Edd walked down the hall of Peach Creek Regional High school, doing his best to go unseen. He couldn't risk getting another beating; he was still sore from the last one, when the football team took turns kicking the crap out of him until he was covered in bruises and barely able to walk on his own. He just had to make it a few more feet and he'd be safe in the AP Chemistry lab.

"Hey Double-Dweeb."

Curses, so close... Edd slowly turned around to see who was calling him by such an unpleasantly familiar nickname. As he turned his blue eyes met emerald green ones, which belonged to a ginger boy he knew all too well.

"A-Ah! Salutations Kevin! May I be of service in some way...?" Edd asked, trying to be casual, so as not to accidentally say the wrong thing and anger the other.

Kevin shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"I was kinda hopin' you could do me a favor. Since you're smart and shit... I need to pass my Physics exam tomorrow if I wanna keep my spot as captain on the baseball team...Could you maybe...y' know...help me?"

Edd had never once seen Kevin ask for help from anyone, especially him, so he was dumbstruck.

"Do you mean, you want me to tutor you? It'd be my pleasure Kevin. It's nice to see you taking an interest in school!" Edd replied. He wasn't going to pass up this chance. This was the first time in years that Kevin was speaking to him without threats of violence or hostile behavior, and he was not going to let it slip away. "Meet me at my home directly after school, and don't be late."

Kevin looked relieved, and almost excited.

"Thanks Double-Dork, I owe y' one."

Edd cringed a bit at the nickname, but brushed it off, as he was used to it by this point.

"It's no problem Kevin, I enjoy assisting others in their studies. Anyway, I must be going to class now. "

Edd turned to walk away, but slipped, falling to the ground, dropping his books everywhere.

"Oh Drat, now I've done it..." he said, more to himself than anyone else. He began picking his things up, and was surprised when Kevin joined him.

"Here Dork." Kevin held out a smile stack of books Edd had dropped. Edd reached out gratefully to take them, and as he did so, the sleeves of the hoodie he wore came up, exposing his arms, which were covered in scars Kevin was unaware he had. Kevin stared for a second at Edd's arm, trying to put two and two together, when he suddenly realized what they were. They were self-harm scars, likely a result of the years of torment and hell Edd was put through...by him. Kevin felt awful, but he realized he was still staring. Luckily, Edd hadn't noticed yet, so Kevin looked away as quickly as he could. I'll ask him about them tonight after school...and apologize...I owe him that much...

"Thank you for the assistance Kevin, it is greatly appreciated. I must be going to class now. Farewell!" Edd said with a smile.

"Yeah...See ya dork..." Kevin replied, even though by then Edd couldn't hear a word he said anymore.

[[SETTING: LAST PERIOD ENGLISH, 1 MINUTE TILL BELL.]]

"Can anyone tell me what Juliet meant by 'That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet '?"

Edd's hand was the first one in the air.

"Ah, Eddward, would you please enlighten us?"

Edd took a deep breath.

"What Juliet meant by that was that one's name does not change one's qualities or personality, or change one at all other than in title. She was referring to Romeo, saying that it is not fair that she is forbidden to love him, simply because he is a Montague. His name being Montague does not change who he is as a person, but still she is forbidden to see him because of something as trivial as his name."

Edd smiled proudly.

"Very good Eddward." the teacher said.

As he went to take his seat, the bell rang.

Grabbing his things, he made his way to his locker.

Laying down his bag, he turned the dial to the correct code:

31...41...59

Pulling up on the latch, he swung the door open. Much to his shock and horror, a large pile or shredded papers fell out when he opened the locker. He picked up a piece to examine it. It was very...familiar...then suddenly a realization hit him. He'd seen these papers before...many times...in his books. These were the pages of his beloved books...

Tears welled up in his glassy blue eyes, as he dashed towards the nearest bathroom. Attempting to run to the stalls, he collided with someone. It was only when he looked up from where he fell that he realized who. It was Mark. The Baseball team's star batter...

Mark grabbed Edd by the shirt collar, throwing him up against the wall.

"Watch where you're walking, faggoty-Anne." Mark barked in a commanding voice.

Edd bowed his head, whimpering. Tears welled up in his eyes larger of the boys snickered.

"What, are ya gonna cry, you fucking pussy?"

Edd kept quiet, hoping Mark would get bored and leave him alone. But, no such luck befell him. Mark dropped him on the floor, and forcefully planted a huge foot into Edd's abdomen.

"M-Mark...I apologize for bumping into you...Could you...please be so kind...as to let me go free...? I beg of you not to harm me any further..."

Mark grabbed him by the neck, cutting off most of his oxygen. He glared at Edd with utter disgust.

"Dweeby-Ass Fudge-packing fags like you deserve a hell of a lot worse than this. Be grateful that I'm nice enough to go easy on your pathetic ass, you cock loving freak." Mark growled in a taunting voice that made Edd's blood run cold.

With that, Mark socked him in the jaw, the nose, and the eye, dropped him to the linoleum floor with a thud and kicked him a few more times for fun, then left the bathroom, laughing.

Edd just sat there, bleeding and sore. He stayed that way until the pain faded enough that he was able to stand, though it was still rather excruciating. He slowly limped to the hall, grabbed his things, and walked home.

When he arrived, he saw a rather annoyed Kevin waiting on his porch.

When Kevin saw him approach, it was clear he was about to ask him where the fucking hell he'd been for the past half-hour. But his expression changed as he took in Edd's appearance.

"Double-Dork, what the hell happened to you...?"

Edd shoved past him, opening his front door, and limped inside, struggling obviously with each step.

"It's none of your concern what transpired, Kevin. I'm afraid we have to cancel today, so please leave."

With that, Edd rushed up stairs as fast has he was able and locked himself in his room.

The second the door closed, he broke down. He started crying uncontrollably, as he rummaged through his drawers for his razor blade.

Footsteps echoed through the hall as Kevin made his way towards the sounds of crying coming from Edd's room.

Edd found the blade, and stared at it fondly for a few moments. It was finally time. He was done trying to survive in the hell he called a life. All he had to do was cut the right vein on his arm, and there was very little chance of survival. I deserve this... he thought to himself. I deserve to die...I'm a freak of nature...Guys aren't supposed to be attracted to other guys, it's unnatural. I'm disgusting...I'm doing everyone a favor...This is for the best. He held the blade to his arm, looking for the right vein. He had just about found it...

Almost there...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Edd's head shot up.

"Double-Dw...Double-D open the door...Tell me what happened to you." Kevin pleaded from the hallway.

Edd shook his head in frustration.

"I can't do that Kevin. Please just go home."he replied, his voice shaking.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He could feel the floor shake with each strike to the

"Either you let me in, or I'm breaking down the door." The desperation and fear were apparent in Kevin's every word.

Edd gripped the razor tightly between his fingers. He couldn't let Kevin stop this. Not now.

"... I'm sorry Kevin, but it's too late. It's too late for talking things out anymore. Just leave me alone. Let me do this, okay...?"

With those words, Edd pulled the blade across his wrist, cutting the veins, and did so over and over. Each cut was deeper than the last.

There was no turning back.

Kevin panicked. Do what...? What did he mean "It's too late..."?

Oh...Oh god...was he...

Shit. He couldn't risk it.

With all the force he could muster, Kevin rammed himself into the door, knocking it off its rusty hinges. And as he looked up through the dust and wood bits in the air, he froze. His throat tightened and his breathing quickened. The sight he beheld was the most horrifying, terrifying, incomprehensible thing he'd ever witnessed. There...lying on the floor before him...was Edd. Blood running down his arm to the point where you could see no skin, only crimson...and his face, propped up against his bed, lacking in color, pale as a ghost, wearing a faint, melancholic smile on his face, and a single tear still rolling down his already damp cheeks.

Kevin ran to him, not knowing what to do. As he held Edd's ever so quickly paling face in his hands, Edd spoke. The words that left his lips were ones that sank Kevin's heart.

"Kevin...Please leave me...I don't want to be saved. Please...have mercy on me. Let me die..."

[[To be continued in chapter 2...]]