After nearly thirty minutes of listening to Eddy's latest genius ideas, I was able to retreat to my room for a goodnights sleep. He'd wanted me to stay and play one of his many violent video games, but I wanted to see my parents off in the morning. And that meant I needed my full eight hours. Lucky for me, I'd probably have time to finish all my coursework for the day before Eddy even crawled out of bed. Sometimes there were advantages to having friends so different from yourself.

The morning came faster than I would have liked, but I still rose promptly with my alarm and hurried out to the kitchen for breakfast. My parents were practically dancing with delight as they loaded their bags into the car. I didn't want to wreck their mood by asking if they'd already covered the bills for the next few months. I suppose I'll find out for myself.

Our goodbye wasn't too emotional. I knew they'd be having the time of their lives and I was still just a tiny bit bitter about the whole situation. I tried not to let it show, of course. Self-control is one of the golden rules. I waved goodbye to Ed and Eddy's parents as well. As expected, Eddy hadn't bothered waking up for the occasion. Ed was nowhere in sight, so I assumed he must be down at the farm already.

As I watched the car vanish down the street, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I was surprised to find Sarah, who I thought should already be in school.

It must have been visible on my face. "Relax, college boy. I'm only ditching first period."

"That's not very studious of you."

"Wow. You're still a complete dweeb." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Anyways, I know you're here to keep an eye on Eddy and my brother, but that doesn't mean you're in charge of me too."

How intriguing. Sarah no longer growled threateningly at me, but the look in her eyes still held the same ferocity. She'd always confused me, sometimes harboring a crush for me and other times crushing my bones. I'd come to learn that all women were enigmatic in some way, but Sarah took the cake. I would avoid her wrath at any cost.

"No problem, Sarah. I trust you are fully capable of taking care of yourself."

She smiled, having got her way as usual. "So, you meet any pretty girls at school? Or did you find yourself a new crew of losers to hang with?"

I highly doubted she was interested in hearing about any of my colleagues from the science club, so I opted for a simpler answer. "None like Eddy or your brother."

After tidying up the kitchen and taking care of the breakfast dishes, I settled down at my computer for the first official day of my online courses. The first lessons were easy enough. I made sure to read all the material and take my own notes as well. I debated moving on and getting a head start on the first assignments, but instead chose to stick with the pacing already set out for me. Besides, there is still plenty of cleaning to be done.

I retrieved the ladder from the garage and found my old gloves; specifically labeled for yard work, of course. Those gutters were about to meet their match. After I finish that, I suppose I should water mother's flowers and trim father's hedges. The grass seems to be the appropriate length, but I'm sure they haven't been trimming near the side of the house. The garage could use some reorganizing as well. I wonder if my old label machine has any paper left. I'll have to pick up a new roll so I can precisely label all the various gardening tools stowed in the corner. Perhaps I should purchase a rack or-

"HEY! EARTH TO DOUBLE D!"

A loud shout from below startles me, and I nearly loose my balance on the ladder. I toss a minor scowl down to the intrusive voice, finding Eddy grinning back up at me. I was only marginally surprised to see him, since I figured he wouldn't be awake until 2 pm. Checking my watch, I found it to be a little past noon. Must be a new record.

"Come on, sock head. You can play in the leaves later."

"I am not playing in the leaves. Gutter maintenance is very-"

"Yeah yeah, save the words of wisdom for the lecture hall. We've got places to be."

Shaking my head, I returned to the task. "Sorry, Eddy. I'm busy."

Predictably, he groaned and lightly kicked my ladder with his foot.

"How much longer will it take?"

"I'm almost finished with this, but I have a whole agenda to complete."

Another groan. "Can't you cut it short? I wanted to drop in on big Ed at work."

Hmm. I was feeling guilty that I hadn't seen Ed yet, even though it had only been one day. I supposed I was jumping the gun with my lengthy to do list. My parents hadn't even been gone for half a day yet. I mentally filed away the rest of my plans and descended the ladder with my bag of yard waste.

"Let me just water the flowers and I'll be ready to go."

"Yippee."

Our little town was just the same as I remembered it. Not too strange; I hadn't been gone for decades after all. The farm wasn't very far, and we probably could have walked, but Eddy insisted we take his parents car. I had a sinking feeling he didn't exactly have permission to drive it, but they hadn't informed me of any such rule. It was probably better not to ask.

"So, is Ed allowed to have visitors on the job, or are we intruding into his workspace?"

Eddy gasped in mock offense. "Double D, do you really think I would do something like that?"

"Hmm, perhaps not. I think you'd be too afraid to upset Rolf."

"Pssh. Right, like I'm scared of that nutjob."

"Have you forgotten the time he challenged you to a duel?"

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "No clue what you're talking about."

I stifled my laughter as I recalled the event. To this day, I am still unsure what culture Rolf and his family hail from. His customs are quite bizarre to say the least. Yet somehow, we were still the outcasts.

Eddy stopped at the local pizza parlor, and I concluded we must be visiting Ed for his lunch break. I silently hoped there was a designated eating area at this farm. I could picture Ed dropping a slice of pizza into the dirt and scooping it right back up to eat. In our younger days, he might have just eaten it directly off the ground. The image made my stomach crawl. Hopefully he's matured since then.

"I'll have two large pepperoni pizzas and some bread sticks." Eddy turned to me and extended a hand. "You brought your wallet, right?"

I cross my arms indignantly. He just laughed.

"I'm only kidding; obviously we're not paying for this." He produced a credit card that I'm sure was in his father's name and slid it across the counter. I could only imagine the total he'll wrack up by the end of the summer. I'll have to go shopping for groceries and convince him to partake in homemade meals. As long as I sell it to him as "free food", he might actually fall for it. He could probably use some proper nutrition if the massive amount of candy wrappers and chip bags in his room is any indication of his current diet.

"Don't tell lumpy about the bread sticks. I'm saving them for later."

"Not your dinner, I hope."

"Nah, probably just a midnight snack. I'm getting wings for dinner. Or maybe some tacos."

"What you'll get is a stomach ache."

"Tch. Haven't had one of those in years. My stomach is built for this kind of food."

"Wow. You truly are a picture of health."

"You know it." Eddy's finger guns stop mid fire when something catches his eye. "Oh great. Don't look now. Sucker at 3 o'clock"

The bell indicating a new customer rings and I turn to see Kevin approaching the counter. He's clearly coming from work judging by the grease stains on his baggy pants. He's still sporting the same backwards cap, which has clearly seen better days as well. We made eye contact for a split second, and I smiled politely. To my surprise, he stopped and at least half smiled.

"Double D. I didn't know you were back. How's it hanging, man?"

I could feel Eddy's glare on the back of my skull. Oh boy. Better make this short.

"I'm doing well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Can't complain. I've got a job and a sweet bike. What more could a man want?"

Apparently, the conversation had already gone on too long for Eddy's liking. I could feel him about to say something and braced myself for an argument.

"Hmm, I don't know Kev, maybe a life."

Shockingly, Kevin simply peeked around me to sneer at Eddy instead of responding with violence. They'd come to blows many times if memory served. Although, it should be noted that we'd had physical altercations with nearly the entire cul de sac over the years.

Kevin turned back to me and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You still hang around with this idiot? Go figure."

"Who're you calling an idiot?!"

I let them bicker as I retrieved our order and thanked the man at the counter. I would have apologized for Eddy's behavior, but I'm sure they were used to his antics by now. I gave Kevin a casual goodbye that I doubt he heard as I dragged Eddy out the door. We returned to the car and Eddy tore out of the parking lot at an alarming speed, no doubt leaving marks on the pavement.

"That was little over dramatic, don't you think?"

"I think Kevin is a complete douche bag."

He continued to rant about the many grievances caused by Kevin and his attitude, and I allowed him to vent and enjoyed the warmth of the pizza boxes in my lap.

The fields of the commercial farm stretched out as far as the eye could see. Admittedly, agriculture wasn't one of my favorite subjects, but it was still fascinating to see the big machines up close. To my dismay, it looked like we would be eating at an old picnic table that was almost part of the field itself. I tried not to complain, but I wished I'd brought something to put down on the seat. These pants were going to need a good washing when I got home.

"Here he comes! Ugh, Rolf's with him. Guess we'll have to share some pizza with him too. What a mooch."

Before I could even look up to see the approaching figures I was tackled by a familiar large mass. The slight pain of his tight grip was more than enough to confirm the identity of my attacker.

"Hi Ed."

"DOUBLE D!"

Eddy snickered at the display of affection. I'd come to expect it from him, but I would have appreciated a warning. And a cleaner surface to have fallen on.

"I'm happy to see you too, Ed. Could you let me up so we can enjoy the pizza?"

"Oh sure. I like pizza."

Ed effortlessly got to his feet and flopped down at the table. I, on the other hand, had to practically peel myself off the ground and dust off all the trespassing filth on my clothes. I was interrupted by a harsh pat on the back.

"Welcome back, knowledgeable Ed boy. You have come to see Rolf's progress with the tall Ed boy, yes?"

"More or less. Good to see you, Rolf."

Despite our surroundings, I was able to thoroughly enjoy myself during the meal. The pizza was exceptional, and Ed's charming idiocy never failed to amuse. I always felt he was a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for, and Rolf seems to agree. They make quite the pair, so long as Ed follows Rolfs rules and respects his culture. But they both seem genuinely happy. I'm glad for them.

This just confirms my suspicion that Eddy is going to be my biggest problem this summer. His parents strongly believe that I'm the only one he ever listens to, which is very alarming considering he ignores what I say half the time. If only his older brother had been a better role model. Thank goodness he doesn't live around here. He probably would be encouraging Eddy's behavior. Convincing him to buy expensive junk with his father's credit card or throwing wild parties that would destroy their home. Even just today, swap Eddy's brother into my place and he may have gotten in a full-fledged fist fight with Kevin in the parking lot of the pizza parlor!

Anger has always been an issue for Eddy, and I would really prefer not to have to visit him in the hospital this summer. Perhaps it would be best to keep him away from Kevin whenever possible. It's a shame, since Kevin seems like he would actually be interested in talking to me now instead of calling me a dork. But I can't put my own interests before the Eddy's safety, as I made a promise to his parents to keep him out of trouble. Hopefully Kevin will just keep his distance. At least when Eddy's around.

"Hey Double D. Watch this!"

My eyes witness the horror of Ed eating a stack of three slices of pizza in one bite. With visibly unwashed hands.

There goes my appetite for the whole summer.

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