Chapter Text
Kenny was always tactile. A kinesthetic learner. Chewing gum in class, rocking his chair, tapping his foot.
He was also very clingy; biceps leaning over Stan's slouched and Tweek's jittery shoulders, hugging Cartman and Clyde from behind, arms curled around Kyle's waist, occasionally around Jimmy's waist as long as Kenny didn't hurt him, elbows hooked with Butters and Token, and even going as far as to high-five and fist bump Dog Poo.
Then came me. Our thing was to hold hands. This was NOT good for my reputation whatsoever. No wonder those Japanese girls thought I was gay.
That was merely one of the many unique things about Kenny.
Another being that Kenny always wore his hood. Not once has any of us seen him without a face cover of some sort.
The most we knew about his appearance were azure crystals for pupils and flaxen tufts of hair entangled into the mud-colored fur of his signature tangerine parka.
Several times he was questioned about his familiar appearance consisting of his largely oversized parka and same colored jeans. Brown converse with matching worn mitts, so worn, that they looked as though they were fingerless gloves.
Calling him strange was an understatement. He was straight up bizarre.
To the point, you'd see him act out in ways only the suicidal thought of doing. To the point, you could imagine him getting himself killed over and over again. To the point, you could envision him riding a nazi zombie unicorn, which sounds like something that came out of some fucked up video game.
Stan's group and ours had recently converged, intertwining like fingers so tightly knit, the way Kenny held mine, that we'd even go sneak into another's house, at two AM in the morning, which brings me to my current predicament.
I was in my bed, practically bare, only my signature navy hat and chalky briefs adorned on my lean figure, blanket slipping off the upper half of my torso to reveal my partially built chest.
He was halfway through my window, parka and all, looking at me in surprise, eyes filled with confusion, similar to the swirling galaxies on a clear night sky.
"What the fuck are you doing?" He stares at me like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
Before I'm even up, he's disappeared, and I rush up to the window.
"The fuck McCormick!?" I shout after him, frustration beginning to course its way through my veins.
A quick glance back towards me. A wink, followed by a flirty kiss that left the tips of his fingers and flew back to my windowsill, landing on, I imagined, my cheek.
"Wrong house, sorry!" He shouts back in a muffled reply, waving as he runs down the street.
I can't help but watch in entrancement before a sudden wave of chills runs through my spine.
"It's fucking cold."
The sound of a window slamming shut echoes through the barren neighborhood.
<><><><><>
"I've never felt gayer in my entire fucking life." I grumble under my breath, glaring at anyone who even attempted to stare.
Some in our small town had already adapted to the fact that Kenny was a physical person, and have learned to ignore it.
"I feel you dude." Replies Token, face straight as he follows his captor blindly, not bothering to pull away. Two more grunts of agreement are quietly heard.
My fingers were pressed against Kenny's, his other arm wrung around Kyle's waist, before looping through Token's. Our conjoined hands were resting on Butters' shoulder, and I honestly didn't have the heart to detach myself from him after seeing the bright look in his eyes when he had first bounded towards and connected us.
None of us did.
We stroll through the different parts of the neighborhood as Kenny suddenly slips out from under all of us, allowing Kyle and Butters to crash into each other, making me stumble forward and Token the opposite direction.
"W-what's wrong K-Kenny?" Butters asks as we all pull ourselves back together, Kyle cursing under his breath.
Turning towards where Kenny was, we find a trail of footprints, spaced apart enough to assume he had gone off running.
Token is the first to go after Kenny, obviously genuinely concerned, being the gentleman that he (sort of) is. Butters is quick to follow, leaving me and Kyle to glance at each other, exchanging a brief nod before following suit.
The sight we're met with isn't pleasant.
The familiarity of the bright carrot-colored parka was seated above a skinny figure, resembling the shape of a woman, as he was, quite literally, pounding her face in. Bloodied knuckles dripped, drops flying and splattering onto both of their clothes, leaving small ruddy spots as decoration.
We're all frozen watching as the girl screams and shouts, apologizing over and over as he beats her senseless. Nobody makes a move to stop him, knowing he wouldn't go aggro for no good reason.
It doesn't take long till she had finally fainted from the pain, her pleas gone silent.
A brown tuft of hair pokes its way around the corner of a nearby alleyway before Karen finally comes into sight.
"You didn' kill her, did you?" She asks meekly, to which he slightly shakes his head, strained breaths leaving his covered mouth.
"W-what happened, b-buddy?" Asks Butters, who looks as if he were about to piss his pants. I don't blame him. It wasn't often that Kenny got aggravated, he was usually able to hold his own temper, better than the both of our groups combined.
"It's nothing." He shakes off, standing up and storming off, not seeking any physical contact.
We turn towards Karen.
"He was just defendin' me. That girl ripped up my art project and tore off Dollie's pigtail. She was gonna start kickin' when he up and saved me." She mumbles quietly, wiping away at the recent trails of salt that were staining her face.
"Should've figured you were the reason." Kyle says before heading off after Kenny, leaving the unconscious girl on the ground.
Token sighs before bending down and shifting his arms under the bends of the girl's knees and near the crook of her neck, standing up once successfully doing so.
"Im going to drop her off at the hospital." He says, a bored expression on his face. He turns and walks off.
My eyes trace Kyle's retreating frame and glance back, doing the same to Token's.
Butters looks at me, his doe eyes expanding ever so slightly.
"What about you, Craig?" He asks, to which I give a blunt reply.
"I'm going home."
<><><><><>
It was Monday again.
The bus stop had become a meeting place for the both of our now combined groups.
Already in their usual positions, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman were lounging around.
Hearing the sound of my boots against the thin sheet of ice frozen against the pavement, they look up.
"Oh hey, Craig. Haf you seen Kinny?" Cartman asks. I shake my head in reply, standing several feet away from Cartman, leaving room. Just in case, I told myself.
Eventually, Tweek, Token, and Jimmy show up, filling in their places next to me. We all turn our heads as the squealing tires of the bus slow to a stop, allowing us all to enter.
"That's a no-show for Kenny, Clyde, and Butters!" Kyle grumbles in frustration.
"Where the hell are those three?!" He continues as Cartman begins to mock Kyle from behind, stirring up a loud, aggressive argument.
I sigh, collapsing my head onto the palm of my hand as my elbow rests on the edge of the window sill.
"D-don't w-worry Craig- urk- I-I'm sure that they'llbealright! Gah!" Tweek stutters out from next to me and I nod, appreciating the effort he had made to attempt and help me feel any bit better.
The bus begins to slow down once more as we eventually reach our destination, I quickly clamber off, not wanting to have to listen to the banter that followed my retreating steps.
Entering the building, I spot Clyde, Butters, and Kenny, all laughing in front of Stan's locker, Kenny's arms pulled through both Clyde and Butters' elbows.
Stan walking out of the bus with Token and assisting Jimmy, catch the missing trio as well, heading over and bro-hugging each other. with the exception of Kenny who literally pounced on and hugged them.
Kyle finally storms through the doors, a smirking Cartman following, and heads over to us, pulling Kenny off the others, just so he could start scolding him.
"Where were you guys this morning?! I was stuck with this stupid fatass because you guys weren't there!!" Kyle shouts in exasperation.
"Well Butters told me what happened yesterday and we went over to visit him, we ended up sleeping over though so we came extra early to grab breakfast."
Butters nods his head excitedly in agreement, grinning before he turns and heads off to his own locker to grab his stuff.
As everyone else disperses, I begin to head to class, not bothering to go to my locker. I decide that I'll just share textbooks with Tweek or Kenny.
I shove the classroom door open with my shoulder, heaving a bit to fix my backpack strap, I walk to my seat, dropping off my bag, about to sit, before I hear a large echoing sound.
BANG!!
"The fuck?" I mumble before I get up and head over to the door, other students following my lead.
I head outside, shoving my way through a crowd of people, only to spot Kenny, his back pressed against a locker, being held up by none other than Trent Boyett.