The transition from childhood into teenhood had changed Eddward quite a bit. For example, ever since he started high school, there were many days where the young man let his mind wander. Before, in his younger years, he would require full concentration on everything he did, mainly to ensure nothing but sheer perfection. This was never out of obligation or pressure, just something that simply made him just that much more proud of his work.

But now when his thoughts escaped him and he went on a mental path completely opposite of what he had been concentrating on just seconds before, he found it a tad bothersome. He managed to get back on track relatively quickly in order to maintain his grades, but he couldn't help it.

Even now he was off in some other fantasy land that distracted him. At least that is until he heard a pair of impatient fingers snapping repeatedly and was reminded of what he was actually doing.

"Uh, hey, Double D?" A bothered and familiar female voice caught his attention, the expression on her face showing how clearly annoyed she was becoming. "Y'mind watching what the hell you're doin'?"

"Huh?" Double D snapped up to attention. He looked at the arm he was wrapping in bandages, and he noticed he had wrapped them a little too tightly. An embarrassed blush tinted his full cheeks. "Ah, oh dear, sorry, Marie. I guess I just drifted off there…"

He took a deep breath and unwrap the bandages, earning a hiss of pain from Marie as the pressure was taken away from her wound. Double D apologized, then shook his head.

"What's up with you?" Marie asked, leaning back on her other arm and laying her legs out on the grass.

She looked up, observing the light peaking through the tall bleachers in front of them as it was obscured by all the people that were at Peach Creek high for the football game. It dimmed as it got more and more late, but, unsurprisingly, Double D had a flashlight to use when it got too dark for him to see. When she looked back at the boy beside her, he was looking at her like the question to her answer was obvious.

"What?"

"Marie, you know how I feel about you getting into fights like that."

"It wasn't even that bad."

"You have the biggest black eye I've ever seen, and I've seen Eddy after he tried to pick a fight with Kevin having a bad day." He was taking off the bloody gauze pad and taking out a new one, observing her wound. "Not to mention the fact that your arm is practically torn to shreds. You're lucky it's not any deeper."

"Whatever." She sat up and put her free arm on her lap. She looked down at the thick limb.

"How did you even get into this?" Double D asked, rewrapping the gauze around her forearm.

She sighed and looked away. "Ed's little sister was being a fuckin' bitch." He felt her arm tense a bit as she clenched her fists. "She gave me an apple and told me to 'try something other than Kanker burgers'." The blue haired Kanker mocked Sarah's voice as she quoted her, her false voice dripping with venom and spite. "It's not like I haven't been trying to fix this shit. It's not fuckin' easy. Stupid bitch doesn't know what she's talking about."

Double D was shocked. He didn't know Marie was this self conscious. He knew she wasn't exactly thrilled about her sudden weight gain, but he didn't know she would get so violent about it. His heart sank a bit as he finished his nursing and laid a hand on her upper arm reassuringly.

"Well...I could tell Ed that his sister's been bothering you. Maybe he could inform his mother and this could be resolved without anyone getting hurt."

She huffed a bit, looking over at him and almost laughing at the sincerity in his tone. No one just gives girls like that a stern talking to, especially not little brats like her. Marie almost let that little comment slip, but something about the look in his eyes told her that he was just trying to find a way to help her without her getting hurt.

"Sure, whatever."

He helped her up and they went up to the bleachers where Lee and Ed both cheered on their respective partners. Eddy was in the football team (even if he was stuck on the bench) and May was one of the bubbly and vibrant cheerleaders, happily performing with Nazz.

Meanwhile, Double D and Marie were content to sit by each other, both cheering on their best friend and sister, their hands joined in the small space between them. Marie felt a sense of contentment wash over her as she felt cared for for the first time in a little too long.

The End