Chapter 3 - Friends Forever?

The rest of winter break went by fast. Eddy and Dea were together almost daily, with or without the other Eds. Marty and Edd would call each other once in a while, but it never amounted to much. Presently, it was their last day of break and everyone, except Edd, was dreading the return to school. The teens of Peach Creek were going about their business, getting things ready and trying to squeeze the last bit of fun out of their vacation. It had been a surprisingly relaxing break for most of them. Eddy had not tried to scam them once. They figured they had Dea to thank for that. Although she would never receive any thanks. She didn't seem to be any more popular in her new home than she had been in her old one.

On this last day of break, Eddy had invited Dea over to his house. He was planning on making his first real move on her. He was terribly nervous, only because of past horrors that had resulted from falling for a girl. That girl had been Nazz, the marvel of the cul-de-sac. A few years back her and Kevin had broken up and she started flirting with Eddy all the time. Blinded by excitement, Eddy had asked her out, not seeing she was merely trying to get Kevin jealous so he'd take her back. Eddy had never told his friends the whole story.

He never told them how she had used him and called him a "lame-o loser that no girl would seriously date," and then proceeded to let Kevin beat the crap out of him. He never told them how bad that had really hurt, having his heart ripped out and his ego crushed. He never told them that he just sat in his room crying for hours that night. All he told them was that Nazz was a "selfish, whiney, inconsiderate, air-headed, two-timing slut."

Edd and Ed had been shocked by his description of the sweet little Nazz they had all swooned over as preteens. It didn't sound like her at all. But it must be true, for Eddy to be so upset by it. Edd didn't press the issue any further, at any rate.

Eddy shook himself out of those thoughts. All they were doing was making him angry. He hadn't wanted to ever trust a girl again after that, but he had felt this undeniable attraction to Dea since the day he met her and it only grew stronger the more he was around her. As much as he denied it, he did want to fall in love, and as much as he tried to talk like a player, he really did want commitment.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down when he saw Dea pull up and get out of her car. He welcomed her at the door and handed her a small bouquet of flowers.

"Hey," Dea greeted him, a bit puzzled, "what's with the flowers?"

Eddy was mildly shaking now, like he used to with Nazz, back in the day.

"Um...I need to tell you something...yeah,so...let's go to my room or something..."

Dea went and Eddy followed, closing the door behind him. Dea sat down on the bed and set the flowers beside her. Eddy stood a couple feet away from her. He was having trouble keeping eye contact with her and in his nervous state, he had forgotten the elaborate speech he had planned to give her.

"So...what did you want to tell me?" Dea asked.

"Yeah, that..." he'd just have to improv this one, "Um...I don't know how else to say it, Dea. I like you...I mean, I really like you...really, really like you...a lot... Will you go out with me?"

Dea smiled and blushed slightly.

"I really really like you a lot too," she said, "and I'd love to go out with you."

"Yeah, really?"

"Really. I've been...hoping you'd ask, actually," She added, blushing again.

"So...I don't get my car for two more pay checks, but my mom said we can use her car tonight when she get home from work. You know, if you want to go some where. And we can just hang here for now."

"Sounds good to me."

Eddy put on some music and sat down next to Dea on the bed. She was looking at her flowers, fingering the silky petals.

"These are really pretty," she said.

"Well, you're really pretty," Eddy replied.

"You're so sweet," she said, smelling the flowers. She looked up at Eddy to see him blush a little.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked her.

"Oh, I don't know. Talk, watch a movie, play a game, whatever."

She leaned back on the bed a little. She silently hoped he'd pick something where they could have some form of physical contact. Eddy sat beside her, thinking. Dea just then realized that a different song was playing over the speakers. He must have put on a CD so he wouldn't have to keep changing the records, she thought.

"Hey! This is HIM," Dea exclaimed, hearing her favorite band singing "Dark Light."

"Yeah, you left it here last time you were over...Hey, do you wanna dance?"

"Now?"

"Yeah, the stupid Prom isn't until April, ya know."

Dea studied him a moment. He was standing again, offering a hand out to her and looking hopeful. And looking very hot, Dea noted. She grinned at him and took his hand. He pulled her up off the bed and put his hands on her hips. He was surprised to find his nervousness quickly fading as they swayed to the music.

"You have really pretty eyes," Dea said, looking into his dark eyes.

"Thanks. You do too."

Eddy moved a bit closer to her and Dea moved a bit closer to him until they were about as close as they could get. The music faded, but they stayed holding each other even asa new song started. Eddy was the first to break the embrace. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to do next. Well, he kind of knew, but he thought it might be too soon for that.

"How about we sit down and talk like you wanted to," he said.

Dea nodded and sat back down on the bed. Eddy sat next to her and put his arm around her. He started questioning her about her interests and school, which some how led to talking about her family.

"My parents are divorced," she was saying, "I'm living her with my mom."

"Are you and only child then?"

"Technically. I've got a step brother, but I don't really see him. And I've got a half-sister, but she's in jail again. What about you?"

"Me? I've got a brother. He's the coolest too, just ask anyone."

"Where is he?"

Eddy knew that question was coming. He had dreaded it. If you asked any of the kids in the cul-de-sac where Eddy's brother was, they'd say he was working on a set in Hollywood. It was one of the many lies Eddy told them that they actually bought into. For some reason he didn't want to lie to Dea though. He took a shakey breath before answering her.

"He's in drug rehab. They took him away in an ambulence six years ago and he never came back. Heroin. I guess it messed him up pretty bad. He was supposed to go to college on a basket ball scholarship, but he got seriously injured toward the end of the season his junior year and couldn't play anymore. He lost the scholarship and turned to drugs. After he got out of the hospital he went to jail and he was supposed to be in some recovery program...I don't know. He sent me a package a few years ago, but other than that I haven't heard from him."

"I'm sorry."

"Just don't tell anyone, ok? You're the only person I've told this to. Double-D knows, but he found out on his own. Everyone else thinks he's in Hollywood."

"Ok."

"Promise. Promise you won't tell anyone the truth."

"I promise, Eddy. It's alright."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Dea studied Eddy's features with concern. He seemed so desperate and upset. She squeezed his shoulder gently.

"So what about your parents?" Dea asked, trying to resume their conversation.

"What about them?"

"Well, what are your parents like?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Alright."

The abrupt end to the conversation left them in a silence more awkward than before. Eddy seemed suddenly depressed and angry. Dea wondered what was going on that could have caused this sudden change in mood. Fortunately, they didn't have to sit in silence long, since Eddy's mother had just pulled into the drive way.

"Great! My mom's home," Eddy jumped up off the bed, greatful for the diversion, "let's go."

Once they were away from the house, Eddy's mood improved again. They decided to go to dinner and a movie. The date allowed them to temporarily forget their conversation from earier and enjoy that physical contact Dea had hoped for. At the end of the night, they stood on Dea's door step with their arms wrapped comfortably around each other. Eddy really didn't want to go home. Not just because of his situation there, but because no one had ever made him feel the way Dea did. His emotions were something he closely guarded, but he had opend up to Dea for some reason. Edd would have been impressed.

"I'd better go," he said at last, still holding her hands.

Dea didn't say anything, but leaned in, just as Eddy had been subconsciously doing. Their lips met and they kissed each other quite deeply for it being their first kiss together.

"See ya later," Dea said softly as they pulled apart.

Eddy got back in the car and drove the remaining few blocks to his house. He went inside feeling happy, yet overwhelmed by the day's events. Too bad his happiness couldn't last. His dad was home and as soon as Eddy set foot in the door the yelling started.

"Where the Hell have you been all night, you little jerk! You just take the car and leave whenever the flip you feel like it?"

"I had a date, and it's mom's car anyway, so what do you care?"

"You had a date. Bull. You were probably out shooting up drugs or sellingcrack on the street corner, just like your brother!"

Eddy had been trying to remain calm and simply get to his room. He was afraid of his dad. Afraid and angry, and that last comment had really gotten to him.

"Screw you!" he shouted at his father, "you don't know squat! And maybe Nick wouldn't have ended up that way if you'd been here for him like a real father!"

Eddy's monster of a dad grabbed him by the wrist and held him tightly, painfully even. The fear was rising again, but in a rare case of luck, Eddy's mom entered the room and interviened. Very rare indeed.

"Hey! Hey!" She yelled, "Let him go! I told him he could take the car! And he did have a date, a very lovely young lady."

Eddy's dad released him, too tired to fight tonight.

"Yeah right," he said, and walked back to the master bedroom, not to be disturbed.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Eddy's mom asked.

She tried to put her hand on his shoulder, but Eddy jerked away from her.

"I'm fine," he said coldly.

Eddy turned and went to his room without saying another word.As soon as hehad he closed the door behind him, he heard a knock outside his other door, the one that opened to the back yard. He wasn't in the mood for visitors, but he let Ed and Edd in anyway, quickly trying to mask what had just happened.

"Back from your date, I see," Edd said. He took a seat on Eddy's bed and Ed just plopped down on the floor.

"Eddy is the ladie's man!" Big Ed said, grinning like a maniac.

"Darn straight, I am," Eddy replied, trying to sound normal.

"I take it you had a good time?" Edd asked.

"Yeah. Dea's great. We had a great time and I learned a lot about her. She's nothing like Nazz."

Oops. He knew he had just turned the conversation in the wrong direction.

"Whatever happened between you and Nazz that makes you hate her so much now anyway, Eddy?"

"I told you! She was a tramp! A dirty two-timing tramp!"

Edd winced. Eddy could be a bit scary when he was angry.

"That's really harsh, Eddy. Two-timing? What did she ever do that was two-timing?"

Eddy growled angrily. He knew Edd meant well, but he wished the guy would just mind his own business.

"Eddy?"

"Using me to get Kevin back! That was two-timing!" he exploded, "she hated my guts, Double-D! The only reason she went out with me was to get Kevin back!"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know. You never told me..."

"Yeah, I never told you! Because it's none of your damn business!"

Now Edd was getting angry. He didn't like being spoken to in such a manner.

"I apologize for prying too much, but Eddy, shouting at me like a barbarian won't help anything."

"So shut-up and leave me alone! Why did you come here tonight, anyway? So you could start shit with me?"

"Oh, yes. I came here so I could make a scene and have you cuss me out. Yes, Eddy, that's exactly why I came over."

"You think you're smart? Cuss you out? I'll give you cussing!"

Edd's sarcasm was only pissing him off more. During this shouting match, Ed had been sitting on the floor, staring up at his two best friends. He was frightened by their angry words and sad that they weren't getting along. He watched them in their verbal battle and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Come on, guys, don't fight!" he pleaded.

"Stay out of it!" Eddy snapped back.

Now Ed did start crying, just like he did when they were kids and he got upset. He didn't like it when Eddy yelled at him. The name calling he could take, because he knew Eddy was only joking. But the yelling, the yelling was real.

"Look what you've done!" Edd said, appalled.

He rushed to Ed's side and tried to comfort him, then glared back up at Eddy.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," he scolded, "Ed didn't do anything!"

"I know. That's why I told him to stay out of it."

Eddy just felt sick now. He hadn't meant to hurt Ed in his anger. He was angry at Edd, although he wasn't entirely sure why. The boy hadn't really done anything, but he couldn't help himself.

"If he can't take it maybe he should leave."

His voice sounded empty, at least to him. The comment only made him feel more sick. He knew he was out of control, yet he refused to take the blame for anything that happend as a result of it. The room was silent now, except for Ed's whimpering. Edd held Ed comfortingly, but still glared up at Eddy.

Eddy stared blankly at the other two, not really seeing them. He was trying to find some sanity in his raging sea of madness. He didn't even hear Edd tell Ed to go home, that he'd come by later and everything would be fine. He didn't remember seeing Ed get up and make for the door. He just heard the door click shut and knew that big Ed, the loveable oaf, was gone.

It shook him into reality and he suddenly felt very cold. Edd was standing now, staring at him with equal coldness and an underlying sadness. Eddy just stared back. His expression was still angry, but it had softened a little.

"I don't know what's happened to you, Eddy," Edd said at last. His voice was soft again, resigned. "You're not the same friend you used to be. I'd help you in anyway I could if you'd tell me how, but you won't. And I won't let you continue to take your anger out on Ed and me like this. If you don't want to be friends with us anymore, then just say so, but don't keep hurting us like this. One day you'll wake up and find you have no one left. You've destroyed us all."

Edd gave Eddy one more empty stare, then left. Eddy stood there, staring at the spot his friend had been standing in moments ago. This was a dream. It had to be, right? Edd would never say those words...would he? The door clicked shut for the second time that night.

"...Double-D, wait!"

It was too late. His friends were gone. If they were even his friends anymore. They probably hated him now. Eddy wouldn't blame them if they did. He was surprised to find he had tears leaking out of his eyes as Edd's words echoed in his mind.

You'll have no one left. You've destroyed us all.

Eddy was shaking now. What had he done? Why had they even been fighing? Could it be fixed?

Of course it could be. Edd always forgave him, usually without him even having apologized. Edd would forgive him this time too. Maybe. Eddy wasn't certain of anything now. He had never pushed his friends this far before.

Not knowing what else to do, Eddy crawled into bed and shivered under his covers. He closed his eyes tightly, bidding the moisture leaking from them to stop. Maybe if he slept long enough he'd wake up and everything would be back to normal. It was worth a shot.

A/N: Stay tuned. Next time Eddy's attempt to fix things backfires and pushes him to drastic measures.