Prey :: Ch. 20

"All the little pieces falling, shatter/Shards of me, too sharp to put back together/Too small to matter/But big enough to cut me into/So many little pieces"

Chapter 20: Breathe No More

…New Years Eve…

I hooked my arm in Butters' as we entered the liquor store to get something for tonight. I would've come last night, but with Butters crying and Stan failing at comforting him, I ended up holding him until he fell asleep; by that time the liquor store was closed. I got lucky when he didn't wake up in the same state this morning, and I figured he wouldn't want to be alone with Stan so I asked him if he wanted to come to the liquor store with me for the champagne for tonight.

"Anything you like in particular?" I asked him as we stopped in front of the champagne.

He shrugged. "I don't…really drink…"

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?" I would've thought being around Kenny would've seriously influenced that part of him at least to the point where he'd drink, well, maybe not a lot, but just more than he did in high school - not very much at all.

He nodded. "Yeah, I don't d-drink a lot…when me and Kenny do, i-it's normally for some special o-occasion."

"Well," I grabbed a bottle, "New Years Eve is a special occasion. Drink a bit tonight! Besides, you need it." I smiled at him.

He rubbed his knuckles together, an old habit from our childhood. "Yeah…I do, huh?" He looked at me with wide, almost scared eyes. "It's okay though?"

I blinked a bit out of confusion. He was asking if it was okay for him to drink after I was the one to suggest it to him? After a few moments I nodded. "Yeah, it's okay." I guess yesterday reversed a great deal of the progress Kenny had made with Butters' confidence and self-esteem. This was going to be an interesting six months.

He smiled a bit. "Okay."

I grabbed another bottle and then gestured towards the register. "Well, let's go. We need to get back before Stan starts wondering what's taking us so long to get some alcohol."

He nodded and grabbed onto my arm again as I made my way towards the register. I felt bad for him and all, but I did wonder when he was going to stop being clingy, he's twenty-one acting like he did at thirteen. I paid for the alcohol and led Butters back out to the Mustang.

"Hey, hold this," I told him as I handed him the paper bag with the two champagne bottles in it. I started the car up and pulled out of the liquor store parking lot to go back to the apartment.

Most of the ride back was silent, but as I pulled into the apartment parking lot, Butters spoke: "Ky, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." I put the car in park in my space and looked over at him.

He hugged the bag to his chest. "…Do you think…God h-hates me?"

"Butters…why would you say that?"

"Because whenever I finally think life isn't g-going to kick my ass anymore, something happens." He glanced over at me for a moment. "Junior year, that guy tried to kill me, and now that…C-Craig…"

I reached over and grabbed his arm reassuringly. "God doesn't hate you Butters. Things happen, life screws you over, but it doesn't mean that God hates you. Things will be okay."

"It doesn't f-feel like it…"

My arms slipped around Butters' shoulders. "I know it doesn't, but trust me, things get better and when it does, you will realize that every time you were screwed over by something or someone was just another crack in the road. Trust me."

He looked over at me and smiled a bit. That seemed to have worked. "Thanks Ky."

I smiled too. "It's no problem." I quickly grabbed the bag and stuck my tongue out at him when he gave me a confused look. "Na-na-na boo-boo. Stick your head in doo-doo."

At the confused look Butters gave me, I laughed and jumped out of the car with him not far behind me. I ran for the door in time to hear him start laughing and running after me too. Who would've guessed something a comedian on TV said would be the thing to finally make him smile?

…

"…Three…Two…One!" Me, Stan, and Butters clinked our glasses together. "It's a new year!"

I sloshed the champagne into my mouth and then smiled. Not the best stuff I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst either. Stan asked me and Butters what we wanted out of the new year.

"Well," Butters smiled into his glass, "I just want Kenny home safe."

I smiled at Butters' words. So selfless, unlike… "I would like to get married," Stan muttered before he drank more of his champagne.

I ground my teeth together and growled just slightly. Really? He had to bring that up again? "And I'd like Stan to just shut up about marriage for at least a month."

Stan opened his mouth to say something else, but Butters quickly said, "Hey, why don't we w-watch a movie guys? Or, uh…get something to eat?"

I nodded. "Good idea Butters," I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and walked towards the kitchen, "I'll help you make something."

In the kitchen, I sighed and threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave. If Stan kept this up I was sure I was going to go crazy. Oh well, I guess I'd get that bit of silence on the matter when Stan went to basic training - I'm not sure why he keeps calling it boot camp - next week.

…The Next Day…

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Butters through the window of the Mustang as he went to the front door of his house. He had insisted on dropping him off this morning since had spent the past two days with me and Stan, (it was probably also because things were tense between me and Stan after he mentioned marriage last night). I was willing to drop him off but I was still worried that Craig would show up.

He nodded. "I'll be f-fine. I'll just be sure to l-lock the door."

"Okay," I sighed. "Get the spare key out of the fake rock too."

"I will. S-See ya later Ky."

"See ya Butters." I rolled up the window and waited until he was in the house before pulling out of the driveway and going in the direction of the supermarket. It was time to go grocery shopping again and I had to go since Stan had to work again - that's the bad thing about New Years Day, everyone had to work since everywhere was busy as hell.

I pulled into the supermarket parking lot and sighed. There were no parking spots, just great. Guess it's to be expected with it being the beginning of the year though. I drove around for a bit more before finally finding a parking spot; I whipped the Mustang into the spot before anyone else could drive up. I stepped out of the car and locked it before I ran to the automatic door of the supermarket.

This place was fucking crazy! People were everywhere, and, almost as if to be expected, people were yelling at each other. I grabbed a cart and sighed again. I hated grocery shopping on days like today, but it had to get done or we wouldn't have anything to eat.

I practically ran through the supermarket trying to get everything before I saw anyone I knew or someone stopped to yell at me for something or another, (I've been yelled at for some stupid shit before too). Doing that, I managed to get everything I needed in record time and went to stand in line for the register.

I groaned and leaned against the cart. This was the only reason I hated shopping on major holidays. Freaking line! After a few minutes, I had moved up enough to grab a newspaper. I never bought one, just read the comic section…while…waiting… With wide eyes, I flipped the newspaper open at the sight of the headline. That couldn't be right!