On the drive to the school, her hand was finally bugging her. she didn't want to seem weak or dumb for the fact that she had broken her hand slamming it down on the counter. She gripped the steering wheel with her left and held a cigarette in her right hand.

She looked over to him to find him starring out the window watching the sun rise.

"it's beautiful, the sun I mean."

Startled by her he dropped his cigarette and landed on his pants.

"shit, ow."

she just looked at him and laughed.

"sorry, it is beautiful, I just wish it always stayed like that."

A wave of silence overcame them both. Marie took another drag of her smoke and leaned her hand down but hit the steering wheel. She yelped in pain which caught Edd's attention.

"Marie, you ok?"

grimacing from the pain and the realization that some secrets are at danger she needed a bluff.

"I'm fine, just a little sprain, that's all." She said with a fake smile.

He didn't buy it but thought it best to go along with it. He had no reason to make it worse, so brushing his hair out of his face he leaned back and fell asleep. She smirked and turned her focus back onto the road. Twenty-five minutes later they arrived at the school early. They still had a little time till school started. Looking back at the still sleeping Edd, she sighed.

'how did he get so different?'

Tired of thinking of why, she pulled her phone out and took a picture. Smiling at her catch, she put it away.

"I hope you got my good side." Edd said startling Marie.

"I thought you were asleep." "I was until the flash woke me up."

He said now looking at her.

The blush was evident on her face and tried her best to look away.

"I was just taking a picture of the sun rise, that's all."

He called her bluff this time and enjoyed it.

"well then the sun must have been visible through the building then because I don't see the sun."

He laughed at his joke but stopped when he saw the figure again. Ruining his fun, it looked at him and said one thing before disappearing again.

"soon." 'soon, what does that mean?'

scared and confused, Marie nudged him with her elbow.

"Edd to space command, do you copy, we need our astronaut over."

Laughing together, the sun came over the building to land on each other's face. Both thought the same thing. 'amazing.' Feeling the flood of blood on their cheeks which surprised even edd. "uh, we need to talk." Marie's eyebrow raised with curiosity.

"what about?"

"well, I just wanted to say that-."

He was cut off by someone knocking on the window. Edd rolled the window down to see an old familiar face but brought annoyance and questions.

"you two making out in here or what? I'd leave you two alone, but it was too good to pass up."

"hello Kevin." Edd said nervously giggled.

Marie was pissed at the fact that she didn't hear edds question.

"hey Kev, what's up?"

She wanted this conversation to be over as soon as it started.

"ah, well I just wanted to see what you guys were up too since you missed school yesterday, I'd almost think you two were dating or something else."

Edd trying to be quiet spoke up.

"no offense but it's none of your business."

"hey, I didn't mean to be an ass, but I just wanted to warn you guys that's all, didn't mean anything else by it."

The two in the car leaned closer to the window wondering what he was going on about. Marie spoke up.

"what are you talking about?"

Kevin leaned on the window with a worried face for once that barely happened.

"well, you know how Nazz and me were dating for quite a while, and we were thinking about getting back together, well she thinks that Marie here was flirting with me. I swear I tried to talk to her about It, but she didn't want to hear it. So now she and her posy are after your little girlfriend."

Edd wasn't amused and was quite annoyed at this point. Marie on the other hand was quiet and very pissed. Edd turned to Kevin again and said as calmly as he could even though his breath was shaking slightly.

"where is she now?" "well, she's in the school, early study and all but after that you might have wanted to skip today instead of yesterday. But I suggest that you guys, Marie in specific keep a low profile."

"will do Kev and thank you." "no prob edd, just be careful, Nazz was on the phone the other day and I heard her talk about a surprise party for Marie or something, I don't know what that means but I'll say it again, be careful."

"will do, you take care Kevin, we will see you later."

With that, Kevin walked away waving and walked into the school to calm down his girlfriend. Waving goodbye, Marie sighed while edd contemplated what to do.

"you don't have to help me, it's my battle, and I'm used to it so it ok."

He didn't want to just leave her alone, nor did he believe her. 'I don't believe that she can handle this on her own, so I have only one option here.'

Leaning back into the seat even more he took a deep breath, frost floating on his breath toward the window.

"that settles it, I'm in." "you're in what?" Marie said inquisitively. "I mean that I want to help, look, the way I see it, you are stuck in a rut and I want to help, besides, your already in trouble with your mother and you're on your own."

He said happy but the expression that he was expecting wasn't the one he was looking for.

"get out."

He was about to speak but wasn't given the chance when Marie opened the door to his side and kicked him out. his back hit the ground and his backpack hit his chest.

"I'll see you after school I guess."

He didn't know what else to say, he didn't see any reason for her to be like this, he just wanted to help. 'I screwed it up…again, seems to be a new hobby now, great.' Edd said as he walked toward the door of the school but turned around to see Marie leaving the parking lot.

"smooth edd, real smooth." He sighed depressed and walked into the building but was greeted with three evil smiles. "hey there edd boy."

Marie's pov:

'this blows, first he's nice and now he acts like that.'

But she herself wasn't sure what he did to incite her anger. Yet one thing was for certain, she didn't need hand outs from anyone, especially him.

'I can handle myself, and I don't need pity.'

While she was having her mental breakdown she nearly hit a high schooler that was walking across the street.

"watch where you're going bitch." The man shouted at her. she wasn't herself nor did she know what she was doing.

'alright, the best plan right now is to go back and talk to him, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. But he might want to hurt us like the others.'

The voices in her head fought over control for what was right and wrong. But over her inner struggle, the apparition sat beside her making Marie freeze. the figure took the shape of a younger Marie with blood on her clothes and shirt simmered with smoke.

"I'd stop gawking and help out your boyfriend, but that's my opinion, id rather you be alone but that wouldn't be amusing now would it?"

It said with a smirk but looked mostly confused as if it had something to do but not sure of what. Marie didn't know what it was talking about but was certain of one thing, she wanted answers. Turning into a parking lot, she parked and turned to her younger version.

"before I do anything, I want to know why I'm stuck in this brain fuck, and why you are here." It chuckled at her while holding her small stomach.

It responded with malice and contempt.

"now why would you want to know that, you shouldn't even see me, but since you did I guess I should repeat myself. Help your dream boat or he sinks to the bottom of the sea, besides the rest is for him to tell you."

And with that, she disappeared in black smoke taking its place. Marie didn't give the engine a rest before she made the tires screech against the pavement.

Third person view:

'this fucking sucks, first I get kicked out and now I'm getting kicked in.'

he giggled on the ground which stopped his attackers for a few seconds before one of them snickered and responded with.

"what's so funny you little prick?"

The attacker said as he continued kicking edd's stomach while the others kicked and beat his body. Edd found it hard to talk with his lip split and a few of his ribs were broken.

He tried his best to speak. "I find it funny that three guys need to beat up one guy, what, did they not teach you any manners these days?"

Edd laughed at his own joke but was responded with another kick to the face.

"you need to know how to shut up like a good dog and play dead." Said one of the attackers.

But he was cut short when the second attacker said.

"maybe we should give him a reason not to repeat his mistake, right guys?" he asked pulling a knife out of his bag.

The third and last attacker wasn't sure of this anymore and tried to talk to his friend that this might not be a good idea.

"what are you a pussy, damn, if you want to go crying to your girlfriend, fine but we're done standing up for you jimmy."

Jimmy, the friend of ed's sister was at this point crying and ran away. But before he ran out of the door he screamed.

"I'm sorry double d."

Edd gave a pained grunt and started to become cold and numb.

'this is the end huh? I never thought id die in the boy's locker room, but at least I find it funny.'

At the brink of passing out and feeling of the blood dripping across his nose he heard a sound that he never thought he would hear. BZZZZZTTTTAA…... the sound of a taser and the echo of a body dropping.

Outside of the door way stood a fourth assailant but edd couldn't see who it was.

"who the fuck- "the first attacker was cut short with a blow to his face and kneed in the stomach.

The second attacker left edd and decided to join the fight. The two boys decided to gang up of the intruder who turned out to be a girl but Edd couldn't tell who it was, sending punches but couldn't hit anything. Their target was too fast and dodged their hit.

They had a taser in one hand and a night club in the other. The first swung at her head, she dodged, and he hit the wall. Given the fact that both males were large and equipped with heavy muscle, the girl outmatched them in speed and agility.

She hit one in the back of the knee with the nightclub. She didn't pay attention and was elbowed in the back. She stumbled back to recover ground. The second male didn't give her time as her lunged forward to grab her. she ducked down and tased him in his nuts. That did the job as he dropped on his knees and fell on the ground, passed out.

"ha, I know guys who last longer." She laughed loudly, not long enough because the last attacker didn't give her time as he slammed into her and screamed.

"YOU BITCH."

With all his weight hitting her against the wall. She hissed from all the air being pushed out of her lungs. But she in turn turned the taser in her hand and slammed it down on his neck and slammed the night stick against his head.

She knocked him out with that final blow and the victory was hers. Dropping her tools of war, she stumbled to the other side of the room to claim her prize. She kneeled over the now passed out edd and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I did this to you, don't worry, ill make it up to you. I promise." She patted his head and brushed his hair away from his face.

Later that day:

"where am I?" edd grumbled from his breath.

"the nurses office, I wouldn't move if I were you."

He looked up to match the voice to the face. Marie was sitting next to him with a book in her hand, she peered up to look at him with a smile.

"I thought you hated me Marie, why are you here.?"

"ouch double d, I never said I hated you, you just- (she trailed off). Anyway, I found you and brought you here, that's all." She said hoping that the bluff would work but he knew better than that.

"how about I guess what happened instead of not knowing." She giggled at him and took him up on that chance.

"ok Mr. genius prove me wrong, if you get it wrong, ill beat you up."

"looks like someone already did your job for you then." He laughed but the pain was to much. There were bandages on his face chest, arms and legs.

"I wouldn't laugh at this If I were you, you have three broken ribs and a fracture arm." "I know, just couldn't help myself I guess. But kidding aside, I know what happened."

Marie listened and then stated. "ok point Dexter, prove me wrong, ill give you a reward if you get it right."

She raised her hands in a peace symbol and an evil smile.

'now she's just messing with me.'

"you came back to the school and heard there was a kid getting bullied and you probably didn't care but you heard my name being called and tased jimmy, then after that you fought the jocks and won. Am I right?"

she looked at him and smiled. "there's no getting past you, huh? Well, to be honest, it was harder than it looked."

He finally noticed the bandages on her neck and hands.

"are you ok, you're not hurt are you, well, I'm just gla- "

edd was cut off when Marie kissed him, he squirmed and struggled but the way she was kissing him with as much passion as she could muster, he quit and kissed her back. If felt like time stopped while they kissed, the feelings and regret came out while their lips locked. Fighting for dominance with their tongues, edd stopped when he felt his air running out. Tapping her back she let up and they separated.

He looked up to see her crying. Her tears fell hitting his face. Reaching his hand up to her face wiping the tears away he asked.

"what's wrong?"

Her heart gave in and she wasn't going to stop.

"sorry dream boat, it's just, you know, I don't know what to say. You scared the crap out of me, you weren't breathing when I got you here and gah, I cry like a girl." "you are a girl." "Pfffft, don't remind me." Marie laughed while edd gave a pained giggle.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

the nurse began as she stepped in past the curtains. Both edd and Marie were shocked to see none other than Nazz behind the nurse. Marie got up to beat her because it was obvious that those were her goons. Edd reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Marie let's hear her out."

Marie sat back down pouting. Double d turned to the nurse and Nazz.

"what do you want Nazz, if you wanted to finish me off then I would have picked a different time." "that's not why I came here, I came to apologize about what happened, they thought that if they beat you up, Marie would back off." Marie cut her off.

"he wouldn't be like this if you weren't so fucking paranoid, besides, what makes you think I would do that, I'm not someone for broads whose boyfriends run to me expecting to fuck me. I'm sick of this bullshit and now you caused my drama to hurt edd. I don't care if you think it wasn't your fault, but you started all this. You created the belief that I was some piece of meat that was open at a discount at the butcher shop."

All this caught Nazz off guard, her head sunk down.

"I'm sorry, I'm really am sorry, I didn't want edd to get hurt. And I didn't start those rumors, someone else did."

Nazz confessed but her confession was cut short when the nurse pithed in. "sorry to interrupt the soul bleeding but I need to fix this bleeding with all this talking."

The nurse went up to edd and pulled the sowing kit out and sat on the other side of edd where Marie was.

"id appreciate it if you two left for a few minutes while I stich him up."

With nothing better to say, Marie and Nazz walked out of the nurse's office with their tail between their legs. Edd couldn't help but chuckle but was stopped when the nurse put hydrogen peroxide on his lip. After that she stuck him with a needle and began sowing his lip back together. She grimaced at what she saw while she was busy.

His lip was split from the top of his bottom lip and ran down all the way down his chin. He had a black left eye and she even was more worried when she saw his forehead. His hat fell off when the two girls left the room, edd didn't even notice.

"may I ask what happened to your head.?"

He instinctively reached for his head and grimaced but hurt quite a lot when he moved pulling at his lip and the nurse forgot that she was stitching him up. She apologized about her mistake and handed him a paper and pencil. So, he grabbed the utensils and placed them on his lap.

What he wrote on the paper said as such: I don't like talking about it as much, but I trust you not to say this to anyone. But a long time ago I was in an accident and dodgeball hit me. It forced be over the guard rail that was on a cliff and I fell. I hit my head and next thing I knew I was in the hospital. : the end.

"wow, that must have sucked but seriously, we need to fix you up or you'll look like a Frankenstein project gone wrong. So just sit back honey and let me do this."

He did as she asked, he sat back let her do her pizzazz. Meanwhile outside the office, Marie and Nazz sat there and talked.

"so, you like him huh?" Nazz asked the somewhat grumpy girl sitting next her.

"I guess, yeah I do."

When they walked outside the office they came to a mutual understanding where neither would cause drama for either side. So now these two newly made friends talking about the show that Marie gave Nazz. The blush was still visible on Marie who feared how edd must think of her now.

She never liked the damsel in distress cliché but the hero in distress and the princess coming to the rescue found its way to be funny to her.

"so, what now?" Nazz asked unsure, her hand on her head.

"ill wait here and you can go to Kevin who I'm sure has some questions for you."

Nazz got up and faced Marie. "ill do just that, well ill see you later and take good care of edd, I think you deserve him."

With that she left and left the very embarrassed Marie. Sitting there and thinking, sometime before she put her earbuds in and just listened to music. Her heart was thumping loudly with double d in her thoughts.

And given that she was stuck in her thoughts that she didn't notice that her younger self sat next to her. invisible to the other students that walked by occasionally.

The music blared out the noise of the average teenage life that was a hormonal cesspool. She was pulled back to the real world when edd tapped her shoulder and sat next to her ignoring the apparition. She pulled her earbuds out and turned to him. edd not sure of what to do smiled and nudged her with his elbow.

"whatcha listening to?"

"uh, well. Its uh angel by theory of a Deadman, here."

She handed him the earbud and he put it in, he was overcoming with familiar music and started to sing along to the song which surprised Marie.

But that didn't much so she sung along with him. the two sang in unison and ended when the song ended. Marie took the earbud and smiled at him. a question popped into her head that she more than likely would regret, even though it would drop her tough girl persona in a flash.

"hey edd, I'm not sure how to say this but um." Before she could finish edd interrupted her and replied.

"yes."

"you didn't even know what I was going to say."

"well I have a general idea what it was."

Her curiosity maxed out and she dared him to ask her.

"ok wise guy, what was I going to say."

To her this would be an opportunity for him to say it, and he fell right into her trap.

"ok, then how about I ask it then."

"well you seem to have it down pretty pat so why not."

She said with a devilish grin. "well Marie, I'm not good with these types of questions but… would you like to go out with me?"

"well that took you long enough, I thought you'd never ask." She said playfully with the intention of finally granting her wish that she wanted for so long.

So, for a moment she swallowed her pride and leaned close to him.

"id love nothing more dream boat." With that she leaned into him and kissed him. the bystanders gasped and awed, some even took their phones out and took pictures.

One kid even said loudly on accident.

"I ship it."

When they broke the kiss, saliva dripped down edds lip as he blushed not sure of what happened at all. Being brought back to reality, Marie wiped their spit off his lip and held his face. But she somewhat scared him when her face changed to that of dead pan seriousness.

"now edd, I want to ask something of you if you don't mind?"

"anything for you Marie." He said scratching the back of his neck.

"now that we are officially a couple I want you to keep a few promises and some others when we don't have an audience."

She said accusingly meant to be a signal to the onlookers who took the message and walked away scared and pretended not to see anything.

"now, first things first, promise me that you won't leave me for anyone else, if you want to break up on mutual understanding, that's fine with me but please don't break my heart."

Edd already knew the path that he was walking down and didn't regret it. "well to tell you the truth." He paused and that made Marie antsy.

"well, what?"

He chucled and continued. "you're the first girlfriend that I really ever had, and I want to keep it until the day I die, which might sound a little corny coming from me, but I love you and I mean that. I won't leave you ever because I'm not that type of guy."

Happy with his answer, she continued.

"okay, secondly, I want to you to promise that this wont just be about sex and we'll have a real relationship."

Double was caught of guard by a ridiculous question.

"of course, it's not all about sex, again, I'm not that type of guy. But to be serious with you I promise that its not about sex."

He finished then waited for the next question, but she just sat there with her hand to her head thinking of the next question making for a very awkward moment.

"aha, last and final question and or promise, what do you think will happen from now on since we are living together?"

"well that's an easy one and since I figure that's a trick question ill answer the best I can. First off, we would have different rooms and use the shower at different times."

He looked at her to see if he was right, but she didn't want that answer given her grumpy look.

"ok, well I guess we eat together and hang out more. But ill give you privacy and I'll try not to overstep any boundaries if I can."

With his cheesy answer done and Marie happy with it she spoke up once again.

"that's what I like to hear, but one last thing that I want to make clear. Don't ever lie to me, I'm here if you need me but it should be clear that you shouldn't fuck with me."

Edd sat there shocked at her outburst and could only guess how her previous boyfriends treated her.

'I hope that she knows sometime soon that I won't treat her like trash, if anything, ill treat her like any prince charming can.'

Marie was glad about his answers, stood up and turned to him again. "you passed the test with flying colors, welcome aboard sailor."

She smiled innocently and leaned close to him. "we probably should get to class."

Edd looked at his phone and panicked. "damn, I'm late for class, uh Marie I guess ill see you later or after class."

Edd gave her a kiss on her cheek and let. Marie could only give a wave goodbye before he left for class. She scowled in anger that she couldn't get more time with him, but she'll make it up later tonight. Dirty thoughts clouded her mind and became stuck in her delusions of him ripping off her clothes.

Her face became beet red and her nose began to bleed. All of that faded away when a hand violently grabbed her shoulder. The pain woke her up and she grunted facing the perp. Her hand instinctively went for her taser as the man began to talk.

"hey there little pip."

And there's the end of chapter 5, sorry it took me so long, I was busy with stuff and got side tracked. But I got to where they like each other and maybe even a villain besides young Marie. What can I say, I love drama in these types of stories but enough of me gloating. Have a great day little pips.