Greetings and salutations! Welcome back for another chapter. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. I actually like the idea of Kevin being the one in need of assistance and Edd stepping up- in his own way. I have finally got a few ideas for the story after a dry spell in my writing. I should be posting another chapter of Finding a Life soon. I'm on spring break so I have a lot of time on my hands.

Love Eden

Of all the things that Kevin disliked, mornings were at the top of the list rights under sports. He didn't feel human until 2 hours after waking. The first hour was silent because he could not bring himself to speak. If his father was still at home, he knew better than to try and converse with his son. It was pointless. The one time that the older Barr tried to talk to Kevin, Kevin ended up saying something that he regretted as soon as it left his lips. He spent the rest of the week trying to apologize.

Kevin sat hunch over his breakfast, eating slowly. The gooey cheese on his toast sat well in his stomach, warming his insides. It made the morning a little bearable. Tapping his weather app, the forecast for the day popped up. There was a small chance for rain later in the evening but the rest of the day was clear, mostly sunny. Autumn was in full swing and every night the temperature drops a little more. This kind of weather was perfect for riding his motorcycle to school. The end and beginning of the school year was when Kevin rode his motorcycle the most. The summer sun was too harsh on his riding jacket. Winter meant stinging winds dried out his exposed skin. Today was one of those perfect riding days.

Also giddy, Kevin put his dishes in the sink to clean later, grabbed his school bag, and headed to the garage. It took Kevin three months to convince his father to let him get a motorcycle. His father wanted him to get a truck or something equally manly but, after a lot of research, Kevin had his way. It sat in the garage waiting for Kevin to take it out. It was Kevin's baby, cherry red and polished to perfection.

Kevin slipped his hat into his bag and put on his helmet, red to match the paint scheme of the bike. It purred under him as the engine came to life at the turn of a key. There was always a rush when he turned on the engine. With the press of a button mounted to the bike, the garage door opened slowly. Kevin leaned forward in anticipation for the drive. When it was about half way up, Kevin saw that someone was standing on the other side of the garage door. At first all he could see what a set of legs with one foot tapping out a quick rhythm. Next came a leather jacket clad torso and then a black and white stripped beanie to finish it off. Edd did not look happy to see Kevin. Confused, Kevin shrank under Edd's intense gaze.

Why is he here? Kevin wondered dumbfounded.

"I hope you are not under the influence of narcotics if you plan to ride that death machine. Driving as such is both stupid and selfish to those you share the road with." Edd's voice was almost a growl.

Without warning, Edd strode up to Kevin and plucked the keys from the ignition. The engine died under Kevin with a sad noise. Kevin made a strangled noise and tried to get his keys back but the swimmer was much taller than him. With deft fingers, Edd took the motorcycle key off of the key ring and handed the rest to Kevin.

"Until I know that you are not endangering yourself or other drivers, I will be holding onto this." He slid the key into his pocket. "I will check with you throughout the day to see if you have fallen to temptation and will add another day onto your punishment if you have taken a pill. It will start off at a week from today and progress from there."

Kevin ground his teeth as a rage filled him. "Why do you give a crap about what I do? You have harassed me, beat me up, and generally made my life a living hell. What gives you the right to look down on me about something you know nothing about?!"

The more he talked, the loud Kevin became until he was practically yelling. Edd had never heard Kevin raise his voice to anyone, let alone him. Kevin was usually quiet and timid but this topic must have hit a nerve even Kevin was not aware of. But what Edd did was even more of a shock.

Frowning, Edd put his hands on his hips. "If you are so distraught by my ignorance of your current situation than tell me so I can understand."

The two boys looked at each other, one waiting and the other too surprised to even speak. No one knew about his crutch, let alone ask why he did it. The memories of last March flashed through his mind, things he tried to forget. The thought of those out stretched hands made Kevin shudder and he want to disappear. The urge to drown out the pain with a pill clouded his mind. He wanted to be calm and unfocused so that the memories of the pain would go away. Two pills were hidden inside the lining of his hat, calling to him. But he was afraid that if he reached for his hat that Edd would take them from him. No, he just had to focus on his breathing to push away the anxiety attack that threatened to take control.

Just like he was surprised about Kevin's demeanor change after taking the pill, Edd was shocked at Kevin's reaction to his question. Dark memories clouded his eyes, dulling the vibrant green eyes that Edd sometimes saw in his dreams. Whatever drove Kevin to drug abuse was something that scared him more than Edd.

Edd's anger deflated a little and a sad frown replacing his scowl. "I do not need to know at this moment in time, Citrouille, but I will want answers eventually."

And with that, Edd turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Kevin alone in his garage once more.

For some reason, Edd was on edge most of the morning. Thoughts of Kevin distracted him from his school work and would not leave him alone even between classes. His normal third period walk was not as relaxing as it usually was. A glimpse of the ginger boy before the bell rang sent fresh waves of curiosity and sadness through the swimmer. Kevin looked frail as he walked down the hall, like there was a weight pressing him towards the floor slowly. Had their encounter shaken the small boy that much? Had Edd pushed him too far?

No, Edd thought. Yes, it is distressing to see Citrouille so crushed but the answer to his problems should not be drugs. He is too brilliant to let such things destroy his potential.

After lunch was over Edd sought out Kevin. This would be the first check of the day. Since it was about the same time Edd first witnessed Kevin under the influence, Edd thought it could be routine for him to take one with his midday meal. Most painkillers recommended that the taker eat before partaking of the pill. Logic seemed to point to this time being the perfect time for Kevin to indulge his habit.

The little ginger was hard to miss and some of his classmates pointed Edd towards the library. It was quiet in the library with only the staff and a few students present. The swimmer walked towards the back of the library with the knowledge that Kevin was not stupid enough to take illegal drugs in the public area of the library. There were a few study desks tucked away behind the rows of the non-fiction section. Kevin's bright red hair was easy to spot. He sat at the farthest desk and pretended like he was reading. His eyes did not scan the page at an even pace. They just jumped from one thing to the next which was not conducive to reading at all. It was good for studying but the book looked to be a science fiction novel of some sort. Kevin was so enthralled at looking busy that he did not notice Edd slide into the seat across from him.

Edd sat for a few moments before finally speaking. "Since your eyes are not glazed over and your pupils are not enlarged I am guessing that you have kept to our agreement so far."

A muscle in Kevin's jaw twitched and he did not look up from his book. "There was no agreement, Edd. You took my bike key and blackmailed me with it. Doesn't sound like a mutual agreement, does it?"

"Taking the key is a better motivator than disposing of your stash. You can always go buy more pills but you only have one key. If your motorcycle is more precious to you than your habit, you will stick to my terms. I will drop in on you later to check on you. Au revoir, Citrouille."

Kevin's blood boiled as he watched Edd walk away from him as if he ruled the school. It was the second time today that Kevin stared angrily at Edd's back until he vanished from view, willing his eye sight to become killing laser beams that struck down the young swimmer.

Ever since their encounter that morning, Kevin was struggling with both his mental and physical pain. His leg throbbed and he tried to alleviate some of the pain by rubbing it but it was not working. The pills pressed against his head from their hidden place reminding him that he could just take a pill and let it all go. He was so close to giving in before Edd showed up.

Instead of actually reading his book like normal after lunch, Kevin was debating if he could survive Edd's wrath when he found his high again. The affects of the pills usually lasted four hours but Edd could show up at any time. That sense of now knowing when the swimmer would appear next made Kevin nervous. Edd had this strange talent for appearing out of thin air at the worst possible moments, the meeting in the bathroom being one. His shoes made no noise as he walked. It was impossible to see Edd if he did not want to be seen.

Could he make it through the day without a pill? It had been a while since he last tried but the pain reminded him why he caved the last time. The day was only halfway done and Kevin felt like he was in hell. He could feel sweat roll down his back and he couldn't stop bouncing his good leg. At one point, he was burning up in class then freezing a second later. He knew these were all early signs of withdrawal. His body was use to having at least 2 or 3 pills by now, depending on how his day was going. The last pill he took was last night before bed, after the encounter with his father in the hallway. He was going to take one when he got to the school parking lot but Edd ruined his plans.

Why does he have to butt like this? Kevin thought miserably. I'm not hurting anyone so why should he care?

Thanks for reading! Comments make my day whether it is constructive criticism or just saying hello. I will try to update again either tomorrow or the next day so stay tune! The next chapter will be full of angst.