To Hell and Back - Kenny x Reader

It Ends With Chaos

Things were going so well.

After that strange day where I died twice, it hadn't happened since. I was on high alert for a while, waiting for something odd or unsettling to happen, but nothing ever came. Just the usual highs and lows of high school drama.

Heidi still hated my guts after Kyle had called her my name while he was fucking her, but she didn't try anything after the incident in front of the school. Mr. Mackey gave her in-school suspension for two weeks, so the only time I saw her was when she was throwing dirty looks at me in the hallway.

I heard through the grapevine that Kyle wanted to apologize to me for causing the Heidi problem, along with everything else, but I didn't really care what he had to say. Kenny had also threatened to knock his teeth in if he ever spoke to me again, and it was enough of a deterrent for him to mind his own business.

Over the next several months, Roger, Janice, and Clyde had gone from total strangers to my family members that I truly loved. We spent Christmas together as a family, and it was the best Christmas I could remember since before my mom became an addict. It was hard going through the holidays without my dad, but they made every effort to make it easier for me.

Bebe was the best friend that I could ask for, and when prom season rolled around, she pulled out all the stops to make it perfect. She brought me dress shopping with Nichole, Red, and Wendy, and even pulled some strings to get Kenny a tuxedo that wasn't a baby blue atrocity. I had a deep appreciation for these normal teenage experiences, especially since my life was no longer tainted by problems at home or dying constantly by random accidents.

Graduation was a big day for my friend group, and lots of tears were shed, mostly by Clyde. I came to learn that he was a huge crybaby, but it was endearing to know that he cared so much for everyone in his life.

The longer that Kenny and I dated, the closer I became with his little sister, Karen. She had a spunky personality with a sweet side, a girl after my own heart. It made Kenny happy to see us get along so well, and I did my best to be a good influence on her, knowing that she didn't have many positive role models in her life.

I was counting down the days until my 18th birthday, when my parents' estate would finally be settled, and the money would land in my bank account. Kyle's dad stuck to our agreement without a hitch, and it made me wonder how such a nice man could have raised an entitled, egotistical son. It wasn't until I happened to meet Kyle's mom, Sheila, while leaving a meeting with Gerald that I understood a little more about how Kyle came to be how he was. I was not a fan of Sheila.

On the night of my 18th birthday, I was at Bebe's, getting made up for the party that she was throwing for me at the bonfire spot. I wasn't allowed to know any of the surprise details, but like always, she was ensuring that I would look and feel beautiful.

After Bebe was finished beautifying me, I drove over to Kenny's to pick him up and drive back across town to Stark's Pond. I still had lingering images of the nightmare when I thought about going back into those woods, but it had been so long since I had that dream, and everything was going so well, so I pushed down my negative thoughts and made it a priority to have the best 18th birthday ever.

I knocked on Kenny's front door, and his mom answered. "Hi, sweetheart, come on in!"

I had gotten to know his parents better over time, and they liked see their son be happy with me, but all I saw when I looked at them was my own mother, making the conscious decision to prioritize substances over their children. I was polite, but nothing more.

I followed Kenny's mom inside and waved to Karen as she hopped up from the couch, rushing over to give me a hug.

Kenny shut his bedroom door behind him and ran a hand through his wild blonde hair as he approached Karen and I. "Wow," he breathed, looking me up and down.