Author's Note: Short chapter, I know. After the epicness of the beginning of it, though, I lost a lot of steam and just needed the chapter to end. I apologize for the second half of this chapter sounding so forced! Bleh. I might need a little break for inspiration. And the whole thing with Butters' parents...well I felt bad that we haven't seen like...any...of them this whole time, and they do play a big role in his life. I think we're looking at a few more chapters of this story and an epilogue. X3 Sometimes an author needs to move on after fifty pages of fanfic, y'know? Enjoy guys, read and review!

Bully

Chapter Ten

by MT Yami

"I didn't care about you, Kenneh! I mean, not like that, I mean, you're my best friend and all…and you die almost everyday for Christ's sake! Why was that any different? I knew you were going to be back, eventually." Cartman snorted and shut the refrigerator door, turning to leave. Kenny, with astonishing quickness, made his way over to block the door.

"What are you talking about? You cried…you told the entire US Congress that you loved me!" Kenny looked hurt almost to the point of tears. Cartman couldn't believe what he was hearing or seeing.

"I only said that because I wanted to get stem cell research legalized again so I could have my own Shakey's Pizza! Didn't Kahyle tell you that?" The juggernaut was beginning to get angry. "I mean, Jesus Christ, are you stupid? I don't love people! Besides, the only person who really loved you then was St—aw, fuck, never mind."

Kenny's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"I said never mind, you poor piece of shit! Just leave Butters alone, okay? Or I'll kick your ass."

"No! I refuse to believe that you would ever want to be with that little Melvin over me!"

Cartman rounded upon Kenny, amber eyes blazing. "Nobody said that I want to be with Butters. Or any guy, for that matter. I'm not a fucking fag, how many times do I need to say it? What's gotten into you?"

"I see the way you look at him!"

"Don't be a bitch, Kenneh! You're acting like a pussy bitch!"

Kenny bit his lip. Cartman was visibly seething. The doorbell rang in the background but neither boy was paying any kind of attention.

"Don't you get it, fatass? I used him. I thought if I defiled him enough, he wouldn't be good enough for you anymore. You know, you and I…we're best friends for a reason. We know what it's like to be different. You're fat, I'm poor, and people judge us because of it. How could a stupid little perfect prick like him ever relate to you? Why can't you look at me like you look at him?" Kenny had pulled the hood even tighter in his consternation, making him harder and harder to understand.

"Kenneh, this is both weird and ridiculous—"

Without warning, Kenny grabbed him by the shirt collar. Cartman was surprised that the other boy had even managed to drag him towards him, but then again, they were fairly equal in height and the sandy-haired boy was all lean muscle.

Cartman's eyes widened as Kenny crushed his lips against his; it was rough but practiced, and worlds away from Butters' soft touch. His mind went completely and totally blank out of sheer outrage, and it was the sound of a familiar voice, high-pitched and shocked, that brought him back to reality.

"E-eric? What're you doing with him?!"

Oh shit motherfucking Jesus Christ in goddamn heaven.

Cartman shoved Kenny off of him with a speed that surprised even himself, and the sandy-blond boy flew backwards and crashed into the refrigerator. He turned around to see possibly his worst nightmare: a sobbing, hand-wringing muddle of Butters, who was staring at the floor in his distress.

"Butters! What are you doing here?"

"K-Kenny c-called and said I'ah had to c-come o-over n-now…w-why, Eric? I-I'ah d-don't u-understand!" Butters wailed, now looking wildly around the room. "I'ah knew it was s-stupid! Shucks, I knew you c-couldn't s-stop playing them d-dirty p-pranks…but for y-you…and h-him…to gang up and do-do that t-to me…you're the lowest, Eric Cartman!"

"Wait, Butters, no, you're wrong, it's not like that—"

"Just shut up!" The petite blond screamed and wheeled upon Cartman, beating at the bigger boy's chest, albeit a little futilely. "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to know why you planned this with Kenny…I endured him everyday for you…did you make him beat me up so you could save me and then make me think that maybe…just maybe…?"

"Butters. Please, stop crying. I've got nothing to do with him, it was all Kenneh—"

"No! I am sick and tired of you always blaming it on someone else!" The smaller boy straightened and took a deep breath. "Well, you know what, Eric? I'ahm not falling for it this time. Just leave me alone, boy howdy!"

Butters bolted out of Kenny's kitchen then, leaving Cartman to wonder how everything he thought he knew had turned out to be so seriously fucked up. He looked over at Kenny, who was still on the ground next to the fridge, groaning.

His lips gravely drawn tight, Cartman took a knife out of the drawer and slit Kenny's throat. He kicked him when he was done, for good measure, and turned towards the door.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow, Kenneh. I hope you have a nice time in Hell until then."

--

"Butters? Butters honey, what's wrong? You haven't stopped crying since you got home from Kenny's house…do you want dinner?" Linda called up the stairs, a little concerned. Her boy had always been a bit of a crybaby, but this was excessive even for him.

"Young man, you come down here and eat the dinner your wonderful mother has lovingly cooked for you now, or you're grounded!" Chris Stotch crossed his arms grimly. "You have got to be firm with him, Linda, or else he—"

Butters appeared at the top of the stairs, his face puffy and red, stained with tears. "Shucks, Mom and Dad, I'ah didn't mean to make you sore. I'ahll come down n' eat now."

Both parents were stunned to see their son acting so defeated. Usually Butters was fairly cheerful, even when he was being chastised.

At the dinner table, nobody felt like talking. Butters picked at his apple pie, even though it was his very favorite.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Can I'ah be homeschooled?"

--

In first hour the following morning, Mr. Garrison droned on, causing everyone in the class to feel even drowsier than usual. Butters stared at the pockmarks on his table, probably left over from some previous occupant's war with boredom.

His mom had, clearly, turned down his request to be homeschooled as it was, after all, his senior year of high school. Still, Butters was unsure how the day was going to pan out. He glanced past Pip, whom he usually sat next to, over to what was usually Cartman and Kenny's table. The behemoth was sitting next to Kyle, who looked like he was still grumbling about it, while Kenny was with Stan clear across the room.

Butters had a very bad feeling about everything. While the four of them often fought about a lot of things, it had never been enough to take them off of speaking terms. Stan and Kyle looked like they were getting exasperated with their feuding friends for those exact reasons.

I bet they don't even know what happened.

Which was nearly true. Stan had just gone into the kitchen to find Kenny and Cartman and found the blond dead on the floor, blood everywhere. It didn't necessarily alarm him, but it definitely signaled that they had had one hell of an argument.

Cartman looked furious, his thick brown eyebrows furrowed, and had finished all of the McDonald's sandwiches that morning by himself. Kenny looked equally morose, but by this time both Stan and Kyle had given up on getting them to talk to each other.

The petite blond scoffed and stabbed his pencil violently into the desk, feeling rather like Professor Chaos again. Pip squeaked, startled by Butters' unusually brutal gesture, which caught Mr. Garrison's attention.

"Butters? Is everything okay?"

"Y-yes, Mr. Garrison."

"O-ok…well, don't kill the table, please." The grey-haired man returned to his lesson, and Butters sunk down in his chair. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, and fought back tears.

I bet he's told everyone in the school about how he's pulled another one on me, and a really good one at that. Shucks, Eric, why do you have to be such a fucker like that?

Something hit him in the back of the head, and he grumbled, turning around sharply with a glare on his face. The gaggle of girls in the corner waved at him, and Wendy pointed to the floor by his feet, mouthing "note."

Butters leaned down and snatched the crumpled pink piece of paper off of the floor, unfolding it slowly so as not to make too much noise. He smiled a little at its contents, and turned around to nod at the girls.

"See you tonight!" Bebe mouthed. "Bring cute pajamas!"

While the promise of a sleepover, one of Butters' favorite activities, wasn't enough to shake him loose of all of his present concerns, he reasoned that being with the girls and talking about it might help. He glanced over at Cartman, who was now snoring and leaning on a very disgusted-looking Kyle.

Butters, decidedly, would need all the help he could get.