After high school things in Peach Creek had really settled down. Most of the cul-de-sac had gone their separate ways, which in its own fashion was a bittersweet notion.
The Kanker Sisters had suckered three poor saps to wed them right out of high school and then moved away and began popping out their own trailer trash babies.
Nazz was going to a local cosmetology school and was the top of her class.
Rolf had gone back to his homeland with all the American knowledge he had acquired.
He apparently lived with his Aunt and Uncle, teaching English to elementary students.
Johnny was accepted into a university four hundred miles away. Studying what was anyone's guess.
Jimmy and Sarah were both freshman, attending the nearby university, both majoring in Theatre. The art of dramatics. The pair had a combined G.P.A of 9.2 in those studies.
Ed had never quite wised up, though he did have an apparently good work ethic. So he went to work at the jawbreaker factory in his 11th grade year. He never graduated high school but was quickly climbing ranks to factory management.
Eddy, oddly enough, was a sophomore majoring in business at the same university as Sarah and Jimmy. A perfect fit for him.
Double-Dee graduated high school a full semester before his comrades and was well into his second year of studies at the very same campus as his childhood allies, though he didn't live on campus. Edd had carefully selected a nearby apartment where he could focus on his herbology and biology assignments in peace and quiet. A shower he didn't have to wear flip flops in was just an included bonus.
No one was ever too sure what happened to Kevin...shortly after graduation he seemingly disappeared. Not that anybody was trying very hard to track him down.
Edd, who was currently sitting at his desk, was thinking briefly of his old friends. A framed picture of "The Ed's" around their seventh grade year, was sitting on his desk shelf. He smiled as he looked at the youthful faces. Edd was typing up a quick email to Eddy who lived on campus. They didn't share majors or even graduation years anymore, and though they attended the same school the 21 year old old friends hardly saw each other. Emails and texts were the primary way the duo connected now. And the occasional bar night which Eddy lived for and Edd dreaded.
Dearest Eddy,
Yes, I too heard that Ed is expecting his first child. Sometime in the winter months. We should visit him. I've only met his girlfriend once before, though she seems like a kind woman who can easily handle our Ed. Speaking of which, how is your romantic involvement? The same escapades I suspect. Dear friend, you really should dedicate more time in your studies than how to get young women into your bed. I do wish to have you join my company. Perhaps you could come over for a movie and pizza night sometime in the near future.
Until then, Warmest Regards,
Eddward (Double Dee) Sullivan
After Edd had thoroughly proofread the email three times he sent it and then switched browsers to his online course. Now accustomed to the collegiate lifestyle, Edd was taking an unrecommended sixteen credits. Four classes on the campus and two classes online. It would have been an overwhelming load on anyone but a robot programed to learn and study fifteen hours a day. Or Edd.
Currently, Edd was deeply involved in the a project involving reading to plants. Shakespeare versus horror novels versus the newspaper versus trashy romance paperbacks. It was a simple enough project as the teacher had only assigned it as extra credit, and much to his dismay the plant being read the smut was growing at a very rapid rate. Edd was compiling that morning's data into an elaborate spreadsheet when a tiny knock came to his door.
"Oh, it's probably the Super coming to see about the dishwasher." Edd mumbled to himself. Since living alone with little human interaction Edd had begun talking to himself more and more. Edd quickly padded to the door and he did not find a two hundred pound man in mustard stained jeans and an overgrown beard. Instead, he found a tiny doll-like girl. Bright orange pigtails, light blue dress, wide brown eyes. No older than four or five.
"Excuse me sir. Would you like to buy a candy bar to help support my school?" Asked the small girl.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't eat many sweets. But I would be glad to donate to your school. Education is a most admirable cause. Just one moment." Edd scurried back to his desk and grabbed his wallet. "Here is five dollars. But please, keep the candy bars."
"Julia," A strong man's voice came from the left side of the doorway where he was leaning out of sight. He came into a view and Edd's breath caught like it would if you had seen a long dead ghost. A strong jaw, sharp green eyes, a shock of ginger hair. None other than Kevin Barr. "What do you need to say?"
"Thank you, sir!" Julia said excitedly. "Daddy, look!" she held the money up to her...father. "He gave me money but doesn't need candy or nothing!"
"So I saw." Kevin put a gentle hand on Julia's shoulder and looked at the male in the doorway. Tall, lanky, early twenties. Even with the age difference, Kevin knew those stellar blue eyes and chapped lips anywhere. "Hey, Double Dee. Long time no see."
"L-likewise, Kevin." Edd stuttered hurriedly. He felt himself shrinking back into a thirteen year old version of himself. Suddenly the little girl beside his childhood bully began squirming and shifting her balance between her tiny feet.
"Daddy, I gotta go." She whined. "Too much chocolate milk."
"Julia, why didn't you go at McDonald's?" Kevin held the tone of a much exasperated father.
"I didn't have to then. Milk travels slowly." Julia reasoned.
"Please, come in. You may use my facilities." Edd moved to the side and with his instruction the tiny girl dashed to his restroom. Kevin stood awkwardly beside the couch.
"Nice place." He said looking around the immaculate yet cozy home. He spotted three houseplants and an afghan thrown on the sofa, but otherwise it looked like a model apartment used for tours.
"Thank you." The two shared a very long awkward silence. "So, how have you been?"
"Busy." Kevin chuckled. "I work at my uncle's auto body shop. I'm raising a kindergartener by myself. So, I guess busy is the right way to put it. What about you?" Julia ran from the bathroom and then was quickly forced to return at the mention of her dirty hands.
"Oh, I'm a double major at the university. Biology and Herbology. I have this apartment. I work at the plant nursery on campus. I too am very busy."
"Wow, Double Dork. Way to live up your twenties. Studying and plants."
"You have a daughter, Kevin. That cannot leave you much social time to freely spend your youth." Edd said pointedly.
"Nah, it's just a different kind of social time." Kevin said. Julia ran out and Kevin scooped her up. Side by side, the resemblance was uncanny, though Julia's chin was less pronounced and her ears stuck out less. Her brown eyes were warm to his sharp green, but both held a certain curiosity. Kevin and Edd just eyed each other for just a minute. Edd was chewing on his bottom lip nervously. Kevin couldn't help but feel his eyes drawn to the cupid's bow.
"So, man. We should totally get lunch sometime. Catch up. I haven't been out recently, other than parent teacher conferences." Kevin offered half-heartedly as he and Julia were heading to leave.
"Oh, that sounds delightful." Edd said eagerly. "How about...tomorrow afternoon?"
"Wow. Didn't expect you to pounce on the offer." Kevin laughed and saw Edd visibly recoil from embarrassment. "No, I mean. I'm not great company...so, I guess I can swing by here around one tomorrow? Catch up and shoot the shit about Peach Creek."
"Daddy, shit is a bad word." Julia interjected.
"You're right, Bluebird. Sorry." Kevin laughed. "So, tomorrow at one."
"Indeed, Kevin."
"Sure, dweeb." Kevin said and he and his young charge left Edd's apartment. Once the door was safely locked and Edd felt secure once more. It was then he noticed that his heartbeat had noticeably increased and his cheeks were tinged with heat. "Well, I hope I'm not becoming ill."
Across town, early in the evening, Kevin sat in Nazz's living room as she practiced styling hair on a styrofoam dummy head. Nazz was really the only one Kevin kept contact with after Julia came about. She was a perfect stand in mother for the half orphaned girl.
"That thing really freaks me out." Kevin complained as Nazz perfected a fishtail braid.
"Shut up, you whiner." Nazz laughed. "I drew a face on it."
"That makes it creepier! Just imagine that thing floating down the hall into your room at night. Style my haaaaaaaair! Do my maaaaaakeuuuupp! Creepy, man." Kevin grumbled and took another sip of his beer. Julia had fallen asleep in Nazz's comfy chair watching irritating educational princess cartoons.
"You're such a wuss." Nazz playfully shoved Kevin. "So how were candy sales today?"
"Sold five. Ate three." Kevin took another long drink of his beer. "Ran into Edd."
"Which one?"
"The only tolerable one."
"Oh, that one." Nazz said knowingly.
"What do you mean that one. There is no that one." Kevin became suddenly very defensive.
"Double Dweeb. He's a sweetheart and you've had the hots for him since your big coming out."
"There was no big coming out!" Kevin growled loudly, but keeping it low as not to wake the child.
"I know, big man. That's the joke here. Only like three people know. I'm like, two of them."
"How do you count as two?"
"My good mood and my bad mood." She shrugged. "Either way, what happened with that Edd?"
"Stop saying it like that youheinous bitch." Kevin said without malice.
"Stop meaning it like that you stupid hoe." Nazz deadpanned and tied off her fishtail. "What do you think?"
"I've been fishing many times and none of the fish I have caught have ever looked like that. Anyways, Julia went pee in his bathroom. We're going to lunch tomorrow at one. We sold another candy bar. Now we're here."
"You asked him out?" Nazz's interest was suddenly peaked.
Right around freshman year Kevin noticed that he didn't have much interest in the people of Nazz's gender. Sure, they were cute but nothing to get it up over. His mom assured him he came from a long line of late bloomers and Kevin was just stressed from football and school and basketball. As high school wore on Kevin still remained predominantly single and uninterested in the female persuasion. He had a girlfriend or two, and half of Peach Creek High crushing hard, but still had never gone past second base with a girl. Everyone assumed it was his strict Irish Catholic upbringing that made him want to wait until marriage and remove temptation...which somehow made him even hotter. The night of graduation, Nazz and Kevin had had one too many warm beers and ended up having sex with each other. Sure, it was okay. But once again, Nothing much happened to Kevin. After a seven week meltdown of Kevin thinking his cock was broken, Nazz pretty much told him he was gay. To which Kevin just said "oh."
Peach Creek didn't have a surplus of gay men for 18 year old Kevin to look up to so he just kept it to himself and worked it out on his own. Sure enough, it was all adding up. Even when enjoying porn he lost wood when a very generously chested girl would thrust on screen. Something most online forums said was normal. Normal for queers apparently. Kevin quietly told his mom, who didn't seem too surprised or bothered, just offered him a slice of cake. He offhandedly told his dad who turned a furious shade of scarlet and locked himself in the workshed for two weeks, only muttering nonsense like "didn't raise no nancy boy" or "shit, my son's cock sucker". Kevin's dad eventually came around but only to subjects like the weather, sports, or their german shepherd Zeus. Other than his immediate family, and Nazz, no one knew Kevin's sexual identity. Not that it was any of their damn business. By the time Kevin might have been able to start dating at college, his life was turned upside down permanently hindering the dating process.
"I didn't ask him out." Kevin snapped. "We are going to lunch to talk about Peach Creek and shit like that."
"This is a big deal. This is your first real date….like ever." Nazz put down the styrofoam head and looked at her best friend. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Oh, shut it woman. Get me another beer." Kevin forced his voice gruff. Nazz giggled and flounced into the kitchen.
"Kevvy's got a date with Double Dweeb!" She sang as she grabbed him another beer from the fridge.
"Shut up!" he hollered at her but he had an idiotic grin plastered on his face.
The next day at noon Edd was pacing around his living quarters. Though Kevin had asked him to lunch in a purely friendly fashion, probably to clear his conscious of all his misdeeds of their shared youth, Edd found himself quite the nervous wreck. His heartbeat was increased, he felt clammy and sweaty, nearly about to pass out.
"I really need to pick up vitamins from the pharmacy. I do not want to fall ill." Edd muttered to himself as the only reasonable conclusion to his body's actions. He had opted for his black jeans and a casual blue t-shirt, but that felt too underdressed. So he switched it to a white button down but added Converse sneakers for the perfect mix of casual and presentable. Edd no longer wore his trademark hat, but it was always resting on his bathroom counter for reassurance. Linus from the Peanuts gang had his blankie and as Edd grew up with his hooligans from Peach Creek, he had his stocking cap. Being an anti-social, bean pole, stuttering, geek apparently wasn't enough of a jackpot so genetics helped out by tossing in two long white streaks on either side of his head. After being called SunkButt through kindergarten and first grade, Edd adopted his trademark beanie and didn't take it off until a year or two prior to his outing with Kevin. Now, after a morning pep talk each day that he was indeed, not a SkunkButt, Edd allowed his hair to fall to his shoulders.
Around 12:45 Edd began to panic. Perhaps this was just one last prank the ginger decided to pull on an Ed(d). Kevin had never intended to show up and was sitting at home laughing at how clever it was to ask Edd for his company when he had no means of appearing. At 12:55, just as Edd launched into a full anxiety attack, Kevin knocked on the door. Ripped jeans, a white t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, and a bright red ball cap twisted backwards. He knocked on the door and it flung open.
"Greetings, Kevin." Edd was breathless but relieved his company for the afternoon had showed up. Edd looked at the muscular man across his threshold, no longer the wiry bully from his neighbourhood or the lanky but muscular young man from high school. No, this version of adult Kevin had strong arms and ginger stubble and one, two...no, three visible tattoos. The most noticeable was the word Bluebird in curly blue script with the tiny silhouette of a bird resting in the curve of the "U" on his right bicep. It was beautiful artwork and though Edd had no desire to tattoo his own flesh, he did admire it on others.
"Hey, Double Dee." Kevin said casually as he sized up the man in front of him. Edd wasn't scrawny anymore and it seemed that dirty sock he wore on his head had finally hit the hamper. His hair fell to his shoulders, it looked soft and well cared for. Bizarre white/silver streaks of hair stood out among the jet black. It was peculiar and attractive, suiting to the peculiar and attractive man it belonged to. His eyes were so wide and so blue they nearly looked haunted, like something out of a horror movie. Edd had shot up in height when Kevin wasn't around though the lanky gentleman was still two or three inches shorter than Kevin.
"So, where shall we go for lunch? I know of a lovely little cafe just down the road from here. Their roast beef sandwiches are exquisite."
"Sure. I didn't really have anything in mind." Kevin moved out of the doorway and Edd locked and relocked his door. The two walked in silence to the cafe. In fact they didn't speak until they had placed their drink orders.
"Julia is a lovely little girl." Edd said finally, figuring his daughter was a safe topic.
"I like to think so." Kevin agreed.
"When did you conceive her? Oh, um! I mean, I didn't even know you were dating anyone and then you seemed to cease existing and you said you were raising her alone, so I was just curious as to…" Edd babbled rapidly. Kevin chuckled and put a hand on Edd's to make him stop talking.
"Dude, chill." Kevin glanced down at his hand covering Edd's and quickly removed it. "Technically, genetically, speaking, Julia isn't mine."
"Pardon?" Edd stirred his straw around in his ice tea and his other hand had found shelter in his lap. He felt pink tinge his face after the surprising physical contact.
"She's actually my cousin's daughter. My cousin Amanda and I were super close growing up and she got pregnant in my junior year of high school. Her boyfriend split but she kept Julia and made me hypothetical godfather. Shortly after Julia's first birthday, Amanda was killed by a drunk driver. Well, Julia was technically my godchild and even though everyone tried to get me to give her up, I decided to do what any self respecting man would do and keep her and make the best of it." Kevin took a deep breath and a drink of his cola and realized he had freaked Edd out entirely. The two resumed their silence for a moment.
"Wow, that is not a great story to tell over a casual lunch. I'm sorry, man. I should have just said yes, my daughter is lovely, and left it at that." Kevin chuckled awkwardly.
"Oh, no Kevin. It is I who is sorry. To lose such an important family member and become a legal guardian at such a young age. It is quite amazing what a large heart you have."
"Yeah, I guess." He shrugged. "I was kind of a punk when we were younger."
"We all were, Kevin." Edd chuckled. "We all were."
After the lengthy dead cousin stories ended the rest of the lunch went swimmingly and the men even agreed to do it again later on. Kevin walked Edd back to his apartment and then realized he had gone well over his lunch break at the auto shop.
When he appeared at the shop's office his Uncle Rudy was hunched over payroll paperwork. He spun and looked at Kevin with the same warm brown eyes his daughter and granddaughter had. The Irish roots ran strong on Kevin's mom's side, so of course his Uncle Rudy had the same ginger tresses.
"What's the news, son?" Rudy asked in a thick deep voice. Rudy was ending his fifth decade of life and his joints and heart wasn't what they used to be. He didn't work so much in the shop anymore as much as he did in the office, hunched over invoices and order forms.
"Not much, went out to lunch with someone, which is why I'm late. They have the Cougar up on the rack now and the Prius is humming like a bird." Kevin updated.
"That's good. That's real good. How was lunch?"
"Pretty good. Got you a sandwich." Kevin dropped a white styrofoam box in front of his uncle. "Small fries but no coke. Doc says you need to cut back on sugar and sodium."
"Damn the doc. What does he know." Rudy muttered as he bit into the hot ham and cheese. "Thanks for lunch, Kev. Who was the date? Pretty young thing?"
"I guess." Kevin chuckled and sunk into the chair adjacent to his uncle. "Just an old friend, really. No big deal."
"No big deal. You never go out, kid. Other than the park with Julia. Do I get to meet this pretty friend?" Rudy's wife had told him about their nephew's sexuality but Rudy was a man of old fashioned times. Though he didn't react in negligence or violence, he had mostly omitted it. Kevin didn't entirely mind this.
"Nah, man. Shut up and eat your fries. I've gotta go see a man about a motor." He stood back up, set a light kiss on his uncle's head, and left the small overheated office. Kevin spent the rest of the day elbow deep in grease and oil but couldn't shake a set of blue eyes out of his head.