Disclaimer – I own nothing, as always

A/N – Finally! Chapter seven! I am very sorry for the lateness of this update, but being dragged to Wales with my family, along with a severe case of writer's block kinda prevented me from actually sitting down and typing this up, but here it is finally... Don't think there is anything else to say, 'cept hope you enjoy!


Closeted Secrets

Sarah sat at the kitchen table, idly drawing over a page in her diary. Her sketches and animations had certainly seen a vast improvement since the days when she created crude cartoons of the others in the cul-de-sac, and, although she could never match up to Jimmy's artistic talents, the techniques she had picked up from her flamboyant friend, and from her brother – whose own skills when it came to animation were also enviable – were enough to transform her basic ideas into beautiful pieces of art.

She stopped to admire her latest work. A colourful sketch of herself, Nazz and a very nervous looking Double D that had drawn it's inspiration from a photograph which now lay on the table that Jimmy had taken earlier that week. She smiled as she looked over the piece. Her crush on Double D had never quite faded and she still had a soft spot for the quieter of Ed's boisterous friends. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a soft knocking at the door.

"Ed!" Her shouts echoed through the kitchen. No answer.

"Ed! Are you listening to me? Get the door!" she again screeched. When her efforts were once again proved to be unfruitful she stuck her head round the door to the living room, where she found her large brother slumped over an armchair, fast asleep and snoring loudly, while a poorly produced, black and white movie played across the television screen. Sarah sighed to herself. Ed never changed. He was still the messy and carefree person he had been as a child. The knocking rang through the house again. Deciding that Ed was probably les trouble asleep than he was awake, Sarah stormed in the direction of the front door with a scowl. Boy, would Ed be in trouble when mom and dad found out that he had dozed off, laving her all alone when he was supposed to be watching his temperamental little sister while they were out. Sarah swung open the door, ready to bombard her parents with accusations and condemnations about her supposed babysitter when she was stopped dead in her tracks by the sight in front of her.

"Hey Sarah – sorry for calling so late... uh... is Ed there please?" Sarah stood in shock as Double D faced her from the doorstep. He was soaking wet – obviously due to the storm brewing outside – his clothes, which were already incredibly baggy (Sarah thought that he was beginning to dress more and more like Marie Kanker by the day) hung around him in a sodden and windswept mess. The smudge of black eyeliner that Double D occasionally wore swept across his eyes had run down his cheeks, leaving thin black smears and trails. His eyes themselves were red – almost as if he'd been crying. She lifted her gaze and fought back a back a gasp upon the discovery that his hat was missing and his beautiful long hair, now weathered and tangled, was set free to fall to it's true length. Sarah shook her head, as if to rid her thoughts of the clearly distressed image of the taller boy, and again rested her eyes on him, this time noticing his hands which had fallen to his sides and were slightly trembling – possibly from the cold – and his left hand was covered in blood.

"Double D..." she whispered, in a voice so soft it seemed unable to have come from the fiery and often enraged teenager. "What happened?"

Double D could feel a fresh batch of tears beginning to well up inside him, but he fought them back bravely, not wanting to concern Sarah any more than he already had. Why had he come here? He knew Ed would not be able to help the situation, and there was even a risk that Eddy would follow him to Ed's house – Double D could be so predictable – but at least he knew that his gentle hearted friend would be able to offer some form of comfort to him – something he would not have received if he had returned to his empty house. Besides, he knew it was probably best not to be alone at a time like this, not with only his own distraught thoughts for company.

He forced a weak smile and tried to follow Sarah's gaze, which he realised had rested on his injured hand. He had almost forgotten about that, but was now glad of the distraction that it posed.

"Uh yeah... I fell earlier, cut my hand...it's nothing, really..." he again tried to smile reassuringly, but he could tell that none of this was consoling the younger girl, whose delicate features twisted in a look of concern and shock. Sarah had grown to be quite pretty over the years, with locks of choppy ginger hair that fell to her chest, contrasting stunningly with brilliant blue eyes. Finally her expression of horror fell and she motioned to Double D to follow her inside.

"Ed is asleep in the living room, You can wake him up in a bit, I just want to take a look at that hand first ok?" Sarah held his pale wrist in her hands. Double D shuddered, casting his mind back to how Eddy had done the same mere minutes before, and was about to pull back, when he remembered the temper that threatened to detonate inside the red haired tyrant at any second... he knew better than most the consequences of irritating her, after being on the receiving end on many occasions.

"Are you sure you are ok Double D?" her voice again softened, and this, for whatever reason, was incredibly disconcerting to the boy who was used to her brash and brassy tones, but, not wanting to show his weakness to her, he bit back the sobs that threatened to escape at any moment and hoped that the eyeliner he had applied that morning – for several more reasons than to just act as a fashion statement – would mask his red rimmed eyes and hide his tears from the shorter girl. Though he doubted it would.

He followed her into the kitchen and few comments passed between them as Sarah deftly bandaged the gash on his hand. Double D noticed how professionally she seemed to treat the wound, but guessed that, with having Jimmy as a best friend for all of these years, it was just one of the things that Sarah had to have picked up whilst caring for her accident prone playmate. He cast his eyes to the photo that still lay on the table and smiled. However, the memory of the day that Jimmy had taken the picture flashed though his mind, and now Double D was able to better understand exactly what had happened.

It had been almost a week ago; Jimmy had just received a new camera for his birthday and was trying it out, using the neighbourhood kids as subjects. The Eds had been nearby, trying to sell their latest merchandise – colourfully drawn comic books that Ed had been working on all week – but due to the distraction of the camera they had not had much custom. Eddy, having realised what was keeping the kids from the scam had stormed over to Jimmy and – in true Eddy style – stood firmly in the spotlight as he convinced the fragile boy to photograph him in several overly exaggerated poses... until of course Sarah's short fuse interrupted him, this time pushing Eddy out of shot and dragging the resilient Double D to Jimmy demanding that he take their photo. Nazz had then joined in, trying to convince the taller boy to be photographed, before he finally gave in and let Jimmy take his shot. Double D had glanced in Eddy's direction to see him boiling with jealousy and glaring at the three who were posing for the photo. He had assumed that Eddy had been envious that Double D had stolen the limelight from him, or that Johnny's later comment of how Eddy was very jealous of anyone who got within several feet of Nazz had actually been viable. But now, after the events of tonight, Double D wasn't so sure. Had Eddy been planning tonight all along, even as far back as the day this photo was taken? He had certainly thought the attack through – why else would he have bothered to lock the door to his room, and drunk all of the alcohol he had beforehand, if it hadn't been a premeditated action? Was the reason for Eddy's jealousy that day really because of Nazz, or was it just pent up rage that had finally begun to show through due to his affections for his best friend, that somehow led him to believe that, now, the only way to get close to Double D was to force him. To rape him...

That last thought echoed through his thoughts, and brought the enormity of the situation crashing down. This wasn't one of the petty fights or differences of opinions that Double D would predictably face with Eddy practically everyday. This was serious, and he fearfully doubted that it was the abrupt end of their friendship.

He could not fight back the raw emotions flooding through him for much longer and managed to give Sarah a shaky thanks for her help, before heading out the kitchen. By the time he had reached the living room he had broken into heavy sobs as the day's events slowly caught up on him. He found Ed lying across the armchair, not having moved from his previous position. Double D smiled gently through the tears, he looked so peaceful asleep there, and so, being careful not to wake his slumbering friend, he climbed onto the chair beside him, resting his head on the large boy's chest and closing his eyes, just enjoying the warmth being so close to Ed bought him.

Sarah watched from the doorway. Something was really wrong with Double D – much more than he was letting on. Much, much more. She sighed and turned away from the room, leaving the two boys alone in their state of tranquillity.


Ok, so maybe not much really happened in that chapter, and to be brutally honest I really did not want to post this because I was so sure that it sucked... but I hope you enjoyed anyway. Please please keep reviews coming in... specially for this chapter coz I was so worried bout it... and thank you for the reviews I've had so far, they never fail to inspire me.

Oh – and sitting on a beach in Wales DID have it's upside, as I was able to create a few pages of fan art to go with this chapter, so if you want to check that out I'll put a link to it on my profile... as soon as I find somewhere to put it... go check it out