Sunday was uneventful and passed in a thoughtful blur. Kevin had spent the day mentally coping with Eddward's outburst from the day before and the night struggling with the acceptance of the loss of his friend. He chose to remind himself of all the terrible things Eddward had done to him since he'd returned; just because he was angry or felt dejected didn't give him the right to bully Kevin or to torture him so crudely. There were plenty of examples to go off of, and by the time the sun rose on Monday Kevin felt he had completely rejustified his dislike towards Eddward. How could Kevin think of him as anything but an enemy now? Even when Eddward wasn't outright harassing Kevin in public or otherwise, he'd still spent the whole weekend threatening him, ordering him around or lashing out at him. Kevin assured himself of these things, determined not to let Edd take up any more of his time or thoughts but somewhere in the back of his mind faint traces of doubt lingered. Doubt clouded his resolve and Kevin worried it would not hold once his natural empathetic tendencies took over. He shook his head, trying to chase the thought away.
It felt like it took Kevin an eternity to eat his breakfast. The breakfast itself wasn't causing him difficulty, it was just a serving of eggs, and piece of buttered toast and two slices of maple bacon, cooked just enough to give the edges a small crunch but remain chewy. His mother had managed to perfect the art of perfect bacon cooking, but Kevin was constantly spacing out and wasn't able to fully enjoy the morsels. Kevin's mother noticed something was off, and tried to pull him back into the conversation for the umpteenth time, but all Kevin could manage was various versions of, "Huh? What did you say?"
"I SAID, space cadet, what is on your mind that is pulling you so far into the galatic void that you cannot even manage to keep your eggs on your fork long enough to stick them in your mouth?" She pointed her own utensil at the table in front of Kevin, which he had managed to decorate with what appeared to be several attempts at eating. Kevin's cheek flushed, there wasn't anything he could say that would compensate for him temporarily reverting into a child how didn't know how to use a fork. His mouth grinned and tapped her foot jokingly. "Spill it. What's going on? Does this have anything to do with that boy from yesterday?" She asked.
"No way!" Kevin burst and then grinned nervously, "It's... You know, tests, school. I dunno, girls maybe." His mother gasped loudly and Kevin knew he'd picked the wrong cover up. "Is there a girl you're interested in?!" She nearly shouted. Kevin held up his hands quickly, "NO! No mom! I was just saying, like, hypothetically! At my age, it could be anything. It's probably just puberty, I'll see you later!" He pushed back his chair and sprinted to the door, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and closing the door behind him just as his mom chair scuffed across the floor as she tried to chase him down. He let out a small relieved sigh, but at least he had the rest of the day to come up with some type of excuse for why he would say that.
Everyone always made it to the bus stop before Kevin, but it was mostly because his house was towards the end of the street and everyone else's was closer to the beginning. Kevin would normally get on the bus at the same stop as Eddward, but chose to walk to the front of the neighborhood to spend a little extra time with his friends. This was actually not due in part to anything Eddward had done to him, because Kevin had already been doing it for a few years prior to Edd's arrival. Somehow Kevin had managed to block out what had happened Friday evening, because his jaw nearly hit the floor when he caught sight of Nazz. Her hair had been cut into a choppy bobbed cut, and she'd lightly tousled the back into fluffy layered spikes. She turned to face Kevin and he was floored for a second time, a shock of hot pink highlights framed her face, making her look more angelic than usual but also offered a new, slightly rebellious flair.
"Kevin!" Nazz greeted him cheerfully. She offered him her usual affectionate morning hug, but Kevin's voice was caught in the back of his throat. Nazz didn't take any mind of it though, instead she happily twirled a pink stand of her around her index finger. "Do you like it?" She asked with a smile. Kevin shook his head to try and regain his focus. "I mean, yeah. It looks good. Are you okay though?" He asked with concern, but Nazz just giggled. "You know, it's been so much easier to manage. And I think it makes me look very interesting. Like someone who listens to punk rock but drinks herbal tea in coffee shops just to go against the flow. You know?" Kevin shook his head. "Not really... But... It does look really good," he offered. As the bus pulled up, Adrian offered Kevin a fist bump as he climbed up the stairs and Raph gave him a silent nod. They all sat in their usual seats as well, Kevin always felt it would probably be nice to let Adrian sit with Nazz every now and then but a proper opportunity never really presented itself. In the long run it was fine though, because Nazz was the type of person to sit on her knees so she could face Adrian and Raph as well and she immediately launched into the incredibly detailed story of how her decision to just cut her hair after what happened on Friday. She explained how nervous she was going to the salon after she'd taken care of her hair on her own for so long. While she started describing how the cute stylist managed to convince her to go with the pink, Kevin's mind faded out of the conversation and he tuned back into his surroundings. The bus was leaving the cul-de-sac now, but a certain know-it-all was lacking in presence.
'Eddward never misses the bus. Or school for that matter. He's always had perfect attendance...' Kevin thought as he peered up from his friends towards the back of the bus. Sure enough, Eddward was not seated with his usual crowd, who also seemed at a slight loss without him there.
"Hey! Looks like it's going to be a good day!" Adrian grinned and playfully punched Kevin in the shoulder. "No Eddward! I thought the day would never come!" He rested his arm over the seat and glanced at the back of the bus with Kevin and laughed. "Look at how at how confused his goons look too. Heaven forbid Eddward not be here for one day to remind them how to breathe," he joked and Nazz giggled. Kevin smiled awkwardly and gave a half hearted shrug."
"Yeah... Maybe they will be so confused they beat up each other." Kevin gave a nervous laugh and shifted to stare out the window instead. He didn't want his friends to be able to see what his face was probably betraying. He was worried about Eddward, and when he worried every part of his body betrayed him, from his eyes, to his sweaty palms to the nervous shake of his leg. The rest of the bus ride to school was spent focusing on how to calm these symptoms so he didn't give himself away. When they arrived at school the familiar outline of Eddward's back allowed Kevin's frantic thoughts to calm. Eddward was in the principle's office, but the door was closed, and Kevin couldn't really tell why but he was able to relax knowing nothing seemed to be wrong.
"Ah, figures." Adrian huffed behind Kevin as he stepped off the bus. "I should have known none of us are actually lucky enough for lady luck to offer us shelter from the plague the is Eddward."
"Oh, Adrian. Don't be so mean." Nazz smiled. "Even if he is a jerk."
"You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war," Raph input. "Napoleon Bonaparte." He smiled knowingly before adding with a completely serious expression, "Unless they defile your soil or steal your goats." Kevin, Adrian and Nazz just stared at him for a moment before shrugging it off with a laugh and headed inside of the school. As they passed the office Kevin stole a glance inside the office, he was able to make out the silhouettes of two boys standing behind Eddward. 'They must be new students... I didn't realize Eddward would ever volunteer to be on the welcoming committee though...' His distracted thoughts kept him from properly gauging his surroundings however and as he rounded a corner of the hallway behind his friends he collided with the cold metal of another students locker door. The shock of the incident caused him to stumbled back and essentially trip over his feet, which, by law of nature and embarrassment, made him fall backwards onto his bottom.
"Jeez, dude. Watch where you're going, huh?" Adrian teased as he held his hand out to help Kevin up.
"Are you alright?" Nazz asked, her eyebrows crinkling as she looked on in concern. "You've been spaced out all morning, is something bothering you?"
"Much of our every day life is filled with opportunities to be distracted, Joyce Meyer." Raph chimed in, and per his own normalities he finished with, "But you seem more distracted than a shepard with cabbage stew."
"Uhh... Right." Nazz smiled awkwardly. "Well, for once I think Raph is on point. You seem really out of it today, Kev." Nazz was looking up expectantly at him but Kevin couldn't bring himself to tell her, or any of their friends, what was on his mind. Although he knew their worry was well intended, there was no easy way to explain the one-eighty he had in regards to Eddward since Friday, so instead he put on as sincere a smile as he could manage.
"It's nothing... I've just been thinking about a lot of stuff, but nothing bad. Don't worry." He squeezed Nazz's shoulder reassuringly, and she finally smiled back at him, placing her own hand on top of his. "Alright, Kev. I believe you."
A sudden noise behind them startled Kevin into jerking his hand back. The four turned to see Eddward, clearing his throat the way people do when they are trying to get your attention or someone's just said something awkward, but Kevin couldn't distinguish which it was by the look on Eddward's face. The two strangers from the office were standing on either side of Eddward.
One boy was towering about three inches higher than Double Dee which most likely made him the tallest boy in the school now. He slouched his shoulders slightly which made him look less tall, but his legs gave away his true height. Nothing about him was particularly off putting, in fact he seemed rather content and relaxed beside the other two, a thoughtless half grin on his face. His clothes were probably the most simple of the three of them, he wore a red and white striped shirt with a zip-up jacket he chose to leave open. A tiny logo on the pocket of the boy's jacket read, "Cyclops" with a lone eye peering out underneath the title, Kevin recognized it as a mock up of the main character's jacket from, "It Came from Nowhere." Kevin wasn't really into horror shows himself, but some fads make such an uproar you can't really keep yourself from getting pulled into them and this TV show adaptation from a slightly popular series of comics was a primary example. Although he'd never actually seen anyone die-hard enough of a fan to casually wear the costume as normal clothing. He also wore a novelty shark tooth necklace and a couple studded wristbands on one arm only, a dark brown pair of cargo pants that still managed to be long enough that they nearly swallowed his red and green sneakers and dragged on the floor completed his ensemble. His jaw was squared slightly, his green eyes stared blankly ahead. Red orange hair, similar to the color of Sarah's, was cut short but lightly tousled so it looked like he had just woken up.
The other boy beside Eddward was much shorter barely making it it to the the other two's shoulders. Despite his small stature however the boy didn't seem insecure with his height, nor did he look particularly uncomfortable standing next to the two giants. He was wearing a relatively baggy pair of pants cut off about half way down his calf that seemed to make him look even smaller, a yellow t-shirt with a red cross on the right side and a hooded vest zipped up half way. Two studs pierced his bottom lip on the left side, and a pair of black wristbands on each wrist tied his outfit together. His fair was more rounded than the other boys, and the small crease in between his eyebrows suggested he probably spent a lot of time frowning deeply or lost in thought. Perhaps his most distinct feature was the shockingly blue hair cut into a punkish fohawk that faded to black at the tips suggested he may dye his hair, but somehow he managed to make it look natural. A golden looking chain spilled out from his pocket that looked very similar to Edd's, however this boy kept it in his front pocket, his thumbs hooked into them on either side as if he was constantly protecting his wallet. He scowled at Kevin and his friends, dark blue eyes switching between each of them as if he were trying to asses who might be the biggest threat before he decided to focus his glare at Adrian.
"Who're these dorks?" The shorter boy huffed to Eddward, his drooping scowl amplifying his completely obvious disdain. Eddward's gaze drifted down to Kevin, but it was as emotionless as it had been the evening at the creek right before his sudden outburst.
"Just a group of lowly sophomores. I can't even be bothered to remember their names." He answered coldly, never taking his eyes off of Kevin. There was a sharp sting to his words and Kevin flinched slightly and turned his head to the side. Just like he thought, as soon as he came face to face with Eddward his resolve crumbled and all he could feel was guilt. The shorter boy seemed to realize where Eddward's attention was focused and fixated his snake-like gaze on Kevin as well.
"Well if they're so lame then what are we standing around here for?" He asked impatiently.
"Eddy doesn't like the little fishies.." The tallest boy grinned down at Kevin as well, and the overwhelming pressure of all three of their stares caused Kevin's stomach to tighten and flip. The redheaded boy extended his finger and pointed at Kevin a low chuckle breaking through before he bit his lower lip as if he couldn't contain himseld. Kevin shifted nervously, "...yes?" He finally said, after an awkwardly long moment of being pointed at. "Can I help you?" The taller boy's grinned widened and he curled his finger to his thumb. Before Kevin could process what he was doing he felt a sharp thump against his forehead.
"GOT YA!" The taller shouted gleefully as if he had just won a prize or delivered the punchline to the greatest joke in the universe. He and the shorter boy laughed loudly as Kevin rubbed the throbbing mark the flick had left.
"Nice one, Ed." The shorter boy, Eddy he seemed to be called, remarked while high fiving the taller boy.
"Hey!" Nazz shouted, glaring at the two of them while she placed her hands on Kevin's shoulders and moved him behind her like a protective mother bird. "That was totally uncalled for and rude!"
"Oh yeah?" The shorter boy turned his gaze to her and she shrunk back instinctively. "What'cha gonna do about it, girl? Write me an angry note and tape it to my locker? I'm SO scared. Do me a favor? Get those legs to take that cute face of yours elsewhere and leave the talking to the big boys." Nazz gasped and raised her hand as if she were about to slap him, but Adrian grabbed hold of her wrist and gently lowered her hand down to her side.
"Cut it out." He said sternly, glaring down at Eddy. "You think you're tough because you pick on girls?"
"What? You want me to pick on you, no life?" The shorter boy retorted, starting to roll his sleeve up to reveal the beginnings of a tattoo on his forearm.
"Come now, Eddy." Eddward finally interrupted. "It won't be long before the bell rings and I've yet to direct you an Ed to your first class. Tardiness on the first day his unseemly." Eddy reluctantly pulled back and jerked his sleeve back down.
"Whatever, you jokes aren't worth my time anyway." He huffed indignantly. Eddward took a step forward and the other two boys followed obediently in step behind him. Eddy looked over his shoulder once last time and stuck his tongue out at Adrian, who responded with a generally frowned upon hand gesture.
"Awesome. So it not only ended up with us being unlucky enough to have Eddward here after all, but now there's two new assholes roaming the halls." Adrian sighed and rolled his eyes. "As if this day could get any worse... Did you guys catch their names?!" He suddenly added incredulously. "I swear, I could've sworn the other two called themselves Ed and Eddy. What are the fucking odds they would be Ed, Edd and Eddy?"
The other three's eyes widened as they thought back and realized Adrian was right, but the sudden ringing of the bell caused all them to jump slightly and shake their heads. This wasn't the time to be thinking about the odd coincidence of the three boys names.
"Well... See you guys later..." Nazz tried to smile, but everyone could see the awkwardness.
"Yeah..." Kevin sighed in return. "See you guys at lunch, I guess. Good luck."
They each headed to their respective first periods. Kevin's stomach finally dropped back into an area where he felt decently comfortable again. He was just managing to steady his breath when he stepped inside his classroom and caught sight a flash of blue. The shorter boy from earlier was standing standing at the side of his first period teacher's desk. Kevin groaned and reluctantly took his seat. 'This can't be happening, why did I curse myself by being a decent student... ' He thought in despair as his teacher vocalized his worries.
"You can sit next to Kevin. He's the best in class. He'll have you up to speed in no time!" For the first time in years Kevin swore silently under his breath. Eddy made his way down the room, moving in between the desks until he reached the empty seat next to Kevin.
"Well if it isn't Mr. Four Eyes McDorky himself." Eddy rolled his eyes in slight annoyance and plopped down into his chair, immediately throwing his foot onto the desk and tipping the front legs of his chair off the ground. "Just don't annoy me and maybe I won't make your school year too miserable." He grinned somewhat devilishly and Kevin let out another groan.
'Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I guess...'