Kevin groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He pushed himself up off of the couch and snatched his backpack off of the floor, slinging it over his shoulder in one swift motion. It was a Friday evening. He should be hanging out with his friends or going to the movies with one of his many admirers, but instead he was on his way to study.
Study.
It wasn't that he hated studying, it was just that he would rather be doing other things. Fun things. He wasn't stupid by any means – Kevin was incredibly smart. If the subject didn't interest him, however, he tended to zone out...which explained why he was currently failing chemistry. Being a senior at Peach Creek High School was relatively easy for Kevin. He was captain of the varsity football team, and he would be leading his school to victory in the playoffs this year – of that, he was certain.
The only thing that would stop Kevin from getting to the playoffs was his slipping grades. His coach had made it very clear that if he did not bring his grades back up, he would be kicked off of the team. It was school policy – to participate in any sport, the student must maintain passing marks in all classes. Failure to adhere to that rule would result in that student being kicked off of the team if the grades were not brought up within a month.
Today was the first day of his study sessions. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for the next month would be spent with Double Dee, either at the dweeb's house or the library. Kevin had nothing against the dork nowadays. Everyone in the cul-de-sac was far more mature now than in their middle school days...maybe except for Ed. That guy would always remain a mystery to him.
Now, at eighteen years old, Kevin was working his ass off towards a full-ride football scholarship. He was an incredible football player. Anyone who had seen him play could attest to that. Unfortunately for him, though, he needed good test scores in chemistry in order to keep being an all-star...which had led him to this.
He groaned once more as he stepped out of his house, squinting at the bright sun that assaulted his vision. It was mid-September, and the air that had been so warm and tropical this summer was now tinged with a chilly nip here and there. The wind slapped at his face, and for once, Kevin was grateful that Double Dweeb didn't live far away.
He ignored the sidewalk, instead cutting right across the cul-de-sac to Double Dee's house. He thrust his hands into his pockets in a sad attempt to keep them warm. He trudged up the driveway and up the front steps of the neat-looking house. The plants were well taken care of, and some of the flowers were in bloom, giving the otherwise plain house some panache. Bright red and orange flowers swayed in the cool breeze.
Kevin rang the doorbell, glancing around the porch for something interesting to look at while he waited. A caterpillar won the attention of the jock, and he stared at it with pity as the autumn winds whipped around him. That must suck. It's cold as shit outside. He shrugged his shoulders, watching as the caterpillar inched its way toward the plants. Good job, little dude, Kevin thought, nodding to himself as he watched the little guy disappear from sight into a flower for shelter.
The door opened, and there stood Double Dee. He looked cozy in a red sweater and jeans, red socks covering his feet. His black beanie was ever present, his shaggy black hair sticking out in some places. Even in his own home, Double Dee looked proper.
"Hello, Kevin! How are you doing? Come in. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," Double Dee grinned, moving aside to allow Kevin to pass over the threshold.
Kevin scowled, walking past Double Dee and into the house. Of all the years he had lived right across the street, he had never been in this house. It was immaculate, of course, as the guy was an infamous neat freak, but it was also comfortable and homey. A spacious living room was the first thing he saw. A huge bookcase took up an entire wall, and Kevin already knew that there would not be a single speck of dust on any of the tomes.
An enormous flat-screen television was mounted on the wall opposite the couch. Kevin was envious of their couch; they had one of the L-shaped couches that you could stretch out across and still have room for three more people to sit on it. All-in-all, Kevin had expected jars of science experiments laying around everywhere and maybe a chemistry set like in all of the evil scientist movies, but he had to admit that Double Dee's house looked relatively normal.
The tension he hadn't realized he'd built up in his shoulders started to melt away when he felt the house's heating system turn on. Compared to outside, it felt like paradise in here. He kicked off his shoes next to the welcome mat where Double Dee's shoes were neatly placed. He didn't bother lining his shoes up next to the other ones; he was crossing his fingers that he wouldn't be here too long.
"Would you like any food or drinks before we get started?" Double Dee inquired, strolling into the kitchen as he did so. Kevin shook his head, before changing his mind.
"Something to drink would be good," he said, walking over to the dining room table. He was uncomfortable being a guest in an acquaintance's house, but he could easily make himself at home without a problem. He set his backpack down on a chair and unzipped it, pulling out a chemistry book, a few worksheets, a notebook, and a pencil. He barely resisted the urge to throw all of it out of a window.
The next hour was spent tediously going over old material and some new material as well. Double Dee had started from the basics, and he turned out to be a great teacher. He broke everything down and explained step by step what was going on. Kevin still disliked chemistry with a burning passion, but Double Dee had made it relatively easy to understand. He had actually learned a few things by the end of the hour.
"Would you like to continue, Kevin? I don't want to overwhelm you with all this information in one sitting. We can continue after a break, perhaps?" Edd questioned, shuffling through a few papers on the table.
"Nah, that's okay. I think I might hit the road. My brain is pretty overloaded from all that," said Kevin, gathering up his school supplies into his arms and shoving them in his backpack.
"Oh, okay. That works as well. So, I'll see you on Monday then, correct?" asked Double Dee, handing a couple of papers to Kevin.
"Yeah, that's right," confirmed Kevin, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. "Alright, I'll see you later, man. Thanks for all your help."
"My pleasure, Kevin," said Edd, opening the front door for his new studying partner. "See you on Monday!"
Kevin walked out, thanking Edd again for his help. He sauntered across the cul-de-sac, feeling much happier than he had when was walking over to the dork's house. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders now that he had gotten his study session out of the way; now he could properly enjoy his weekend.
He felt good for actually trying to boost his grades. He was making an effort, and he was honestly mildly excited to see an improvement in his grades. His father and his coach would be proud of him. And so would Double Dee, not that it mattered. He felt a little odd that he was excited for the opportunity for improvement. Shit, he thought, the dork is already rubbing off on me.
He burst into his room, tossing the backpack onto his bed, glaring at it when it bounced off of the bed and onto the floor with a dull thud. He shrugged. That could wait until Monday. He laid out across his bed, sighing with relief as the tense muscles in his back and shoulders relaxed. He stretched, yawning as he did so, staring at the ceiling.
The dork actually wasn't so bad, once you got used to him. Maybe the study sessions weren't going to be as painstaking as he had originally thought. He wasn't looking forward to the next session, but he wasn't dreading it anymore either. Of course, he had never disliked Double Dee as much as he loathed his two friends.
Eddy had matured some, but not much in the past few years. He didn't perform nearly as many childish scams as he once had, but he would still do just about anything for a few bucks. His scams now were more advanced, and he honestly had a couple of good ideas every once in a while. He and Kevin still hated being around each other, but they could be civil now whereas, once upon a time, they could never have achieved such a feat.
Ed was still...Ed...but even he had grown up a bit. He had started drawing his own comics, and the last Kevin had heard, he was going to be published pretty soon. Kevin had no idea what the guy's comics were about, and he was almost positive that he didn't want to find out, but he was glad that Ed had found a niche and made it his own. There had been a few times when everyone in the cul-de-sac had been a little worried about Ed, but it seemed as if he was going to make it on his own just fine.
They're all still dorks, but at least they've all grown up somewhat. Why am I even thinking about those dorks? I could be playing games on my phone. Kevin rolled over and dug in his pocket, frowning when he came up empty-handed. He checked his other pocket. No phone. He growled and threw his head back against the pillow. I must've left it at Double Dweeb's house. Damn it.
He glanced over at his alarm clock. It was only eight-thirty. He figured that the dork was probably still awake. He pushed himself up, tripping over his backpack on the floor. He glowered at it, kicking it across the room, nodding in satisfaction as it smacked the wall. Kevin strolled out of his room, thrusting his hands deep within his pockets as he walked out of his house once more.
It was odd to him how a thirty-second long walk could be so frustrating to him. Why couldn't he have some sort of teleportation device? He stomped up the steps and knocked on the door, waiting impatiently for an answer. None came. He knocked again, ringing the doorbell a few times for good measure. He even waited for over a minute. Nothing.
He groaned, trying to figure out his next move. He really wanted his phone. Sure, he had an XBOX to play games on, but his phone was his lifeline. He hated being without it, but it didn't look like he would have a choice tonight. Unless...
Kevin reached out for the doorknob, debating on whether or not this was a good idea. He knew that Double Dee's house didn't have an alarm system, but it wasn't like he was breaking and entering anyway... He knew Double Dee, and he wasn't going to steal anything. He just wanted his phone back.
Kevin fought with his conscience for a few seconds before deciding fuck it. He turned the doorknob and shouldered the door open, calling out as he did so.
"Double Dee? It's Kevin. I just came to get my phone back," he looked around the empty living room. "Hello?"
All he heard in return was silence. He shut the door behind him, creeping forward, feeling out of place in a home that was not his. He craned to see if his phone was laying where he had left it on the dining room table. He couldn't see. He looked around the room to make sure there was no one lurking in the corners before he swiftly crossed the room and entered the dining room. There it was, laying on the table where he had left it.
He snatched it up, scrolling through his new text messages as he leaned on a chair. Then, he heard it. It sounded like a scream almost. He froze, trying his best to be silent to see if he could hear it again. For a few heartbeats – nothing – and then...
"Edd," he whispered, snapping out of his stupor and moving at the speed of light. He ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, before he saw a light underneath a door at the landing. He burst through the door, expecting the worst – an intruder, an Edd with a broken leg – he was prepared to see anything. Anything...but what he saw when he ran into the room floored him.
Double Dee and Kevin screamed at the same time, and Kevin's jaw dropped as he took in what he was seeing. Double Dee was naked, first of all. Secondly, he was on his bed, turned around so that his back was facing the door and Kevin. Thirdly, he had what looked like a dildo shoved up his ass.
"KEVIN! What are you doing here?!" Edd squawked indignantly, turning around and trying to cover himself up with blankets, sheets, pillows, and anything else he could get his hands on.
"I'm sorry, man!" Kevin exclaimed, slapping his hand over his eyes immediately. "I just came back to get my phone, and I heard you, and I thought you were in trouble or something, and I-"
"Leave, please, Kevin! At once!" Edd screeched, turning fifty different shades of red all at once. He sat there with blankets and pillows surrounding him, a sheet draped over his shoulders so as to clothe himself momentarily.
"Sorry, dude," mumbled Kevin, absolutely mortified as he turned on his heel. His cheeks and face were heated with embarrassment. He had never walked in on anything like that before in his life. His heart was thrashing around like a hummingbird in a cage behind his ribs. And he was...hard? He looked down at his pants as he stood outside Double Dee's door. His dick was getting hard. What the fuck?
Just then, the door opened, and Kevin yelped, followed by another shriek from Double Dee.
"Kevin! I thought you left already," Double Dee questioned, adjusting the sheet around his waist.
"Uhhh..." Kevin eloquently explained. "I was just about to. Sorry, again, man."
He scratched the back of his neck as he trudged down the stairs, his legs barely wanting to put one foot in front of the other. He didn't even know what to begin to say to Double Dee next time he saw him.
"Kevin, wait."
He stopped dead in his tracks, turning and gripping the banister so that his legs wouldn't give out on him. He looked up at the landing where Double Dee stood, holding the sheet loosely around his waist. The dork looked like he was about to throw up, and he was still beet red.
"I would very much appreciate it if you...didn't mention this to anyone," said Double Dee, fiddling with the sheet self-consciously.
"Trust me, I won't be telling anybody," stated Kevin, trying to hide the growing hardness in his pants as he continued to rove over Double Dee's slim figure with his eyes. It was as if his brain was trying to commit everything to memory, from the way his arms were slightly toned to his wickedly tapered waist. He licked his lips subconsciously. He could feel his face heating up again.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Kevin. I never meant for anyone to find out," he said, looking down at his feet as his mouth contorted into a rueful smile.
"Find out what?" Kevin asked, furrowing his brow. "That you like dudes? Who gives a fuck what everyone else thinks. Just be yourself, man."
Edd's sad smile only grew as he readjusted his sheet. Kevin could see his hips now. He was fully erect now, and if he didn't get out of here soon, the dork was sure to notice. He shifted uncomfortably on the stairs, still gripping the banister for dear life, otherwise, he might have tumbled down.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Kevin. I'm quite certain that everyone would make fun of me for it. I already receive quite a bit of ridicule as it is," Kevin felt a pang of guilt, "And I don't want to escalate it to even higher levels than it already is."
Something vicious and angry snapped inside of Kevin; he stomped up the stairs and stopped just short of Edd, who looked terrified.
"Who cares what they think? They'd seriously make fun of you for being gay?" He huffed, narrowing his eyes as Double Dee nodded quietly. "Fuck those guys. If anyone gives you shit for being gay, tell them to come talk to me, and we'll see how much they have to say about it then."
Double Dee's stood there with his mouth ajar, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. Kevin Barr was sticking up for him? He never thought he'd see the day. A small smile played on his lips as he looked at Kevin who still looked as if he was about to throttle someone.
"What should I tell them, should someone pick on me if anyone finds out?" asked Double Dee.
"Well, first of all, no one will find out unless you tell 'em, 'cause I'm not saying anything. And second of all, if they give you any shit, just be like "Yeah? So what if I'm gay? I take dick like a champ. I'd like to see you try to do it." See what they have to say after that," Kevin ranted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You just do you, Double Dee. If anyone has anything to say about it, they can come take it up with me."
Double Dee covered his mouth with his hand so that Kevin wouldn't see the grin that was forming on his lips. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with anyone – let alone Kevin – but it was going better than he could have ever imagined.
"Thank you for being so chivalrous, Kevin, but you needn't do all that for me," he said, chuckling when Kevin shot him a halfhearted glare. "If you don't mind, I'm think I'm going to hop into the shower...unless you need anything else?"
Kevin's face heated up for what felt like the billionth time in one night. "Oh, no, man. You're good. Sorry about...all of this." He waved his hand vaguely.
"It's quite alright. Thank you for being so understanding. I'll...see you on Monday?" Edd asked, wondering if Kevin would even come back after this whole mess. To his surprise, Kevin nodded.
"I'll see you on Monday, Double Dee."