When I remember this I see a stage. Memories cut themselves at the first fold of velvet.

[Scene One -

A backdrop of a rusty convenience store with 99 cent taquito posters in the window]

Lights splay out on KYLE. TRENT BOYETT with his hand on KYLE'S throat, pressing it against his Jeep door. CLYDE is on the ground holding his nose after being elbowed in the face.

TRENT Who do you think you are, Broflovski? You think you can fuck my girlfriend and get away with it?

KYLE (clawing at TRENT'S wrists) I didn't know.

TRENT Asshole.

TRENT slams KYLE'S head into the car. CLYDE pulls his hands from his face. We can see that he is bleeding.

CLYDE He's telling the truth, dude! She came onto him.

KYLE, clearly weakened, suddenly smiles. He's got nothing left to lose. Time to be an asshole.

KYLE Actually, I came on her. Which is probably good for you. You'd make a terrible stepdad.

TRENT Fuck you!

TRENT slams KYLE'S head again. CLYDE bolts up, kicks TRENT in the back of the knee. The goliath falls. KYLE braces himself, wheezing. CLYDE begins kicking TRENT in the chest, against TRENT'S please. CLYDE kicks him once in the face and shuts him up.

KYLEDude, Clyde, stop!

CLYDE kicks TRENT again. KYLE grabs CLYDE'S arm.

KYLE Stop! He's out cold. We need to leave, right now.

CLYDE takes another long look at the passed out TRENT.

CLYDE Fine.

CLYDE exits.

KYLE looks around. He bends down and reaches into TRENT'S pocket, and pulls out his cell phone. It is apparent he is dialing 911. KYLE then leaves the phone by TRENT'S head and exits.

[Scene Two - the street]

Enter KYLE and CLYDE below stage, eye level with the audience. CLYDE is holding his nose again. 26-year old KYLE watches from the audience, the only one watching amongst rows of empty seats. Would 27-year old CLYDE be watching right now if he could? 26-year old KYLE watched 16-year old KYLE and 17-year old CLYDE intensely. They do not know he is there. They cannot hear for he is waiting with bated breath.

KYLEYou okay? Is your nose broken?

CLYDE I don't think so. How's your head?

KYLE A little swirly.

They pause for a moment. KYLE gently wipes away the blood.

KYLE You almost kicked his skull in, Clyde.

CLYDE He almost strangled you to death. He deserved it.

KYLE Who's to say I don't deserve to get strangled?

CLYDE Me! I don't want to live in a world where Trent Boyett exists and you don't.

KYLE (shaking his head) How could you even think of bashing someone's fucking skull in, for me?

CLYDE Because.

They exchange a look. The look that cements their friendship as more intimate than any other relationship they've had with family, friends, or other.

Exit KYLE and CLYDE while 26-year old KYLE watches, hugging a bouquet of black roses.

[Scene Three - The Broflovski kitchen, spliced with a wall so we can see the living room too]

SHEILA and GERALD are sitting at the table sipping coffee and chatting quietly. 26-year old KYLE knows 16-year old KYLE is just on the opposite side of the wall, blanket pinned close to his neck like Dracula - he knows the red marks will fade to yellow-purple clouds and it's summer. It's summer and there's no way to hide that shit unless you want to skulk around looking like Dracula.

KYLE(S) listens.

GERALD Did you hear Kyle get in last night?

SHEILA I finally went to sleep after hearing him crawl back through his bedroom window. You were in the kitchen?

GERALD In my office. I went up to say something but I couldn't. I got to his bedroom door, but when I went to open it, I heard him crying.

KYLE(S) stiffen. He wraps the blanket tighter around himself.

SHEILA We need to do something. He was fine before he started hanging out with the Donovan kid.

GERALD I don't think so. I think Clyde just makes it worse.

SHEILA Either way, they need to be separated. We need to cut off all communication, and keep Kyle in the house until he gets better. He can only go to school and that's it.

GERALD Are you kidding? That'll make it 100 times worse. They're conjoined at the hip.

A beat.

SHEILA Do you think they're… involved?

GERALD I've thought about that.

SHEILA What should we do?

GERALD What can we do? That's for him to figure out.

SHEILA I've been thinking of sending him to Greenwood.

GERALD The mental hospital?

SHEILA That way we can separate them, and Kyle can be safe.

GERALD Sounds kind of extreme, Sheila.

SHEILA I don't know what else to do, Gerald! I'm terrified and I feel this is all we have left. We're going to lose our son if we don't take the time and so something now.

KYLE crawls away.

KYLE leaves the auditorium, out into the world.