Sorry, I'm nothing but a broken record now, but the motivation and inspiration for this story has almost officially left. I do have the next chapter written so ill be posting that soon but not sure if I'll continue to write this story. If I do it won't be for a while my life is way too hectic right now and I'm losing way to much sleep as it is on other projects I'm working on. I really didn't want to abandon this story cuz it feels like a child I grew just to abandon but life has got to me.

Hold on, you know what ill try to write especially on my long 40min commutes to work ill give it a go just be patient.

"A fantastic meeting, this year is shaping up to be the best. See you all next week same time and place," Edd says as he collects all his things to go. Walking out the photography room that they held their weekly yearbook committee meetings at. But when he starts walking down the hall he spots someone all too familiar down the hall looking all too casual leaning on the wall. The closer he gets he can't help but have a slue of questions circling in his head. Why did he wait up for me? Why is he suddenly being so nice to me? What changed? Trying to fathom what goes on in Kevin Barr's mind will always plague him.

But what he doesn't know is that both their dams are slowly cracking and true feelings will spill out soon. But who will break first only time can tell.

"Hey Kevin, so what brings you to the art section of our school," Edd asks in the most casual manner with the biggest smile plastered on.

"Got off practice 15 minutes ago, thought maybe you'd changed your mind on that ride," Kevin says all to aloof.

"Well since you're here why not," Edd says walking ahead but turns and smiles at Kevin when he doesn't hear him behind him.

"Rad, let's get us home I'm starved," Kevin says jogging to catch up, hoping his face isn't as red as it feels. It just overly hot in here that's it he tells himself.

"Honestly same here since I skipped lunch but I'm too famished from the day to cook," Edd says looking obviously drained, then he gets an idea. "Kevin, to say thanks for inviting me to eat dinner with you on Sunday would you like to join me for some take out?" Says not being able to meet his eyes in a load of a rejection.

"Yea, that be rad I'll just ask my mom if it's cool when I get home but I'm positive it will be yes my mom loves you she thinks you're a better influence than most of my friends," Kevin says with a laugh.

"They do say mother knows best," Edd says with a cocky smile.

"I won't argue with that."

Edd walks ahead once more trying to conceal his blush.

They finally head out all the meanwhile throwing back ideas on what he should order. So far Chinese and Italian are top picks.

"Listen it is your birthday tomorrow so I'm a let you win Chinese it is."

"Giving up so easy, not like you Barr are you sick?" Edd asks in a teasing manner.

"Haha naw just consider it an early birthday gift," Kevin says teasing.

"My, my what the charmer you are Barr," Edd says jokingly.

"I can be, and only for you Marion," Kevin says elongating his last name followed by a hardy laugh.

"You making fun of my family name Barr," Edd says in fake anger.

"Naaaw I would never, me? No," he says with the slightest smirk.

"Don't make me change my mind Barr," Edd says warning Kevin. They ride the rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

Finally pulling into his driveway he turns off the car and turns to Edd started back where they left off. "You really wouldn't feed me."

Edd feeling guilty for a second until he see's the slight smirk that Kevin tried his hardest to conceal but failed.

"Try me,"

Edd says opening up the car door and getting out.

"Damn Edd I see you, where all this sass come from."

"There's more to me that you don't know Kevin," Edd says walking around to the front of the driveway. "But you're welcome to find out," Edd says with a wink. Kevin turns feeling his face heat up pretends to wipe a smudge off his dad's truck which just by looking they aren't hard to find.

"Kevin, I'm going to go freshen up let me know what your mom says, I'm going to take a quick shower to wash this miserable day off."

Kevin feeling for the guy but didn't say anything but "See you in an hour?"

"Definitely, food should be there by then as well."

"Rad! See you then." Kevin walks away with the biggest smile. Edd walked the small distance to his house with a matching smile.

Finally, in his house the first thing he does is remove his shoes, hang up his light jacket and he begins to strip not something he normally did but he was so worn out to care for once. Stripping down to just his underwear but halfway up the stairs he turns around and sees his mess of clothes and gets this unbearable itch so he goes back down to pick it up and heads back upstairs and drops it in his laundry basket. Turning on the shower, but while waiting for the water to warm up he starts to look at himself in the mirror and analyze himself something he normally never use to do but seems to be doing it a lot more lately. He's being too critical of what he sees staring back at him. Shaking his head to try to rid himself of the unpleasant thoughts he finally hops in the shower even though it hasn't fully warmed up yet the shock of the slightly cold water brings him back to reality and helps him forget for a while.

Finally, out he changes into a pair of sweatpants and a comfy crew neck sweater. Then goes downstairs and sits in his dad's recliner and orders the Chinese. After placing the order he starts to think he ordered way to much his hunger really got the best of him. Well at least now I'll have leftovers for tomorrow, that is if Ed doesn't come over and eat it all, he thinks with a smile. How he loves that loveable goof but he sure can eat. Remembering the time he spent all day cooking a special meal for his parents return from helping the locals in Burundi and his parents texted him after 3 hours of slaving away making only their favorites they texted him, sorry will be gone an extra week love mother and father that week turned into three. But not one to let things go to waste he invited Ed and Eddy over and they ate fancy French food and stayed up all night watching movies. Also being a shoulder to cry on that night when he couldn't take the bottled up feelings of his parents never being home and always getting his hopes sky-high just to have them crash and burn into a million pieces of pure sadness and longing for normality.

A knock at the door breaks him from his thoughts, walking over to the door he opens it expecting Kevin but sees the last person he was expecting after what happened today. He sure wasn't expecting to see Eddy but here he was in all his 5 ft 5-inch glory. But he didn't have his usual aura of cockiness or self-confidence. "Eddy hello."

"Yo Edd, can I come in we gotta talk."

"Of course, but I have company coming over in a bit can this be quick sorry," Says sheepishly.

"Don't tell me Edd, it's blocked head isn't it?" Edd says growing mad and almost forgetting why he came over.

"Yes and you can't be mad he's also my friend, and It would be great if we all could get along maybe hang out together."

Edd knew he was threading thin even suggesting it.

"Edd get real, super chin and I will never be friends."

"Fine, don't then, but you can't be mad when I do hang out with him. He's also my friend whether you like it or not Eddy plus you have no right to tell me who I can and can't be friends with."

"NO, you're right but.."

"But what Eddy, to insert more lame insults please just stop ok," Edd says getting mad and losing patients with Eddy. If Edd hated anything more than his ocd and his parents never being home is people telling him he can't do something cause of, insert lame excuse here, also badly structured reasoning.

"Edd your like family, I'm just trying to look out for you and I have a bad feeling about Chinsdale ok."

"Eddy can you stop with the chin insults already there's nothing wrong with his perfectly sculptured face ok." Edd says increasing in volume from how mad he is but softens with what he says next "and secondly thank you for caring but I'm an adult now as of tomorrow, and I can look out for myself have been since I was 10." Edd says walking over to Eddy to give him a hug. "Again I'll be fine remember brothers for life," Edd says holding up three fingers to his head then salutes. Something they did as kids but haven't in a long while.

"Yea bros for life," Eddy says returning the salute.

"Alright, I'm out, call me if anything happens ok?" Eddy says as he's walking out the door.

"I will but trust me nothing will happen."

"Still have me on speed dial?"

"You know it, ahead of my parents," Edd says with a sad laugh.

"Cool, see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yea most definitely," Edd says before closing the door. He goes back to sit on his father's recliner, and closes his eyes for just a second with a smile plastered, things could not have worked out better between Eddy and him. He thought he was going to lose his best friend for a second but he should have known that their friendship was stronger than this. A knock at the door brings him back from his thoughts getting up to answer the door he peeks out the peephole and sees Kevin at the step and an unknown walking up to his driveway holding bags. Opening the door he says "Kevin right on time."

"I'd sure say so," Kevin says grabbing the bags before Edd has a chance. He walks ahead of Edd to the kitchen. Edd stayed at the door to tip the delivery driver.

"Man this smells good, good call on Chinese dork this smells amazing."

"Well I did only order my favorites so I'd hope so," Edd says as he retrieves two plates and utensils to eat with.

"To drink would you prefer soda or water?"

"Surprise me," Kevin says as he fixes himself a plate.

Edd places a water in front of Kevin and sees his face fall a bit.

"What's wrong Kevin?"

"Nothing dork all's good, just I usually prefer something fizzy with my meals but waters cool too," Kevin says missing the smile on Edd's face.

"I thought so, let me switch these out," Edd says switching the cola in front of him for Kevin's water.

"You think you got me all figured out don't you?"

"Simple men want simple things," Edd says as he fixes himself a plate.

"You calling me a basic bitch?" Kevin says trying to get a rise from Edd using the curse word.

"More or less yes," Edd says with a cocky smile eyes fixed on his plate.

Kevin just stared wide-eyed for a second, one Edd allowed a curse word especially in his own home and secondly, that sass he couldn't tell if he liked it or loved it.

"Ouch Edd that hurt." Edd looked over surprising him again.

"Should I go get my first aid kit for that burn," Edd says in the most casual manner.

"Damn Edd," Kevin says eyes fixed on Edd, mouth open.

Fixated on his plate mid-bite he says, "Your food's going to get cold if you just keep staring at me."

5 minutes pass by with them just eating in a peaceful silence. Kevin being the first to break the calm bubble.

"Yo dork so you excited to be entering adulthood tomorrow?" Kevin says.

"I've been adulting since I was 10 so honestly no," Kevin was surprised by Edd's answer one he made up a word, not like him and secondly whatever funk the dork was suddenly in he was determined to get him out of it even if it took him all night.

When they finished eating they did the dishes together with Edd washing and Kevin drying. Something Kevin never did at his own home but when the dork asked he was more than happy to help.

"Movie time?" Kevin asked hopeful but got the answer he was expecting.

"More like homework time," Edd said with a big smile, eyes sparkling with life.

Upstairs in his room Edd occupying his desk and Kevin on his bed they whipped through their history homework. But Kevin has a harder time doing his calculus homework, unlike Edd who finished with ease. Turning around Edd sees Kevin flipping off his calculus homework and can't help but laugh.

"Kevin hurting its feeling won't make it do itself, here let me help." Edd goes to sit next to Kevin and looks over and is surprised to see it blank with immense erase marks.

"Oh dear, Kevin why didn't you tell me you had no comprehension for this I would have been helping along with mine."

"Well, I didn't want you to think I was just another dumb jock," Kevin says not meeting his eye.

"Of course not cause I already did," Edd says sly. Kevin playfully pushes Edd on the shoulder.

"But seriously I need help here if I fail calculus I won't be able to keep playing football and I need that scholarship that I know I can get to pay for college but if I don't pass I can say buy to that dream."

Edd was impressed by Kevin's dedication that he promised to help him pass calculus. And any other class that he needed help in.

Another hour passed by and finally there both done with everything. It still being early only seven they decide to head down stair to watch a movie. Edd giving Kevin full range to his movie collection again.

Half way through the movie Edd starts dozing off he slumps into the couch and his head falls on Kevin's shoulder.

Kevin slightly chuckles, looks over at Edd and whispers "dork." But can't bring himself to wake him so deciding against it so he tries his best to concentrate on the rest of the movie. Looking over a few minutes later he can't help but think how peaceful Edd looks asleep and maybe adorable so he pulls out his phone and snaps a pic of Edd asleep on him from a high angle capturing them both in the pic that Edd himself won't see or know about for a year.

When the movie ended Kevin just sat there and looked at Edd asleep on his shoulder contemplating what to do remembering how light he was when he picked him up after the situation with Alex he could just carry him to his room. But deciding not in case he woke up he wouldn't want to scare him so he just gently shakes him awake.

"Edd, wake up the movies over," Kevin says softly.

Edd stirred awake lifting his head and sits up but as he comes to completely his face goes slightly red realizing he slept on Kevin most of the film, oh dear.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep on you," Edd says head lowered

"Dude no worries the day really wore on you," Kevin says.

"Yea, It really did."Edd says looking up meeting his eyes giving him a small smile, "thanks."

Kevin looks confused but Edd continues. "For earlier and everything the last two weeks you helped me out of situations I otherwise would have been toast so thanks."

"Don't worry about it that's what friends are for."

"We should call it a night I'm beat, I'll walk you out?"

"Yea," Kevin says collecting his bag walking to the door Edd follows and opens the door for him. Kevin steps out but turns to him.

"I had fun so how about movie and pizza at my house next time?" Edd can't help the smile and answers "Yea sounds good."

"By the way Happy Birthday."

"My Birthday isn't until tomorrow"

"I know but here happy early birthday, " Kevin says pulling out a small badly wrapped gift.

"You didn't have to"

"I didn't open it," Kevin says smiling.

He unwraps it careful even though he had no idea where to start it was all rolled up and taped hastily all around it. Seeing what it was he starts to laugh.

"You left it at my house last week, surprise," Kevin says.

"Very cute, thanks," Edd says smiling looking down at the pocket sized hand sanitizer. He knows he must be blushing hoping it's dark enough out here that Kevin can't see, glad now that he didn't turn on the porch light.

Hearing Edd say it was cute made him feel good inside.

"I know it's dumb but I thought it be funny," Kevin says with a smile rubbing he back of his neck.

"I love it best gift ever, even though I bought it," Edd says with a laugh but he generally meant it when he said best gift ever. He carried it everywhere they went that year.

"Glad you liked it just wait til tomorrow." Kevin says walking aways but turns and says "Goodnight see you in the morning for that ride."

"Goodnight," Edd calls back heading inside but what Kevin just said won't leave his head "Just wait till tomorrow," did Kevin get him another gift?

That night he slept well but slightly restless with one thing in mind.