Devil-May-Care [Bunny Love Story]

【Chapter Nineteen】

Monday came too fast for me, and if I had the power to make the hours go by slower I would have definitely gone back and done so. Yet at that moment, I was excited. Excited to see Butters during our breaks and even after school. If only I'd been less happy. Maybe my reaction would have been a bit.. different, considering the circumstances.

I sat there in my first period class doodling some random thing on the pages of my notebook. It was supposed to be a bouquet of flowers, I think, but my mind is blurring on the details of this. Really, I'd prefer everything about that day was blurred. But I can't just erase my memory, and the voice on the intercom that interrupted my terrible attempt at 'art' was all too vivid, even to this day.

"Attention all students," came the principal's voice from above. Nobody stopped talking. As if knowing this, the voice went on, "Quiet down, everyone. This is very serious." Of course, I just continued drawing because I never thought that it would be anything even closely tied with me. But South Park is a small town, and everyone knows everyone else. "It seems that one of our own has been killed in a severe car accident."

"Everyone shut up!" shouted Wendy after hearing this, no doubt feeling the need to respect whoever it was who had prematurely kicked the bucket.

There was a long pause on the principal's part. "Please take as long as you all need to grieve the death of Leopold Stotch. He was a remarkable student, with many friends and loved ones. As a whole, we will miss him very much." Another pause. "Everyone is invited to the funeral, and you can pay your respects during lunchtime by making a card. Have a good day, and drive safely."

My heart pounded and my entire body was stiff. The second I heard his first name, I had clutched onto my pencil and stopped the drawing. Immedialely when the teacher started talking about how polite Butters was, I stood up and walked out of the room.

"Kenny!" the teacher called, rushing to the door. By that point I had picked up my pace to a full on sprint and had already disappeared down the hall, out the door, and in the direction of the Stotch residence.

This couldn't be right. I was with him just days before and he was perfectly fine.. I even held him in my arms and fell asleep with him.. Was it my fault he was.. gone? No, no, he's still alive. He had to be. I managed to get to their front step in a matter of minutes, breaking a new record for anyone really. I knocked on the door, not even stopping to catch my breath. My throat was soar and dry, my sides were pinching from the insides and I could barely grasp any sort of oxygen. That didn't matter. All that mattered was for me to see him. To hold him. To hug him. To kiss him. Please.

After a minute of no one answering, I banged my fist against the door again. This time, I yelled along with it, "Butters?! Butters, answer the door!" was all that I could think of to say. Tears pricked my eyes and by the time I begged, "Butters, please.. Please open the door," I had fallen to the floor in sobs. This feeling was one I am now unable to describe. Now, I was emotionally numb. Back then, I felt nothing but alone in a world where I need Butters. No one but Butters. That's all I needed that moment.

The door creaked open after a minute of me sitting there, filling me with such high hopes that when I looked up and saw that it wasn't him they completely crashed and burned and I knew. I knew he was gone. So far gone..

"Didn't you hear?" asked Mr. Stotch. His red-rimmed eyes stared me down with such loneliness that you could even compare it to my own. "My son.." he sniffed and rubbed at his face wearily. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. It didn't look like he'd eaten much either. He just seemed so.. drained. Much like how I am now. "My son and my wife.. they're gone," he stated, and with every masculine bone in his body began to weep.

I joined him.