Chapter 14

"I don't like your attitude, boy." The oldest of the Kanker sisters said.

"Maybe a few good kisses will fix you right up!" The blue haired sister added.

"..." The youngest, blonde sister had no idea about what to do or say.

"Hold up, Marie! I'll fix him right up first!" Lee said, cracking a few knuckles. It was such a signal that cued Double D in. It was time to leave. Quickly, he turned around and ran for the stairs.

"E-excuse me, May!" Double D passed right by May, who was unsure if she should grab hold of the beanie wearing boy. But apparently since that involved him getting hurt by her big sister she just remained in place.

"What the hell are you doin', May! The boy needs a few lefts and rights to set'im straight!"

"Not if I catch'im first!" Marie interjected, grabbing Lee to stop her from beating up her man.

May felt pressured to go along with Lee. "Sorry, I'll get'im!" She ran upstairs after Double D.

I must think of a good hiding place! Double D was desperately trying to find a place small enough where the Kankers wouldn't think of searching for him. I know, they won't go into the library! He made his way to the book sanctuary...

... Only to be crossed by the blonde Kanker, who did not make any movement to pin him to the floor, nor did she show any evil intentions on her face. The surprise that he experienced at the thought of being corralled made him jump back while in mid run, tripping backward. At least, nobody else was around to laugh at him since pretty much none of the Peach Creek Jr. High children wanted to go to the library during recess hours.

"Oooh..." He laid on the ground, slightly in pain.

"Double D! Are you alright?"

"Ow."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that..."

The boy sat up, puzzled. "How did you know I was coming here, May?"

"I figured you might come here, since we don't usually hang out at the library..." Both kids shared a laugh.

"Do you need help getting up?" The blonde extended a hand towards him.

Double D blushed, but opted for accepting her gesture. "T-thank you, May." The girl smiled.

"Lee was pretty mad, you know. Can you explain to me why you want them to give back Kevin's things?"

Double D gained back his breath from the running, and explained. "Well, it's not like I'm worried about him, but Johnny and Nazz are."

"Okay," May followed along, "but he deserved to be beaten up."

"Maybe so. But we cannot judge by our own discernment what the right thing to do is. Sure, Kevin hit Eddy, and you girls hit him back—"

"Actually it was Lee by herself. Marie took his cap and I took his bike, not without warning the wood boy with him not to mess with you again."

"Aah... Thank you for that. But what I mean is, this revenge only brings more resentment towards you. Violence only begets more violence, and it will only make you bitter and alone..."

Double D's words hit home. The boy's words held so much truth, and as testament to it she was reminded of her childhood, and how the only company she had during her elementary school life was her two siblings.

"You're right. God, you're so right..." She covered her face with her hands. Just as Double D was leaning closer to her to see if she was okay, May let out a chuckle to ease up the situation. She uncovered her face, and gave Double D a sad smile. "When I was in elementary school, many kids would call me 'beaver girl' and 'crazy castor' and draw such ugly things that they stuck to my locker..." Double D frowned in sympathy towards the girl.

"I was... upset most of the time until Lee advised me to hit anybody who would dare tease me. I did, and nobody bothered me again. But not even the few friends I had before deciding to bully the others would talk to me anymore."

"May..."

"I thought there wouldn't be anyone else in my life, until I met you guys," she said, referring to the Eds, "but you three would run away from us... Well, Ed and Eddy still do."

"Yeah..."

May regaled Double D with a smile. "Thank you, Double D. These past days have been... fun! I wish we could talk even more often," she blushed but slightly, "I mean, it's better than to be stuck around my sisters all day, doing chores..."

Double was a bit stupefied at how much May had opened herself up to him. He felt like he understood the blonde Kanker more now. But above all, he was moved that inside that tough exterior, May was lonely and in need for friendships. "A-anytime, May. You know you can be m-my... f... friend..."

Double D was happy to let her know she could lean on someone. May was elated, and wanted nothing more than to hug the guy. She beamed and was about to open her arms.

"Thank—"

"He came this way!"

"You're not gonna hit him, Lee!"

Lee and Marie were nearby. Double D and May held their breaths, their hearts shaking. Sockhead was starting to sweat, at a loss for what to do. May had to think, and fast.

"S-sorry, just play along!"

May pulled Double D by his hand, towards a corner outside of the library. She made sure they were in clear sight of her two sisters as soon as they approached.

"M-may, what are you-"

Once Lee and Marie appeared in the distance, May grabbed Double D's neck with both of her hands, hesitantly. Double D stiffened, and was about to say something when May proceeded to shake his head from the neck up. Double D's words came out gargled, his tongue shaking right and left.

"You got'im, you got'im, May!"

"What're you doing, drop'im!"

May thought she gave them enough of a show. She walked back as she pretended to strangle Double D. Once they were out of sight, she let go of him, her face red with mischief and from blushing, and pushed him, who was about the same shade as her.

"Run," she whispered, "I'll hold them off, Double D!" She could barely contain the laughter her actions had caused. "I'll try to put both the bike scrap and the cap at the junkyard for you to pick up!"

Double D realized May was joking around so that her sisters didn't see she wasn't up to hurt him, so he laughed with her and obeyed. "R-roger. See you later!" As Double D ran, he noticed his locker was nearby. Remembering how much space Eddy had freed when he took off his silly kissing booth, he opened his friend's locker instead and got inside.

Once inside, he could hear the commotion unraveling as the other two Kankers were arriving to where he was just moments ago with May.

"What happened, May?!"

"…Sorry, he managed to shake me off and ran away—"

The sound of skin against skin resonated on Double D's ears. He got visibly worried. I hope she's not getting into much trouble.

"…That hurt, Marie…" May said, caressing her cheek and trying to hold back a sob.

"How dare you hurt my boyfriend like that?! He probably didn't run away from us, but from the scare you must have given him, you good-for-nothing, beaver-tooth ditz!"

Double D swallowed, hard, his heart beating a mile a minute. How can she be so harsh, even towards her own sister?

A gasp let itself be heard, one which was followed by the sound of running steps, and Double D thought that he had heard someone sniffing.

"That was uncalled for, you idiot!" Yelled Lee, mad at her immediate younger sister.

"What d'you want me to do?! She hurt my man!" Marie yelled back just as loud.

Lee Kanker sighed in annoyance. All she intended was to give the brainy boy a good scare so he doesn't tell them what to do, but she couldn't foresee further and didn't expect the situation to mess up that badly. "You're too easy to set off, Marie. "

The blue haired Kanker yelled and stomped away, back to the boiler room. Lee did the same thing.

Only then did Double D come out of his hiding place. His expression was somber, and he held onto his cheek, his eyes shut tight as if he was the one who got hit.

"I still don't get how that bowtie triangle has the same angles." Eddy said, as he was looking at his exam again.

"Bowties make you look like a penguin, Eddy!"

"Shut your face, Lumpy! Double D, explain this to me… Double D!"

Double D was staring outside the school bus window, immersed in his thoughts. "Ah? My apologies, Eddy. I was… concentrating on something else…"

"Oh, pray tell. You wanna tell us what's that something else that's got you down?"

"Down?"

"Don't play dumb, Sockhead! You've been moping after lunch. What's up?"

Eddy was right. Double D was pensive, his mind kept traveling back to the confrontation Marie and May had had. He felt so bad for his friend, he wished he had more of a backbone to stand there to protect her… but if Marie and Lee realized they've been talking to each other and being friendly, the situation might have got worse for the both of them.

"Nothing that is of concern, Eddy." He sighed, unsure of what was becoming of himself. Suddenly this lying business was starting to become more bearable to him. "What is it you needed help with?"

"You said yesterday this bowtie triangle has the same angles. I don't see how. Can you repeat that?"

"Sure, Eddy. Remember the sum of any two adjacent angles forms an angle on the outer side of the triangle from either of the extended lines stemming from the sides of the remaining angle. Since both of these angles form the same angle from the outside, we can safely assume the sum of the two angles from one triangle is the same as the sum of the two angles on the other triangle, Eddy."

"Ooh."

Having accomplished his task, Double D turned back to the window. He couldn't go back to the past and avoid May getting hurt by what Marie did, but at least he could try to be there for her and cheer her up if he could. The problem is, how?

"What about this A triangle? You said the sum of the three angles is the same as the angle on the crotch. Double D? Double D!"

Double D was finishing his English homework, when someone rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" He yelled to no one. Double D had found a way to live with his solitude better by making himself believe his parents were actually home, and not working at the research center day-in and day-out at all times, earning money like crazy. As if they weren't well off enough.

"How are you, Double D?"

"Oh." He smiled a bit. "Hi, Jimmy! How are you? Do you want to come in?"

"Jimmy" walked inside and sat down on the couch. Double D couldn't help but notice it sank further on his weight. Well, he doesn't seem to be the over-eating type, but one never knows with cravings…

"Wait one second, please. I'll bring us some lemonade."

"I'm good, thanks. It'll probably rust me anyways."

Double D widened his eyes. "What the…? Double Bot Jimmy?"

As soon as Double D let his astonishment manifest, he heard soft giggles coming from one of his bushes. He went outside to find a laughing Jimmy holding Double Bot Jimmy's remote.

"Wow, Jimmy! I must say, you had me fooled!"

"Didn't I?! That was funny, Double D!"

Double D let his young friend go inside with him.

"How did you know I was going to offer you lemonade, Jimmy?" Double D asked as he handed the boy a glassful of the drink.

"I didn't. I recorded triggers for 'lemonade', 'punch', 'water', and 'soda' hoping that you would be having at least one of those." He drank from his glass.

"Well, you're lucky I didn't decide to bring out the root beer!"

Both kids laughed.

"So, what brings you to my house, my good friend?"

"I actually wanted to thank you again, Double D. My Dad gave me some free tickets he got from his boss to go see this amazing movie at the Mall cinema. These are for next Saturday. Here, you can have these." He handed Double D two tickets.

"Really? Thank you Jimmy, but maybe you should use them for yourself."

"I already did, I went to yesterday's airing almost as soon as you left. My Dad gave me four tickets, you see. I loved the movie, but Sarah seemed to be bored by it." Jimmy was blushing a bit. A sign Double D understood perfectly well, and smiled, understanding how Jimmy was feeling as he was experiencing similar feelings towards May.

"Well, if you wish to give them to me then I'll oblige. Thank you!"

"Of course! Have fun, okay?" And with that, Jimmy left, Double Bot Jimmy following him.

Double D analyzed the situation. Two movie tickets. What can I make with these—wait! He came up with the answer almost instantly. Movie or not, he was certain he could cheer May up on Saturday if she accepted his invitation.

Notes: The "A triangle" as Eddy is referring to it, is actually a quadrilateral, the one that looks like an arrow.

Please keep a note for the way Marie is making May feel, and how her words and the cumulative hurt she has (ever since the Wednesday night tutoring) will be a key for the upcoming chapters.

Two chapters in a day! I've felt like I may have not been posting fast enough. But not only that, I'm leaving you (the few but awesome readers I've had thus far) with a bigger piece to digest since I have finals this week. I may or may not post in a couple of days but I'll try to do what I can!