A/N:

Pen: Why must I continue to be subjected to this tortuous-

Sword: Hello everybody! We're back again!

Pen: Ugh. Get on with it then.

Sword: Right-o! Like we usually say, Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy belong to Danny Antonucci and Cartoon Network. The story, me, and Pen belong to the author. Please don't use blah blah blah. 'K? 'K. Thanks and enjoy!

Chapter 2 – A Desperate Ed

Marie had already entered the back room of the store before Edd broke out of his stupor. He rushed in after her, narrowly missing Eddy leaving, skidded to a halt, and shut the door behind them, giving them some privacy.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," he said. "What do you mean you're flunking?"

She grabbed her backpack from a shelf and swung it over her shoulder. "As in my grades don't meet the school's standards. As in they're below passing. As in my GPA isn't high enough," she said.

Edd rolled his eyes. "No, I understand that. But how can that be? You've been passing the classes."

"Some classes," she said, clarifying. She unzipped her backpack, pulled out a piece of paper, and shoved it into his hands. "See? Let's walk and talk." She threw open the door and he followed right behind her, pouring over her report card.

As he suspected, areas like Physics and History, which they shared, she was doing well in. In fact, her aptitude for science boosted her Physics grade to an easy A. But the others were more disheartening.

"A D in Algebra?" he asked once they were on the sidewalk. "It's not much different from Physics."

"Yes, it is," she said. "It's practical versus theoretical."

That made sense to him. As she often mentioned, she was a more "hands-on" person. "Okay, but what about Government and Economy? How could you get an F in that?"

She scoffed. "Pretty easily with all the stupid laws, acts, and crap they expect us to memorize. I can't remember every single detail on the tests." He shook his head, but she continued, "Hey, the way my mom tells it, the only thing we should learn about the government is loopholes for the IRS."

"We'll come back to that. An F in Physical Education? How?"

This area didn't come with a snappy remark. Instead, Marie's eyes dropped to her sneakers and she gave a simple shrug. "You know. Don't really get involved in all the activities. I've even cut a couple of times to study for other classes."

That didn't really explain the grade, but at this point, she was already appearing more disheartened with every item he rattled off, her shoulders slumping and her pace slowing. So he accepted it and moved on, skimming the comments underneath the list of grades. Phrases such as "expectations not met" and "recommend repeating" jumped out at him from the red inked, nearly illegible handwriting.

"Is there anything that can be done?" he asked, fishing around for ideas. "Some extra credit, a project, anything?"

Again, she answered with a half-hearted raise of her shoulders. "Dunno. I'm supposed to talk to my guidance counselor tomorrow about it."

He reviewed over the report card again, scarcely believing it was real. Then a thought reared its ugly head. "How long has this been going on?"

She looked up, startled, caught in the headlights of the question. "Uh, you know. A while."

"How long is 'a while'?"

"Maybe," she answered slowly, picking at a stud in her ear, "maybe months?"

"Months?" He felt faint and stopped in the shade of a tree, taking deep breaths. "If it was going on for months, why did you hide this from me? I could've helped you study."

"You already got a lot going on," she said. "We all do. I was going to deal with it."

"I'm your boyfriend," he said. "As such, I'm obligated to assist you and will happily do so."

She chuckled and took the paper back from him. "My, how chivalrous. Look, I know you would've helped. But you're tightly wound normally and this year, with your classes and job, you've been getting less sleep. Shut up, I know you have and yes, that's a problem," she said, before he could protest. "That's why I've been helping you unwind when we study and do homework. You need a little downtime."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's the only reason?"

"Okay, fine, I enjoy it too," she said, grinning. "But I was trying to help my man relax a bit. You would've had a nervous breakdown if you added tutoring me with these classes to the pile."

Edd scratched his neck, feeling guilty. All this time, she had cared about his well-being, wanting him to succeed, and he hadn't done enough for her. "You still should've told me."

"Hey, I got it," she said, tapping his nose, but her voice belied any belief that things would work out. "If I have to repeat a grade, I'll repeat a grade. No biggie. Now, you got homework to do, so get to it." She pecked his lips, lifting onto her toes to gain an extra inch to match his height. "Call me later."

With that, she turned and walked off in the direction of the trailer park. Edd watched her leave and looked around, wondering what to do. He couldn't go to his house and concentrate on homework. Not with this bombshell dropped into his lap.

No, there had to be something he could do to help Marie with this situation, something he wasn't seeing. He spun around, searching up and down the street for some sign. The only one he saw was the tall, green and pink garish marquee of the Café 50's, advertising its lunch special. A hasty idea formed in the working cogs of his brain and before he could rationally rethink it, he powerwalked back to the restaurant, determined in his course of action.

The next day, Edd arrived at school early and waited near the main offices. From the window, he spotted Marie's blue hair through the narrow blinds and another, older woman behind a desk, who he supposed was her guidance counselor. He paced outside the office, checking his watch repeatedly to keep track of the bell. A few minutes before it was due to ring, Marie stepped out of the office, her face downcast with the air of bad news like her report card.

"Hey," Edd said, sidling up to her.

"Oh," she said, surprised at his presence. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long," he lied. "So?"

"So, there's nothing I can do." She pulled the strap on her backpack higher as the bell rang. "That's that. Let's get to class."

"Hold on a minute," he said, rushing up and walking backwards, facing her. The hall was rather empty, as most students were already in class, sleeping at their desks to catch a few more minutes of solace, and only a few stragglers ran to and from lockers carrying textbooks remembered at the last minute. "I've got a way to help you."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "How?"

"I quit my job!"

Her jaw dropped and her eye bulged. "You what?"

"I quit my job," he repeated. "I'm going to dedicate time to help you study. It's the least I can do for you."

However, she smacked her forehead, wiping her face, and gritted her teeth. Not the reaction he was expecting. "Why would you do that?"

"To, er, help you pass?" he said tentatively. "To tutor you."

"You idiot," she said, her expression wavering between annoyance and amusement at his gesture. "You smart idiot. You shouldn't have done that. Even if you tutored me, it wouldn't be enough to get a passing grade."

"O-Oh." He dug his hands in his pocket, stopping for a moment, suddenly feeling very foolish.

Shaking her head, she pecked his cheek. "Thanks for the gesture. Now c'mon." She tugged his arm and he resumed walking.

"So there's nothing you can do? What about summer school?"

"School cuts. Can only afford a few classes this year. I could do Algebra, but not the others."

Edd rapped his knuckles against his forehead. "What about the teachers themselves? Have you talked to them? Asked if there's any way to make up the grades?"

Marie burst out laughing, holding her side. "Are-are you serious?" she choked out.

He cocked his head. "I don't see what's so funny about it. The teachers are there to help you understand the material."

She slowly calmed down and wiped her eyes, giggles escaping now and then. "Oh, wow. You actually are serious. I already tried that. Many times and it didn't work at all because they suck at their job."

"What do you mean?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she explained it to him slowly like teaching a child. "Look, maybe you've gotten lucky or maybe you just don't see it. But a lot of teachers don't care. At all." They rounded a corner, approaching their Physics class. "They either won't help, aren't there to help, or suck at helping."

"What?" Edd shook his head. "No, they have to assist you. It's what they're here for."

"They don't have to do anything," she said as they reached the classroom door. "You don't believe me? Meet me after Algebra before lunch and I'll show you."

Edd had thought Marie to be exaggerating when she went off about the teachers and their inability to assist. But watching the Algebra teacher in action and trying to take notes, he had to concede to her.

When he met up with her after their classes were dismissed for lunch, Marie had caught the Algebra teacher behind her desk. "I don't really get these parts," she said, pulling out her homework from last night. "Can you go over these?"

"Certainly." The teacher had then approached the board and, in the span of five minutes, completely lost Edd and Marie while drawing and discussing the equations on the board. The pair nodded along and Edd attempted to write down her explanations for Marie's sake, but after another minute, he gave up, as he couldn't make heads or tails of the inane logic the teacher used to arrive at the solution when there were several, easier methods he could think of. It was fascinating in its insanity and terrifying that this was taught to students.

By the time they left, the board was filled with slap-dash handwriting, half-thoughts, and equations that Edd could somewhat follow, but only because he already knew the content. "Well," Edd said, looking over his paper one last time as they left and balling it up. "I can't say she doesn't know the material."

"Knows it, but can't teach it," Marie said. "The only reason I have a D is because I've been teaching myself."

"Hey, what are you two doing?" a dreaded voice said behind them. Wincing, Edd reluctantly looked over his shoulder to find Kevin, his hall monitor badge pinned proudly to his shoulder, with his arms crossed and glaring at them. "Skipping class again?"

Before Edd could answer, the Algebra teacher poked her head out. "Oh, Kevin! Sorry, it's my fault. Kept Miss Kanker and Eddward longer than I meant to helping with homework. Won't you excuse them for me?"

"Oh, uh, yes, ma'am," Kevin said, smiling her way. Robbed of his chance to bust the pair, he jerked a sour face to Edd and Marie to hurry up to lunch. Edd noticed Marie clenching her fist, as while Kevin may have been beloved by the teachers and popular students, not everyone cared for him. Edd pulled her along before a fight broke loose.

"But the Government and Economics teacher," Edd said once they entered the lunchroom, attempting to pick up their previous conversation. "Surely that can't be any worse?"

The hard stare she gave him frightened him to his core. "When he's not whining about how he's having to pay off student loans or that he isn't getting to use his degree to go into politics, he's hiding in his office or skipping out for 'emergencies' during after hours when he should be available."

"And Physical Education?"

"I'll stop skipping P.E." The lunch lady slopped a pile of lumpy mashed potatoes on her tray as they went through the line. "Not like it'll help," she mumbled.

At a loss, Edd sat at the table beside her and picked at his food. He had never encountered such a predicament before. Sure, Ed and Eddy had experienced trouble in their own classes, but once they came to him and he assessed the situation, he usually saw a way through to help them with grades and pass the class.

This felt beyond him. A teacher who couldn't teach and one who refused. Marie had been right. He had always assumed the teachers were helpful and always there for students, but perhaps he had been naïve in that belief. It certainly seemed so after today, like his eyes were being opened to another, terrible reality under the surface of the pristine, perfect one he knew.

He glanced at Marie, who slowly ate her food, and frowned. She would be held back a year. Meaning no more classes together. Likely different lunch schedules too. He would hardly see her, all because of a few bad grades, and supposed most of their time together would consist outside of school. Based on the report this morning, it would be something he would have to get used to.

That notion frustrated him and he jammed a fork into his tray. No, it shouldn't be something he should "get used to". Neither should Marie. She had been working hard all year, trying her best. He had personally seen that. Why should she be punished then because of a few teachers who didn't meet her effort? There had to be some way to help her.

There's nothing, his mind told him. No way to change her grades to passing outside of just breaking into the teachers' computers and doing it.

He shook away the negativity and brainstormed. Yet as idea after idea passed, each more unlikely to succeed than the last, the lingering suggestion from that thought stayed with him. Break into the teachers' computers and change the grades.

No, no, he told himself. That's just silly. It was not his way. Not to mention it was illegal. Cheating and changing someone's grades?

As he eyed Marie again though, the idea formed its own arguments. Isn't it just as morally wrong and illegal for teachers to fail a student in their academic endeavors? To not do their job and ruin that student's future prospects?

No. I mean, yes, but stop it. He scooped a mouthful of soggy vegetables up and quietly chewed, staring off into the distance. How would we even do it? he asked himself, entertaining the notion. Surely they would catch on.

Not from the sounds of it. Seems like the teachers hardly pay attention. That was true. A bump to a B here, a C there, and that's all there is to it. The voice in his mind was starting to sound suspiciously like Eddy and that frightened him.

But the only appropriate time would be after school. What if they log the keystrokes? Then they'll know the grades were changed by someone else.

Do it during school.

That made his knees turn to jelly and he grabbed his drink, downing it with a shaky hand. He couldn't believe he was even entertaining this thought. I don't know if this is a good idea.

Do you want the education system to fail a student doing her best? He looked at Marie and she finally turned to him, cocking an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked. "Do I got something on my face?"

Do it for her. He smiled and pecked her nose. "No, it's nothing." She smirked and elbowed his side. While she went back to eating, he had suddenly lost his appetite.

He wouldn't be able to do this alone. He had to bring in the cavalry, so to speak. With his mind made up, he said a quick farewell to Marie, explaining he had to visit a teacher, then rushing off to find Ed and Eddy before he lost his nerve. Somehow, he didn't see this working out well at all.

His mind flashed with the possible punishments as he pressed on, expulsion being the least of them. No, not well at all.

A/N:

Sword: That's all for now! Please, let us know what you think so far and thank you for reading! How's it cracking with the next one so far?

Pen: Your bones will be cracking if you don't get off my back.

Easy now, you two.