A/N: Before I get started, a few things..
1- This story is an AU with characters, places and happenings that both differ and relate to the original source material that is Ed, Edd & Eddy.
2- The story takes place, at least begins, during high school years where every altered activity that would have made up THIS EE&E history have already happened.
3- Relationships established early with changes in the future.
4- This is Not a typical AU. Instead of the expected shenanigans, this story is a Supernatural fic, meaning it is very clear quickly that there is some malevolent force behind the scenes.
5- Past the Prologue, chapters may be long between.
6- Please enjoy, and no flaming because I like to write to the point I haven't finished a story since my Bleach saga at least two years ago I believe. Plot point suggestions and even characters always welcome.
Prologue
Another Cul-de-sac
Everyone knows about the adventures and mis-adventures of Ed, Edd & Eddy, but no one outside of town knew about the suburban cul-de-sac and surroundings in the borough of Coral Lake in the city of Crystal Springs. There, there lived three best friends, their host of myriad friends and acquaintances and even the gang from the wrong side of the tracks. This is their story of the last couple years of high school and several events that would lead up to their current situations.
Together, these teenagers will go through loss, love, and all the other wacky problems of puberty coming to an end and finding their way in the world as adults. This is the beginning of the Crystal Springs Chronicles..
Coral Lake, Crystal Springs, Bell Drive (the Cul-de-sac)..
It was only a quarter to six when a sleepy-eyed seventeen year old stepped out of his house to leave for school, which had still only recently started two weeks previously. It was true that school didn't start until six-thirty and the high school was only five minutes from the cul-de-sac by car, but the teenager was always helping his friends get to school early. Even when they hated him for doing it, but they had gotten used to it since the boy had gotten his license for his sixteenth birthday the year before. The boy in question wore a classic Power Rangers t-shirt with a thin windbreaker over it, and dark blue denim shorts along with a baseball cap that showed the symbolic logo of some other classic cartoon show he couldn't always remember the name to.
Yawning again, Nick Negron took out his cell phone and opened a remote alarm app he had developed, pressing the activate button. Listening, he could hear his two best friends' own cell phones blasting out the alarm of the day, Poker Face by Lady Gaga. Nick chuckled as twin screams erupted from the two neighboring houses. "Damn it, Nick! Fuck your stupid alarm app!"
Nick could only shake his head at his friends as he felt his phone begin ringing in his hand. Looking at the caller ID, he smiled at the letters K.V. before swiping to answer. "Hello?"
"Hey Sugah." Came the voice of Kyryna Vaziri. "Listen, I need some help for tomorrow's chapter quiz in History. Do you..?"
Nick chuckled at his usual enemy, now frenemy. "Sure, hun. I'll drive over after school, maybe about three, three-thirty?"
Nick could hear the relief in Kyryna's voice. "Yes, thank you! I'll owe you one, Nicky."
"You already owe me a few, Kyrie. But that's alright, I'll cash in a couple soon." Nick flirted playfully.
Kyryna giggled. "I can wait for that, babypop. You know I like when you play hard to get."
"I don't play hard to get, you just try too hard. At least, you did when we were kids. Oh and remember our little rules."
"I know. No touching you inappropriately, no kisses on the lips, give you your little bubble and no chasing you all over time like my sisters and I did back then." Kyryna recounted. "I don't understand why you still keep that last one attached to you and me. That was already in place because of the truce."
"It was, but that wouldn't apply to you and me and our own little friendship. Alright, I gotta go. The others should be about ready to go by now."
"Aw, fine. I'll see you in school then. I still have to get dressed anyway. Love you, sug."
"You can't love someone you don't truly know, Kyryna, but I do appreciate the sentiment. See you later." He said before hanging up as he saw his two best friends walk out of their respective houses.
"Nick! You have got to stop waking us up like that." Half-shouted Richie Powers, still rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah, dude, that shit ain't cool." Added Elliot Tate.
"I don't give a damn. You two agreed to allow me to wake you up in time to get ready and be fully awake for school as part of my agreement to carpool you two to school. If you don't like it, there's always the bus."
Both of Nick's friends grumbled. "Whatever. Who were you on the phone with so early?"
"Oh, it was my dad, telling me he wouldn't make it home from his trip until next Friday." Nick lied through his teeth.
Nick and Kyryna had gone behind both Nick's friends and Kyryna's sisters' backs to hang out with each other for whatever reason. The truce they had mentioned over the phone had been something put in place during seventh grade, and it had allowed the three young boys to be immune to harassment from the three Vaziri sisters, who used to always run after the boys trying obsessively to win them over.
These days, the girls left them alone for the most part other than the usual social situations during school and even on weekends. At the start of high school two years previous, Kyryna had come to Nick and extended an extra olive branch, asking him to help tutor her through high school, if the need arose. Nick had accepted, having grown tired of always having fought with the girl and her sisters and wanted to actually get to know the real her. Of course, he hadn't realized that even their old rivalry couldn't outweigh the comfortable friendship they had eventually settled into.
Lakeside Mobile Home Park..
Kyryna smiled as she heard Nick cut the call off, knowing his playfulness was just him, and not something to overthink about. She wouldn't deny that she still felt the old feelings of love she and her sisters felt toward Nick and his two best friends, but she had gotten used to their newfound friendship, and was content to have his company from time to time.
She sighed as a yawn escaped her lips as she contemplated the wardrobe in her closet. Being athletic, most of the clothes she had were really just exercise wear with a few t-shirts and pairs of pants strewn in. Finally finding the right set to wear for the day, she got dressed and made her way into the main trailer and the shared living room. When Kyryna and her sisters had first met Nick, Richie and Elliot, their family had been poor. That all changed in eighth grade when the girls' mother had won the lottery. When faced with the option of moving from their somewhat small suburbs, the girls had refused in order to always be close to the boys, so their mother compromised by buying three other trailers. Giving one to each of her daughters, she also had them all connected with their mother's serving as the main house of the structure.
Walking in, she saw her sisters Faye and Bryanna already ready and waiting, watching whatever was going on on the news. The other two saw their sister walk in with a smile and Bryanna rolled her eyes. "I guess Nick's coming over tonight?"
Kyryna just nodded, knowing her sisters were jealous of the fact her crush actually gave her a chance to get to know him. The other two guys were just as adamant now than they ever were at avoiding the Vaziri sisters.
"It's not fair! Why do you get your man?" Asked Faye, whose obsession was focused on Elliot.
"I don't have him. We're friends that, with the truce still active, have some small rules to keep us friends. It's a good thing, and Nick knows we aren't the same as we were when we were kids. I know he feels something these days, he just won't admit it to himself yet."
"Still not fair. Like, are we not good enough to listen to their truce and at least have a chance at friendship or more?"
"Faye, you might be the least favorable person for that opportunity. Elliot can't handle the fact you have some weird superhuman strength to just drag him anywhere."
Faye huffed and turned away as the telltale sound of a school bus came from outside. Turning the TV off on their way out, Bryanna, Faye and Kyryna left their residence for school.
Crystal Springs High School, Two Hours Later..
Nick sat down in history class, one of three he didn't share with his friends but did share with Kyryna. He smiled and waved at her as she entered the classroom soon after and came to sit next to him, bumping Nick's shoulder. "Hey, babypop."
Nick just chuckled. "Hey, Kyrie. So, what has you stumped about this chapter? We're still in the first few."
"I'm not having trouble. Just want my study buddy. Is that so wrong?"
"If we were still in middle school? Yes. These days? Not so much. It helps that these days you aren't so.. Clingy."
"I was never clingy. Obsessive? Borderline, but never clingy. That was more keeping face with my sisters and how they acted."
"I see." He smiled at Kyryna who smiled back. "You know, you really do have the cutest smile." Kyryna turned away, her face reddening.
"Stop it!" She lightly slapped Nick's shoulder. "What is up with you lately?"
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Nick asked innocently.
"You've been more.. Flirty around me lately. I like it, but it is still weird for you."
Nick scratched his cheek, knowing she was right. It was odd for him to be flirty with her after their history, especially with their current arrangement. But, as Nick knew so well by now, that had changed. He wasn't entirely sure how, but the more time he spent with Kyryna whether it was alone or even at the local library, he grew to truly enjoy her company. His two best friends would say he had gone off the deep end, but it wasn't like that. Knowing Kyryna without the fear of being showered with unwanted kisses and being chased all over Crystal Springs was different than knowing how she was when they had been younger.
He wouldn't admit to even her that he found himself losing focus on homework or some other personal project just to have her being the only thing on his mind.. Or what he did with those thoughts, although it helped to usually have the house to himself with his dad busy travelling all the time for work. "Nothing's wrong," He finally answered. "I'll tell you tonight, school isn't the place for that conversation, 'kay Sunshine?"
It was always nice to hear Nick call her something cute or like you would a girlfriend, but it was something of an honor to Kyryna when he called her Sunshine. It was so rare that when she was alone, she tended to start drawing little things in her sketchbook, each new drawing having to do with her and Nick together. "You gonna ever tell me why you call me Sunshine?"
"Maybe. Not tonight at least." He winked at her as the teacher slammed a textbook on Nick's desk, startling the pair.
"Are you two quite done with your flirting? We have work to do in this class."
Nick slightly cringed. "Of course. Sorry, Mrs. Lowe." Looking back at Kyryna, she just mouthed 'sorry' before they focused on class.
Next Period, Cafeteria..
Nick sat down next to Elliot and Richie, who had found out about Nick's conversation with Kyryna the period previous from Alisa Cipolla, the town health nut. The two looked at him with hard stares. "Alright, the fuck did I do now?"
"You know, Nick," Richie started. "You have done some seriously ridiculous crap, and that's notwithstanding our usual shenanigans. But why, oh why, were you talking, civilized even, with Kyryna Vaziri?"
"Vaziri? Where? Gotta get out, gotta think of a plan.." Elliot started rambling.
Nick sighed. "Damnit, Alisa. Listen, Richie, you and Elliot are practically brothers to me. But, remember what happened four summers ago in the park?" Richie nodded slowly, remembering the trio's trouble with the gang from the south side of the county and their rescue at the hands of the three Vaziri sisters.
"Yeah, those crazy chicks helped us out with Los Crystalis and we forged the Truce. What does that have to do with last period?"
Nick shook his head, unable to believe Richie's stubbornness even after almost four years. He laughed before continuing. "Richie, I've been hanging out with Kyrie as friends for the last two years. Tonight I'm helping her study for tomorrow's test in our history class. She isn't a bad person, her behavior back when we were younger was more her hormones working overtime before any of us. But, that's all basic human biology."
At this point, Elliot had refocused on the conversation, and was thoroughly confused. "Wait, friends? With a Vaziri sister? How do you manage to keep her off of you with their usual crap?"
"We have a few rules. She isn't allowed to be overly affectionate, has to give me my space when we're together and a few other little things. Being older, she's very cool to hang with." And the fact I may be falling for her is the one thing I know could destroy our friendship. He added mentally.
"Well it seems like you have everything figured out, as always. So why did you even make the deal with her?"
"Because she came to me and was very sincere about the situation we were in due to her and her sisters' constant nagging and the Truce and said she wanted a chance to start over, really get to know each other and see what happened. I was glad to accept the proposal."
"But why? What, you going soft and feeling something for her? I mean she's cute, but that family is still insane no matter what anyone else says."
"You know Richie, that's very close-minded of you. In fact, Kyryna's sisters are scared to try the same with you because I told them you both were still being immature about our childhood relationship with them. One day, I hope you can prove me wrong about that. Now, I must get going. Have to finish the science project I told Mr. Simmons I would have finished before October rolls around."
"What project?"
Nick sighed. "Come on, guys. The first quarter project, makes up about a third of our final grade."
"Oh, that? You already started? The school year is only two weeks in and you're working on something due in eight more weeks? Does this have to do with Kyryna too?"
"Not that my personal life is really any of your business, but yes. She wanted to do something together and I obliged her on it. You both know how I like helping out our fellow students."
"But Nick! It's not just another student, she's a Vaziri." Elliot said.
"Why do I still put up with you two? I'll see you guys after school, and no I am not helping with another get-rich quick scheme tonight. As I've said, I have plans." With that, Nick got up and pulled his backpack over his shoulder.
"Yeah, go enjoy sucking face with the enemy, traitor!" Richie half-shouted as Nick left the cafeteria.
"Rich, that really isn't very nice. Nick is too smart to just throw under the bus or anything. We've known each other far too long to throw away a friendship over a girl, even if it's one of the Vaziri sisters."
"Stuff it, El, or you might as well go join that bandwagon." Richie said, his voice grumpy.
Meanwhile, in the currently unused Biology classroom, Kyryna sat looking at some notes on her laptop while munching on a roast beef sandwich. Hearing the classroom door open, she smiled as Nick tucked himself inside, sighing as he sat down. "What's wrong, babypop?" She asked, squeezing Nick's shoulder.
"My friends are immature douchebags. I figured after two years of keeping this a secret that they wouldn't be so childish about it. For once, I was wrong."
"Aww, you're not wrong. Sure, they're still stuck in the old days, but you stepped up and eventually, I think they will too."
Nick smiled, turning towards Kyryna. "You always know just what to say. I really don't know what I would do without you." For the second time that day, the girl blushed and looked away until she could control the blush on her face.
"You're too sweet, sugah. So, did you come up with anything new for this project? Because all of my notes seem.. Off."
"As a matter of fact, I did. So.."
Dismissal..
Nick went into the student parking lot and towards his car. Strangely, he didn't see either Richie or Elliot waiting, and instead there was a note on the windshield. It read:
Nick, we're gonna catch the bus today. Sorry about earlier. You are and always will be my brother. R&E.
Nick pursed his lips before taking his cell phone out. Hey, you get on your bus yet? He texted away.
Moments later, the phone pinged. No, still getting my stuff together. Why?
The boys decided to take the bus. I was thinking maybe I drive you home and we can take care of studying while we're at it.
Okay :) I'll see you in a minute, babypop. Smiling, Nick tucked his phone away and waited, fiddling with the radio.
When Kyryna came out to the parking lot and approached Nick's car, which was a newer model Scion FR-S, she giggled as she saw Nick lip-syncing Shape of You by Ed Sheeran. He's very good at syncing, but can he actually sing? She asked herself as she placed her arms on the edge of the window, making Nick look over and jump.
"Christ, Kyrie, don't do that." Nick chuckled as she got into the passenger seat.
"Sorry, you were too cute to just stop so I thought I'd stand and look pretty for you as you lip-sync."
"I bet you did." Although you're beautiful. Not pretty. He thought as he started the car, rolling out of the parking lot.
Ten Minutes Later, The Alleyway..
Elliot and Richie stood against the lone Oak tree in the long dirt path of the Alleyway, Elliot lighting a joint he extracted from his pocket. "You sure Nick won't be mad?"
"He won't be. He's probably with Vaziri right now, anyway. Most likely gave her a ride home and beyond from school."
"But Nick said there was nothing going on between them."
"Really, Elliot? You believed him?" Richie sighed. "You know, he was right at lunch. The two of us are seriously being immature about those sisters. If Nick finds the one who crushed that hard on him to be enjoyable company, maybe the other two aren't so bad either."
Elliot tilted his head at him. "Have you been thinking about that since lunch?" Richie nodded. "So you would give Bryanna a chance if you had an arrangement like Nick and Kyryna do?"
"Yeah, maybe. I don't know. Did you figure out a way we can score some quick cash for more bud? That's the second to last joint we can roll until we're completely out."
"Nope. You or Nick always think of the plans. I'm just the tech guy otherwise. You didn't have a plan already for today? Man, school is throwing you off big time, bro."
"I'm sorry that Nick actually gets to me when he's really serious about something. Now think, we live in a subtropical area, so what can we do to make some quick money on a Thursday?"
"Well it's hot out today, we can always spring for lemonade stand. The others would be here by the time it was ready to serve."
"Elliot, that just might work. Let's go, we can get some lemons from Issam's place. And at a better price after the fact than we get at the market." With that, the two friends walked down towards Bell Drive.
Minutes later, the two arrived at Issam Halabi's house. Issam was a distant part of the Israeli royal family, and therefore his family had the money to not only keep their larger house operating but also to have a full farm in their backyard. Richie knocked on the door and Issam answered moments after. "Ahh, Elliot and Richie. What can I do for you, my friends?" He noticed the third member of their usual party wasn't present. "And where is Nick? The smart one not feeling well?"
"No, he had other things to do today. We came to ask for some lemons. We're planning on making some lemonade for everyone down in the Alleyway."
"Lemonade? Ah, yes the taste of citrus. Sure, I have a bushel ready to go. Of course, there is my fee."
"We'll give you five percent of profits. And smoke you up."
Issam scratched his chin before nodding. "Sounds like a good deal. Come, grab the lemons and make some money." With that, Elliot and Richie followed their friend into his house.
An Hour Later..
Just as expected, the boys' lemonade was finished and ready to sell by the time the Alleyway began filling with the many children of the neighborhood. There was Elliot's older brother Steven and his girlfriend Shirley Lupe. Then Elliot's younger sister Priya and her on again off again boyfriend Colin Ifill. Issam and his close friends Reggie Gomez- the party king of the suburbs- and his girlfriend Alisa. Teddy Watkins and his somehow sentient novelty baseball bat, or Batty, were sitting in one of the branches of the Oak tree, laughing at some joke said between the two of them. Of course, Teddy was the only one who could actually hear Batty, but the rest of the neighborhood kids just rolled with it. There were others, all doing their own thing and even the other two Vaziri sisters had shown up. Of course, neither Nick or Kyryna had appeared.
As Elliot and Richie made their money from the lemonade, Bryanna and Faye Vaziri approached the stand. "Hey there tall, dark and sexy." Faye flirted with Elliot, sweeping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Oh, hi Faye. It's nice to see you two socializing for once." He replied, meaning that it was rare for them to see any of the three sisters out with the rest of the neighborhood kids.
"Yeah, well. The situation at home right now is a little bit too much for us to stay there, so here we are," Answered Bryanna. "Hey, Richie."
"Hi, Bryanna. Can I get you both some lemonade? Dollar a cup."
"Mm, honey you can give me whatever you want." Bryanna flirted, causing Richie's face to twist into a half-scowl. "I'm just playing. Yes, we'll both have some lemonade." She fished in her pocket for two dollar bills and placed them on the counter of the stand.
"Thank you, girls. So, what are those two up to?"
"Not much, really. Lot of talking and crap that sounded like school stuff. Although there was what sounded like a little skirmish between them before we left."
"What? Those two fighting? After having been some form of friends the last two years? Even Nick isn't ridiculous enough to do something like that."
Faye shrugged. "I don't know, that's just what it sounded like to me. Knowing how those two have been acting with each other lately, maybe it was a fight over who got to be on top." She laughed.
Both boys' eyes widened in supposed shock. There was no way Nick would have done something to make a move, although when they thought it over Nick was a patient guy. He probably would wait until he was sure of what he felt before doing anything more. So, the two friends figured their third member was just being the friend he had established himself as to their ex-enemies. "Well, I'm sure they're both okay."
Meanwhile, Vaziri House..
Nick panted as he rolled off of Kyryna. "Why.. Did that.. Just happen?" He asked her, unable to stop himself from smiling at her answering giggle.
"Because it's nostalgic, for one. When was the last time we were rough like that?"
Nick chuckled. "Probably before the Truce was active. And you can see now that I'm no pushover anymore."
Kyryna nodded. "Yeah, you actually pinned me. Not gonna lie, that was a serious turn-on."
This made Nick laugh heartily. "I bet it was, Kyrie."
"Why do you always call me Kyrie, anyway? I know it's the name of that girl from that one video game but why call me that?" She asked, laying on her stomach and leaning her head on her arms facing him.
"Since I've known you, this you, you remind me of her. And I thought it was cute. You're always calling me pet names so I figured I should call you something similar. Why? Do you not like it?"
Kyryna hummed. "If I didn't like it, then I would have said not to call me that. So, are we ever going to talk about my other nickname?"
"Oh. That. Well, to be honest, now that we're here I'm nervous to say."
Kyryna couldn't remember the last time Nick had been truly nervous around her. Being honest with herself, she still found the old shy Nick adorable. That wouldn't stop herself from teasing him, especially how their 'study date' had gone so far. In one fluid motion, she mounted Nick, holding onto his chest. "Oh? And why does it make you nervous, Nicky?"
Nick gulped, knowing their current position would amount to something stirring. "Let's look at the facts. Me, a still nerdy but now truly functioning member of our town. Then there's you, the previously obsessive girl who only ever had eyes on me. Add the fact that, honestly speaking, you're fucking gorgeous and you're currently grinding on me. Altogether, the situation breaks at least one of our mutual rules about our friendship. That scares me."
Kyryna frowned slightly. "Why would it scare you, sugah?"
Nick chuckled. "Because. I don't know whether to kiss you, fuck you silly or run outta here screaming. And I really don't know whether I want to compromise such a good thing." He seemed to want to continue, but stopped himself.
"That's not all. Tell me everything, Nick."
Sighing, Nick relented. "And I'm scared about how much I'll enjoy crossing that line. I like you, Kyryna. I just don't want to ruin something I've grown to cherish."
"Why would crossing that line ruin us? This is the closest I've been to you, and I want more. Even after all these years.."
"Once that line is crossed, we can never go back to just being friends. That's why it scares me. I could lose the best friend I could ever ask for." He smiled up at her.
Kyryna leaned down, smiling inches from Nick's face. "Nick, you'd never lose me. Not with how badly I've wanted that line crossed."
Nick could hear the sincerity in her voice. Hell, he felt it radiating from her as she pleaded him to just make her his. "I'm not ready to have you in my life like that, Sunshine. Not yet. But if you want proof that what I've told you tonight is real, here it is."
Being uncharacteristically bold, Nick pulled Kyryna's head down, resulting in their first mutual kiss. Kyryna's surprise was cut off by the sudden moan escaping her lips. How I've dreamt of this moment! She thought. It's even better than my dreams! Is this really happening?
When they broke apart, after what seemed like an eternity, Kyryna just pressed her head to Nick's chest, quiet sobs sounding. "Please tell me this is actually happening."
"Of course it is. But I was serious. Our friendship, our relationship, is changing. We used to be complete enemies, then we worked out how to be friends and now, after I've had time to think about how I feel for you, I don't want to rush into it any more than necessary. I want this to work, especially after all the effort you gave me back when we were younger. So, for now, I can't accept us a couple. I hope that's okay?"
Kyryna just snuggled closer to Nick. "I can live with that. You do have a point. But you better not keep me waiting too long, babypop."
"'Course not, Sunshine. I want to always brighten up your day like you do for me."
Her head snapped up. "That's why you call me Sunshine! You're too much! So, with this new.. Change in our relationship, what about the rules?"
"Honestly, I wouldn't have really cared if you had decided to ignore them the last year or so. As long as we don't get too caught up with this new us, then the rules are gone."
Smiling, Kyryna kissed Nick one more time. "Thank you." She whispered as the two were comfortable with staying as they currently were.
To be continued..