Whatever Happens |Kyman • Stenny • Creek|

Chapter 45: Empty The Lake

"Drag the lake; You won't find me; I've been tempting fate; With my heart beside me; I am the stone below the water; Cold and hard to touch; Just when you think I can't get lower; I turn my back and fuck it up."

~Craig's POV~

Cartman rushed us to the car the second school ended. He seemed to have had a sense of urgency in his eyes like he was desperate to find Kyle. I have a hard time feeling anything so I didn't react the same way. In fact, I tend to stay numb in just about any situation.

Beating up Sam today made me feel really good, though. He's always been an asshole to people. Even more of an asshole than I can be. Kyle didn't deserve any of Sam's bullshit because he's been such a good friend to us. We really owe him one this time.

It took us a little bit to get to Denver, but we made it here no problem. Everyone was here talking about how they were going to make things right with Kyle while I sat here and stared out the window to my left thinking about what had happened today.

I don't think I've ever felt so angry in my life. Yeah there were times when I'd express my anger through an apathetic face, but it never got to a point where I lashed out on someone, especially my football captain. Feeling emotions this extreme can only mean that it's time to let them all out again. I can't do it in front of people, though. I've always been known as the stoic kid, so expressing any emotion would send everyone into a crippling shock.

Maybe when I get home, I can go to my room and let them all out. Most of the time they're feelings of sadness and fear. Ever since I became better friends with these guys, I've developed this fear that we're not going to stay friends after high school is over. I'm pretty convinced that we will though because we've been inseparable for years now. We hang out literally every day after school. We never used to do that back in the day, but now it's like a habit we started. I don't want it to stop just because high school is over.

"Hey guys, is that Butters over there?" Cartman suddenly asked. They all stopped talking and looked at the blond kid in black clothing on the sidewalk. He was walking next to someone who was using forearm crutches. They were both about the same height, and the kid walking with Butters was wearing blue jeans and a yellow long-sleeved shirt. Holy shit...that's Jimmy.

We pulled over to the side of the road and caught their attention. "Hey guys." Stan called through the window. Butters and Jimmy looked our way and smiled. "Oh hey guys! What a-are you doing here?" Jimmy asked. Butters stood next to him and watched as we got out of the car. We took turns giving Jimmy a hug since it's been years since we've seen him. He moved to Denver just before freshman year with his family. "We're here to find Kyle." Cartman explained. Butters' smile faded when he mentioned Kyle.

"Kyle told me he'd be at Overland Lake. It's twenty minutes away if you want to talk to him. He...could really use some friends right now."

"Yeah we know. We got here the second school ended so we can talk to him." I explained.

"Can we come with you? I don't have the key to the room he's staying in." Butters asked. Cartman looked at his car and gave Butters a saddened look. "We don't really have room for two more." He answered painfully.

Jimmy stepped forward and smiled again. "Don't worry guys. I have to head back home anyway. I need to get ready for a performance tonight. You guys are free to come if you're still around. It starts at seven."

"Alright we'll try to make it. No guarantees though." Clyde told him. Jimmy smiled and began walking further down the street. We had to squeeze Butters in the front in between Stan and Kenny. He was small enough to fit, but we feel like Cartman's car is starting to ride a bit low.

One of us had to use the GPS to find the Overland Lake Butters told us about. He mentioned that Kyle would go out there after his shift ended at the community center to either go swimming or just sit and relax.

We arrived twenty minutes later and noticed a lot of police cars crowded around an area of the lake. The sirens were blaring and flashing in the distance with such urgency, as if someone had died there.

"Why the fuck are the cops there?" Token asked as he looked out the windshield. The lights on the police cars and ambulance trucks were enough to induce seizures even in people who don't have epilepsy.

Cartman parked the car on the grass by the lake and jumped right out. The rest of us followed him over to where the police were. "Holy shit! They're carrying someone! Gah!" Tweek called as he pointed at someone lying on a stretcher. Someone wearing all black clothing, a black beanie, and red hair. He looked drenched in water as if he had gone swimming in his clothes.

Stan's eyes widened when he figured out who it was. "Kyle!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. We all ran over to him as they dragged him closer to the back of the ambulance truck. The police noticed us and blocked the way. "You kids shouldn't be here." He said insensitively. Stan tried making his way past him, but the officer was too strong. "No, he's my best friend! Let me see him please!" Stan begged with tears in his eyes. The rest of us attempted to do the same thing. Several more cops stepped up and blocked our way.

My failure to get past them made me want to cry too. As I've said before, Kyle's been nothing but a good friend to us over the years. Seeing him being dragged away like this, especially with the anticipation that he's dead, made me break down really bad.

After begging and crying for the next few minutes, one of the paramedics came up to us and talked to the police. "Let these boys through. I know they're good friends with this kid." He told them.

The police stepped aside and let us through to see Kyle. I can't even describe how fast we sprinted toward the back of the ambulance truck. We were probably faster than the speed of light.

Kyle wasn't quite in the truck yet. He was placed just outside of it next to the opened doors. "Kyle, are you awake?" Stan asked as he shook him. Kyle's eyes opened slightly and a smile split his face. "There really is a heaven after all. All of my friends are here." His voice shook.

Hearing Kyle say that made me break down even more. I hid my face behind my hand and cried an ocean.

As a few of us cried, Stan attempted to tell Kyle that he wasn't dead and that this was real life. "You're alive, Kyle." Stan said just before he noticed his arms. Cartman and Butters were already staring down at them. The slits riding along the length of his forearms have piles of dried blood covering them. "You promised you wouldn't do this." Butters mumbled to Kyle with wet red eyes.

Cartman was at a loss for words. He probably had no idea Kyle was even hurting himself. Butters seemed to have been the only one who knew.

Stan held one of Kyle's arms and looked around it. "Jesus Christ, dude!" He yelled. The loudness of Stan's voice didn't phase Kyle. He just continued lying here with his eyes closed.

The paramedic came up to us and dragged the stretcher into the truck. "We have to get him over to the hospital now. He's in critical condition." He informed us.

"Alright, we'll meet him there." Cartman told him as he rushed us back to his car.

"You can drag the lake; But you won't find me; You can drag the lake; But you won't find me; You can drag the lake; But you won't find me; You can drag the lake; But you won't find me."

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