Chapter 29.
"See you all tomorrow at the Oval", Lucy called out as the girls left the spa. May turned and waved back.
"We'll call ya before we get there so that you can get your ticket from Chuck, so keep your phone handy, Lucy", May reminded her. Lucy smiled and nodded, then headed back into the spa to finish up her work shift.
"Wowsa!" Sarah exclaimed as she walked with the others down the street, "that spa, hairdo and makeup session really makes one feel… feel… feel…"
"Revitalized?", Lindsay rhetorically asked with a smile. Sarah nodded.
"I think Jimmy is going to have a nosebleed when he sees you, Sarah", Lee commented, "Lucy and her friends really did a great job on ya".
"You too, Lee", Sarah complimented, "that red hair of yours really looks silky. Eddy's gonna be at a loss for words!"
While Sarah was chatting with Lee, Nazz was looking at her manicured and painted fingernails with a critical eye. Maire noticed.
"Problems, Girlfriend?" she inquired, "I've seen Lindsay's dad look at that fine print in those documents of his with less concentration than what I'm seeing you doing. Don't tell me that they botched up your manicure?"
"They're okay", Nazz said, "but I think that the salon back at Peach Creek could have done a better job".
"Kevin won't notice after he sees your hairdo and facial", Marie assured her, "besides, they didn't do a bad job. Right?"
Nazz smiled and nodded. Marie gave her a thumbs-up, then abruptly stopped.
Lee wondered why her younger sister had stopped walking, then she looked at the shop window at which Marie had paused at, then smiled. The smile got broader as she saw what Marie was looking at.
"Ya know, Marie", Lee said with a smirk, "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were trying to make Double-Dee die of heart failure!". The others laughed at that. Marie reddened some but didn't answer.
"I have to admit though that those styles really do look soooo sexy", Lindsay said.
All of them were looking in at the store window. The store was a Victoria's Secret outlet and the latest range of negligees and lingerie were on display.
As Marie looked longingly at some of the negligees that were dressed on the store mannequins, Lindsay discretely nudged Lee. As Lindsay discretely pointed to Marie and then to the window, Lee understood. She slyly nodded and winked.
As Lee was answering Lindsay's unspoken question, May looked in at it and wondered aloud, "I wonder if my Big Ed would like seeing me dressed in something like that?"
"I dunno, May", Sarah answered, "Getting my brother to appreciate anything beyond comic books and old movies could be a bit of a challenge. Even for you".
May gave Sarah a vexed look. While May knew about Ed's love of comic books and old movies, May also knew that Ed had matured a lot since they had become a couple. It had also had the effect of making them be more attentive to their schoolwork as they would be graduating High School in a year.
"Your brother is growing up, Sarah", May replied evenly, "and I'd like to think that he's not got me low on his list of priorities these days", she concluded with her nasal voice coming to the fore.
Sarah realized that she may have overstepped the mark some. She nodded, then said, "I meant nothing amiss, May. It's not easy for me seeing beyond what I've seen him do over the years. Honestly, my seeing him for so long in his messy basement bedroom with his head stuck in a comic book for hours on end or being out with the other Ed's doing their scams kinda sticks in my mind. But you've been good for him, May".
May nodded, somewhat mollified. She realized that Sarah was still thinking of Ed as a brother – a brother whom she had bullied and manipulated for a number of years – but she was right: Thanks to May and with the help of both her sisters and Edd and Eddy, Ed had become far less of a slob and started to use more of his brain matter.
"I understand, Sarah. I'm glad that you're easing off on him too". Sarah nodded. While her main motivation for not doing her bullying on Ed any more was due to May's presence (she knew how strong May was), that fact that Sarah herself was maturing also played a role.
"Anyway, why did you not go with a different hairstyle?", Sarah asked in order to change the subject, "You've still kept your pigtails. Your sisters are being more adventurous there".
May nodded. Lee had decided to have her hair in a ponytail for a change while Marie decided to try a bouffant hairstyle.
"Ya know, Marie", Lee had teased a little earlier, "if Double-Dee ever became the President, you'd look perfect as that's the kinda style that the First Ladies like to wear!"
"Well, your wearing your hair like that might may Ed not recognize ya", Marie shot back with a similar-sounding teasing retort.
Lee ruefully nodded. While she liked to keep her curls, it did make for a lengthier morning routine in getting ready, so she was trying the ponytail look to see if it would be a more convenient style for her.
"You might have a point, Marie, but personally I think LeeLee looks great", Lindsay commented. Lindsay herself had opted to keep the same long flowing blonde hairstyle that was her trademark though the professional layering she got at the spa certainly didn't diminish the admiring looks that the tall teen diva had gotten from men.
Lee did wonder how Eddy would react to the hair styling, but she was glad that her BFF had given her 'seal of approval' on it.
"I don't think I'd look good in a ponytail", Nazz said, "I mean, I did pigtails for school photos and wore my hair up at school dances, but the pixie pageboy style seems to be my 'signature look'.
"Given at how often the boys were drooling over ya in the cul-de-sac, I don't think that any style would diminish how ya look, Girlfriend", Marie stated, "And Kevin cares for you deeply even if you didn't have any hair".
Nazz nodded, remembering that time two summer previously when Eddy's last scam had resulted in her losing a lot of hair. It had taken some months to grow back, but Kevin was there for her throughout that time. He had stopped being so obsessive over his bike, and Nazz knew that THAT was a major achievement in itself.
"I don't know about you, but I'm getting an appetite", Sarah said, "and there's a McDonald's over there. How about it?"
There was a murmur of approval. The girls headed over to the fast food restaurant in order to get some lunch.
While the girls were eating, back at Piccadilly Circus, the boys were eating at a fast food place. Kevin and the Eds had bought some licensed clothing from Lillywhites – Kevin was wearing a replica Manchester United soccer jersey whilst Eddy was wearing a replica soccer jersey bearing the colors of Liverpool. Ed was wearing a white sleeveless cricket jersey with the Hampshire Cricket Club colors stitched arounds the V-neck. He was also carrying a package holding a set of cricket stumps, some balls, and two bats. Edd didn't buy anything for himself, but he was helping Ed by carrying a package containing cricket helmets, batting and bowling gloves, and leg pads.
"We've still got a coupla hours to kill", Eddy commented, Will you and Lumpy be able to carry that stuff around? Or will we have to quickly get back to the hotel in order to drop it off?"
"Don't worry Eddy", Ed assured him with his trademark cheerful grin, "No problems here".
"If it gets too bad, Rolf and the other Urban Rangers will assist you Ed Boys", Rolf commented. He, Jimmy, and Johnny had joined up with the others and were all enjoying a hamburger and fries apiece.
"Well, let's finish up our food first", Eddy suggested, "then we can decide what next to do".
"Do endeavor to be careful though, Eddy", Edd said, "as you would not want to have any grease from the French Fries, or the hamburger get onto that award document".
"It was great of the Grand Poohbah to do this", Eddy said, gesturing to the envelope that Rolf had given him, "Better than that Cry-Baby boo-hoo badge, that's for sure".
The certificate formally recognized his attempt to attain the Hairy Chest of Resilience badge and as a result of what he had endured in the attempt, he had been given the status of an Honorary Urban Ranger. An Honorary Membership badge was also in the envelope. Eddy was very touched at the gesture from the Grand Poohbah.
"So the loud-mouth Ed Boy is no longer a mud-worm. Congratulations", Rolf said as he shook Eddy's hand. Johnny and Jimmy joined in.
Just then, Edd looked at his watch and remembered something that they needed to do. He leaned in and whispered something to Eddy. Eddy nodded.
"Hey Lumpy", Eddy said, "May asked me to remind you about getting her a London t-shirt. There's a t-shirt place over the road. As you've finished eating, perhaps this would be a good time for you to get one".
"Right you are, Eddy!" Ed said as he stood. "Won't be long! I'll see you at the subway".
As Ed walked out of the fast food joint, Eddy then said, "All right, let's get Lumpy that necklace for May. You all got your contributions?"
All nodded, then they handed Eddy some money. Handing it – and some extra cash he had gotten earlier - to Edd, he asked, "This will cover it?" Edd quickly counted the bills, then nodded.
"Okay, get going. We'll meet you at the subway station", Eddy said.
"This is the time that the shop has stated that it would be ready, and as it is only two blocks away to the jewelers, this should not take long", Edd said as he stood, "I will meet you at the subway".
Earlier that morning, before going to breakfast, the boys – sans Ed – had talked to Lee and Marie about their plan. Using a laptop PC in the hotel library, they quickly located a jeweler's store in the vicinity of Piccadilly Circus, then looked at what necklaces that store had to offer on their website. Marie and Lee pointed out a necklace that May would like, then a quick phone call to order it was made. They had just finished the order when May had shown up.
"I though we were going to breakfast", May inquired as she saw Edd and Eddy with Marie and Lee, "Where's Big Ed?"
"Probably waiting for us in the dining room", Lee quickly replied, "Let's get there. We can look up sightseeing sites afterward, people", she glibly finished.
As May headed out, Lee turned to Eddy and said, "This is a great gesture, Love. And I'm glad that we're all able to help". She passed out some additional cash to help with the purchase, then followed it up with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"We'll have Lumpy go buy May something like a t-shirt. When he brings it back, we'll stash the necklace in with is, and Ed will unknowingly do the rest!", Eddy explained.
So as Rolf, Jimmy, Johnny, Kevin, and Eddy finished up their food and started to head out to the subway station, Ed was across the street finding a t-shirt with a suitable motif for May, and Edd was quickly heading over to the Jeweler's. Edd hoped that the necklace was going to look as good as what he saw on the website, but he also hoped that Ed would not think badly of them for doing this for him.
And at the same time not too far away, while May, Sarah, and Nazz were distracting Marie, Lee and Lindsay quickly left the McDonald's and headed over to the Victoria's Secret store…