"Greetings fellow Cluckers!" The kids announced once the club was in session.
"The Happy Cluckers Club is now called to order." Edd announced as he started on inspecting Jonny's egg in his incubator. He inspected it seeing that it was making great progress.
They started this club a few weeks ago. It was Ed who suggested the club, mainly because he thought it would be neat if the school raised chickens. Edd settled the idea with the school faculty who liked the sound of it. The club only had five members so far, but at least the word was going around the school.
"And what do we have here?" Edd asked when he camr to Ed's incubator.
Ed giggled. It turned out to be a toy egg that split apart. Inside of it was a little robot. It was the little robot they'd been exchanging for years. Edd got Ed the toy for his eleventh birthday and ever since they hid it in an object to surprise one another.
"My brother the idiot." Sarah said rolling her eyes when she saw the two friends laughing.
"I thought it was rather humorous, Ed." Edd said wrapping an arm around his friends shoulder.
"Teacher's pet." Jimmy said siding with Sarah. He did find the scene humorous, but he had to keep his image around Sarah.
Ed and Edd didn't mind. They were able to get to know the other kids. Without Eddy, the kids were able to see their true colors and that they meant well. In a way, Edd was glad that Eddy turned down the offer to join. He would have ruined everything. This was their chance to get the kids to trust them.
Edd put his thoughts aside to move on to the next exercise with the eggs.
Everyone jumped when the door was kicked in.
Oh look, a crowd." Marie Kanker announced entering the room with her sisters.
"Must be a good place to eat. Who's up for some eggs?" Lee and her sisters took out a frying pan, spatula, and even an oven. They were not here to join the club.
Everyone ran around the room trying to find a hiding spot. They crossed paths with the Kankers before and they knew it was a bad idea to get in their way. They liked causing torture having no problem with everyone fearing them.
The only person who wasn't in a panic was Edd. He had to do something. He was in charge. It was time somebody stood up to the Kankers and taught them a moral or two.
With all his courage, he stepped in front of Lee who was going to devour an egg. His heart began pounding when she looked at him in that intimidating way.
"Ladies, perhaps a quiet perusal of this book so you can discover the wonders of egg hatchery for yourselves." Edd said to them as he tried to lift up the immense book.
His lecture didn't go anywhere as she stared into his soul. Edd was shaking, but it wasn't from fear.
Lee put her face right into his. "Sweet talkin' won't get you anywhere."
The book was so heavy that it began slipping out of his sweating palms.
The next second there was blood curdling scream.
Edd put a hand over his mouth in shock. The heavy book fell out of his hands. How could he let that happen?
"Hey, what's your game, mister?!" Marie was outraged as May held up her sister.
Lee held her swollen foot above the ground. "Your clumsy boyfriend clobbered my foot, that's what!" she yelled.
Marie noticed Lee's hands shaking. She stared at her sisters food. Their mother had gone through a series of boyfriends. The one who fathered her got into a terrible fight with their mother. He hit her foot so badly that doctors thought she'd never walk on it again.
"Lee, I do appologise." Edd began.
Marie rolled her fists up in anger. Edd wasn't who she thought he was. That's how her biological father presented himself. The man loved violence and wanted everything his way.
Another person she loved double crossed her.
"It was an accident." Edd stepped towards them seeing if there was anything he could do to help.
Marie blocked her sisters from harms way. "I bet! Come on, May, let's get Lee to the school nurse."
She didn't take her eyes off Edd until they were out of them room.
Edd never noticed that look in Marie's eyes before. He never saw her act so mature. Perhaps there was more to her then he thought.
Edd's face grew hot when he turned to the kids.
They looked horrified.
Oh, why did this have to happen?
It was just an accident.
It wasn't like that time where...
"Shall we continue tending to our eggs with a gentle organic cotton-ball massage?" Edd asked interrupting that dark thought.
Ed's heart was pounding. He stood cemented by the corner wall. That looked as if he did it on purpose. Edd wasn't the kind of person to do such a violent thing like that.
All people had two sides to them. Edd had a dark side which he noticed this past summer. It scared him whenever he had an outburst. Whenever Edd got angry he'd take himself to another world where evil existed.
'Violent people foul up the mind, Ed. Never associate yourself with them.'
Ed gulped when Sarah ran to the car to tell their mother what happened. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the club meeting was over.
His mother gave him that look.
"See you tomorrow, Ed." Edd called out.
Ed looked at him with that scared look once more. Edd's heart sagged hoping he didn't make everyone uncomfortable. He had made a promise to never that that again.
That was eight years ago.
Eight years ago... oh, eight years ago...
Edd walked home trying to distract his mind from that memory.
Tomorrow would be better.
The past was past.