Two weeks. That's how long it'd been since he swore to the D&D group in the basement that he'd get to the truth. He had swore to find out the true reason why his best friend had abandoned them all and that he'd figure out a way to fix everything. He'd been asking anyone and everyone he could think of for any information he could get on Cakousky and what he may be doing with Alex.
So far his findings were...disappointing. While he had found out that Cakousky was a senior, first name Trent, all-star quarterback, varsity champion and all around your typical student, he hadn't been able to find out anything else.
He'd asked teachers and they had claimed him to be a fantastic student to have in class. Fellow students would say he was an aspiration or that they thought he was a good guy. Non-teacher staff members just shrugged and had nothing to say about it. He couldn't even get Alex's parents to talk to him about anything. It seemed that the end of friendship extended to the parents as they had just sent Butters on his way.
At first Butters had been discouraged by the lack of evidence against Trent, but as time went on he started to see something within the web of glowing praise and gushing teen girls.
Every students had an enemy or someone who didn't like them. Butters knew a few kids that didn't like him and he honestly couldn't blame them. Everyone had someone out there who didn't like them and it could be for any number of reasons. Maybe you don't like nerds, you don't like homosexuals, you think the person is a creep, etc.. The point is: Trent didn't have that.
There hadn't been a single student, teacher, staff member or townsperson who had anything bad to say. Social media had painted him as a shining star and gods gift to South Park, and while Butters could believe that such a good person existed, it wasn't Trent Cakousky.
Trent was a douchebag, pure and simple. Butters had watched him during school and he was a bully who appeared to enjoy causing torment when teachers weren't looking. He pushed underclassman around, called people fags and was overall a dick. There just wasn't any way that he was the person that everyone painted him out to be.
Butters was currently in C lunch along with a third of the school populace. South Park High School was unique in that it had seventh to twelfth grade all contained in a single large educational center. This meant that there were too many kids for a single lunch, so there were three. He was lucky enough to be in the same lunch as Alex and that douchebag Trent.
The lunch room was a large hall with a lowered pit in the center surrounded by a railing. Square tables with six seats attached as benches were scattered throughout both levels. The walls were pale green, overhead office lights blinded you and the white speckled tile didn't show much dirt to the joy of the janitors. Most kids tended to gather with children their age, so that made Alex stand out drastically at the table full of senior jocks and their girlfriends.
Butters was seated at a table with several other boys and girls his age and currently pushing what was said to be salsbury steak and mashed potatoes around his blue plastic tray in an effort to look like he wasn't staring holes into his two targets. Alex looked...worse than he had several weeks ago. His cheeks seemed more sunken and his face was thinner. He seemed to swim in his blue hoodie, blue jeans and black sneakers. He was pushing food around his plate and seldomly taking a bite. All the while Trent was laughing and talking to his 'bros' and ignoring Alex. Despite the lack of formal evidence, Butters knew something about all of this wasn't right.
So consumed in his thoughts was Butters that he was caught off guard when someone slammed into his back, causing him to hit the table and drop his fork. He turned around to see who it was and make certain that they were okay, but when he turned around no one was there. So sign of anyone walking away or standing behind him. He looked around before shrugging it off and going back to his surveillance, but when he turned around and looked at his tray to reposition he spotted something that hadn't been there before.
Tucked partially beneath his blue tray was a folded up piece of lined paper. It appeared to be wide-ruled if he were to guess. It was folded neatly into a small square. He tugged it out slowly and looked around to make sure no one at the table noticed. They all were absorbed in their own conversations and no one seemed to be paying him any mind, so he examined it in lap out of site of anyone else. On top of the folded paper square, written in black ink, were the words 'open me'.
He slipped the folded paper open, unravelling it further and further until it was back into a full page of notebook paper. It had these words written in the same black ink:
You're being to obvious.
You need help, that I can provide.
If you want to save your friend, trust in me.
I believe you.
I can help you, but you must meet me during next period in Hall B, room 230.
Come alone and tell no one.
M.
Butter's read over the note several times to make sure he'd read it correctly. Who was it from? Who was this M. person? He hadn't even seen anyone place it under the tray. Was it a trap? What did they mean by 'being too obvious.'? Could this be the big break he'd been waiting for?
'I've gotta risk it. I'm not getting anywhere just asking around. Whoever it is, they're right. I'm being too obvious with all of my questioning…' thought Butters grimly. He frowned down at the tray and decided that his time was spent better getting ready to think of a way out of his next period class.
!
4th Period History - Miss Fenlstein Hall A, room 120
Butters was currently sitting in his seat in the back of the class. Other students were slowly filing into the room. He rather enjoyed Mis Fenlstein's teaching, but he had to go meat this 'M.' character. If they truly had anything that could help him in his quest to free Alex, then he had to make any sacrifice that it would take even if it meant skipping classes. Butters would rather have his father angry with him and be grounded than be without his best friend.
As Butters was looking through his folders for his previous nights homework assignment, Alex walked into the class. Butters watched as his former friend walked, head down, to his seat next to Butters. That was one of the worst parts of this whole fiasco in Butters mind. At the start of the year they had all been given free reign of where to sit in their classes. What had once been seen as a blessing was now more of a curse. His friend was always so close, but he was still so very much out of reach.
Butters couldn't help himself as he watched Alex take his seat. He took a moment to look Alex over and he frowned slightly. He'd been right about the lack of eating, Alex looked to have lost some of his weight. This had the effect of making Alex cheekbones stick out more and he looked even less intimidating than he ever had. His skin looked somewhat paler also. Had he not been going outside as much? His lips were chapped and appeared more swollen than usual. His hair was longer and started to cover the tops of his eyes and ears. Out of everything though, it was Alex's eyes that made Butters worry most. They were dark, with deep bags under them. There was usually so much life in them, but now they seemed so hollow and empty.
Butters looked away as Alex glanced at him. He tried to make it look as though he was busy sifting through former assignments, but Butters knew it was easily seen through. Alex said nothing though, just looked down at his own folder and book and frowned. After a few more minutes the rest of the students had taken their seats. The bell rang to signal the end of the passing period, but instead of the thin and elderly Miss Fenlstein, the Principal walked in.
Phillip Conner, or P.C. Principal as he was better known, had been promoted to the Principal of the High School a year before. He ran a tight ship and tended to do what was best. He'd relaxed somewhat since his days as Butters elementary school Principal, but he still did his best to uphold social justice where it was needed. He stood tall at the front of the class in a two piece blue suit and white button up shirt. He wore no tie, black dress shoes and a pair of Polarized silver framed aviators. His blonde goatee and hair were trimmed short. He cleared his throat and garnered the attention of the class.
"Students, I regret to inform you that Miss Fenlstein will not be in class today. She had a family emergency and will be out for the rest of the week. Instead, I will be watching over your class as an impromptu study hall. If anyone needs to get belongings from their lockers to work on, now is the time to ask permission to get them." stated P.C. Principal
All of the students kept their hands down, except for one. Butters held his hand high into the air. This was his chance to meet 'M.' and not get in trouble! Alex looked to Butters with a questioning look in his eyes. He knew Butters always packed his bag to each class. He never needed to his locker for anything except when he had to go to gym and pack his books away. Butters just kept looking forwards and smiled when the Principal pointed to him and nodded.
"Yes Mister Stotch?" asked P.C. Principal.
Butters stood and put his hands to his sides.
"Principal Conner, I was wondering if I could go to my locker and grab my Algebra II homework? I'd like to use this time to make sure I answered the question correctly." asked Butters politely. The Principal smiled and nodded, motioning for Butters to go out the door. Butters wasted no time and walked hastily up to the front of the class and thanked the Principal as he walked by.
"Gee, thanks Principal Conner, I sure do appreciate it!" said Butters.
"Of course Mister Stotch, just be quick." said P.C. Principal.
Butters hurried out the door, unaware of Alex staring after him.
As he walked quickly down the hall, Butters heart was racing. He walked down A Hall and past several rows of lockers. He walked out into the main entrance hall of the school and cut a right to make his way to B hall.
B hall was used primarily for vocational courses. This Hall had the Woodshop, welding shop, autoshop, industrial technology, agricultural science and several other rooms filled with computers for studying on. Room 230 was located towards the end of the long hall and had once been the room for the Audio Visual department, but had long been converted into storage. Butters walked down the Green painted hall and was thankful for the lack of other teachers and students. He quickly came upon the door to Room 230. He stood before it and took a deep breath to steady his erratic nerves. He reached out his hand and placed it on the door handle. He pushed it down and walked into the room, closing the door behind him.
The room was dark, lit only by a few overhead lights that barely allowed him to see beyond their cones of shining yellow light. He walked into the center of the room and stopped. He stood and balled his hands into fists that he kept at his sides. He breathed deeply once more to calm himself.
"H-hello? I'm supposed to be meeting M.?" called Butters into the darkness.
He started to get nervous in the middle of such silence. He couldn't hear anything and what he could see was very limited. Had they not arrived yet? It was very possible. Butters lifted his arm up and pushed his pale blue hoodie sleeve back to read his wristwatch. It was only five minutes past the start of fourth period. It was very possible that he'd just came early.
"You came alone?" said an ominous, highly modified voice.
Butters was consumed within his thoughts so much so that when a voice reached out from the darkness, he jumped and let out a shriek of surprise. He whipped his head back and forth, trying to see where M. was in the darkness.
"Y-yes. I did. Can I see you?" he asked. Several moments passed and he felt like his nerves were being ground down.
"It's better if we do not. For your safety as well as my own." replied M.
"O-okay. I guess that makes sense." agreed Butters. He could understand why one might need to keep themselves hidden. The more he thought about it though, the more he began to think that maybe all of this was more than he had originally thought. How big was Trent Cakousky that someone would have to keep themselves hidden? Butters was snapped out of his thoughts by the voice.
"I'm sure you have many questions, but our time is limited. I will keep this simple. You are correct. Trent Cakousky is blackmailing Alex McReary. How? I'm uncertain, but this isn't the first time he's done this to someone." said M.
He felt his heart sink at the news.
"How many others?" asked Butters. The voice took a moment to respond, a package sliding on the floor and stopping in front of him.
"Several. I can't say for certain. I do know that everything I could get you that may have any chance of helping you is in that box. Trent leaves little in the way of evidence, but I have managed to track down a few leads. You'll find everything you need to get started within that box." said M.. Butters looked down at the unassuming brown box. It was small, about the size of a box that a hardback textbook may arrive in. He picked it up and felt the contents shifting inside.
"I wish you luck, you're going to need it." said M.
"Wait! I have one more question." said Butters.
"Be quick, I can't promise I'll have an answer." replied M.
Butters bit his lip as he looked down at the package. Several thoughts ran through his head and he closed his eyes before breathing out. He reopened his eyes and thought he could see the outline of someone walking past his cone of light and towards the door.
"Have you...is...is Alex...okay?" Butters asked hesitantly.
The voice didn't reply at first. After a few moments he heard the door to the room click.
"For now. Please...you must hurry, lest Alex fate be the same as all of the others." replied M, sadness conveying through the voice disguiser. The door opened quickly and Butters failed to make out anything due to the blinding light of the hall outside the room.
!