Hey everyone! I'm sorry it took me a few days to post this one. Its also rather long so I'll chalk up the lateness to its length. ^-^ I know things are a little slow, but I like to write like its a real life experience. Relationships do not just go BOOM and appear out of nothing. Like I said earlier, this will be a lengthy story so I hope you guys are in for the long haul, and I really hope you all are because I have so many ideas that you will all probably want to keep reading. Also, it hasn't shown yet, but I do get a lot of my inspiration from music, as I have a bunch of notes about what I want to do with the story tied to specific songs. You'll see what I mean soon, as I will be putting in the song, in some fashion, into the chapters they correspond with. Anyways, enjoy this chapter and I'll try to be more prompt about the next one. Who knew some wine, candles, and my favorite pandora playlist could lead to the flow of this piece. Enjoy!

Chapter 3 – Faking It

The first few weeks of school went as they normally have in the past. I took every study hall chance I could get to help Eddy and Ed with their schoolwork since they were already falling behind. I took it upon myself last year to speak to our councilors to make sure the three of us shared a study hall where I could tutor them in all the subjects. Now we go to the library every study hall for our tutoring sessions.

Today was particularly difficult when it came to getting the two of them to focus. Homecoming was this weekend. This high school event consisted of a dance and the homecoming football game. I was not one to partake in these events, however Eddy was discussing his plans to schmooze Nazz to go with him to the dance. Ed was more excited for the people at the football game. Ed was always a people person.

"Sockhead, which approach is best to go after Nazz? The subtle and smooth approach, or the rough and outright?" Eddy had a large grin on his face while he asked me.

"Oh Eddy, I'm sure which ever approach you use will go perfectly. Nazz is such a nice girl, how could she say no? Now, about your trigonometry formulas." I pointed back to the textbook in front of us and Eddy gave me a dirty look.

"As if, Sockhead."

I decided to turn my attention to Ed, since Eddy clearly seemed otherwise preoccupied. Ed looked at the science textbook he had in front of him and scrunched his face.

"Not the pig skin I like Double D! I wanna chase the pig with wings!" I raised an eyebrow in response and simply shook my head. I pat his head and he gave a large grin. I decided that with both Ed and Eddy focused on the events of Homecoming that were coming up, that I would not waste my time trying to get them to think of other things. I turned back to my own advanced math textbook and proceeded to read a chapter ahead from where we were in the unit.

Kevin and Nat sat on the other side of the library from where the three dorks sat. Kevin glanced up occasionally but kept going back to his homework, one hand on his forehead, just below his hat that was turned backwards in his trademark fashion. Nat looked over across the table to what Kevin was working on.

"Struggling over there, stud? Whatcha workin' on?" Nat scooted closer, but Kevin pushed his chair away with his foot.

"Nothing. Just let me focus, man. Don't you have something of your own to work on?" Nat grinned at Kevin's question.

"Oh, hun. I get my work done quickly. I don't need the extra time of study hall. I just enjoy this period to gaze at my lovely quarterback." He winked and Kevin made a gagging motion. "Oh come on, Kev. Why not ask Double Delish to help you? He is just the cutest little genius this side of the state."

Kevin scratched his head under his hat in frustration. "I can't just ask the dork for help. He wouldn't help me anyways. He'd probably love to see me fail after what I've done to him before." Nat gave him a scrutinizing stare.

"Oh I don't think that cutie is so cold hearted as to hold things against you for this long. Why don't I just shimmy myself over there and get him to come and help you. Trust me dear, you are struggling hardcore and I think he's the perfect little Double Dish to help ya out. Just call me the mender of friendships." Nat quickly stood up from the table and walked away from Kevin. Kevin tried to stop him by reaching for his wrist but Nat easily avoided Kevin. Damn you Nat.

I continued to peruse my textbook when Ed tapped my shoulder and shakily pointed behind me.

"Double D! The alien from the planet Seaweed is coming!" All I could do is give Ed a confused look. What is that supposed to mean?

"Hey there, Double D." My entire body convulsed as someone whispered into my ear over my shoulder and I nearly knocked the table over.

"N-Nat!" The thin teal-headed football player was leaning against my chair with a cheeky grin on his face. I inched further forward toward the edge, clearly not thinking that chairs eventually end, and I found myself fallen under the table. Nat raised one cocky eyebrow in my direction.

Eddy glared at Nat. "What do you want seaweed?" Ah, so that's where Ed got that.

Nat only moved his eyes to give Eddy a passing glance, but the rest of his body remained leaning on my chair looming over me. His eyes shifted back to me, not bothering to give Eddy any more of a response. "Oh, Double D, sitting under the table is so unbecoming… I would like you to come and give me a hand with something. It seems I'm having trouble with…" He turned around and called out to Kevin. "What was it you were working on?"

How could he do that? Yell in a library?! Has he no class? Humanity? Decency?! By the look Kevin gave him from the other table he had similar thoughts. Or maybe he just did not like the idea of Nat having me help them. I must admit that the thought was rather intimidating. I do not believe I've been any closer than five feet to Kevin without something aggressive or derogatory happening at my expense. Nat gave a knowing grin and pulled the chair out of the way completely and looked down at me.

"Alrighty, cutie, up you go. We require you help over at the other table." He paid no attention to the look the librarian gave him while she shushed him. I slowly, and shakily, stood up and out from under the table.

"You aren't really going to go help these jerks." Eddy inquired without it actually being a question.

Nat turned slightly toward Eddy. "Oh, he does not have a choice in the matter, wee one. Why don't you go back to your sad plans to woo our fair Nazz?" A dark grin crossed his smooth features. It was in heavy contrast to his teal hair. I found it peculiar, but also terrifying.

I looked over to Eddy, apologetically. "I'll simply see what it is they require my assistance with, Eddy. I'll be back to help guide your studies momentarily, alright?" He rolled his eyes and muttered something mildly obscene under his breath directed toward Nat.

Nat simply smiled and grabbed me by the waist and all about hauled me over to the table and dropped me in a seat between Nat and Kevin. He was oddly strong for his more slender shape. I suppose that's how he managed to play football with the larger guys… Guys like Kevin. I found myself blushing without realizing it. I only noticed it because of Kevin's reaction.

"What are you staring at dork?" I shook my head quickly. I slid my chair away from Kevin, but that put me closer to Nat, so I shifted it back, closer to Kevin. This made him glare at me, so I moved back in the other direction, but Nat made me uncomfortable so I gave up and just pushed myself a little away from the table, or tried to rather. Nat had hooked his foot around the leg of my seat so I couldn't move further back. He then pushed me back toward Kevin. I finally gave up and looked down at my hands while they twisted around each other in my lap.

"He's the one that needs your help Double D." Nat glanced over to Kevin and something was shared between them, unspoken and unacknowledged as Kevin went back to his schoolwork. He pushed it over into my direction. I looked up slowly, keeping my eyes down so as to not look at Kevin and gain his ire.

I pulled the problems closer and nodded slowly. "May I?" Kevin shrugged, his deep greens eyes watching me closely, small strands of his smooth red hair moving ever so slightly through the back of his red cap as he shifted to get a better look at what I was doing. I took his pencil and erased a small mistake and moved it back toward him. He looked over the math problem and took his pencil back. A small smile crossed his features as he went through the rest of the problem.

"Mistakes, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem, can truly derail the perfect equation, and thus, make the answer impossible to grasp." Kevin looked up to me, his green eyes piercing through me, as if he was searching for another answer. He shook himself and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks double dork. I think I see what I did here and I think I can manage the rest." He shifted and went back to his work. I nodded, satisfied that this encounter did not end in some sort of verbal exchange. And by exchange I mean a verbal toss at my expense. I started to stand up, but found myself unable to gain my balance because Nat's foot was still holding my seat in place. It nearly knocked me down, but instead it made me collapse back into the seat.

"So, Double Delish, what are you doing this Friday? Coming out to our game for Homecoming to show your Cobbler spirit? Or how about the dance on Saturday? Going to that?" Kevin gave Nat a look but when I turned to look between them, he went right back to his math homework.

"I… uh… I did not have any intentions of going. You see, sports are not my specialty, so I would not even really understand what was happening. As for the dance… well, I've never been to one and I do not know how to dance." Kevin suppressed and laugh and Nat looked hurt, well, as much as I suppose he could look being who he was.

"Kevin, do not laugh at me. What did I say that was so humorous?" Kevin only shook his head and kept working.

Nat leaned forward, closing the distance between us. I was stuck between Kevin and Nat, two football players that were much stronger than I was. I could feel myself shrinking between them.

"I am hurt. How could you not want to come and see strapping young and well endowed me in tight pants run around a field after a piece of flying leather? That must be every gay mans dream!" The dark grin on Nat's face told him he got the reaction he was going for. I could feel the heat in my face and I thought I was going to pass out. It was not so much that he had no issue discussing my preference, and that's probably because he himself, ahem, swung that way, ugh what a grotesque way of putting it, but that he so openly did so without any thought of the consequence. What if Kevin heard him? Which I sure he did, seeing as he was sitting not two feet from him. I glanced over to Kevin and he was… he was laughing, quietly to himself while he worked. He did not react, at least not how I thought he would. Kevin is the straight man that everyone dreamed to be with, and one would think that would carry a sense of, well, of homophobic tendencies, but he didn't seem perturbed in the slightest by Nat's statement. If anything, he found it funny because it was at my expense. Again. I suppose so long as it is directed at me then all is good. I shook my head, trying to get myself out of my stupor that this teal haired boy had thrown me in.

"Oh, my… No, Nat I think I'll pass. I mean, even if it is, as you say, 'every gay man's dream,' I do not believe it to be mine… necessarily." Nat made a pouting face at me while I blushed even more, if that was possible. What is happening?

Kevin sighed and shifted slightly to look over to him, his musculature tightening as he moved. Sorry, I don't know why I keep noticing that. Apologies. Keep it together Eddward.

"Listen Double Dork, you're a junior in high school. You gotta live a little. Come to the game, go to the dance. See what you are missing, and if you really don't like them, leave. Whatever. It'd just be nice to see you enjoying yourself for once." I fought to correct his grammar, but I decided it was not worth the potential consequences.

"I do enjoy myself Kevin. Whatever do you mean?" I gave him a smile, my tooth gap showing and all. At that moment Kevin started packing up his math work and the bell rang not ten seconds later. He looked back at me as him and Nat left the table and went to walk out of the library.

"Then stop faking it. Like that smile." He turned and walked out, Nat smiling and blowing me a kiss. I blushed and sat there, unsure what had happened this period. Fake it? Could he really see through me that easily?

Eddy and Ed walked over to me and Eddy gave my shoulder a slight shove. "Come on, Sockhead. Next period is about to start soon." I nodded, albeit shakily.

"I have your big brain books, Double D!" I smiled to Ed and took my books that he had grabbed for me. The three of us quickly walked out of the library and I started heading to my next class.

Am I really faking it?

You guys like it? Review please if you want (even if its just typos I may not have noticed. I'm three glasses of wine in, I probably missed something)! I really want to know what you guys think! Especially since this is my first fanfic and I'm a little nervous about it. I generally write my own things, but this has so many ideas flowing through me that I couldn't resist doing this story anymore. Thanks again and I'll try to get Chapter 4 up asap.