Jonny knew his friend was gay, but it never fazed him. Jimmy and he were just friends...weren't they? They had to be. No other way. Last month Jonny had started shooting heroin, and he was starting to feel depressed, like he couldn't go on much longer. He saw Jimmy stare at big Ed, and he put his hand on his shoulder.
"Just wait until the ideal time. Ed will understand, I'm sure of it."
Jimmy turned and smiled at his friend.
"Yeah. I better not pressure myself; the time will come."
Ed noticed Jimmy staring at him. That kid never ceased to freak him out. Jimmy's
retainer was taken out long ago, left with simple braces. He now wore a sleeveless baby blue shirt, silk, and tan cargo pants like before. Some of the younger school girls were attracted to him, but he kept turning them down for some reason. Ed turned back to Double D, still astonished at how much different he was now. Not the same nerdy bookworm he had known before, hell, Edd had even sprouted muscles. A lot of them, too. Ed looked at Eddy. Something about him was different, but Ed couldn't
tell what it was. Eddy seemed more withdrawn and depressed than usual, of course, usually he was cheerful, even angry. But he hadn't said anything on the entire bus ride. Kevin looked at Ed when he looked away, but avoided eye contact. Ed was so much different. He wasn't stupid, and definitely not under control by Eddy. The loudmouth, he had to admit, was a lot cooler than he once was. Wait...he wasn't talking. That couldn't be good. Well, whatever it was, it wasn't his place to go asking around. Nazz say next to him, her arms around her knees, looking out the window. She had been very depressed also these days. He wondered what was wrong. Then, she turned around to look at Ed. Wait... what?!? Oh. She was just looking at Ed, but not in any that she shouldn't. Kevin had grown protective of her, no, controlling. He was also paranoid, every time she looked at the Eds, whom he had to admit had grown attractive, he felt himself grow angry. Damn them...they were the source of his anger and jealousy. But having Ed stand up to him, well, that just wasn't right!
Sara turned to look at Eddy. He had also gotten very hot these days, and the fact that he was her brother's friend made him eligible. They had been fierce rivals in the past, and she feared that would ruin their relationship, if they were going to have one at all. She sighed. He was just in her reach, but he eluded her.
Double D could tell Eddy was troubled.
"Eddy... what's wrong? You okay?"
Eddy was lost in thought about his past, how he had been taken advantage of, how in his mind everyone hated him. He turned to Double D and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Really."
Double D wasn't so sure, but he didn't want to press the matter.
The rest of the day went smoothly, considering it was the last day of the school year. Of course, there were bumps, like when Edd was attacked by the Kanker Sisters on the way to the bathroom. But at the end of the day, everyone was happy.
Ed sat on the curb, in front of that historical manhole that was always seen in the cul-de-sac. He closed his eyes, absorbing the summer sun's
s rays of heat. The time was 3:36, a time of the day that was exceedingly hot. Soon after, he heard footsteps come near. The light, meaningful steps told him who it was.
"Hey Jimmy."
He said, before finally opening his eyes. Jimmy smiled and sat down next to him.
"Hi Big Ed."
He wasn't called Big Ed much anymore, so it came as a surprise. He continued.
"What brings you here?"
Warm brown eyes melted Jimmy's soul and heart. Jimmy disregarded the last question and gasped in a nervous breath.
"Ed...there's something I need to tell you."
"What? You know you can tell me anything."
After a moment of deep breathing, Jimmy spoke.
"Ed...I love you. I've loved you for...well, a long time. I wanted to let you know how I feel."
And with that, Jimmy closed his eyes, not wanted to see Ed's face, but hear his response. The response never came. Jimmy opened his eyes slowly, tentatively. Ed was horrified.
"G-get away from me. I-I'm straight. Just stay away!"
Ed stood up and ran towards his house.
"Ed, wait! I just wanted…"
Jimmy held his hand out to Ed, but Ed was too far gone. He felt like crying, right there. Depression started to kick in. The rejection was too much. He held his head in his hands, a movement of false comfort, and cried. He cried for hours and hours, just sitting there on the curb, crying. Being rejected was one thing, but now he knew that he and Ed couldn't even be friends.
He made a final decision.
"Just wait until the ideal time. Ed will understand, I'm sure of it."
Jimmy turned and smiled at his friend.
"Yeah. I better not pressure myself; the time will come."
Ed noticed Jimmy staring at him. That kid never ceased to freak him out. Jimmy's
retainer was taken out long ago, left with simple braces. He now wore a sleeveless baby blue shirt, silk, and tan cargo pants like before. Some of the younger school girls were attracted to him, but he kept turning them down for some reason. Ed turned back to Double D, still astonished at how much different he was now. Not the same nerdy bookworm he had known before, hell, Edd had even sprouted muscles. A lot of them, too. Ed looked at Eddy. Something about him was different, but Ed couldn't
tell what it was. Eddy seemed more withdrawn and depressed than usual, of course, usually he was cheerful, even angry. But he hadn't said anything on the entire bus ride. Kevin looked at Ed when he looked away, but avoided eye contact. Ed was so much different. He wasn't stupid, and definitely not under control by Eddy. The loudmouth, he had to admit, was a lot cooler than he once was. Wait...he wasn't talking. That couldn't be good. Well, whatever it was, it wasn't his place to go asking around. Nazz say next to him, her arms around her knees, looking out the window. She had been very depressed also these days. He wondered what was wrong. Then, she turned around to look at Ed. Wait... what?!? Oh. She was just looking at Ed, but not in any that she shouldn't. Kevin had grown protective of her, no, controlling. He was also paranoid, every time she looked at the Eds, whom he had to admit had grown attractive, he felt himself grow angry. Damn them...they were the source of his anger and jealousy. But having Ed stand up to him, well, that just wasn't right!
Sara turned to look at Eddy. He had also gotten very hot these days, and the fact that he was her brother's friend made him eligible. They had been fierce rivals in the past, and she feared that would ruin their relationship, if they were going to have one at all. She sighed. He was just in her reach, but he eluded her.
Double D could tell Eddy was troubled.
"Eddy... what's wrong? You okay?"
Eddy was lost in thought about his past, how he had been taken advantage of, how in his mind everyone hated him. He turned to Double D and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Really."
Double D wasn't so sure, but he didn't want to press the matter.
The rest of the day went smoothly, considering it was the last day of the school year. Of course, there were bumps, like when Edd was attacked by the Kanker Sisters on the way to the bathroom. But at the end of the day, everyone was happy.
Ed sat on the curb, in front of that historical manhole that was always seen in the cul-de-sac. He closed his eyes, absorbing the summer sun's
s rays of heat. The time was 3:36, a time of the day that was exceedingly hot. Soon after, he heard footsteps come near. The light, meaningful steps told him who it was.
"Hey Jimmy."
He said, before finally opening his eyes. Jimmy smiled and sat down next to him.
"Hi Big Ed."
He wasn't called Big Ed much anymore, so it came as a surprise. He continued.
"What brings you here?"
Warm brown eyes melted Jimmy's soul and heart. Jimmy disregarded the last question and gasped in a nervous breath.
"Ed...there's something I need to tell you."
"What? You know you can tell me anything."
After a moment of deep breathing, Jimmy spoke.
"Ed...I love you. I've loved you for...well, a long time. I wanted to let you know how I feel."
And with that, Jimmy closed his eyes, not wanted to see Ed's face, but hear his response. The response never came. Jimmy opened his eyes slowly, tentatively. Ed was horrified.
"G-get away from me. I-I'm straight. Just stay away!"
Ed stood up and ran towards his house.
"Ed, wait! I just wanted…"
Jimmy held his hand out to Ed, but Ed was too far gone. He felt like crying, right there. Depression started to kick in. The rejection was too much. He held his head in his hands, a movement of false comfort, and cried. He cried for hours and hours, just sitting there on the curb, crying. Being rejected was one thing, but now he knew that he and Ed couldn't even be friends.
He made a final decision.