Author's Note: Nice, decently long chapter to make up for the short one yesterday. Check me out on Tumblr (peachcreekhighschool). If you aren't a part of the Tumblr Kevedd Fandom, you're seriously missing out! Thanks for reading, guys!

Chapter 10

Edd sat stiffly in the sun, taking what shade he could get from Ed's large shadow. He balanced a small notebook on his knee, jotting down notes. He was finding the game exceptionally interesting and enjoyable to watch. The way the human body moved astounded him. He took great pleasure in analyzing the subtle changes in Kevin's body position as he pitched the second inning. Edd could tell exactly what type of pitch was coming just from the placement of his shoulders and forward leg. He is a fine specimen, Edd though. From a non-scientific standpoint, the view wasn't so bad either. He felt heat pool in the pit of his stomach as Kevin leaned down to retrieve the ball. Jaw set in determination, Kevin easily struck out the next two batters, bringing the inning to a close in Peach Creek's favor. Moving in for the third inning, Kevin looked up and caught Edd's eye. He smiled and gave a small wave; Edd timidly returned it.

"Double D! Are you okay?" Ed's voice, full of concern, halted Edd's train of thought.

"P-Pardon?" he asked.

"Your face is all red! My mom said when I get too hot I should lie down and drink some water."

"I'm quite alright, Ed. Perhaps some water wouldn't be such a bad idea, however. Would you like to accompany me to the concession stand?"

"Sure, Double D! Maybe they have gravy!"

"I seriously doubt it, but we can certainly ask."

Much to Edd's surprise, they did in fact have gravy. The girl behind the counter looked a bit ill when Ed asked for a side of gravy and a spoon, but she obliged him. While Ed paid for his treat, Edd watched curiously as two baseball players ran awkwardly toward the school. The first two victims, no doubt. He felt a twinge of guilt, but Eddy was right; there was nothing he could do to stop it. Ed handed him a bottle of water, encouraging him to drink up as they walked back to their seats. Edd was very surprised to see Nazz sitting and chatting with Eddy.

"Greetings, Nazz! What brings you here?" He took his seat next to her and shielded his eyes from the sun so he could see her properly.

"Are you kidding, Double D? I love baseball! I couldn't possibly miss a game this important!"

"Quite true, but I suppose I was actually asking to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Oh! Oh, I was just coming over to say hello to some old friends! It's not often that we do things outside of school, right, Eddy?" Nazz elbowed Eddy in the ribs, and he shied away, grumbling.

"Well, we appreciate your company!" Edd beamed.

"Look, Nazz!" Ed shouted. "Gravy!"

"I see that, Ed! Good for you!" She leaned around Edd to pat the big boy on the arm.

Eddy turned up his nose. "That's sick, dude."

Nazz suddenly stood with the rest of the crowd to cheer a homerun. "God, isn't this exciting?"

Eddy focused in on the field and snickered. "It's about to be."

Edd followed his friend's gaze to the player on second base. He stood shifting his weight from foot to foot. His face screwed up in discomfort. He raised a hand to get the coach's attention, but the shock on his face indicated that he was too late. Right there on the field, in front of his teammates, his coach, and the entire student body, Number Fifteen lost control of his bodily functions. Edd winced; it was worse than he'd imagined. The entire stadium fell silent as he ran off the field. One of the players from the challenging team let out a chuckle, but he was quickly silenced with an elbow to the stomach. The umpire was the first to break the silence, requesting a replacement player to be sent onto the field. The coach sent Kevin out. The redhead took his place and the game continued, but only for another few minutes before three other players began to shift nervously.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry!" Number Thirty-Three yelled to the coach as they ran off the field.

The umpire demanded to know what was going on and began arguing with the coach. The entire varsity team made a break for the locker room. The students in the bleachers gasped and broke into an agitated buzz, speculating as to what had happened. Eddy rocked back and forth with laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Oh, my god! It's perfect! It's so perfect!" he wheezed.

Nazz stared at him for a second, face twisted with rage. "You're such an ass, Eddy!" She stormed off, disappearing into the churning crowd.

Ed began to look nervous. "Uh, guys? Maybe we should leave now."

"Alright, alright. Let's go."

Eddy stood and maneuvered his way through the crowd. Those few students who knew of Eddy's rivalry with Kevin shot the trio dirty looks, looks that Edd ignored; he was very familiar with such hostility. At the bottom of the bleachers, Edd looked out across the field. Kevin stood alone by the dugout, staring at the Eds in horror. He glanced down at the water bottle in his hand and figured it all out. Those fuckers. He ran to the water cooler and dumped it off the table, spilling the liquid onto the dirt. He turned back to the dugout and barked at the junior varsity team.

"If any of you drank the water from that cooler, I suggest you find a bathroom to hunch over in." He waited while a couple of players ran out. "The rest of you: congratulations! You've all been promoted to the position of honorary varsity player. Get ready; we're going to win this game no matter what."

He ran up to the coach and explained the situation. After some intense rulebook searching, the umpire grudgingly agreed to let the young players take over the game. Kevin tugged on the bill of his baseball cap, taking his turn to bat. He swung the bat with an intensely controlled power, sending the ball over the fence and into the parking lot. He and two other boys made their way around the bases, pulling the team even further ahead. He did his best to coach the inexperienced boys through batting, but before long they had taken their three outs. Kevin stepped onto the mound to pitch, determined to not let a single run through. A few pitches later and the inning was over. Four more, he thought. We can do that. We got this.

When the game ended, Peach Creek was ahead by a single point. Heaving a sigh of relief, Kevin pumped his fist into the air, allowing himself to be lifted by his teammates. The crowd came screaming onto the field, cheering wildly. The two coaches shook hands and Kevin led the team down the line, shaking hands with the dejected losing team. For half an hour they celebrated, running around the field, laughing with their friends, and exchanging high fives. As the stadium began to empty, Kevin went to the dugout for his stuff, excited to get to the showers and wash the dirt and sweat off. He reached for his duffle bag and started when he found Edd's bag underneath it. He picked up the small messenger bag and looked hard at it, the gears in his brain turning furiously.

Why did he bring me water? he mused. He knew the Eds were behind the prank; only Eddy hated him that much. Wait. Eddy. Only Eddy. Of course. Edd wouldn't do something like this; he had barely participated in Eddy's stupid scams when they were kids. Wouldn't it be just like Eddy to drag Edd into this stupid rivalry?

Kevin gently folded the messenger bag and tucked it in among his belongings. His head hurt from the sun, so he stopped thinking about Edd, placing the thoughts to the back of his mind for later. When he stepped into the locker room, the stench slapped him in the face.

"Holy shit!" he laughed. "What the hell have you guys been eating?"

"Shut up!" Matt yelled. "Why aren't you in here with us, huh?"

Kevin shrugged. "Nazz brought me some water bottles. Good thing, too, or we would be sitting on a forfeit and Coach would never forgive us."

"Damn those Eds," Jake growled, drying his hair, wet from the shower. "Tomorrow we'll teach them a lesson, teach them who they're messing with. Right, Kevin?"

"Hell, yeah!" Kevin replied.

He knew Eddy would get a beating. Ed would probably give as many hits as he took; that fight never lasted very long. Edd…Edd always took the worst of it. Poor kid couldn't throw a punch to save his life. Kevin never participated in those beatings, but he'd seen the aftermath. How the kid kept up such a happy demeanor was a mystery to Kevin. He glanced down at the bag, nestled in with his jersey, and felt oddly protective. He would have to find a way to keep Edd out of it.

Kevin snapped his locker shut, satisfied, and went to shower, cracking jokes as he went.