Work Text:
The story starts with a new family moving into South Park.
Carol, Stuart and their three children.
The middle child was fast to make friends with some of his class, attaching himself rather quickly to Eric, Kyle and Stan.
Eric seemed delighted to befriend Kenny despite how much he ragged on him, taunts and teases of how poor he was, how stupid he was, how ugly he was.
Stan and Kyle often would get into fights with him over this, consistently stopping to remind Kenny it was all bullshit and nothing Eric said was true.
Kenny would just giggle into the fabric of his parka he was never seen without, never believing their words whether bad or good. They would visit Kenny’s home laughing loudly over dumb jokes and magazines and memes they found online. Karen would join them and Kenny, for once, would let his hood down so his sister can play with his hair.
Stan would beg Kenny to play in his band, and Kenny would delight in strumming bass and learning to play that particular part just for the band. Just for Stan.
They’d recount going on ridiculous adventures and laughing together about them, making new plans over and over. Kenny always went along with whatever Eric came up with and no one understood why until Kenny said simply, he’s got my back and I’ll always have his. He’s my best friend.
They still didn’t understand.
Just like they didn’t understand that day Eric looked so exhausted and sad when he went into school on a day Kenny was skipping, hissed at them to shut their fucking mouths when they asked why. They didn’t know why he snapped so much. They all visited Kenny later and Eric seemed confused, the ten year old looking like he’d start crying when he saw Kenny sat in his bed playing dolls with Karen, visibly pale - sick.
Just a cold, Kenny told them. You dudes can see the state of my house, man, is it really a surprise that I got a cold? Heck, man, he did his damndest to not swear around Karen, sending the boys into giggle fits knowing the terrible things Kenny would blurt on a daily basis.
They spent the day laughing together in Kenny’s room, making jokes and letting Karen do everyone’s nails.
When they left, they didn’t understand why the rest of the McCormick’s looked so sad.
Come play with me! Kenny would shout at them the next weekend, playing at the park all by himself until he saw his best friends walking into the park.
Those words seemed to echo through their days for the next couple weeks, come play with me, come play with me, come play with me.
Kyle stopped on the sidewalk, looking behind him. Eric and Stan both gave him strange looks. Kyle swallowed thickly, the redhead slowly trailing after them as he brushed it off. It’s nothing. I just… Thought I heard something. Ken’s sick again today, right? Let’s visit him after school.
They reluctantly agreed, even Eric uneasy by Kyle’s strange actions.
Kenny lit up as he saw them, once again bundled up in his parka. He was sat outside, told them parents were gross and he doesn’t want to have to listen to his family. They all climbed up the remnants of SoDoSoPa together, the four sitting up high and feeling the wind push through their hairs and at their clothing, blue skies of Spring fading to a dark, clear night. They could see every star above them, so they laid up until Kenny’s brother Kevin yelled at the boys to go home, it was late.
The next time Kenny went to school, Karen looked uneasy and no one else seemed to react to his strange words or actions, not even his friends. The mood just seemed… Melancholy for some reason. Kyle let Kenny wrap his arms around his arm, claiming it all through lunch. Eric didn’t even make jokes as Kenny snuggled up to the redhead. Leopold looked scared for a second when Kenny looked at him, but when he teared up, he blubbered something about his parents lying to him and grounding him for stupid reasons and Kenny moved onto hugging Leo tightly this time.
Come play with me! Stan’s head jerked up from where he was holding Kenny’s sketchbook, the one the blond himself gave to Stan with a big smile and it’s full, I need a new one. I don’t want the old one, so do you? Stan refused to let him throw it away, so he took it for himself, spent hours going over all the details and doodles, things between something full of so much effort or something that looked like a tired three year old drew it.
Kenny? Stan called out softly into his empty room at two AM.
A soft knock drew his attention and his head jerked to the side, watching as the blond’s head popped up in his window, a smile on Kenny’s face. Stan scrambled to let him inside, giggling a little at the thump of Kenny’s body hitting his carpeted floor. His mother came in moments later with a frown etched deep on her tired face, told Stan sternly you’re grounded if you don’t go to bed right this instant, Stanley. You have school tomorrow.
She didn’t acknowledge Kenny once as she left the room. Kenny and Stan looked at each other, shrugged and got into bed.
Stan woke up and when he made an extra bowl of cereal for breakfast and told them, Kenny snuck in last night because his parents were doing that thing again. Sorry mom, no one questioned him once, not even Shelly as Kenny sat between the siblings, slowly ate his food.
The two left for school after, big smiles on both their faces and Kenny in a borrowed jacket.
That was the day they learned the truth.
Stan, Kyle and Eric felt sick when Tweek slammed his fist loudly on his desk, halting their conversations with Kenny. Even Craig looked startled and… Sad, letting his boyfriend yell his head off, sharp green-blue eyes glaring at the three. Stop fucking mentioning Kenny! Do you assholes have no respect for the dead?!
They froze, looked between each other, each pale, confused. But Kenny’s… Not dead. He’s sitting right there, Stan said, pointing at the blond who didn’t seem to react to Tweek’s temper tantrum.
“No, he’s fucking not!” Tweek shrieked, standing up. “He’s been dead for two months, stop acting like he’s there! Don’t you fucking see Kevin and Karen?! haven’t you seen how they look? They actually attended the fucking funeral like the rest of us!”
It… He…
He’s not gone, is he? Why couldn’t they see? He’s right there?
Eric left class abruptly and Kenny ran after him. No one commented on him missing the rest of school, not even the teachers. Everyone knew how close they were.
They found Kenny and Eric out by Stark’s Pond later. Eric had a handful of daylilies resting in his lap, the bright color a contrast to the gray he seemed to feel deep in his bones.
“Kenny’s dead.” Eric said softly, and Stan and Kyle made incredulous noises, pointing at him. Eric suddenly shot a hand out to Kenny, and…
It went right through his chest. And just like that, they could see the transparency and the sad look in Kenny’s eyes.
Ken took the parka off and let it drop and it seemed to… Fade away, as though it was never there to begin with.
“He shouldn’t be here,” Eric whispered, standing up.
They blinked, and Kenny was gone. They turned and saw him at the entrance to the pond. His voice seemed to carry with the breeze, soft and weak, just like… Like the last time they heard him. The memory was sharp, like a pick driven into their skulls, heavy as the rocks that crushed Kenny in the forest, heavy as Eric’s constant stream of, you’ll be okay, Kenny, it’ll be okay, they’ll get help, you’ll be okay…
Come play with me.
They looked at eachother, chills running down their spines.
They followed Kenny out from the pond, up to the church he used to attend so often, to… The graveyard…
Where just one grave had color, the splash of orange - the old parka draped over the stone.
Kenneth J. McCormick
Sleep well, little child
The Lord holds thee now
Kenny was sitting on the headstone, staring at Karen and Kevin who sat so close to it too.
Stan and Kyle quickly wiped away the tears that blurred their vision as they linked hands and held on tight.
Eric set down the flowers, letting his own tears soak into the earth at his feet. Kyle caught Karen’s attention and gave her a tight hug, fingers gentle in the sobbing girl’s hair.
Kevin didn’t say anything, but he gave Eric a polite, grateful nod when he saw the daylilies over the dirt.
I think it’s time you gave yourself a little color, Kenny whispered, and even Karen and Kevin looked at him, they could see him. The last time they ever would.
Kenny smiled at Eric so softly, held his hand in his own transparent one. I don’t know much but I hear that red’s in style.
He released him, stopped Eric before he could whisper pleas to keep Ken right there, right where he was with them, pleas to not leave them.
Kenny gave them all a mock salute and a goofy little grin, the wind pushing at his messy locks. I think it’s time you had a pink cloud summer,
He looked up at the clear blue skies above them. So did everyone else. Cause you’ve gone too long without a smile.
They looked back, and Kenny was gone, leaving nothing but a bright orange parka and daylilies resting gently against a headstone.