Karen was sort of stupid but Kenny loved her anyway. She didn't understand math in most context but she knew enough to get her into preschool. That made Kenny proud. That all his and Kevin's work got them somewhere. Their mom had smiled and said some praise to Karen about it but Kenny wasn't sure what. He just knew Karen was smart enough.

It was another year with the same people, preferring to stay quiet or muffle his words then let the world know him. That's often how kids got angry about things, they got to know you. So he hid. To an extent. Most of his closest friends saw him without it, it just was a secret. They didn't talk about it to others. They understood enough to know they shouldn't. Cartman was the person definitely not allowed to see him. No bruises or cuts or anything. Accident or not Cartman would make fun of them. Kenny didn't want it.

Even with the rare times, Kenny let the special people see him. It didn't make things easier. Hiding is what made things easier. But when he hung out with Butters- when he was alone with Butters, he didn't want to hide as much. But he didn't acknowledge that.

But that's the thing. Sometimes people see him without him wanting to. And that's what led Kenny to his first fight.

Kenny fought a lot. His brother showed him stuff. He didn't know how his brother knew any of it but he learned stuff. From tv, from his parents, from the crackheads, he would see from time to time at his own place. He learned.

Kenny saw people fucking with someone. Recess was supposed to be a place for yells for joy, not pain. But he always saw these sixth graders being dicks. To a girl that reminded him of Karen.

"Why's your hair so dirty, dyke?" The taller kid asked cornering her closer to a tree. Kenny just stood close by. Hearing it. His attention focused on it.

"Got nothing to say? Dumbass baby" That's what made Kenny move, letting silent anger consume him. He didn't want to speak. But did anyway.

"Leave her alone!" But all that came out were muffles. At least that's what the older boy mocked.

"Sorry can't hear you over the orange peel over your face. Fucking first graders can't even speak right... Why don't you take it off, brat? Since you want to speak so badly." Kenny moved when the older leader reached for his hood. He didn't trust this. So as the girl moved aside Kenny squirmed when the other two pushed him against the tree. Letting the other boy have the power. Which Kenny didn't like.

Kenny squirmed a bit more, as the taller boy moved and pushed his hood off. Making Kenny cringe at how close he was to all of him. And it fell down. Kenny could feel the sun on his skin, the wind touching his ears, and how violating it felt. It had fallen down.

So Kenny kicked him in the balls. And it worked. Both of the kid's grip loosened on him in surprise and he took that as an advantage to get away. Kenny tried to move fast, not minding how the first boy had fallen. Moving to punch the other one in the stomach, the one left hadn't moved. Just watched. Probably stunned. So Kenny punched the same boy he already hurt in the throat to make sure he would be fine. He turned to the other boy but he was already on him. The one that once had stood in fear threw a hard punch to his face.

Kenny lost his tooth immediately. And he fell.

The boy kicked Kenny, a few times. Messy; in the leg and torso. Probably would have gotten the head too if Kenny didn't insist to keep moving.

Then the teacher came. Getting in between the two. Kenny looked over but all he saw was the girl next to the teacher.

And he was sure she told.

When they tried to call his parents no one picked up. Even Kevin wasn't allowed to hear about it as the oldest person to take care of him. Which seemed like the most unfair thing they could do. So Kenny was alone in the office while the other kids in trouble all were with their parents. And after Kenny made his statement, our of pity, he was sent back to class. Stan and Kyle said he was cool for doing that, everyone else kept quiet after the teacher demanded not speaking about it. The quiet last till almost the end of the day. Where the girl who had been picked on called him into the hall. With direct permission from the principal.

"Thank you.. for that. They're always so mean. And they don't stop. So that.. meant something." The brown haired girl told. Kenny smiled, loosening his hood a bit. He was sure she already saw him. He cared a bit less.

"They were dicks, someone needs to do something. And you are?" Kenny told, he had a bruise on his cheek that was peaking out, a bandaid on it where blood had drawn.

"I'm Heidi. I don't think you'll ever know how much that meant to me. So, thank you" She finished, putting her hand up to touch his face. But hesitating. Kenny nodded letting her, no one was in the hall anyway. She moved the hood just enough to see the bruise that had formed and the small light blue bandaid that stood out against the dark colors that surrounded it.

Heidi took her other hand and kissed her middle and index finger before pressing it to his bandaid. Something that made small firecrackers go off in his stomach. She walked off soon after. So Kenny went back inside.

And then it was after school. And he was planning on going home. Finding Kevin and walking with him and his sister home. But he didn't. He closed his hood up real tight, told Kevin he wasn't going to walk with them and went the other way.

Which led him to Butters.

Butters had been waiting to go home. His parents said he could stay after. He wanted to see what would happen if he just walked around and didn't tell them. And he found Kenny that way. Kenny with the tightest he had ever seen his hood and facing down. So Butters called for him, getting up from a bench not too far from the school to catch up with him.

"Are you okay?" Butters voice was a bit more urgent then Kenny expected. But he couldn't see the other's face so he tried to excuse it as him being tired.

"Yeah, I just hurt a lot." Kenny muffled. Which Butters could barely understand. But he did get that 'yeah' out of it. So he paused. Thinking for a moment while scratching his arm.

"Can I.. fix you up? I know it must hurt but my father makes me watch this stuff to help people hurting and we have first aid. I don't want you seriously hurt and you could be really really infected or something." Butters was genuine. They didn't talk often, their after-school hangouts weren't common anymore. But Butters still cared. Deeply.

Kenny hesitated, Butters would want to see him. Look at every wound. And there were more than the new ones. But he nodded anyway. He trusted Butters. He did.

"Stay here. We can... go to Stark's river. I'll grab first aid from my parents and I'll make it back. I promise." Butters' mistake about Stark's was presented as fact which made Kenny smile. And Kenny really didn't know how much to trust Butters. But he only saw the boy with bad intentions when around Cartman. So he stayed. Waited and waited. He waited while Butters lied for the second time to his parents. Telling them that the school had a teacher that wanted to teach him about medical things but Butters wanted to have his own stuff there. Kenny waited as Butters eyes widened when the lie worked. And Kenny waited as Butters ran back to that spot with the first aid clutched to his chest.

And they walked to Stark's pond. Butters hummed, and Kenny hummed back. Finding that he pulled his hood looser instead of tighter when around Butters. They got there, and found a bench and sat.

"..Can you take off your coat?" Butters asked, knowing this wasn't something usual that boys did. Well, he knew at times when it was hot and sucked they would take their shirts off but... this was different. Almost everything that everyone told him they shouldn't do. But he wanted to make sure Kenny was okay.

Kenny hesitated. Yet did so anyway. He trusted Butters. He cringed when he felt the crisp hair on his usually covered skin. He should have worn his tank top today. But he had bad like, so here he was.

"Do you mind if I just.." Butters made a vague gesture with the ice pack in his hands.

"Yeah, go ahead" Kenny hates how it feels. To be so bare and feel so examined. Like he was a bug. But he let it go. For this.

Butters grabbed what he thought was antiseptic and took the band-aid off of the bruise. Trying to be careful but still feeling Kenny cringe at the feeling. The fist did a lot.

"You should be careful, Kenny. I don't want you to get yourself hurt." Butters told, pouring a bit too much antiseptic on a cotton ball. He held it to his eyebrow. For a minute, not liking how it still looked so fresh.

"I'm careful enough," Kenny told, he didn't want to explain himself. He acted on impulse. Thoughts being second for once. They had been unfair. But Kenny wasn't sure what Butters even knew.

Kenny sat. Watching Butters has he moved. He felt the fireworks again. As Butters worked on his stomach. Doing stuff he was pretty sure didn't help at all from what anyone ever told him. But he let Butters do it anyway. Cause he could be right, and he just wanted to help.

So Kenny started humming, and Butters followed suit. And Kenny was really happy no one passed them.

Eventually Butters decided he was done. With everything. So Kenny slipped his parka back on. But left the hood down. Standing in front of Butters who held the first aid kit.

"You should... keep your hood down more... I've always liked your freckles." Butters told, he kept his head down when he said so. But he said it. And it made Kenny smile that smile again.

"Thank you, Butters. You're the kindest person I've ever met." Butters looked up to Kenny at the words. His face flushed and eyes wide, taken aback by the thanks.

Kenny put his middle and index finger to his mouth, kissing them and then putting it to Butters' cheek. Ignoring how the fireworks made him want to not. But he paused for only a moment, before saying goodbye and walking home.

By the next day. Everyone said that Kenny and Heidi made out in the hallway. Kenny never said otherwise. And that started Kenny's reputation.