Kevin had been working on the bike which his father swore would be his as soon as his 16th birthday passed and soaking in the late afternoon sun when a sleek black car pulled up to the vacant house across the cul-de-sac. Kevin put down his tools and stood, swiping his hands across his jeans before whiping sweat from his brow and readjusting his cap. He hadn't seen a single vehicle at the home in roughly four years, and he was beginning to believe that no one would ever live there again. The last family hadn't even been a family, just a lanky dork who dissappeared one day before their 6th grade year after convincing his parents to let him travel with them. Kevin's father said that moving vans had been there the previous day, but that had been while Kevin was with Nat.
He watched as the back drivers-side door popped open and a tall figure dressed, as far as Kevin could tell, from head to toe in black. He watched as the figure made his way to the door before pulling a hand from his pocket and flicking his wrist at the car in a half wave. As the mysterious figure entered the dark house, the car left, and Kevin assumed they were leaving to get groceries or something while their child got settled in.
That was the last time Kevin saw the black car for almost a year, however it was only a week before he saw the darkly dressed figure agian. He was walking home from Nat's house when he saw the figure watching as a small construction crew worked in the backyard of the once empty house. No one else in the cul-de-sac had met him yet, and it was the first time Kevin had seen the ominous figure in good light. He was wearing dark skinny jeans, and half-calf boots. A dark red tee covered his slender frame, and a black beanie held his long hair in place. Unlike the last time Kevin saw him, he didn't have the tight black jacket anywhere in sight. There was something oddly familiar about the boy, but Kevin thought nothing of it.
Some mornings Kevin would see the boy headed to and from the grocery store, hood pulled up in just the right manner to hide his face from any onlookers, and every day he could see the stranger watching diligantly over the workers as they hurried to complete what was now obvious to be a pool. Still, no one had talked to their new neighbor, and the Ed's had dissappeared upon his arrival, making for a quiet life.
By July, the pool was finished, and soon after, two weeks before Kevin's Freshmen year began, he saw the teen again. Nat had been helping him with the bike when they saw him emerge from the house. He was dressed in no more than a speedo and swim cap with a towel over his arm. Kevin assessed the other male, taking in the lean muscle that covered his body beofre he tossed his towel aside and dove into the oversized pool. Kevin turned back to Nat as the teal haired boy whitled, "He's cut. I bet he's gonna end up on the swim team. What's his name, Kev?"
"No idea. I don't think anyone has actually talked to him yet. I don't even know if he's in highschool or not," Kevin said, turning away and focusing back on Nat.
"He's been here almost two months and no one has even talked to him yet? Wow, some welcome," Nat rolled his eyes, watching the male glide through the water.
"Yeah, well, he's not exactly social, Nat. He doesn't leave his house much."
"We'll see about that. I'm going to go say hi," he exclaimed, jumping up and jogging across the street before Kevin could get another word out. Kevin watched his friend bound around to the pool and dissapeared behind the house. It wasn't long before he saw Nat re-emerge and walk, a grin on his face, back to Kevin, "So?"
"So...his name is Eddward, he's 15, a Freshman just like us, and I won't even lie, he's hot," Nat said with a shrug.
"What's with the last part?"
"WEll, I just thought I'd say it. You're going to have some serious competition when it comes to girls...if they ever get over his attitude."
"Attitude?" Kevin asked, ignoring the rest of the sentence.
"He's rude as hell. Cold with this cruel look in his eyes."
"Well maybe he'll warm up to everyone. What was his name again."
"Eddward. With two d's, apparently."
Kevin stood, looking at his friend with a strange expression, "Say what?"
"His name's Eddward," Nat repeated.
"No, the other part, idiot."
"Oh, it's got two d's. Why?"
"It couldn't be..." Kevin started, "There is no way that he could be lanky little double dork. I gotta see this," he stated before walking away from a bewildered and confused Nat, bounding across the circle and knockinf on the swimmers door. After a moment, the door swung open to reveal the ominous teen who now resided in the house.
Kevin looked up and down him; from his bare feet, to his long legs sheathed in shorts, to the toned muscles of his chest and stomach. He noticed the dog tags secured around the others neck before his eyes came to rest on the black beanie adourning his head. Kevin's eyes snapped to meet two large and unamused cyan eyes.
"Double d?" he asked, shocked.
"Salutations, Kevin. To what do I owe this unexpected and highly unpleasurable visit?"
"My, uh. When Nat told me who you were, I couldn't believe it. I had to come see."
"Yes, well, seeing is believing, I assume. However, now you have seen and I can't help but to implore that you leave. And my name is Eddward," he corrected before closing the door abruptly in Kevin's face. The ginger turned, shocked, and found Nat close behind him.
"I told you he's rude."
"He used to be really nice," Kevin said with a shrug, Back when I used to beat the shit out of him.
From there, news of Eddward's return spread quickly, and no one believed the pair about his cruel new personality until they investigated themselves. Two weeks later, school started and Kevin and Eddward continuously butted heads whenever found close to one another, and that's how it remained for the next year and a half.