Double D was the first to emerge from the van, curls of black smoke billowing out from every possible opening.
"Good lord!" he sputtered between coughs.
Eddy hopped out a moment later, fanning the air around him. "Jeez, Ed! When was the last time you checked the oil in this thing!" he barked.
At this point, Double D had drawn his shirt collar up over his mouth and nose. "Technically, Eddy, black smoke such as this is the result of excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area and cannot be burned completely. Upon careful observation, one may discover that this black smoke is often coupled with poor fuel mileage. Excess fuel can affect engine performance, reduce fuel economy, and produce a foul odor. However, black smoke emitted from the tailpipe is not, as a rule, great cause for alarm."
Eddy quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Rudolf."
"Hey, guys! I think Florence is hungry. Her stomach is growling," Ed hollered above the van's low, guttural groan.
Before Edd could roll-up his sleeves, the first bell echoed overhead, summoning the students to their morning classes. His gap peeked out from behind the faintest of smiles. "Sorry, gentleman! Academia waits for no man!" Throwing a quick wave goodbye over his shoulder, the brainier of the Ed's bounded up the stairs into the heart of Peach Creek High.
The toddler anxiously tugged at his mother's skirt, wringing the fabric between his hands.
"M-mother..."
"Yes, Eddward?"
He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes fixed on the ground. The spindly woman knelt before her four-year old. Face-to-face, the pair were nearly identical; his wide, cyan eyes a mirror-image of her own, set in the same baby face. The only distinguishing feature between them was the flat nose he shared with his father.
"Mother," he began again, his voice a little stronger. "Why did we leave Lemon Brook?"
She took his face between her careful hands. "Do you remember my old job, Eddward?" The child nodded.
"Yes, Mother. You worked at the hospital in Lemon Brook."
"Well, you see, the hospital here, in Peach Creek, needed a new lab technician. They offered me the position and I accepted. Besides..." Her brow knit together, her smile faltering. "There was some trouble at your old school, wasn't there?"
As she spoke, her hands had unconsciously traveled from the boy's cheeks and came to rest on the beanie atop his head. Again he nodded, sniffling as he wiped at the tears that threatened to fall. Suddenly, Eddward's mother pulled him into an embrace. Her elbows jutted out at an odd angle, her arms unaccustomed to such displays of affection. It took a moment for Eddward to register the action, but eventually he returned the hug and buried his face in the crook of her thin neck.
"Eleanor, Dear, can you assist me in carrying the television up the front steps?"
In the driveway, a gangly man swayed under the weight of the immense television set he carried. Before his wife could rise to meet him, though, he began to lose his footing and dipped toward the ground. A meaty hand shot forward to catch the corner of the television.
"Woah there, buddy! Watch yer step!"
A large, bulking man with cropped ginger hair towered over the family. His bowling shirt stretched across thick, muscular arms and the beginning of a pot-belly. His name-tag read "Bob."
"Looks like you could use some help. Let me get that for ya!" Bob took the television from his much slimmer companion. "Name's Robert Barr. Call me 'Bob!' And this here's my boy, Kevin. Say 'Hi,' Kev!"
Mr. Barr stepped to the side, revealing his own boy. Edd poked his head around his mother's shoulder to get a better look. Kevin shifted uncomfortably under their stares, digging the toe of his shoe into the sidewalk.
"Ha ha! No need to be shy, kiddo!" Bob removed one of his hands from the television to give his son a push forward. Kevin began to tumble, but quickly regained his balance. He clasped his hands behind his back, shooting his father a quick glare.
"Hi."
A moment of silence passed before Eddward's father had composed himself enough to speak.
"Greetings, my name is Stephen Vincent. This is my wife, Eleanor, and our son, Eddward." Despite his initial shock, Mr. Vincent's voice came out steady and rehearsed.
"That's Eddward with two D's!" His wife chimed in, a nervous smile tugging at her lips. At the sound of his name, Edd took a few hesitant steps forward and craned his head back to look Bob Barr in the eye.
"Salutations, Mr. Barr!" He turned to Kevin. "Salutations, Kevin!" The other boy met Edd's gaze, but made no effort to match his smile. He stared intently as the seconds ticked by.
"Why's there a gap in yer teeth?"
Edd grew red from the neck up as he tugged the beanie over his face. Bob's rumbling laughter cut through the quiet.
"That's no way to make friends, boy!" His body shook with a few residual chuckles. He turned to Mr. Vincent once more. "Where you want me to put this thing?"
"Right this way," Stephen led him up the front steps. A conversation about the model of the television was struck as they disappeared into the house.
"Kevin! There you are!"
Mrs. Barr marched across the street. "I have been looking all over for you. Oh!" Her eyes fell upon Edd and then to his mother. "Hello. I'm Pam, Pamela Barr. You must be new here."
Eleanor quickly rose to her feet, swiping at the creases in her skirt. "H-Hello! I'm Eleanor Vincent. My husband, Stephen, is inside with B-Bob." She gestured to Edd. "This is our son, Eddward. With two D's!"
Edd still clutched his beanie, lifting it ever-so-slightly to peer out from beneath the fabric. "S-salutations, ma'am." Pamela's sharp features softened into a smile. She knelt down, taking hold of Kevin by the shoulder.
"Hello, Eddward. It's very nice to meet you. Would you like to come over to our house for a snack? I've just finished baking some chocolate chip cookies." Edd ducked his head out further, his face breaking into a smile at her invitation. "My, what a handsome smile you have! You must take excellent care of your teeth. Perhaps you could show Kevin how you take such good care of them!" Kevin looked away, his bottom lip jutting out. Pam's fingers found Kevin's sides as she gave him a few playful prods until he, too, was smiling.
Pam stood up, taking Kevin by the hand. "Eleanor, would you like to come over for a cup of coffee?" Mrs. Vincent relaxed into a smile.
"Coffee would be lovely."
The small troupe crossed the street, enveloped in the warmth of their blossoming friendship. As they walked, Kevin stole a few side glances at Eddward. His cheeks flushed each time he caught sight of the small gap between his two front teeth.