Winged Cupid Painted Blind Chapter 3 - Lovers Ever Run Before the Clock
A/N-Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, I am glad everyone is enjoying an intelligent Kevin. Now to keep the good vibes going and see where the night takes us. Warning: Language and Homophobic Language.
As they stepped away from the building and toward the main road of Peach Creek Drive, Edd felt excitement and nervousness colliding in his stomach giving him the butterfly feeling. Out of all the kids in the roller rink to hang out with that night, why was Kevin so interested in him, could there be some cruel joke waiting for him down the road, and like Carrie, be left to rage against his stupidity at hoping that someone popular liked him. The main strip of road that is Peach Creek Drive is where you find all the fast food restaurants in this small town, it is also where the teenagers go to do their cruising. It is a twelve block strip where the teens start at McDonalds and drive down to the other end and turn around at Hardees and then make the trip back down to McDonalds. Stopping along the way to park and socialize with their friends in strip mall parking lots or at another fast food joint until they are run off by the owners for causing too much trouble or harassing customers.
As they walked down the road making their way toward McDonalds they continued their conversation, discussing music tastes, both pleased to see that the other enjoyed more than the main stream music that was blaring out of radios as other teens drove by. "It's all about my mood," Kevin said as he walked confidently down the road, looking over to see Edd cringe a little as a car drove by and a teenage boy was hanging out the window screaming his excitement at them. "If I want to relax and think, it's classical there are no distractions with it, it's just me and the music, and if I want a mellow vibe then I go with blues, upbeat energy then it's definitely jazz."
"Yes, those are all wonderful choices in musical taste," Edd stopped as a beer can was thrown in front of them and Kevin yelled some obscenities at the vehicle, after a moment they continued walking and Edd started again. "As I was saying they are all wonderful choices, but they are interchangeable, take the 1812 overture for example."
"Beautiful piece by the way." Kevin interrupts but quickly motions for Edd to continue.
"Yes it is," As Edd spoke he motioned with his hands, being a visual talker when he gets excited about a topic."But it starts off calm and tranquil but then turns chaotic and fast paced, like the ebb and flow of a battle. So the piece could be viewed as a transitional piece so you can go from relaxing to upbeat energy."
"Precisely, they are all interchangeable," Kevin said clapping Edd on the shoulder like he was congratulating him on a good job, "I was just giving an in general statement about the genres"
"I'm sorry," Edd's expression became crestfallen, "I wasn't meaning to come off as a know it all."
Taking the hand off his shoulder and wrapping it around to the other shoulder Kevin gives Edd a side hug, "It's alright man, you were just expressing yourself, don't ever be sorry for that." Releasing Edd they continued to walk down the side of the road, "So what are your plans for college? I bet you have it all figured out."
"I'm only fourteen Kevin, I have time to figure it out." Edd looks up at Kevin but looks away quickly when he sees the boy's expression change.
"Fourteen, damn you look older than that." Kevin tried to play off his shock a little.
Edd let out a little nervous laugh then replied, "And how old, pray tell, do I look?"
Kevin scrunched up his face as he thought about his answer, "Well going off appearance I would guess around my age. But seeing how I know what grade you're in, and that you're smart as fuck I already knew you were younger, I'm just saying you look older."
"Well I'll take it as a complement then," Edd gave a weak smile then continued, "So how about you, you're graduating this year have you chosen your carrier path in life?"
"No not really," Kevin sighs, "Like you I always thought I had more time to figure this stuff out. But before I knew it time had slipped through my fingers." He kicks a rock on the side of the road, "So now here I am on the edge of the abyss and no fucking clue what I'm going to do."
"Yeah, I think I understand in more ways than you think, I sometimes wonder if I'll be able to complete school with the way things are there sometime." They reached the McDonalds and Edd could smell the food inside, his stomach growls.
"Hungry are we?" Kevin says teasingly, Edd nods, "Come on, I'll get you something to eat." They enter the building and stand in line, Kevin ordered them both a Big Mac combo meal and paid the cashier. They waited in silence for their order to be called, Edd looking around and seeing a few other teens seated in the dining area. Fears of what the other teens might say to Kevin about being around him, and thus making the red head rethink his companionship of him, ran wild through Edd's head as they waited. Picking up the tray Kevin nudges his elbow against Edd's arm to get his attention, and then led the boy to a both in the corner of the restaurant. Sitting he places Edd's meal in front of him and unwraps his own, before taking a bit he asks, "So what do you mean you don't think you'll finish school? Are bullies bothering you?"
Edd nods as he chews, then swallows and takes a drink of his soda, "Yes, sometimes they can make it quite unbearable for me. Then I begin to ponder just dropping out and getting my GED, then going from there."
"To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." Kevin said dramatically with one hand in the air and the other on his chest, eliciting a giggle from Edd.
Edd picks up some fries and points them at Kevin, "Shakespeare again, I'm beginning to think you like his works," then eats them.
"Yes I do," Kevin blushed a little with a smile on his face, "But what Hamlet is saying in that quote is whether he should continue and suffer through his misfortune or should he give up."
"As I recall it was more like should he live or die." Edd corrected then took another drink of his soda.
"OK so yeah I was trying to make it less morbid." Kevin dips some fries in ketchup and chews them, then drinks a little soda then continues. "What I'm trying to get at is which do you think is better for you, to continue high school and get scholarships, because I know your smart enough. Yes you'll suffer at the hands of those assholes, but you'll show them in the end. Or are you going to take the easy road and quit and then be stuck working a minimum wage job and probably never getting to go to college."
Edd pondered these words for a moment, "I never considered that." He whispered and it was barely audible.
"I know sometimes it's hard to see when the path we walk will become easier," Kevin places a hand upon Edd's, "But I think you should stay the course and finish school." Edd, though enjoying the intimacy of the touch, retracted his hand quickly and placed it in his lap, looking around to see if anyone had spotted the exchange. Kevin retracted his hand slowly admonishing himself for making the boy uncomfortable.
A blush creeping across his cheeks, Edd spoke softly while rubbing the hand under the table that Kevin had touched. "Thank you, I'll take your advice into consideration." The rest of the meal was spent with lighter topics about books they enjoyed or movies they looked forward to or past favorites.
Finishing up they deposited their trash in the bin and laid the tray on top, walking out the door and back into the chilly night air they heard a familiar voice, "Hey, Kevin." Both boys knowing the owner of that voice, turn their heads in the direction it was coming from, Edd cringed as the identity of the person was confirmed. Standing by the open front driver side door of her parents minivan stood Lee waving Kevin over to her, inside the vehicle were several other girls all looking excited to see the jock except one bluenette who only had eyes for Edd.
Kevin motioned with his shoulder for Edd to follow him, as his hands were in his jacket pocket to keep them warm. At a quick pace and confident stride, Kevin made his way over to the van where Lee stood. "What's up ladies?" Kevin said smoothly with an air of confidence to his voice.
Out of the back window that was popped open slightly Edd heard, "Hi Edd." Catching Marie's eyes he sees her waving, she had recently been trying new tactics to win Edd over, this week it was passive aggressive.
Being the polite gentlemen his mother taught him to be Edd walks over to the window, "Hey Marie, what are you all up to?"
Lee addressed Kevin, "So me and the girls were wondering if you might want to hang out." The curly redhead smiled broadly looking anxious and nervous to be talking to Kevin.
The girl in the passenger side spoke her agreement, "Yeah Kevin come on, hang with us."
Marie was a little confused, "So when did you start hanging with Kevin Barr?"
"Oh we just kind of ran into each other." Edd responded, not wanting to continue this conversation knowing full well where it was going to lead with her.
"So we got some pot and beer, and were thinking about going down to Tammy's house." Lee points to the girl sitting next to Marie, and notices Edd at that moment and her lips form into a scowl. She turns back to Kevin and places a smile back on her face, "Her parents are out of town and we got the place all to ourselves, whatcha say? Want to have a party?"
Marie hears the interaction between her sister and Kevin, "Hey Edd you should come, it could be lots of fun."
Lee hears her sister invite Edd and calls over to her, "No Marie, we only have room for one more in the van."
Edd's face was displaying a feeling of hurt that he was trying desperately not to show, but not for the reasons Lee or Marie would think. He was hurt because he was sure Kevin wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have a good time, especially with a van full of girls that all seemed to want to jump his bones. Kevin eyes the van's interior and plainly sees that there was plenty of room for both him and Edd to fit and still be able to squeeze in at least two more people, maybe not legally seat them but you still could get them in there. Additionally seeing the hurt on the dorks face Kevin holds up his hands and speaks, "I'm sorry ladies, but I'm going to have to pass."
"Come on Kevin, it's going to be a blast." Lee tries to wrap her arms around Kevin's neck to display her interests in him sexually but Kevin just ducks out of her reach and walks over to Edd.
"You should really reconsider your invitation, we're a package deal." Kevin puts his arm around Edd's shoulder and grips him tightly for emphasis.
"Really Kevin, he's just a fucking dork." Looking out the corner of her eye she sees that the other girls in the van were not happy that she was blowing this for them.
Scoffing then looking at Edd then at her again, "Well you see this fucking dork is a better person then you or any of your bitch friends will ever be." He turns and walks away, "Come on Edd we don't need them." Edd waves goodbye to Marie, always the polite one our little Eddward, and follows after the fuming Kevin. Catching up to the jock he hears him muttering a few profanities under his breath, at first Edd was concerned that Kevin was regretting being around him seeing how he just cost him a fun night at a party. Kevin stops in his tracks and rounds on him and Edd nearly jumps out of his skin, but it wasn't to strike him or curse him, he grabs Edd's arms and looks him in the eye. "Don't you ever listen to a word people like that say, you're a kind and smart person, and they will eventually figure it out that you're the better catch then some muscle bound brain dead jock." Edd just gazes into those green orbs that look like they are filled with pain over what Lee had said.
Before Edd could say anything in reply the minivan speeds out of the McDonalds parking lot and rushes past them as Lee's voice comes yelling at them, "FUCKING FAGGOTS!"
Kevin releases Edd and spins around, flipping them off and yelling back, "BITCH." Turning back to Edd he gives him a small smirk as an apology for his foul language, he puts his left arm around Edd's shoulder and leads them on down the road. "Don't worry, there are a million other people out in this world that will love and accept you for who you are." He points at Edd's chest as he spoke the last part, then turning back to the world or neon lights and passing cars, "We just have to find one of them tonight." Edd's heart swelled at this, Kevin had been so kind to him so far tonight, sticking up for him, comforting him, and most of all talking to him like he was an equal. None of these things did he have to do, but here he was doing them and not expecting anything in return but good company. Though it had only been a short time, Edd was concerned that Cupid was pulling an arrow from his quiver and readying to take aim, he could only hope that the damn cherub would shot twice.