Double D stepped out of his place of residence and onto the snow-covered porch. The young genius-minded Ed pulled his travel bag onto the porch prior to turning around and locking the door to his house. As he stood there, going over his mental list of chores he'd assigned himself for the day he removed the vibrating smart phone from the chest pocket of his winter coat. Staring at the text screen, the teenager read what his friend, Eddy, had sent him. It was an invitation to a Movie Marathon/Snackathon at their friend Ed's. Placing his fingers over the keyboard Double D politely declined the invitation. The only explanation he disclosed to his short friend was that he was going to be busy with the duty of assisting one of the neighbors.
Eddy wasn't for it at all, but told Double D to text him later. Double D replied to him that if there was time in his schedule he would do just that. After repocketing his waterproofed device he zipped the pocket closed and closed his fingers around the handle of his travel bag. He pulled it along the way as he started his short walk. While snow fell, piling up on the top of his black and white beanie, Edd trudged through the nine inches of heavy snowfall. His boots crunched into the glittering snow as he neared his destination to the house he'd promised he would be at in approximately five minutes.
The time was now 6:23 and Edd was supposed to arrive at 6:30.
'Or before it gets too late,' he mused to himself, recalling the woman he'd spoken to over the phone's afterthought. The skies had already become dark, it didn't seem the smartest idea to drive under a darkening grey sky during November's end. The thick layer of snow didn't do any driver any good either. The intellectual walked up the driveway towards the front door of the house in which his duty lied.
He considered himself to be appropriately dressed. Upon his entry to highschool Edd had swapped his puffy old coat for a thinner design. One that was of better fashion. It was a pleasant improvement. His new navy coat was thinner and more professional in appearance. Double D was delighted by it's arrival. Not only did it look good, it kept him warmer than his middle school coat did as it was purposefully deigned to trap in heat. Covering his legs were a pair of fitted black career slacks and they weren't cheap, either. They were made much like yoga pants material. Over his feet were a simple pair of jet black snow boots, he'd purchased a water-proof pair.
Now, standing at the door of the Barr household Double D glided his hands in a downward motion over his coat, smoothing out the wrinkles several times before he straightened his posture and extended his finger forward to ring the glowing bell. After he hit the button he heard a series of loud dings being played from inside their home.
"Look sharp, Eddward," the scholar told himself.
With a wide-open smile and big, focused eyes waiting to consist in the greeting of his host Double D listened as the sounds of footsteps grew closer. A woman, the same woman he'd only seen a handful of times earlier in life, pulled open the door and looked down to see her visitor.
The woman had quite a few worry lines marring her tanned face, her green eyes looked older than what age he figured they were and her wavy brown hair seemed like a batch that'd lost its sheen years ago. Edd knew the woman must've been younger than fifty, she was a mother of a sixteen year old afterall and there were only a few silver follicles in her hair.
"Good evening, Mrs. Barr," Double D greeted and she seemed to look confused. Edd extended his arm out to shake her hand, "I'm Eddward Vincent, the individual you called to request caregiver-activity two weeks ago. I'm here for the job."
"If it's about a job," a man from somewhere in the house started off his complaint in a raised, gruff voice. The woman in front of the ravenette rolled her eyes, probably knowing what was about to happen, "we can't pay you, get out."
"No, no, sir," Double D stated calmly, "I wasn't looking into being paid I was just_."
"You the boy from across the street," the woman who stood behind the doorway asked.
Double D nodded and watched as the woman backed herself into the home and away from the door. She held it for him until she knew he could handle things and left him to attend to his entry from there.
"It's okay, Frank," the brunette said as she walked past the overweight redhead who sat on the couch, "He's here to watch the house for free while we're gone."
The curly redhead looked at his wife and stared before looking back over to the boy who had shut their door and was preoccupied with the removal of his shoes.
"The house," the man called Frank asked, "I thought he was supposed to be watching the boy."
The brunette lowered herself onto the chair at the kitchen table and took a cigarette from the red pack she'd left on the table. She stuck it in her mouth before lighting it and taking a long inhale of it. She was still in her pajamas, a simple green tank top, calla lilly printed black pajama pants, and a lavender silk robe over her shirt.
"That's what I called him for.." The woman at the table told her husband who lifted his beer from a coaster on the end table next to where he was sitting.
"Yeah, and?"
The brunette, Deborah, rolled her neck before she held her head back to give him that "Like, really!?" look.
"Deb," he said loudly, "I don't know what," he stated as he made an attempt to copy what she'd done, "-this- means."
Deborah took the cigarette from her mouth and used it to point over at Edd, who was standing close by the couch, as she rudely asked, "Well, he's here ain't 'ee?"
Frank nodded but his eyes still held noticeable confusion. The brunette puffed on her cigarette before running her fingers through her messy hair, "Yes, Frank, he'll watch Kevin. That's all I asked him to do, but he insisted keeping up with the house, too."
Frank gulped down some beer before smiling and then turning to Edd. The man's bright blue eyes next his orangy hair was indeed a contrast to see.
"Well, Eh-Eddward, it's good tah have ya then," Frank said before sticking out his freckled arm for a shake.
Double D stepped forward and shook the man's hand before gasping. That man had one strong grip, it had felt like it was crushing his hand.
"You've got no meat on your bones, boy," Mr. Barr said pointing at the ravenette's red hand, "If you had I wouldn't have been able of squeezing your blood vessels so easily."
"He's said he's willing to tutor Kevin for us," Deborah said, her face now lit with a smile as she envisioned an achievement belonging to her son.
"Good, if he brings the boy up to a c I'll slip him a five," Frank stated loudly before he began to chuckle.
Edd watched Deborah ash into the ash tray in front of her that sat on the table, he was relieved to see that she was decent enough to discard the waste of her toxic stick in there. Edd did well to hide his grimace before he suddenly got an idea. Thinking it over, due to the exceptional points he made on the subject, the question seemed important enough. Also, it was a given since he was now a responsible caregiver of another.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Barr," Double D called out to gain the smoking woman's attention.
"Yes, Eddward," she inquired with a hint of suggestion in her voice.
"I'd only like to be aware of the current situation of Kevin. What I mean to ask is, has Kevin been served an appropriately portioned meal today?"
Deborah shook her head before she burnt out what was left of her cigarette into the metallic ash tray.
"No, I'm sorry," she said, "We spent all day packing because Fred," she began her excuse using an accusing tone at the mention of her husband's name, "is an argumentative do everything last-minute kind of guy. I'm sorry if it's a burden for you, but there are also dishes in the sink."
"No trouble at all, Mrs. Barr," Edd quickly replied, "I'll be absolutely positive that everything is kept spick and span on a daily basis."
Deborah mouthed a thank you to the ravenette before she raised herself from the chair and crossed the room in a relaxed stroll. Once she got to the coat rack she gripped her fingers around the strap of the purse and brought it closer to her eye's view. After sticking her hand in the bag Edd witnessed that a credit card was being removed from the bag and over towards himself.
"This," she said with importance lacing her voice, "Is for grocery money. Don't let Kevin use it, at least not without you okaying what he's trying to buy first, okay?"
Double D looked her straight in the eyes, "Not without my approval has been noted and understood," Double D told her while he made another mental note to take into account; in order to make sure Kevin was given the proper care he required meant Edd was also responsible for keeping the jock off of a plenty of sweets he was sure the redhead consumed each day.
"You seem like such a good kid," Fred commented before he took a swig of his beer.
Suddenly, stomping could be heard from the upstairs area, "This card has exactly $500 on it," the brunette informed, "That probably won't be enough until our return, but call me after it runs out and I'll wire more onto the account."
Kevin's wide green eyes were focused on the scene in front of him. The smartest dork of the Ed's was standing in his living room and his mom was about to hand him a card.
"What, is going on here," Kevin asked, loudly, turning some heads.