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Blood in the Water	By : AeoAthura Category: +1 through F > Ed, Edd, and Eddy Views: 10402 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd and Eddy - I make no money from this work.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
Chapter Eighteen:
The first time Edd awoke he was enclosed within his own nightmare. He was laying in a hospital bed in ICU, alone. He was alone in a hospital, just the same as he had been three years ago. His heart rate spiked, as was evident by the heart monitor beside his bed, as his panic soared. He moved to try to get up and was immediately met with searing pain crawling up his abdomen.
This alerted the nurses who came rushing over. They tried to push him down which only escalated his panic further. He fought and struggled and tears came to his eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Not after everything else. He couldn’t be alone again.
One of the nurses impaled him with a needle, he felt the cold ache seep into his body just before his head became heavy. He continued to fight and struggle though his attempts got sloppy and weak. Soon enough his hands were too heavy to move and he dropped back down onto the bed.
Darkness claimed him once more.
#
When the man awoke again he was in a small room. His senses and motor functions returned to him slowly as he looked around and took in the acrid scent of disinfectant and the plain white and blue counters. He was covered in a blanket and couldn’t see his feet.
Panic rose again as he struggled but this time found his hands and torso had been bound to the bed to keep him still. Then suddenly there was movement and a voice…
“Edd! Edd calm down, please, you have to calm down.” His eyes focused on the familiarity and locked onto Marie’s soft blue eyes. She had been sitting on a chair beside the bed but now she was standing, her hands gently cupping Edd’s face and forcing him to keep his attention on her, “You’re ok… You’re not alone, I’m right here.”
His heart rate slowly calmed down and he longed to take Marie’s hand. As if sensing that, one of her hands came down and slipped into his. It was warm and friendly and slowly she smiled. There were tears in her eyes now, “You’re alright Edd.”
“Marie?” Edd’s voice was raw and rasped and his throat felt so dry and hot, “Can you untie me?”
She frowned and looked worried, “Promise not to freak out?”
He slowly shook his head. The effort alone made him tired.
She unbound his chest first, then one hand and finally the other, “You freaked out when you woke up the other day and tore your stitches open.” She quickly reached out to stop his attempt to sit up, pushing him back gently, “If you aren’t careful you’re gonna hurt yourself.”
He repressed every urge to whine and still felt a deep sense of panic in his chest. “Thirsty.” He finally complained.
Her smile was pained, “Alright, hold on.” She looked around then pressed a button on the side of the bed and the top slowly began to rise to put Edd in something of a sitting position. “Wait here, don’t move.” She gave him a stern look before she left the room and returned a few minutes later with a paper cup.
When he reached out to take it she pulled it back gently, “They said you can’t drink, but they gave me ice chips for you.” She pulled one out and Edd frowned.
“I am capable of doing it myself.” He said stubbornly.
“Edd, shut up and let me help you.” She stepped forward and pushed his hand aside before shoving the ice into his mouth. It was cold and he frowned, but it felt good enough that he relented in his stubbornness for a moment. Marie sat back down and set the cup aside, then took his hand gently.
When the ice had melted enough that he could speak he had to ask. “Kevin?” There were so many questions hidden in a single word. So much pain and hesitance that his voice cracked because he knew he didn’t want the answer, he could see it written on Marie’s face before he even got the syllable out.
“I’m so sorry Edd…” Her voice wavered and tears finally spilled over onto her cheeks, “There was nothing anyone could do.” She squeezed his hand.
Edd’s jaw clenched and the crunch of the ice in his mouth was deafening.
“Vincent?” he finally asked when he regained a semblance of control. He was too tired to cry but the painful ache in his chest settled into a constant.
She looked up but couldn’t meet his eyes, “He and his goons were arrested. He’s being charged for assault and murder, pending your testimony in court. But the evidence against him is overwhelming, he’s not getting away with it.”
Edd wasn’t sure what to say. ‘Good’? No, it wasn’t good. None of this was good. “I will see to it that they hear everything.” He settled, “He will spend the rest of his days in jail.”
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Both Edd and Marie looked up as it opened. Eddy, Ed, Naz, Rolf, Marty, and Mr. Barr came walking into the room and looked at Edd with a wide array of emotions ranging from relieved to crushed. Mr. Barr looked the worst of everyone with greasy hair and bags under his eyes, but it wasn’t his appearance that showed his pain but the sheer fact that he looked as if he would collapse to the floor in tears at any moment.
Naz broke formation first and came rushing up. She stopped at Edd’s side and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug, burying her face into Edd’s shoulder, “Thank you.” She whispered.
“For what?” Edd certainly didn’t feel as if he deserved any gratitude for the situation.
She sat up and held his gaze and there were tears on her face, “For trying to save him. For going after them. Marie told us what happened. You risked your life to avenge him and that’s something none of us can thank you enough for.”
Edd settled on closing his eyes, “Do not thank me.” He mumbled weakly, “I was not there for him when it counted.”
“That’s bullshit Edd, you had no way of knowing.” Marie stood beside Naz and took Edd’s hand.
“I want to thank you,” Frederick’s voice was almost as weak as Edd’s, but he was looking directly at the man in the bed, “Don’t tell me I can’t thank you because I know you were there for my boy. Don’t tell me I can’t thank you because I saw Vincent’s bloody face, I saw the bruises on his neck and you nearly killed yourself because you couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. Now if it were me I’d have killed the bastard,” there were empty tears slipping down his grizzled face and into the unkempt beard that was growing around the edge of his face, “But you’re just a kid still and you don’t need that kind of blood on your hands.”
Marie looked around and whispered something to Naz. She nodded and turned to Eddy, “Why don’t we give these two some space.” She gently coaxed the others out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Frederick held Edd’s gaze for a long moment before he slowly lumbered over and settled down into the now empty seat. Eddward watched him slowly crumple in on himself and break into sobs - it was all the teen could do to reach out and rest a hand on the man’s shoulder.
Edd felt himself crying now as well, even in his numb state of mind he couldn’t help himself. His free hand came up and covered his face to hide the raw anguish. Frederick shifted and moved the hand on his shoulder into his own and gave it a squeeze, “It really means something,” the man sniffed and tried to keep himself intelligible, “That my boy had you by his side. Kevin loved you.”
It was like a straight stab to Edd’s heart hearing those words. His sobs shook his entire frame as the anguish intensified. He never got to tell Kevin and it finally sank in that now he never would. The world around him was caving in.
Frederick had gone silence and simply let himself fall to the tears alongside Edd. It took many long minutes before both men calmed down and Edd weakly rubbed at the tear tracks. His whole body felt numb and weak and had a slight tremble to it that he couldn’t deny.
“Do you know where your parents are?” His voice was hollow and he already knew the answer.
Edd shook his head, “They might show up eventually.”
Frederick nodded, “The Funeral is on Saturday. The hospital won’t let you sign out without a Guardian. If you’re feeling up to-”
“I will be there regardless of my physical condition.” Edd spoke in a firm voice, “I will not miss it.”
The man nodded, “I will sign you out if you need it.”
Edd sighed, “Thank you.” There was a pause, “You look like you need rest, Mr. Barr.”
The man sighed and wiped at his eyes, “I don’t want to go home. I go home once a day to feed Molly.”
“And where do you stay outside of that?”
“A friend has been letting me sleep in his spare bedroom.” He said, running his fingers through his hair.
Edd nodded, “I dislike the thought of returning to my home as well.” His eyes turned down as he realized that there was nothing waiting for him there save for a television with no cable and a fridge full of food he wouldn’t eat.
They fell into a comfortable yet pained silence.
Edd listened to the sound of the door opening and closing and he was alone. The others returned a moment later, Marie held his hand but Edd was uninterested in talking, comforted only by the fact that he was no longer alone.
#
Edd’s parents finally came to see their son on Thursday. They came into the room and poked at his stitches and his mother touched his hand in an attempt to be comforting. There were no hugs or words of worry and as his father finished examining the wound he straightened up and frowned, “There are signs that this was torn.” He said stiffly.
“When I first awoke I panicked and it resulted in further injury.” Edd confessed flatly.
His father just held his gaze, “Why did you panic?”
“I woke up alone in a hospital. Again.” He let show his hints of distaste that he was subjected to such torture, “And I will remind you that it has taken you two days to come and see your son who was once more beaten and this time stabbed.”
His mother stepped back looking appalled, “We came as quickly as we could!”
“It would not have taken you so long had you been normal parents who actually raised your son.” He glared, “This is the second time I have been privy to such attacks and this is the second time I have had to wake up alone in a hospital because my parents find their jobs more important than their flesh and blood.”
“Eddward!”
“No. You will not lecture me. You will not downplay this incident. You abandoned a ten-year-old, do you understand this? I have had to grow up alone without any guidance or parental influence save for perhaps a single phone call once a week. You did not want a son, you wanted a protege without the responsibility. I will have you know that what you did was beyond wrong.” His voice cracked and there were tears in his eyes. He had grown used to crying over the last few days as his emotional walls had turned to dust and rubble and left him vulnerable, “You have controlled me for my entire life without actually being there. The one time I saw you this entire year you disapprove of the one thing in my life that actually meant something and now that is gone. And you come in here, I don’t get a hug or any concern…” His hand came to his face as he felt himself collapsing again.
The room was silent save for his soft sobs.
He felt his mother’s arms slowly, awkwardly wrap around him and pulled him closer. She was stiff and uncertain but Edd knew she was at least trying. “Eddward, you were always so independent…”
“Only because you made me that way.” He hissed but he was leaning into her all the same because he needed someone, anyone to comfort him.
She nodded weakly, “You’re right.” There was a pregnant pause before she ran finely manicured fingers through his hair, her fingers running over the scar as if noticing it for the first time, “Our family is comprised of Doctors, Eddward, as far back as anyone can remember. It’s in our blood. As parents we have been cold. We always looked at your physical wellbeing, and when we knew you were strong enough and capable enough we left you alone to flourish.”
“Pretty stupid for geniuses.” He spat.
“You are absolutely right. I cannot say that we can simply change ourselves over night however.” She spoke calmly.
Edd’s father shifted from foot to foot as if searching for words and he finally settled on a thought, “Eddward, why don’t you tell us about him? We did not take much of a chance during our last visit.”
“Do you really care?” he spat.
The man smiled, “Actually we do. Anyone who meant so much to our son is certainly someone to warrant our attention. We are only sad that we did not take the opportunity before.” His mother nodded, her arms still wrapped protectively around Edd.
Edd sighed and felt fresh tears welling up already. Before he even realized it he was spilling everything, every detail of their relationship, every major and minor event because finally his parents were listening. They were listening and they cared. By the end he looked up when he felt something on his shoulder and saw his mother, a woman whom he never saw express strong emotions, crying. Mascara ran down her face now blotched from her foundation and her perfectly painted lips were pursed as her eyes tightened in signs of despair.
As he finished recalling the final events she held him firmly, “It could have been you… Oh God it could have been my baby…”
My baby.
He wrapped his arms around the woman in return and held her as best as he could.
When she pulled away she took one of his hands in both of hers, they were shaking slightly and it was terrifying to feel, “Eddward,” she spoke, “You are coming to stay with us. I don’t wish to have you away from me anymore.”
He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Finally though he shook his head, “Mother, I cannot. As much as…” he took a breath as he tried to parse all of this new behavior from his family, “As much as the thought is…wonderful…I have other responsibilities to attend. You and Father made sure that I understood that education is vastly important, and after all that I have been through I will not forsake that now. As I informed you before, I was accepted to Harvard.” He steeled himself for what he was about to say next, “But I will not be going into the Medical programs.”
His mother exchanged a look with his father before she looked down at him with confusion, “Law?”
He frowned, “No, Mother. Engineering.”
For a moment she looked as if she had just eaten a lemon but she stowed her reaction swiftly and took a breath. After another breath she gave her son’s hand another squeeze, “I am just happy you are alive and well, Eddward. Whatever you wish to do with your future, we will support it.” It was almost physically painful for her to say.
He smiled and returned her gesture, “Perhaps we can meet in the middle.” He offered, just happy that he had his parents. His family.
#
Saturday came with a sense of cold dread. Eddward was released from the hospital but told firmly by every single doctor, his parents, his friends and even Mr. Barr that he was not to try anything stressful. The simple act of moving was painful enough but he hid his physical agony and covered it with the much more present emotional weight that plagued him. He had not slept the night before, there were bags beneath his eyes and his throat was too tight to speak.
Regardless he dressed in his finest suit and approached the church on numb legs with his mother and father on either side of him. Though he wanted to say they were there for emotional support, the reality was that they were doctors and they wanted to make sure that his stress did not further his injury. His mother, however, held his hand. It was cold and sharp and her nails were freshly painted, but it was something. For his parents, something was everything.
Eddward was beyond thankful that it was a closed casket service. He was unsure if he could handle it otherwise. Kevin’s family and friends from school crowded the large room. Marie appeared beside him and hugged him in a way that she didn’t actually touch him. Eddy and Naz were there as well and they were soon joined by a somber looking Ed and Rolf.
Ed took Naz and Rolf’s hands in either one of his and with big teary eyes he looked up, “C-Can I pray?” He looked frightened to have asked.
Edd was startled but he answered simply by offering his hands out. Eddy and Marie took them and soon the small group was in a circle.
“Dear Baby Jesus, I know you gave us wonderful things like gravy, Night of the Mutant Swamp Moles and Christmas potato pie, but if you do us a big favor and look after Kevin for us I’d give up all of that. Kevin was a cool guy and he made Double-D happy when I couldn’t. And he has a cool hat too. Uh… Almond.” He concluded.
Everyone else had a very faint smile as they murmured their amens.
“I got something to say,” Eddy piped up as he looked to Naz who looked surprised. He sighed, “God…or whatever… Growing up Kevin might not have been my favorite guy, but…he put up with us y’know? When push came to shove he would usually have your back and that’s what’s important. So you better look out for him, because he’s a good guy. Yeah…Amen.” He glanced aside and Naz gave him a thankful smile.
Marie frowned, “Edd, you alright? You’re looking pale.”
Being on his feet for so long was rather draining. Edd had been struggling with minor dizzy spells for a few moments but he looked up and nodded, “I’m alright.” He lied smoothly.
“No you’re not.” She sighed, “Come on, you need to sit down.” She pulled him away from the group and settled him down in an empty section of the pews. She settled down beside him and curled right up against his side, “Are you alright?” She asked. It was the same question she had asked three years ago, the very reason they were friends that day.
He shook his head, “No… I don’t think I will be for a very long time.”
“You know he loved you right?”
Edd felt a sudden onrush of tears that he didn’t bother to stop, “Yes. But I…never got the chance to tell him.” He frowned, “No, that is a lie. The truth was that I hesitated… Now it’s t-too lat-te.”
Marie reached up and pulled Edd to look her in the face and she frowned, “Hey, you know he knew. Both you and Kevin aren’t very touchy-feely. You didn’t need to say it for him to know, you got it? You trusted him right? That’s the biggest way you could have ever expressed your love for him.”
Edd was still uncertain but he took the words to heart, “Thank you Marie.”
She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. She shifted and moved to face her friend and fished something out of her pocket, “I got you something. Um… I know it isn’t much but, close your eyes.” She waited until Edd, skeptical but too exhausted to fight, closed his eyes. He felt something slip over his head and come to rest around the back of his neck.
When he looked down at his chest he saw a glint of silver. His hand came up and he took up the little silver dogtag resting at the crook of the chain around his neck. Engraved in pure silver on both front and back was a simple, bold K.
“Before…what happened,” Marie began as she looked down and fidgeted with her hands sadly, “Kevin worried about how you two were going to handle college. He wanted to be with you always and I don’t know if you knew but he was considering not going to school at all so that he could move with you.”
Edd gripped the tag in his fist and felt the engraving press into the pads of his fingers and his palm, “No… I didn’t know.”
“He wanted to be with you always and I figure that this… At least you’ll always have a little piece of him with you. Um… The…the tag is actually made from a piece of his bike.”
The swimmer gasped and slowly opened his hand to look at the metal, only to close it again and bring it to his mouth. “Thank you, Marie.” He murmured in a trembling voice.
The service began a few minutes later. Edd moved to sit up front with Frederick and Marie. One after another people came up to speak on Kevin’s behalf. Among the final ones to go up was Mr. Barr who struggled to keep himself composed. But Edd saw his courage and knew his pain. Knew the pain of losing someone who was virtually all they had in life.
“Would anyone else care to say a few words?” The pastor’s voice was calm and quiet, but Edd knew that he had to.
He had not let go of the tag around his neck since it was given to him and he doubted that he would for several days. Slowly he got up and ignored Marie’s cautious look as he made his way up the steps to the podium. The casket was at his back and its presence weighed on Edd with an almost supernatural force that nearly brought him to his knees.
“Kevin…was my best friend. Most of the time he was exactly what I needed, and for that I could not be thankful enough. He was someone to confide in, someone who could challenge me and someone who could lift my spirits. He was a leader, a teammate and a student who gave everything that mattered one hundred percent.” Edd felt himself crumbling, and he gripped the tag tighter, “I was lucky to have such an amazing friend and lover.” He wished he could have said more but he felt another dizzy spell touch as he slowly moved away from the podium.
The pastor was staring at him, shocked and it was all he could do to flash the man a simple little grin as Marie ran up to help him back to his seat.
#
Two days after the funeral Edd had still gotten no sleep. Sleep only resulted in nightmares and pain. He tried to keep himself busy with reading, but he ended up just staring at the words on the page as if he no longer understood their meaning. He tried to count his ants, but often lost count before he reached the triple-digits. Food tasted bland, even when his Mother made something delicious.
Marie had come over the day before and commented on how dangerous it was to keep everything bottled up. They watched Game of Thrones but the story was suddenly droll and the acting was painfully forced. Marie left without him noticing, but he knew she had said goodbye and he had responded. Life just didn’t seem to be working.
More than once he had thought of how awkward it was that he could no longer go see his boyfriend. His lover. He clutched the dogtag in his fist as if it would bring him closer to what he had lost but it didn’t. Of course it didn’t.
Nothing was going to bring him closer to a dead man.
His house was silent, mockingly so. His parents had gone somewhere for the day, he didn’t know or care. Except now the house was dark again. It was dark and empty and silent.
He ran his fingers through his hair and clutched his head. Tears were running down the sides of his face without his even realizing, but he was used to this by now. A mixture of the emotional stress and his lack of sleep catching up with him was creating a crack in his once carefully maintained control.
Broken sobs echoed into the empty room as agony became crushing. His stomach was rolling and he felt suddenly ill though he knew he was likely physically alright. He sat up suddenly, the effort caused pain from his wound but he didn’t care. He staggered over to turn the light on, to at least make his world a little less crushing, but the light was weak. It didn’t chase away the shadows in his mind.
He collapsed to his knees in a mess of sobs, his hand fisted against the door. He punched it suddenly, the loud bang echoing through the house and the pain ringing up his arm.
His house, he thought bitterly, had once been their house. He had accepted that he and Kevin spent much of their time laying on the couch together, meals were had, they fucked and made love on damn near every surface. Now the house was dark and empty.
It was his fault.
Nobody could tell him any differently.
Kevin was dead because of him.
Kevin, the man who had saved Edd’s life not once but twice. The man who had given him a life worth having. He had let Kevin down - the one time he needed Edd, and Edd wasn’t there for him. He couldn’t get there fast enough.
He became aware of screaming and only realized that it was his own after a few minutes. There was clatter as he stood and shoved all of the books and papers from his desk and Jim went tumbling to the floor. He grabbed one of his notebooks and began to rip it apart page by page for the simple pleasure of feeling it shred.
Within minutes his room was in ruin, papers and books scattered across the floor. Finally he curled up on his bed and stared at the destruction, the ruinous remains of his life and felt satisfied. Once so neat and organized and controlled, now a shattered wreck of material. It was beautiful chaos.
The tears continued as he sobbed into the pillow but eventually he finally found sleep.
#
The next two weeks were not as agonizing as Edd had first imagined. They were simply hollow. The days went by in a blur. His parents remained by his side and made him breakfast each morning and he could hear their voices every night before he tried to get sleep. It was pleasant, but even still it was numb.
Most days it was all he could do to get himself dressed only for him to lay on the couch and watch Kevin’s TV. After he watched the mailman putter away he pulled himself up to go and get the mail.
He made his way down the driveway and stopped at the mailbox. Suddenly he heard barking and howling from across the street from Kevin’s backyard. He frowned as he realized that it must have been Molly. He knew Mr. Barr still only came by to feed and walk her, she must have been so lonely cooped up in the backyard.
Before he realized what he was doing he was across the street and moving to the back gate. He reached up and fiddled with the latch for a moment before it popped open. It was concerning that Frederick just left the back gate open.
As soon as he closed the gate behind himself he saw a tan and white blur rushing around the corner to come greet him. Molly jumped up and pawed at his legs and wined loudly as she shoved her head against Edd’s hand in a desperate attempt for attention. Slowly Edd slumped down and onto his knees and just accepted the dog’s affections and returned them with gentle pets and finally a hug.
Eventually Molly ran off and then rushed back and dropped a ball at Edd’s feet. He took it and tossed it, she ran to get it and brought it back. This process repeated several dozen times and the dog seemed so overjoyed at the company, and Edd admitted to himself that he was grateful for it too. Eventually he got up and went onto the back porch, still throwing the ball every time it was dropped back at his feet. He found the dog’s leash and when she came running back and saw the joy as she bounced around.
He struggled to get the leash on her with all of her squirming but eventually she was hooked on and she led the man out the back gate. She pulled at the leash and slowly Edd worked himself into a jog. They made their way into the park where she rolled around in the grass and urinated on all of the trees before finally the two settled down with Edd on a bench and the dog at his feet. He petted her idly despite her dirty fur and they both sat in silence.
Now that she was calm Edd could see that she was sad as well, the way her tail was still and her ears were folded back. She whined softly every so often.
“I know, I miss him too.” Edd finally confessed.
On their way back to the cul-de-sac Edd stopped at a small grocery store. He tied Molly to a post out front and went inside, returning a few minutes later with a small bag of dog food. There was no reason that they both had to be alone at night.
He walked into his house, put his shoes aside and his mother stopped in the kitchen doorway with a confused look. He didn’t say anything as he put the bag of food aside and led the dog up the stairs to the bathroom.
It was almost disturbing how such a hyperactive dog was so calm as she was being bathed, but Edd wasn’t going to complain too much. He carefully rid her of all of the dirt and grass matted in her fur and as he grabbed a fresh towel she shook off and sent water flying everywhere. “Wonderful, now I need a shower.” He said sarcastically, helping her to dry off with the towel. She licked his face. He smiled.
That night when he went to bed he was joined by a dog who lay beside him and rested her head on his arm. He stroked her fur until he finally fell asleep.
The next morning he was awoken by his mother opening the door, “Eddward? Mr. Barr is at the door.” She said.
It was then that Edd realized he had inadvertently stolen Molly, and that Frederick must have been worried. He got up and walked to the door trailed by Molly. He opened the door and sure enough Frederick was on the other side. He looked down as the dog ran up to sniff at his legs.
“Thank God, I thought she had gotten out.” He confessed as he reached down to pet her. He noticed the opened bag of dog food near the door.
“My apologies,” Eddward looked down feeling slightly sheepish, “I heard her howling across the street yesterday and went to investigate. She seemed lonely.”
Frederick shook his head, “No, no it’s alright. I appreciate it. Poor thing hasn’t had much company as of late.” He watched as Molly went back to Edd and settled down, “She seems to have taken a liking to you.”
“Kindred spirits…” Edd confessed.
He nodded. “Would you like to keep watching her? It would be a big help.”
Edd repressed a smile at the thought, “It would be my honor, Sir.” He said as he looked down at the dog looking back up at him. She barked as if to agree.
He nodded. Frederick only looked somewhat better than he had at Kevin’s funeral, his eyes still sunken with dark bags underneath. “Thank you, Edd. For everything.” He offered out his hand with a pained but genuine smile. Edd took it and the man turned to leave.
Frederick never came back for Molly and Eddward understood. Both he and Molly reminded the man of what he had lost. The house was sold later that summer and Edd never saw the man again. It was understood. They both had to move on.
#
The morning Edd was due to leave for school he had his bags packed and ready. There had been no sleep the night before, a mixture of anxiety and sadness. There was a for-sale sign in front of his house and his parents had already gotten him an apartment near the campus that would allow for pets. Molly sat beside him as he waited for the taxi that would take him to the airport.
The morning was still and silent, one might even call it peaceful. However Edd was still working on finding peace within both himself and the world around him. Peach Creek now held too many painful memories, too much emotion for someone like him. He could no longer maintain his control in this place.
He looked up when he saw the headlights of the taxi pull into the cul-de-sac and it stopped before Edd’s house. He paused however when the mini-van’s doors all popped open. Marie, Naz, Eddy and Ed all hopped out, “What’s up Sockhead?” Eddy chirped as he walked up to his friend sitting on one of his suitcases.
“E…Eddy? Marie, Naz, Ed? What are you all doing here?” he stood up and suddenly found himself with an armful of Marie.
Naz smiled at him, “You didn’t expect us to just let our friend run off to the Ivy League without a proper goodbye did you? We’re driving you.”
“You rented a van simply to drive me to the airport?” He asked skeptically.
Marie snorted, “No, we’re driving you to school. Road trip!” She bounced happily.
Edd’s jaw dropped for a moment as he stammered for words, “What? But, that’s…that is far too much to ask of you! It’s a twelve hour drive!” Regardless he was hugging Marie back because he simply could not believe what his friends were insinuating.
Ed was picking up one of Edd’s bags and moving it into the trunk, “The cat’s in the kettle Double-D!”
“Come on Sockhead, don’t play dumb… We know you’re not gonna be coming back anytime soon.” Eddy was trying not to sound emotional, he was averting his eyes but in doing so he revealed how honest he was really being.
“Besides, I’ve always wanted to see Cambridge!” Naz offered. The four friends helped Edd get the rest of his bags into the van and there was even a dog bed set up in the back.
They pushed Edd into the car so that he sat between Marie and Naz in the back, with Eddy and Ed sitting up front. They started off without any fuss and Edd noticed the bags of snacks and car games. “You all planned this?” he asked with mild disbelief.
Marie elbowed him gently, “Of course. We even had your parents buy you a fake plane ticket so that we could surprise you.” She giggled.
Edd blinked, “You’re all incredible.” He confessed, leaning back into the seat. He hadn’t spent as much time with his friends over the summer as much as he wanted. He had been depressing to be around.
“So what classes do you have for your first semester Edd?” Naz asked.
“Calculus, Psychology, French and a class on advanced Circuitry methods.”
Eddy groaned, “Aren’t you taking any fun classes?!” He asked, “That all sounds painfully boring.”
Edd chuckled softly, “I find all of those classes interesting, Eddy.”
The group fell into a surprisingly easy conversation. Edd was surprised how much better he was feeling, how incredible it felt to have his friends. He knew for a fact that he was no longer alone, that he hadn’t been alone at all for a very long time. Some things had been lost, but in losing them he realized how much he had gained.
It was later that day when Marie and Naz were sleeping on either of his shoulders. Death Cab for the Cutie was playing from the radio, Naz’s iPod. Suddenly the world seemed a lot clearer, the ache in his chest began to loosen. He was smiling.
He had a long way to go to heal, but his first steps were with his friends by his side.
fin
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Blood in the Water