Chapter 25

Double D made sure to run ahead. He and his friends were headed to the cafeteria. He knew, however, that May's locker was nearby. He turned around before either of his friends could see him to put in some papers with notes inside her locker's vents.

Once he was done, he made sure to enter the cafeteria and grab breakfast before Eddy or Ed noticed he arrived after them.

The boy scribbled down on his paper merrily. He was happy the blonde Kanker had actually made it to school. Judging by the plethora of papers she carried when she entered the Geometry classroom, she must have received the copy of his notes.

"Ok. Who can tell me the answer to the problem?"

Silence reigned on the Geometry classroom. Nobody wanted to intervene. Double D, eager, was about to raise his hand...

"Aat-choo!"

... when suddenly a loud sneeze broke all the quietness at the moment. "Sorry..." May wasn't feeling well enough yet.

"Mmm, good timing, Ms. Kanker. You were absent yesterday, but maybe you would like to give the problem a try?"

May looked at what she came up with. She was doubtful whether her work was correct. Eddy found it weird Double D was sweating profusely.

"Uum... Since the central angle 45 is supposed to be the same measure as the length of the arc it originates from, then the remaining of the circle is... 315?"

The professor congratulated her. "Very good, May! Say, you've been doing well lately... What's your secret?"

May was put on the spot. Lee arched an eyebrow, alert. Double D flinched. At least neither Eddy nor Marie noticed their reactions.

"U-uh, I... I've been studying..."

The professor laughed. He had noticed ever since Monday that there was a certain attraction between her and his star pupil. But he knew from experience how teasing could be quite embarrassing for children, so he dropped it. "Ha ha! Fair enough. Now,..." As he continued the class, both Double D and May sighed in relief. Their secret was alive one more day.

Physical Education wasn't Double D's forte, but if he knew one thing, it was that he couldn't continue being so weak if he ever wanted to sneak inside May's house to see her again.

"C'mon, Sockhead, what's keeping ya?" Eddy said to him, leaving the boys' locker room to the gym.

"I have an athlete's foot, Eddy!" Ed joked around, running outside as he followed his friend. The tall boy left so rapidly he forgot to close the door completely.

Double D had a clear view of the girls as they were coming out from their own locker room. He could hear their giggling and chatting.

As he continued watching, he saw Lee and Marie come out. Behind them, May walked to the center of the gym. Her steps were erratic. She looked dizzy. Double D noticed that she was still sniffling.

Nazz, seeing the state of the blonde, decided to intervene. "May's not feeling well, coach, I think she shouldn't be exercising today."

The coach agreed with her assistant and told May to go sit down. Double D saw that the girl was with half open eyes, a slightly red nose, and her hair was a bit messy. Yet, despite all of that, the boy still thought she looked just as cute.

He took a big risk; he couldn't simply leave her alone like that. Putting his shirt back on, he headed back inside the gym. Kevin yelled at him.

"Double D! Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"M-my apologies, Kevin. I'm afraid I forgot my gym clothes at home..."

Kevin groaned. He hated the assistant job, but it would keep him on good terms with the coach so that he would continue on the football team. "Coach, this dweeb forgot his clothes!" May stared at the boy intently once he heard Kevin's shouting.

The coach groaned in a similar manner. The part he hated the most about having to teach P.E. was dealing with weak, girly students. He conceded.

"Go sit down, Double D!"

The brainy boy sat down on a bench close by May's. He sighed. Double D was sure to get a demerit, but at least he could be around May, even if they wouldn't not be able to be right next to each other to avoid being found out. May had a fighting against herself to avoid turning to see her boy. She was having trouble hiding the dopey smile that was developing on her face. Her coach spoke,

"Alright, kids. Both the football coach and I have agree that because of the weather, you are all going to run laps around the school today!"

Ed whooped. Eddy cursed his life. Most kids were pretty much indifferent. The two teens sitting down by the benches, however, were flabbergasted that everything was indirectly going their way. As every kid jogged out, the two were left alone. Double D slowly turned and looked at May in disbelief, who was in turn looking at him with the same expression of surprise.

"You didn't have to do that…" May reasoned with Double. Both of them were sitting next to each other now.

"But I wanted to, May. Not that I want to escape from the jogging, but I heard you from inside. You're not feeling well enough yet…"

She regaled Double D with a smile. "Thanks, Double D. You're always so thoughtful…"

The boy, not knowing how to react, brought a hand to the back of his head, intent on scratching a non-existent itch. "Eeh… I… you're welcome. By the way, I was very impressed by the answer you gave to the Geometry professor."

May yawned, "Really? I gave your notes a quick read before class… that really helped."

"Uh… good." Double D was very nervous. Even when he was used to be around May now, the events that occurred yesterday kept nagging and biting at a corner of his brain. He needed to let May know.

"You know, it's… really nice to have you back in school, May." Why are you beating around the bush?

The blonde Kanker blushed. "Well, I'm really glad it makes you say that." She giggled, then sniffled.

"I… yesterday I was sad you weren't here…" Double D said, while May stared at him with. She just wanted to hug him. "And, and… your sister Marie noticed."

All of the blood drained from the girl's face. "M-Marie?"

Double D looked back at his beloved. He thought it would be impossible to see a Kanker scared, but May gave out all of the signs that she was. "Are you okay, May?"

May breathed in and out quickly for a second. "Yeah… Yeah, I am. What did she say?"

"She tried to cheer me up and… tried to kiss me on the mouth." May was wide-eyed. "I-she had m-me pinned to the floor, so I turned my head and she actually kissed me in the cheek." Double D braced himself for the worst. "Sorry…"

But May seemed to know the outcome. She knew before Double D and her had started their relationship that Marie was after him, and as she demonstrated on the days they would chase the Eds, she was willing to kiss Double D anywhere in the face without remorse or thought about what his wishes were.

"… No, Double D. You don't have to be, really. I know how Marie can be. No offense, but she can overpower you. I get it." May was a bit frustrated that Marie could have her way with Double D, but she couldn't hit her. Marie had always been stronger than her. May knew that when her sister would get really angry she would start hitting her so hard the bruises would take close to three weeks to heal. She trembled as she remembered the time she slapped her a few days ago; she considered herself lucky to be fully healed now.

"I… you're right. But that doesn't make it fair. I mean, this is not fair to you, May. You're the only one who should have a r-right to…" Double D wondered if it was possible to blunder so much. May, like him, was beet red. "… well, y-you know…"

May was caught by surprise when she heard what Double D said. She was flattered, but upon hearing him she imagined herself kissing Double D passionately… The thought embarrassed her a great deal.

And yet, a part of her kept wondering how good that would actually feel…

"Y-yeah… I know."

"So… I think that it is for the best of our relationship to tell Marie about us."

Once again, May was pale upon hearing Double D's words.

"And Eddy, and any other people who might not agree. May?" Double D stopped when he felt May's hand on his arm.

"D-Don't you think it's a b-bit early? I-I-Isn't it better this way?" May knew deep within her that Double D's words were the most logical. He said them with the best intentions at heart. But she had to acknowledge it.

May was afraid of Marie.

"May?" Double D noticed the girl next to him was shaking. "Are you okay? You're shaky…"

"Double D-D, I…" She couldn't hold it. May covered her face with her hands and brought her face to her legs. "I'm sorry! I-I don't know, I… I really don't want to see how Marie is going to react…"

Double D remembered then the time May sent him a note along with Kevin's bike pieces. The way her words were written, it seemed almost as if May feared for what Marie would do to her. He tried to comfort his special friend by placing a hand on her back.

"May… I'm sorry. I should take your own feelings into consideration. I myself can understand how intimidating your sister can be at times." May sat up now, surprised at Double D's change of heart. "So, if you feel like it, no, when you feel like it, we'll tell Marie. Just let me know when you're ready and I'll be willing to stand by you all the way. We'll do this whenever you want, okay?"

May was ever thankful she found someone as wonderful as Double D on her way. She didn't understand how, but now she had a caring, kind-hearted boy by her side. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you… thank you so much, Double D!"

The boy was in stalemate again. He didn't know how to react. Double D was never the type to take praise with smugness, like Eddy. He could only babble and blush in response.

"Ah… it was nothing-nothing, May…"

Both children remained in place. Awkwardly, he put an arm around the blonde Kanker.

He felt everything was right with the world. He thought about May and himself. He knew that, although he was holding her (or half-holding her) with only an arm around her, he could probably do it more affectionately. May didn't seem to mind, however.

It was now ten minutes before the class would end. He didn't want to separate himself from his blonde beauty, but he knew that it was inevitable. One day, everybody would know about their relationship and May and he would be able to snuggle together as much as they wanted, no matter who would see them.

"Great job, dudes! Now let's go back to change!"

Double D panicked, he could hear Nazz's voice right outside the gym. "May! They're coming back, we should…"

Double D saw the girl was sound asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. He hated to do that to her, but they couldn't be seen together. He whispered to her. "May… May…"

"Huh?! Oh, ah, Double D?" May said, her eyes half closed.

"They're here, I gotta move back!"

The girl's eyes widened as she heard what her boy said just then. "Yikes!" Double D ran to his bench. May turned around, trying to face away from him.

When Nazz opened the gym door that led outside, she saw Double D with both hands resting on his lap, intertwined. She was confused. As she saw May, she found it curious both of them seemed to be facing away from each other.