Chapter 4
The boys stepped out of the locker room door and into the cavernous school gymnasium. The gymnasium was around one-hundred feet long, by fifty feet wide; the ceiling was twenty feet high. Four doors opposite to the gym locker room door lined the long wall, serving as access and egress to the schools main corridor. Two basketball nets were suspended from the ceiling on a movable frame at each end of the gym. Several other auxiliary nets and accompanying backboards lined the walls of the gym. In the far corner, a series of several nylon ropes hung from a bar near the ceiling, with a large blue mat positioned underneath, to test the students climbing ability and endurance.
The gym teacher often allowed students to use the schools basketballs at their leisure as warmup during the first few minutes of class. Kevin and Rolf had already taken advantage of this opportunity, and were currently shooting hoops using one of the basketball courts. Kevin dribbled the ball, after which he took a shot from the three point line. The ball bounced off of the rim, and ricocheted towards Rolf's position.
As Kevin's tracked the balls trajectory, his eye caught the three Ed boys making their way towards his position.
"Yo Eddy," yelled Kevin, his face changing to a sly grin, "Ya wanna come shoot some hoops? Oh wait, did ya ask the old ball-and-chain for her permission!"
Kevin laughed at his own joke, with Rolf joining in as he walked towards the Ed's position with the basketball in his hand. Eddy, as usual did not find Kevin's joke amusing in the slightest.
"It seems the eldest Kanker sister with the hair as red as Rolf's barn, has removed the loins of the small fry Ed boy, just as one does to the bull." said Rolf.
Both boys laughed, as Eddy stood with his fists clenched by his side. Double Dee observed his friend with a blank stare for, while he knew the two boys words were all in good fun, he still was not fond of teasing. Ed stood still, indifferent to the joke, staring at the ropes hanging a few feet away.
"Shut up, all of ya!" yelled Eddy as he snatched the basketball out of Rolf's hands. "C'mon, let's get a game of HORSE going while we can."
Eddy glanced toward Double Dee.
"You in Sockhead?" asked Eddy.
Double Dee twirled his thumbs as he responded.
"No thank you Eddy," said Double Dee, "While I appreciate your offer, I once again must decline due to my lack of interest and talent in team sports. I'll spectate from the bench!"
"Suit yourself." said Eddy. He turned towards the position where he believed Ed to be.
"C'mon Ed," said Eddy, after which he turned around and began walking towards the basketball hoop. However, after a half-seconds time, he performed a double take as he realized that Ed was no longer where he was originally standing. Upon glancing around the gym, Eddy took notice that one of the gym ropes was swinging wildly back and forth, with Ed hanging on the end. The large Ed boy was currently laughing dopily as he seemed to be having the time of his life.
"Well Lumpy's out!" said Eddy, "Alright guys let's play."
As Eddy joined Kevin and Rolf in their basketball game, Double Dee took a seat on the bench located next to the basketball court. After watching his friends play for a few minutes, he took notice of an outpouring of girls into the gymnasium from the female locker room. Within the crowd, he took notice of the Kanker sisters, all outfitted in their gym uniforms. Lee had traded her heels for a pair of sports sneakers, removed her glasses, and tied her hair into a bun. May had also tied her hair back into a single pony tail, as she usually did when participating in any form of athletics. Marie had not altered her appearance at all for gym class other than donning the standard gym uniform.
Along with the Kanker sisters, Double Dee took notice of Kevin's girlfriend Nazz leaving the locker room, conversing happily with Marie. Since the events of the previous winter, all three Kankers had become amiable with Nazz. Marie in particular had developed a true bond with the blonde haired teenager. This was significant as a bond of friendship with another girl that wasn't one of her sisters was something she had desired all of her life. The friendship was a two way street, with Marie introducing Nazz to her hobbies such as the piano and art, and Nazz introducing Marie to Yoga and aerobics.
While May also came to enjoy Nazz's company, her best friends aside from her sisters were the girls from her eighth grade softball team. Many of the girls followed her to Peach Creek High, and were also excited about the prospect of making the high school team in spring. Lee had still yet to make any other friends outside of her sisters and Eddy, yet she didn't seem to have a problem with that.
Lastly, Double Dee took note of Lindsay Statorowski and her friends weaving their way through the crowd toward the bench on the opposite side of the gymnasium. Lindsay was walking with an arrogant stride as she always did, attempting to sway her hips as much as possible. Her friends followed her lead closely, as if they were puppies on a leash that would be lost without their master. The three girls took a seat on the bench, awaiting the official start of the gym period.
Within seconds, the Kanker sisters and Nazz spotted the boys and made their way towards their position. Nazz split off from the Kankers to meet up with Kevin, whom she shared a hug and some light conversation with. After their conversation, she decided to spend her time warming up for gym with aerobics. May, naturally joined Ed by the ropes; Ed had ceased swinging himself and had assisted in lifting May into a position to grab the rope, after which he continued pushing her as if she was on a playground swing.
Lee took a seat on the bench to the right of Double Dee. She seat leaning forward, with her elbows resting on her knees and her face resting in her palms. Marie, with a smile, took a seat next to Double Dee on the opposite side, crossing her right leg over her left. She decided to initiate the conversation.
"Hey sweetie," said Double Dee, "How was your morning?"
"As wonderful as it could be," said Double Dee with a smile, "The only thing missing was seeing your beautiful face."
Marie playfully slapped Double Dee
"Come on Double Dee," said Marie, "That's sweet, but how was it really?"
Double Dee giggled.
"Well Marie," said Double Dee, "If you must know, I prepared titrants for the chemistry lab, had a lengthy and productive discussion with Mr. Neights regarding Reimmanian manifolds, conducted an analysis of the transfer function the servo control valves on th..."
Double Dee was cut off by Marie placing her index finger over his mouth, her face adorned with an amorous grin.
"On second thought," said Marie, "Go back to the sweetness!"
The two adolescents shared a laugh, after which Double Dee decided to pose a question. He leaned towards Marie and lowered his voice as to be discrete.
"So Marie," said Double Dee, "Has Lee been able to restore her tranquility following the events that took place this morning in the corridor."
"Not really," said Marie, " She is still pretty hot headed. She wouldn't stop complaining about Lindsay all the way through first period."
Double Dee turned around to to get a glimpse of Lee. Her face displayed an irritated expression and her eyes were trained to the opposite side of the gym, where Lindsay was currently seated. On the opposite side, Lindsay was sitting upright with her legs crossed as she used a nail file to maintain her pink, expensive manicured fingernails. Every two seconds or so, she glanced up from her hand to make eye contact with Lee, displaying a nasty look.
Double Dee turned back to Marie.
"This is quite the predicament isn't it?" asked Double Dee.
"Tell me about it," said Marie, "I am actually really concerned, I have a bad feeling that this is going to get very ugly very fast."
"In this case, I can only hope that your theory is incorrect," said Double Dee, "Petty conflicts are definitely not in alignment with this beautiful season of friendliness and giving."
"I agree," said Marie, "Unfortunately, Lindsay is not capable of friendliness or selflessness, and I don't believe she will ever change her petty ways. My concern is for Lee. She has worked so hard to improve herself, she has been doing better in school, and she has built a successful relationship with Eddy."
Marie paused.
"But Lindsay has hurt Lee really bad in the past, she has hurt all of us with the things that she did. I don't blame Lee for hating her, she is an arrogant snob, but challenging her and attempting to out do her could be Lee's worst mistake, as it has the danger of undoing all of the positive change she has made for herself."
Double Dee glanced upon his girlfriend with an air of concern, as it was a long time since he had heard Marie deliver words with such sincerity. He placed his hand on Maries chin and turned her face towards his.
"Don't you worry Marie," said Double Dee, "I am sure everything will turn out alright. I believe this is merely yet another one of those trials and tribulations faced during adolescence. I am confident that this will resolve itself once this absurd winter ball queen contest is over."
Marie smiled.
"You're right Double Dee," said Marie. "Maybe I am overthinking this. We'll let this one play out and see what happens. I just need to trust Lee's judgement, after all her decisions have done nothing but help me throughout my life."
A few moments passed, after which Marie decided to change the subject.
"So, Double Dee," said Marie, "Do you have anything in mind that you want for Christmas?"
"To be perfectly honest Marie," said Double Dee, "I truly have no desire for material possessions. To me, a perfect Christmas is one spent with family, friends, and my amazing significant other, all the while spreading holiday cheer, good will and peace. I already have everything I could ever ask for."
"Seriously Double Dee," said Marie, "There has to be something that you want."
Double Dee pondered for a few seconds. Before he could deliver a response, the high pitched sound of a coaches whistle filled the air. This was followed by the booming voice of the gym teacher, which was accompanied by an echo due to the cavernous nature of the gymnasium, announcing the boys and girls to separate in preparation for the fitness test.
"I am afraid we'll have to defer this conversation to a later time." said Double Dee, "It's times like these that I curse myself for my lack of athletic prowess."
"Relax cutie," said Marie, "You will do fine. And who cares if you don't? You have your own awesome talents."
Double Dee smiled, and gave Marie a quick hug. The couple parted ways as requested by the gym teacher.
As was the case every year, the gym teacher divided the class by sex, with all students of each gender taking a seat on opposing sides of the gym. The gym teacher had set up a series of traffic cones on the boundary lines of the long ends of the basketball court, setting the boundaries for the pacer test. The pacer test was an endurance test that consisted of students repetitively running from one end of the 60 ft long basketball court to the other at the sound of a beep. The duration between the beeps decreased every minute, decreasing the time allowed for rest between runs.
It just so happened that the male students were selected to perform the test first. The girls were instructed to remain seated as the group of fifty boys students lined up, single file along the starting line.
Naturally, Ed, Edd and Eddy lined up side by side. While Eddy and Ed stood quite relaxed, Double Dee was currently sweating bullets. He felt as though the temperature in the gymnasium had risen by a factor of ten, and his stomach felt as if a million butterflies were flying within. While Double Dee had no problem admitting that he did not enjoy athletics, nor did he have the talent for it, he was quite intimidated at the prospect of embarrassing himself in front of the entire gym class.
In the midst of his negative thoughts, Double Dees attention turned towards the bench that was occupied by all of the girls in the class, waiting for their turn to take the pacer test. It didn't take long for him to spot the Kanker sisters. May sat on the bench, staring dreamily at her big Ed as her hands rested on her cheeks. Lee had taken a place to her right, sitting with her legs crossed, her right leg draped over her left, and her arms folded. She was smiling rather cheerfully as she set her eyes on her diminutive boyfriend, blowing him a subtle kiss from far away when she made eye contact with him.
Lastly, Double Dee laid his eyes on his Marie. Marie was positioned next to Lee, resting her hands on her thighs as she smiled from ear to ear. Noticing the extremely nervous expression on Double Dees face, in addition to his profuse sweating, she decided to deliver him a confidence booster. She slowly mouthed the words "Good luck, you'll do great" across the gym, causing Double Dee to smile.
No sooner than Marie had delivered her message, the gym teacher blew the whistle initiating the start of the test. At the same time, a beep sounded over the gyms PA system, signaling the students to perform their first run across the court.
Double Dee, taken off guard by the sound of the whistle, dawdled slightly after which he began running towards the other side of the gym. His hands were lifted to his chest and his elbows flared out to the side as they always did whenever he ran. Surprisingly, even though Double Dee was not a conditioned athlete, he managed to keep up with the rest of the students.
Unfortunately, as the group of students reached the halfway point of their first run, one of the shoe laces on Double Dees left sneaker managed to come loose. Furthermore, the shoe lace became entangled around Double Dees opposite foot, causing him to loose his balance. This eventually resulted in Double Dees body being sent on a collision course with the floor of the gymnasium, causing an audible thud.
To make matters even worse, as Double Dees head impacted the floor, the foot of one of the other students running next to him came down directly upon his beloved black ski hat. At that moment the unthinkable had happened; in an effort to prevent the hat from being removed from his head and exposing his secret, Double Dee had gripped onto the hat as tight as he could. However, the shear force of the students sneaker striking the hat stretched the wool beyond its tensile limits, causing a small tear to form in the hat. To Double Dee, the sound of the hat tearing seemed as if it were decibels louder than the booming 1980s exercise music playing over the gyms PA system.
Double Dee rose off of the floor, and remained in a kneeling position, appearing distraught beyond belief. He remained in that position for a few seconds, enough for the students to pass him once again at the sound of a second beep.
Marie, sensing something was wrong, rose up off of the bench with a concerned expression. At that moment, Double Dee lifted himself off of the gym floor, and began running towards the door to the school corridor. Marie quickly followed suit, and was able to catch up to Double Dee.
"Double Dee!" yelled Marie as she reached his position and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"
Double Dee turned around slowly to face Marie, his eyes appearing as if he was about to tear up. Marie took notice of Double Dees severe state of melancholy.
"Double Dee it's okay." said Marie, "It's not big deal that you tripped and fell, you did your best."
Double Dee paused for a few seconds, after which he finally delivered a response.
"It's not the fall that I am upset about Marie," said Double Dee, "In the midst of the chaos caused by my fall, another student unfortunately stepped on my hat, causing it to tear."
Double Dee reached both of his hands up. He grabbed the small portion of the hat that was torn and opened it up slightly to show Marie. Marie placed her hand over her mouth in surprise,
"Double Dee," said Marie softly, "I'm so sorry..."
Double Dee sniffled slightly as a small tear began rolling down his face.
"This hat is what I have to remember James by." said Double Dee, "To think that it could potentially be destroyed so easily is alarming, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. But, unfortunately, this is the only practical method I have at the moment for covering up my horrendous injuries."
"Double Dee," said Marie as she placed her arms around him, "I can fix this, I have black thread at home, come over tonight and I will sew it back together."
"I appreciate your offer," said Double Dee, "I have no doubt in my mind that it can be repaired, but I have severe doubts of the integrity of the hat moving forward. I can't bear to have anything else happen to it."
There was a pause for a few seconds, after which Double Dee broke the silence.
"Please excuse me Marie," said Double Dee, "I apologize, I need some time alone to ponder the implications of this situation. I will be sure to contact you later tonight."
Double Dee turned around, tears now streaming down his face profusely, and made his way down the corridor, turning right into a different hallway when he reached the junction.
Marie remained in place in the center of the corridor well after her boyfriend had disappeared from view, herself deep in thought, brainstorming how she could best help Double Dee with this predicament.
