Give me color. [ B u n n y ]

Third Grade

Kenny felt bad. Guilty. He always watched as Butters got stuck in Cartman's projects. They all played into it. But it was worse because he knew Butters. Everyone else could be horrible people, Kenny didn't know them well. And what they did usually was bad so he wasn't worried about them. So if Cartman did something to someone else, well who cares but Butters wasn't someone else. He was mostly bad after Cartman taught him whatever-Cartman-wanted. Which seemed to be Butters favorite subject because he usually picked up on it easily.

Kenny just hated that he played a part in that. He hated watching a boy who has taken care of him so many times be reduced to Cartman. And he hated it more how no one ever stopped it. And he hated that he wouldn't stop it either.

Kenny's new thing he hated was that he never saw Butters. Second grade there had been a lot of points where Butters was thrown into their mix. But now Cartman seemed to be planning bigger or maybe just better. A better that didn't involve Butters. Or maybe they did stuff on their own.

Kenny just didn't know.

Kenny did know that Butters saw him a lot during school. Even though they didn't speak often. He knew Butters seemed to find himself to fit with most people. But he never had people who stuck.

But that was until after Christmas break. Then Butters stopped even more. Kenny watched as the boy he once saw happily go around and play with others become reclusive. Become more nervous then he had been before and jump at too many things. And suddenly Kenny grew more and more worried.

More than anything, Butters avoided Cartman. Yet that didn't even last a few weeks before Butters didn't get a choice. Since Cartman loved doing things he wasn't allowed to. Which annoyed the hell out of Kenny. And somehow even when Butters got involved they were ten worlds away from each other. Which Kenny wouldn't mind if he knew Butters was safe. But it's Cartman we're talking about. So Kenny trusted none of it.

But Kenny did like the one day they were close. Every other day felt wrong to talk but today was fine. Today felt normal, like how it used to be.

"How have you been lately?" Kenny asked, studying the other boy. He was so clean, white shorts didn't have any dirt on it and a solid t-shirt with no stains. Which was rare with the people in their grade. It was even weird for Butters.

"I... tired. I'm tired and worried." Butters told, and he really did seem hesitant to spill. But the second word let him be honest.

"Worried?" Kenny asked, pausing for a moment seeing Butters nod. "Is someone bothering you?" Kenny's tone was different. Ready to fight if he deemed it necessary.

Which stuck the two with a long pause. Butters thinking over his next words. Because he felt he shouldn't say anything too groundbreaking. "Eric is just... I don't know. He bothers me sometimes. I'm fine with it though, I swear. I really do. It's just he touches me weirdly. Like my chest or on my pants and I don't like it but he thinks it's funny..."

"He's a dick. You shouldn't stay around him." Kenny told matter a factly. Because Kenny opposed to it. A lot. He just couldn't say so to anyone besides Butters.

"It's fine, I've had wore and I like helping him a bit. And this way no one else will deal with it."

Kenny didn't understand that. He liked Cartman to an extent. He liked how Cartman was with him, their relationship was just fine. It was fun. But what happened with Butters was different. He was simply a pawn in his game.

Kenny sometimes wondered if that's all Cartman saw anyone as.

But Kenny didn't believe that.

Kenny went on to threaten Cartman and slap him for it. Cartman only made a rude comment and left. But he did stop. Cartman wasn't perfect but he stopped a lot more than usual. And Kenny couldn't help but feel grateful for it.

Kenny still hated how by the end of the year they didn't talk. But Kenny stuck to making sure Stan and Kyle watched him. He was grateful they did that for him. He didn't say so though.

"You jackass, can't even write your name right!" Cartman told, looking at his and Kenny's yearbook. Both open to Clyde's name signed on.

"Nah, he's just a dumbass" Kenny laughed, smiling a bit more as Stan laughed. Kenny found the whole thing hilarious, but Clyde didn't.

"No! I did it on purpose." Clyde told, stomping his foot on the ground. He was lying.

Then the bell rang and everyone scrammed. Grabbing bags and ready to run out. Which they weren't allowed to do but they did anyway.

"Hey, Kenny!" Kenny turned, putting his backpack on as he looked to the other boy. It was Butters. "Can I sign your yearbook? I saw you had one."

Kenny swore he said the stupidest things sometimes. Everyone got one. It was free.

"Yeah, I can sign yours too," Kenny told smiling, loosening his hood a bit as the people drained out of the class. Their teacher didn't say a thing, just started packing up.

Kenny grabbed his yearbook. Looking at the other signatures. They all were plain, small messages and scribbles but nothing much. And Kenny didn't want to do something normal. So he found a page not fully taken up and he took a chunk out to scribble a doodle. Focusing a bit too much on it.

"Hey fella, I'm done... woah," Butters stopped himself, looking at the drawing. "You didn't need to do anything like that"

Kenny stopped, looking back to Butters. He didn't think the image was great or anything. But Butters had always liked coloring so Kenny picked up drawing. But no colors. He was bad at those and those cost extra.

The drawing was nothing more than Kenny and Butters sitting on a wall sort of thing, Kenny swinging his legs as they sat a bit close. Kenny liked how Butters smiled so much at it.

"You're good at that" but Butters wanted to ask him to hang out.

"Thanks, I like yours better" But Kenny wanted to say he only started to do it because of him.

"I'll see you later, I'll get in trouble if I stay back long today." But Butters lingered on the thought of staying to talk to Kenny. And hoped he wouldn't have to see his aunt and uncle anytime soon.

"Yeah, go" But Kenny wanted to know how he was doing. If he would be okay. If anyone was messing with him. If he could do anything to stop it.

But neither of them said anything otherwise. They were kids and the thoughts escaped their heads as Butters walked away.

So Kenny walked away too. Walked all the way to the library to sit down and learn. Because people seemed to like him when he knew things. And the internet was an expansive thing to an eight-year-old.