This is my first story post on here in a very long time, please read and review and i'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as possible.

Tired. That was the best way to describe how he felt. Tired. His nightly routine of researching interesting topics had robbed him of yet another night in his bed. He contemplated changing these habits as he peeled his face off of his PC's keyboard, wincing at the sound of the keys letting go of his face with the small amount of grease he had on his face.

"Messy messy."

He muttered with a small frown. He looked to his bed, it had not been slept in for quite a few nights, thanks to his new obsession. He looked back to the page on his computer screen. Paranormal research. It was something that happened to Double D, he acquired these short lived obsessions in which he found something interesting and would pursue it for several nights in a row. He sighed and shook his head, bare feet sinking slightly deeper into his rug as he stood, shaking his head to hopefully clear a bit of his exhaustion away.

He padded his way slowly but determinedly to his bathroom, gazing upon his reflection with but the mildest of interest. Being 17, his face had had a bit of his baby fat cut away, defining his jaw more and displaying slightly higher cheekbones. He bared his mouth in a mock smile, displaying the prominent gap that he had never had fixed. He shrugged lanky shoulders before stripping down to shower. He let the water flow over him, relaxing his back that was sore from a night hunching over his desk. As his muscles loosened he allowed his mind to wander, brushing long tangled hair behind his shoulders.

He and his friends had come a long way, all of them, and he couldn't help but smile at that fact. He mused on school as he cleaned himself for a small while before finally shutting the water off with a small sigh. After drying himself he dressed in a pair of khakis and a dark blue button up, covering long dark hair with his trademark beanie. Finished with his morning routine he thundered down the stairs, relishing in the fact that he could fill his empty home with a little bit of noise. As he reached the bottom, he was hardly surprised to hear a thunderous knocking coming from the front door, accompanied by impatient grumbling somehow audible through the door.

Edd opened the door with a good natured roll of his eyes and a small smirk.

"Good morning to you as well, Eddy. And you as well, Ed."

Edd was greeted with the sight of his two best friends, Ed and Eddy. Double D looked up to Ed with a small smile, marveling as he did every day at his friends' height. Ed had shot up to an astounding 6'6, with extremely broad shoulders and thick arms. His musculature was that of a fully grown man, and the other two eds had no clue as to where it came from. His short auburn hair was only a few inches long and pushed to the side, he work a grey wife beater and some baggy ripped up jeans, with a messenger bag filled to the brim with comics hanging off of one shoulder.

Eddy stood directly to Ed's left, and this was who Double D sent a small grin next. Eddy had gotten quite a bit taller but had an average body type, none too muscular but not too fat. He looked slightly off because of quite wideset shoulders he had as of yet grown into. He carried a small black backpack over his pink polo and blue jeans, and pushed slicked back black hair in impatience.

"Come on D! We need to get going. It's the last day of summer and I want it over with."

One thing that hadn't changed about Eddy was his volume, Double D noted with amusement.

"My my Eddy, actually concerned about getting to school on time? I thought I would never see the day."

He swept his hand across his brow dramatically, and let out a good natured chuckle as Eddy grabbed his shoulder and pulled him along, closing his door in the process. With a quick turn around to lock it, they headed out and on their way. Edd's mind kept wandering, however, to the book in his backpack. He had been loaned it by a teacher, Mr. Schwartz, when he had mentioned his interest in the supernatural and occult that had started recently. He had not told his friends of it yet, out of fear of Eddy's mocking and of Ed's over-interest. The book spoke of old rituals, and spells that were written about with such passion that Edd couldn't figure out if the person wrote about them believed that they would work or not. The book itself was written on parchment and bound in old leather, and he planned on getting some answers today.

His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder, whirling him around and he started, his heart racing as he saw who was in behind them, a trio of girls that used to terrify the Eds. The Kanker sisters. Lee, the oldest, exclaimed loudly and gruffly, "Look girls, it's our boyfriends!"

There was a moment of silence as the two groups stared at each other, before both groups burst out laughing, though it was short lived as Eddy spoke up.

"Lee you say that every time you get the jump on us, it's been years. Don't you think you should change it up, huh red?"

He said with a cocky smile, until Lee caught him in a headlock and gave him a good natured noogie along with a chuckle.

"Hey shorty, don't fix what ain't broke!"

Eddy reddened in embarrassment.

"I ain't short anymore!"

Edd smiled in amusement. It was true. Eddy was standing at 5 foot 9, a full two inches above lee, the tallest Kanker, though he was the shortest Ed, what with Edd standing at 5'11. The Kankers and the Eds had patched things up when they had turned 13, and Edd turned to see May already sliding up to Ed with a new comic in hand, brown eyes sparkling as she talked to her friend and crush, though Ed was still oblivious. Lee and May had changed the most, with Lee keeping her red hair short and pushed back and out of the way of what happened to be a startlingly pretty pair of blue eyes. She started wearing short sleeved T-shirts with grey cargo pants and boots. She had grown quite muscular over the years, but not so much as to earn the 'butch' label. At least not to her face.

May stood at 5'3 and had a lean toned body as well, lacking in the chest area that Lee seemed to be the forerunner in, but her grey belly shirt and blue jean shorts showed that her legs and torso were well defined as well, occasionally with bruises that the girls said came from roughhousing. She had also cut her hair shorter, to about her shoulders, and often tied it back in a short ponytail or small bun. While observing the girls and their changes, Marie popped into Edd's vision.

"Hey king dweeb, miss me?"

Edd laughed as he replied to her.

"I saw you merely yesterday Marie."

She had changed the least of her sisters, donning either a short sleeve black shirt in the summer, or a tighter long sleeve in the winter, but wore everything else the same. The only other thing different about her was that her blue hair was longer, reaching the upper part of her back and contrasting quite nicely with emerald green eyes, Double D had to admit. She pursed her lips and pouted at him,

"But Double D, that was soooo long agooo." She said softly, trying to rile him up. He merely shook his head with a small laugh.

"Well Marie, I am here now."

He turned to Eddy, who was speaking to Lee about a car he had found in the junkyard.

"Shall we proceed to finish our last day?"

Eddy whooped in response and led the rest of the group along, laughing. As edd walked he couldn't help but notice Marie had brought out her sketchbook. He knew that she was an avid artist, as he had seen many of her sketches and paintings over the years as they had grown closer. He tried to lean over to look, with a smile.

"Oh, did you start a new-"

Marie yelped and slapped shut her sketchbook a blush rising to her face she she did, her breathing quickening a small amout. Edd raised an eyebrow at her. She spluttered for words, as the rest of the group had walked on ahead as they lagged slightly behind.

"It uh, it isn't done yet! Heh, you'll have to wait and see it when it's finished."

Edd raised an eyebrow at her, and extended his pinky. It was a habit they had gotten into last year. He knew she didn't want him to see it yet, but Edd was interested now damnit. He hadn't seen Marie so flustered in a very long time.

"Pinkie promise?"

She rolled her eyes at him before offering him her pinkie.

"Promise."

With smiles exchanged, and perhaps a small amount of blushing from both parties, they continued on to school, making sure to think of the book in his bag one last time, sure that the conversation that he was going to have with Mr. Schwartz about it would be very interesting.