Here's to us: Graduation Day

Kenny awoke the next day to find something warm and alive pressing into him. He looked down, and saw Karen lying there, sleeping. He hadn't even remembered when she came in from the visit to Ruby's. He smiled as he looked at her. He wished he had her life right about now. He wished he was back at the end of Freshman year. But now he was graduating. He was about to embark on a journey. He felt a lump rise in his throat, and swallowed. He felt nervous, sick, sad, happy, scared. He wondered how someone could feel all these emotions at once. He sighed as he tried to extract himself from Karen without waking her up. There was a sleeping black cat curled up on the bean bag chair. Damien was here. Kenny smiled at him. He felt a little bit better.

Damien had been a constant part of Kenny's life since he was eight and died the very first time. He thought he was a goner for sure. When he came back to Earth the next day, and no one remembered, he figured he was just going crazy and everything was fine. Damien told him that there was something wrong with him. That there was a curse. Ever since then, Kenny died all the time. The deaths decreased as he got older, but they also took longer. Each time he was cast away to Hell, he would find himself spending longer and longer periods of time there. He didn't know what to make of it. But one thing's always remained the same. Damien was there. To make him cry, laugh, choke on his spit with laughter, and much more. He made Kenny question himself at times. Whether he was doing the right thing. Sophomore year brought with it the start of a true friendship with the Demon. Soon, the relationship escalated and they became more than that. But what exactly were they? Was Kenny gay? Was Damien gay? Did it matter that Damien could turn into the most attractive girl in all of South Park? Did it matter how they made love? Did it count that Kenny and Damien couldn't conceive even if they wanted to? Kenny wondered as he looked at his glow in the dark clock. It was a gift from Stan for his eleventh birthday. It was six in the morning. Today was going to be a big day.

"You okay, Kenny?" Karen asked softly.

"Yeah. Just nervous, is all." Kenny said as he pulled the blankets off of himself. He stepped down onto the floor and stepped on a furry object. There was a loud meowing that sounded like Kenny had stepped on something valuable. "Sorry, buddy." He said as he picked up the kitty. "Did I step on your leg?" he cooed as he held the black cat in his arms. "Sorry." He said as the cat kicked off with his back legs and went to settle on Kenny's pillow. He placed his head on his paws and closed his eyes.

"My last day of school is next week." Karen said grimly. "It's gonna suck without you there." She muttered.

"Hey, I'm not going away to college. So it's okay." Kenny said as he started getting his things together for a shower.

"I guess." Karen muttered. "I'm glad you're graduating, Kenny." She said softly. "I'm very proud of you."

"I'm glad you're not on drugs, Karen." Kenny said softly. "I'm very proud of you."

"Yeah. I got framed." She said grinning. "I'm glad no one looked through my backpack." She muttered.

"What time is the ceremony?" she asked.

"At seven PM." Kenny said bitterly. "Rehearsal starts at ten this morning." He explained.

"what in the hell could possibly need rehearsing?" Karen asked bitterly. "Some people speak, some awards are given out, some names are called. Bongo. You have a graduation. It's not like it's a wedding or anything." She muttered.

"It's bingo." Kenny corrected. "I guess it's a rehearsal for the principal and the assistant principal to get everyone's names right." He explained. "Also it gives us time to get in line and figure out our places." He said smiling.

"Who's your walking buddy?" she asked.

"Eric." Kenny said without hesitation. "Stan and Wendy, and Kyle and Rebecca, and…, well you'll see." He said bitterly.

"Why did you choose fatass?" she asked bitterly.

"Because, as terrifying as he is, I pity him on some level. I know that if he needs one thing in the world besides food and a competent mother, it's a friend. So, I guess I took that spot." He said as he grabbed his razor.

"Kenny the saint." Karen spat bitterly. "Always trying to make everyone's lives nice and neat." She said as she watched him.

"I don't know why, but that's been a trait of mine since I was little." He said sadly.

"Yeah. To make up for the shit hole you got dealt with." Karen suggested.

"Maybe. Well, gotta go take my shower." He said as he leaned down and ruffled her hair. "I'll BRB." He said as he left.

Karen was a lot happier than that day. She could deal with Kenny's graduation. She was going to be okay. Damien Kenny and Kevin would watch out for her. She wasn't alone.

Kenny came back thirty minutes later looking nice and clean. He had a towel around his waist and was holding his stuff in his hands. Karen was in the middle of getting dressed when he came in.

"How's your neck?" he asked as he looked at all the fading bruises on her body.

"Fine. I'm sorry I went all psycho on you the other day." She said smiling.

"I don't care. It's all right. I know why you did it." He said as he put his stuff down and let his towel fall.

Karen and Kenny got ready in silence as Damien lay on the pillows sleeping. When Karen was ready to go, the pair of them went to eat breakfast. There was a crock pot with oatmeal in it. Kenny wondered if it was Damien's doing, or his mom's.

The moments passed by in a blur. Before he knew it, he was done with his oatmeal, Karen was being driven to school, and Cartman was at his door nervous as all hell. He still didn't know if he would be graduating or not. He wouldn't know, until four forty-five this afternoon. That gave the people in the registrar's office time to update the records. He still had to attend rehearsals just in case.

"It'll be okay, Eric." Kenny said as he pulled his piece of paper out with the check list on it. "We don't have to wear our caps and gowns. Great. I'm glad of that."

Soon, the pair of them were walking down to Kyle's car, where his dad was waiting to take them all to the football field. Nine forty five arrived, and Kenny was milling around with the other kids waiting for instruction. Some boys brought a beach ball, (Kenny included.), and the balls were being passed around for student signatures right now. At least there was no silly string. Kenny hadn't brought any, anyway.

"You all right, McCormick?" asked the principal as he walked by.

"Yep." Kenny said as he tried to relax. There was so much on his mind right now.

"Quiet!" the principal said into the mic as he stood on the makeshift stage. "Now, we're going to write down your name on an index card, just as you would want it called at the ceremony." He instructed. "Then, after you hand the cards to me, I'll ask you all to get into rows of ten. I want you to choose carefully!" he said loudly as there was complaints. "I get complaints all the time from parents when their kid ends up in the back. Guess what, I don't choose your seats. You do. You also choose the order in which I call your name. So please get with your walking partners, and choose where it is you'll be sitting. And don't forget to give me your name cards." He commanded.

The next few hours were spent trying to figure out where every kid's place in line was. They all got in line, and the staff ran through name calling twice. For name calling and diploma taking, it sure was a lot of work. The two run throughs took from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon. They were let out at two thirty as crews came in to set up for the audience. Dana was waiting for him as he left the crowd of kids. Cartman had his beach ball and was signing it.

"Ready to go?" Dana asked in a sad pixie voice.

"Yeah." Kenny said as he took her hand in his. "I love you, D." he said as he leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips.

She didn't let on, but Kenny could tell she was swooning inside. It had been a long time since Dana had come around, and it had been a while since Kenny showed Damien any affection at all. He figured he might as well.

"Wanna go for a walk?" she asked. "I kind of need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, sweet heart." Kenny said as they walked off.

"I'll drop your ball off at your house!" Eric shouted from a distance as he saw who Kenny was with.

"Thanks!" Kenny said as he walked off. "See you soon!"

"Don't get too caught up. In the love making, you two!" shouted Wendy.

Kenny had gotten so lost and confused as to how many people actually knew who Dana was. Or what she was. He couldn't remember who knew, or who cared. It was a very interesting relationship, to say the least.

He and Dana ended up in a wooded area that was completely deserted. Dana was pensive, and Kenny was quiet waiting for her to talk.

She was very pretty today, in a red dress with crinoline that made it stick out in every direction. There were silver beads sprinkled all over her bosom, and it was held up by straps. The dress pushed her D cup breasts up enough to give her very large amount of cleavage. She also wore pointed high heeled shoes. She looked amazing. Her lips had a glisten of red lipstick on them. She presented herself like a princess and not at all like a whore. Kenny liked that about her. She led them to a log.

Kenny took off his jacket, and set it down on the log smoothing it out. He helped her sit down, and sat beside her.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

"Us." Dana said softly. "I've been talking with my dad, and he said that he would be willing to make this arrangement permanent if I wanted him to. He wants to make a permanent human out of me, and we could be boyfriend and girlfriend, and everything. This way, I won't have to use you as a hold for me while I spend my time on Earth." She explained.

"But all your powers will vanish." Kenny predicted.

"That is the catch, yes." Dana said sadly.

"You'd do that just to be with me?" he asked.

"Uh huh. I'm either really crazy, I've got nothing to lose, or I really came to understand what love was, and…, maybe as a result…, I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, Damien." Kenny said softly. "If you were to actually take your father seriously, I'd appreciate it if you retained your teenager male self. I don't know whether that makes me gay, or not. I just don't want to have to hide who you really are behind the mask of a sexy girl." He explained.

"So, you'd like me to be Damien?" she asked.

"Yes." He said softly. "I love who you are as Dana, but Damien is so much better. You just seem to make me happier when you're in your true persona." Kenny said softly.

"Oh." Dana said as a blush crept up her face.

"I hope you're not mad at me." Kenny offered.

"No. I'm flattered." Dana said softly as she shifted in her chair. Kenny could hear all the bangles on her arms clinging as she moved.

"D, I don't care about you having to be here with me through the anchor of my soul. I love that you can be here with me. I want you to be who you are. I don't want you to lose your powers for me at all." Kenny said softly. "Your father would've warned you if this was dangerous. He knows everything there is to know about the realms of hell and earth. I'll be fine. You don't have to ground yourself to a human body just to be with me." He explained.

"I just don't want to hurt you." Dana said as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"You won't. Just have a little faith." Kenny said softly. "Just know that everything will be okay."

"I love you, Kenny." She whispered.

"I love you, Damien." He said softly.

As he said that, Dana's hand melted into a rough slender hand, and she became Damien right before Kenny's eyes. He smiled as he reached out and hugged Damien tightly. At that moment, he realized he had nothing to be nervous about. He was going to graduate, and things were going to be all right.

"I'm glad I found you, Damien." Kenny whispered. "You make dying all the time that much easier."

"You make hell all that much easier, Kenny." Damien whispered. "I love you."

The time flew by between the rehearsal and the actual graduation. Before Kenny knew it, his whole family was going out to dinner at City Wok. He was opening the gift Kevin had gotten him. It was a set of keys to his own car. He no longer had to share.

"I promise, when you get a driver's license, you can borrow it." Kenny said as he hugged Karen.

His next gift was from Karen. It was a piggy bank in the shape of her. He was astounded at the detail. The coins went in in a slot at the top of her head, and there was no opening to get the money out.

"Karen, how am I supposed to retrieve my coins?" Kenny asked.

"Damien!" she said gleefully. "Besides, you're terrible at saving money, I'm sure you won't need to open it in this life time." She said laughing.

"Fuck you, lil' girl." Kenny muttered.

The next gift was from Damien. Kenny took the parcel in his hands, and wondered what it was going to be. He opened it, and dug inside. He gasped. It was a suit.

"I needed this for the dinner we're at you moron!" he shouted.

"Whah, thank yuh, Daymyun, fer bein' so nahs to me, even though Ah don't deserve it." Kenny's mother said as she slapped Kenny across the chest.

"Thank you, Damien." Kenny said blushing. "But I really could've used this for the dinner."

"Can it." They all said laughing.

Before he knew it, he was getting the text message he longed to get. Cartman had messaged him to say that he was graduating with his class. Kenny was so happy, and knew Leanne must be happy as well.

This was it. Graduation time. He was being driven to the football field, and before he knew it, the students were queued up ready for the entrance. Kenny found himself crying as he stood there, behind Cartman. Soon, Pomp and Circumstance was playing from the high school band. Ike was on drums, and Kenny waved to him. The song played for eight minutes as the whole class marched in, and took their places. When they were all standing in the proper spots, the song ended.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Principal Langor said as he bowed a little. "This year's class of twenty-twelve." He said as everyone burst into applause. "You may be seated." He instructed.

Kenny was too busy crying as he sat there, he didn't notice the principal trying to get his attention. He smiled at Hector, and calmed down enough to see what he was saying.

"Kenny, it's your turn to go up there and speak." Langor said softly.

Kenny had tried out for graduation speaker. The valedictorian, who was not surprisingly Kyle Broflovski, had just finished speaking. Now it was Kenny's turn. He gathered all his wits about him, hugged Cartman, and walked to the raised platform to stand with the Principal.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Kenny said into the mic. "I don't really know what I'm supposed to say. I had my speech written down, and read it over a bunch of times." He felt tears start running down his face. "It never came out quite right."

"We love you, Kenny!" he heard a girl shouting from the audience.

"So, instead, I want to sing you guys a song."

The audience collectively groaned and laughed. They had all heard Kenny's songs throughout the year, and knew that this was probably going to be hilarious, or corny, or just plain awful. But the next things that took place, they weren't expecting.

"I gave the band sheet music to play along." He said smiling.

There was three sharp taps, and the band started. Damien's guitar was heard distinctively from the rest of the instruments.

"We could just go home right now. Or maybe we could stick around, for just one more cheer. We've all just been so strung out, let's shoot the shit, sit back down. For just one more cheer, oh yeah."

The band turned up their music, and the drums and bass started. Kenny started singing as he spilled his emotions on stage.

"Here's to us! Here's to love! All the times that we fucked up. We got through, our whole class. Yeah, the last four years have kicked my ass. Now we'll give 'em hell! Wish everybody well. Here's to us!"

The whole class was standing up now, clapping to the beat of the song. Kenny was still tearful as he sang the next verse. "Stuck it out this far together. Put our friendships through the shredder. Let's cheer, cuz things got better. For us things seem to change like that. (He snapped his fingers.) And all the years went by so fast. Cuz…, nothing lasts…,forever."

The whole class sang this time in one giant chorus. "Here's to us. Here's to love. Every time that we fucked up! Here's to all…, of our class. Cuz the last four years have kicked our ass. If they give us hell! Well, they can go fuck themselves! Here's to us!"

The whole field of people was standing. Parents and students alike. Kenny felt all that emotion as he sang into the mic, and before he knew it, the students were all teary eyed themselves. The field went quiet as Kenny started singing again. The band was backing him up perfectly.

"Here's to all those we kissed! And to all those we dissed! To the biggest mistakes, that we just had to make! To us breaking up, without bonds breaking down! TO whatever's comin' our way!" There was a huge drum roll. "Here's to us! Here's to love! All the times that we fucked up! Here's to you, my whole class. Oh the last four years have kicked my ass! So let's give some cheers, and let's not forget the tears! Here's to us!"

The rest of the class finished up the song with Kenny with the chorus repeating a few more times. When he was done, Mr. Langor and the assistant principal hugged him. Both of them were crying.

"I thought you were going to make a fool of yourself, McCormick." Langor said as he let go of him. "Thanks for everything." He added as he shook his hand.

"No." Kenny said smiling. "Thank you."

When the place settled down, and was quiet again, the principal took up the mic.

"I would now like all of the first row to stand. I will begin calling names, the students will come up and receive there diplomas, and head quietly back to their seats. Parents, friends, whatever. I would please like to ask you to hold your applause until the very end. We don't want to miss anyone's names." He explained. "And so, here we go. Wendy Testaburger."

The students went up there one by one. Half way through, the assistant principal took the mic, and started calling off names. Kenny turned around and hugged Eric quietly. He could smell the unfamiliar scent of cologne. He wondered when the youth had started wearing it. He didn't ask.

"Kyle Broflovski." There was whistling and an air horn from somewhere off. There was also a we love you Kyle from what Kenny assumed to be Ike.

Now it was Eric's turn to cry. He was crying very hard. Much harder than Kenny had been earlier. Kenny grabbed him by the arm and dragged him up to the raised platform as the assistant principal called their names.

"Kenny McCormick." She said as he made it up there. There was an air horn, and a couple whistles. "Eric Cartman." The lady said as Langor handed his diploma to Kenny. Eric was next.

Kenny and Eric made it back to their seats. "Would the class of two thousand twelve please rise." Principal Langor was standing at the Mic once again. "You may now flip the tassels to the other side of your mortar boards." He explained. "Congratulations! Let's give it up!" he shouted as the whole place burst into applause.

While the rest of the class threw their caps up in the air, Cartman just held his, and sobbed. Kenny was about to do the ritualistic throw, when there was a hand on his shoulder. It was Millie.

"I know I didn't really talk much to you, Kenny." She said as she held his arm. "But I really always liked you, and never had the guts to ask you out. Jason and I are doing well, but I thought I'd ask. Can I have your cap?" she asked.

"Take it." He said as he took Millie's cap and tassel.

"Thank you." She said as she hugged him.

Cartman walked over to where Kyle stood with his family. They were all hugging him. He waited.

"Hey, Cartman." Kyle said as he turned around to see him standing there.

"I wanted to say, Kal, that I really appreciate your effort to help me graduate. And study for the last four years. And middle school. And elementary—"

"—Okay, I get it." Kyle said as he took Cartman's cap. He pushed his cap into Cartman's hands, and they hugged. "You're welcome. Don't make yourself a stranger at NYU, fatass." He said as he held him close.

"Don't make yourself a stranger at Boulder University, you stupid Jew." Cartman said as he hugged Kyle back.

There were a lot more people who traded caps. But it would take too long to tell it all here. It was a sea of graduates, tears, and families trying to find their kin. Over all, it took probably another hour and a half for all the attendees to clear out. Before they all knew it, they were going their different ways. Some to start new lives off in colleges out of state, others to start life in colleges here, and still others to go abroad. But they all had one thing in common. They were going to a dozen senior parties that had their names on them.

Throughout the whole entire time, even though the school was a combination of South Park, Middle Park, North Park, and West Park kids, every county seemed to stick to themselves. So South Park just held a party for their seniors at City Wok, and the other counties just did whatever it is they did. Everyone was up past five AM that night. But it was very much a nice celebration.

"I had fun." Karen said as she snuggled close to Kenny on the bed that morning. They were all getting ready to go to sleep. "You'll never believe what happened to me?" she asked.

"You got a pimple?" Kenny asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"No. Isaac Brovlovski asked me, Karen McCormick out." She said happily. "I said yes. I knew you wouldn't mind."

"Way to go little sister." Kenny said as his heart filled with pride. "Ike is a good kid, and I always figured you would end up with him." He said smiling. "I'll have to have a talk with him, of course." He added seriously.

"I know." Karen said as she closed her eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The familiar black cat ended up sleeping with Kevin on the couch that night. And for pretty much every night after that. Karen and Kevin were aware of the situation, and Kenny made his mom aware as well. Since she was more aware of what Kenny's curse did to her when they went to that cult meeting, she wasn't shocked when she found out who Damien was. She wondered about Dana, and Damien showed her his morphing ability. She said as long as Stu didn't find out Kenny was actually gay, they would all be fine. And that's how it all went.

"I'm glad you're with me, Kenny." Damien said one night after they had finished making love.

"I'm glad I'm with you, too, Damien." Kenny said as he closed his eyes.