The ghost of you

Part Seven

Butters POV

      I can't stop seeing it.

     There's so much blood and the dark purple bruises were so prominent on his face. Even a mere second of it was enough to make me sick to my stomach. It had been a week and a half since first seeing the marks on Kenny's face and I've seen it happen two more times. They come in a flash but there just as gruesome as the last.

     The second time I saw the marks I was in art class. It had been two days since I had seen the flash of Kenny looking all beat up and bloodied. We were all working on canvas projects and I was painting some nice flowers in a vase. I was in my own little world till a tap on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts.

     "Hey, Leo you there I've been calling your name," Kenny asks.

     I place my paintbrush into the mason jar of water before turning to him.

     "Sorry, Ken must have gotten too distracted by my painting. Did you need something?" I ask him with a smile.

    "I see that, whatcha painting anyways?" He asks.

    I step out of the way for him to see. He looks at it in what I can assume is amazement, though it's a bit hard to tell sometimes when his hoodie is pulled so tight around his face. But not tight enough for the scar to be poking through. It made me ashamed that I wanted to look away from him.

     "It's really good Buttercup, you really have a nac for this kind of stuff." he compliments.

     "You really think?" I blush while knocking my knuckles together.

     "Hell ya your flowers look almost real like I can reach out to grab them to smell," Kenny states chuckling.

     "Awe Ken your too kind man," I say quickly.

     We both stare at the paint for another second just in that little world again but this time somehow a little bit together.

    Ken spoke first, "Anyways could I get some of your light blue and orange I just ran out and I need a bit more of both?" he asks.

     "ya," I say a bit louder than I meant, I scrambled around my side table to grab the paints knocking over the mason jar of water with my paintbrushes inside of it all over the table and floor.

    "Oh, hamburgers"I exclaimed. Quickly knelt down scrambling to get the paintbrushes back together and back in the jar.

     "Such a klutz, Idiot, so stupid," I whisper to myself hoping that Kenny wouldn't kneel down to help me and hear me. It seems like every time I'm around him I seem to be making myself look like a complete fool.

     Once the paintbrushes were back in the jar, I stood back up hoping that because Kenny didn't help me pick them up that he had just walked away. I placed the jar back on the table and turned back to my painting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone still next to me. Turning to ask them if they needed anything turns out he never left.

     Tall

     Blonde

    Bruised

    and

     BLOODIED

     My mouth dropped open. I subconsenly was taking small steps back words causing me to lose my footing and falling to the floor. It took a step closer to me.

     "Your shaking Buttercup," he said reaching out his hand to help me.

     I flinched away grabbing my knees to my chest and talking my head between them. I didn't want to look up, I didn't want to see him in that state, so hurt and destroyed.

    "...eo"

     "....Leo"    

     "...Leopold"

     "Hey, Leo it's just me what's wrong? Look up? Are you ok?" Kenny said shaking my shoulders.

     His voice sounded concerned. Why though, I would be more concerned about himself. What happened to him was exactly like before in the hall that one day. I thought I was tired that day and it was my mind playing tricks on me but.... no my mind is playing tricks on me I know it Kenny is fine.

     Kenny stopped shaking me but his hands stayed on my shoulders. I slowly brought my head up looking right at him. He didn't say anything just stared at me and I stared back. Cause I was right I am losing it. My mind playing tricks on me with blood and bruises on the person I care about. Kenny took one of his hands off my shoulder reached up to my face and wiped tears, that I had no idea that had fallen, from underneath my eye.

     "You look a little spooked Buttercup. I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you," he states.

    "No, it's fine. I'm fine. Could you help me up though and I can get you your paints"

     It wasn't till a couple of days after that when I and Kenny had just gotten off the bus and he decided to walk with me home cause he didn't want to go home right away.

     "Ya and the whole night got ruined by Cartman and his genius idea to make low-grade candy to pre-schoolers for some quick cash," Kenny said putting exaggerated air quotes on the word genius.

     "Aw, man Ken that sucks I'm sorry," I say trying to keep up with his long strides.

     "Ya but it was all worth it when a whole arm of pre-schoolers came to kick Cartman's ass," he said laughing about the events.

     Walking next to each other we made our way toward my house. We came up to the last crosswalk before my street. I looked both ways before stepping first to cross the road. What I didn't know was that Kenny had stopped to tie his shoes before crossing with me. I got to the other side and realized that he wasn't right next to me.

     "I'm coming Butterfly wait up" Ken called from the other side.    

     He moved his backpack up on his shoulder before running through the crossroad. He didn't see it. I didn't see it right away, but when I did I screamed. My throat hurt beyond belief.  I thought it started raining cause water drops were falling around me till I went to cover my face from the scene in front of me and felt that I was crying.

    "I'm not seeing it. It's not real. I won't see it." I yell to myself as I ran like hell.

Word count: 1,086

Authors note: Sorry chapters will be posted at random so just be ready at any time. Thank you for all the support it is greatly appreciated.