(A/N: Sorry if the last chapter was a little boring. It was mainly a filler chapter. This one might be a bit long, but I hope you like it anyway. :))

Disclaimer: South Park is not mine

Affliction

Chapter 3

Stan

*one month later*

I open my eyes wearily, slowly coming into consciousness. The world is spinning around me. Every port of my body is throbbing. It hurts to blink. The room is quiet. Shelley must be done with me. For now. A couple of tears fall down my face as Shelley's cruel words ring in my head. "What's the matter, little brother? Can't you stand up to a girl? You're pathetic."

I lie on the cement floor, waiting for my strength to return. Then I can get to school and see Kyle. Seeing him every day is the only thing keeping me sane. He has stubbornly stuck by my side. I've given up on pushing him away. At the same time, my heart longs for him and needs him close to me.

Since my birthday, I've kept a low profile. I try hard as I can to not attract attention. I quit the football team and all the other sports. I don't want to have to change in the locker room and people seeing the marks on my skin. During class, I keep my head down so nobody would see my black eyes. Luckily I don't have any of the same classes with my friends, so they can't ask me too many questions. After school, I still walk home with Kyle, but don't say anything. I don't want him to know what's going on. I know I'm hurting him a lot, but I have to keep him safe. When I get home, I receive another beating from Shelley. Then I have to clean the blood before my parents get home. In order to save Kyle's ring from being crushed by Shelley, I placed it in my shoebox that I keep in the hole in the wall by my bed.

Carefully I roll on my back. Pain sears through me as the lashes on my skin make contact on the ground. The pain is terrible today. I feel as though all my skin has been peeled off my back. She did a real number on me this time. I don't think I have a piece of skin that isn't marked up. The clock on the wall is blurry to me. I think it's 8:00. I'm surprised I came back into consciousness this soon. I might be able to make it t class on time for a change. Usually I don't come into consciousness until 8:15 and I'm almost always 10 minutes late to class everyday. If my teacher actually took role I would've been suspended by now.

Using most of my strength, I grab a hold of the leg of a chair and pull myself to a sitting position. I survey my wounds. My shirt is torn; luckily I have plenty of black shirts to wear. My chest is heavily bruised and covered in lashes. Blood is running freely down my chest. My whole body throbs in pain. The ground is soaked in my blood. Shelley's whip lies by my side.

Grabbing on anything I can reach, I manage to pull myself up the stairs. As I do everyday I pray that the school day will go as long as possible.

Kenny

I take the last sip of my milk as I finish my lunch, my free hand holding Butters' gently. It's been a really quiet lunch. Just like it has been the past month. Ever since Stan changed, nobody has been talking much. It usually really bothers me, but not today. I'm being entertained just by watching the body language between Stan and Kyle. I've caught Stan giving Kyle lust filled smiles when he's not looking. He never goes anywhere without his sunglasses. I bet behind his sunglasses Stan's eyes are shining with adoration. Kyle's eyes are full of concern. It's apparent to me that Stan has crush on Kyle, and is definitely hiding something. Kyle is concerned about his best friend. I know Kyle loves Stan. He just doesn't realize it yet. And me Kenny, the "Sex God" will get them together.

Suddenly a huge fatass appears behind Stan and Kyle. "Well, well. If it isn't the Jew, the Goth, the pussy, and the poor kid."

I roll my eyes. "For the last time, we're not letting you back in the group, fatass."

Cartman scoffs. "As if I'd want to be in your faggy group again."

"Then beat it," Kyle snarls. "We're trying to eat our lunch, not throw it up."

"Whatever, Jew. I actually wanted to say something to the faggy Goth kid you hang out with."

"What Cartman?" Stan asks in a monotone voice. His voice is tired and weak. Like Kyle, I am also concerned for my friend. I give a sideways glance at my boyfriend. He's looking at Stan in concern.

"Well, I was out with that ex girlfriend of yours , Wendy Testaburger last night. We had dinner and fun in the bedroom. Wendy said that I've been the man of her dreams and she only dated you to make me jealous!"

"Shut up Cartman," Kyle says fiercely. I watch as Stan's face turns paper white.

Cartman continues, ignoring Kyle. "Anyway, while we were in bed, she continued to say how she only dated you to improve her social status. She thinks you're a total loser."

Alarm builds up inside my veins watching Stan's body starting to shake violently. "SHUT UP CARTMAN!" Kyle says through gritted teeth. He wraps and arm around Stan. A grin spreads across my face watching Kyle's being affectionate towards his best friend. "Stan, don't listen to that fat piece of crap," Kyle says in a soothing voice. "He only wishes he had a date with that skank."

Wendy suddenly slides next to Cartman, her slender figure pressing up against his great pounds of fat. "There you are my sexy beast."

I watch in disgust as Wendy presses her lips against Cartman's. How disgusting is that? A huge blob of fat making out with a skinny bitch. Stan bolts from our table and stumbles out of the cafeteria. "Stan, wait!" Kyle cries, running after him.

Cartman and Wendy continue to make out. I can see tongues and everything. Usually it would turn me on, but not when it's Wendy and Cartman. I can't take this anymore. It's time to break this up. I give a sideways glace at Butters, who is still in awe over what just happened. I nudge him. I point at Stan's uneaten tray. "Should I?" I ask under my breath.

Butters shifts uncomfortably. "I dunno, Kenny. I might get grounded."

I roll my eyes. Butters gets grounded for everything, but I can't help but love the little butterball. I take Stan's full tray with peas, cornbread, milk and meatloaf covered in ketchup and dump it over both of their heads. Wendy shrieks as the milk and ketchup seeps into her long hair and brand new black tank top. Cartman turns so red he looks like an overcooked beet. "You are a dead man, Kenny!" Cartman bellows.

I drop the tray and run for dear life. Luckily Cartman is so fat I'm a few good steps ahead of him. I enter a deserted hallway. I dart into an adjacent locker. I don't care whose it is. I just want to escape certain death for once. I glance through the slots. Cartman skids into the hall. "Goddamnit! Where did he go? Come out Kenny! I'm going to kick you square in the nuts!"

I watch nervously as Cartman starts going through the lockers. Sweat drops from my face as he looms closer and closer. "Don't worry about him, babe," Wendy says in a voice that makes my pants tighten. "Let's just get cleaned up."

"Fine ho," Cartman says, slapping Wendy on the ass. She giggles and they leave the hall together. I breathe a sigh of relief. I won't get a beating from him today. I know I'll have to stay as far away from him as possible, but it was totally worth it. I'm about to leave the locker when two familiar people appear. Stan and Kyle. Right off the bat I can tell things aren't going well between them. I listen closely.

"It's nothing, Kyle," Stan says quietly. I notice his voice is full of pain. "I accidentally ran into a door."

I'm confused. What are they talking about? Suddenly something is pushed against the locker I'm hiding in. Now all I can see is black hair and a black shirt. It must be Stan, since he's practically the only 9th grader who wears black. What the hell? It looks like a thin red scar poking from underneath Stan's shirt.

"Did Shelly hurt you again?" Kyle asks quietly. I lean in closer so I don't miss anything. I'm interested to hear the answer. The answer never comes. "Why don't you stand up to her, dude?" Kyle asks. "She's just a girl."

"I t-told you," Stan stammers. "I fell down the stairs."

He can't keep his story straight. Something really bad must be going on. "I thought you ran into the door," Kyle says suspiciously.

I feel movement against the locker once again as Stan pushes himself off it. "I gotta go."

This whole scene has been mind bottling. Before I can contemplate anything, the shelf above me gives way, crushing me. I gasp for breath as pain shoots through my body. As my heartbeat starts to slow down, I realize how bad the situation is. Stan is in real danger. Before I accept death, I wonder what I can do to help.

Kyle

I give Cartman one last glare then run out of the cafeteria after Stan. My insides burn in hatred for that fat piece of crap. He knows how sensitive Stan is. Why does he always have to be such an asshole? On the other hand, that's why we refuse to let him back into the group. I wish he would leave us alone. I have enough to worry about right now.

Over the past month Stan changed drastically before my eyes. He's like a new person. Distant, quiet. I've never seen him like this before. He's tried several times to push me away, but I refuse to let him. I'm not ever going to leave him. No matter what. I'm have a horrible feeling that Shelley's hurting him again. He always seems to be in pain when he comes to school, which is always late. Whenever I would ask him about it, he would make up excuses. What hurts the most is that he doesn't trust me enough to tell the truth.

I enter the hall to see my best friend running away. "Stan! Wait!" I call after him.

Stan looks over his shoulder. I watch as he trips and lands hard on the floor. The impact of his body hitting the ground echoes horribly on the walls. I am frozen on the spot, unsure of what to do. Stan lays there for a few seconds.

As I run over to him, he struggles to get up. His sunglasses are a couple of inches away from him. I pick them up. Stan is still having a hard time getting up. Carefully I wrap my arms around his torso. My heart starts pounding hard against my chest, my breath quickening. Using all my strength I help Stan to his feet. "Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

Stan clutches on me tight. His body is shaking hard. "Thanks, Kyle," Stan says quietly. His voice is pained and tired. I keep my arms around him, not wanting to let go. Then something catches my eye.

For the first time in a month, I have been able to see his eyes, which are shut tight. With his eyes shut I am able to see even more. Stan's eyes are coated with very dark, very heavy bruises. I am unable to hold back the gasp. "What the hell happened?" I ask in alarm.

Stan takes the sunglasses out of my hands and puts them back on, but not before I see his blue eyes. They're pained, scared and swollen. He breaks away from my grip and starts stumbling away from me. "It's nothing, Kyle." His face is still pale. "I just ran into a door."

I follow him. Luckily he's not moving very fast. He's been using that and 'I fell down the stairs' too often this past month. I have to voice my opinion. I grab him by the arm and push him against the lockers gently. "Did Shelley hurt you again?" I watch in astonishment as Stan's face loses another pigment of color, confirming everything. "Why won't you stand up to her, dude? She's just a girl."

A tear rolls down his face. "I t-told you. I fell down the stairs."

I raise an eyebrow. "I thought you ran into a door."

Stan's face changes from pained to fear. He pushes me aside. "I gotta go."

Before he takes two steps, a HUGE crash is heard behind us. Stan turns and opens the locker I pushed him against. A bloody form of Kenny slides out. The locker shelf is on top of him. He's dead. "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" Stan says, pointing at the bloody form of our other friend.

"You bastards!" I answer with a grin.

I throw an arm across my best friend's shoulder, our argument forgotten. "You want to come over after school and watch the newest Terrence and Phillip episode?"

Stan ponders. I cross my fingers, hoping with all my being that he says yes. We haven't done anything together in ages. I've missed it more than anything. "Can I stay for dinner?" he asks hopefully.

A huge grin spreads across my face. Finally I get to spend some time with the one I care about the most. The one I lo-whoa what? Where did that thought come from? I don't love him like that. I squeeze his shoulder gently. "Of course, dude."

The bell rings. As we walk our separate ways, I start counting down the minutes until I get to hang out with Stan again. Just like the old times.

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