Chapter Eight
Dreaming Or Truth?

A loud knocking woke him up and Kenny groaned, trying to turn over in his spot. Shit man, leave him alone...like a damn car crash wasn't enough to warrant him some sleep? The urgent knocking came back again and Kenny moaned, sitting up. Butters was outside the window, blue around the lips as he shivered outside. Fuck, he'd forgotten the blonde had gone for a walk after all the shit from last night...

Kenny snapped to attention, fighting sleepiness and the last remnants of his drunk, stoned haze as he clumsily opened the back door, letting in the cold air of outside. Cartman gave a loud snort from the front, and Butters hurriedly clambered inside, shivering madly as his teeth chattered.

"H-hamburgers, it's c-c-cold out there..."

Kenny grunted his agreement, yawning. His hands shut the door again, leaning over to get the job done, and Butters sat still, trying to let the warm air of inside heat him up. Kenny leaned back down and Butters, after glancing around for any other available spot and finding none, lay down next to him, squirming around for a more comfortable position in the cramped back.

Kenny watched him for a while, voice low. "So, how was your walk?"

Butters snorted sardonically, eyes downcast. "Cold, tha's what."

The larger male felt a sad wave of emotion wash over him, clearing his thoughts a little bit, and he sat up, reaching over to pat the smaller blonde's shoulder, sending him a small smile. "Well, you don't haveta listen to any bullshit from other people. So what if your parents paid fatass? You're gonna have fun on this trip, no matter what anyone says. We'll get help over here and go to that cabin, and party our asses off. I'll make sure of it."

Butters laughed lowly. "You're sure bein' optimistic. What, you plannin' t'be my friend or somethin'?"

"Well, why not?" Kenny grinned at Butters scandalized expression. "Come on, I'm not that bad, am I? You're pretty cool, Butters, and I think I'd like being your friend."

"Now tha's jus' the drugs talkin'..."

Kenny scoffed, punching him lightly in the shoulder. A sleepy moan came from Clyde and they both fell silent, then Kenny looked down at Butters, a steady look in his face. He didn't feel too high anymore. And that was a good thing for right now.

"Butters...you really are cool. I talked to you, stuck up for you...you think I'd do that if I didn't like you? Come on, I ain't that fucking nice. Whores aren't nice people, y'know."

The smaller boy looked up almost defiantly. "Well, you're not that much of a whore..."

"Seriously, Butters."

Butters was silent. "Y'really want t'be my friend?"

"Shit, of course." Kenny swung an arm around him, drawing him close. "Swear it."

"Fine. But only if you're serious."

Kenny laughed lowly. "When am I not serious?"

Butters only snorted, and he leaned in a little closer as Kenny kept his arm around his shoulders, and Kenny thought that he really did like the idea of being Butters' friend...

He really did.

He woke up in choking black and Kenny screamed, fighting frantically, feeling some kind of stretching barrier stop him from the light and he screamed again, trying to escape.

What was this, let him out, no, let him go, let him out, let him out!

Startled voices sounded and came closer, and suddenly there was an unzipping noise and Kenny lunged up, shrieking. He panted furiously, wide eyes darting around everywhere in the bright light. Strange people in uniform surrounded him as they stared in shock, and Kenny became aware of a bright light, red and white, spinning and bouncing off of everything. An ambulance. He looked around. It was daytime again. The people were cops and paramedics.

He started to cry. It was too late, too fucking late...

"Kenny!"

The high shriek caught his attention and he turned to see Tweek rushing up to him, Craig following closely behind. The blonde was crying, fat tears dripping off from long eyelashes and even Craig had a sick, haunted, pale look on his face.

Tweek lunged at him, hugging him around the middle and clutching fearfully at his bloody jacket. "They're a-all...T-Token, Clyde, Stan and -ngh- K-Kyle...all...all d-d—" He couldn't go on, degrading into sobbing broken tears, crying pathetically.

Craig fisted his hand in Kenny's collar, voice hoarse and shattered. "What happened, Kenny? What the fuck happened?"

Kenny stared at him, unable to force a single word from his lips and suddenly he broke, he started to sob and then he couldn't move; the three of them held each other in agonized horror, and Kenny was still crying as they took him away from Craig and Tweek for questioning.

The man stared at Kenny as he finished speaking, voice finally falling silent in that cold, empty room.

"And that's how it happened?"

"...yeah." Kenny agreed lowly, head hanging down. His hair hid his eyes and the man started at him for a while, reading his dejected body language. Then he sighed, closing his file.

"Alright, Kenny. Give your statement on paper and you can go."

Kenny looked up. "What?"

The man stood, giving him a hooded look. You could barely see the sharp light of cunning in eyes that seemed only bored. He wore his disguise well. "Your twenty-four hours are up, you can go now. We'll contact you if we need another statement."

The blonde stared at him then looked down, sighing pitifully. "Okay."

In twenty minutes Kenny was walking out of the police building. Anybody who saw him could tell he was in the throes of agony, and he looked as if tears would spill over his eyes at any second. He looked up as he walked, and thought of Butters. He should still be waiting.

Kenny laughed.

THE END