I left my stuff in your truck."

We climbed in and Stan started up his truck. As usual it didn't take long to get to Henrietta's house. I could've easily just walked to her house, but it was cold out and my coat is ratty and old. When we got to her house I got out and thanked Stan for the ride.

I walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A few moments later Henrietta appeared in the doorway.

"Hey there," she greeted, stepping aside to let me in. I gave her a kiss on the cheek as I stepped inside. "How was Ike?" she asked.

"A little worse for wear, but otherwise all right," I replied, "Apparently he got into it with Filmore because he was making fun of someone Ike may or may not have a crush on. According to Ike, Filmore got it worse."

"Nice," Henrietta snickered as she led me up to her room. When we got there Pete, Michael, and Firkle were already waiting for us. They didn't look any friendlier than they usually did towards me, but I'm guessing Henrietta told them to play nice.

"Hey guys," I greeted in my friendliest voice.

"Yo," Pete said in a deadpan voice.

I sat down on the floor next to Henrietta. It was a little awkward having four teenagers and a preteen sitting on the floor. It was kind of crowded. But I wasn't about to complain. Besides, it's not like we could all fit on her bed.

"Hey Firkle, did you see the fight Ike got into at school today?" I asked him.

Firkle looked a little surprised that he was being addressed. "Yeah," he answered, "I don't really know how it started, though. I wasn't really paying attention. I was busy reading my book."

I felt a little disappointed by his response. I was sort of hoping he had overheard who Filmore had been making fun of before Ike stepped in.

"Aw, so you don't know how it started?" I whined.

"No," he replied, "Besides, I was a fair distance away to hear what they were saying. They fought during lunch and I sit in a corner of the cafeteria. And just when I thought about going over to watch a teacher had broken it up."

"Can we get started, please?" Michael asked, "I don't want to talk about school anymore."

"All right, keep your pants on, Michael," Henrietta scolded, "Pete, why don't you start?"

The goths went around and read their favorite Edgar Allan Poe stories. I listened quietly and waited for it to be my turn. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like Michael read extra slow so I wouldn't have a turn.

"Do you even read Edgar Allan Poe?" Pete questioned accusingly when Michael had finally finished his long drawl.

"Yes," I replied, trying not to be snippy, "You do know that more than just goths read Poe, right?" Pete gave me a nasty look.

"All right then, what's your favorite of his stories then?" he asked.

"That would be 'The Tell-Tale Heart,'" I answered without even flinching.

"Whoa, that story is intense," Firkle muttered.

"Shall I read it for you?" I inquired, taking the book of stories from Henrietta. I turned to the right page and started reading. Because of the years I spent reading to Karen, I knew how to keep my audience engaged. And I had the goths enraptured as I read about the man who went insane over the old man's blind eye. The "vulture eye" as he called it. When I got to the final lines, they were watching me with intense and awed looks.

"Wow, that story always gets me," Henrietta said as I finished.

"It was ok," Michael huffed, trying not to sound impressed.

I smirked at him. I could tell he liked my story. I was about to say something, when there was a knock on the bedroom door. Wait, were Henrietta's parents were home for once?

"Oh Henrietta!" her mother sang out, entering without permission, "We're home, sweetie!" Beside me, Henrietta growled.

"Shut up, mom!" she shouted, "Get out of my room! I have friends over!"

"Ooh, I can see that," her mother stated, casting her eyes around the room. I flinched back slightly when she spotted me. "Oh my, who's this? He doesn't look like your other friends."

I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but Henrietta quickly cupped a hand over my mouth to silence me. "It's none of your business, mom," she hissed, "If you're not around enough to know who my friends are, then you don't have a right to know!"

Mrs. Biggle was wearing a large smile, but it was obviously fake. "Maybe you kids ought to go," she said, in a fake voice.

Pete, Michael, Firkle, and I all stood up to leave. I wanted to stay and support Henrietta, but I felt that would probably not be the best thing to do right now. So, the four of us bid her good-bye and quickly left the house.

Once we were outside, the goths looked back at the house and scowled. "Conformist bitch," Michael snarled, "She can never just leave us alone. Always trying to control Henrietta's life and tell her what to do."

"She makes me want to cut something," Firkle muttered, lighting up a cigarette.

"So, I take her parents intrude on her life often?" I asked.

"Only all the time," Pete scoffed, "They even sent her to a camp once to try to conform her to their ways. They're evil."

Though I wouldn't go so far to call her evil, Mrs. Biggle did seem like an overbearing mother. Since we had been kicked out of the house and we had no reason to stick around, the four of us went our separate ways.

That night, after I had made dinner for the family and tucked Karen into bed, I was sitting in my own room working on some homework (which admittedly I should have worked on a lot earlier in the week), when I heard someone knocking on the front door. Wondering who on Earth would ever want to come to see my family, especially at this hour, I went to answer it before it woke up Karen.

I was extremely surprised to find Henrietta standing in the doorway looking a little annoyed with a black bag around her arm. She looked up when I opened the door.

"Henrietta? What are you doing here?" I wondered, totally confused.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked, "I had a fight with my parents and I really don't want to be around them right now."

"Uh, sure. Come on in," I replied, stepping aside to let her in. She nodded her thanks and followed me into the house.

"Sorry about the mess," I muttered, becoming acutely aware of what a trash heap my house was, "No one in my family ever picks up after themselves."

"It's fine," Henrietta dismissed, "You should see the trailer Pete's family lives in. You can't take even one step without stepping on something."

Smiling slightly, I led her down the hall to my room. If I had known she was coming I would've taken down some of my posters of bikini babes that I still had from my youth. Hey, I'm a guy, don't judge me.

My room was considerably cleaner than the rest of the house because unlike the rest of my family I like my space to be organized. I had acquired a few more knick-knacks and baubles from my childhood that I had neatly tucked away. I nervously watched as Henrietta cast her eyes around my room, waiting her final judgement.

"Not bad," she said at last, "Not what I expected."

"Thanks," I replied, "I might be poor, but I try to keep a nice room."

I watched as she walked over to my bed and started taking her shoes off. I cleared my throat. "Not that I'm not glad you're here," I clarified, "You're always welcome here, but I was just wondering why you didn't go to one of your friends' house? Surely one of them live closer to you then me?"

Henrietta smirked. "Usually I would go to Michael's house when I'm mad," she admitted, "Or Firkle's. But I wanted to go to you because the argument I had with my parents was about you."

I blinked in surprise at her. "Why were you fighting about me?" I wondered.

"Because I told them that you were my boyfriend and they didn't exactly… approve of you," she scowled, "They know your family is poor and for some reason they think that means you're a horrible person or something. I told them they can't tell me who I can and can't date, especially when they're not even at home most of the time and things just sort of escalated from there. Eventually I just said, 'fuck it' and left."

I felt rather honored that she would defend me so fiercely to her parents, and I couldn't help but smile to myself.

"Turn around," she said suddenly.

"What?" I asked, coming out of my daze.

"Turn around," she repeated, "I'm going to get changed into my night clothes and I don't want you to see me naked."

"Oh! Right!" I exclaimed, blushing slightly and turning my back to her. I heard the rustling of clothes as Henrietta slipped out of her dress and opened the bag she had brought with her. I want to say I was a good man and had my back turned the whole time, but curiosity got the better of me and I couldn't help but sneak a peek.

Henrietta had her back turned to me and was crouching over her bag in just her panties. A blush formed on my face but then I noticed the tattoo on the back of her left shoulder. It was a black rose that was bleeding between the petals. In the center of the rose was a broken heart.

Before she could catch me peeping I quickly turned back around. I wondered if her tattoo had any meaning, but of course I couldn't ask her.

"You can turn around now," she said suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts. I turned around and saw that she was now wearing a long black and dark grey night shirt and loose-fitting pajama pants. I don't know why but I envisioned her wearing something kinkier than that.

"Do you have a bathroom I can use to brush my teeth?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied, "It's at the very end of the hall. Try not to be too hard on the taps." She nodded and grabbed her toothbrush.

"I'll be right back," she told me.

While she was gone I took the time to get into my own night clothes. On cold nights I slept in heavier clothes and usually kept my parka on. But tonight didn't seem too cold so I just put on a t-shirt and some sweat pants. Then I followed Henrietta to the bathroom to brush my own teeth. (I didn't want them to fall out like my dad's!)

When we got back to my room I immediately started panicking over our bedding arrangement. "Ok, um, I guess you can take the bed and I can probably find an extra blanket to lay on," I muttered, "Or maybe I can sleep on the couch…"

"Kenny," Henrietta interrupted, "We're a couple. We can sleep in the same bed, you know." She raised an amused eyebrow at me as I blushed.

"Oh. I guess we can do that too," I said.

We climbed into my bed and we lay in a spooning position, with her back to my front. I reached over her to turn off the light, plunging my room into darkness. We lay in silence as I felt her breathing against me.

"Is this all right?" I asked her.

"Yeah, Kenny, it's fine," she replied.

"Um, is it all right if I put my arms around you?"

She paused a moment and for a second I thought she was going to say no. "Yes," she said eventually, "You may."

As gently as I could, I wrapped my arms around her waist, keeping her close to me. I softly nuzzled her shoulder before closing my eyes and falling asleep.

Kenny has never had a girl in his house, can ya tell? This chapter ended up being a bit longer than I meant it to be. Oh well. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what will happen next chapter, but I'll be adding to the mystery with Ike. Also, more Kenny/Henrietta bonding. Please leave a comment and see you next chapter!