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Blood in the Water	By : AeoAthura Category: +1 through F > Ed, Edd, and Eddy Views: 10400 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd and Eddy - I make no money from this work.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter Fourteen:
Marie remembered the first time Edd had recalled the events of his attack. It was the summer of their Junior year and Edd hadn’t been sleeping well for days. He was becoming more and more irritable and was unraveling at the seams; it was disconcerting to see her strong friend crumbling.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon when Marie dragged her friend out of the house and to the creek. She knew that it was a place of peace for Eddward.
“Marie!” He snipped sharply, “I do not appreciate being dragged about like this.”
“Oh relax!” She said, tightening her grip on his wrist as they moved through the woods, “This is for your own good now stop complaining.” They came out near the bank of the creek and Marie led him to a little grassy spot before laying a blanket down.
Once they were both settled, Edd shifted some and gave Marie an annoyed look, “Alright, we’re here.” He said and looked out over the creek, “Now what?”
The teenager sight and brought her knees to her chest, settling her chin down, “I’m just worried about you Edd, I thought you needed some time away from things. I know something is bothering you!” She scooted closer and invaded the man’s personal bubble that Marie knew only she was allowed to violate and went to rest her head on his shoulder.
As she flashed her best friend those big sad puppy dog eyes she saw Edd crumbling slowly. “Hey, you remember a few weeks ago? I was gonna go to the prom with Tyler Helms and he stood me up? Without a second thought you showed up at my door all dressed up in a fine tux and even somehow managed to rent a limo and took me to prom. You told me in the car that I can always count on you, that I’m the only person you’ve ever been able to count on.”
Edd was silent for a moment and then heaved a very loud sigh, “You seem to be laying this on quite thick, Marie. I simply suffer from a mild case of insomnia.”
She frowned, “I’m not buying that.”
“I am not asking you to.”
“Then tell me!” When her friend still did not yield she shifted and took a new tactic, sliding her arms around his shoulders as she got onto her knees and leaned in, “Tell me or I’ll kiss you!” she threatened.
He finally relented as he pulled his head away, “Alright alright!” he huffed, “I will explain my problem, please just keep your lips away from me.”
For most people that would be quite an insult, but for Marie, it was still quite an insult. She pouted playfully and was unsure if she was happy or sad that Edd didn’t notice the sting that showed through her eyes. She knew the swimmer was gay, it was nothing new nor did he hide it from anyone. But still…
“I have been plagued with nightmares.” He confessed as Marie sat back and leaned on her hands, “Just…this time of year is hard on me is all.” He looked away and frowned, “In my nightmares I can feel their hands on me, I can feel the blood rolling down my skin, I can hear their voices.” Edd suddenly reached up to cover his ears and his eyes squeezed closed as if the memories suddenly came pouring into his mind.
Marie was quick to move and wrap her arms around him, unsure of what to say before he started speaking again.
“Back then I didn’t have the scar on my head…” he murmured, fingers inching up to curl in his hat and pull it down over his eyes further, “They asked me why I wore this hat, and then said they would give me a reason. One of them…the one that made us go there, Vincent…” he whispered the name with a mixture of fear and hatred, “He took a knife and ran it over my head, he made this scar and laughed.”
Marie winced but held her friend closer.
“Vincent was the one who set everything up… He set us up… It’s one thing to take a beating, Marie, it’s one thing to mock or tease, but this man gained honest to God pleasure from my torture. He was slow…methodical…”
“You’re alright, Edd,” Marie tried to comfort her friend, holding him tighter, closer, “He’s gone now, he’s in jail. He can’t hurt you again.”
Edd just leaned into her embrace which told Marie just how scared he actually was, “I found out that his brother will be starting High School this year, he will be attending Peach Creek.”
She frowned, not sure how to respond to this, “It’ll be ok Edd.” She leaned up to nuzzle his hat gently, “I’m going to be right there with you, look at me,” she reached up and forced his head to turn so that he could look her in the eyes, “Hey! I said look at me,” her voice got stern as she flexed her privileges with the man, “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to let him or anyone else hurt you alright?”
At school Edd came across as fearless and infamous, he was smart and dangerous. In reality though Marie, and only Marie, knew that Edd was vulnerable and sometimes scared of his own shadow. She got to see the man when he was at his weakest, she got to make jokes and get close. She earned that right with him and she knew that Edd allowing this was the greatest act he could ever commit.
She earned it because she picked him up when he was at his lowest.
She earned it because she was there for him when nobody else was.
She earned it because she put up with his moods, his insults and his insecurities.
But mostly she earned it because she loved him so deeply that she gave her life over to a man who would never see her as anything more than a friend. She didn’t care, because she was all Edd had in his life for now, and she would jealously hold onto him until the time came that she had to let him go.
When his trembling subsided and those tiny whimpers faded, Marie slowly felt his weight increasing as he leaned more heavily on her. She guided him down and, though he gave mumbled protests, rested his head on her thigh and pushed his hat aside. Her fingers gently slid through his hair and the swimmer turned on his side to hide his scar but he couldn’t help the soft, happy purr that rose from the back of his throat. Slowly Edd drifted to sleep and further solidified Marie’s importance to him.
#
Within three seconds of opening her front door to see the swimmer standing there she knew something was different, “What’s wrong Edd?” She asked as she let her friend step into the small house. There was nothing different about him, really, he didn’t look worried or upset, and she knew he was coming that day but her best friend senses were lighting up with bright flashing lights saying that something was…
…she wasn’t sure.
Edd glanced over his shoulder, “Nothing?” he posed it as a question because even he thought there was genuinely nothing wrong. Perhaps there wasn’t, but Marie couldn’t put her finger on that feeling.
“Come on, Lee and May are watching last night’s WWE on the DVR.” She said as she led her friend through the living room where her sisters were holding their breaths as they watched the fight play out on the television. Once they walked down the hall she let him into her room and the two settled on her bed.
From out in the living room Marie could hear her sister erupt in cheers and loud yelling. They could get so wrapped up in wrestling that sometimes it ended up with the two girls enacting the fights in the middle of the room. The Kanker family had lost many a coffee table that way.
“Your sisters sound excitable today.” Edd commented airily.
Marie blinked. Edd never commented on her family. Never! She quirked a brow, “Yeah, must be a good match. So then, Bad Movie Monday?” She pointed to the shelf of movies that was next to the bed. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She and Naz had been texting all morning but Marie had stopped answering after she told the woman she would consider going to Kevin’s.
Edd got up and moved to the shelf, kneeling down to assess the choice of movies. He was stalling however, his eyes looking past the spines of the DVD cases, “I went to go see Kevin last night…” he finally said.
Marie repressed a frown as she suddenly understood the invites to Kevin’s house, “How’d that go?” She tried to hide the annoyance in her voice and seemed to succeed as Edd didn’t notice. She had watched her friend descend into a black brooding mess over the last month, knowing it had something to do with the red head but she hadn’t been told what.
She couldn’t see he friend’s face, but as he spoke she could hear the repressed smile in his voice, “We spoke… Ed and Eddy had come over earlier that evening and Eddy informed me that…” The man paused, considering his words, “Kevin was involved in my incident a few years ago. I went to Kevin afterward and he confirmed this.”
So Edd finally knew? She sat frozen on her bed as she wondered whether or not to tell her friend that she already knew, that everyone knew. She didn’t think Edd would react so kindly to knowing that so many people had been keeping such a large secret from him, “Yeah?” she asked, “So…what happened?”
“We talked. He asked me to be with him and I rejected him, but he would not accept it. He made me accept him.”
Marie’s hand tightened on the edge of her bed. She knew Edd liked to be manipulated, he loved to feel someone overpower him and, though that confused her, it didn’t change the fact. Kevin was a dominant person and someone her friend had been quietly pining over for years, she was unable to help the feeling of suspicion that he was taking advantage of this. “Are you ok with that?”
Edd pulled a movie from the shelf and offered it out to Marie, and that was when she noticed what was wrong. No, not wrong though. The dark marks beneath his eyes were lighter, his lips weren’t twisted in his usual scowl, his shoulders were slumped. “I find myself strangely unable to deny him.” The other said.
He was happy.
A mix of emotions twisted in Marie’s gut, she was happy that Edd was happy, but to know that it was Kevin… It was someone who wasn’t her, someone who had just walked in and demanded the swimmer’s attention.
“Marie?”
She snapped out of her thoughts and took the movie case without looking at it, “Hey uh, Naz invited us over to Kevin’s to swim, wanna go?”
The man raised a brow, “Kevin made the offer earlier. Today is our day.” He said.
“Yeah but it might be fun, Naz and I haven’t done anything together for a while.” Marie stood up as if it were decided, because it was. She told herself that she didn’t care if Kevin was the one to make her friend happy, because all that mattered was that Edd was happy. “Come on, get your keys.” Marie took Edd’s wrist and led him to the door, bidding her sisters goodbye as they walked out the door.
#
Marie waited with some impatience as Edd stopped at his house to get his trunks and cap. They walked to Kevin’s house together with Edd wearing a pair of baggy jeans over his trunks. She could see a glint in his eyes as he had come walking out of his house with a ball - but not just any ball, a water polo ball…
“Edd! I thought you liked him, you’re gonna kill him.” Marie swiped the ball away as they walked.
Edd snorted, “I am certain that Kevin can handle a bit of rough play.” The swimmer’s grin was malicious and he laughed at his own inside joke.
Marie huffed, “I’ve seen you break a guy’s nose with one of these.” It was actually rather impressive, the swimmer had quite the arm, but a rather poor aim. Almost hilariously bad. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, opening Naz’s message, “Naz says to just come through the back gate.”
“Was that supposed to be a joke?” The man asked as he changed their path.
Marie covered her face with her palm, “Are you starting to get a sense of humor? I don’t believe this!” She elbowed her friend lightly, grinning as he opened the back gate to Kevin’s house.
A dog came bounding around the corner of the house, barking loudly. It stopped when it reached Marie and Edd, sniffing at them. “Molly!” Kevin’s voice drew her attention and the collie went bounding off at full speed.
The two made their way after the dog at a walk, coming out onto a patio where Naz was sitting at a glass table with a glass in her hand and shades. She was wearing a white and pink polka-dot bikini that left almost nothing to the imagination, not that Marie was complaining.
Kevin was playing a game of tug-of-war with his dog, he was in nothing more than a pair of red trunk. He was even missing his hat.
Edd parted from Marie wordlessly as the woman went to take the seat opposite of Naz so that the boys could play. “What’s up Naz? You look comfortable.”
The blonde smirked and took a long drink, “Hmm, it’s surprisingly nice out.” She commented, looking over to watch Kevin and Edd discuss how to make a game of water polo work without nets. “Well, at least those two are happy again. Kevin has been a real downer lately.”
Marie snorted, “Have you seen who I have to deal with on a regular basis?”
“You are aware that I can hear you, Marie?” Edd asked flatly.
“Yes.”
“Just making sure.”
Naz laughed, “Well, hopefully they’ll both be better now. And it’ll give us more of an excuse to hang out!” The girls bumped fists with matching grins.
They looked out and watched Kevin try to push Edd into the pool. “I am still wearing pants!” he said, pushing back. The ball was dropped and forgotten in the pool.
“Well then maybe you should take ‘em off!” Kevin responded with a grin.
“Then you would have to release me.” The two were dangerously close to a wrestling match.
“Hey!” Marie barked, “If I wanted to watch two girls fighting, I’d have stayed at home with my sisters.” She leaned on her elbow and propped her chin on her palm.
Edd jerked his head up, “Oh ha-ha Ma-!” His words were cut off when Kevin jerked him to the side and they both toppled into the pool with a yelp. When Edd surfaced there was a long string of big words that equated to him saying ‘Fuck you.’
Kevin came up laughing before both boys descended into a raging splashing match.
“Well, they might make each other feel better if they don’t kill each other first.” Naz sighed, “I always thought Edd was above these sorts of things but I guess boys will be boys.” Edd vanished beneath the water and suddenly Kevin was yanked under.
Marie laughed, “It’s in their genes.”
“Amen to that.” Naz responded. She smiled as she watched the pool and the boys fighting within, “So Eddy and I are going on another date tomorrow.” Naz’s lips pulled up in a wistful smile.
Marie perked up, “Oh? This is what, your forth or fifth date?” She asked with a grin, “I’m surprised he even got a first date really…”
Naz looked at Marie over the rim of her shades, “Actually he’s not that bad. Once I got him to stop trying so hard and relax a little he’s a pretty nice guy. Last week he took me out bowling because I said I haven’t been since I was a kid.”
“Huh, well I guess anyone can surprise you.” Marie conceded, looking out to her and Naz’s best friends as proof of this. “Is he stingy?”
Naz giggled, “Yes and no. He’s really good at finding ways around the system. Don’t get me wrong, he’s cheap as shit, but at the same time he isn’t shy to spoil me.”
Marie smiled. She wished she had someone…
“Don’t worry, there’s someone out there for you. You can’t tell me that with how well you know him you would actually want Edd to be your boyfriend.” She gestured out to the pool. The boys rediscovered the polo ball and Kevin was roaring in laughter at Edd’s poor aim, “I can’t exactly say Eddy is my ideal guy, but maybe you should just go with someone you didn’t expect.”
Marie shrugged, “I’m not too worried about it, we’re only in High School.”
“Liar,” Naz sat back and took a long drink, “I know that look, Marie Kanker. Don’t worry so much alright?”
Anyone would say that Naz was an incredible person, and Marie wasn’t shy to admit it either. She smiled at her friend, “Alright, alright.” She sighed, looking back.
Some time later, Mr. Barr came walking out. He greeted Marie and offered her a drink. After making a few comments about the boys still roughhousing in the pool he turned to his grill and began to cook hot dogs. Marie was impressed as she watched him grill onions and hamburgers as well. Soon the backyard was rife with the smells of summer, even in the early fall.
Kevin and Edd got out of the pool for food, both of them trying to hide the fact that the other was tired. Both Naz and Marie smiled as they watched the two sitting side by side near the pool, eating and winding down. The air was getting cooler and soon enough it would be too cold to swim.
Marie was happy. Life was good…
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Blood in the Water