Overburdened
by Juul

A/N: This is my first Ed, Edd, n Eddy fanfiction. Dead Promises requested this, and I hope he likes it, as I have worked hard on it. It's a songfic to Disturbed's "Overburdened." Enjoy, ya'll.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd, n Eddy, Danny Antonucci does. I did not write "Overburdened," Disturbed did.

A rainy day in the cul de sac. Just another rainy, stormy day. It was highly unlikely that the Eds would plan a good scam today. As much as Eddy would love to, Double D and Ed weren't as enthusiastic about ripping people off twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Their last scam didn't go too well. Ed's scam was a failure, but weren't all their scams? Even Double D's "fool-proof, guaranteed to work" ones?

In fact, it was only a day ago that Ed had told Eddy and Double D about his idea, and they tried it. The one that the boys had come to remember as the "Evil Tim" accident. Ed's idea was to take all of his instructions out of a comic book. He didn't care if Eddy liked it or not, Ed just wanted to see if any of it would actually happen. But it didn't, to his dissappointment.

And as of now, Ed was sitting on his bed, in his room, in the basement, staring across the room at nothing in particular. Lots of things were on his mind. Mainly about the previous day. Just thinking about it got him so mad. He thought everything went rather good, compared to how things went with Eddy's plans. Everything was fine, until Eddy reminded him about the "scamming" part.

Eddy was out of ideas, and Double D didn't feel like or want to come up with one. Ed thought his Evil Tim idea would work. Eddy told him they could try it, so they did. Apparently, it was the "worst scam in the history of all the bad scams in the world" as Eddy later put it. Luckily for Ed, Double D was with him through it all.

Hell is still overburdened,
I must stand and wait in line,
I may never know for certain
When will be my time
How was I considered evil?
Pleasures taken in this life?
Someone granted me reprieval
Decades spent in strife

Now that Ed thought about it, Eddy wasn't as good of a friend as he should be. He didn't treat Ed or Double D as well as he should. After all, who was it that always helped him with his scams and mischevious plots? If Double D came up with it, Ed would surely end up fetching all the materials and helping with the dirty work, paying for it later.

But that wasn't the only thing bothering Big Ed. It wasn't just that, not at all. It wasn't just Eddy that seemed to be using him. Sarah and Jimmy almost always only called for him when they needed help with some childish game or wanted something done. His mom never payed attention to him, unless he had done something wrong and she was telling him how long he was grounded, or what he was allowed and not allowed to do.

Thanks to most of Eddy's stupid schemes, most of the kids in the cul de sac-- short of Double D and Jonny, and God forbid, the Kankar sisters-- all thought Ed was stupid and oblivious. No, he was smart, wasn't he? He could read and spell, and do all that other crap they taught him in school. That's smart, right? Or is intelligence something that people are judged for?

Ed's never had a girlfriend, most of the girls he knew thought he was either shallow because he hung out with Eddy, or that he was dumb as a post, because of some of the things he'd done. Ed always liked Nazz a lot, but she never spared him a glance. Sure, she'd wave to him from across the street or across the hall at school, but she probably thought he was an idiot, just like everyone else. Her good attitude towards him was probably fake. She talked to Kevin after all.

Led to nothing
Repeated in my mind
Led to nothing
If only I was born another time
Hell is still overburdened,
I must stand and wait in line,
Hell is still overburdened,
How have I been so determined malign?

"Ed!" came Sarah's voice from upstairs. "Ed, you idiot! Get up here!"

Ed frowned and got off the bed. He stomped up the stairs and into the kitchen. "What do you want, Sarah?" he asked.

Sarah was glaring daggers at him. "Your stupid friends have been calling for you for about an hour! At least call them back and tell them you're going to ignore them!"

Ed couldn't take it anymore. "You do it," he said, walking right past her and into the living room. He stopped at the front door and turned around to face his younger sister. "If they call again or come by, don't tell them where I'm going, got it?"

"Well, I definitely can't tell them if you didn't even tell me where you're going," said Sarah in a sarcastic tone.

Great, I bet I sounded real smart just then, thought Ed. "Well, if you have to know, I'm going to the dump to try and think, okay?"

"Good luck with that."

Anger was boiling in Ed's mind, body, and soul. There she goes thinking I'm no smarter than a freaking donkey again. Ed stepped out of the front door and slammed it shut behind him. He then proceeded down the driveway, and eventually down the street, the heavy rain not even bothering him one bit.

It's the closing of the curtain
In the play that was my life,
Countless chapters left unopened,
Tragedies inside,
I was fighting for a reason
Holy blessed homicide
Seems I have committed treason,
All I've sacrificed

When Ed finally made it to the dump, he found a hill deep within the confines of the place and crawled to the top. He sat there for a while, hoping that this time he would be able to reflect on his thoughts in peace.

How is it that whenever we all screw up, it's me who pays for it? Double D and Eddy have as much to do with these things as I do. All Eddy's gotta worry about is people continuing to find out he's ripping them off, and how they'll keep thinking his a greedy prick. Double D just has to worry about people thinking he's a pushover. Well, hell, he IS a pushover... and so am I. We all just keep doing whatever Eddy tells us to do... Not just what Eddy tells us to do, but what EVERYONE tells us to do. Sarah, Jimmy, Kevin; just everybody.

0000000000000000

"Ed!" Double D called, looking around the junkyard for his friend. "Ed, where are you?"

"Ed!" Eddy screamed, jogging to keep up with Double D; usually it was the other way around. "Lumpy, you around here anywhere? We've got plans to make!"

Neither of them got an answer other than the rain hitting the pavement.

"Eddy, I'm a little worried," said Double D, stopping and turning to face him. "This is not like Ed. He wouldn't just get up and leave without anyone knowing."

"Sarah's probably lying for him," said Eddy. "I bet he's just mad about something. And I bet he's around here somewhere, too. Where else has he got to go?"

The two boys continued their search for their friend.

Led to nothing,
Repeated in my mind
Led to nothing
If only I was born another time,
Hell is still overburdened,
I must stand and wait in line
Hell is still overburdened,
How have I been so determined malign?

"Ed!"

"Ed!"

Dammit, if only people would stop calling his name. They always wanted something from him. Ed felt bad thinking about his friends and family like this sometimes, but he just couldn't ignore it anymore.

Ed did hear the voices. He knew that it was Eddy and Double D calling for him, looking for him. He didn't care at the moment. Actually, he'd prefer if he didn't see either of them ever again at the moment. He didn't want to see anyone again. Ed took this time to slide down the side of the dirt pile he was on top of, that way he could just start running and not have either of them discover him.

He stood up and started walking, sliding down the hill a little due to the rain and mud. Almost to the bottom... clank!

Ed felt his foot hit a piece of metal sticking out of the junk pile, then the next thing he knew, he was tripping down the small mound, and falling on his face at the bottom.

0000000000000000000000

"Eddy!" said Double D, grabbing Eddy by his shirt sleeve. "I think I just heard something over here!" He let go of Eddy and started jogging towards a pile of junk and dirt towards the far end of the dump.

"Are you sure, Sockhead?" asked Eddy, running after him. "I'm tellin' you, if it's only a rat, you're screwed later..."

The two boys continued running towards the hill, praying that Ed had made the noise. Little did they know that Ed was over there, but he didn't want to be found.

Eddy and Double D finally made it to the dirt pile and ran around it. Sure enough, ther was Ed, laying face down in the dirt.

"Ed!" said Double D, kneeling down and shaking him by his shoulders. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Ed didn't say anything, but he managed to get up. He attempted to brush some of the dirt and debri off the front of his shirt, and then stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and started to walk away.

"Ed!" Double D yelled. "Come back! Ed, what happened? Are you sure you're alright?!"

Eddy was getting annoyed, and he had to admit, he was getting a little worried, too. "Dammit, Ed! Tell us what's bitin' you, so we can all go home!"

Ed turned around and cast them both a dark look. "Do you guys really wanna know what's wrong with me?" he asked, in a quieter voice than usual.

The other two teens nodded.

"Everything," was Ed's answer.

Fate is so unkind
Now I should have known
Blind leading the blind,
Reaping what I've sown
If it all amounts to nothing,
Why am I still standing in this line?

"What do you mean?" asked Eddy, as him and Double D walked a little closer to Ed.

Ed sighed. "You guys wouldn't understand." He sat down on a large piece of wood held up by a few cinder blocks. Double D took a seat next to him and Eddy stood beside them both, his hands in his pockets.

"Yes we would understand, Ed," said Double D. "Right Eddy?" He gave Eddy a threatening look. Any of his smart-ass mouth and Double D would kick his butt later.

"Yeah," said Eddy, finally sitting down on the other side of Double D. "Come on, man, what's up?"

Ed couldn't believe it. They actually cared... or was it just another bullshit act?

"Can I ask you guys something?" asked Ed.

"Sure."

He was really afraid of the answer he'd get, but Ed asked anyway. "Do you guys really care about me?"

Both Eddy and Double D were surprised at this question. "Yeah, of course we do!" said Eddy. "Are you high or something? We care, man!"

Double D nodded in agreement, a suprised look on his face. Ed's never asked anything like that before. "Why do you ask?"

"Nah, it's a stupid reason," said Ed, turning away.

"Ed, I'm sure it's not a stupid reason," said Double D.

Ed hesitantly decided to tell them. If they didn't like it and decided to hate him later, oh well. "Well," said Ed, "It's just that... I'm getting sick of people overlooking me and thinking I'm just a big, goofy moron."

Double D put his arm around Ed's shoulders. "Ed, no one thinks that."

Ed stood up, causing Double D to almost fall out of his seat. "Then why do you guys act like it?" He gave them both a serious look.

Eddy raised an eyebrow. "Ed, what's up with you today? You know we don't think that!"

"Yeah you do!" yelled Ed. "You guys always get me to help you with your stupid scams and shit, but whenever they go wrong, I'm always the one to blame!"

Neither Eddy or Double D knew what to say to this. "Ed," said Double D, holding up his hands, "Just calm down a little--"

"Calm? I am very calm!" Ed yelled sarcasticly. "Why do you guys always blame me when things go wrong with our plans, huh? I just want to know!"

"Ed," started Eddy, "We don't blame you--"

"Is it because I'm big and stupid? Is that it?!" Ed screamed. "Or is it because you guys are just too smart to admit when you've done something wrong?!" His shoulders shook with anger as he nervously took deep breaths and cracked his knuckles.

Double D shook his head. "Ed," he said, "Just listen for one moment."

"Okay," Ed replied.

"We don't always blame you," said Double D, even though Ed gave him a look of disbelief. "I'm sorry if it seems that way sometimes."

Eddy spoke up. "Yeah, dude. For real, we're just as much to blame as you are. Hell, we all have our little parts in our... what's the word?" He scratched his head in thought.

"Misadventures," sighed Double D.

"Yeah, that," said Eddy as he snapped his fingers. "But the point is, Ed... we're all just as goofy as you are sometimes."

That was almost good enough for Ed. "But am I still stupid?" he asked.

"Ed, you're not stupid," said Double D. "You've just got a different way of thinking and looking at things than other people. You're unique and that's a good thing."

"Yeah," agreed Eddy, brushing some of the dirt off of the back of Ed's shirt. "At least you've got the balls to be yourself and not care what others think of you. I wish I could be like that. I try, honest to God, but it hardly ever works out."

Double D smiled at Ed. "I also praise you for being who you are. That's seriously a real good thing, Ed. You should be proud."

Hell is still overburdened
I must stand and wait in line,
Hell is still overburdened,
How have I been so determined malign?

Ed was at a loss of words. Just a little over a half hour ago, he was boiling mad at his two best friends in the whole world. All because he thought they didn't care. Apparently he was wrong. "Do you guys really mean that?" he asked, with half a smile.

Eddy and Double D nodded. "Yep," said Eddy. "You better now, Lumpy?" He slapped Ed on the back.

"So," said Double D, "You got anything else planned for tonight?"

"Not really," answered Ed, "Uh, sleeping maybe?"

Eddy laughed. "Nah, I'm not too tired." He checked his watch. "It's only five after seven. We've got some time to kill. Any suggestions?"

"How 'bout a scam?" asked Ed as the trio started to walk out of the dump.

"Let's save that for tomorrow, man," said Eddy. "Any other ideas?"

Ed thought for a moment. "Well," he said after a few minutes, "I was thinking about going to the movie rental and renting a bunch of monster movies. I just thought it sounded pretty cool..."

"Sounds great," said Double D. Eddy silently agreed. "Well then, we'd better get going if we wanna get some good ones. Trust me, good movies don't stay at rentals for long before they're taken."

A/N 2: So how was that for my first EEnE fanfiction? The ending was a little more happy than I was aiming for, but eh... it fits in nicely I think. Overall, I'm quite pleased with this one. Let me know what ya'll think.

-Juul