"You see Kenny, we would just like to see where you and Shay live." Principal Victoria said in a gentle voice.
"Why?" Kenny tilted his head.
"We just feel it's important to see what kind of environtment you two are involved in, m'kay?" Mr. Macky crossed his arms.
"Think of it as a little tour."
Kenny sat in silence and didn't know what to say. A "tour"? It wasn't that he was ashamed about where he lived, he jut felt that it would be a bit different for the well off people. Before he agreed he brought up a more personal problem he saw with it.
"What would happen to Shay?"
"Shay will remain here with Nurse Gollum, m'kay."
"Yes, she'll take care of Shay until we get back."
"Okay then." He hopped off of the chair and led them out of the office.
They left the school building far behind them as they followed the junior high school student out of town. The cool wind buffeted them until they came across the railroad track that separated the two neighborhoods. They crossed the rails and walked with care into the poorer town side, inspecting the conditions along the way. Trash littered the sidewalks and roads while stray animals wandered the streets and shouts could be heard within some of the houses. A large sillhouete loomed before them and even Kenny gasped when they arrived at the old playground. Since his last visit it had gotten much worse; the swing set was rusty and a few of the swings were missing, the slide had been taken off and put up against an opening on the bottom of the playground, the see-saw had both handles missing as paint that had been worn out and peeled off, garbage scattered throughout the area, and graffiti covered the walls. The opening where the slide lay had a dirty, patched up, lavender blanket put over a large hole to protect the inside from the chilly breeze.
The three of them approached the makeshift home and crawled through the opening, gently pushing the blanket aside as to not tear it down. A large dip was made on the inside and another small blanket (most likely the other half of the one that hung on the slide) lie undisturbed on the ground. Two frozen T.V dinners on top of a rag showed no sign of thawing anytime soon and casted a shadow on the interior walls caused by the dim, blinking flashlight. Other than that, it was pretty dark, too dark to get a good look at things. Kenny squated down and felt his foot step on something squishy. Lifting his heel he picked up a small, dark cream, stuffed rabbit, its ear torn, both eyes missing, stitches over its right arm, and many patches. Although it was blind the little bunny still smiled with joy, its tiny, pink, velvet nose twitching quietly. He sat down and felt something else under him. Taking the flashlight he pointed it where he last was and found a black, stuffed cat with a bandage on its tail, and a teddy bear with one of its ears gone.
"Principal Victoria, where will Shay go?" Kenny asked still staring at the stuffed animals.
"Oh I don't know dear. Shay will just have to go to an adoption center until we can find who the parents are."
"But...he doesn't have any parents."
Victoria and Mr. Macky looked at each other in wonder. Now the biggest challenge is what they will do with the child. They couldn't just leave Shay out here like this. That's when Kenny had an idea that might be crazy enough to work.
"I'll be willing to take Shay in." He said.
"But, your family is just bad off as Shay is. Your parents have three growing children in your house they couldn't afford caring for another, m'kay." Mr. Macky objected.
"I know, but it's better than having to leave him all alone out here. It's just the right thing to do."
"You seem determined to see Shay in a more proper home." Victoria smiled.
"I don't think that it's good for him to live this way."
"Very well, we'll make arrangements."
They exited the little home and Kenny brought out the three toys wrapped up in the blanket with him. Shay would want these to be with him. He kept them close to him as they walked back to school. In Nurse Gollum's office they gathered worridly around Shay to see how he was doing. Kenny put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him to wake him up. Slowly, Shay's ice blue eyes blinked open and he looked straight up at Kenny.
"Shay, Kenny McCormick here is offering to house you in his home. Isn't that nice?" Nurse Gollum announced.
"Why?" Shay mumbled quietly.
"He wants to do the right thing for you. Do you accept?"
He didn't say anything more and stared up at the ceiling.
"I brought your little stuffed animals too." Kenny took out the cream bunny and handed it to him.
"Thank...you." Shay said in a weak voice.
"Would it be okay if you stay here with the nurse until Kenny gets off of school for the day?" Victoria asked.
"It's fine." Gradually his eyes closed once again with the bunny in his arms.
Kenny had to double look as he thought he saw a blue mist rise from Shay's mouth. In class Mr. Garrison was teaching English when Stan sighed and glanced over to Kyle.
"Dude, English is boring as fuck."
"Stan Marsh, what did you just say?" Mr. Garrison growled.
"I said "Dude, have you ever shot a duck.""
"Oh, okay then just try to pay attention."
Kyle grinned and nodded.
"Where do you think Kenny went?"
"I don't know, but he sure is taking a while."
"Guys, you are really polluting my learning environment." Cartman lectured.
"Oh shut up fat-ass since when have you ever cared about learning?" Kyle glared.
"Since I decided to care about learning, Jew!"
The door opened before Kyle could come up with a real crusher for Cartman and Kenny floated into the room. Mr. Garrison acted like he didn't notice and continued with the lesson while Cartman gave him a loud welcome.
"Hey Kinny were have you been?" He waved crazily.
When he didn't answer Cartman drummed his fingers on his desk and began to picture himself and the anger butterflies throwing the jars off a cliff. Kyle whispered to Stan, but kept his eyes on Eric.
"Hey, have you noticed anything weird about Cartman?"
"No, why?"
"He seems...different."
"I guess so." Stan shrugged.
Mr. Garrison turned to his students and went to get papers from his desk.
"Now students, I want you all to write a one page essay on poverty and how hard it was on the Americans during the Great Depression."
"Oh that'll be easy, right Kinny?" Cartman chuckled.
"Fuck you!" Kenny shouted.
"Language McCormick!" Mr. Garrison corrected.
The bell rang to go home and Kenny speed walked to the nurse's office only to be stopped by Cartman. He put his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his heels in attempt to appear guiltless.
"Hey, Kinny."
Rolling his eyes McCormick walked around him when Eric stepped in his way again.
"I just don't get it. Why are you so mad at me?"
"Just leave me alone." He said in a low voice and tried to pass him again.
"I understand that you don't want to see me, but I just wanna make things right between you and me. Is that too much to ask?"
"In your case, it's more than you think."
Cartman gritted his teeth, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his head began to grow foggy. Without thinking he grabbed Kenny's jacket collar and pulled him closer.
"Look, McCormick, I'm trying to be nice to you instead of ripping on your poorness. You owe me at least an explanation."
"I don't owe you anything, asshole. Now go away." He pushed away from Cartman and went in the opposite direction of where he came.
Nurse Gollum beamed happily at the sight of Kenny when he came through the door. She escorted him to where Shay was and he swung his backpack over his shoulder.
"How's he doing?" Kenny inquired.
"Shay's doing just fine, but isn't quite strong enough to walk."
"I wasn't planning on letting him walk."
"What do you mean?"
Kenny picked Shay up bridal style, shifted his weight for a moment, and nodded to the nurse.
"You've been of great help and I thank you." He said and left without another word.
Leaving the school building some of the students gazed curiously at Kenny as he carried the unconsious teen in his arms down the street. He paid no mind to their uneasy looks and went against the blowing wind as he strolled down the sidewalk. Again he softly shifted Shay in his arms and made sure that his face was not coming in contact with the biting gale. He breathed a sigh of relief as his house came into sight and the warm glow of the lights inside grew closer and closer with each step. Soon enough he was at the front porch as he twisted the door knob and stepped inside to see his parents staring at him like they had seen their son being killed right before their eyes.
"Kenny, who is that?" Stuart demanded.
"This is Shay Frost." Kenny closed the door.
"What did we tell you about bringing in strays?" Carol griped.
"He needs a place to stay and I'm willing to share my room with him."
"So this Shay's a...he?" His father was getting uncomfortable.
"Yes, and I plan on taking good care of him."
He wandered into his room and put Shay on his bed, tenderly wrapping his cold body up in blankets. Kenny sat down his bag on the floor by his bed and sat down at the edge. A few minutes later Shay awoke and found Kenny asleep at the foot of the bed. Startled he fought his way out of the covers and didn't move, but then crawled towards him and put the blankets over him instead. Kenny turned onto his right side and yawned gracefully, snuggling deeper into the covers. Shay looked around his surroundings and found, in the moonlight, his three stuffed animals in a small group at the corner all swathed in the half cut lavender blanket. Smiling to himself laid back down only to have Kenny turn back onto his left side and have his face only a few inches away. Freezing completely, Shay held his breath gradually he scooting back and then drifted off back to sleep. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.