Chapter 1
The Eds have always been a little money-driven and chaotic, but they were never and would never be violent. Or so the kids of the neighborhood thought.
"Damn, Double D, I can't wait until we're older and everyone believes our scams." The thirteen-year-old Eddy said whilst lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Eddy, you know they never will. That's why we make them better every time, but even then they aren't nearly as convincing." Eddy rolled his eyes. His friends were right but nothing could convince him.
Those years seemed so slow, scamming all summer and then going to school. The trio grew a little each year, but when the day came that they really did become older, they could barely recognize each other. Eddy grew hair and shaved it into a buzz cut, Ed's hair grew in blonde locks to his ears and became a skateboarder, he was a lot more intelligent now, and Double D was a Goth. Wait... a Goth?! His hat had long since been lost and he hadn't bothered to get a new one. Black hair fell over his face and neck, he often had to move it aside. His wardrobe was completely black, except for the occasional white shirt and of course his underwear and he now wore black nail polish. Despite their differences, the three were as much friends as they had been in their youth. The rest of the neighborhood had changed too, except for Kevin, who still was the most popular guy in the cul-de-sac. Sara's hair was much longer, down to her lower back, but still red, her eats pierced three times each, she even had her own band, but she was still annoying and loud. Nazz developed a smoking habit and joined Sara's band, her hair much longer as well. She was dating Kevin, but they grew far apart because of their differences. Rolf joined the swim team and turned out to be a natural. He dyed his hair black last year, and his accent disappeared, well, mostly. Jimmy was still his preppy, bubbly self, except he took extra art lessons to develop his talent, and was not surprisingly a good cook. Jonny still carried Plank around, but Plank had developed an 'attitude' and the two fought a lot. It was true, the cul-de- sac wasn't the same. "EDWARD! Get your ass down here before your damned breakfast gets cold!" Double D hurried to get ready for the first day of his sophomore year in high school. He longed to tell his mom to shut the fuck up, but his manners got in the way. He grabbed his backpack and ran down the stairs rapidly. He shot out the door without taking a second glance at his breakfast, so his mom didn't say anything until he left. "That boy.." she shook her head and chuckled. "I'll never understand him."
Eddy and Ed were already at the bus stop as Double D ran towards them. Ed stood up and punched his friend on the shoulder lightly. "Hey! Eddy.. There's a new guy!" Ed had moved away over the past 3 years, and Edd was unfamiliar to him. Eddy grinned and put his arm around Edd's shoulder. "Naw, Ed, this is Double D." Ed's eyes grew wide at the appearance of his friend, in awe. "HE LOOKS SO COOL!" The lump, though a lot smarter now, was still the same oaf he was years ago, and hugged Double D tightly. "What happened to your hat, buddy?" Double D smiled at his friend's gesture. "I lost it, Ed. While you were gone." Ed released Double D just as the bus came in. "Well, guys, we'd better head off. I imagine we'll be the least popular set o' guys just like last year." Double D said this in a bored drone, but he didn't mind. He liked freaking people out. Eddy wasn't so sure. "Naw... We'll be the coolest. Right, Ed?" Ed didn't answer. He felt bad that he had to leave for the city, but even worse that he had been quite popular. "Yeah... right, Eddy." He chuckled nervously. They walked on the bus, passing Jonny and Jimmy, sitting together. "Lookin' good, Ed!" Jonny called out. Eddy stared at him strangely, but let it go. He had never known his friend to look very good, or smell that good either. As Double D passed Kevin, he stuck out his leg and tripped him. "Watch out, Dracula!" Kevin was still a jerk. Ed turned back to Kevin and glared at him. "Shut your fucking face, asshole." Kevin was taken aback and turned around nervously. "I was just joking..." Kevin muttered. "Yeah? Well I'm not laughing. And neither is he. So leave him alone." Time seemed to stand still, everyone was silent, nobody had seen anyone stand up to Kevin; let alone Ed. Ed used to be the guy that you could insult horribly and the smirk wouldn't leave his face. Eddy was just plain jealous, he had always wanted to shut Kevin up. Ed glared once more and helped Double D up. "You ok?" Ed was truly concerned. "Yeah. Thanks." "No problem." Anger had been bottling up inside Eddy a lot lately. His friends didn't know, couldn't know, but he was starting to feel homicidal. It probably had something to do with his childhood, being spoiled and picked on by his brother. He never dared tell anyone his brother had raped him at age 6, and was sent away to juvenal hall for years until they thought Eddy could defend himself. It was the root of many of his emotional problems, and even some of his violent outbursts. Repeatedly he would scream in his sleep, "No Mark! I don't want to! Stop!". He would cry just by remembering it. His brother had turned gay years ago, tarnishing his idea of his brother. He hated his brother with every fiber of his soul, but if he told anyone they would find out somehow, and he didn't want to risk it, so he idolized his brother falsely.
Meanwhile, Jimmy was watching Ed. He had always secretly loved him, but now more than ever. He desired to be overcome by Ed's masculinity. Now that Ed was a tad smarter, he could even have conversations with him. But alas, he knew he was straight, and that killed him inside. He shared his emotions with Sara, but she was grossed out, though she didn't tell this to Jimmy. She gave him advice, but it wasn't the same; she was straight and didn't understand his feelings. Ed would understand... wouldn't he? Jimmy wasn't sure. He was torn apart by this all. He sometimes shared his feelings with Jonny, his best friend. Jonny was okay with Jimmy's sexual orientation, because he knew they weren't going to be lovers. Jonny told him that he should someday seek Ed's opinion by telling him how he truly felt, but again he was nervous and confused. What would he believe? Would Ed be angry? Maybe Ed felt the same? Maybe. But he didn't want to gamble with his own heart. His desires tore his soul to pieces, but he had to tell Ed.
The Eds have always been a little money-driven and chaotic, but they were never and would never be violent. Or so the kids of the neighborhood thought.
"Damn, Double D, I can't wait until we're older and everyone believes our scams." The thirteen-year-old Eddy said whilst lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Eddy, you know they never will. That's why we make them better every time, but even then they aren't nearly as convincing." Eddy rolled his eyes. His friends were right but nothing could convince him.
Those years seemed so slow, scamming all summer and then going to school. The trio grew a little each year, but when the day came that they really did become older, they could barely recognize each other. Eddy grew hair and shaved it into a buzz cut, Ed's hair grew in blonde locks to his ears and became a skateboarder, he was a lot more intelligent now, and Double D was a Goth. Wait... a Goth?! His hat had long since been lost and he hadn't bothered to get a new one. Black hair fell over his face and neck, he often had to move it aside. His wardrobe was completely black, except for the occasional white shirt and of course his underwear and he now wore black nail polish. Despite their differences, the three were as much friends as they had been in their youth. The rest of the neighborhood had changed too, except for Kevin, who still was the most popular guy in the cul-de-sac. Sara's hair was much longer, down to her lower back, but still red, her eats pierced three times each, she even had her own band, but she was still annoying and loud. Nazz developed a smoking habit and joined Sara's band, her hair much longer as well. She was dating Kevin, but they grew far apart because of their differences. Rolf joined the swim team and turned out to be a natural. He dyed his hair black last year, and his accent disappeared, well, mostly. Jimmy was still his preppy, bubbly self, except he took extra art lessons to develop his talent, and was not surprisingly a good cook. Jonny still carried Plank around, but Plank had developed an 'attitude' and the two fought a lot. It was true, the cul-de- sac wasn't the same. "EDWARD! Get your ass down here before your damned breakfast gets cold!" Double D hurried to get ready for the first day of his sophomore year in high school. He longed to tell his mom to shut the fuck up, but his manners got in the way. He grabbed his backpack and ran down the stairs rapidly. He shot out the door without taking a second glance at his breakfast, so his mom didn't say anything until he left. "That boy.." she shook her head and chuckled. "I'll never understand him."
Eddy and Ed were already at the bus stop as Double D ran towards them. Ed stood up and punched his friend on the shoulder lightly. "Hey! Eddy.. There's a new guy!" Ed had moved away over the past 3 years, and Edd was unfamiliar to him. Eddy grinned and put his arm around Edd's shoulder. "Naw, Ed, this is Double D." Ed's eyes grew wide at the appearance of his friend, in awe. "HE LOOKS SO COOL!" The lump, though a lot smarter now, was still the same oaf he was years ago, and hugged Double D tightly. "What happened to your hat, buddy?" Double D smiled at his friend's gesture. "I lost it, Ed. While you were gone." Ed released Double D just as the bus came in. "Well, guys, we'd better head off. I imagine we'll be the least popular set o' guys just like last year." Double D said this in a bored drone, but he didn't mind. He liked freaking people out. Eddy wasn't so sure. "Naw... We'll be the coolest. Right, Ed?" Ed didn't answer. He felt bad that he had to leave for the city, but even worse that he had been quite popular. "Yeah... right, Eddy." He chuckled nervously. They walked on the bus, passing Jonny and Jimmy, sitting together. "Lookin' good, Ed!" Jonny called out. Eddy stared at him strangely, but let it go. He had never known his friend to look very good, or smell that good either. As Double D passed Kevin, he stuck out his leg and tripped him. "Watch out, Dracula!" Kevin was still a jerk. Ed turned back to Kevin and glared at him. "Shut your fucking face, asshole." Kevin was taken aback and turned around nervously. "I was just joking..." Kevin muttered. "Yeah? Well I'm not laughing. And neither is he. So leave him alone." Time seemed to stand still, everyone was silent, nobody had seen anyone stand up to Kevin; let alone Ed. Ed used to be the guy that you could insult horribly and the smirk wouldn't leave his face. Eddy was just plain jealous, he had always wanted to shut Kevin up. Ed glared once more and helped Double D up. "You ok?" Ed was truly concerned. "Yeah. Thanks." "No problem." Anger had been bottling up inside Eddy a lot lately. His friends didn't know, couldn't know, but he was starting to feel homicidal. It probably had something to do with his childhood, being spoiled and picked on by his brother. He never dared tell anyone his brother had raped him at age 6, and was sent away to juvenal hall for years until they thought Eddy could defend himself. It was the root of many of his emotional problems, and even some of his violent outbursts. Repeatedly he would scream in his sleep, "No Mark! I don't want to! Stop!". He would cry just by remembering it. His brother had turned gay years ago, tarnishing his idea of his brother. He hated his brother with every fiber of his soul, but if he told anyone they would find out somehow, and he didn't want to risk it, so he idolized his brother falsely.
Meanwhile, Jimmy was watching Ed. He had always secretly loved him, but now more than ever. He desired to be overcome by Ed's masculinity. Now that Ed was a tad smarter, he could even have conversations with him. But alas, he knew he was straight, and that killed him inside. He shared his emotions with Sara, but she was grossed out, though she didn't tell this to Jimmy. She gave him advice, but it wasn't the same; she was straight and didn't understand his feelings. Ed would understand... wouldn't he? Jimmy wasn't sure. He was torn apart by this all. He sometimes shared his feelings with Jonny, his best friend. Jonny was okay with Jimmy's sexual orientation, because he knew they weren't going to be lovers. Jonny told him that he should someday seek Ed's opinion by telling him how he truly felt, but again he was nervous and confused. What would he believe? Would Ed be angry? Maybe Ed felt the same? Maybe. But he didn't want to gamble with his own heart. His desires tore his soul to pieces, but he had to tell Ed.