Where Smoke is, Fire is

High school for the kids in the cul-de-sac was a flat line for most of them. Nothing really changed other than their appearance. For example, Jimmy got his braces off, Sarah grew as well as Jimmy, Kevin didn't wear his baseball cap anymore, Jonny stopped talking to Plank even though he still carried him around, and Rolf started wearing a plaid shirt. Other than that, there wasn't anything abnormal about the high school. The only exception being that the Kankers had toned down their roughhousing during freshmen year. "My first day having an actual boyfriend," May sighed.

"Yeah, you won't have to keep kissing that Ed dummy in the closet," Marie teased.

"Quit it, Marie," May shot back. The typical shouting between the sisters was still always there. Marie and Lee laughed as May just sat back in her chair pouting. Just then, Ed came around. "See you girls," She said as she casually grabbed Ed's arm. "My man and I are having a little 'us' time," May said.

"Whatever," Ed replied flatly. May failed to notice Ed's jacket. It wasn't green anymore, but jet black. Yet that didn't register in anyone's head as May and Ed left the table. Marie quietly observed Ed. Something about him was off. Lee actually voiced her sister's thoughts.

"I don't like this," Lee ominously said. Suddenly, a ton of flowers was placed right in front of her. "What the-?"

"For you, my little sweet tomato," Eddy smiled. Marie looked at Lee.

"Tomato?" She asked.

"Of course, for her lush red hair," Eddy explained. Marie saw that Eddy had comb back his hair to make himself look spiffy.

"Isn't he sweet, Marie?" Lee said to her sister as she sniffed the flower. "What's this?" Lee looked inside the "bush" of flowers to find a basket of chocolates and fruits and vegetables. There was significantly more healthy stuff than chocolates.

"What kind of boyfriend gives her girlfriend a big fruit basket with little chocolate," Marie asked.

"Well, I wanted to give her something sweet to match her sweet personality, but I couldn't let those sweets ruin her perfectly round bottom and slim waist," Eddy said plainly. Now, in general, this would most likely warrant a slap, depending on the circumstance and how it was said. But Marie looked over at her sister to see her blushing as red as her hair. Before Marie could defend Lee and tell Eddy to watch his step, Lee quickly grabbed Eddy and the basket full of stuff and left the food court. Marie rolled her eyes. She knew why Lee was more embarrassed than offended, even though, Marie thought it was a ridiculous reason. While she was thinking about this, she felt someone tap her on her left shoulder. She looked over to her left and no one was there. She knew this trick so while rolling her eyes and exhaling a sigh she turned to her right to be kissed right on the lips. Marie's eyes were wide open as she quickly realized she was being kissed. She swiftly pushed away from the kisser and was about to clobber him when she looked at him.

"Who the heck are you?" she asked. He didn't seem familiar to her. His red shirt and blue pants seemed familiar, but not his black rock-style hair, all cascadingly spiky. And the small faded scar on his head really threw her off. The guy laughed.

"What? You don't recognize your own boyfriend?" he asked. Marie's eyes widened.

"Double D?" She marveled, using his regular name.

"You can just call me, baby," Edd smirked.

"Where's your hat?" She asked.

"Oh, that old thing? It wasn't going with my look. Had to take it off," Edd said. Still, in a state of shock, Marie was oblivious to the random girl that walked up to Edd.

"Hey handsome," The girl flirted. Double D laughed it off and replied.

"Sorry, sweetie. I'm taken." And he kissed Marie again, shocking Marie and the girl. As the girl left, Marie slowly started to enjoy the kiss, but Edd pulled away shortly after that. "Mind if I stay here and taste something?"

"Taste what?" Marie stuttered.

"Your food. I haven't had apple cream pie in a while," Double D said, taking the piece of pie. Marie shook her head and blushed tremendously.

"What's wrong with me?" she thought to herself, "Even if the cigar changed him a bit, I should be able to hold my own." Before Double D could take another piece of pie, Marie slapped his hand away. "You've had enough of my pie. Go get your own." Edd smirked and leaned in close to Marie.

"Maybe I'll just make my own," He whispered. Marie blushed brighter as Edd laughed, but she quickly recovered.

"Well, you're going to have to make it by yourself," Marie smirked. Edd chuckled.

"Maybe I will," He said, kissing her on the cheek, causing her to blush. "See you later." With that, he left. Marie exhaled and recollected herself. As the minutes passed on, she started to calm down. That's when a voice called out to her.

"Hey, Marie," said an unknown person. The blue haired girl looked to see Nazz sitting next to her. "I didn't know that you and Double D were dating."

"Yeah it's kind of recent," Marie explained shortly. She was really wondering why Nazz even cared. Besides being in the same class together, Nazz and Marie never really talked to each other.

"Yeah, even the other dudes are different," Nazz observed. Marie just casually kept eating her pie, not really interested in what the blond had to say. "Though, I'm a little concerned for Ed." That got Marie's attention.

"Why?" Marie asked, thinking that it was against her sister May.

"Well, he seemed a little...empty and dull. Almost annoyed. Last time I saw him like that was when he kicked us out of the theater that Eddy made in his house," Nazz explained. Marie was confused.

"Why is that strange?"

"Well, because he was angry. Like really angry. He even shouted back at Sarah," the blonde whispered. Marie's eyes widened. That was new. Everyone in the cul-de-sac knew that Sarah was the boss of Ed and for him to do something like that was completely off. Marie shook her head.

"He's probably not going to be like that," Marie replied.

"Yeah, I hope you're right," muttered Nazz. "See you later."

"Or never," Marie muttered under her breath. Marie didn't like the blonde initially. She was really just too superficial to Marie. The blue haired girl shook it off and just threw the tray of food away without even cleaning after herself and went to class.

After the last class bell rang, Lee was surprised when she left to see a junk pile of garbage carefully designed to be a huge heart with Eddy standing in the middle. This was down right embarrassing for Lee. To make matters worse, Eddy had hired Rolf to read a poem he wrote in Rolf's phrasing. Before Rolf could even start, Lee punched Rolf out and angrily glared at Eddy. "What the heck is all of this?"

"My dear, can I not express my love to you openly?" Eddy asked.

"No," Lee barked, noticing some of the girls around starting to laugh. Normally, Lee isn't self-conscious about herself, but now she was. Eddy sensed this.

"Don't worry my dear, I can fix this. Rolf! If you would be so kind," Eddy said to the fallen foreigner.

"I shall shoe them away as a shepherd dog shoes the wild coyote," Rolf dutifully said. "BE OFF!" Then like a wild man, he started chasing after the laughing girls with a pitchfork and a torch that came out of nowhere. The girls ran for their lives from the wild man.

"Okay, now this is more like it," Lee giggled. "Why is the foreign guy doing your every whim?"

"I told him I would work for him for today if he would help me. I'd do anything for you, my love," Eddy proclaimed, taking Lee's hand and kissing it. As this was taking place, Ed came out of the school with May tagging along.

"What about if we go on a picnic, or see a movie, skull-crusher is your favorite," May offered, trying to get Ed to do something other than saying what he said next.

"Whatever," Ed boringly replied. May huffed as she followed him. Marie laughed at the sight as she went down the school steps. Between Rolf chasing girls away because of Eddy and May desperately trying to get Ed to do something other than writing depressing poems, it made her a little glad her boyfriend was a bit different. That said boyfriend sneakily grabbed her from behind, spun her around the side of the stairs out of plain sight and kissed her. Marie's shock got over quickly as she decided to pay Edd back by biting his bottom lip. Double D jumped back and looked at Marie's smirk.

"Feisty," He said behind his covered mouth.

"That'll teach you to kiss me without my permission," Marie replied. Edd smirked.

"I like the term: 'Do it now, ask for forgiveness later.'" Marie noticed Double D with open-fingered black gloves on.

"What's with these?" Marie asked.

"Nothing, just something I felt like wearing," Double D replied. Marie dismissed it as something the cigar was doing to him.

"Well, I have to go. See you tomorrow," Marie said, leaving her rockstar looking boyfriend to himself.

All the girls came back to their trailer exhausted. "Girls, I'm tired. I think those chocolates are getting to me," Lee moaned almost starting to upchuck.

"At least you do stuff with your man, I thought I would get a creative fun lug for a boyfriend. Instead, I got a drab," May huffed. "Marie, can I switch boyfriends with you. Yours seems a lot hotter all of a sudden."

"Forget it, May. I'm keeping this one," Marie replied. "But it's not all sugar and spice. He's a little scary."

"How?" Lee and May asked.

"I've never...had this kind of boyfriend. Someone bold and direct. It's really different," Marie whispered, involuntarily shivering a little. Lee and May went over to her on the couch.

"Hey, if he tries anything, you tell us and we'll be on him in three seconds," Lee said sternly.

"I can take him," Marie replied pridefully. "Where's that cigar by the way?"

"I put it in the fridge for safe keeping," May answered.

"Good, I don't think we're going to be done with that thing," Marie sighed.

Continued...