You Have To Tell Kevin

When Kevin's phone alarm sounded in the morning, he woke up to an empty bed for the second day in a row and his heart sank. His muscles ached and the scratches on his back still stung. With a groan, he sat up and looked around the dimly lit room. Edd wasn't there.

"Dee?" he called out, but didn't expect an answer. Shit. He knew Edd wouldn't have already left; it was too early for that.

Kevin dragged himself out of the bed and crossed to Edd's dresser to retrieve fresh boxers from 'his' drawer. When he stepped out into the hallway, he caught a faint whiff of something and heard a slight thunk from the kitchen. Edd must be making breakfast.

He padded down to the bathroom and took a quick shower, brow furrowed the whole time. He was nervous about facing Edd, unsure how his mood would be. Usually they woke up together, basking in little kisses and caresses before starting the day. To wake up to a cold and empty bed did little to ease the tension across Kevin's shoulders.

The sun was up enough to light the kitchen, though it felt cold in spite of the warmth from the stove. Edd was baking something, which was unusual. Generally, Edd only baked breakfast things on the weekend. During the week, he cooked quick things like eggs or waffles. Kevin guessed he'd been up for awhile already, if he had the time for that.

"Morning, Dee," he said, his tone carefully neutral. Edd was at the stove, patiently turning over sausages in a pan.

"Good morning, Kevin." Edd's tone was just as neutral, and he accepted the kiss on his cheek with no reaction.

"What's in the oven?"

"I made those little hash brown and egg things you like."

"Thanks, sweetheart. Sounds good." Edd didn't respond. He simply poked at the sausage with the tongs he held. Kevin saw that the table was already set, so he asked, "Do you want OJ? Or…?"

"Orange juice is fine," Edd said.

The timer went off and Edd stepped back to look into the oven, apparently satisfied that the hash brown cups were done. Within a few minutes, everything was on the table and the pair sat down to eat. Silence filled the room, broken by the scrape of silverware on plates. Kevin poked at his brain to think of something…anything…to say, but he came up with nothing, and it was uncomfortable. Usually silence with Edd was comforting – a knowledge that they didn't need inane chatter to fill the empty spaces. Now there was tension Kevin couldn't penetrate.

"Ride in with me?"

The sound of Kevin's voice startled Edd, who dropped his fork onto his plate. "I beg your pardon?"

"Let me take you in to school," Kevin said. "On the bike."

Edd picked his fork back up, his eyes trained on his plate. "Do you think that prudent?"

Kevin poked at his hash browns with his fork, appetite gone now. "I don't see why not. Everyone knows."

Edd didn't say anything for a long time. He instead kept his eyes down, rearranging the food with his fork. Kevin watched him with no expression, waiting patiently. It was something he'd dreamed of doing for a long time – riding to school with Edd, proud to have his boyfriend with him. Proud to show off his relationship. He knew Edd was having a crisis over outing himself, and his heart ached over what Edd had told him the previous afternoon, but part of Kevin was so happy it had finally happened.

"Yes, everyone knows." Edd's voice was loud in the silent kitchen.


Edd was used to the bike now, so he didn't need to clutch Kevin's body so hard. Today he did. He hid his face between Kevin's shoulder blades as Kevin waited to turn out of their cul-de-sac. He felt Kevin's palm press the back of his hand briefly and he struggled not to cry.

The hand lifted and the bike moved forward, turning into a break in morning traffic. It felt strange to be on the bike this early in the morning on roads jammed with cars carrying their passengers to school or work. Not that Edd saw any of this, with his face hidden in Kevin's back as he tried to calm his racing heart.

He should have told Kevin he didn't feel well. He should have stayed in bed with the covers drawn over his head – forget about the world for awhile and never return to school. He couldn't do that, of course, though he surmised that with his grades he didn't need to finish out the year. The wild thoughts that ran through his head as he lay sleepless in Kevin's embrace all night suggested multiple solutions to the problem of returning to school and facing his peers.

Near the end of the long night, however, he'd come to a sort of epiphany. He realized he didn't really care what anyone in the school thought. It was, in a large sense, a relief to be out. The burden of hiding their relationship was gone and he finally felt free. While he did have a slight worry about repercussions, he didn't actually dread going to school. So what if he was called names? So what if he was picked on? If that would even happen. He'd have to endure it just over a month and then they would be off to college.

As long as Kevin didn't suffer, Edd knew nothing at school would break him.

That's if Kevin didn't suffer.

"…how brave I think you are…"

Kevin's words the night before echoed through his head, making it throb in a minor tension headache. Brave? He cringed inside that Kevin thought that. He didn't think he was brave. He came out because he was scared, not because he was brave. He wanted to argue the point with Kevin, but he was pretending to sleep to avoid talking in the first place.

His cheeks burned with shame at his behavior. He knew he and Kevin should have talked after everyone left. Edd was just emotionally and physically exhausted. Well, perhaps not physically, he thought, his cheeks burning brighter. Was he that emotionally stunted that he couldn't talk about his feelings with the one person he trusted most in the world? Go to the lengths he did in bed to avoid it? He never thought he was – he always thought of himself as an open person. And while he never exactly explained to Kevin everything about why he wanted to avoid coming out, he didn't think he wouldn't be able to talk to Kevin about it when the time came.

No, instead he distracted Kevin with extreme behavior in bed. Edd knew that even though Kevin went along with it, there was a disconnect. A disconnect that took Edd out of his body in a way. They had sex. Intercourse twice. But Edd wouldn't classify it as making love, and he never again wanted Kevin in that way. Never wanted to see the look of confusion and disappointment behind the lust in his lover's eyes.

Edd was almost eighteen years old. Almost a legal adult, but his behavior the night before was childish. Avoidance by extremes. He had always considered himself, even as a child, as a calm and rational being.

Nothing of that was there the night before.

He felt so ashamed and guilty. Not over coming out, but at how he treated Kevin. The coming out he could deal with, but the knowledge that he had hurt the love of his life broke his heart. He had no idea what to say, which was another reason for his avoidance the previous evening. 'Sorry' didn't seem enough. He'd accused his beautiful Kevin of outing them. He'd expected Kevin to live a lie for him. And through it all, Kevin stayed his patient and loving self.

He kept wishing he hadn't acted so precipitously the day before. He should have kept his mouth shut and trusted Kevin. Kevin, who'd never given him a reason not to be trusted. The guilt Edd felt overwhelmed him.

It was that guilt, more than anything, that tied his tongue this morning. He had slipped out of Kevin's arms early, quietly left the room, and took his shower. After he had dressed in the dim light of the nightlight in his room, he went to the bed and knelt down beside it, resting his hands on the edge of the mattress. Kevin slept with a furrowed brow, worry evident even while he slept. Edd watched him breathing for nearly ten minutes, unable to look away, until he reached a hand to lightly trace over Kevin's freckled cheek, which twitched slightly at his touch. "I love you and I am so sorry…"

He had no idea what to say to Kevin or what to do to fix their current conflict. Edd had reacted too harshly and regretted it. His usual level-headedness disappeared, replaced by a scared and irrational brain. If he had just trusted Kevin in that moment. He should have realized that Kevin wasn't backing down and wasn't going to say his name. If he had, they wouldn't be in this situation - with too many things left unsaid and Edd facing a day where he didn't know what would happen. For someone who meticulously planned his day and thrived off routine, the unknown frightened him.

Edd didn't honestly think there would be too much backlash at school. It wasn't as if he and Kevin were the only openly gay students. But now, at the end of the school year, it just was one more thing Edd didn't want to deal with. They had exams soon, and Edd had his valedictorian speech to worry about, while Kevin had baseball.

The school wasn't far from their neighborhood. Even in morning traffic, it took less than ten minutes to get there. Peeking to the side, Edd saw the old Victorian home that he'd always admired, which he knew was a block from the school. Two sophomore girls had paused in front of it to look at the riot of color from the rosebushes, but turned at the sound of Kevin's motorcycle. Edd straightened, turning his head to look at them as they stared while the pair drove past. He supposed he should get used to the stares today.

Kevin slowed to turn into the long and curvy driveway that led past the baseball fields to the back of the school and Edd stayed upright, not hiding anymore. He wouldn't give his peers the satisfaction of thinking he was ashamed when he wasn't. If they stared, they stared. There wasn't anything he could do about it.

He loosened the death grip on Kevin, though still clutched at Kevin's sides to remain balanced. Kevin drove slowly, as the congestion of student cars converged to look for spots in the small parking lot. The motorcycle spots were near the door, so Kevin navigated through the cars and clumps of students with ease. Edd wasn't sure what expression to glue to his face – everyone turned to stare as they went by. A few waved and he could see Kevin bob his head in acknowledgment. He spotted Nazz's SUV already parked and wished he caught a ride with her.

Kevin parked in one of the two spots near the door and cut the engine. Edd looked at the door for a moment, remembering the numbness he felt when he stepped out of those same doors the day before. He scooted back and slipped off the bike, which wasn't normal. Usually Edd would let Kevin dismount, then swing his leg over and wait for Kevin to lift him off. It was a simple, silly thing, but they both loved it. Edd loved the feel of Kevin's hands firmly on his waist, his own hands resting on Kevin's flexing biceps, giving each other a sweet smile as Kevin manhandled him off the bike and to his feet – it was something special for them.

Not today. He couldn't bring himself to do that in front of their peers. Not now. Not yet. Kevin took off his helmet and hung it on one of the handlebars and Edd shoved his helmet into Kevin's hands. He cringed inwardly at the slightly hurt look Kevin gave him.

"You okay, Dee?"

Edd couldn't take those eyes. He looked aside at the front wheel of the bike. "Oh, yes, Kevin. I am quite well."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Kevin."

Kevin dismounted, hung up Edd's helmet on the other handlebar, then retrieved their bags from the storage compartment. Edd looped the strap of his messenger bag over his head and positioned the bag in front of him, acutely aware of both Kevin's intense stare as well as the stares and whispers of the kids passing them by.

Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see Kevin's hand lift toward him and Edd's heart clenched. He didn't think he could bring himself to hold Kevin's hand. Not yet. This was too new. He was still confused and anxious. The stares were bad enough, but how worse would they be if he and Kevin held hands?

Instead, he clutched his messenger bag strap tightly, hoping Kevin got the hint. He must have, because his boyfriends hand fell back to his side. "Come on," he said, his tone subdued enough to make Edd wince.

They walked into the school side by side. "You'd think we were on display," Kevin commented as he held open the door for Edd. He made a faint sound of agreement as he slipped past, but didn't say anything himself. A brief glance at Kevin's face sunk his heart. He could tell Kevin was worried, but trying to hide it. Five months with each other was long enough for Edd to learn his lover's expressions. Again, Edd felt a stab of guilt for putting that worry in Kevin's mind.

However, there wasn't much time to dwell on it. Their lockers weren't near each other – Kevin's was on the second floor – so they parted after they walked into the school. It was with some amount of relief when Edd walked away after wishing Kevin a stuttered good day.

Edd held his head high, but kept his focus ahead of him as he walked down the hall. He felt self-conscious and hated that everyone stared at him, especially since he was used to being a sort of non-entity. Edd usually moved through his day with hardly anyone noticing him, which he was quite fine with. He knew now that it wouldn't be the case for the rest of the school year. Not only was he labelled as 'gay', which would have garnered him some amount of attention, he knew the main reason was that he was dating the most sought after guy in the school. Someone no one would ever guess was gay too.

Edd reached his locker and walked to his homeroom which was also his first class, Western Civ, with no incident and breathed a sigh of relief as he settled into his desk in the front row. He pulled his iPad out of his bag, set it up in front of him, and then reached for his textbook. Other kids filtered into the room, finding their seats, loudly greeting their friends, and settling in with the usual noise and chaos before the start of the day. Edd kept his eyes on the screen in front of him. He called up the document he used for notes and started typing the day's date.

" Fag! "

The loudly whispered hiss felt like a brick smacked against the side of his head. His fingers paused in his typing and he swallowed, the feeling of his heart stopping a dull ache in his chest. Against his will, he felt his cheeks flush and his heart start beating again, but rapidly now. Thankfully, before anything else could be said, the bell rang and in a moment the morning announcements began.

Edd lifted his eyes to Mr. Knight, who grumbled as he always did during the announcements, and never once looked away. He ignored the few snickers he heard when his teacher called his name during roll call and responded, "Present". He didn't hear anything else in the class, just Mr. Knight droning on about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Edd diligently took notes, drawing comfort from the monotonous routine he could concentrate on instead of what any of his classmates might be thinking of him.

Edd rushed out of class immediately after the bell rang. He usually walked with Eddy to his second period class – their rooms were next to each other – but he didn't wait for his friend this time. He just wanted to get through the halls and into his classroom. Edd still walked with his head held high, but he did resort to the comfort of pulling his hat lower on his head.

Other students jostled him a little, but this was normal in the crowded halls of the school. However, someone slammed into his shoulder - someone who laughed and sneered, "Watch out queer". It happened so quickly that he didn't see who did it. He had stumbled to the side and by the time he caught his balance and looked around, he couldn't tell who it was. The hit against him was painful and he rubbed his shoulder as he continued in the direction of class.

Second period was all right. Nothing happened and no one said anything to him. He did hear whispers and laughs occasionally during the class and his lab partner, a friendly enough guy, didn't speak to him once in spite of them working on a project together. His partner, Allen, in fact flinched a little when Edd went to hand him one of the test tubes they were working with.

Edd heard a few things thrown at him as he walked to third period, the typical derogatory terms he expected. He'd been called names all his life, so it wasn't so much the actual words that hurt him, it was the nasty tone in which they were said. He started feeling sick and turned into the bathroom, knowing he'd be late for English, but for once in his life, he didn't care.

He didn't have to use the facilities, but he sat on one of the toilets with the stall door closed for a few minutes. Edd's agitation even superseded his obsessiveness about hygiene. He bent over, his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. How was he going to go to the cafeteria at lunch and sit with everyone? He was positive some of the name-calling was from Kevin's teammates. Teammates that sometimes sat at their table.

Edd ended up staying there the whole period. The thought of walking into his class late made him cringe. Why draw more attention to himself? He looked at his phone and saw that the bell would ring soon, signaling the end of third period. He knew he couldn't skip two classes, so he got up, hooked his messenger bag over his shoulder and stepped out of the stall. The mirror reflected how miserable he felt and he tried to put on a smile, thinking that if Kevin saw him right now, it would make him worry. Edd did not want Kevin to know anything that happened today.

He was drying his hands, still gazing at himself in the mirror, when he heard the door open. Without looking, he put his head down and threw out the paper towel as he turned to leave. Instead, he felt himself slammed back against the sinks and he looked up with frightened eyes to see Jason.

"Excuse me," Edd gasped, wincing inside for pardoning himself when he hadn't done anything. Jason just glared at him and Edd brought his hands up against his own chest defensively, though he knew there was nothing he could do to prevent Jason from doing something to him.

"Listen here you fucking little faggot," Jason growled at Edd, "Stay the fuck away from Kevin, got it?"

"What?"

"Stay away. It's a simple enough sentence for a big brain like you to understand," Jason sneered, poking his finger forcefully into Edd's head. "God, you disgust me. I won't have you turn my captain into a queer like you, so stay the fuck away from him. We can't have a fairy leading our team. If you don't leave him alone, I'll beat the shit out of you!"

With that, Jason turned and stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Edd panting as his adrenaline reached its' peak. Shaking, he turned and looked at himself, grateful that Jason hadn't hit him. He looked as shaken as he felt and took a few deep breaths before heading out of the bathroom and to his next class, determined in his mind that while he in no way would give up Kevin, he wasn't going to go to lunch and cause a scene.


Kevin sat in his normal seat at their cafeteria table next to Ed, his leg bouncing nervously as he watched the open double doors. Jake sat in Edd's usual seat and Kevin just hoped Edd wouldn't be upset that he wanted Edd to sit next to him.

"Do you want me to go back to my seat?" Jake asked.

"No. He'll probably be pissed at me, but I want this."

Jake held up his hands, laughing. "It's your funeral."

Kevin flipped his friend off, his gaze glued to the doors. He perked up as Nazz and Eddy walked through, but Edd wasn't with them. That was odd. He glanced at the time on his phone. Edd should be here by now. He frowned, watching his two friends approach.

"Have you seen Dee?" he asked before Nazz or Eddy could say hello.

The pair looked at each other. "No..." Eddy drawled out, then turned to scowl at Kevin. "He's not here yet?"

Kevin rolled his eyes at the question. "Obviously. I haven't seen him since we got here this morning."

"Did he text you or anything?"

Kevin shook his head. "No, he hasn't today."

"Me either," Eddy grunted, looking over at Ed, who shook his head. "This isn't like Double D…"

"I should probably go look for him," Kevin said, his tone worried.

Eddy looked at Nazz, then back at Kevin. "Try the library. Way in the back where those study carrels are."


Kevin found Edd hidden back in the library in one of the private study desks that had walls on the desktop in order to afford the user privacy. Edd hunched over his open history book, his iPad sat off to the side.

"Hey, Dee," Kevin said softly, not wanting to startle his boyfriend.

Edd glanced up towards him, though he didn't meet his eyes, and smiled in a vague way. "Kevin…"

Kevin frowned. "What's the matter?" he asked. "You didn't show up to lunch. You're not answering my texts."

"Oh, I am truly sorry. I hope I did not make you worry. I just wanted to get some studying done for History. I am concerned about the exam and needed to go over the lecture we had today."

Kevin knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. Edd loved his history class, and never worried about it. "Are you sure? It's not like you to not text me."

"I am sure. It is just the stress of exams coming up," Edd assured him, looking back down at his book.

Kevin nodded slowly. "Anything happen today? You okay?"

"I said I was," a little hardness came into Edd's tone. "Nothing happened."

"Okay, Dee. Just next time you do this, text me or let me know, okay? I was worried. Especially after yesterday. I thought something had happened to you."

Edd kept his eyes on the desktop and he made a sound that could have been a laugh, but Kevin heard no humor in it. "I am sorry, Kevin. It shall not happen again. I promise."

Kevin stood there, feeling awkward. Edd was usually more affectionate and willing to look him in the eye. He put his hand on Edd's shoulder and while Edd didn't flinch, he felt Edd tense up a bit as if he were holding himself back from flinching. "You sure you don't wanna come up for lunch?"

"No, thank you. I am not hungry."

He squeezed Edd's shoulder, wondering why Edd pressed his lips together and closed his eyes. Was he so scared still? He looked in pain. "Okay, I guess I'll leave you alone then. See you after practice?"

Edd's expression cleared when Kevin pulled his hand away and it pinched at Kevin's heart. "Yes, Kevin."

Edd was never this cold to him. "All right. Love you."

It took a moment before Edd responded with his own "I love you" and Kevin walked away feeling like he did something wrong.


At the end of the day, Edd found Eddy and Nazz waiting at his locker, which surprised him. Thankfully, his last two classes went without incident and no one had bothered him in the hallway. He supposed maybe the other kids had gotten it out of their system and were bored of it already. Edd still had Jason's threat running through his head, though. Names were one thing, threats were another. The threat wasn't going to work; he and Kevin weren't going to break up. Especially so close to the end of high school. Edd just didn't want Jason to carry through with it, or to decide to take it out on Kevin.

"You need a ride home, Double D?" Eddy asked. "I know you rode in with Kev this morning."

"I planned to walk, Eddy."

"I don't have cheerleader practice today," Nazz said brightly, though the look she gave him was stern. "Ride home with us."

Edd knew it was useless to argue with Nazz, especially when paired with Eddy. He sighed, opening his locker. "Let me grab my books."

Nazz and Eddy looked at each other. Edd was normally happy, but the boy looked downcast and subdued. Once Edd was set, he closed his locker and followed Eddy and Nazz out to the parking lot and to Nazz's SUV, where he climbed into the back. Nazz waited to start the car, mentioning that they were waiting for Ed, who stayed after class to discuss something with one of his teachers.

"So, what happened today, Sockhead?" Eddy asked, peering at Edd between the two front seats.

"Happened, Eddy?" Edd asked, looking away from his friend out the window. "Nothing happened. It was a typical and normal day."

"And, typically and normally, you're a terrible liar. Tell me what happened," Eddy demanded, ignoring Nazz's faint protest to be gentle.

Edd bit his lip and closed his eyes, but didn't answer.

"Did anyone pick on you today, Edd?" Nazz asked.

After a few moments, Edd just nodded.

"Who was it?" Eddy growled.

"I do not know, Eddy. I never saw who said anything. It was in the halls between classes. Someone in my History class called me something derogatory."

Eddy looked ready to murder, so Nazz asked Edd, "Anything else?"

"I was pushed around a little in the hall. Someone, I think it was a teammate of Kevin's, knocked into me. I think my shoulder is bruised. It still hurts."

"Is that why you didn't go to lunch today?"

Edd nodded, looking down at his hands. His eyes filled with tears for the first time today. He had remained strong – as strong as he could because he wasn't going to give anyone there the satisfaction of thinking they had hurt him. "I was not sure if he would be at our table, so I did not want to make it awkward for Kevin." He sighed, looking up at Eddy finally and brushing his hand under his own eyes. "Jason threatened me, too," he added, telling the pair what had happened in the bathroom in a low tone.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm gonna beat the shit out of him! That fucking asshole!" Eddy shouted.

"Language, Eddy!" Edd said.

"This is not the time to worry about my language, Edd!" Eddy said. "Who the fuck does that asshole think he is?"

"Kevin's teammate, Eddy. You cannot do anything to him. I do not want Kevin to find out about this!"

"What?" Eddy said, his mouth dropping open.

"No, Eddy," Edd said in a firm voice. "I can handle this. I have been through this before. Kevin never has. He has enough to deal with without having to worry about me."

"Edd, it doesn't work that way. You're together, aren't you? Part of being in a relationship is being there for each other. You have to tell Kevin," Nazz said.

"No!" Edd cried, wiping at his eyes again. "Kevin does not know what this is like, and he deserves to never know! He has to concentrate on his baseball games, and I do not want him to get into a fight with his teammates! Kevin has to think about his scholarship!"

Nazz and Eddy looked at each other. "Edd," Eddy tried to say in a reasonable voice, "you have to tell Kevin. He can put a stop to his teammates. I don't want you to get hurt."

"No, Eddy! Just, no!"

They stopped talking as Nazz signaled them that Ed was approaching. It was a silent agreement not to let Ed know, because they didn't want to upset him. Edd quickly wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and tried to calm himself down as his friend got into the car next to him.


Kevin received a text from Edd saying that he had accepted a ride home from Nazz and Eddy, so Kevin need not worry about him. Kevin didn't. He was a little apprehensive about going to practice, though no one said anything to him during school. A few odd looks here and there, but that was pretty much it. He was happy that the school seemed to accept his relationship with Edd, but when he entered the locker room to get dressed in his practice uniform, he wasn't surprised that some of his teammates didn't meet his eye. He breathed a sigh of relief and moved to his usual locker to get dressed.

Practice went well, making him feel positive about his teams' chances during the playoffs. The whole team played well together and his teammates worked hard during the practice. There were a few questionable names they called him, but that was a normal thing between them. No one called him anything they hadn't called him before he came out. He didn't exactly like it, but he didn't take it seriously. The one person he expected shit from - Jason - ignored him completely.

The showers, normally ringing with laughter and insults, were quiet. Kevin didn't think too much of it. He guessed that maybe they felt uncomfortable knowing he liked guys. He wanted to tell them they in no way compared to his beautiful Edd, but he kept his mouth shut. He dressed and grabbed his backpack out of his locker, digging out his phone to find a text from Nazz asking him to stop at her house after practice.

Kevin waved to those teammates left in the locker room, absently said goodbye, and left. When Kevin got to his bike, he lifted Edd's helmet off the handle and held it in his hands for a moment, looking at it fondly . He remembered searching for this perfect helmet for Edd and the look on his face when Kevin gave it to him for their first ride.

He tucked the helmet safely in the side pannier, mounted the bike, and put on his own helmet. Before he could start the bike, he noticed Jake heading towards him, freshly dressed after his own shower, but a serious expression on his usually cheerful face.

"What's up, Jake?"

Jake took a deep breath. "I've heard some things. No one's going to say anything directly to your face, but I've overheard. I mean, most of the guys are cool with it, but some aren't. I just don't want you or Edd getting hurt."

Kevin thought that over, a frown furrowing his brow. Edd might get hurt? He admitted to himself that the thought had crossed his mind. That couldn't happen; Kevin would kill anyone who would hurt him. Didn't they know that? Wasn't it implied? "Thanks for letting me know," he said to Jake. "I kinda figured some people would talk."

"Yeah," Jake said. "Just wanted to let you know."

"Have Ben or Joel said anything?"

Jake shook his head and Kevin sighed. He'd left the cafeteria to look for Edd before his two friends joined the table. If they were going to join the table. Kevin worked strictly with Jake at practice today, so he didn't have a chance to talk to either of them. He knew he had Jake's support, but he hoped he wouldn't lose Joel or Ben as friends. Out of everyone on the team, Kevin was closest to those three.

"I'm sure they'll come around. Neither of them are dicks," then smiled ruefully as Kevin looked at him. "Well, Joel can be, but not about stuff like this. I've never heard them say anything like that."

Kevin chuckled slightly, shifting his hands on the handlebars. "True."

"Jason was the fucker I heard saying something in the locker room after you left. I told him to go fuck himself. Hopefully, he won't do anything."

"He's too chicken shit to do anything," Kevin said with a grunt. "He knows he has no chance against me."

"No doubt. Not with these guns backing you up," Jake said, flexing in a comic way that made Kevin laugh.

"Thanks," Kevin said. It made him feel good to know Jake had his back. The Eds, too, now that he thought of it. He certainly would hate to take Ed head on. The boy wasn't top in wrestling for nothing.

"My pleasure, buddy. See you tomorrow!" Jake made finger guns at him, then turned to head to his jeep. Kevin started up his bike, backed it out, and headed toward the cul-de-sac, thinking about what Jake had said.