Chapter Seventeen

Kyle's Point of View

Well it's certainly been an interesting week, that's for sure. I think everything is looking up and very soon everything could be amazing. There's just one thing I've not dared to do for two years and now feels like the right time: I need to tell my parent's I'm gay. I want to do it before I possibly get involved with Cartman, because it's not likely I will be telling them that in a hurry, maybe they'll think I'm confused, maybe they'll think I'm sick but maybe, just maybe they'll understand. I just feel I should offload my old secrets before I start keeping new ones, logical? Well I think so.

I'm not going to tell my parents alone though, I'm going to have someone with me for moral support. Obviously it's not going to be Cartman because that would just make everything way too complicated, I have arranged to see him today though; I'm going over to his house later to finish the project and to have a... talk. It's not Stan either because he doesn't know anything about what's going on. It is of course the incredibly supportive Kenny, although he sounded very reluctant to do so. I don't see what the problem was, it's not like he has anything to worry about himself; he lives a care free life involving lots of girls and endless partying. Anyway after I explained to him how badly I needed him, he agreed.

I hear a knock at the door and get up off the sofa to answer it.

"Hey Kenny," I say as I swing the door open open.

"Hi Kyle," he replies, scanning the living room.

"Come on in." He does, glancing quickly behind his shoulder in the process, I shut the door and lead him to the kitchen table where he sits down and starts flicking through the newspaper. "I'm just going to go and get my parents," I say walking towards the garage, they're both tidying it out today, along with Ike who only offered to help so he could nab anything that looked remotely interesting or dangerous when they weren't looking. As I enter into the cold room, my parents look up at me and smile, I clear my throat and proclaim: "Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you."

"What about Bubeleh?" my mom replies, in a concerned manner.

"Something important, can you come to the kitchen?"

"Well sure, we were going to take a coffee break soon anyway, we'll be right in." I smile and head back into the kitchen, where Kenny is mindlessly flicking through the newspaper, eyes glazed over, obviously not taking in a single word.

"Kenny, is something wrong?" I ask, making him jump.

"No nothing Kyle, I'm fine," he responds, obviously lying.

"I don't believe you." I hear footsteps as my mom and dad walk into the room, I make a mental note to quiz Kenny more later, right now I'm about to do something incredibly difficult and possibly stupid.

Kenny's Point of View

I think I actually prefer it when Kyle is selfish, at least then I don't have to lie to him. I doubt he'll remember that he suspected something is wrong with me later anyway though.

"Oh hello Kenny dear, lovely to see you again so soon!" exclaims Kyle's mom.

"Hello Mrs Broflovski, Mr Broflovski," I say with a smile.

"Please Kenny call us Shelia and Gerald, there's no need for such formalities." I nod.

"Mom, dad can you please sit down?" asks Kyle, staring intently at them.

"Oh this sounds serious," says his dad in a half joking tone. Actually this is quite a serious discussion and I can understand why Kyle wants someone with him and I can understand why that someone is me. I just can't understand why I agreed when this is ultimately going to end in a lot of pain. Maybe I don't care anymore.

"It is serious," replies Kyle in a cracked voice.

"Then you must tell us," Kyle's dad responds in a firm but supportive voice.

"I wouldn't be telling you if I w-wasn't completely sure, b-but I've known for two years now that I'm... Well, I'm gay." Kyle's face is flushed a vermillion red as he fails to maintain eye contact with his parents, instead looking down at his fingernails and frantically picking at them. I look first at Gerald's face which is etched in shock and confusion as his head frantically whirs to understand what he's just heard. "P-please I really want you to understand," pleads Kyle. Gerald stands up and walks over to our side of the table, placing his hand on Kyle's shoulder giving it a squeeze.

"Of course I understand," he says reassuringly. I let out a sigh of relief; at least Kyle has one parent on his side. We all turn to face Shelia who is sitting very still, a blank expression on her face.

"Is there someone," she asks very slowly in a low voice. I look cautiously at Kyle who seems to weighing up what to tell his mom. After a very tense few seconds he sighs and a defeated look washes over his face.

"Y-yes," he stutters, almost incomprehensibly, chancing a fleeting glance at me, "i-i-it's C... C-C-"

"Kenny?" cries Kyle's mom, a look of realisation on her face as she turns to look wildly at me.

I stare at Kyle in dismay as he stares back at me. Both unable to move we turn to gawk at his mom. She obviously takes this as a sign that she's right.

"It is Kenny isn't it. That's why he's here?"

We both continue staring at her, frozen to the spot. It all happens very suddenly after that, a small smile forming on her lips was all it took.

"Yes," says Kyle.

Kyle's Point of View

I look at Kenny in desperation and then over at my mom, who's, to my relief still smiling. I know it was foolish of me but I saw a possible easy way out, a peaceful resolution and I took it.

"I've suspected that there was something you were keeping from me for a little while now Bubby and when Kenny came around a couple of nights ago, I knew that something had changed. Although I can't say that it entirely pleases me... I understand." Mom turns to face Kenny, who still looks completely in shock, "I must know if you have true feelings for my son, Kenny?"

Please Kenny: play along, for the love of God play along. I look on his face to see that old faithful smile forming.

"Yes, Mrs Broflovski I do, Kyle and I we're... good together." He turns to me and looks down with affection, placing his arm protectively around my shoulder. I turn to my mom, cringing as I try to gauge her reaction.

"That's great," she cries out, "if it had to be anyone I'm glad it's you, you're such a lovely young man." Relief floods over me. I never expected my mother to react so positively, this has to have a lot to do with the fact she thinks I'm going through this with a polite and charming young man... if only she knew that a) Kenny is in fact quite the 'bad boy' and b) my true interest is in Eric Cartman.

"I agree," says my dad reaching out to pat Kenny's shoulder.

"Thank you Mrs Broflovski, Mr Broflovski," says Kenny.

"I already told you earlier dear, call me Shelia," replies my mom. Kenny and I stand up, his arm still loosely around my shoulder as Ike walks into the kitchen.

"Are you finally out of the closet?" he sneers as he looks at us.

"Yes," I retort looking at him blankly.

"With him!" he yells pointing at Kenny.

"Yes," I say innocently.

"Bit out of your league isn't he? Besides I wasn't even aware that Kenny was gay."

"Does this put your mind at rest?" Kenny asks Ike as he pulls me into a tight hug, arms around my waist, before pulling away and planting a quick kiss on my forehead. I laugh.

"Fags," mutters Ike, low enough so that our parents don't hear. I hardly hear because of the panic that grips me. Not panic from the kiss, or my parent's reaction to it. I don't know what my parent's reaction is because I'm not looking at them, nor am I looking at anyone else in the room, I'm looking outside. Kenny and I are stood directly in front of the kitchen window, this wouldn't usually be a problem, and it shouldn't be a problem. However when Eric Cartman is stood on the pavement on the other side, it turns into a problem.

A/N: Oh you didn't expect everything to go smoothly and for this to actually be a happy chapter did you? I think we can safely say that's thrown a few more problems into an almost overflowing pot. Thank you for reading and for the reviews, as always I'm very grateful. xx