Author's Note: This chapter was the most difficult to write, but it's my favorite so far.

Anything for You 4

Kenny's POV

I was surprised as shit when I got news that Maz Kanett had woken up from his coma. Now that Maz was awake and healed, there was nothing else to wait for and the trial was scheduled.

I was glad, really. It'd been months since the fatass shot him, and it wasn't fun being with Stan on the outside of Kyle and Cartman's secret club. It was clear to both Stan and I that there was something seriously fucked up about Kyle. I mean, he'd become a stranger! I don't know why he even bothered to come to school anymore. It was sad, really. Kyle had always been the smartest in our class, and now he's throwing it all away, senior year. Two months ago I'd have bet everything in my skimpy wallet that he would be valedictorian, but now it'd be a surprise if he graduated.

Time went even more slowly as everyone waited for the trial. When the day came, it was like a dark cloud had settled over South Park. The court was filled with familiar faces. Our friends and teachers, our moms and dads, and everyone else who could fit crowded their way into the room.

Since we were Cartman's closest friends, if you could even call us that, Kyle, Stan and I got the front row next to Cartman's mom. While Stan was trying to comfort her, I kept stealing glances to the left where Maz's family sat. There was a railing in front of us and beyond that was the pair of desks where the opposing sides sat. Maz sat to the left and we waited for Cartman to come out.

He finally did, his orange suit lighting up the room like a dying sun, chains clanking as they dragged from his ankles and clinked between his wrists. I anxiously looked between the two, but neither Maz nor Cartman were looking at one another.

The lawyers, Kyle's dad on Cartman's side and some guy from out of town on Maz's discussed what Cartman had said two months ago, and now what Maz had said when the cops talked to him in the hospital. Cartman's story was vague, a fight followed by him shooting Naz. Naz's story was the same, and the opposite. He said he had been hanging out behind the school in the green house with a friend his age, Cory Anter, and then he said he had been alone. After that he kept changing his story about why he fought with Cartman, but it always ended with, 'he shot me'. What was the biggest shocker was Maz's last version of the story, where it had been an accident. This one he insisted was true, that it was his dad's gun and he was just messing around with it, and Cartman showed up and took it the wrong way; that he thought Maz planned to shoot someone when he hadn't. He tried to take it away from Maz and accidentally shot him.

The trial after that was incredibly long and boring. Everyone and more testified in one or the other boys' defense, blabbing about how they had good character and did their chores. Stan went and then I did, but we didn't have much to say. The only thing we knew was that something was up with Kyle, but it wasn't like we were about to rat him out in the court room. Whatever Cartman and Kyle were up to, it was there business.

That was why I was on the edge of my seat when Kyle finally stood. He put his hand on the bible, swore, and took the stand. I glanced at Maz, who to my surprise was hunching further forward than he had been before, his eyes glued to the table.

"Tell me," said Maz's lawyer, "What is your relationship to Eric?"

"We went to school together."

"But he was your friend, right?"

"I guess. We hung out sometimes, but we don't have a lot in common."

I understood. What he meant to say is Cartman's a fucking asshole that nobody wants to hang out with. I was surprised how composed Kyle looked. It was nothing like the wreck he had been during the last two months.

"What do you have to say regarding Eric's character?"

Kyle shrugged. "He's rude, but I don't think he's a bad guy."

The hell you don't, I thought. The lawyer asked him questions and so did his dad, and Kyle kept up his vague responses.

"Alright, would the next witness please take the stand," said the judge in a bored voice.

I didn't even notice what was happening until I heard Kyle's dad.

"Kyle, you can step down now," said Mr. Broflovski, "Kyle?"

I looked up to see Kyle at the stand, standing up and not moving. His face was exactly as it was the day we first went to the prison, when he punched me in the stomach. More and more people began to look at him, and he blinked, turning to face Cartman.

"I'm not done," he said timidly. All eyes were on him now. I looked at Cartman, whose smooth mask was twisted into an angry grimace.

"I'm not done!" Kyle yelled. "I-"

"Shut your mouth, Jew!" Cartman bellowed, standing up. The guards were on him in a second, shoving him back into his seat.

"Order in the court!" the judge hollered. "Broflovski, say what you need to."

The room was dead quiet aside from Kyle's strained breath.

"Behind the school, in the greenhouse, I was there."

"You weren't there, you lying piece of shit!" Maz suddenly burst, "It was an accident! Cartman shot me and it was an accident!"

The Judge raised his voice until the room was quiet again. Maz and Cartman were unbelievably furious, almost as mad as I was confused. I glanced at Stan beside me, who looked just as shocked.

"I was in the greenhouse," Kyle said calmly, "because I was behind in class. I needed to replant my aloe plant. See, it was dying. I must have watered it too much." Kyle mumbled the last part before getting back on track. "So Maz came in with his friend, Cory Anter. They were just talking to me, and then they asked about me being gay, which I am. 'I heard you were a fag,' Maz said, 'I heard you screw guys'. I said it was none of his business. It happened really fast after that."

"You're full of shit," Maz said.

"Kanett, if you don't stop right now I'll throw you out of my court room."

Maz leaned back, rubbing his face in his hands as he mumbled.

"It- it happened fast," Kyle said, trying to remember his place, "Cory pinned me down, and Maz pulled out the gun. He said, 'You scream and I'll shoot you!'" Kyle's voice began to rise as he was consumed in his story. "'I'll shoot you!'" Kyle screamed.

Kyle made the most horrible noise then, a whimper like I had never heard. He hunched forward as he gripped the wood of the podium, his head down and his eyes screwed shut. His red curls fell over his face in disarray.

"'I'll show you, fag,' Maz told me. They pulled up my shirt and got my pants off. I had no idea Cory was so strong."

I looked back into the crowd, where Cory sat frozen between his horrified parents.

"Maz took the gun-"

"You don't have to tell them, Kyle!" Cartman was yelling again. "Nobody has to know!"

"-and he fucked me with it!" Kyle spat.

Cartman sat quiet, resigned.

"He took the gun and he put it in me! 'Bet you like that, faggot!'" Kyle yelled, quoting Maz's atrocities. "I didn't know what was on my legs until I saw the blood, but I was more worried about what he was going to do next. He just shoved harder and there was more blood. It hurt so much… I was sure I'd bleed to death.

"That's when Cartman came. He opened the door and… I'm so sorry Cartman… and I was so sure he was going to laugh. I thought he'd stand there and look down at me, take my humiliation like he always does and rub it in my face. I thought he'd laugh and leave me. He was still laughing in my head when he came in the greenhouse. He was so fast. Faster than they were, faster than I thought he could ever be. He got them off me, punched Cory in the face. Cory ran out as he went for Maz, and then they were fighting. The gun went off and then there was blood everywhere. Way more blood than mine.

"Cartman stood up and went to me. He helped me get my clothes on and asked if I could walk. I managed to get to my feet, so he told me to leave. He said he'd take care of everything." Kyle was crying now. "So I went home and took a shower. Cartman was only trying to protect me, to save me from the humiliation."

Kyle sounded like he was finished, and nobody spoke for a very long time. I looked around. Maz was focused on the ceiling, Mr. Broflovski was watching him. Stan was staring at the floor as was Cartman's mom. Cartman was looking at Kyle and Kyle was looking back.

Tbc. Please review and tell me what you think.