Kenny's POV

January 25th

Our relationship was a delicious secret, a secret that I held very close to my chest like armour. Knowing that somebody loved me, knowing that someone adored me and thought I was the world to them...it made everything else in the world not matter. Nothing else mattered; not the stupid rumours, not the eyes that stared after our intertwined fingers, not the shitty dinners and not the shouts that bounced off the windows and echoed within the four walls of my bedroom. As long as Kyle loved me, nothing else was important. I ensured that every spare moment I had that I'd spend it with him; I would stay over his house most nights, returning to my own house only in the early hours to get some fresh clothes before Kyle even stirred. And if I slept in too late, he'd lend me some of his clothes or we'd just cuddle in his bed. No one knew. Kyle's mother assumed we'd just gotten close and suddenly discovered how much we had in common. My parents didn't even notice I was out the house. Stan and Cartman were a little surprised, but, same as Kyle's mom didn't jump to any conclusions and, even if they did, I didn't care. The only witnesses to our love were curious gazes of strangers and the four wonderful walls of Kyle's room that blocked the world from us. It was like our Great Wall of China; it kept everyone else out and only let us in. Our perfect sanctuary, where everything was clear and made sense. There was no shouting, there were no rules, and there was nobody but us.

It was January 25th, which would make it our first week together. It's so weird; I'd always scoffed teenagers who drabbled on for hours over partners they'd only known for two days. I'd always laughed at them, saying how stupid Romeo was for proposing to Juliet after knowing her for only one day. It didn't make sense to me...back then. Now I knew. I knew why Juliet said yes. I knew why they declared their love. I knew why they killed themselves although they'd only been together for minor days. They didn't need all the answers; they didn't need to know every nook and cranny of one another. They just...they felt it...like how I felt it for Kyle.

Today, Kyle and I had agreed to spend the night together. We weren't going to be one of those couples that celebrated every single week as an anniversary...well; I wouldn't make a big deal about it. I would probably make a big deal about it inside my head and would probably circle the day on my calendar or something. But not to Kyle. I don't want to risk ruining it; spoiling it with my devotion. It was my first love; he was the first person who'd ever showed me the slightest bit of attention. One minute, I was crushing on Stan and the next, Kyle had kissed me and everything changed. Stan was just a crush. Kyle...Kyle was for real. I loved Kyle. I knew it with every fibre of my being, I felt it in the tips of my fingers and I wanted to shout it to the world. But we'd agreed to keep it secret for a while. Our little, private, amazing secret.

"Kenny..." Kyle mewled, reluctantly breaking our kiss as he glanced up at the clock in the gym changing rooms. He looked back to me, licking his lips nervously, his eyes every now and then darting to my lips and then back to my eyes. "Class is going to start in a minute..."

"Skip it," I begged, kissing his forehead softly.

Kyle giggled, holding my arms as he feebly attempted at pushing me away. "Kenny, I have gym next. The changing rooms will be full in a minute." Nevertheless, even as he was saying this, his hold only got tighter on me, pulling me even closer so our hips were pressing against each other, our chests together, hearts beating in frantic union.

I admitted mentally that he was correct and that we'd have to cover our tracks better if we were keen on keeping this between us for a while longer. I exhaled and met his hungry gaze. I caved and kissed him again, my hands exploring his body as I did so. Kyle's body was like my own, private bible. I found peace of mind, and it was sacred to me. His body was my voice of reason, and I wanted to keep him under my pillow at all times so that if I ever felt lonely or afraid, I could always reach for him and find comfort in his kind words.

I felt cold now his hands were absent from my body. I even shivered a little as we went our separate ways. I made my way toward English while he waited outside the changing room doors as if he'd been waiting innocently for class to begin. My skin still tingled from where he'd touched me and I could still taste him in my mouth. My heartbeat hadn't at all relaxed since our kissing spree, and it didn't seem able to, even when I sat down in my usual seat in class next to Stan. He stared at my flushed face, which only made my face hotter.

"Kenny, have you been running a marathon or something?" Stan remarked. "And where were you and Kyle at recess today? I looked all over for you..."

"I was revising in Math," I lied easily, the words falling from my lips with such coolness and ease that Stan didn't even bother pushing the matter further although he didn't look utterly convinced.

That day in English, we were studying poetry. To be more specific, we had to write our own versions of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. I wrote it up without even thinking. The pen met the page and didn't stop until the last full stop at the end of the piece. When I gave it a second glance, I hastily changed all the 'he's to 'she's and all the 'him's to 'her's. Stan was sitting there for ages, tapping his page with the end of his pen, every so often looking over at mine, frowning and then turning back to his own.

"Damn, Kenny," Stan enthused as he scanned mine for the umpteenth time. "How do you write stuff like that?"

I shrugged and struggled not to smile at my own, private joke. I felt like Shakespeare and Kyle was my Hathaway, giving me this constant inspiration that fuelled all of my writing. Mr. Cunningham paused by our table. He frowned slightly at Stan's one line that read something like: "You have pretty eyes", and then walked over to glimpse over my shoulder. He stopped for a moment and I felt suddenly sweaty and anxious. I felt uncomfortable and I fidgeted in my seat uneasily.

"Wonderful piece, Kenny," Mr. Cunningham said thoughtfully, picking up my paper to look a little closer, as if he'd misread something and interoperated it as something beautiful when really it was a sexual innuendo and piss take. He seemed surprised that he found none. "Keep it up." He put my work back down before me and I swallowed the rising lump in my throat, smiling gingerly at him.

When the bell rang, I felt a surge of relief. Double English was over. My day was over. I was free to go home. I could get my stuff together. I could make up a lame excuse to my Mom while she was cutting the girls' hair. Telling her I won't be home till very late. Because I was going to be out with Kyle, my boyfriend. I literally scraped all of my work into my open back, zipped it up jerkily and rose to my feet, ready to sprint out of the door when...

"Kenny, can I ask you something," Stan called after my retreating back, his hand reaching out to touch my shoulder to grab my attention in case I hadn't heard him. I hesitated and slowed down a little, flashing him a quick, crooked smirk.

"Sure," I answered, running a hand through my blond hair as I looked down at him. "What's up?"

Stan shifted his rucksack on his shoulder in discomfort, as if he'd half expected me to give an excuse to why I couldn't stay and answer his question. He took my arm and pulled me to one side, looking down at his feet.

"Um...Kenny...what's going on with you and Kyle?"

"Ask again later," I teased, laughing a little. "Gotta shake me right, Stan, to get the right answer..."

"Don't piss about, Kenny," Stan snapped, his blue eyes meeting mine for the first time. He blushed and looked away again, chewing his bottom lip. "I mean...are you two..." I cringed. "Best friends now or something?"

I nearly fainted with this lightness that I suddenly felt, the lightness of relief that he still remained oblivious to the fact his friends were now dating. I grinned and he blinked several times in shock to my reaction.

"No, man," I reassured him, putting my right hand in my jacket pocket. "You know what a swot Kyle is in Math. He's been helping me out, is all. I'd have asked you but you kinda suck at Math too. No offense. You're still Kyle's best friend. No worries."

Stan seemed to feel the same lightness since he seemed to flop from the tense stance he was in a few minutes ago. He scratched his black hair shyly, his face blossoming a delicate peach.

"Oh man," he laughed. "I sounded like such an ass then. Um," he looked sheepish once more. "Is it cool then if I hang out with you guys then on your study meetings?" the lightness turned to a heavy lead. "I mean, I could always do with a bit of tutoring myself. You guys won't mind, right?"

Bad idea to pull the Math card. I could've pulled any other lesson card out of the box, trust me to use the one that both I and Stan have a little trouble with. Now Kyle and I would have to share our picnics with Stan and have to visit the bathroom sporadically every five minutes or so just so we could have a few minutes alone. Stan wasn't a moron; he'd catch on sooner or later. And when he did, how would he react?

"Um...sure, why not?" I masked my sudden unnerve with a queasy half smile. "I'll get Kyle to get everything planned up with you."

Stan was beaming from ear to ear as he left the classroom. It took me a moment to settle my churning stomach before I could leave and head on home to make up some bull story about my whereabouts tonight...

* * * *

The sky above us was like black water, settled and untouched by anything, the supple surface never broken by sharp movements or other forms. Splashes of dark purple and lighter shades of blue smeared across the sky, the stars like specks of peering light through a tear in the flawless blanket. The moon was a misty silhouette hung up in a corner by an invisible string, glowing like the aura around a lit candle. The air was cool and I would've been trembling from the cold if it wasn't for the radiating warmth from Kyle's body as he lay next to me.

"I feel like one of those lame couples in the movies..." he whispered, his green eyes standing out in the darkness as he looked at me. "Sitting here watching the stars..." he drifted off as I pressed my fingertip to his lips.

"Nothing lame about it," I corrected, sitting up a little so I could look straight down at his face. "We're not admiring the sky...we're not thinking how beautiful it all is and that the world is 100% right...because it's not. I'm just enjoying my time with you..." I kissed his cheek and he breathed against my neck, making the hair on the back of it stand on end.

"That was so cheesy," Kyle said gently in my ear, his body moulding against mine perfectly as I held him.

"I'm sorry..." I began to apologize, fearing that I'd said too much.

"Don't be you goof," Kyle cut me short, pulling away. He touched the back of my neck, his thumb stroking lightly against my cheekbone. I caught my breath. "I meant it was cheesy in a good way..."

We kissed, the stars acting as our only witnesses. I'm pretty sure if the stars could speak, they'd be sending their blessings. Our love wasn't tainted like people had tried to convince us for years; our love was as pure as any other because the feelings were the same. Everything I had for Kyle was the same that I would've held for a girl. Our bodies were the same but since when did that become the root of love? I knew right at that moment that I didn't care who knew. I didn't care if Stan found out, I didn't care if Cartman spread it around the school, and I didn't care about how my parents would react. I didn't even care if Mrs. Broflovski found out and banned me from seeing Kyle...because I knew that I wouldn't let something like that get in my way. No one and nothing was going to prevent this. As long as we loved each other...everything would be okay...