Chapter 11: What Happens Now?

Kyle

There seemed to be a different atmosphere in the air. Some sort of broken tension that had been there for quite some time. My mom and dad came into the house a while after I finished with Ike doing the dishes. We were trying to stay out of Kenny's way. I got a call from Stan, and he said he'd see us tomorrow. I told him it may not be wise to see Kenny right now. At Ike's advice. Ken felt comfortable falling apart in front of me. Not anyone else, and I was the first one to know exactly how that feels. So, I didn't let them come by, to check on him. He was still sleeping in my room, under the blankets I'd thrown on him after taking off the shoes.

"Boys? Kyle, Ike." mom said softly as she walked into the kitchen. "What's the matter with you two?" she asked a little worried.

"Kyle? Are you doing drugs?" my dad asked looking at my face.

"Gerald!" my mom hissed. "This is not the time! Have you been crying, Bubby?" she asked looking at me. "Ike, what's been going on?"

"Mom?" Ike said softly. "Kyle, go." he said simply. He and I both knew I was gonna cry like a little new born baby.

Ike

I waited until Kyle left the room, and I heard his footsteps on the stairs. My mom stared at me, and so did my dad. They both had questioning looks on their faces.

"You guys can not react." I said softly. "You guys have to try to be quiet with what I'm about to tell you. Okay? Please. Just listen."

"Okay, bubula!" mom said sitting down. "Just tell us!" she begged.

"Yeah, you make it sound like everything went to hell." my dad said smiling.

"Dad! Everything _did go to hell." I said sadly. "You guys, try to keep it down. Kenny is up in Kyle's room." I said simply trying to see how they would react.

"Kenny?" my mom asked surprised.

"Is he sleeping?" dad asked.

"Yeah. He just had a major breakdown, and is completely spent." I said softly walking to stand in front of my parents. "Please, mom. He will not request it, because he's too prideful. Let him stay here for a bit. He'll still go to school. Trust me."

"Kyle and Kenny are best friends!" my mom said simply. "He is always welcome to stay here."

"Mom, this is different. When you see him at dinner today, you'll know what I'm talking about." I said as I remembered walking behind Kyle and peaking at Kenny. He had been lying on Kyle's bed completely spent. His hood sort of hung strangely on his head, and you could see his face. There was no light in his eyes, no color in his pale skin. He looked like he was already dead.

"Is he okay?" my dad asked seriously. "You know, I think I should go have a talk with Stu."

"No." I said quickly. "Just wait a while. Dad, Kenny just needed to break down for a bit." I said sighing. "Anyway, I'm leaving for a bit."

"Where do you think you're going?" mom asked standing up.

"With Kyle. Dinner's almost done, and we're missing dessert." I lied.

"You made dinner, Bubby?" my mom asked.

"Sure. Why not?" I asked grinning. "Anyway, I'm going to get my jacket and stuff. Make sure you guys take care of Kenny."

I left, and heard mom and dad talking. I met Kyle in my room.

"Let's go see where Karen's at." I said sighing. "That way, we can tell him that everything's okay."

"Are we allowed to leave?" he asked shifting a little. "What about Ken?"

"Mom and dad'll take good care of him. He's okay. Ca'mon. I left mom in charge of the dinner, and lied and said we were missing dessert. So, let's go."

Both of us walked quietly down stairs, and left. We made our way to Kenny's place. Careful not to step on anything broken, or messed up. It didn't take long. When we went up to the house, we discovered the door was closed. The lock was broken, and the knob was rusty, so it was not difficult to get in. We walked inside.

"Jesus tap dancing Christ." I said as I took my first look at Kenny's home.

The door opened on to the living room. So, right as you walk in, you get a clear view of the McCormick's place. There was one couch, which seemed to sag to the ground. It was worn, and the arms had what looked like gnawed rat bites on them. Stuffing spots showed on the cushions and there was what looked like a blood stain on one of them. There was a matress in the middle of the living room. The carpet was littered with beer bottles, TV dinner trays, and wrappers. Holy crap, Kenny! The carpet had blood stains on it, too. Along with wine spills and what looked like cigarette burns. We stepped in, and walked into the kitchen. It looked like they had a hot plate to cook stuff on, and a microwave. A rusty broken can opener sat on the counter, along with what looked like a recently purchased pack of cheap flimsy napkins. The smell of wine hung in the air.

There was no one here. We walked into the hall and into Karen's room. There was a pile of clean clothing on a clean plastic bag. She had only a sleeping bag in her room, nothing else. A thick film of dust and grime covered her carpet as well.

We walked into the next room, and my eyes fell on Kyle. There was a twin bed with what looked like an actual clean blanket on it. One of Kenny's hats was lying on the pillow. It looked like it had blood stains on it, too. I saw the cheap ass PSP lying on his bed with two games beside it. I smiled at Kyle. The little clock radio was lying on the crate that he used as a night stand. He had a little tiny tooth paste, and there was a bag sitting on the floor. Kyle and I walked over and opened the bag. I couldn't help letting out a big ha as I spotted the pair of Mysterion's gloves and suit.

"Kenny." Kyle said smiling as he took the gloves and stared at them. "I still can't believe.…"

"Man, South Park is full of retards." I said smirking. "How could anyone not know that Kenny was Mysterion?"

"Where could they be?" he asked as we both left the room.

"I don't know, but we gotta get out of here. Stu may just kill us if he sees us here."

"Too late." Kyle said as there was a noise somewhere.

"Kenny?" It was Karen. Kyle and I both looked at each other with relief.

"Oh, hey you two." she said walking over to me and hugging me. "How's things?" she asked squeezing me.

"Good. I thought you'd be your father."

"No." she said smiling as I held her.

"Where's your mom and dad?"

"They're at Jimbo and Ned's place. They're gonna watch the game. Well, dad is, anyway."

"Oh. Is there a sane person in the place?" I asked.

"Yep. Bonnie who works at Tweek's coffee." Karen said smiling. "Where's my brother?"

"He fell apart at my place." Kyle said softly. "We're gonna keep him there for a couple hours. Might stay the night."

"Well it's about time." she muttered. "It's good to see him break and start afresh once in a while."

"Can you handle things?" I asked letting her go.

"Yeah." Karen said sighing. "I'll be fine. I'll bring Bonnie to stay with us. We'll both crash in Ken's room."

"Thank you, Karen." Kyle said softly.

Kenny

I awoke with my chest hurting. What happened to me? Had I just died? I don't know. But my chest ached so badly. I looked around, and spotted someone sitting beside me. It was Mrs. Broflovski. She was sitting beside me, with a needle, thread, and my jacket draped over her lap. What? How did she take off my jacket?

"You're a heavy sleeper, Kenny." she said in her comfortable drawl. "Don't woyee. Things aw going to be okay, hon'."

Then, I remembered what had happened, and my eyes filled with fresh tears. I sighed, and closed my eyes. The tears filled my lids, and flowed on to Kyle's pillow. I heard a rustling sound, and I felt a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders. Instinctively, my arms encircled her waist, and I buried my head into her breasts. She was gentle, and the smell of soap, and flowery perfume hit me. When was the last time I ever hugged my mom? Never. I never hugged my mom, and my dad said hugs were for fags. I felt strangely crushed in her arms. More pain filled my insides, and I began to sob all over again.

"Tell me what to do, Bubby!" she said stroking my hair. "Tell me how I can help. Tell me what you need for everything to be okay again?"

"I need to be dead, Mrs. Broff." I croaked. "I need to die. So badly. I can't take it anymore." I moaned. "Please."

"Kenny, you realize that's not an option? My son needs you. Think about all the people you'd be hoyting if you died, bubby?" she said as she held me. "It'll be okay, Kenny." she said sighing. "It will all be ovuh soon, bubula." she said sighing. "My precious little boy." she said as she rocked me back and forth. "Don't worry anymore, love. Everything will be fine."

And soon enough, it would be. But for now, I felt so heavy, and sad. For now, I felt defeated, worn out, and tired. I know I repeated myself, but I felt useless. I felt dead already. I felt…. Where do I go from here? What happens now that I finally broke down? Where was Kyle? Where was Kyle?

"Kyle?" I croaked.

"He and Ike went to go get some more things fuh dinner, Bubby." she said as she held me. "Would you like to come down stairs, and be with me and Gerald for a while?" she asked. "I'm still mending yuh jacket, Bubula." she said simply. "Would you like me to wash it?"

"I would really appreciate it, Mrs. Broff." I said sighing. "Thank you."

"Shshshshsh, Bubula. Come on, let's go down stairs. You can lay on the couch. Bring Kyle's pellow." she said lifting me up with amazing strength.

In no time at all, I was lying on the couch with my hopefully boyfriend's parents sitting on either side of me. Mr. Broflovski encouraging me to cheer up, and Sheila mending the rest of my jacket. I had no clue my jacket needed mending. Huh.

Kyle

When Ike and I walked into my house, I spotted Kenny lying on the couch. My dad was absent mindedly flipping through the channels on the set, with Kenny lying across him. Mom was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's mom?" Ike asked as we walked in with the groceries.

"Washin' clothes." dad said yawning. "You guys get the cake?" he asked. "If you didn't get the cake, Kyle, I swear…"

"Calm down. We got the cake." Ike said as we closed the door.

"Kyle?" Kenny's eyes opened, and he slowly sat up.

"You doin' better, Ken?" my dad asked.

"Yes, sir. Sorry." Kenny said smiling at him gently.

"Don't apologize, son. Ike, go put that in the kitchen, and you three go up and wash up and get down here, pronto."

I walked up stairs silently with Kenny. He didn't look at me, and i wondered what was going on. Was he mad at me? Did I not help him somehow?

"Will you lend me your Torah?" he asked softly.

"Yes." I said softly as we walked into my room.

"Kenny?"

"Hmmm?"

"I… uh… I went to your place before I went to the store with Ike."

"And?" he asked as he threw himself into the bean bag chair.

"Karen says they're going over to Ned's." I said as I took down my book and handed it to him.

Kenny sighed. He closed his eyes for a bit, before he spoke. "Why?"

"Watch a game." I said softly. "Apparently someone sober would be there."

"Who?" he asked.

"Dunno. Karen said her name was Bonnie."

Kenny's face broke into a smile. He grinned and a single tear slid down his cheek. "I have to remember to thank her. Soon."

We all ended up at dinner fifteen minutes later. We had Goulash, which Kenny seemed to really like. Hell, that boy liked anything as long as it kept him nourished. For dessert, we had honey cake. Mom complimented Ike and I on dinner. My mind was somewhere else. Kenny. What was gonna happen now?