Originally written for the spdrabblebomb on tumblr.

PROMPT: Day Three [05/31/2017]: Mud

The bell rang, signaling the end of gym class and the beginning of lunch period. A welcome break in the weather had prompted the coaches to give the kids a free day, and the few sixth graders who had opted to spend it outside began filing back into the building. Most of the students hadn't even bothered to go outside, since two days of nonstop rain had turned everything except the paved playground into a muddy morass.

"What's Butters doing?" Kyle asked, looking across the pavement. Kenny followed his gaze past the swingset and spotted Butters standing just beyond the edge of the playground, staring down at the ground.

"He probably found a ladybug or something," Cartman said, brushing past Kenny on his way through the door. Kenny's eyes narrowed as he looked at Butters, who hadn't moved since Kyle had spotted him.

"You guys go on ahead," Kenny said, stepping away from his friends. "I'll catch up."

He walked across the pavement and called out to Butters when he was a dozen yards away. "Hey, man, are you all right?"

Butters gave him a look that was both frightened and embarrassed. "I'm stuck, Kenny!" Kenny looked at Butters' feet and saw that his sneakers were indeed firmly mired in the mud, to the point where the laces were almost buried in it. Butters shook his head ruefully. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this."

Kenny looked over his shoulder toward the school; almost all of the students had gone back inside, and no one was looking in their direction. "Not if no one else sees you here." He planted his feet firmly at the edge of the pavement, leaned down in front of Butters and grabbed onto his left leg just above his ankle. "Come on, let's get you out of here; lean on me and pull."

Butters did, pressing his weight down on Kenny's back while Kenny pulled up on his leg. It took a few seconds, but Butters' shoe finally pulled loose from the mud with a wet sucking sound, and he quickly stepped down again on the pavement between Kenny's boots.

"Other one now," Kenny said and shifted his grip to Butters' right leg, which he was able to pull loose easily.

"Thanks, Kenny!" Butters said, once they were both standing beside each other on the pavement.

"If we hurry dude, we won't be late," Kenny said and they turned together and began walking toward the school. Butters shook his head, looking down at his feet.

"I'm gonna track a lot of mud inside."

Kenny grinned. "Don't worry about it man. It'll give the janitors something to do later."

Nonetheless Butters stopped just outside the door leading into the school and tried to scrape as much mud off his shoes as he could against the edge of the sidewalk. Kenny watched him, hoping they wouldn't be late.

Butters looked up. "Hey Ken?" he said timidly, looking as though he was weighing an important decision. "D-do you want to have lunch with me today?"

"I gave my lunch to Karen," he replied, without mentioning that his 'lunch' had been nothing but a package of poptarts.

"My mom made me two sandwiches today, and I'd sure like it if you had one of them. It's the least I can do, after you helped me."

Kenny looked at him closely. He hated accepting charity, especially from his friends, but Butters' earnest expression made it plain that he wasn't offering him a handout. Butters genuinely wanted to have lunch with him.

Kenny smiled. "All right...I accept." Butters returned the smile and they walked into the school together.

THE END