Young Hearts

Summary: "It's the darkness in our hearts that makes us what we are, Double-D. You'll see. It'll swallow you someday... just like it did to me..."

Notes: "Young Hearts" is a dark story. At its core, it explores the things that make us what we are. Don't be fooled by the first few chapters, it primarily revolves around Double-D, Eddy and to an extent Jonny, but it features all of the cul de sac kids. This is not a story for the faint of heart. Pairings will be forthcoming - but expect slash, of the Eddy/Edd variety, at the very least.

*01 - Bruised Hearts*

School had just begun for the cul-de-sac residents and, as always, it
led to the usual reordering of friendships and rivalries. There were
newcomers that had to be sized up and let into existing circles – or
form their own. Then there were the kids for whom this entire ritual
was old-hat.

It was Kevin's freshman year in high school. As the oldest male (non-
adult – that is) resident of the cul-de-sac, it was also his duty to
be the coolest and set an example for the younger ones. He liked to
think he'd done a pretty good job over the summer months – although
there WERE a couple of folks who were willing to debate that fact
(and loudly).

Not many residents took Eddy very seriously however, and since Jimmy
was barely six and already starting to develop "sissy" tendencies,
Kevin felt fairly comfortable ignoring his existence entirely.
His "group" consisted of himself and nine-year-old (going on ten)
Jonny. And if a nine-year-old was a bit young to be in the company
of a teenager, well, Kevin was never really sure whether it was
because of his innate "coolness" or simply overblown hero-worship.

One thing was for sure, as far as little Jonny was concerned, Kevin's
word was law. He trailed along after the older boy like an eager
puppy, and Kevin was never hesitant to dispense advice and even play
games with the kid – as long as none of the "cool" kids were around
to witness it.

The start of high school though… now that was a big occasion. Of
course, Kevin was prepared well ahead of time. He leaned against the
corner of his house, smiling at the way that his bike shined in the
sun. It was brand new, perfect for making a good first impression on
his fellow students.

"Hiya, Kevin!" The familiar voice rang out. The redhead turned,
already grinning as the younger boy ran up to greet him. "Nice
wheels!"

"Heya Jonny." He casually twisted his hat back to front so his bangs
stuck out the hole. Yeah, that was cooler than wearing it the normal
way.

"Are you gonna walk to school with me?" Jonny asked, smiling widely.

Kevin waffled for a moment or two – but in the end, there could be no
question as to his answer. "Sorry, Jonny. I can't. My classes
start earlier than yours." Such were the trials of being in high
school.

The boy nodded, understanding his older friend's dilemma. "It's ok,
Kevin. But we'll walk home together, right?" He rocked back and
forth eagerly, already knowing what the response would be.

"Of course. I'll even give you a lift with my new wheels."

"You're the coolest, Kevin!"

Raising his chin slightly, Kevin smiled, "Yeah, I know."

The first day of school was always an important time. There was so
much to be done, like figuring out which teachers were likely to let
you get away with stuff and which would probably throw you in
detention the first chance they got. And of course, the real biggie,
finding the crowd you wanted to hang with. There were all kinds and
they didn't overlap very frequently.

It was a little bit like birds, Kevin thought as he watched the
others and ate his lunch. Geeks flocked with other geeks; the Goth
types hung out together – or more frequently alone in dark places.
The jocks were always to be found near the locker rooms, while the
teachers' pets spent most of the time in the classrooms.

Kevin had already figured out where he wanted to be, though. There
was a group of kids who seemed to personify the word "hip" and they
were sitting only a few tables away. Their leader was a tall, black-
haired kid. He already knew the guy's name too: Brad. All he needed
to do was get in with Brad's crew and BOOM! Instant "cool" label.

Finishing up his sandwich, he crumpled up the paper bag it had been
in with one hand and tossed it at the trashcan some distance away.
Score! A perfect shot!

As he headed back out into the hallway, he noticed that he was being
followed. He stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned to face the
approaching teens, trying to look nonchalant as they approached him.
He recognized Brad's crew and knew he had to do his best to play it
cool.

The senior approached, stopping just a few feet away from the orange-
haired teen and leaning casually against the lockers. "Me and my
crew have been watching you. I like your style, kid. You've got
class. What's your name?"

Scarcely believing his luck, the young redhead managed to answer the
question without stammering too badly. "It's… it's Kevin."

"Well, Kev," The dark-haired teen cut in smoothly. "My boys and I
were thinking you might make a worthy addition to our crew. We're
gonna give you a chance to prove that you're good enough to join us.
What do you say?"

"Sure!" There was no hesitation in his answer this time. It was just
the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"All right, then." Brad clapped a hand across Kevin's shoulders,
nearly making the younger teen stagger forward. "We'll be waiting
out front after school. Don't be late."

Kevin grinned widely, "Oh, I won't."

"Kevin!" The orange-haired teen was so geared for his after school
meeting with Brad and his crew that for a moment he was convinced
that the breathless, panting voice he'd hear belonged to the black-
haired senior rather than an exhausted and still eager Jonny.

"Heya, Jonny. What's up man?" He responded, hoping he sounded cool
rather than awkward.

The younger boy stopped and blinked, tilting his head to one side as
if considering Kevin's words. "Man?" A soft giggled followed his
chimed response. "Why're you talking funny, Kevin?" Jonny's tone
was one of amused curiosity, as if he was trying to figure out what
new game his older companion was trying to play.

"I'm not talking funny, Jonny!" Kevin began, more than a little
miffed by his young friend's trademark candor. "This is just how
cool kids talk."

A wide smile spread over Jonny's face, "Yeah, you are the coolest,
Kevin!"

"Well, well… what have we here?" Both Jonny and Kevin turned as Brad
smooth voice cut in. "Is this kid a friend of yours, Kev?"

Whatever else he might be, Kevin was no fool. He could read the
question beneath the one that had been asked. Of course… it was
obvious that hanging out with an elementary school kid could hardly
be considered hip, and Jonny in particular was so far from fitting
that description that he didn't belong in the same CITY as these
other boys, much less the same crew.

As usual, Jonny was quicker to the punch than he was. "I'm Jonny.
Kevin's my best friend!"

The orange-haired teen watched the shifting expressions on Brad's
face with a bit of apprehension. He was so screwed! If only he
hadn't told Jonny he'd give him a ride home today!

A hand on his arm, tugging him aside, startled him. So did Brad's
voice hissing in his ear. "We can't have… that… hanging around with
us. If you really want to be one of us, get rid of him!" It was not a
request. It wasn't even a command. It was an ultimatum.

His gaze slid to Jonny who was looking in his direction with a slight
smile, obviously he hadn't heard Brad's words. Noticing Kevin
looking at him, the younger boy waved cheerfully, a move Kevin could
only answer with a small sickly-looking smile of his own.

Get rid of Jonny? He wasn't sure he could, but under the watchful
eyes of Brad and his crew he was virtually helpless to do otherwise.
If he stood up for Jonny now his career as a cool kid would be over
before it began…

"Jonny…" He almost sighed as the younger boy ran up to him eagerly.

"Yeah, Kevin?" The guileless expression on the nine-year-old's face
made Kevin pause again, unsure what to say.

The sound of Brad clearing his throat spurred Kevin to immediate and
desperate action. He looked down at Jonny and forced a sneer onto
his face. "Get out of here, kid. I don't need brats like you
hanging around!"

For a moment the words hung in the air and it was like Jonny hadn't
even heard them. Then slowly his smile melted into a puzzled
expression. "Kevin?" The older boy recognized that tone, it was the
one Jonny used when he meant `You're putting me on, aren't you?'

He considered taking the words back, laughing them off. It would be
simplicity itself to tell Jonny that he'd been kidding and – knowing
the smaller boy – he would have been believed without question. Yet,
it was impossible by this point. He was in too deep to wimp out now.

"You heard me! I'm through hanging around with losers like you!"
The harshness of his own words startled him beyond belief; mentally
he was already apologizing to his young friend. `Sorry, Jonny… but
this is how it has to be. It's hurting me more than it's hurting
you…'

The puzzled look had deepened and Jonny spoke again. "Kevin?" It was
the same word, the same name, but now Jonny's voice held a note of
desperate pleading. Kevin thought he knew what the boy was really
saying – he'd been around Jonny long enough.

What he was saying was, `Tell me you're joking, Kevin. You can't mean
it because you're my best friend, right?' or perhaps he was wondering
if he'd done something to make Kevin mad at him.

Kevin felt Jonny's hand snatch at his sleeve, tugging at it like a
little kid seeking reassurance. His muddled, conflicting thoughts
reached a desperate peak, and without even realizing he was doing it,
he reached out and shoved Jonny away vehemently.

"Don't touch me!"

The smaller boy stumbled back, unprepared for the blow. The others
cleared away with a speed that was remarkable, none of them bothering
to try and help.

The loud clang of something hitting metal brought Kevin back to
himself. His eyes flew wide as he saw Jonny crumpled on the ground
next to one of the large metal dumpsters outside of the school. His
impromptu push had knocked the younger boy into it, hard and
headfirst. He would have gone to Jonny's side if Brad hadn't wrapped
a comradely arm around his shoulder and led him off to one side.

"Good work, Kev. Very well done. It seems you're just the sort of
fellow we've been looking for."

"But…" Kevin began, only to be cut off again by Brad's slightly
annoyed look in his direction. The message was clear: `Don't
question me.' The others in Brad's group came running up after them,
and he wondered for a brief moment what they'd been up to, hanging
back for so long.

He put the thought from his mind without dedicating much time to it.
When it came right down to it, he didn't think he wanted to
know. `You're a coward, Kev…' He told himself. The worst thing was…
he thought that just maybe he could live with being that way.

"Let's stuff him in the dumpster, Ted!" The voice cut through the
haze surrounding Jonny like a hot knife, sending waves of pain
through his head. He whimpered softly, trying to lift his head and
almost screaming with the agony it caused. Then a hand snatched him
up by the front of his shirt.

"I don't know, Pat…" The second voice sounded a bit nervous. "I mean,
he hit that dumpster pretty hard…"

"Don't wimp out on me now, pal," The one who'd picked Jonny up
laughed cruelly.

"I'm not!" Ted growled in reply, stung by the remark. "But look at
him, he's bleeding all over the place."

"It's just a stupid nosebleed."

"Then why is his ear bleeding too? I think we should leave him out
here where someone might find him…"

"Bah. You're a coward, Ted." Jonny was hoisted higher, his voice
finally emerging as a strangled half-yelp. The one carrying him took
no mind, if anything the sound seemed to amuse him more. For a
moment there was only vertigo as he was swung through the air like a
sack of potatoes. Then he was sinking into a sticky, slimy mass of…
something.

It was all around him, trying to swallow him up. He could feel
something wriggling against his cheek, and he squirmed, unable to get
up. Every movement only drove him deeper into the rubble beneath
him. A strangled wail escaped his throat, cut off as something cold
and slimy and MOVING slid into his mouth, sending him into coughing
fits as he fought to get it away from him. He knew what the moving
things were now. They were maggots. Stinking, crawling, gross
maggots all over him, touching him, trying to consume him.

"No! Leave me alone!' The words were half-muffled by the gunk against
his mouth, but his struggles and cries were all for naught. Who was
there to help him? Kevin? But no… hadn't Kevin said he shouldn't
bother him anymore?

`What did I do wrong?' The frightened and muddled boy couldn't make
sense of what had happened. `We were best friends this morning. What
happened?' Exhaustion was overtaking him quickly and he lapsed into
silence, his struggles weakening then stopping entirely. What if no
one found him in here…?

"Jonny…"

"…wha…?" A soft noise of puzzlement escaped his throat as he thought
he heard someone calling his name. "Who's there?" `Silly! You're
just imagining things, there's no one he-'

"Jonny."

His eyes flew wide, a burst of strength flying through his limbs.
Not much, but enough to allow him to push himself up on his hands and
knees and look around. His head was still swimming from the blow,
and the colors seemed to run together, making it difficult to find
the speaker. "Where are you?"

"Here I am, Jonny." His hands brushed something hard, and he tugged
at it, his fingers closing over smooth wood. He managed to extract
it with some difficulty and found himself staring down at a length of
board with an odd face painted on it. It seemed to him that it was
smiling mysteriously.

Brushing some of the slime from its surface, he asked again, "Who are
you?"

"Your friend." It replied, enigmatically. Yet it was impossible not
to believe the things it offered. "One who won't leave you by
yourself, or call you terrible names. Just what you were looking
for, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Jonny's voice was faint, and he clung tightly to the board,
clutching it to his chest. "But you haven't told me your name…" The
whispery voice filled his ears, and his eyes went wide. Then slowly,
a smile spread over his face. "Yes… I see…"

Kevin stared up at the ceiling, lying flat on his back on his bed.
He couldn't get the expression on Jonny's face out of his head. It
refused to budge, and for every second that passed he felt the cold
chains of guilt wrapping ever more tightly around him. Finally, he
got to his feet, running his hands through his hair with a disgusted
sigh. "Fine. I'll go apologize." He told his niggling conscience,
hoping it would shut up.

Pulling on his baseball cap, he left his room. His feet dragged the
entire way as he headed down the street towards Jonny's house. They
wanted as little to do with this potentially embarrassing (and
painful) apology as he did. He hadn't even seen Jonny all day… but
since no one had come to his house in accusation, it must have just
been that the younger boy was upset about the encounter earlier.

`With good cause,' His conscience pointed out nastily. `After all,
you did push him into a dumpster and call him a loser. You could
hardly expect him to be thrilled with you.'

`Shut up.' He told the mental voice, firmly as he reached the
outskirts of Jonny's yard. It obeyed for once, quieting down
immediately as he drew to a startled halt. Jonny was outside,
sitting beneath a tree and looking through a book with a large smile
on his face. It was as if nothing was bothering him whatsoever. He
even looked up as Kevin approached.

"Hiya, Kevin!" He called out cheerfully. For a moment the redhead
had the oddest sensation that he was trapped in the Twilight Zone.
Far from being angry, Jonny seemed thrilled to see him. "What are
you doing over here?'

"I came to um…" He faltered briefly at the wide smile on Jonny's
face. "I came to apologize, Jonny."

"Apologize?" Confusion crossed the younger boy's features. "For
what?" As he shifted slightly, Kevin saw something sitting in his
lap, and he frowned.

"Um… what is that, Jonny?" It looked like a board…

"Oh! Did I forget to introduce you? This is my best friend, Plank!
Plank, this is Kevin!" The boy tilted his head slightly. "Plank is
pleased to meet you, Kevin." Then he smiled, that overly large,
somehow vacuous smile that he'd used upon seeing Kevin. Now the teen
found it somehow disturbing.

`Something's not right here…' He backed up a step, not nervous so
much as roiling with confusion. `And I don't know what it is. But
this morning I was his best friend, and now I've been replaced with…
what? A board? With a smiley face painted on it, no less. It's just
not right.'

"Now, what were you saying you came over for?" Jonny inquired
innocently.

"N…nothing." Kevin's eyes narrowed as he looked at the board in
Jonny's lap. The wide smiley-face on it seemed to be mocking
him. "Nothing at all." Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he
slunk slowly away towards his house.

Behind him he could hear Jonny, still having a one-sided conversation
with "Plank". "No, he's not normally like that. Kevin's cool." A
long pause. "Gee thanks, I love you too, buddy."

Kevin's hands clenched into fists, and he was tempted to sulk until
the annoying voice of conscience butted in again. `You reap what you
sow, Kevin. Remember that.' It sounded remarkably like his father.

"Shut up." He mumbled aloud, leaning against a tree about halfway
between his house and Jonny's. Crossing his arms in front of his
chest, he let himself slide to the ground to sit cross-legged in the
shade. "I don't need you to tell me that. I'm one of the cool kids
now, anyway."

`It was worth it,' He told himself fiercely, although his gaze slid
back in the direction of Jonny's house. `It was…'

*01 Fin*