After fourth period I head to the upstairs cafeteria for lunch, my stomach growling like a hostile animal. I bought two cheese sandwiches, a little bottle of milk and a cupcake.
Kenny wasn't in my previous two lessons, but his name was called on the registers in both lessons.
I know he said he skipped class, but the bathrooms are locked during lesson times in case kids decide to hide in there during class and the only people in the janitor's closet were Mr. Mackey and Miss. Chokesondik.
I really don't want to see that again.
I look at all the tables in the cafeteria. Sadly all of them are taken up, including he one beside the door which everyone hates because it's always freezing cold there.
"Hey Butters!" Someone shouts.
I look for the source of the noise. A waving hand at the cold table grabs my attention.
Ike.
I walk over there, not really caring about the age gap, and sit down beside a little girl that looks an awful lot like Craig.
"Hi," I smile, "I can sit here, right?"
"Of course!" Ike smiles back, pulling his lunch out of his sky blue backpack. "You guys don't mind do you?"
Firkle, sat beside the door as he smokes, shakes his head. The little girl who looks like Craig shrugs, not taking her eyes off a scruffy little girl walking towards the table.
Her hair is messy, as if it hasn't been brushed in weeks, her clothes dirty and stained, shoes scuffed, face freckled and bruised.
"Hey guys!" She smiles. Despite her dirty appearance, she has the cutest smile. "Ike, your lipstick is looking great today! Firkle, still trying to destroy your lungs I see. Ruby, what's up gorgeous?"
Ruby, the girl sat beside me, rolls her eyes, but a tiny smile forms on her face.
The girl sits down beside Ike and across from me. I expected her to pull some lunch out, but Ike passes her a sandwich and Ruby passes her a yoghurt pot.
"Thanks guys." Her voice is oddly familiar, but I can't quite remember where I've heard it before.
She begins eating quickly, her gaze settling on me.
"Who're you?" She asks me, her mouth full of sandwich. "You look familiar."
"This is Butters. He lives next door to you," Ike answers. "Someone sent him a finger!"
"A finger?" The girl raises her eyebrow. Her voice suggests that she's never heard of this before, yet the slight smile tugging at her lips tells me otherwise. "How strange. Tell me, do you know either of my brothers?"
"Karen has two older brothers. Kenny and Kevin," Ruby tells me, "Kenny isn't a good influence on her, he's turned her into a pervert like himself."
Karen slaps Ruby's arm playfully.
"My brother is the best person in the whole world!" She exclaims, drawing attention to herself, "besides you, of course." She adds in a quieter, softer voice.
"Oh here she goes." Ruby rolls her eyes again.
"They're together." Ike mouthes when I look over at him in confusion.
I nod, understanding.
I start eating my lunch, enjoying the playful banter these children have between themselves.
Around ten minuets into the lunch break, I spot a familiar orange parka in the distance, slowly approaching.
He's close enough for me to see that his head is lowered, hands in his pockets as he slowly makes his way over.
"Kenny!" I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify the sound.
He raises his head and looks around for a second before putting it back down.
I call for him again, but he doesn't look up this time.
"Hey ass licker!" Yells Karen, grabbing the attention of fellow students sat around us. "Your boyfriend wants to fuck you again!"
"Language!" Snaps a passing teacher.
Karen ignores him and calls, "don't ignore me, buttfucker or I'll tell them about the time you-"
"Okay fine!" Grunts Kenny, who finally arrived at the table, as he sits down beside Karen. "What do you want, asshat?"
"Lovely way to talk to your sister." Firkle mumbles to himself as he scoots his chair closer to the door.
"Why weren't you in class?" I ask.
Kenny shrugs. He pulls a sandwich out of his pocket.
It's covered in pocket lint and a few hairs, but he starts eating it anyway.
"Ham sandwich?" I ask.
"Yes." Kenny replies, a little too quickly if I'm honest.
There's a slightly uncomfortable silence for a long period of time. Just as I'm about to say something, the bell goes, indicating the start of progress time.
I sigh loudly and get up, swinging my backpack onto my back. I walk to my form room, wishing Kenny was in the same one as me.
Sadly, he isn't and I don't properly know anybody in there.
Mr Slave greets me at the door, asking me to take my pencil case and reading book out of my bag as I pass him.
I do as he asks and sit at a desk in the middle beside the girl who gave me her number.
"Hey Butters." She smiles weakly, obviously still upset about her missing friend.
"Hi Bebe," I smile back, hoping I got her name right, "I'm sorry about Wendy."
"I know," she sighs, "I just hope it wasn't anything to do with her boyfriend. I told her dating a McCormick wasn't a good idea."
She shakes her head as she speaks, her golden curls slightly brushing against me.
"A McCormick?" I repeat, "as in Kenny McCormick?"
"No," She scoffs, "as if Wendy would go for a perverted freak like him. No, his name was something like... Karl, Kennedy..?"
"Kevin?"
"That was it," She clicks her finger, "I told her it wouldn't be a good idea, especially since his brother is an absolute creep! But no, she just had to try and 'impress' us by getting an older boyfriend."
She rolls her eyes and tuts.
Mr. Slave comes over to our table.
"Guys can we keep it down? It's quiet reading time," he pats my book, "you can talk afterwards, okay?"
"Yes Mr. Slave." We say together.
"Butters, can I talk to you after form?" He asks in a quiet voice, "I'll write you a late pass, don't worry."
"Umm... sure." I shrug.
We read for roughly twenty minuets. After this, Mr Slave puts some music on his laptop and plays it full blast.
Ariana Grande sings loudly at us whilst we talk for the remainder of form time.
The bell rings and everyone stands up, chairs screeching on the carpetless floor. It's a terrible sound.
As Mr Slave's class wander into the classroom, I go to the front and stand awkwardly waiting as he sets up the paint brushes and paint palettes.
"So Butters," Mr Slave begins, walking up to the front, "I've heard that there are students going missing. Do you know anything about it? Anything at all?"
I rub my knuckles together anxiously and bite my lip.
Should I tell him that the police think it's something to do with Kenny's family?
Or that Wendy is dating his older brother?
"No sir." I lie, hoping he believes me.
He gives me a look that makes me feel as if he's studying my naked body. It's a feeling that's hard to explain, but I'm sure everyone's felt it at some point.
"Are you absolutely sure?" He asks, "the police are going to ask you the exact same question and I want to make sure you're prepared. The police can twist anything you say and I don't want them to do that to you."
I bite my lip again.
"I don't think I should answer that question right now, sir. I'm a bit confused as to what to believe and not believe."
"Okay," He says, scribbling a note for me, "just be prepared for hard questions."
I take the note off him and quickly walk to class.