It was pathetic, really, watching him eat alone every day, blissfully unaware of his unpopularity. Eddy couldn't stand it. Didn't he care? How could he just sit there? He needed to know. He downed a carton of milk, wiped his mouth, and headed over.

He let his tray clatter onto the table. "Don't you want to sit with people?"

"Not really. I prefer to eat alone."

"Oh." He grabbed his tray, but before he could pick it up, Eddward had taken hold of his wrist.

"But you can stay, if you like."

"Okay," Eddy said, sitting across from him. Silverware clanked and people talked loudly. Eddy gulped, wondering if they were talking about him.

"Sorry about this morning."

"That's okay."

"How can you say that? I totally ignored you."

Eddward shrugged. "You're eating lunch with me, aren't you?"

"Nothing bothers you, does it?" Eddy asked in disbelief. "Sitting alone, wearing that goofy hat. It doesn't bug you?"

"Not all the time."

"You're weird, you know that?"

Eddward smiled warmly. "Thank you. You're rather unique yourself."

Just then, a big, meaty hand found Eddy's shoulder. He yelped and tilted his head back, seeing a scowling lunch maid. "Come with me, son."

"Stealing?" his father sighed, driving him home. "I just don't know what to do with you anymore, Eddy. You're really starting to tick me off."

As if being chauffeured out of the cafeteria in front of everyone wasn't punishment enough, he also had to listen to his father bounce between crazed lunatic and concerned parent the whole ride home.

"I forgot my money," he said through grit teeth. Truthfully, it was because he'd forgotten to give him any money. "'Won't do it again."

"You better not," he warned. "I don't want any funny business when your mom comes home. This kind of thing can't happen anymore, you understand me?" Because Eddy wasn't paying rapt attention, he reached over and smacked him upside the head. "You understand?"

"Ow! Yes!"

Since he suspended, he was forced to scrub the restroom clean. Truthfully, he would rather pull his arm hair out one by one, but that wasn't an option. Oddly enough, his father had made them lunch after he was done, and even stranger was the fact that his brother ate with them. No one really talked or anything, but the tension seemed to be gone.

That could only mean one thing.