Chapter Text
Kenny was jolted awake by the nothing-if-not-comforting voice of his mother.
"KINNY, GET READY FOR SCHOOL!" Carol shouted from the living room, her raspy voice halfway out the door. "I have to go to work—do your dear mother a favor and wake up your sister for me, again? I'd ask your father, but he's too busy SITTING ON HIS DAMN—" "Yeah, Ma, I got it!" Kenny called back, groggily sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Don't worry about it—just go!"
He waited for the front door to slam shut before dragging himself out of bed and over to the closet. It wasn't much. Honestly, neither was his room. A couple of holes in the wall, the occasional mouse scurrying across the floor, and a fading poster of a smoking-hot model that he still appreciated from time to time. It wasn't glamorous, but he didn't complain. Complaining didn't change anything. His wardrobe consisted of exactly five white t-shirts and three pairs of orange sweatpants. So many options. He tugged on one of the usual combos, grabbed his parka from the floor, zipped it up, and pulled the hood over his face. No time to waste. He stepped into the hallway and knocked on the door next to his. With a flick of the light switch, he called out gently, "Kare, you gotta get up. We have school in thirty minutes."
Karen stirred, groaning softly as she sat up. "I'll pop us some Eggos. We can eat them on the walk, yeah?" Kenny chuckled faintly and backed out of the room, letting her wake up in peace. After brushing his teeth, packing Karen's lunch, and sliding it into her bag, Kenny did the inevitable: handed his dad a beer to avoid an argument. Then, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he ushered Karen out the door. They had to run, but they made it—barely.
Kenny kissed the top of his sister's head and wished her a good day before sprinting into the building, five minutes before the bell. His eyes scanned the hallway. There they were. Two morons screaming at each other, and a third guy standing off to the side, visibly embarrassed to be seen with them. That could only be his best friends. With a sigh, Kenny made his way toward the chaos. Stan offered a quick "Hey," but Kyle and Cartman were too locked in their usual bickering to notice him.
Kenny never understood how people could argue over the dumbest stuff.He tuned them out, letting the hallway noise fade into a distant hum. His thoughts drifted. It was a habit—dissociation, really—but he'd mastered it. When asked what he was thinking about, he'd usually throw out something vague. Women (not entirely untrue), or something to that effect. But in reality, it was just how he coped. A way to detach from the chaos when it got too loud.
So deep in his head, he didn't notice someone trying to get his attention. Not until they shook him. He snapped back, immediately tense, eyes darting to the person who touched him.Standing there was a boy just a bit taller than him—platinum-blond hair, ocean-blue eyes, and a faint scar trailing over his right eye. He wore a teal jacket and dark green pants. He was nervously rubbing his knuckles together, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.
It took Kenny a second. Then it clicked.
"Oh—heya, fella! Gosh, I'm real sorry. I sure didn't mean to scare ya," the boy said. A smile crept onto Kenny's face beneath the hood. "Hey, Butters. Don't worry about it. What's up?"
Leopold Stotch. Kenny had always respected him, even if they didn't talk much. There was something about Butters—something so genuinely sweet and kind—that felt rare around here. Maybe that's why Kenny liked him. In some strange way, Butters' innocent nature reminded him of Karen. And that wasn't something Kenny took lightly. He never understood why his friends didn't care much for Butters. Not that they were mean to him exactly—just... indifferent. Except for The Fat One™, of course. Thinking about the stuff Cartman had put Butters through over the years made Kenny's stomach twist, especially knowing that Butters had been too naive to even realize half of it. What made it worse, though, was knowing he'd never done anything to stop it. He'd always just looked the other way. It was easier.
Even though they didn't hang out much, Kenny still had plenty of weird, memorable moments involving the kid. Whether it was being trapped in Imaginationland with terrorists, Butters going undercover as Marjorine to infiltrate the girls' slumber party, or getting a ninja star launched into his eyeball—just another day in South Park.
"...Well, uh, I was just wonderin'..." Butters started, shifting awkwardly. "Do you remember goin' to Hawaii with me when we were real small?"
It took Kenny a second. The memories were fuzzy, but they came back—bits and pieces of sun, sand, chaos. He nodded slowly.
"Well," Butters continued, "my folks are plannin' to send me off again in a few months with the Native rewards card. Said they need a 'mental break' from me. And there's also the whole 'biological anger caused by my ancestral belonging to Hawaii' thing. I guess I'm supposed to go every five years for my 'well-being.'" He let out a soft chuckle, nervously rubbing his knuckles together. "They must've noticed I've been gettin' real moody lately." Kenny raised a brow but said nothing.
"And, well—after last time I flew out, I guess I acted up so much they labeled me a 'mentally unstable alcoholic.'" Butters looked mildly embarrassed.
"So, I ain't allowed on a plane without someone else there with me." Of all the things Kenny remembered from that trip, Butters being wildly out of character was one of the most vivid. Honestly, hearing that didn't surprise him. He just nodded, waiting for him to get to the point.
"I know we don't really know each other that well, and golly, I already dragged you to Havaii once, now haven't I?" Butters said, eyes darting everywhere but toward him. "But I don't have many friends who'd actually be willing. So... would you at least think about it?"
There was that look again—wide, hopeful, full of nerves. Kenny hesitated.
He was conflicted, to say the least. Sure, they went when they were, what—nine? And he'd only agreed back then because he felt sorry for the kid. It wasn't like they were close. Yeah, Butters would occasionally tag along with their group, but that was about it. Still... Butters was a nice guy. Kenny didn't mind the idea of going. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that neither he or his family could afford anything besides frozen waffles right now. A trip to Hawaii? No way in hell.
"I've got enough credit on my rewards card to pay for both of us," Butters added quickly, noticing Kenny's expression. Kenny's head tilted slightly, his eyebrows lifting.
And just like that, the bell rang. The hallway filled with students moving toward their homerooms, buzzing with early-morning energy. It was just a vacation. What was the worst that could happen? Also—it was free. And that sealed the deal.
"When are you planning on going?" Kenny asked.