A/N: Hello all once again! Welcome to chapter 35. Riley's story...and maybe something else. I really have no idea. Let us see, shall we?
Enjoy!
"Okay, Ken. Define syllogism."
"Aristotle's theory of reasoning where two statements are followed by one conclusion."
"Great job," the redhead smiled.
"Ky," Stan started. "You're doing a worksheet. Your debit is merchandise inventory. What's the credit?"
"Income summary, though it can go either way."
"Right," he nodded.
The four boys sat around Kyle and Kenny's coffee table, studying with each other for finals as they had every semester.
"Stan, what's Earthshine?" Cartman asked.
"Uh...light from the Sun that reflected off the Moon and onto the Earth?"
"Yup."
"Cartman, who was the Whig Party against?" Kenny asked.
"I think it was...Jefferson?"
"Nope," Stan smirked. "They were against Jackson. They formed during the Reconstruction because they opposed his ideals on just about everything."
"Goddammit," he groaned, leaning back into the couch. "I'm fucked on this goddamn history test."
"Cartman, you'll do fine," Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Why should I learn this crap?" he sighed.
"Because the school's a conspiracy," Kenny echoed him with a smirk.
"True," he nodded. "God, aren't we graduated yet?!"
"Two weeks, Dude," Stan smiled. "Just a few tests and we're out of there."
"How's your speech going, Jew?"
"Heh, pretty shitty so far," he admitted. "I haven't really worked on it much."
"You should probably do that," Ken suggested.
"I know...but I really don't want to," he sighed. "I mean...what am I supposed to say?"
"Didn't Howard give you like, an outline or something?" Stan asked.
"Not really. He told me just speak from the heart. If I did that, I'd probably just flip everyone off and walk off the stage."
"Well, you'd certainly leave a lasting impression," Kenny smirked. They all chuckled in agreement as Stan scanned through some of their books on the table. He came to one and flipped it open, raising his brow.
"What's this?" he asked, holding it up.
Kenny and Kyle looked up and shrugged. "It's the notes we keep for our job," Ken explained. "Those are all the spirits we've helped so far."
"Why does this one have a blank space?" he asked, pointing to the last line.
"That's Riley," Kyle said. "She's taking a nap on the bed," he gestured back towards their room. "We're not done with her yet."
"Oh...okay...," he still looked confused. "What's her deal?"
"We don't know as of yet," Kenny said, underlining some of his notes. "All we know is she was born in '76, died in '94 by a train, and is from Washington."
"And that she's a photographer," Kyle added. "She can't really point out any regrets or anything as of yet. She's thinkin', though."
"Oh...," he repeated. "That's um...cruddy."
Kenny chuckled, "yes, Stan. It's very cruddy."
"So, how'd therapy go for you two on Wednesday?" Cartman asked, leafing through a textbook in boredom.
Ken and Kyle froze slightly. Not exactly a topic they wanted to revisit. "We...we had some problems, but you know, that's to be expected," Kyle shrugged, taking a highlighter to his papers.
"What kind of problems?" Stan asked, placing his notes on the table.
"We...we had to talk about the whole...you know...thing," Kenny explained. "We didn't really get too far before we lost it."
"Ah," he nodded. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Kyle sighed. "Not your fault, Dude."
"I kinda feel like it is," he frowned. "I mean...if I'd been awake..."
"Oh don't you start, too," he lectured, looking at him with annoyance overshadowing his delicate features.
"Start what?" Cartman raised his brow.
"Don't start placing all the blame on you," he continued. "Look, none of us played into the fault, alright? You know who did? Barney and Mitch. Not you. Not Ken. Not me. Not a ghost. Nobody but those horny freaks, okay?"
"I still feel bad..."
"Well don't," he stated firmly, turning back to his notes. "What's done is done. All that's left of that mess is the trial."
"And your severe mental trauma," Cartman added, eyeing the Jew cautiously. Kyle looked up at him unamused.
"I'm fine," he stated simply.
He scoffed, "yeah. Breakdowns and hearing voices totally makes me believe that," he rolled his eyes. Kyle's pen halted in mid-scribble and he raised his eyes to meet those of Cartman's once more.
"Fuck you, Fatass."
"Please, you don't do the fucking, that's Kenny's job," he rolled his eyes superiorly.
"Not always true," Kenny smirked. There was a long silence before Stan finally broke it.
"You actually let him top?! Dude!"
Kyle fell into a deep blush and tried to hide behind his accounting book before Kenny reached over and pulled him into his lap, snuggling into him. 'Yessir. And he was fucking awesome, too. You should let Wends and Red try some toys on you two, because it was fucking amazing," he chuckled.
"Aw, Dude, sick!" Cartman gagged.
"No thanks," Stan said. "I really don't want something going in and out of my ass."
"It feels good though," he whined.
"Ken..." Kyle warned.
"Seems mighty uncomfortable to me," he responded with a shrug.
"It's not!" he protested. "I thought it would be too, and I guess it was at first. Stings like a bitch, too. But it was amazing!"
"Kenny..." Kyle tried again.
"You're just saying that because Kahl's in the room and you don't want to say that you didn't feel anything because his dick's so small," Cartman rolled his eyes.
"Hey, he's got at least four inches on you, Fatass."
"Kenneth!"
"And just how would you know that?" Cartman asked.
"Because I do," he stuck his tongue out and pulled Kyle in closer. "No one compares to my Jewboy." Kyle just rolled his eyes and turned back to his notes, still situated on Kenny's lap.
"You know," he started slowly, "I thought we had an agreement on this."
Kenny blinked, "on what?"
Kyle looked at him sternly. "I told you that you didn't need to discuss what goes on beyond closed doors. Kenny, that's our business and ours alone."
"But...but...I like bragging that you're mine," he pouted.
"I don't really think they care," he raised his brow. "Bragging to them is different than bragging to other gay people, Ken."
"But we don't know many other gay people!"
"You know Craig," Cartman snickered. "Why don't you go brag to him?" Kenny glared at him and pulled Kyle in tighter.
"He already knows that Kyle's mine. He's just fucking jealous that I have him and he isn't good enough for him."
"And you are?" Stan raised his brow.
"Of course he is," Kyle answered. "Why the hell would I be with him if he wasn't?"
"Pity," Cartman answered.
"Pity? For what?!"
"For being poor," he shrugged.
Kenny stared at him for a moment, unable to find the angry response that he so desperately wanted. He watched as a textbook went flying towards him and smacked him in the nose.
"OW! Son of a bitch Jew!" he screamed.
Kenny looked up at Kyle, who looked absolutely furious. "I don't pity Kenny," he snarled. "He doesn't need anybody's pity, especially not mine. I'm with him for my own reasons but you're so far off I don't even know where to begin telling you how fucking wrong you are!"
Cartman rubbed his now-bleeding nose and growled. "Oh please, Jewrat. Everyone pities the poor," he rolled his eyes. "I mean, you took him in and now you feed him and everything. What is that besides pity?"
"I care about him, that's what it is, Retard!"
"So you give him absolutely everything?!"
"No I don't!"
"I don't see him with a job!"
"He doesn't need one. I don't really need one either. We have plenty to get us by from my parents paying the rent and his parents sending us some food money."
"You still hold the cards on the financial situation," he raised his brow.
Kyle growled angrily. "Okay, I bring in more money. Big. Fucking. Deal. Kenny takes me to therapy and places and takes care of me when I'm hurt. Why the fuck would he need to juggle every fucking aspect of our lives?!"
"Because he's the man of the relationship!"
"Oh god, not this again," Stan pinched the bridge of his nose. Kyle got up from Kenny's lap and stared down at him furiously.
"Last time I checked, we're both guys, Cartman!"
Cartman stood and looked down towards him, looking just as focused. "But he's not the one who's always the damsel in distress," he poked Kyle's chest harshly.
"I'm not a damsel in distress!"
"Then what are you?" he asked. "You seem to always get yourself into trouble and have to be rescued by your stronger boyfriend," he pointed out. "So what does that make you, Kyle?!"
"Accident-prone," he muttered.
"Ha! You see? Damsel in distress," he smirked. Kyle growled and let his fists shake at his sides. Kenny just stared at the two of them, wondering what he was supposed to say.
"Fuck off, Fatass," Kyle finally responded. "Maybe I do tend to get into some bad situations, and yes, maybe I always in some way need saved. But you know what? At least I have someone who wants to save me! I sure as hell wouldn't run out if you were getting attacked, Fatboy!"
Cartman scowled at him, "So, you'll rescue Fischbach from a pond but wouldn't come if I was?"
"Probably not. Considering the cavity from where your brain is supposed to be would keep you afloat, it probably wouldn't be necessary."
"Kyle...he's helped you...," Stan pointed out. "Multiple times."
Kyle froze slightly as Cartman looked at him expectantly. "Well, Jew? Come on. Insult me some more."
Kyle scoffed and looked towards the coffee table. Kenny followed his gaze and watched as a pile of papers were strewn across the room. "Whoa...," Stan mumbled.
"Fine. You've helped me," Kyle mumbled. "And I guess I appreciate it, though I have to admit I'm waiting for you to tell me that I owe you," he narrowed his eyes at the larger boy.
"Eventually I will," he nodded.
"However," he continued, "Just because I tend to get into trouble is no excuse for you to attack Kenny like that. He's not poor."
"Yeah, I am," Ken sighed, and leaned his head into his palm. "And he's right. It's not fair that you get all the money for us. I should get a job, too...especially since I don't plan on going to college."
Kyle looked back at him sympathetically. "Ken, don't feel like you have to. We're okay."
"No, no we're not," he sighed again and stood up, clasping the boy in his arms and lightly kissing his curls. "I feel pretty bad about it," he said softly.
"Why? I like that you don't have one," Kyle said from his arms.
"How come?" he raised his brow. Kyle looked up at him and smiled sweetly.
"'Cause you're always here when I come home."
Cartman rolled his eyes. "Jesus Christ, what a soap opera. Get a room, you two."
"We have one and we make plenty use of it," Kenny smirked.
"Ew, Dude, I did not need to hear that," a voice came from behind them. Kenny and Kyle turned to see Riley looking at them amusedly.
"Hey, Riley," Kyle smiled.
"Hey," she waved, walking over and plopping down on the couch. She looked between Stan and Cartman and back towards the two boys. "Friends?"
"You could say that," Kenny nodded.
"Tell em I say hi."
"Riley says hi," Kyle relayed towards the other two.
"Um, hello," Stan nodded towards where they were previously staring.
She giggled, "Aw, he's cute," she cooed.
"She thinks you're hot, Stan," Kyle smirked. Stan's face glowed red.
"Uh...th-thanks?"
She laughed harder and looked back towards the immortals. "So, what are you up to?"
"We're studying for finals," Kenny shrugged. "It's a laugh and a half."
"Mm, I bet," she mused, picking up one of their books. Stan and Cartman watched in awe.
"Holy fuck...," Cartman's mouth gaped as the pages flipped in the air.
"Why did you make such a mess?" she motioned towards the papers all over the floor.
"I kinda lost my temper," Kyle shrugged sheepishly.
"So you threw paper everywhere?" she raised her brow.
"Not...technically," Kenny laughed.
"Dude, this is so fucking annoying!" Stan growled, leaning back into the couch with his arms crossed.
"I'm sorry, Stan," Kyle said sympathetically. "Not much we can do about it."
"Betcha Damien could," he sneered.
Kenny sighed. "I'll ask next time he stops by, alright?"
"Ask me what?"
They looked and saw Damien by the door. He looked back with a large grin and walked over towards them. "Hello all. Ken. Kyle. Cartman. Stan. Ghost Lady," he nodded towards them all.
"You can see me too?" she smiled.
"Indeed I can," he grinned back. "Now. Who needs to ask me what?"
"Stan and Cartman won't stop bitching," Kenny snorted.
"We think we should be able to see and hear these ghosts, too," Stan pouted.
He quirked his brow. "Why?"
"Well, we know that they're there, but it's quite annoying not being able to see them," Cartman replied. "I mean, we watched Kahl dragged across the floor by one the other day but had no idea what was really going on."
Damien nodded as he spoke. "Okay, I see your point. Well, I'll speak to my father and see what we can do. We may not be able to allow you this though, I don't know if you just being able to see and hear them automatically grants you the powers or if it's just a little part of it," he shrugged. "If that's the case, I'm sure we can give you that leeway. If it's the full blown abilities, though...well, I don't think we can."
"Well, find out, will ya?" Cartman requested.
"Will do," he nodded.
"Why are you here, Damien?" Kyle asked.
He looked at him with feigned hurt. "You don't want me here? Am I intruding on your little orgy or something?"
"Ew," he crinkled his nose, prompting Damien to chuckle.
"You're such a prude, Broflovski."
"Well, he's a Jew. What more could you expect?" Cartman shrugged.
"Fuck off!"
Kenny shook his head and laughed, looking back at the demon. "So, what's up, Dam?"
"I have that somebody I promised you," he smiled.
"Okay?" Kyle raised his brow. From a red glow behind Damien came a well dressed man with black hair and a gentle gray stare.
"Um...hi?" Stan blinked.
"Hello," he nodded at them with a gentle smile. "Which of you is Kyle?"
Kyle slowly raised his hand. "Um...that'd be me?" Damien nodded towards the man and he walked over towards the stumped redhead.
"Name's Oliver Dodson." he shook his hand with a friendly grin still upon his face.
"Uh, Kyle Broflovski," he nodded and shook back.
"Trust me I know," he winked. "I've learned quite a bit about you these past few weeks."
"Uh...okay?"
Damien laughed and walked over to the two and threw his arm around Kyle's shoulders. "Meet a bona fide lawyer from Hell," he gestured towards Oliver. "He's going to be with you every step of the way during the trial."
"Oh. How um, thoughtful of you," Kyle smiled meekly at him. Damien smirked and squeezed him a bit.
"Look, Dude. I know you're still a bit pissed about this whole thing, but it's for the best and you know it. Ollie here will help you get through it, I promise."
"Why'd you get him a lawyer?" Kenny asked, stepping towards them.
"Correction, I got you both a lawyer," he smiled.
"Ah, Kenny I presume?" he held out his hand to shake, which Kenny returned with a grateful, yet somewhat confused expression.
"Ollie here is one of the best damn lawyers around," Damien smiled. "He worked for my father when someone tried to sue him for 'wrongfully' damning them. We brought him back to life just for this case."
"Why would you want to help us?" Kyle looked at the man.
His gray eyes softened a bit, "I knew someone who went through something fairly similar to what you've gone through. Besides, I don't mind coming back to work, my work is what kept me going," he shrugged. "I loved my job and still do."
"Well...thank you," he smiled. "I don't even know when this thing's going on though..."
"September third," Damien answered. "We've been looking at the details for awhile now."
"Ah," Kenny stated simply. "Well...are you staying with us...or..."
He chuckled, "no Sir. I still have access to my place in Hell and I enjoy my time there. I don't know why so many people are against it," he shrugged.
"Eh, folk tales of horrors and such," Damien waved dismissively. "People are just too easily spooked nowadays."
"Forgive me for being a bit rude," Kyle said suddenly, "but are you licensed to work like this in Colorado?"
Damien smirked and ruffled his curls. "Fear not, oh ye of little faith. Do not forget who I am," he winked. "Paperwork's done. People manipulated. Bacon is fried."
"Bleck," he stuck his tongue out in disgust.
"Silly Jew," he laughed.
"God, not another Cartman," he groaned.
"Yeah, he's already big enough to count for at least three people," Stan commented.
"Ay!" Said boy shouted as Riley broke out into sniggers.
Oliver looked at the two boys, still smiling gently. "We'll start working on this fairly soon, I'm still looking over the details and trying to figure out what we can do to get him put away for good."
"Is there any chance of getting him the death penalty?" Cartman asked.
"Dude, no," Kyle frowned at him.
"I doubt we could. No one was murdered," Oliver shrugged. "I mean, kidnapping, attack, and rape doesn't really equal the most heinous of crimes. At least not to people who haven't experienced it firsthand. Human life is more valuable to people than their virginity."
"Well, they didn't take that," Kenny slid his arm around Kyle's waist. Kyle blushed and sighed in irritation, clasping Ken's arms back.
"Well, then their innocence," he tried again. "Nonetheless, the death penalty is not on our radar."
"I've heard of rapists getting the death penalty. Why is this any different?" Stan asked.
Oliver sighed and massaged his forehead. "As horrible as it is to say, his sexual orientation could play a major role in this. The fact that it was a boy attacked by men when he prefers the company of males could very well effect the outcome. Do not forget where we are. Colorado isn't exactly home of rainbow pride."
Kyle's face drastically fell. "I...I don't want him to be killed...but is it possible that we lose everything all together just because of that?"
"I highly doubt that," he said sternly. "Regardless of what may prevent him from the highest form of punishment, we're still making sure that he gets punished. This is still a horrible crime, no matter how you look at it. As I said, I'm still looking around and studying the case. We'll accomplish a good deal later on if that's alright with you?"
"Yeah, that's fine," Kenny nodded, pulling Kyle in closer. "We kinda don't feel like going into a lot of detail right now anyway."
He nodded, "That's completely understandable."
"Well, now that our happy little introductions are out of the way, I think I'll go talk to my father about Stan and Cartman's little hissy fit," Damien smiled.
"How's he doin'?" Kenny asked.
"He's well. Damn paperwork's finally settled down a bit, so he's kicking back a little."
"Not very godlike of him," Kyle raised his brow.
He snickered, "oh, you'd be surprised. They're both lazy as hell. Well, Oliver, are we ready?"
"Of course," he nodded. He turned back to the boys and offered a final smile. "Don't worry, I'll be back fairly soon and we'll start working on this. We'll get him, I promise," he winked.
"Thank you," Kyle smiled gratefully. He patted the Jew's shoulder in comfort as he and Damien began to fade away.
"Have fun with your case," the boy nodded at Riley. "Catch ya all around," he waved as they disappeared.
"Damn, that would be so damn convenient for school," Cartman shook his head in disbelief.
"Oh Jesus, you can last two more weeks," Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he waved dismissively.
Kyle sighed and gathered the papers from the ground. "September third," he said softly. He stood back up and looked at Kenny sadly. "I don't know if I can handle this."
"Ky, you can handle anything that comes your way and you know it," he reassured him. "This'll be tough, but we're in it together," he squeezed him into his larger frame and kissed his head. "I promise," he finished.
Kyle looked up at him and smiled, "Yeah, I know. Still. This whole situation sucks ass," he mumbled.
"Can't disagree with that," he nodded. "But just imagine if we win," he shook him softly. "We'll get to watch him dragged away to never see the light of day again."
"Yeah...I should probably be more excited about that," he frowned.
"Not with your personality," Stan stated. "You tend to forgive a little too easily. Hence the reason you still hang around Cartman," he nodded towards the chestnut-haired boy. Cartman just smirked in agreement. "Look, Kyle, you need to remember something: this guy is fucking insane, alright?"
"Seems pretty smart to me," Cartman said. "He knew exactly what strings to pull when we got here and he had the Jew. He knew just how to piss Kenny off when we were confronting him at the house. We can be pretty sure that a plea of insanity won't pull off in any court."
Kenny nodded, "Right. First time with Barney was just a test run for him. He obviously had some idea of how to hurt him," he looked at Kyle sadly.
"Raping doesn't exactly take a lot of brains," Stan rolled his eyes. "Just takes a horny jackass."
"But actually catching the person takes some degree of intelligence," Kenny argued. "If he was insane, he wouldn't have thought of finding our address in your phone to track Kyle down. And he knew that the police were there and he was able to take them down. I hate the guy with all that I can hate, but he was one step ahead every time until Damien showed up," he pulled the redhead in closer and rested his head atop his.
Stan sighed. "Okay, okay. Fine. He's not really insane." He looked back directly at Kyle with troubled eyes. "Kyle, my point is that despite the fact that you really don't relish in the idea of him being punished, what he did to you is unforgivable, Dude."
"I wouldn't say unforgivable, Stan," Kyle looked up at him sadly. "I mean...yeah, it was...upsetting..."
Cartman scoffed, "As if that isn't an understatement," he scoffed.
"But," he continued, "my life isn't in shambles. Things aren't perfect, but things never were. They haven't been for years. I've always been fucked up in the head...these things just added onto it and ultimately brought me to where I am."
"You haven't always been fucked up in the head," he argued.
He looked at him blankly. "Stan, you were here when I said I've been suicidal for four years."
"Well, we've all been suicidal at one time or another," he rolled his eyes. "It's just that you didn't actually try until recently!"
Kenny's grip tightened around Kyle and he let out a wavering breath. Kyle turned his head and let Kenny snuggle into his shoulder. He kissed his cheek reassuringly before turning back to Stan. "Look," he said firmly, "I just can't find solace in revenge for myself of any sort. The only reason I'm even agreeing to do this is because of one: he may go after other people, and two: he hurt Kenny. If it wasn't for Ken being involved, I probably wouldn't have even told you about it."
Stan and the other two boys froze. "Kyle...he...he fucking...Kyle he raped you!" Stan cried out.
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yes, I am well aware of that, Stan. You all remind me often enough."
"Well, it's kind of an important thing, Jew," Cartman raised his brow.
"Important to me," he placed his hands on his chest and looked around at them. "Let's just pretend for a moment that Ken wasn't involved, alright? Who would this entire situation have affected? Me and me alone."
"If Kenny wasn't there, you would have fought back," Stan said slowly.
"Okay?"
"They probably would have killed you, Kahl," Cartman furrowed his brow. "If people fight back they use more force. Since you went without a fight, they didn't have to. You willingly let them subdue you. If you hadn't, they would have beaten you down until they were able to get you under their control."
"So it would have affected all of us," Stan stated firmly. "You could have been dead."
"I've already been dead," he rolled his eyes.
"And it fucking drove us apart!" he cried back. "You were only gone a few hours and everything just fell to pieces! I went emo and tried to drink myself to death, Cartman became obsessed with trying to find a way to get you back, and Kenny tried to sacrifice himself to bring you back to us! Kyle, we keep reminding you for a reason, Dude. Because you need to remember. You need to remember every horrible detail that no one else knows about. You need to stand in court and tell all those people exactly what he did to you so that we can get him away from society and most importantly away from you...Kyle...imagine what'll happen if we don't get him off the streets, Dude."
"Another maniac running free, big shocker," he rolled his eyes.
"No, a maniac with an eye for you," he said with a softer tone. "He'll come back, Kyle. He'll keep coming back just for you. Don't you get it? He's fucking obsessed with you."
"No, he's comfortable with attacking me because he knows how to win."
Kenny sighed and pulled the Jew closer and kissed his cheek gently. "No, he's obsessed. He wasn't just calling you pretty to piss me off. He really thinks that. He's addicted to the idea of you being under his control."
"But I'm not," he said steadily.
"But he wants you to be," Cartman continued. "I'm betting that he sits in a jail cell jerking off at the thought of you being under him at his mercy." Kenny glared evilly at the larger boy.
"Then why would he threaten to throw me off a balcony?!" Kyle argued. "He can't control me if he thinks he's gonna kill me!"
"He gave Kenny that choice," Stan said.
"He knew that I would never choose to let him hurt you," Kenny continued, swaying him back and forth softly. "He thought that I would choose the one where he got off free. Then he'd just come back when my back was turned and grab you again. Except I wouldn't be able to save you because he could take you somewhere where I wouldn't know where you were. You said it yourself, he had lust in his eyes. Lust is usually a one time deal unless the person you're with means something of some sort to you. What did he look like when he came back for you?"
Kyle was quiet for a moment. "The...the same I guess," he shrugged.
"Exactly," Kenny nodded. "Kyle, he loved that feeling. He thought you were beautiful and that he knew exactly how to make you his. If he really just wanted to go around raping people, he would have done that. Criminals don't usually go back for the same exact crime because it increases their chances of getting caught. He really thought that locking me in a basement meant that he completely had you for himself." He felt Kyle shudder and grasped him tighter again.
"I'm not a fucking prize," he sniffed.
"Not in that sense, you're not," Kenny replied. "You are in the sense that you're the best damn boyfriend anyone could ask for. But no, you're not a hunting prize." Kyle sighed and leaned back into him, cuddling into his chest and looking at the floor in thought.
"Ky? You okay?" Stan asked.
Kyle looked up at him with a saddened expression. "I don't really know," he shrugged. "I mean...I'm not any different than I was a few minutes ago. But this is just...I don't know, the concept is fucking creepy."
"Not entirely," Kenny said. "I mean...I'm obsessive about you and I strive to make you mine. Is that creepy?"
"You're my boyfriend, Kenny. And I'm already yours, you dumbass," he added with a smirk before dropping back into his serious tone. "But...he's like...older than us."
"He didn't look that much older," Cartman commented. "Maybe in his mid-twenties or something," he shrugged.
Kyle sighed, "that's not the point. I mean, he's like a pedo or something."
"Well...yeah," Stan shrugged obviously. "Kyle, we told you, he's obsessed with you. His judgement wasn't very clear."
"I think it was," Kenny growled. "His judgement told him that Kyle was pretty. That he was smaller and kinder and more submissive if something was on the line. We've discussed this, he wasn't insane. he wasn't just lacking judgement. He wanted Kyle. End of story."
Kyle sighed once more and broke away from Kenny's grasp, placing his fingertips on his temples. "I...I can't do this right now," he said softly. "I need to get the fuck out of here for awhile."
Their faces dropped. "Ky, we didn't mean to make you upset," Stan said.
He looked at him and smiled softly. "Dude, I'm not upset. You're stating, what I guess now that I think about it, facts. I just need some time to think, alright?"
"You're sure you're not mad?" Kenny asked.
Kyle chuckled and cupped his face, planting a firm kiss on his lips. "I promise I'm not," he smiled when he pulled away. "I just need some time, okay?" He straightened back up and looked over at Riley, who was still stuck with an expression mixed with shock and confusion. "Riley," he nodded at her. "Come on," he motioned towards the door.
"Where...where are we going?" she asked in a daze, getting to her feet.
"We're gonna talk," he shrugged.
"Kyle...I don't know if you should..." Stan bit his lip.
Kyle rolled his eyes and slapped his shoulder playfully. "I'm bringing her to talk and so you three don't piss yourselves with worry. If something happens she can come back and tell Kenny, alright? I promise, I'm not mad, I'm not upset, I'm not going to punch a building. I just need to get out for awhile, okay? I'll be back at some point in time."
"Do you have your -" Cartman started.
Kyle interrupted by reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone. "I have my phone. You three are freaking over nothing. This note thing that I know you're all concerned about hasn't been brought up in a long time. I think it was a one-time threat. Someone just talking to scare me. Probably some pussy freshmen or something without the balls to deal with me directly," he grinned. "Now, we're going. Phone's on. She's here," he motioned to Riley, "I still know how to run. I'll see you later," he waved as he opened the door for the spirit and followed her out, shutting the door firmly behind him.
They all stared after him for a minute before Stan sighed. "I think he really is upset about something."
"Nah, Ky tells me if he's upset. I can tell he's not really," Kenny started. "I mean, I think he kinda knew what we told him and that we just reenforced the idea."
"Well...what do we do now?" Cartman asked.
"We study some more," Stan shrugged. "Kyle doesn't need to. Damn kid's already aced everything we've thrown at him. Might as well just keep going."
Kenny and Cartman nodded as they plopped down and flipped through each other's notes. "Okay Stan," Kenny started. "what's a circumpolar constellation?"
"A constellation that like, stays visible in the Northern hemisphere for the whole year."
"Right."
"Cartman, what did the case of Munn v Illinois do?" Stan asked.
"Upheld the Granger laws for the railroad tracks," he shrugged.
"Yup. Damn, this is getting easier," he smiled.
"I know," Kenny nodded in agreement. "I've never been able to study so easily. Finals are gonna be a snap this year."
"Let's hope so," Cartman mused, leaning back into the chair and looking over some more notes. "Okay...Kenny. What kind of person demonstrates the behavioral principle of altruism?"
Kenny bit his lip in thought, looking at the ceiling as though it held some divine answer. He looked back towards Cartman and smiled as he thought of his response: "Kyle."
Too many books. Too many goddamn books to serve him any purpose.
Kenny groaned as he gathered all of his and Kyle's textbooks and carried them into their room. He glanced at the clock, seeing only about an hour or so had passed since Kyle's departure. As much as he wanted to worry, he knew that he really shouldn't. Kyle wasn't a child, he could handle himself. Besides, Riley was there keeping an eye on him, too. Not a big deal...or so he tried to tell himself.
He flopped face down onto the middle of the bed and took a deep breath. He caught the familiar sweet scent of Kyle and smiled, bringing his arms upwards to grasp the redhead's pillow and snuggle into it. He creaked open his eyes and stared at the door to the balcony, observing the light beaming through. He watched the beams dancing onto the floor, still cuddling into the pillow, feeling the warmth emanating from both sources. His gaze fell to Kyle's nightstand and he sat up, his curiosity overtaking him. He slid open the draw and pulled out Kyle's red notebook.
He bit his lip as he gazed at the cover. Kyle said he didn't really want him to know the dreams unless they were with Joe...but what would learning earlier do? He just wanted to know what was going on in his pretty little head. Was that so wrong of his boyfriend to wonder?
Nah. It was just concern. Right? Right.
He flipped it open and couldn't help chuckling as he saw the organized structure of the notebook. Almost like a diary. Only Kyle could take horrid nightmares that reduce him to tears and make it so neat and tidy.
He leaned back on the headboard and read the opening entry:
Week One; Wednesday
Everything's really clean and clear, though green so it's kinda weird. Ken's with me and we're just holding hands and walking. We fight and he's gone all of a sudden and everything goes gray. Something grabs me and holds me on the ground. Then there are these sharp pains everywhere on my body. It's like they're stabbing me or something.
Kenny bit his lip, reading the short but all too revealing entry. The doc told them about everything up until when he got kidnapped in his dream. He looked at it for a few moments before reaching over the edge of the bed and hoisting up his psychology notes. He flipped through his binder until he came to a special section he had written up himself towards the beginning of the first semester. He flipped through the pages until he found what he needed. He ripped another page out of Kyle's notebook and took the pencil from the spiral binding and jotted down his notes.
Kidnapped - Feels trapped and restricted. Something taking attention away from daily routine
He flipped through more and jotted down other tidbits as well:
Stabbed - feeling weak and defenseless. A struggle with power over life.
He looked at the two notes and bit the top of the pencil. Why would Kyle feel restricted? Maybe his thoughts were keeping him from being himself for fear of being taken again. Maybe he felt sexually restricted because of what they had done to him. Maybe he just didn't think he could leave the house much anymore because someone could very well hurt him again. He sighed and wrote all three down as options, knowing that each guess was as good as the last. Alright. Next day.
Week one; Thursday
Nothing really happened. The entire time was just me looking in a cracked mirror. My right arm was busted up, as were my eyes and legs. I could see Ken in the reflection behind me and he was bleeding, too, though not as much. Other than that, it was relatively calm aside from this asp that kept slithering around me.
Okay. Not a lot here to work with. He sighed again and flipped through his notes, pretty confident that whatever he found wouldn't make him feel any better. He found a few and jotted them down on his paper:
MIrror - the crack shows a distorted image of oneself and the actual looking into it shows a wondering of one's self, trying to figure out who one is. What they see is how they feel about themselves.
Arm - The right arm is supposed to symbolize masculine energy and an outgoing nature. Damage to this arm can mean the loss of both in the real world.
Eyes - Could be trying to avoid the truth. Could be meant to show sadness, sympathy, or pain.
Legs - Injured legs could mean a loss of independence or a lack of courage in a situation.
Bleeding - If you are bleeding, it means you're exhausted or emotionally drained. To see someone else bleeding means that you're making an emotional cry for help.
Asp - A loss of honor and respect for oneself and misfortune in life.
Kenny looked at his notes in disbelief. He never thought that dreams could be so close to the truth for Kyle's life. Down to the last detail, everything seemed to fit into what the boy was going through.
So Kyle was exhausted, that much was obvious in the real world. He wanted the help to get better, too. He had lost his respect for himself when he was raped, and it took a toll on his masculinity by being reduced to such a state. He didn't want to truly come out and admit what had happened, he was desperately trying to avoid having to take the stand in court and tell the truth about it.
Everything fit. Kenny quickly jotted down his summary with a nervous knot beginning in his gut. So did Kyle always feel like this? He had had one day where he said he didn't have any bad dreams at all. Then he had the dream Wednesday morning that woke him up and drove him to cry for a full hour. Kenny flipped to where that morning should have been recorded and found the spot blank.
"Shit," he hissed. His ears perked as he heard a door opening.
"Ken?" that familiar voice called out.
"Shit!" he repeated. He took the notebook and threw it back in Kyle's drawer, tossing his notes into his own and hurriedly trying to lean back casually. Kyle came walking into the room with a raised brow.
"Dude, are you okay?"
"Hm? Oh yea," he nodded. "Just...lazy," he shrugged. He sat up and watched as Kyle came to sit down at the foot of the bed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Dude, I'm fine," he nodded. "Told you I just needed some time."
"Ah. Where's Riley."
"Over at Starks. She really liked the scenery and was trying to imagine some pics. I gave her my phone to take some," he grinned sheepishly.
"What if someone sees a floating phone?"
He chuckled, "She's smarter than that. She's holding it so it blends in with the woods and stuff...," his small grin faded as he stared at the blonde. "Ken?"
"Hm?"
"You sure you're okay? You seem distracted."
"Yeah...I'm just...I guess I'm just thinkin' about you," he smiled.
"What about me?"
He sighed and leaned back. "Do you want the honest answer or the one that leads to sex?"
"Honest, please."
"Well damn. There goes my plan," he smirked before it faded. "Thinkin' about you and just this whole fucking mess, I guess," he shrugged.
Kyle sighed and massaged his forehead. "Ken, I told you to stop worrying."
"I can't help it!" he pleaded. "I mean, if I didn't care, what the fuck kind of boyfriend would that make me?! I know that you don't want me to freak out but I just can't help it. You're hurt and I wanna help you get better," he sniffed.
Kyle crawled to the head of the bed and leaned the blonde into his small chest. "Dude, you are helping me get better, okay? It's just gonna take some time."
"It's taking too much time!" he protested.
"You keep telling me that this isn't going to be easy, that this is going to take some time, and you're right. You can't completely rebuild the mind in a few weeks, Ken."
He sighed, "I know. But I wish that we could."
Kyle smiled gently and kissed his hair, "I'll get better. I promise."
"You love to make me promises, don't you?" he looked up and smirked.
Kyle smirked right back, "it's only because I love watching your eyes light up when I do," he winked. Kenny sighed contentedly and nuzzled into his Jew.
"So...you and ghost girl have a good talk?"
"I think I figured out why she's stuck," he said, playing with Kenny's hair.
"Really?"
"We were talking about mine and yours relationship, and she seemed rather bitter when I tried to bring up any that she may have had. She said she had a boyfriend, but she was a bit...angsty about it. So I'm betting he has something to do with her being as she is."
"Sweet. We shall interrogate her later," he looked up at him and smiled, noticing his thoughtful gaze towards the sheets. "Dude, what's up?"
"Thinkin'," he blinked. Kenny snorted and reached up to turn his face to redirect his gaze back unto him.
"We think too much," he smirked. "Is something up?"
He sighed. "Yeah. Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"
"Well you can ask anything you want."
"Will you answer honestly?"
"Of course...what's on your mind?"
He sighed again. "Okay. Let's say that...I never died, okay? Therefore, we never got together."
"Okay..."
"But let's say that I still ran into Barney and Mitch that night and all this insane shit still happened to me."
"Alright..."
He looked back down at him sadly, "would you still be my friend?"
Kenny dropped into a deep frown. "Of course I would. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I...I guess I'm just trying to think of this from a different perspective, you know? I mean, if it were someone else, would I be able to handle seeing them have breakdowns whenever I got near them?" he shrugged.
"Stan and Cartman are still beside you," he said slowly. "And so am I. Kyle, we're still buds. Just because we're dating doesn't mean that we completely obliterated the friendship stance we had before."
"I know, but I feel like I'm obligating you or something."
"Uh, no," he frowned still. "Ky, where is all of this coming from?"
"I...I don't really know," he said slowly. "Riley and me were talking about the whole situation because she was confused as hell. She asked if I was still suicidal...and I guess in a way I am."
Kenny sat up and stared at him. "How...how much?"
"I dunno. I don't really have that much of a reason to be upset like that anymore."
"Um...as much as I hate to say this...I kinda think you do, Ky."
Kyle looked at him and smiled softly. "But...I have you now. Before when I went through all that crap, I really didn't have much to be happy about and fall back on. But now that I have you, I don't run to an easy solution like I used to," he shrugged. "But I still just can't help thinking like that sometimes."
Kenny sighed sadly, "I really wish that you could. But why do you think that I wouldn't be your friend?"
"I guess I just keep thinking about Wednesday. I'm obviously stressing the living hell out of you and I'm probably doing the same for at least Stan, too."
"You're not stressing the living hell out of me," he rolled his eyes. "If it was so stressful, I wouldn't want to put up with it."
"I wouldn't want to," he blinked. He sighed at Kenny's unamused expression and turned to look towards the foot of their bed. He curled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. "I...I keep thinking about what Stan said...about what happened when I died."
"Ky, you mean the world to us. Well, at least to me and Stan," he shrugged. "Cartman just needs someone to make him feel bigger."
"Well if he'd look in the mirror, he'd see that he can't get much bigger."
Kenny let out a laugh before pulling Kyle into his side. "Dude, I always considered you my best friend, even though Stan was always yours."
"No, Stan is my Super best friend," he grinned at him. "You're my best friend. Stan and me have a friendship that's stronger than just usual pals, but less than what you and I have, ya know? I always thought of you as my best friend because you were the one I always went to if I needed something. I talked to you about stuff a lot more than I talked to Stan."
"Really?" he blinked.
"Yeah," he shrugged. "Even before I started crushing on you. Stan knew about my outside life, you tended to know more about what happened inside my house."
"Well, I could kinda relate to neglectful parents," he shrugged. Kyle cuddled in closer to him and grabbed his hand.
"I know. I could always relate to you better."
"But you hung out with him a lot more."
"Ken...you were always dead. I couldn't really hang with you then," he smirked. "Stan and me are so different, it's almost scary."
"I don't think you're that different," he shrugged.
"Dude, we're completely opposite! He's popular, I'm not. He's athletic, I'm not. I'm a 4.0 student, he's low 3's. He's Catholic, I'm Jewish. There's just...so much about us that contradicts each other."
"Well, that kinda applies to us, too. You told me in the beginning that maybe you liked me because I'm so different from you. You know that they say opposites attract," he shrugged.
"You and I relate to a good deal of stuff...just not on the surface."
Kenny nodded, "Yeah, I suppose I can see that." he sighed and looked towards the door. "Ky?"
"Hm?"
"Have you...have you tried to hurt yourself since we've been together?"
There was a moment of silence. "No," he said softly. "I've been severely tempted though...it just seems so...enthralling to think about."
Kenny looked at him again and raised his brow. "Enthralling? How?"
He stared up at the ceiling, "Think about it. We can't die. I...I wanna know just how far my body can go. What's the limitation on a human's life? Where does it finally stop? I haven't tried anything...but just the idea of seeing how far I could take it...it just makes it all the more captivating." Ken stared at him in slight horror, his mouth gaping. Kyle looked back towards him and sighed. "I'm not going to try anything, Ken, I promise."
"Captivating?" he repeated in a squeak. "You think that hurting yourself like that is captivating?!"
"No, Kenny, the idea of...you know what, never mind," he looked away. "I'm not going to try anything."
"How do I know that?"
He turned back and narrowed his eyes slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean how do I know that you aren't going to hurt yourself?"
"Because I'm telling you. Don't you trust me? I'm here and I want to stay here, Ken. I'm not going to ruin this by testing myself like that."
"I don't know what to think anymore, Kyle. You say that you're suicidal and that you want to see just how far you can go...and you tell me that you don't want to at the same time. Ky, I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to believe. How do I know that I won't get a call from the hospital saying that you jumped off of a building?!"
Kyle groaned and turned, straddling Kenny's hips and pushing him back into the headboard. "You know because I'm telling you straight up. Kenny, I'm not going to hurt myself like that again. If I wanted to, I would have taken those steps already. I wouldn't have let you bring me back. I'm here because goddammit I want to be with you, alright? Now you're just gonna have to trust me because there's no other way that I can prove this to you."
Kenny blinked at him for a moment before sighing. "I'm sorry. I do trust you. I'm just a bit...scared, Dude."
Kyle leaned forward and pecked his lips. "Don't be," he whispered, leaning their foreheads together.
"Having a moment? I can come back when you two are done." They looked over and saw Riley standing in the doorway with a smirk upon her face.
"We're done now," Kyle smiled back, leaning back atop Kenny's hips. "Get your pics?"
She nodded and tossed him his phone. "Thanks. God, it's been forever since I've gotten to do something like that," she grinned widely. He flipped it open and looked through the images.
"Wow, you've got a hell of an eye," he commented.
"Well, it was my job," she shrugged.
"Come sit, Dear," Kenny curled his finger at her. Kyle moved to get off of him and Kenny grabbed him back, turning him and sitting him atop his lap.
"Afraid for me to move?" he quirked his brow.
"You're warm," he smiled, hugging his waist as Riley sat at the foot of the bed facing them.
"What's up?"
"Well, myself and Kyle here were talking and he says that you were rather sore about a certain topic. Ring any bells?"
Her face contorted into confusion. "Um...not...not really."
"Your boyfriend," Kyle said softly. Her expression dropped into a scowl.
"I'd rather not discuss him."
"Why? He could be the reason that you're stuck," Ken stated.
"I'm betting that he is," she nodded. "I had only one thing I wanted done in my life and I didn't get the chance before I died."
"What's that?" Kyle asked.
She looked at him, her soft green eyes hardened. "I wanted him dead," she said spitefully.
They blinked at her. "D-dead?" Kenny stammered. "Why?!"
"That fucking bastard killed me inside!" she spat. "He was so fucking terrible to me!"
"What'd he do?" Kyle asked.
"Beat me...insulted me...completely discouraged me and my work...he was horrible."
"Why'd you stay with him?" Kenny questioned.
Her eyes became saddened, "he...he threatened me. I would take a bunch of trips for my work just so I wouldn't have to deal with him...but he threatened to kill me...I guess he did in a way," she shrugged.
"God...," Kyle shook his head. "I'm so sorry."
She smiled at him softly, "wasn't your fault."
"Okay...our visions did kinda coincide with that idea," Kyle said softly. "I mean, I got beat around and Ken, you just had a lot of hate. I'm thinkin' that this is really why she's stuck."
"We...we can't kill someone for this, though...," Kenny shook his head towards him.
He nodded, "right. We need to find some other way to deal with this. I say we just track him down and go from there. That okay with you?" he asked the girl.
"Well...yeah, I guess so," she shrugged.
"Alright. We'll look it up," Kyle smiled gently at her and got off of Kenny's lap, heading into the main room to find his computer.
Kenny and Riley stared at each other for a moment before she finally broke the silence. "I envy you," she said softly.
"Why?"
"You have someone like him. Don't take it for granted," she finished, hopping off the bed and following the Jew.
Kenny sat up and swung his legs over the bed, staring after them. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. She didn't need to tell him not to take the boy for granted, he never did. He loved every minute he spent with his little redhead. He glanced back towards Kyle's nightstand drawer and frowned. He wanted to see more of these dreams of Kyle's. He wanted to know every little thought that passed through his head. he wanted to help him get better. It didn't matter what Kyle said, his mere presence wouldn't save the kid from himself. He was still torn apart on the inside through fear and shame. What would become of the prodigy should their current efforts fail? He sniffed and tried to block out all possibilities that crossed through his mind as he stood from the bed. As he walked out towards the two others, all he could do was be thankful for the distraction that Riley provided them both with. God knows they needed it.
A/N: Eh. Not a special chapter. Honestly, I'm just trying to work through some basic plotlines so I can get to the stuff I have planned for later on in the story. Riley should be finished up by next chap. Maybe another ghost introduced? Never know.
All this did was give us some more drama and insight into the rockiness of their feelings. As I said, not that special. No smex or nothin. Pity.
We didn't hit 200 reviews last chap, but I bet we can this time. If I stopped updating so much maybe I could get some more. Maybe start just posting one chapter a month?
(I'm kidding, don't yell!)
Thanks for the usual!