Sorry this was so late and most likely feels so rushed. But school has put a damper on my writing schedual. I decided to condense the last few chapters into two final ones, including this one. Just the FYI

Disclaimer: I don't own South Park of their characters.

Because You're Always There

Chapter Five

"Hey!" the kid shouted at me, pushing me across the floor. As if it were all scripted, the crowd parted and mumbled. Kyle latched onto my arm and his face grew crimson with embarrassment, his eyes darting through the circle of peers. I gritted my teeth at the other boy. He looked to be a senior like the rest of us, and he was swaggering like a drunken curmudgeon.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, keeping myself calm for Kyle's sake. I stood astonished as even the booming music grew quiet as if taking a gasp at the sight of everyone gathering around to see a potential fight.

"You were staring at my ass, faggot!" the kid growled at me, his words slurred and slow. He had obviously been drinking even though he was just a minor. Figures. All it takes is one person to ruin the prom experience for everyone. I thought perhaps if I played my cards right, I'd be able to get out of this without clobbering the idiot.

"I wasn't staring at any part of you," I tried to explain, bringing Kyle in closer to me to assure him that I wasn't going to explode like he was probably thinking I would. "Please, just leave us alone."

"Yeah, you pussy," the boy chuckled as if he had just made the world's greatest joke. "You know you can't beat me cause you're a little queer and can only throw faggy punches that wouldn't even hurt."

My hand twitched, but I stayed my fist. He was not going to ruin this night for me. For us. "Come on, Kyle," I started, putting on my best smile. "Do you want something to drink?" I turned both of our backs to the drunken idiot and started to push through the circle.

For an instant I heard scuffling and suddenly my arm was empty. I whirled around, wide eyed. The buzzed senior had wrenched Kyle from me and pulled him back into the circle. Kyle attempted to push away, but his arms were already tangled and useless. I bounded for him, but his captor shouted for me to stop.

"Ooh," he whispered into Kyle's ear, and I saw my boyfriend cringe at his breath. "No wonder you're so protective of him. He's such a cutie." He tightened his grip on Kyle's arm and the red head yelped before clenching his jaw shut, scrunching up his face in discomfort.

"What are you saying?" I asked, astonished. "You made all those homophobic comments, and yet now you're calling Kyle cute?" He sneered at me and nuzzled his face sloppily into Kyle's hair. "Well, are you gay or not?"

"I'm not a fucking queer!" he yelled at me, but his actions betrayed him as he began to blatantly grope the front of Kyle's pants. My boyfriend wriggled violently, but he was in such an awkward position that he couldn't break free. "What luscious lips you have, little red riding hood."

Gradually he brought down his own lips sloppily onto Kyle's and even the crowd gasped at him.

That was the last straw. With his attention occupied by sucking Kyle's face, I hastily closed the distance between us. The kid lifted his head to tell me to stay back again, but was much too slow for the alcohol in his system. With Kyle a safe distance away from the boy's inflated head, I landed one directly across cheek.

He let out a pained shout as he crumpled to the floor in a ball. Not even a minute later, my hand was caught in a firm grasp. I looked up in confusion and saw the principle glaring down at me. For an instant I saw a satisfied grin dance across his face, but it eventually melted into a furious frown.

"I'm afraid fighting is against the rules," he stated bluntly. "You and Kyle will have to leave."

"What about that guy?" I cried pointing to Kyle's attacker who was already getting to his feet. "He started all of this! You must have seen the way he grabbed Kyle!"

The principle leered at me, silent, and I saw the cogs in his brain turning, trying to find an excuse. My mouth gaped open in awe as I realized he didn't care about the other kid. He just wanted Kyle and me out of there. Finally, he resorted to the oldest and cheapest of tricks: plausible deniability. "I didn't see him do a thing. But I saw you punch him."

"And what did Kyle do?" I growled.

"I guess you're right," the principle shrugged. "He can stay."

"One moment please," Kyle said, calmly. He walked over to the drunk from before and smiled to him cheerfully. "You hear that? Stan is being forced from the prom because of you." The boy rubbed his black eye gingerly and Kyle laid his hands upon his shoulders. With one strong blow, Kyle kneed him in the crotch. "That's for kissing me, bastard…."

The kid didn't even scream as all the wind was knocked out of him and fell to the ground for a second time. Kyle turned back around to face the principle and simpered coyly. "Awe, shoot," he said in mock disappointment. "I guess that means I have to leave too…."

I slammed the door of my car shut after crawling into the driver's seat. I pounded my open palms onto the steering wheel and gripped them with all my might. Kyle, his face dark and sad, opened the passage door and slid in sheepishly.

"It's not so bad," he tried to comfort me, but his eyes were glazed and full of disappointment.

"He didn't care that we got into a fight," I grumbled, keeping my eyes on the dash board. "He just wanted an excuse… any excuse… to kick us out of there."

"I know," Kyle nodded, his eyes mooned over.

"We worked so hard to get there!" I cried, feeling tears begin to burn behind my eyes. "Isn't there any where we can go in this stupid town? It's like it's hopeless and nobody cares!"

"I care," the red headed beauty said, his voice low. He leaned over and kissed me, but I pulled away with a start.

"I can taste the beer," I mumbled, and Kyle fell back into his seat, defeated. I started the car and began to pull out of the parking lot.

Kyle frowned and gingerly clicked in his belt. "Buckle your seat belt," he said softly, a chasm of silence growing between us. "There's no need to go so fast, Stan," Kyle warned after another minute.

"You really should buckle your seat belt, Stan."

"You're going too fast, Stan."

"Stan, I'm warning you."

"I know!" I shouted angrily.

"I'm warning you Stan, you really need to take your medication!"

I was in no mood to listen to Jim. I glared daggers at him, my brow furrowed in rage. How long? How long had he lied to me? How many times did he cover up for my condition? How long did my parents know? And why did they never tell me? Tell me the real reason I've been left in this hospital to rot!

"Is this bottle full?" Jim exclaimed as he picked the orange canister. "You haven't taken your medication in… six months?! Stan, do you want to die?!"

"I feel fine," I informed shortly.

"It doesn't matter how you feel," Jim lashed out. "You take the pills because we tell you to, and that's all you need to know!"

I remained silent. I had no need to argue with him. It was a pointless debate, since I would never have to see Jim or Abigail or any of the other liars who so easily and mercilessly clouded my mind ever again after tonight. Kyle and I had a plan. Tonight… we were escaping this hell.

Later, when my parents visited, Jim pulled them aside out in the hall. I knew what he was telling them; that I haven't been taking my medication. I took a little amusement in the idea that I had paid their lies back in lies of my own… only soon I'd do it with interest.

As I listened with eagerness, I heard Jim explaining his concern that I haven't been taking my pills. I heard him scheme with them, saying things like slipping the medication into my food when I ate. Ha! Even if I wasn't leaving, it would never have worked. I heard everything, even my bastard parents agreeing to the outrageous idea!

"Stanley," came a voice, and I looked up to see the Broflovski family. All of them were there to visit me for the first time since I was first dropped into this god forsaken place. They were all dressed in black, including Kyle, who refrained from making eye contact with me. "How have you been?" Mr. Broflovski asked, his face unusually grim.

"Fine," I answered, my tongue as sharp as a knife. Ike, just as his brother, looked away from me, his eyes misty.

"Good," Mr. Broflovski nodded, he and his wife leaving, taking Ike with them.

"Sorry for them," Kyle started in a whisper. "There was a death in the family, and they're still not over it. I kind of… forced them to come visit you. They really did want to though."

"Are we still on for tonight?" Kyle looked away again and nodded, his red shocks of hair covering his eyes.

Darkness fell like a cloud looming over the midnight sky, but my heart was pounding so hard and the adrenaline rushing through my veins both kept me wide awake. Soon I heard the stroke of midnight and opened my eyes wide for them to adjust. This was it. This was my time to move. It was now or never.

Strangely, I found it difficult to move my legs, as if they were weighed down with the guilt of my actions. At last, I wrenched them free of the spell and jumped from my hospital bed. Throwing on a robe, I took one last look at the white walls of the room and wondered for a second when they painted over the floral wallpaper from before.

My eyes fell onto the withered flowers on my bed side stand. I never did water them…. Should I take them with me? Or would they just be in my way? My hands lighted over them and they shivered dryly beneath my fingers. For some reason… I couldn't leave them behind.

Hands full with the bouquet, I easily maneuvered my way through the halls. The only obstacle in my way was Abigail. The guiding lights of the cafeteria warned me of impending discovery if I was not careful. Kyle may have made the mistake of being seen by Abigail, but I wouldn't. I knew she was watching, and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she let down her guard.

My patience paid off. As I hid behind a cart just outside the double doors… mere yards away from the open grate of the vent… I watched and saw that periodically Abigail would leave for a quick cigarette. She would leave for nearly fifteen minutes.

About an hour later, my body was going completely numb, but finally the chef left for her second break. I saw the worry in her eyes. I didn't arrive tonight for my midnight dinner run and she was obviously concerned. I, however, did not feel sorry for leaving her. Too many times had she lied to me… kept secrets. How could I forgive her… or any of them for that matter?

With Abigail gone, I dashed for the vent, tripping as blood began to circulate again through my legs. I skidded to the ground and grinned in success as I noted that the opening was more than enough for me to fit through. I reached out my free hand and felt the air billow softly from the outside. I took in one last breath and plunged in.

I brushed the dirt from my hands and trousers, my bare feet in the dew damp grass. Grass! Can you believe… the only grass I've seen for near of a year had been through my window?

"You brought the flowers?" Kyle asked, appearing at my side. After calming down from the shock, I nodded with a smile.

"I couldn't leave them behind." Kyle frowned and told me to follow him. "I'm starving," I complained, hearing my empty stomach echo my grumbling.

"Do you have money?" he asked me, and I pulled a twenty dollar bill from my pocket. "It's all I have to my name."

"We can get more later if we need to," Kyle informed, a fragile smile spreading across his lips. "Right now, let's get you something to eat. There's a restaurant about fifteen blocks from here. Would you like to go there?"

My face brightened immediately. "Hell yeah!"

xxxxx

"How many?" the greeter asked as we walked through the glass doors. It was nearly three in the morning and the place was deserted but for a few other people.

"Two," I answered, feeling my face flush in embarrassment as the woman looked me over. I was wearing a light blue shirt and pants covered with a robin's egg colored robe and was barefoot… all while holding a dead bouquet of flowers. I can only imagine what she was thinking.

"Okay," she confirmed, picking up two menus and leading Kyle and me to our table. She laid them down and walked away briskly, grabbing the near by manager and whispering something into his ear.

"Are you going to sit down?" I asked, pulling out the chair and sitting myself down.

"I'll just stand," Kyle mumbled, looking at the manager as he approached.

"I'm afraid you'll have to leave," the man said coldly.

"We just got here!" I cried, frustrated and hungry.

"Look, sir, I don't know if you know, but we have rules here. We've… we've called the police, Mr. Marsh" I stood up with a start and Kyle remained motionless. "Please, don't be alarmed, sir. We know who you are because you've been all over the news for the past half hour. They're all looking for you."

"Kyle we have to go!" I shouted, running for the door. "They can't catch me! I can't go back there!" At first, Kyle was hesitant, his bangs covering his eyes darkly. After a split second, he frowned and broke out into a jog to catch up with me.

Together we raced down the streets of the small town. I don't know how long we were running, but I must have been out of shape. I was panting and cursing while Kyle was barely breaking a sweat. We turned a corner as sirens began to pierce the air and ran into an alleyway.

"I think we're safe for now…" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

"Are you sure?" Kyle asked, calmly. I looked up and followed his gaze down into the dark abyss of the alley. Something stirred and emerged into the dim light.

"And here I was thinking I wouldn't get anything tonight," said a rough voice. A dark and menacing man approached the two of us, bearing his yellowed teeth. Slowly, he took a gun from his coat pocket and poised it at us, ready to fire. "We can do this two ways: You give me all the money you have, or I shoot you and take it anyway."

"Please, we don't have much," I pleaded, the sight of the pistol sending a shiver down my spine. "Just let us go, please!"

"Not a chance," he growled. "Give me all you've got, or I'll kill you." His voice was low and course, like sandpaper. "Hurry up, you! I don't have all night. Those sirens are getting closer."

"The police are looking for us," I started, raising my hands and clenching my fist around the flowers, trying to reason with the crazed man. "They'll be here any minute!" I looked over to Kyle as saw he remained motionless, his face down cast to the ground.

"I don't care, I'll be out of here in seconds if you'll just hand over the cash." The man raised his gun and cocked it deftly, his eyes cold.

"Okay, okay," I begged, taking out my twenty dollars. "This is all we have, I swear." I reached out, and he snatched it from my grasp without a second thought. "Now will you please leave us alone?"

The man didn't move, and kept his gun pointed right at me. "K-Kyle," I started, my voice quivering in fear. "Do you have anything to give him?"

"You should run, Stan," Kyle whispered, looking up, tears falling from the corners of his eyes. "Just run."

"I can't leave you, Kyle! I-" I was cut off by a loud guffaw and I looked back to the man who was clutching his stomach as he laughed. It was a fiery and evil laugh that caused my breath to stop dead.

"What are you trying to do?" he asked after he had regained his composure. "Are you trying to trick me or something? Cause it won't work on me! Who the hell do you think you're talking to, anyway?"

"W-what?" I asked, my breathing erratic and coming in spurts. I heard footsteps and Kyle stood in front of me, spreading his arms out like a barrier between me and the man. "Kyle! Stop!"

"You have to run, Stan!" Kyle commanded quietly. "There isn't much time left. You just have to run."

"I'm not going to leave you here!" I cried, tears falling hotly like pearls from my face.

"Damn it, Stan! Why do you never listen to me?!" Kyle shouted, and I staggered backwards. Kyle never yelled at me like that.

"That's it," the man said, growing annoyed. "I've had enough of this shit!" He raised his pistol and aimed it directly for Kyle's chest. I gasped, locked in place.

Then… all the bustling of the city… all the roar of the sirens… all noise that ever sounded in the world… was deafened by the gunshot.

I fell against the near by alley wall, my sight growing dim and misty. I touched my stomach… and felt the blood blossom between my fingers….