South Park: Senior Year

3. Break

The long and boring history class Kenny didn't even sign up for seems to drag on forever. His body just itching to stand up and walk around, his leg bouncing impatiently. He keeps checking the clock to the left of him, but that only seems to make the time go slower, which felt impossible. Stan was already falling asleep to Mrs. Folden's awful slide show, and Kenny thought he'd be next before, finally, the bells rings, freeing him from the seat he'd been trapped in, forced to be still and quiet for what felt like days. After collecting his things and stretching, he gestures for Stan to follow him and the two of them meet up with Cartman by his locker.
"The doors by the stairs are open and the alarm is broken, so it's an easy way out without getting caught." Kenny explains to Stan as the three of them make their way through the crowded hallways. Stan nods in understanding before re-covering his ears with his headphones, which he had slipped on the moment the two of them left History.
Once outside, they head to the back of the school and into the woods right next to the building. The ground is covered in wet leaves which had fallen from the trees above and lost their satisfying crunch after being snowed on. Kenny scanned the floor for at least one dry leaf to step on before Cartman tugged his shirt and snapped his attention back to the two of his friends.
"I think we're out far enough and we still want to hear the bell, right?" Cartman asks to which Stan and Kenny both nod. "Then hand it over, Kinny." Cartman said with a smile, extending his arm and open hand.
Kenny placed the weed pen into his palm. "Here you go, Sire. Only the best for the King." he said in an old English-sounding accent, bowing slightly.
Cartman chuckled and took a long drag before handing the pen to Stan. He removed his bulky headphones before taking it. Kenny watched as he took a drag, but started coughing before he'd even breathed in all the way. This caused both him and Cartman to laugh.
"Shut up! I haven't smoked...in like...a month!" Stan said between coughs. "Fuck."
Kenny offered his water bottle but Stan declined, taking his own out from his bag.
Stan opened the lid and immediately the smell gave away what was inside. Cartman hadn't seemed to notice, as he had taken a huge drag and was now coughing his lungs out, but Kenny knew the smell better than anyone thanks to his parents.
Stan's "water" bottle was full of straight alcohol.
Kenny had known Stan to drink occasionally, still struggling with the alcoholism that started when they were younger -he probably picked up the genes from his shit dad as well-, but sneaking a whole liter-bottle's worth into the school? What the hell was he thinking? Kenny had invited him out to smoke with them because he thought Stan might just need a moment to really chill out with his friends, but this was a much deeper issue than he originally thought.
Kenny wasn't one to take alcoholism lightly, as it had fucked up both of his parents and had a hold on his older brother, Kevin, as well. It was a huge factor in why his whole family was so messed up and Kenny would do anything to keep his friends from falling into a similar situation.
He and Stan hadn't been as close these last few years as they used to be when they were younger, so being able to help directly without getting immediately pushed away would be difficult, but maybe if he slowly put more effort into hanging out and getting close again? It was a poor reason to fix their dying friendship, but a reason nonetheless. He might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
"Are you gonna get baked too, or what?" Stan asks, distracting Kenny from the plan in his head. He hadn't forgotten it, but for now, they could all just get high. Even Cartman has shit going on and they could all use a chance to relax and mellow out for a bit.

The three boys had gone back in once the next bell rang, and since it was their lunch period they were able to satisfy the munchies weed brought on and sober up a decent amount before heading to their next classes.
Once school was over, Kenny made his way across the street to the middle school where he waited until 2:45. Not long after the end bell had rung, his little sister, Karen, came running out to him. He smiled as she hugged him before she leaned back with a scrunched-up face.
"You stink." She says.
Kenny chuckles, knowing it's the weed she smells. He wasn't going to tell her that, though. "Thanks, Karen. Im sure a dirty, little middle schooler like you doesn't smell much better." He teases, poking her side.
She giggles, swatting his hand away. "Nuh-uh. There's no way I stink as bad as you. You smell like you were digging through the trash."
Kenny put on an offended face and scoffed. "Well, fine! If I stink so bad, you must want to walk home alone." he stopped in his tracks, folding his arms stubbornly.
Karen rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips. "Fineeee. You don't stink that bad. Only as much as a stinky older brother should."
Kenny laughed at this and flicked the baseball cap she was wearing over her eyes before continuing on their walk home.
The atmosphere always changed once they stepped foot onto their property. Kenny tried his best to keep to mood light, but it was hard when neither he or Karen wanted to talk much as they arrived home. Kenny entered the house first, as he always did, in case their parents were fighting again. Their fights were almost always violent, and he didn't want Karen to step directly into the crossfire of empty beer bottles and cans.
Luckily, they entered a quiet house today. His dad was sitting on the couch watching their black-and-white TV, a beer in his hand like usual. Both kids kept their heads down as they walked through the living room and to their bedrooms. Dad didn't even bother to acknowledge them.
Karen knocked on her bedroom door before entering, since she shared the room with their brother, Kevin. Kenny glanced in and, not to much surprise, saw he wasn't home. He was either out getting high with his addict friends or at Stan's house, visiting his girlfriend, Shelly.
Kenny entered his own room and flopped down on the tattered and torn mattress he called a bed. He was exhausted from forcing focus all day on shit he didn't care about. He knew his ADHD was getting worse by the day, making it nearly impossible to pay any attention to his teachers or assignments, but he had to suck it up and cope. They didn't have the money for medication and he needed passing grades to graduate and get a decent job that would buy him and Karen a ticket out of this shit-hole town.
He rested his eyes for a few minutes before he heard a quiet knock on his door. Knowing by the sound it was Karen, he told her to come in.
She timidly stepped in, which was unusual behavior for her usually bubbly attitude. Kenny sat up, patting his mattress for her to sit beside him.
"What's going on?" He asked, wrapping his arm around her once she sat.
"We were supposed to write a biography on our parents last week for a project in my English class." She starts, and Kenny already knows exactly where this is going.
"I didn't have anything written. I didn't want to ask Mom and Dad about their life because that always goes in the same direction and I didn't want to write down what I already know because they aren't exactly people to be proud of." She explains, the shakiness of her voice giving away her emotions, despite how well her face might hide them. "Ike had a three-page essay to turn in."
Kenny wraps both his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. "I'm sorry." Is all he manages to say. There's no good answer to give her for this. Their parents fucking suck and nothing was ever going to change them. They'd proven that time and time again. Kenny had learned exactly what kind of people they were when he was ten and found out they were the reason for his curse. They knew exactly what they did to him and never apologized or even tried to comfort him. Karen still kept her hopes up, only for them to let her down over and over and over, hurting her more with each fucked up thing they did. Failing to be the parents she needed. That they all needed.
"I'm so jealous of the other kids." Karen says, her face buried in Kenny's chest to hide the tears that were visible when she spoke. "Especially Ike. His mom would do anything for him and Kyle. Ike gets tucked in every night and they spend every holiday together. And his dad is a super rich lawyer so they can buy whatever they want. Ike even has his own computer!" She wipes her eyes even though the tears keep coming.
Kenny's heart breaks for her with each word she speaks. He wants to give her all of those things, but there's only so much a 17-year-old kid can do. "One day we'll be super rich and you'll have a computer the size of a tv, okay? And your own pool and hot tub, and I'll tuck you in every night. We'll trick or treat with huge bags every Halloween and a Christmas tree buried in presents every year" He says, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly.
Karen pulls her knees to her chest, wiping her tear-stained face again."But I don't even want all that stuff. I just want Mom and Dad to care about us."
"I know." Kenny tries to swallow the lump in his throat as he hugs her again, as tight as he can. "I would die to give you that, Karen, you know I would."
Karen nods. "I'm sorry."
"Shhhh, no no no. Don't be sorry. They're the ones who can't get their shit together for a kid who needs them." Kenny says, rubbing her back with his hand.
"I feel like it's my fault." Karen whispers. "Kevin said Dad used to at least would play catch with you before I was born."
Kenny pulls back from the hug, holding Karen firmly by her upper arms. He makes sure she's looking directly into his eyes.
"Don't you dare blame yourself for anything they do or don't do. It is their job to care for and love all of us. They are the ones who failed." Kenny says as more tears drip from Karen's guilty eyes.
He wipes the tears with the sleeve of his hoodie. "You are perfect, Karen. None of us even deserve you. The world has thrown so much shit you're way but you still power through." he kisses her forehead. "You are a fucking soldier."