(A/N) First things first, I want to apologize for abandoning this story. I'm sorry, but for a while now I've been apathetic to writing. But I do appreciate the nice comments on this story. I'm not saying the more I get the quicker the next chapter will be up, but I do appreciate any feedback. Enjoy the chapter that took over a year to make.

Tuesday Special

Double D woke up to the sound of his buzzing alarm clock on a grey Tuesday morning. Having spent the previous night working on a school project and only getting three hours of sleep due to dreams of Marie, the boy was sluggish as he got out of his bed and journeyed to his bathroom. Double D looked at himself in a mirror and noticed bags were forming around his eyes. Edd noted that these dreams were just affecting his sleep patterns more and more. Thankfully, he came up with a solution late last night.

He yawned and began his morning cleansing ritual. Stripping his sleeping clothes off, Edd stepped into his shower and recoiled at the shock of cold water touching his unexpecting skin. Gritting his teeth, the youth grabbed his soap and shampoo and proceeded to wash everything, everywhere. After two minutes of vigorous scrubbing, Double D rinsed off and jumped out of the icey stall. He shivered as he toweled off and hurriedly put on his clothes.

Edd was practically on autopilot as he finished the rest of his morning routine. After spending the night with Marie, there was barely a moment where she wasn't on his mind. As he ate his breakfast of grapefruit and Chunky Puffs, the boy planned out what he was going to do today. Double D had decided to talk to someone about these confusing feelings he was having. While eating, he began to cross off people in his mind he knew wouldn't be of much help. Ed and Eddy were off, at least until he was more sure about his feelings. Jonny and Rolf wouldn't be much help either, since Rolf's advice was...antiquated to say the least and Jonny...was Jonny. Kevin seemed to be a good choice, but an even better choice would be his on-again, off-again girlfriend Nazz. Double D smiled as he finished the last bite of his breakfast.

After fifteen minutes of casual reading, Double D heard the loud blaring of Eddy's van outside. Rather than call his friends, Eddy preferred to be as obnoxious as possible and have his friends come to him. Edd walked outside, backpack in hand and prepared to solve his confusing problem.

"TGIT, fellas!" Ed screamed as he ran to the van, struggling to put on his jacket. Ed was never late, but he was a bad procrastinator when it came to his outfits. He got on his jacket and crashed right into the van's side door. Eddy began to bellow laughter, as Double D rushed over to his aide.

"Ed!" he cried. "Are you alright?"

"A-Okay, Mr. Mom!" Ed blithered out. Double D checked to make sure Ed wasn't bleeding and the two got into the vehicle. The boys travelled to their high school as they always did. Recklessly and inattentively. Though, Double D was actually grateful as his friend swerved and looped through the traffic. As bad a driver as Eddy was, he was a far sight better than Marie Kanker when she was in a rush. The Eds arrived at their alma mater and pulled into the parking lot. Eddy began to fume when he realized that a familiar red car was parked in his usual spot.

"That shovel-chinned jerk!" Eddy yelled as he was forced to find another space. "He knows I park there everyday!"

"Eddy, you know those spots aren't assigned." Double D chimed. His words did nothing to assuage his friend as Eddy reluctantly pulled into a spot farther down the lot.

"Great. Now by the time school's out, these seats are gonna be on fire!" Eddy grimaced angirly, grabbing his bookbag and getting out to slam his door shut. The other boys followed suit, getting out of the ancient van.

"Talk about rump roast! Right Double D?" Ed joked with a loud laugh. Double D smiled and gave his friend a pat on the back.

"Quite humorous, Ed." He said as the three went made their way to the building. On the way, the boys passed by Kevin's bright red car, Eddy began to seethe and nearly went berserk on the vehicle. Double D thankfully convinced him to keep him on the path by assuring him that he could get revenge during gym class. As he passed the car, though, Edd noticed that Kevin was in his car, and that Nazz was in the passenger's seat next to him. Thinking quickly, Double D made up a lie about dropping his phone in the van and waited until his friends were in the building to make his move. He walked over to the car and knocked on the window. The window rolled down slowly and a cloud of smoke billowed out.

"Can I help you, dork?" A red haired teenager asked, with a cigarette bobbing from his lips. Kevin had changed little over the years, save for a whispy goatee growing off the end of his chin. His relationship with the Eds was about the same as it ever was, though he was much less hostile towards them as the years went on. Double D began to cough and wave his hand around to disperse the smoke.

"I was wondering..." Double D asked in between coughs. "...if I could talk to Nazz quickly."

Nazz perked up at the mention of her name. She took a long drag from her cigarette and put it in the car's ash tray. The pert young girl exited the car and stood up smiling at Double D. Puberty had been kind to Nazz and she was one of the prettiest girls at the school, though Edd could hardly stand her habit of smoking.

"What's up, Double D?" She said as a puff of smoke exited her mouth. Nazz brushed a hand through her hair and leaned on the car. Double D gulped. He didn't really think of what he was going to ask.

"Umm...well Nazz..." The youth stuttered. "I was wondering if I could ask for your advice for something?"

Nazz giggled at Double D. Even though he was sixteen years old, he was just as nervous as the day she met him.

"Sure Double D. What's going on?" The girl walked around the car and got closer to the young man. She crossed her arms and noticed that Double D was fidgeting with his fingers. Whatever he needed advice on was something big.

"Well..." He started. "It's...about...a girl of sorts" Edd tensed up slightly when he saw the reactions of his peers. Kevin had an absolutely dumbstruck look on his face, so much so that his cigarette fell from his lips. Nazz, on the other hand, had an look of excitement on her face. Double D barely had time to react before Nazz jumped over the hood of the car and gave him a hug only outmatched in strength by Ed.

"Double D, you have a girlfriend? That is so sweet!" She cooed. "We should totally double date! We could hit the mall. I'll go shopping with your new squeeze and you guys can hold our bags! Or maybe that new restaurant downtown, it's supposed to be really great. You're not allergic to lobster are you? Oh! You guys know what we should do? Road trip! We could go to a bed and breakfast!"

As Nazz hyperactively listed all the couples activities she'd been wanting to do since she'd heard of the concept of double dates, Double D wriggled his way out of Nazz's bear hug. He finally broke free and landed face first onto the hot asphalt ground. Nazz hurriedly picked him up and dusted him off.

"Double D, you're such a klutz!" The girl giggled.

"Thank you Nazz..." The boy meekly said. "But I have to say, you might've jumped the gun slightly. You see, I'm not exactly dating anyone right now."

"Oh..." Nazz said as her face began to turn beet red.

"But I do have a problem you can help me with." Double D then began to spill everything that had happened over the last two days. He told her how Marie had nursed him back to health, made him dinner, and how ever since their night together he couldn't stop thinking about Marie. After he was done, he took a big sigh and leaned on Kevin's car. "What do you make of it?"

"Gee, Double D, for a smart guy, you're kinda dumb when it comes to anything other than school stuff." Nazz said with a sly smile.

"Wha...what do you mean?"

"You've got a crush on her you big dope!" Nazz said as she gave Double D a playful playful push. "Sounds to me like you've had a crush on her for a long time, but you repressed it because of your friends feelings toward the Kankers. But when Marie showed you a softer side, she opened up those feelings again."

Double D was dumbfounded. "That...was quite an astute observation Nazz. How exactly did you articulate those thoughts?"

"I read my mom's pop psych magazines." Nazz said with her usual bubbly tone.

"Yes...well. What exactly should I do about it?". Double D asked.

"Uh, what everybody else does when the have a crush on anybody." Nazz paused. She looked at Double D, who looked right back at her. "Talk to her about it you goof!" She hammered with a friendly punch to his arm. Double D rubbed his arm.

"Thanks Nazz."

"No problem, Double D." She said as she went back into the car to fit in a quick snogging session with her boyfriend. She popped her head out of Kevin's window suddenly. "And make sure to tell me how it goes! I still want to go to that bed and breakfast!"

"Of course Nazz." Double D waved back as he made his way toward the school. Talk to Marie? Could he really do that? The mere thought made his stomach tie into knots. It's not like Double D had never been interested in girls before. Just last year, Double D became quite close with the school's foreign exchange student. But before they became more than friends, she had to go back to China. However, these feelings were much more intense than they ever were with his long distance damsel. When Double D thought of Marie, he thought of her hair, her scent, her manner of dress, her freckles, her laugh. And every aspect of her just made her that much more alluring.

The day went by mostly uneventfully. The results of his math class's tests were returned and of course, Double D had the highest score. His history class was assigned a group project and of course, everyone wanted to be on Double D's team. At lunch Double D observed as Rolf caused a ruckus when he found out that the school was planning on switching to a vegetarian menu two days out of the week. As the remainder of the day passed by Edd continued to evalaute his feelings. When he thought about Marie it made him happy. When he imagined kissing Marie, it made him smile. When the idea of him calling her his girlfriend and Marie calling him her boyfriend crossed his mind, he realized that that was quite pleasant. As the last bell of the day rung, Double D sat out near the front of his school waiting for his friends. During that time, he was finally able to really say what he felt.

"I like Marie Kanker." He said to himself. That felt good to him. He wondered why he wasn't able to come to such a conclusion earlier in his life. Then he was reminded why by the sounds of the school's doors being slammed open.

"Freedom!" Eddy yelled into the sky. Ed followed behind him with his trademark goofy grin. Double D then remembered his friends' personal vendettas against the Kanker family. He wondered what Eddy would do if he found out about his feelings for Marie. Double D sighed. As much as he cared for his friends, confronting Marie was something he had to do. "So, who's up for burgers and fries?" Eddy pondered to his friends.

"Burgers and fries, burgers and fries!" Ed chanted.

"Actually, fellows, I have to get home. There was a new project assigned today and it's best if I go ahead and get my part out of the way." Double D hated lying to his friends, but he knew they wouldn't understand. The face Ed was putting on was nearly too much for him to bear.

"But Double D!" The boy pleaded. We didn't hang out last night and now you're going home? I miss you!" Ed cried as he collapsed into his friends shoulder.

"Yeah Doublemint, ever since Ed and I got ungrounded, you've been pretty scarce. What's the deal?" Eddy questioned.

"It's nothing...I'll see you guys in the morning, okay?" Double D worked Ed off of him and began to jog home. Ed and Eddy both had confused looks on their faces as their friends scurried off home.

"C'mon Ed, if he doesn't want the best burgers you can find for under fifty cents, that's his problem." Eddy said walking to his van. Ed sadly followed when he couldn't see Double D in his line of vision anymore.

Double D made it back to his house and began to think. How exactly would he talk to Marie? Maybe he could fake another injury and go back to ask Marie to help? Too suspicious. Possibly drop by with flowers and candy? That was just lame. He lied back on his couch, and closed his eyes trying to think of a way to get to Marie. Then it hit him. He knew exactly what he was going to do. All he had to do was call her on the phone. He ran towards the phone in the kitchen, but then it struck him. He didn't know her number. The boy looked around, trying to find a phonebook, then it occurred to him, it was in his father's study. He ran all over the house, both to his father's study, then back to the kitchen. Flipping through the book, Edd searched high and low for the Kanker's number. All of a sudden he found it! He grabbed the phone and looked and the number...

But he couldn't dial the number. That familiar tangle of knots reappeared in his stomach and negative thoughts danced in his mind. What if he completely misread Marie? What if she shot him down? What if his voice cracked while talking to her? He shakingly hung up the phone. Double D twittered his fingers and began to sweat. Hours passed by as he stared at the phone. Occasionally he would reach for it, only for another bad thought to put his hand down. What could he do? It was nearly 10:00pm and he stilll hadn't called her. Double D resigned himself and got up to prepare to go to bed. But something caught his eye on the way out of the kitchen. It was the note his mother left for him while his parents were away. It was the occasional chore list but at the bottom there was something that lifted his spirits.

I know you have a lot of work this week Eddward, but you're a smart boy. When you put your mind to it there's nothing you can't do.

Double D grinned. His mother was right. He had been though a lot more complicated tasks than talking to girls, so what was he worried about. He marched back to the phone, looked up the number and then dialed with confidence. He was feeling good as he heard the other end of the phone ringing. But the moment the receiver picked up and he heard Marie's voice, his mouth went dry.

"Hello?" A soft voice on the other end asked groggily.

"Uh...um...hello Marie?" Double D stuttered. He shook himself off and went about his task. "It's Double D. I didn't wake you did I?

"No..." She yawned. "It's just been a long day, y'know?".

"I certainly do." Double D smiled. "I was just calling because I heard that your English class got a big assignment today."

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me." She said sarcastically. "It's not that bad, I'm just not a fan of Shakespeare. Or writing. Or school."

Double D laughed. "Well I was calling because I did a similar assignment last year and I was wondering if you could use my assistance." Double D then nervously swallowed.

Although he couldn't see it, on the other end of the telephone line, Marie was smiling widely.

"Yes!" She shouted. "I...I mean yes. I would like some help please."

"Wonderful. Maybe we could meet after school?" Double D posited.

"Sure." Marie responded warmly. "I'll give us a ride back to my house and we can work together."

"Great. So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Double D asked.

"It's a date." Marie smoothly said.

Date. The word rang around in his head over and over and over. He had a date with Marie. Granted it was a study date, but still, he was going to be spending time with Marie. Alone! There he could talk to her about how he felt, and from there, who knows? Double D got ready for bed with a smile on his face. All the time he was showering, brushing his teeth and getting his pajamas on, he was grinning ear to ear. After setting his alarm clock, he snuggled up into bed and closed his eyes.

"I've got a date!" He shouted to himself.

Next Chapter- "Wednesday's Children"