Nearing his household on a walk home alone from school, Eric Cartman strolled down his street in a huff and a frustrated growl from facing another set of antics, notably caused by his own acts without second-guessing. Soooo, he did cover Butters pencil in fake blood and scared the literal crap out of him. Literally, he ran to the bathroom, shitting his brains out. But was that really worth a trip to the principal's office? Psh, whatever..
Turning in on his home, Cartman proceeded to where he was looking forward to the start of an unbothered Friday afternoon. Alone with him and his Xbox and a couple of twinkies to end the day of an epically done prank turned sour. No one appreciated classic jokes anymore.
Upon entering what he expected to be a vacant living room though, other occupants remained standing around talking to Liane who turned upon his entry. Those of his friends' parents that were the Marsh's and Brofvloski's. Stan and Kyle remained sitting on the sofa as if waiting, too.
"Oh, good. He's home." Liane said.
Goddammit, did Kyle blab him out? Whatever, play it cool. "Another PTA meeting?" He asked as he went to scoot next to the other two on the couch. Seeing as they were just as confused as he was, maybe this wasn't about him after all.
"Did we do something?" Stan asked.
"No, hon." Sharon assured. "We wanted to talk to you about Kenny."
Neither of the kids expected themselves to feel startled, reminded of when they first found out Kenny got sick.
"Boys, we've been talking to Kenny's parents. And, we agreed that we make sure you guys are keeping an eye on Kenny, he could use the help right now." Randy said. "I know it doesn't always seem like it, but he needs his friends."
"But, don't think we want you kids running into trouble," Sharon warned with a raised finger. "If any of the other kids bother him you just help him and make sure he's okay."
The three couldn't tell if this was a direct correlation to the sixth graders being assholes. Just recently Kenny had a nasty run-in with Jared and a few where it turned into a screaming match to the point where they were worried Kenny might deflate a lung or something. But the boys weren't gonna mention it in case it wasn't on their parents' minds.
Stan looked between all waiting adults. "Did we do something?"
"No boys," Gerald assured. "Kenny might not always want to talk about what he's going through because he may feel embarrassed, and sometimes he'll need help he doesn't want to ask for. Just make sure to check in every here and there, okay?"
"And if anyone bothers him about it," Sharon reminded, "Make sure to-"
"Kick 'em in the balls?" Cartman guessed. Kyle nudged him to shove it where his ass was.
"-Look out for him."
Kyle remained seated between the other two, looking to see if they were any less lost than he was. Sure, maybe Kenny could use the help based on recent signs, but it still left some blank answers.
"What if he doesn't want our help?"
Asked the obvious by her son, Sheila nodded. "Well, you boys are just going to have to respect that then."
Mondays during the first two-thirds of lunch recess were reserved for sessions between Kenny and Mr. Mackey. Giving enough time for his weekly appointment to reevaluate how he was holding up with his day-to-day functionality. Being a trained professional, Mackey did find ways to get Kenny to be honest about some things. Some definitely didn't mean all though, and when it came to social interactions that were much more negative, Kenny was less blunt about them. Just that morning he passed by some sixth-grade boys and he wasn't deaf to their sneer remarks from the back of his head. Supposedly to Kenny, avoiding to admit what made him a freak gave others less of a reason to agree. Even those eager to know of his shortcomings like Mackey.
It also didn't help that his doctors had finally come around to the efficient idea of strapping a heart monitor to his chest. It may have been only for twenty-four hours of measuring, but good god, the bump in his coat from the recording device connected to the electrodes underneath made it look like an alien was trynna push out of his chest. A couple of kindergarteners nearly lost their shit running away from him today, and some fifth-graders had a good laugh also.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Mackey rejoiced with Kenny's admittance that he was getting along fine with classmates. Kenny tried not paying any mind to the recess he could be having now instead. "M'kay, and how about at home? You get along with your parents?"
"Yeah?"
"Anything bad you might feel towards them, lately?" Mackey asked, receiving a headshake no. "What about your siblings? You ever fight with your brother?"
Kenny blinked. "Not like for real. Just play."
"Just play, m'kay.." the counselor agreed. "And your sister?"
"Not really." Kenny said. He was still bothered by Jared continuing to pester him as a 'sicko beggar' that morning and almost daily for two weeks now. The older kids seemed to figure out routinely how to catch Kenny when he was alone, and it only made him try and dodge crowds of any kind more to avoid them. Mackey continued talking in a blur to Kenny and the boy shook his head to cut it short. "Can I be excused?"
Mackey paused from the boy's impatience. "Yeah, we're just about finished. You make sure to remember what we talked about, m'kay?"
"Yeah," Kenny mumbled as he hopped off his chair. He clutched the monitor underneath his clothes to make sure the bending strap around his neck hadn't shifted. He went to exit through the office door. "Thanks."
Leaving the confines of another dragged-out session, Kenny walked to where he hoped to find a distraction for the rest of lunch recess. He was tempted to go to class early while it was empty and maybe just have a few minutes to himself where no excessive aid or people could find him. He had another mighty headache from lack of sleep and was fighting upper back pain that kept him up in the first place. Just him and a little peace and quiet for one tiny second-
"Kenny! Keenie!"
Oh, for fuck's sake.
"You gotta check out this video of this guy getting kicked in the nuts!" Cartman enthused with a phone shoved in Kenny's face. Stan, Clyde, and Butters came running too, still catching their breaths from laughter. Kenny's eyes glazed over the screen in watching a loud, static video of a guy getting the wind knocked out of him through a hard punch in the crotch. Kenny barely even twitched a smile the meanwhile.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Cartman continued to lose his mind, scrolling through his phone. "Oh, I gotta send this to everybody."
"Heh, yeah! It looked like that guy's wiener concaved!" Butters agreed.
Kenny winced gently from another jab of pain stiffening his back muscles. He rubbed an angry palm to it as he hunched forward, feeling ridiculous how often he looked like some pregnant lady in a belly stance. The weight of the monitor didn't help either and he rolled his eyes aggressively. "It's not that funny."
"Not that funny? It's freaking hilarious!" Cartman said. "If you don't think it's funny, sorry, you're sick."
Wow. The fatass really just decided to crap that out of his mouth? Kenny gave him a side-eye as the heart monitor's measures increased. "You wouldn't be the first to say that.."
Cartman blew a raspberry past his lips while continuing to keep his eyes locked on his phone. "If you're still on about those sixth-graders-"
"I'm not on about anything! Will you stop trynna say it's a good video!?" Kenny complained as he edged from the group like they were suffocating him.
"Will you calm down?" Clyde asked of him. Kenny turned can came dangerously close to Clyde's face in return.
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Clyde blinked. "I mean it's just a video."
Stan looked on cautiously. "Yeah dude, lighen up-"
"I don't HAVE to lighten up! The video is STUPID and you guys are being dumbasses!"
"Okay Kenny, geez!" Stan stood guard as Kenny backed up.
The boy in the hood shook it off, fighting away the pain and chemicals pinching his nerves. "Whatever, see you in class." He walked off with barely an explanation to the baffled boys.
"Dude, did someone say something to him today?"
Cartman lowered his phone. While the sixth-grader thing was just a fluke, Kenny had been a little more testy than usual. Maybe some older kids were sticking their noses in places they weren't supposed to be.
He stopped by the basketball court when he spotted those older dickbrains squatting there. Whether Cartman cared to mind his own business or not, Jared and those assholes had some nerve shoving in on fourth-grade territory. Granted, none of the fourthies were there now but the sixth graders still seemed to thrive off of the empty space. He stood with his backpack straps unknowingly clutched in his gloves.
Cartman flinched from Jared's bike tires screeching against the court's ground, knocking over some empty soda and beer cans set up as points for knocking down. Others chanted in the clearing of cans as one empty Coke rolled to Eric's feet at the borders, making his presence become noticed.
"What're you looking at, fatso?"
The big-mouthed boy looked to those few he'd say were actually intimidating to him. Wondering what his motive was at all to begin with as he just continued to stare.
"I said what're you looking at!" Jared pointed the head of his bike Cartman's way, threatening to get the fourthie talking before he was roadkill. Cartman thought he'd originally stop to tell them to leave alone fourth-grade property, but instead spat out something completely different from fear.
"What'd you say to Kenny?"
Jared arched a brow and Cartman looked confused over himself too.
"What d'you care what we say to McCormick?" Jared peddled forward, making Cartman's insides stiff as he chose to glue himself in place as Jared circled him. "That little turd is probably the one making you all sick."
He peddled back to the group approaching Cartman. The fourth-grader found the guts within him to edge near their group as a sign of showing he was not afraid. "No, no see, if Kenny had AIDS, then we'd have a reason to be afraid of getting sick."
"Whatever, Cartman. You wanna protect the beggar? You guys gonna make out, too?"
"Don't tell me what I'm protecting!" Cartman warned in defending his fragile ego. "All I'm saying is you're wasting your time!"
"Yeah?" Jared threatened.
"Yeah-!" In realizing how he may have been coming across concerning Kenny, Cartman backed away from it. "So-so don't let me see you on fourth-grade territory, again!"
"You gonna whine to mommy if we are? Tell McCormick you did all you could?"
"That's another thing! You guys are turning him into some screwball asshole, and I don't like it!" That made Cartman's intentions a little more obvious, but he was losing more care to hiding it. "What the hell are you doing to make him have a stick up his ass?!"
"YO! So Cartman does care about his boyfriend!" One chanted, all of the sixth-grader bursting into hysterical laughing of borderline tears. Cartman scowled to the point of pain building in his slit brow. Wondering how bad Kenny had to have it from multiple run-ins with them when these guys were making Cartman mad from just barely one interaction.
"Shut up! Shut UP!" He screeched. "Will you guys just cut it out!?"
Jared wiped a laughing tear. "And why?"
"Cuz what the hell did Kenny do to you!?"
"Goddammit, Cartman!"
Whisked away by the grab of his arm, Cartman was pulled from the laughing sixth graders to face an angry Kyle who'd been walking the same way home. Cartman scowled. As if he needed anything else from a know-it-all right now. He ripped his arm away from his fuming friend.
"Yeah, go cry fourthies!" One called as Kyle pushed Cartman to edge them both away.
They circled around to the sidewalk just off the court as Kyle turned to Cartman and pointed in a warning. "You need to shut your mouth before you make it worse."
Cartman scoffed, acting clueless. "What d'ya mean?"
"You know what I mean! I heard what those assholes have been saying to Kenny!" Kyle reminded. "He doesn't need you to go piss off Jared and those guys, so just stop."
The brunette boy frowned, frustratingly looking away. "Who says it was for Kenny..?" Kyle looked on angrily as Cartman mumbled more excuses; "He..barely had anything to do with it.."
Kyle shook his head in disbelief, pacing back as to walk away. "Whatever, Cartman.."
He watched him leave and couldn't help but be bothered. "Maybe I'm just doing what they said!"
Kyle turned. "Who?"
"Duh, our parents."
Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Since when do you care about what our parents say?"
He looked down in a silent huff. Refusing the confront Kyle's stare over something that was clearly not about a basketball court. Cartman wouldn't stand up so easily alone against the sixth graders and he knew he couldn't bullshit that. He mulled over Kenny acting a little different more and more. Ever since that day they all came over to Cartman's house for video games and pizza, Kenny's little snaps of protest or frustration started to multiply. Now Kyle, the one who picked up on everything, just had to be the one to find Cartman in an awkward place over it. It made him recall a moment in the hospital during Kenny's slow demise.
"Hey, Cartman. I care a lot about him, too."
Did it put a spin on things? Sure. But Cartman was just as hoping as everyone that things could go back to normal since Kenny's return. However, the boy wasn't even acting like his normal self, and while Cartman noticed...maybe he tended to care that Kenny wasn't the friend he knew.
Kyle stared in wonder at Cartman pondering over this. The bastard may have had stupid ways of shielding his sensitivity, but it seemed like this one punch in the gut over a friend really threw him out of line. And Kyle couldn't disagree.
Kenny heard through the grapevine Cartman and Kyle tried confronting those sixth graders, and it didn't exactly humor his good side. Let alone that it gave a more public statement that only made Kenny look like more of a pussy. Was he that frail-looking to some people? So much he was getting Cartman in on it? What do a few bullies and a near-death experience make of your reputation? Jesus.
He sat back on his ankles in his underwear and a shirt in bed, as well as the still attached heart monitor and electrodes. He was prepared for knock-out as he stared down at his prescription bottle clutched tightly in his hand. Karen's bedtime already passed and he's pretty sure Kevin fell asleep early from being out all day. His parents hustled and bustled about outside his open door. Kenny had stayed in his room a lot of the time for the past few nights to be left with his thoughts only. Neither wanting to go out with his friends or so much go to the living room to watch TV with his siblings. Whether it was part of what the doctor said would happen or not, Kenny didn't care. It didn't stop him from thinking others were acting like cow shit during one minute, and then thinking he himself was the real shit the next. It wasn't even just the older kids at this point. His classmates weren't necessarily mean, but they still acted differently around him. They guessed he wasn't as capable of basic functioning anymore. Like he was a piece of china that they had to be wary of when walking around it, was that him now? It was bad enough with Stan and Kyle started using kid gloves around him, and now Cartman?
There was a knock at his open door and he clutched his bottle in a shielding fist. Looking up to see his dad had been the one who knocked. "Lights out. Don't forget your meds."
Stuart closed the door as Kenny sat back again. "Night.." Looking down at the cylinder jar, he popped it open as to look in. Noting the dirty little secret he'd only started a few nights back. Sometimes he'd take the full diagnosis, yet other pills were literally split in half. The number of pills was more than there should have been.
He took only half his pill last night.
Something definitely not part of the rules towards his medication and something he didn't want anyone noticing. Knowing they'd make a huge deal out of it. As if he needed any more of that right now. Why he did it? He couldn't exactly say. Maybe he thought he didn't need it. Maybe he liked the way it made him feel in control. Maybe he even enjoyed the way it screwed things around. He definitely knew for sure he couldn't handle the control he was under. And depending on the day, sometimes he might not even take the pill at all.
The voices of shame and frustration against the control, the magnifying glass Kenny was under by everyone, made him think tonight was one of those nights. He could go without feeling like a science experiment and instead feel like a normal boy for once in his life. Rubbing a thumb along the plastic rim, he stuffed the bottle underneath his pillow instead. Turning off the bedside lamp aside him and rolling over for a night of sleep without feeling like he was some robot needed for a battery change.
To be continued...