Pairing: Edd/Marie, and more as the story progresses.

Rating: T

Author's Notes: Hahahaha! Man, this story is going well, isn't it? Just one after the other, all you Ed, Edd n' Eddy fanatics are getting spoiled. But it is okay. I am a generous writer, after all…. Anyway, when we last left off, I had introduced the rest of the cul-de-sac gang to you all. All are still the same as when they were kids growing up. But unfortunately, the Kankers are still after the Eds. Aside from running away from the Kankers, doing homework, and holding down a job, what is there were a guy to do? Well, that's Double D's dilemma…. But I think this chapter is going to be the funniest yet. So sit back, relax, pop in a jawbreaker, and enjoy the wild ride that is Ed, Edd n' Eddy: Senior Year!

Chapter 3: Hardware and Headaches

RING!

Double D, along with his friends, let out a relieved sigh when the last bell of the day went off. "Finally," Eddy said, as he, Ed and Double D made their way down the halls of the school. "I was about ready to kill myself back there! I tell ya, Ms. Marlin is out ta get me," Eddy ranted, as they exited the school and walked over to the van. For Ed and Eddy, they were only glad school was over because it was…well, school.

But for Eddward, he was glad school was over because today, for some reason, Marie had been messing with him more than usual. As he got into the back, Double D let out a shiver when he remembered what happened at lunch.

FLASHBACK

It was lunch, and Double D was sitting at the same table he, Ed and Eddy had sat at ever since freshmen year. He had before him a tuna sandwich, an apple, a plastic container with salad in it, a chocolate bar, and a can of soda. Edd was still trying to forget about his encounter with Marie from earlier, rubbing his forehead again, even though the lipstick smudge was long gone.

"So Shakespeare," Double D turned to see Ed and Eddy, coming up from behind him. "You think you can lend me and Lumpy a few bucks? We both left our money at home and need some chow."

Double D let out a sigh/chuckle as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. "You know I spoil you two, right?" He asked smugly, handing both Eddy and Ed five dollars.

"Hey, it not like we don't pay you back," Eddy defended himself, as he and Ed accepted the money. "We give you rides, don't we? That's saving you money on gas, isn't it?" When Double D smirked and nodded his head, Eddy continued. "Besides," Eddy said, in a matter-of-fact type of voice, "after me and Monobrow get some green from McD's, we'll pay you back…. Scout's honor," he added, raising one hand up.

Double D snickered at Eddy's odd sense of humor and nodded. "Okay, Eddy. I get the picture," he said, turning back to his own lunch. "I'll just put this on your guys' "Buddy Tap" than," he mumbled, as he took a bite from his tuna sandwich. Eddy smiled before running off after Ed, who was already in the lunch line.

'God, those two will never change,' Double D thought, as he opened his can of orange soda. He knew that he went above and beyond his duties as a friend when it came to Ed and Eddy. He was always the one who fixed everything when things go wrong, and he was always the one who gave more than he ever received…. But, he didn't mind. He had always been a giver, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Double D put his sandwich on the table and reached for his apple. In the process, Double D looked across the room and saw both Sarah and Jimmy, eating lunch together, as always.

Wherever one went, the other was sure to follow. Not much had changed with the two. They acted the same way, and they were still wearing the same clothes. The only noticeable difference in the two was that two years prier, Jimmy got his braces taken off. But besides that, and Sarah's extremely longer hair ( which almost touched the floor when she stood still ) the two kids had not changed at all. Double D allowed a small smile as he watched to two laugh together, wondering why they haven't started dating yet.

"Aww…. You brought me lunch? How thoughtful." Double D nearly choked on the soda he was drinking when he heard Marie's voice. He turned to his right, and there was Marie, sitting next to him with an uncharacteristically sweet smile on her face. "And here I was, thinking you'd never show me any affection for how good I've been to you…. But I see my man knows how to treat his girl." Marie then reached across Double D and snatched his chocolate bar.

Double D sat there, wondering why she hadn't tried to kiss him yet, and, more importantly, why he himself was still sitting there. He felt his heart pick up the pace a little bit, but not much. As Marie unwrapped and took a bit of the chocolate bar, Double D took a deep breath and sighed. Seeing as Marie was acting…somewhat like an adult, he figured now would be as good of time as any to try and talk to her. "B-by all means," the boy said nervously, as he picked up his tuna sandwich, "help yourself…."

Marie, hearing her "boyfriend" tell her it was okay, looked at him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "This isn't another "reverse psychology" trick, is it?" She asked, remembering the…unpleasant experience from years earlier. "Because if you are, I'd prefer if you'd tune it down this time…. Ya know? So I could actually enjoy your attention?"

Keeping a neutral expression, Double D shook his head. "Umm…. N-no, Marie," he answered quietly, reaching for his plastic container, which held his salad, "this isn't another "reverse psychology" trick, I assure you." Double D shivered at the remembrance of that ordeal. His plan to give the Kankers a taste of their own medicine was working perfectly, but because Eddy was so nervous, it tipped Lee off that it was a trick. Ultimately, it all ended like every other plan to get rid of the Kankers; them being smothered by unwanted kisses. "I am simply trying to make your…unexpected visit as pleasant as possible."

Marie looked at Double D curiously, being caught a little off guard by his bold words. However, when she noticed that Double D was shaking, she grinned smugly. "Oh, well thank you, Dreamboat," she said, as Double D pulled out a plastic fork from his bag, before taking a forkful of lettuce. She too took another bite of "her" chocolate bar, scooting ever so slightly closer to Edd. "You care more about me than you let on," she continued, enjoying the confused eye gesture Double D gave her, not knowing what she was talking about. "You'd go out of your way to make my company with you enjoyable for the both of us? You're so sweet, I think I got a cavity."

As Marie got right next to him, Double D instinctively scooted away from her. He saw her smile and giggle, enjoying that even now, he was ever so slightly still running from her. "W-well," Double D stammered, placing his fork in his container, "I-I…. U-umm, I h-have to go n-now. S-Science Class is next, a-and I have s-some stuff to turn into M-Mr. Johnson." He fumbled for his bag before hastily placing his half eaten apple in it. By this point, Double D could sense that Marie was starting to get ideas pertaining to her kissing him in some form.

But as Double D got up and turned to leave, he was suddenly caught by a tight hug from behind. And even without having to see the pale hands with pink nail polish, he knew it was Marie. His body tensed up and his heart started pounding in his chest, unaware of what she had planned for him in this awkward position. From across the cafeteria, Double D saw and heard Kevin, Rolf and Jonny, snickering to each other and giving him thumbs up, all at his suspense.

"You know," she whispered quietly, pressing her mouth right next to his ear, "you still own me a kiss, yet." As Double D caught wind of Marie's lilac perfume again, he took a hard gulp and slammed his eyes shut. As Marie started massaging his chest through his shirt, Double D almost wished he had just left the table as soon as Marie sat down next to him. "But you know what?" Marie asked, suddenly easing up on the chest massage she was giving Edd. She slowly released him from the hug, but kept her mouth right next to Double D's ear so he could hear. "I suppose we can hold up on the kiss and save it for a more…appropriate time and place…. But," she added, before gently placing a kiss on Double D's neck, "I hope it feels the same as when we were younger."

Then, almost in the blink of an eye, Marie was gone. Feeling his neck, he realized that her lips were covered in melted chocolate, presumably from his chocolate bar she jacked from him. 'Oh great,' Double D thought tiredly, as he slumped forward and started making his way towards the Science Lab, feeling defeated, 'now I smell like lilacs AND chocolate.' As he ignored Kevin's smart remarks and Rolf's supporting words of encouragement about his "relationship" with Marie, Double D made his way out of the cafeteria and headed towards the Science Lad.

END FLASHBACK

"So, I heard you were having problems with Marie during lunch," Double D looked at Eddy with a tired expression, as they pulled out of the school parking lot. Looking back in his rearview mirror, Eddy grinned devilishly and arched an eyebrow. "I heard she gave you a Hershey's Kiss…. Is that true?"

Confused, Ed turned to Eddy. "She gave Double D candy instead of kissing him?" He frowned and crossed his arms. "Lucky…"

Double D cleared his throat. "Yes…. Well, I can assure you it wasn't a pleasant experience, Ed," he reassured, tightening his tie. Today, Double D had to go to work. "I have to be at work in 10 minutes," he sighed, rummaging through his backpack until he found a nametag that read "Eddward" on it. As he pinned his nametag to his shirt, he sat up. "You think you'll be near enough to the mall to pick me up at 6:30?"

Eddy sighed and shook his head. "Sorry Sockhead, but I'm busy," he said, as the got deeper into the center of Peach Creak. "My folks want me to help them hang up decorations for Halloween. And then, my mom wants me to go shopping with her." When both Ed and Double D gave him strange looks, Eddy continued. "My mom wants to spend more "quality" time with me. She thinks these are going to be the last years I'll be around to spend time with her."

Ed nodded too. "Yeah, I'm busy too, Double D," he said, before letting out a long sigh. "I have to take Sarah to a doctor's appointment because my parents are gonna be at the store."

Double D let out a long, depressed moan. "That's okay," he said, "it's not so cold out. And a little fresh air should do me some good, after all." Secretly, he thought it was pretty chilly outside. But, he had a heavy jacket on. Not to mention he only lived about a quarter mile from the mall. Hell, he walked farther then that during the course of a school day.

About two minutes later, the three arrived at the mall. As they pulled up to the entrance, Double D straightened himself out. "Well, thank you for the ride," he thanked, using the two back doors to get out. Ed and Eddy both waved goodbye as they drove off. But, when they left, Double D groaned and walked into the mall.

'I hate my life….'

Four Hours Later…

Double D sat at the front counter in Bargain Mike's Electronics Store, with his hand propping his head up. Business was slow, much like every other day he worked there. He looked around, hoping he'd find something that would help the last 10 minutes of his shift pass sooner. He saw television sets, digital cameras, cell phones, and everything else you'd find in a generic electronics store. He first chose this job because he was all about electronics and how things worked. But after working here and seeing how boring it actually was, the only reason he decided to stay was because the pay was good.

Nevertheless, Double D found himself looking at the clock, just watching the seconds tick by. "Greetings, head-in-the-sock Ed boy." Snapping back into reality by the sound of Rolf's voice, Double D bolted off his seat. "O-oh! Good evening Rolf," Double D said, a little startled by how suddenly his foreign friend came out of nowhere. "U-umm…. Can I help you with something?"

Rolf shook his head, smiling. "No, I require no service," he said, crossing him arms across his chest. "Quite the opposite, I'm here to assist you." Double D raised a eyebrow at Rolf, not having a clue as to why he needed help…. Or more importantly, what he needed help with. "I've come to assist you with your "Kanker" problem," he clarified, taking a seat in the chair across from Edd.

Double D sighed before taking a seat in his chair. "Well…thank you for your concern, Rolf," he began, using a calm voice, "but I don't need any help handling Marie. I know she can be a handful, but she's nothing I can't handle."

Hearing this, Rolf suddenly dawned a wicked smirk. "Is that so?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. "Because if I remember correctly, it was you who was melting in the Kanker girl's hands during lunch." Remembering what had actually happened, Double D's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. "From where I was sitting, she seemed to have "man handled" you, if I'm not mispronouncing that."

But when Double D blushed and tried to counter that statement, Rolf continued. "Listen," he said, standing up from his chair, "where I am from, girls of that caliber are one in a million. While I personally prefer a sweet, delicate flower like my Anja back home, girls of that ferocity are hard to come by. I never told you this because we were in our younger years, but what you and the blue haired sister do now is considered courting where I grew up." Rolf then wiggled his eyebrows and grinned slyly. "Honestly, I'm impressed. Because given your lack of physical fitness, you seem to have attract quite a lovely maiden…. No offence."

"…." Double D didn't say anything. He just sat there, scowling to one side and blushing. He had already went through plenty of teasing from the others for his predicament with Marie. And he had already listened to Nazz talk about how "cute" she thought the whole situation was. So he was used to all types of criticism…. But, as he listened to him words and his tone, Double D realized Rolf wasn't teasing him. Quite the opposite actually, Rolf was being 100% honest to God serious.

Rolf looked at the clock in the corner of the store. It read 6:30pm. "Well Ed boy, I am off," he said, pushing in his chair. "Nana is expecting me home in 15 minutes. Would you, as they say, like to "catch a ride" with me to your place? Victor and Wilfred may be getting on in their years, but the extra weight should give them some much needed exercise."

Finally conquering his blush, Double D cleared his throat, smiled, and shook his head. "N-no thank you Rolf," he replied, taking off his nametag and jamming it into his pocket. "But I think I need the exercise too…. But thanks for the offer." The foreigner smiled nonetheless and walked off, humming a song to himself. Before he too exited the mall, Double D went into the back of the store and told his supervisor "Bargain" Mike he was leaving.

Outside the Mall….

'Curse my horrible luck! I should have taken Rolf's generous offer and rode with him!' Double D stood in the parking lot of the Peach Creak mall, bundled up in his coat to keep warm. The temperature had dropped more than 15 degrees in the four hours Double D had been working, and the wind was howling something fierce. Trees were flinging back and forth, sending leaves scattering everywhere. He saw stop signs and traffic lights shake violently, almost looking like it was going to be a hurricane…. Well, there were no hurricanes in his area, but that's what it looked like to him. As the could wind pounded against him, Edd braced himself and sighed. 'Well,' Double D thought, burying his hands into his pockets for warmth, 'I guess it won't get any warmer.'

HONK! HONK!

But before he actually began his chilling journey home, the sound of a car horn was heard over the noisy wind. Curious, Double D turned around to see what was happening. There was a old, rusty red pickup truck parked right near the entrance of the mall, with, you guessed it, Marie Kanker in the driver's seat. 'Oh great,' he thought, a little depressed, 'either I freeze to death out here, or I get abducted by my crazy stalker and possibly never see daylight again.'

"Hey Double D," she shouted from her window, before reaching over and opening the passenger's door, "what the hell are you doin' walkin' out here in this storm? Get your skinny ass in here this instant!" Though, despite Marie's harsh choice of words, Double D heard that she actually sounded worried…. Which was different, seeing as Marie never sounded worried about ANYTHING. But while Double D was still skeptical of Marie's motives for offering him a ride, the cold wind wasn't something he wanted to walk home in.

So, going against the little voice in his head telling him to keep on walking, Double D quickly scurried over to the truck's opened door and hopped in, slamming it behind him.

When Double D got into the truck, however, he was honestly surprised at what he saw. He imagined that there would be empty soda cans all over the place, half eaten food, candy wrappers…basically something that reflected how well she kept her trailer home. But, despite a few empty soda cans, the inside of the pickup truck was otherwise spotless.

Double D then diverted his attention from the truck to Marie. "U-umm…. Th-thanks for the ride," he stammered, scratching the back of his neck. "I…. U-umm…. Didn't know th-the weather was g-going to change so dramatically." Nervous, he looked up at Marie. He was expecting her to me smiling at him menacingly or to suddenly pounce on him. But instead, she just sat there, sending him an almost irritated look.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Double D leapt back a little by the sudden question. "You couldn't call someone and have them pick you up? Why would you even consider walking home in this shitty weather?" For some reason, Marie was mad. And that scared Edd, because he was already scared of her when she was smothering him with affection. So Double D leaned his back against the door as Marie continued. "You're lucky I was here getting groceries, ya know that? I can't believe you, of all people, would've even thought about doing somethin' that…!"

"P-please calm yourself, Marie," Double D interrupted, raising his palms up in defense. When Marie quieted down, Edd cleared his throat. "I-it wasn't as if I had someone to call, you know? My friends were busy and my parents are still working…. And besides," he continued, seeing as Marie's once angry demeanor started lightening up, "I only live a quarter of a mile away. I could handle the wind for at least that long."

As she put her truck into drive, Marie narrowed her eyes at Double D, who was buckling in. "Well, it was still a dumb thing to do," she said, almost in a pouting manner. "You may not care if you come down will hypothermia or some shit, but I do." As Marie pulled out of the parking lot, Double D looked at her, not expecting her to say something like that. "You're supposed to be the smart one, aren't ya? I'm sure you would've been able to come up with something that could've gotten you home, without risking hypothermia."

As they pulled onto the highway, Double D receded into his seat and started to sweat, feeling a little uneasy. He went over all what had happened that day. First, she chases him down and kisses him on the forehead. Then, during lunch, she hugged him from behind and kissed him on the neck, purposely embarrassing him in front of everyone. Now, she is yelling at him for attempting to walk home in the wind. This was out of the norm, even for Marie. Usually, she was a one-track mind, only interested in pushing her unwanted affection onto him. But now, here she was, actually showing interest in his well-being, instead of trying to sneak a kiss from him.

'…. This is a trick,' he thought, scotching over in his seat and sending a suspicious gaze over to Marie as she drove. 'This is just a trick to get me to lower my guard. She is just trying to lead me into a fault sense of safety before….' Stopping and actually thinking about what just went through his mind, Double D groaned and slammed his head against the dashboard. 'Oh God…. When did I get so paranoid?'

Startled by the boy's sudden action, Marie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's eatin' you?" She asked, as she pulled into the turn-around of the cul-de-sac.

Pulling up to his house, Double D sat back up and sighed as he grabbed his backpack. "Nothing is eating me Marie," he lied, which was immediately detected by the girl beside him. "Umm…. Thanks for the lift," he thanked, reaching for the door.

"Anytime, Double D," Marie replied. But as he was going to open the door, he stopped, and realized she called him by his preferred nickname again. And the fact that even when he was leaving, she hadn't tried to hug him, pull him back in or kiss him…. She actually just drove him home without trying any of her usual tricks. He turned to look at her, and saw that she was writing something down on a small slip of paper. "Here's my number," she said, looking up with a smirk and handing it to Double D. "Next time you think about walking somewhere in this kind of weather and you don't have anyone to get you, call me."

He looked at it for a second before hesitantly reaching out and accepting it. "Umm…. Sure," he said, smiling in an almost awkward manner as he stepped out of the truck. "I-I'll keep that in mind…. Thanks again for the ride, by the way," he repeated. "That was a…very kind thing to do."

Finally, Marie started to show her normal self. "Oh really?" She asked, fluttering her eyes and licking her lips. "You could repay me in kisses if you'd like."

Laughing nervously, Double D inched back a little, his hand still on the door handle. "Umm…. Will you accept cash?"

Marie rolled her eyes and huffed grumpily, though it was obvious she found his remark somewhat amusing by the small smile on her face. "Fine. Let's just say you own me, alright?" When Double D sighed, he nodded his head. "Cool. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Sweetie. Don't forget the chocolate bar." Rolling his eyes, Double D finally closed the door and turned to walk into his house.

But as Marie drove away, Double froze on his doorstep when he realized something. He had, unintentionally, just got Marie's phone number. Not only that, but the fact that he had just rode in the same vehicle with Marie Kanker had also just caught up with him. He looked down at the slip of paper with Marie's phone number, his eyes wide and his knees shaking.

'WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?'

To Be Continued….

Hahahaha! Wasn't that a riot? I really enjoyed the end of the chapter the most. What can I say? I couldn't help myself. I also decided to give Rolf, one of my favorite non-Ed characters a little more of a spotlight in this chapter, going a little in dept into his personal life. Turns out his "maiden" is called Anja, who is waiting for her "shepherd" to return to her. I just thought that would be a nice side story for later on…. But anyway, lets get down to the really good stuff. Looks like things are changing between Edd and Marie…MUCH to Double D's horror. He now has her phone number, which will inadvertently effect him, along with Ed and Eddy. "How" you may ask yourself? Well, wait until the next chapter and you'll find out. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! I DESIRE FEEDBACK… AND JAWBREAKERS! FEED ME NOW!… Sorry bout that…. Hope to hear from y'all soon. :D