(A/N: Thank you guys for your support!)

Disclaimer: South Park isn't mine

Affliction

Chapter 4

Kyle

"So then Kenny said 'I fuck life. It's the best sex I've ever had!"

Stan and I crack up as I finish my story. That Kenny is such a riot. My heart rises hearing Stan laugh. It's been such a long time. I've missed that sound. Maybe today will be just like the olden days.

We enter my house. It's nice and quiet. Mom has a meeting for her latest cause against guns. Ike is at a friend's house and Dad is still at work. We have the whole house to ourselves. "Dude this is going to be the best episode ever!" Stan says happily.

I grin and we sit together on the couch. I can't help but notice that we're sitting closer than usual. Instead of freaking out about it, I kind of like it. I turn on the TV. "I wonder what Kenny was doing in that locker," I comment.

Stan shrugs. I notice that he still has his sunglasses on. I wonder how he's going to watch the episode. I don't bring it up, though. I don't want to spoil the mood. "Probably trying to find a new way to look down a girl's top."

"Haha. Probably."

We watch Terrence and Phillip laughing our asses off. It IS a good episode. It's about Phillip being sent back to farting school because he had lost his ability to do so. Stan has been shifting around on the couch, trying to get comfortable. I can't help but notice how good looking he is-especially in black. Where the hell did that thought come from?

"Hey Terrence, I'm very upset."

"Why is that Phillip?"

"My teacher gave me an F in farting. Pfft!" Terrence farts on Phillip's head.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Stan and I laugh hysterically at the two Canadians. "Hey Kyle?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm really sorry for the way I've been acting lately. I've been a real jerk. I don't mean to hurt you."

I really want to tell him what's on my mind. That him not telling me the truth is hurting me more than anything in the world. I want to tell him how important he is to me and how worried I am. I can't bring myself to do it. Stan is acting normal for the first time in a month. I don't want to ruin that. "It's okay, buddy." We turn our attention back to the TV.

"Will Phillip get his farting grade to an A? Find out after these commercials."

I get up from the couch. "I'm getting chips and a soda. You want some?"

Stan smiles at me, making my heart melt. "Sure."

Whistling to myself, I head to the kitchen. I feel happier than I've been in a long time. Maybe everything will go back to normal. I sure hope so. I'm sick of being lied to.

"Please stop!" a hysterical voice says from the living room. Stan. What the hell? Dropping the bowl of chips, I bolt back into the living room. My eyes widen in horror when I see my best friend.

Stan is curled up in a tight ball. His entire body is pale and shaking violently. Sobs are escaping from him. Sweat is pouring down his face and he's shivering at the same time. He's in shock. What in the hell happened? "What happened, Stan?" I demand shrilly. "What's wrong?"

No response. He continues to sob. I touch his shoulder gently. He curls up tighter. "Don't hurt me!" he cries in fear.

I stare at him, stunned. I knew Shelley was hurting him again, but I had no idea it was this bad. "Stan, calm down! It's me, Kyle."

He bolts up in a sitting position. His face is pale and tear stained. His body is still shaking harder than I thought was remotely possible. He gasps for breath. "What happened?" I ask again in fear.

He doesn't answer. My heart is pounding hard against my chest. I'm shaking as well. I'm scared to death. "I've gotta go," he says quickly, grabbing his backpack.

"Wait, don't go!" I beg. Without answering me, he bolts out the door. "Stan!"

I slump against the couch trying to calm my racing heart. What freaked him out so much? Why isn't he standing up to his sister? How badly is she hurting him? Why won't he tell me the truth?

The phone rings. My hand shaking, I answer it. I hope to God it's Stan. I need an explanation. "H-hello."

"Hey dude,"

Disappointment crosses me. "Hey Kenny."

"What's wrong? You sound upset."

I take a deep breath and explain what just happened. "...then he freaked and ran out the door." Kenny remains silent on the other line so I voice my thoughts. "Shelley is abusing Stan again, but this time I think it's really serious."

"Before I was killed earlier today, I was hiding from Cartman in a locker. I saw the argument you two were having. When Stan was against the locker, I saw a scar poking from his shirt. She must be hitting him with something."

I remember what happened earlier today. How weak he was. The abuse must be really bad. "He fell when I was chasing after him and couldn't get up. I had to help him up. He lost his sunglasses so I was able to see his heavily bruised eyes." I inform Kenny quietly. I swallow hard. "What should I do? If I tell someone, Shelley might hurt Stan even more. She might even kill him!"

"Maybe you should ask your parents for advice. Your dad is lawyer and your mom leads all those protests against child abuse."

"That's a great idea!" I exclaim, slapping a hand against my forehead. Why didn't I think of that before? "Thanks Kenny!" We're quiet for a moment. "How did you get back so fast?" I ask in curiosity.

"I was worried about Stan so I asked the man upstairs for a favor."

"That's good," I say quietly.

"Don't worry, Kyle. We'll figure something out. Mom's yelling at me. I gotta go."

"Later Ken and thanks for the advice."

"No problem."

I hang up the phone and lie back on the couch. Asking my parents is a great idea, but I have to do it hypothetically. I know that if I tell my suspicions to my dad that he's required by law to report it to the police. I don't want to take that step yet. I don't want to put put Stan in more danger without a plan. I grab the remote and start rewinding. I've got to know what freaked Stan out so much.

"Will Phillip get his farting grade to an A? Find out after these messages."

I hold my breath, not wanting to know what I'm going to find. It must be really bad to freak out my best friend.

"Coming this summer: a story about a woman's survival."

My green eyes widen in horror as I see a man viciously beating a woman on the screen. "Please stop!" she cries in pain, her cries echoing in my brain. I notice that's the same exact words Stan uttered when I found him.

The man slaps the woman hard across the face. "Shut up bitch! You're worthless!"

The advertisement continues, but I'm not paying attention. My heart is pounding hard against my chest in anxiety. This must be exactly what Stan is going through. He was probably experiencing flashbacks. No wonder he freaked. Unconsciously I turn off the TV. I have a horrible feeling my best friend is in real danger. I've been ignoring this situation too long. It's about time I did something about it. I must save him. I just wish I knew how.

Stan

I run out the door as fast as my battered body will allow me. My heart is pounding hard in my chest, fear consuming me. Once I started watching the woman being battered by her abuser I had flashbacks. I could see Shelley with her whip. I could hear her calling me "loser, worthless, faggot." I could feel the blows on my back as if it was actually happening.

Kyle must have freaked after my little incident. He already knows that Shelley hurts me, but doesn't know why or how bad. After I get this beating over with, I'll have to figure out a new way to distance myself from Kyle in order to protect him.

I get home in five minutes. I open the door, bracing myself for Shelley's wrath. She is sitting on the couch a cigarette in her hand. "You're late."

I don't answer. I sit my backpack down, my body still shaking. I'm not sure if it is from the commercial I just saw or fear of Shelley. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Shelley gets up and moves closer. "You went to the police, didn't you?"

I shake my head vigorously, ignoring the pain that flares just from this action. "No, Shelley. I told no one. I swear."

SMACK! She slaps me hard across the face. A stinging pain vibrates on my bruised face. "I hope for Kyle's sake you're telling the truth."

Shelley takes me by my black shirt and pulls me down to the basement. I stay on the ground and don't say a word. I learned pretty quick that pleading would only cause more pain. The pain today is fresh and new as she hits me over and over again with her whip. I feel as though my back is being split in two. I've never felt pain this agonizing in my entire life and it's about to get worse. To keep my mind off the pain, I think about how I'm going to keep Kyle safe. He knows that Shelley hits me and after what happened at his house he probably knows how bad it is. He's a smart kid.

Suddenly the agonizing blows stop. She kicks me hard in the stomach and the chest. I cough up blood, earning a kick in the face. My nose breaks once again. I don't think it's fully healed from the last time she broke it-which was this morning.

The world starts spinning after she kicks me hard in the head. I continue to stay still, struggling hard to breathe. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a blurry Shelley kneel beside my bleeding form. I can't move even if I wanted to.

"Are you ready to let go of your homosexual ways, faggot?"

I gasp for breath. I would totally lie and say yes, but if she ever found out, which she would, Kyle would be dead. Tears leak from my eyes, because the pain is so bad. "No, S-Shelley," I whisper weakly. "I can only be who I am."

A sneer crosses her beautiful face. "Have it your way, turd."

"AAAAH!"I scream in anguish as I feel something burn my skin. I feel like I'm being set on fire. Though my nose is bleeding, I can smell Shelley's cigarette mixed in with the blood. Shelley places the lit cigarette on different places on my marked up back. Kyle's voice rings in my head. She's just a girl. A tear rolls down my face. I'm too much of a wuss to stand up to my sister.

"Don't forget to clean up your mess, turd."

Shelley's voice sounds so far away. I close my eyes. As I lose consciousness for the second time today, I wish with all my heart that I could die. I don't want to live anymore.

Thanks for reading. Please review :)