Morning.
The god-awful tone of a reluctantly chosen chime begins to go off on Eddward's phone. First day. His senior year. He grumbles slightly and turns to silence his alarm. He blinks sleepily a few times before sitting up and shaking out his hair. He flops back down and contemplates trading a shower for a few extra minutes of sleep. "School," he thinks, "What joy." Though he is less than thrilled to be sitting through school rather than testing out, as he wanted to, Eddward cannot deny he will enjoy more time with his friends.
His text notification sounds, this week Marie set it to, "Ooh baby, baby," from Salt-n-pepa's Push It. He laughs at the unexpected sound and holds up his phone to see a message from Marie herself.
"Rise and Shineeeee! Another glorious day of socializing with douches is upon us!"
Eddward was not excited to face new faces. While his years at Peach Creek had gotten easier after joining the swim team, there was still the occasional new student seeking to become 'top dog'.
His phone sounds again, this time it was surprisingly from Eddy, "WAKE UP SOCKHEAD! I have a great new scheme! I have no idea what took me so long to think this one up! We're gonna get those suckers, I KNOW this one will work." Eddward replies with a simple "?". Eddy just sends, "See u at lunch." Eddward replies, "You**".
After a hot shower, lacing up his boots, and tossing on his beanie, Eddward saunters downstairs and grabs the lunch he prepared the night before. When he closes the fridge, a sticky note from his Mother, Collette, says, "Bonne chance mon chere[Good luck my sweet]!" He smiles and pulls out his agenda to put the note inside the front cover, just in case he needs some reassurance.
Eddward grabs his longboard and skates to school. Morning skates are his favorite. Fall will start soon.
When Eddward got to Peach Creek Highschool Ed was sitting out front, waving at everyone he knew like a madman. "DOUBLE DEE! Eddy already went to homeroom.. Sarah and I just wanted to say Hi before we went too. HI!" Sarah shook her head at her very loud brother. Edd just smirked and kept walking to his locker. As he was pulling his headphones through his shirt to keep them as hidden as possible, he looked up to see the jocks making their annual strut through the hall looking for possible team mates. Or targets. I'm not sure there's much of a difference between the two in their eyes. Eddward's eyes met the football captains.
Kevin fucking Barr. Eddward rolled his eyes and kept walking. While the rest of the jocks and their groupies parted, Kevin made a point of shoulder checking Edd. Edd kept walking despite the gawking underclassmen. Everyone knew their rivalry, word had already obviously gotten around during summer after Kevin and Edd fought. Edd visualized Kevin's face when he broke his last skateboard. He shook his head and plugged in his iPod. Not today.
Kevin turned to his buddies and laughed as Eddward disappeared down the hall, "Man, trying to get that kid riled up is like picking a fight with a wall." A new freshman, Shelby, was staring at Kevin with doe eyes, and piped up, "Shouldn't you NOT be picking fights on your first day of your senior year? Especially with Eddward, you know the teachers are gonna be watching for you two." Kevin scoffed, "Who invited goody two-shoes to the group?"
Lunch rolled around and Eddward was sitting outside enjoying some veggie stir-fry when Ed and Eddy walked up. Eddy slapped Eddward on the back, "Sockhead!" and almost caused Eddward to choke, causing a well-deserved look of displeasure. "Okay, so let me run this gem by you," Eddy started, "I seriously have no idea why this didn't come up sooner.." Eddward kept eating and raised an eyebrow at Eddy. "What if we use your brains to score some moola!?" Eddy continued, "You could totally make hundreds doing people's homework!" Eddward stopped chewing long enough to say, "I have no intention of getting anyone by academically." Eddy frowned, "Okay, I get it, you don't want to do their jobs for them, but what if..." "No Eddy." "But."
"No." Edd handed his lunch to Ed who had been eyeballing it for a minute, "THANK YOU DOUBLE DEE." Eddy huffed, "Fine. But I'm telling you it's easy money. What about tutoring? You're all about extra credit and making your resume look better. You could say you were... helping the less fortunate." To Eddy's surprise, Eddward seemed to contemplate this idea. This is a horrible misuse of my time... however. I'm sure Mr. Evans would be glad to set me up with people in his regular course. "Alright Eddy, I'll think about it."
The day was relatively uneventful. Eddward was walking out the double doors when- "EDD. YOU GIANT GOON. WAIT UP!" Marie jogged up and punched him in the arm, "Hey! I said wait up." "Greetings Marie. How was your first day?" Edd asked with a smile. She wrapped her arm inside of his and started to ramble off about how she had walked into the wrong classroom and how her sisters skipped class already when all of the sudden, there was fangirl screaming and giggling. When they turned the corner they saw Alistair, or Alex for short, Marie's step-brother to be. All the younger classmen girls were staring at him and a few even attempting to strike a conversation with him, not that many girls could get his attention.
Alex was posted up against his shiny black Impala. He was flirting with Nazz when he looked up and saw Marie and Edd laughing at the entire situation. "Hey! Marie! You and your friend want a ride?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Nazz gave Marie a hug and said, "I'll catch you guys later, Kevin wanted to talk to me about something." She tousled Alex's fire red hair and he stuck his tongue out in response, "Later Nazz. So about that ride.." Marie looked at Edd to give him the opportunity to decline as Eddward and Alex hadn't warmed to each other yet. Edd shrugged and said, "Sure, as long as I ride shotgun." Marie rolled her eyes, "You know, if you weren't a damn giant, you would have no excuse." Alex stomped out the cigarette he had been smoking and opened the door for Marie to climb in the back.
Edd grumbled as he had to move empty soda cans to make room for his feet, Alex laughed, "Sorry man, Marie, remind me to throw these out when we get home." Marie nodded and was flipping through his extensive CD collection before throwing on some local thrash metal. Eddward and Alex didn't exactly get along, but didn't not either. Alistair was the son of the man Mrs. Kanker was engaged to. He was just some punk rock type from Philadelphia, which worked out well for Marie. May and Lee didn't care too much for their brother to be, but he never did anything cruel, he was just different. Marie liked the different. They became great friends instantly and started trading vinyl copies of each's perspective local metal or punk. Alex wasn't as tall as Eddward, but it was close, with his hair spiked, everyone thought he was taller, but it was just hair and a slight lift from combat boots.
Alex was enjoying the move. Peach Creek wasn't as big Philly and the local music wasn't that great, but he sure did enjoy driving in the forests. It was quiet. His father and Mrs. Kanker met through work and fell in love. They both had children and wanted to provide a stable home for their kids.
Edd hung out the window and thought about Eddy's idea. The benefits seemed to outweigh the losses. This year the only after school activity Edd wanted to do was swim team, so he had more free time. He pulled out his phone and sent Eddy a simple, "Alright man."
When Eddward told Mr. Evans, his AP-Calculus teacher, the following day that he wanted to tutor some students for extra credit and resume notes, Mr. Evans smiled deviously. "You know, some of your fellow swim teammates could stand to raise their grades. Naturally, I don't expect you to make water into wine, but should you feel up to the challenge Mr. Vincent, I'm sure your friend Kevin Barr could use some assistance... and it sure would make the other teachers worry less about your... distaste for one another." Eddward had no intention of doing Kevin Barr any favors after he broke his skateboard, prompting Edd to punch Kevin square in the jaw. Fucking shovel chin. Fuck him, let him fail. Or let his sports groupies do his homework.
After Eddward had zoned out thinking about that day, Mr. Evans cleared his throat and said, "Well, just a thought Mr. Vincent. I won't mention it again unless you decide to do so." And Mr. Evans handed him a short list of his swim mates who were a little too close to failing. Naturally the Captain has to go down with his ship. Slackers.
Eddward sent out a group text to the team offering to tutor them for a small fee. Stating that while is did cost money, the money made it contractual and Eddward wouldn't let anyone who needed assistance fall behind during swim season. Everyone on the team with a few exceptions jumped at the offer. Wow, way to go Eddy. You were correct.
When Eddward finished his assignments and wandered downstairs to see what Collette was cooking, he was hardly surprised to see a note saying, "Coucou ma belle, working late, order pizza on me. xoxo." Whenever his mother had to stay late, she always tried to make up for it. Though Eddward would have much preferred a mother's cooking to a pizza, a teenage boy can't be too disappointed for an excuse to eat pizza.
His doorbell rang. He opened the door to see Nazz. "Hey Edd, can I come in?" "Of course, what seems to be the trouble this evening? You hardly come by on a weeknight for nothing." She fidgeted, "Well, James said you were going to be tutoring him in Math, and I know you'll probably say 'No', but as you know, last year Kevin lost Captain for a while from failing Algebra 2. I just wanted to..." Why. Why is everyone trying to get me to help my enemy? Do they think because I am a bigger person that I will cave? No, that was the last fucking straw for Kevin. "...ask." Edd sighed. "Edd, I know, I know you're still pissed dude, but if you can find it in your heart, I mean, think of how much you love swimming. That's football and baseball for Kevin. Of course, you'd never fail, but if you did, wouldn't you be heartbroken to be off the team?" Nazz had reached out and put her hand on his. Edd rubbed the knuckles of his free hand, "What makes you think Kevin would even accept my help?" Nazz laughed. "Oh he may not, not yet. But sooner or later, everyone gets desperate." Edd sighed again, "Would you care to stay while I order pizza and watch a movie? I'll think about your suggestion..." "Sure Edd, my house is empty tonight, too."
Edd tutored the swim team. And eventually other sports found out and thought it wise to get tutored by Eddward, who could pass up a chance to study with the guy everyone knew would be Valedictorian? So many people were excelling in Math and when the first report cards of the semester came out, his team was all passing. Eddward hadn't even thought about Mr. Evans and Nazz's words until lunch one day when Kevin kept shooting dirty looks at Edd, Ed, and Eddy.
"So Double Dee, how much money are you making off MY SCHEME?" Eddy said in a huff. Edd laughed, "There is always a failure in your ideas Eddy, this time you simply forgot to stake your claim in the money I would be making." Eddy crossed his arms, "Whatever. Idea-stealing-jerk."
Kevin watched the Eds. Muttering to himself. "I shouldn't have to ask Edd for help." Nazz looked over and saw Kevin muttering and glaring at Edd. "Jeez, Kev, the way you're going people are gonna think you're in love with him, not mad at him." Nazz said with a laugh. "Shut up Nazz, what the hell made Edd start tutoring anyway? That kid never does anything to help anyone but his stupid friends." Kevin stopped looking at Edd and leaned back in his chair, "Ugh this is crap. Total crap. There's gotta be someone else doing tutoring." Nazz looked at Eddward and back at Kevin, "You two are so hopeless. Why in the world would you even break Edd's skateboard? You haven't even apologized or anything." "Why should I apologize! What difference would it make? It's not like I can make it up to him! He already bought a new board anyway." Kevin turned his red cap around and pulled it over his eyes and muttered some more.
As Eddward's team managed to stay passing through the next couple of weeks, less and less students came by to study, though all of them made sure to come to him whenever they had any questions. Edd started to have free time again. He started skating to the park and back on his free evenings. Kevin would watch Edd skate out of the cul de sac and occasionally caught him coming back. Every time Eddward would go or return Kevin would think about asking him for help, but he just couldn't take the hit to his pride.
Maybe tomorrow. Until tomorrow then.
Fin.