You're gonna hate me.
Maple syrup and light humming woke him quickly and his legs bolted into action, tearing down the stairs and to the kitchen, his mother was making food and he smiled. He'd missed her so much and the feeling was overwhelming he moved to embrace her and he bathed in her bubbly laughter, enjoying the feeling of her fingertips running through his bed mussed hair. He felt like an excited child, five years old and clinging to his parent's knees, listening to their laughter and stories they'd pulled from books and the bible. Happily, he looked up at her.
"Morning mother," he could feel his eyes welling and the lump hardened with her smile.
"Morning to you too, Mister." She kissed his forehead. "Sleep well?"
He nodded. "I'm glad you're home. I missed you."
"I missed you too!" She moved back to the food.
"Where's Father?"
"He noticed we were low on eggs and milk and went out to pick up a few things as well. Why don't you eat quick and go find your friend you were telling me about yesterday?"
He smiled, nodding and grabbing a plate of the finished ones that rested next to the burning stove top, covering them in syrup, throwing caution to the wind and devouring the messy food. His bed shirt was now sticky.
"I haven't seen you eat like that since you were a child." She giggled, messing his hair up more. "Go clean up, I've got the kitchen."
He grinned and ran back upstairs, giddy as ever and absolutely confident in his own abilities. He's apologise to Kellie for his behaviour and they could go back to being normal with each other. It would be very nice, as awkwardness had no place on her face. From afar he could make her happy, it'd make him pleased to do so. Such a simple wish. He could see her outside his window, playing with the other kids in the snow and throwing balls of compact snow at one another, laughter silent from where he was but likely roaring where they were. He got dressed and quickly said goodbye to his mother before stepping out.
"Hey! Look who finally joined us!" Nazz's voice announced Edd's arrival, and a snowball to the stomach christened him into the game. He saw Kellie grinning over where she was, the perpetrator with her guilty grin, holding more of the stuff in her hands.
He scooped up some of his own and hurled it over at her with a grin. She yelped, dodging easily and laughing at his expense, to which Rolf beaned her in the back of the head and the laughter just continued, white blurr's whizzing passed, Eddy and Ed ganging together and throwing one large one at Double D, he glared, grinned, then sent them both snow in their direction. The game ended when Jimmy was hit and Sarah was busy throwing a tantrum over it. Of course no one wanted to make her or Jimmy feel bad so they just ended the game and Kellie returned to her home, but not before Edd could snag her wrist.
"Hey… I wanted to apologise for yesterday…"
She looked confused. "Why?"
"I was out of bounds, I acted so very inappropriately in a way that doesn't become someone in a relationship."
She laughed. "Relax, no one was mad, Xavier was maybe a little miffed, but not really angry. Besides, we're not really together anymore anyway. He said he liked me but he was pretty sure I was interested in someone else. I… I actually think he's right…" Her face was already pink from the cold and he wondered if she'd still be pink in the face if it were warm.
"O-oh?"
She mumbled something inaudible before quickly pecking his lips, leaving him pleasantly stunned, a goofy grin crossing his face. Now she was red and she shoved her hands in her coat pockets.
"I'll see you later, dork, I gotta go clean the basement today…"
He just kept grinning, waving at her as she crossed the icy street. Around the corner his father came, unable to stop and honking his horn, it became apparent that there was no stopping and Edd moved quickly, shoving Kellie out of the way and into the snowbank. She barely got up when she could see the car had hit the tree near her and that the snow was blood red, a hand sticking out from under the black Toyota.