Warning: Homophobia and Bullying

Chapter 3: The Citrouille

1st POV

With a gasp, I suddenly woke up from my erotic dream of boys. With a sneer on my face, I stretched my back out without moving my body too much from still being tired as hell. As I turned my head toward my messy night stand, the time blinked consistently.

1:20AM

With an angry sigh, I rolled from my back onto my right side to face the only window in my room. With the shades drawn off to the sides, pinned back by little silver hooks, I could see the night sky and the neighborhood out it. Pushing the side of my head into my pillow deeper, I blew air out of my lips upward in an attempt to move the faint red hair that has fallen in front of my face during the rolling.

Baseball practice was completely brutal, to the point where I was utterly exhausted when I got home once again. We were all still being punished for the food-fight that happened just two weeks beforehand. A few other members that were still top shit in game, almost got suspended for destruction of school property for breaking their trays and a few seats that were attached to the tables. I'm still not sure on how the seats got involved into a food-fight, but whatever.

With my eyes drooping deeper to being nearly closed shut, I was dozing off once more until I saw quick sudden movement out the window.

Resisting the lure of sleep, my eyes snapped back open. Lifting my upper body up slightly, I leaned onto my right arm and searched for the quick movement. Across the street of the Cul-de-Sac and slightly off to the right, there were 3 different shadows moving. Blinking repeatedly to remove the sleep completely from my eyes, I stopped leaning on my arm and sat straight up in my bed, never moving my eyes from the window.

One was clearly Johnny, without his 2x4 imaginary friend for once.

'Tch, what is he doing out so late?'

Lifting my chin up higher, I squinted to get a better view of the other two that were hanging out with the quirky weirdo. The tallest of the two unknown, clearly had darker skin compared to Johnny and was oddly barefoot and technically shirtless with what appeared like blue hair on top his head. Looking like a High Schooler, I have never seen him before despite my visitation of other schools to consider for my future.

With curiosity rising, I took a long look at the other unknown, who was clearly male. Not the tallest of the two, he had a beanie on that had two pale stripes going up both sides. With long legs that were covered by black slim-fitted jeans, he wasn't exactly the tallest of the group, but he still wasn't as short as Johnny. With a white shirt on that nearly matched Johnny's, the whole group was hanging outside of Johnny's house seemingly chatting about something that had all of them smiling.

With Johnny walking up to his steps and waving goodbye to the other two from his front door, I rolled my eyes and began to lay back down in my bed. Glancing one last time out the window to get another look at the two strangers, I had to double look.

They were already gone from the street. Shaking my head wildly, I roughly fell back onto my bed and pulled the covers up over my head. Soon after, I was asleep once more, forgetting the two strangers for awhile.

3rd POV

With a feral grin, the lean yet bulky red-head lifted the thinner and shorter boy higher off his feet and higher up the lockers he was pressed against. Closing his eyes in obvious fear, the jock had spat right onto both his cheeks. In anger, Kevin had hunted the shorter one down due to obsessive staring that he felt was gay.

Surrounded by people in baseball and cheerleader uniforms, and a few odds and ends of random faces neither bully or victim could recall the names of, any groan of pain Johnny made was almost lost in the sound of the cheering. The few that weren't wildly moving or cheering were recording off their smartphones, all matching each other as Apple products, with nearly matching cruel grins.

With a clearly deep breath, the unfortunate victim of Johnny looked straight up into the bully's eyes, and quickly lifted his arms and pushed the bulkier away just a few inches. With laughter coming from several members of the crowd and Kevin himself, Johnny could only grin.

With no one noticing a fast moving figure, Kevin was knocked off his feet and onto his side, skidding a few feet away from Johnny who was now sliding down the set of lockers steadily to gain his balance back.

Curling into a loose ball, the bully gripped the right side of his head in pain. With struggling gasps, his dizzy world came back into focus with the sounds of running sneakers and cleats quickly rubbing against the off brand of linoleum floors that made up the hallways of Peach Creek Jr. High. Turning his head back to the quirky weirdo, he watched Johnny wipe the spit off his cheeks before being pulled up onto his feet properly by the back of his shirt from a helping yellowed hand that lead to the rumpled and dirtied baseball uniform of his own teammate Ed Hill.

"That's not really nice, shovel-chin."

Almost as if part of a magic trick, Eddy appeared right from behind the taller now narrowed eyed Ed. With a sneer on his face, he walked forward and partially blocked the bully's view of Johnny who was now staring once more, but with an emotionless look in his eyes.

"What's it to ya, Dorky?" Slowly standing up once more, the bully stood at his full height, that was still shorter than the tall yellow boy Ed. "You've never even cared for him before, what changed?"

Replicating the look on Johnny's face, both Ed's stayed quiet as emotionless looks overtook their faces, only for Ed to let out his own borderline feral grin.

"There's been a change in the atmosphere, Kevin."

With a rising eyebrow and disbelieving face, Kevin could only roll his eyes over the dramatic scene the other boys were trying to make. "Whatever, dorks." Turning his back, the tall red-head walked into the male locker room that was planted at the other end of the hallway they were in.

Staring until the trio of boys heard the door shut, they all visually relaxed at once. With another scowl, Eddy spun on his heels and poked Ed's chest quite hard to make him look down in confusion.

"Lumpy! Why of all people did you have to go and save Melonhead from Boxhead!?"

Drooping down his shoulders and with his arms swinging from side to side, Ed's expression turned to a dramatic sadness with pouty tears in the far corners of his eyes. "But Eddy! There was really a change in the atmosphere! They have been watching us even more!"

"Who, the ghosts from your comic books agai-"

"Wait, Ed what do you mean they've been watching us?" Interrupting Eddy was typically not something most people would like to do due to his short temper, but Johnny's curiosity was peeked at the reference of a change in the atmosphere and someone watching.

"Ugh, you too Baldy? Whatever, I'm out of here." With that, Eddy turned his back to the other two boys, walking in the other direction of the locker room that now resided Kevin, and out a pair of double doors that lead to more lockers and actual classrooms that were empty at this time of day due to school being over. With a pout, Ed started to walk towards the locker room himself before Johnny reached out and grabbed his uniform sleeve.

"Ed, what did you mean by the change of atmosphere?"

With a wide grin, Ed stood to his normal posture of casually slouching. "Like Gravy poured onto Mashed Potatoes, the air above has been feeling different from the junk yard and into our homes. Peeking through our windows they watch us to keep track like when we were all kids." Releasing Ed's sleeve, Johnny stood in shock at the words that have found themselves leaving freely from Ed's mouth.

Known for the gibberish that came out of his mouth, Johnny knew that most people would never take Ed seriously due to his constant watching of low-budget monster and horror films, and crudely drawn comic books that he for some reason took as real. But to make this much sense on a topic that Johnny actually understood for once about two people that no one else can seem to see? With a racing heart, Johnny couldn't help the words that came out of his mouth.

"Can you see them too!?"

With a wild hyper nod of his head, Ed grinned very widely. "The one with the striped hat!" Hearing that, Johnny couldn't help but hug and forcefully cling to the much taller male. "What's his name?" Wrapping his arms and swaying Johnny and himself side to side, Ed's loud voice vibrated the little one's body almost.

Nearly in tears, Johnny buried his face into Ed's baseball uniform, smiling. "His name is Eddward, with two D's. But, you can call him Double D."

With an odd look, Kevin couldn't help but finally open the locker room door, only to see Ed and Johnny hugging. Over-hearing their whole conversation, Kevin knew they weren't hugging it out over fag reasons. Plus knowing that Ed was much stronger than himself, he silently walked past with a sneer decorating his face, planning to go after Johnny once more later, though curious on what they had meant.

Rubbing the center of his forehead with his pointer and middle finger, he left the school out of the proper front-door entrance. Walking at a moderate pace, he attempted to analyze the situation that had happened outside the locker room, from the beginning to end.

'I had Johnny pinned to the lockers because he was making gooey eyed shit at me, and people started watching since it was after most of the sports practices. Ed knocked me over because he's able to see someone only Johnny can? Fuck, does Johnny seriously have another imaginary friend?' At that finishing thought, Kevin's steps slightly faltered in his walk home, almost tripping over his feet. Catching himself before he even started to truly fall, Kevin's eyes flashed in remembrance. 'The one with the striped hat...did Ed mean one of the boys from last night?'

Shaking his head with a deep sigh, he continued his own odd thought process.

'Then what exactly did he mean by could Ed see them too? It's not as if they're ghost or anything, seriously. Does Johnny really think he's that crazy to the point he can't even believe people are real?' With another shake of his head, but more out of annoyance this time, he turned on the corner that lead into the Cul-de-Sac. Looking to the right to see on if any cars would turn into the bulb-like designed street and at the sight of none, he crossed immediately, directing himself to go right onto his grassy front yard, up the two small concrete steps, and into his house. Closing the door shut behind him, he went up the stairs and into his messy room. Dropping his backpack at the edge of his bed, he fell forward onto the large layered mattress and nestled his face into the bed sheets. Slowly dragging himself up-right on the bed, he hid under the blankets with a tired look on his face. Turning to the left though, he checked the time once more.

5:41PM

With a roll of his eyes, Kevin rested the back of his head into one of the many fluffy pillows. 'At this rate, I'm just going to become a vampire. Sleeping the day away and waking up in the middle of the night.' Closing his dark minty green eyes, his mouth setting into a firm line. 'Coach said he'll be lifting the punishment today though, thank god.' With Kevin's mind all over the place, he slowly drifted off to sleep once again, with his last thought bringing a swelling that felt to be over his heart, and that was released as he finally lost conscious naturally. 'Eddward, huh..?'

In a lighter shade of gray in another plane of existence, a well rested Edd awoke from his hallucination to a pulsation that was strongly coming directly from the Structure. Repeatedly blinking at the high in the sky sun, he let out a deep breath that he felt as though he was holding for hours. Stretching his arms directly out from the sides, he stretched his long legs out in front of him before slowly sitting up. Just barely peeking his head over the grass, he looked around in search of Rolf. Not seeing him, he stood up, and started walking towards the Structure.

Passing underneath the friendly and cheerfully roofed trees, he felt two more pulses, one after the other. Furrowing his brow, he walked slightly faster, wishing to see what exactly was the case. Though it wasn't as alluring as the Structure naturally was, it wasn't calling out for him, nor did it feel gravitating.

'Maybe it's pulsing from someone swelling for me in the first place?'

With an upward tilted head that kept the general region of the Structure's placement in his point of view, Edd pushed his way through the sunflowers only for the tall flowers to suddenly become sparse at his arrival to the quaint, and after skipping two of the steps, he walked toward the sunken in hole and peered inside. The water-like substance that sucked souls in and scattered them had a natural glow to it, casting faint light that encouraged dancing shadows. With a destination in mind, the hole would show the image, and with a leap into it, the soul would scatter and reappear where they have wished to go to. Though sometimes, the souls didn't have to have a destination in mind to appear where they have died automatically.

Leaning his head over the edge, Eddward pleaded for the portal to show the object or the person, who had given out the random pulsation, in what appeared like a desperate hurry. Tilting his head to the side, an image showed of the red-head Kevin, tossing and turning in bed, in his ever messy room.

'I suppose I was right, but this makes absolute no sense. I have tested several times, and nobody can genuinely see me as I am besides the tall Ed boy, and he doesn't exactly comprehend on what's non-fictional and not. Even in the conversations I've over-heard, not even Eddy believes him in the slightest.' Furrowing his brow once more, Edd backed away only to calmly sit on the sunken wood with the images of Kevin tossing and turning continue. 'Then again, Rolf and I have been testing our human-like appearances in the first plane to continue assisting Johnny in raising his reputation, he most likely have gotten a glimpse of us during one of those times. If so, then why is he swelling for me, and how would he even know my name?'

Playing with ideas, Edd soon began to rub his temples nearly furiously to calm the headache that has formed from trying to figure the reason out and connect the dots that appeared to be Kevin.

Suddenly, another irregular surge of a hyper active pulse. Knocking Edd lightly onto his back from his position on the floor, he once again pleaded the Portal for the source, only for the image of Kevin to continue its projection, with him tossing and turning much more than before. Climbing back to his feet, he walked towards the edge carefully. With each turn Kevin had made, another irregular pulse was shot through the soul of Edd. With each pulsation from the boy, Edd's imitation of a heart beat went out of control, quickening to the point of an odd nervous excitement contaminating his typical calm exterior. Quickly making up his mind, Edd jumped through, feeling himself scatter. Though doing it almost thousands of times by then, Edd had felt like an eternity had passed for him to reach the red-headed jock.

Feeling his head particles form, he couldn't wait for the rest of his body to form before he opened his eyes like he normally did.

Seeing a sweaty Kevin roll around, clutching the dark colored blankets and pillows around his body, he let out an audible gasp. There was no type of pain revealing on his face, only a frustrated look and a tent in the blankets on where his crotch reason was.

Feeling himself be completely pieced together once more after another scatter, Edd put a hand over his eyes in embarrassment as a faint blush dusted across his cheeks. 'Oh dear...' Feeling a sudden surge of irregular, quick pulses that practically screamed lust and want from this distance, only for Kevin's hips to begin moving compulsively quick in a thrusting matter. With a loud groan, Kevin's body quickly relaxed and his hands slowly un-clutched the sheets and blankets, with a wet spot growing on where the tent seemed to be refusing to lower.

Shaking from the pure pleasure that was emitted from the normally violent athlete, Edd leaned against the wall of the now stiring boy to watch his reaction if he were to truly awake.

1st POV

Waking up is something that I sometimes dread to do, especially nowadays from my frequent dreams of having sex...with boys. Dragging one hand up my budding muscular body to my head, I could feel my faint sweat from the erotic dream slowly beginning to cool. With the same hand, I reached down below, feeling the wetness that went through my boxers, thin shorts, and blanket was also cooling all together. Covering my face with both hands, I sat up.

Despite all my attempts, I still enjoyed the site of males more than females. Despite all my attempts, I still dreamed of touching those said males as we were both naked. Squeezing my eyes shut in anger, I could feel frustrated tears gather in the corner of my eyes as my shoulders begun to shake.

"Why..? Why am I such a fag?"

Throwing myself onto my back once more, I uncovered my face and angrily ran my hands through my sweat matted hair. I couldn't help it, saying it all out loud was soothing, taking the reality away of me liking cock, or at least it was lessening the harsh blow of it. Throwing my words into the air, where for once nobody would be able to hear them.

"One look at the stupid dork, and I'm driven insane..." reaching down, I angrily grabbed my still hard cock. "God, why did I listen to their fucking conversation?" Flinging my body up right once again, I threw the blankets and some pillows and my hat tucked inside them, off the bed as I angrily forced myself to get up and face the natural coldness of my room. Feeling a shiver go up my spine and goosebumps begin to show in waves up my arms and legs from the slightly wet clothing, I quickly stepped over some athletic gear to my always open dresser, grabbing just a pair of basketball shorts and fresh boxers.

Stripping myself of my sweat-soaked clothing completely, I couldn't help but lean back for a moment and enjoy the cold air against my skin, finally killing my boner. Looking down my body, I could only snort at the forming muscles that were slowly becoming defined on my still young body. Rolling my eyes, I pulled on the boxers with the shorts following afterward. Turning away from my dresser and facing my window at the other side of my room, I rubbed the back of my hand against my pair of eyes to get rid of the moisture still there. Walking forward and sitting my ass on the edge of my bed, I stared out the window at the neighborhood of the Cul-de-sac. Though the houses in said neighborhood were dominated by couples that have kids, there were still a few that had aging grand-parents.

By a few I mean 4 houses out of the all 11 houses on this light bulb shaped street. One of those grand-parent filled houses were just left of mine, and to the right was Eddy's house, although to his right was another grand-parent filled one. The other two were the houses across the street, both against the corner that all Peach Creek Jr. High students had to pass to really enter the neighborhood. As kids, three different pairs of the grand-parents would sit out on lawn chairs in practically rotation and watch us all play to ensure our safety, sometimes telling our parents when they thought something was wrong. The only pair I've never really seen even around us as kids on purpose in the first place were the ones on the exact corner across the street. I've only seen glimpses of them back then, and that's when they were talking to my parents, giving financing advice.

Once a majority of us kids entered junior high though, every other kid saw them at least once every two weeks, typically coming home from work at late night. Instead of awkward or blank empty gazes like they gave us during the glimpses, we were able to see other emotions on their faces every once in awhile.

One time, they had left quite late compared to their everyday schedule of being gone before a true sunrise, back at the sight of stars in the sky. Dressed in matching black clothing and hardened faces, every kid in the neighborhood saw them enter their car and leave, and not come back until the next day after sun down. Seconds after leaving our sight, all of our parents demanded us to come inside for being rude, some just being kept inside the rest of the day, and others like Jimmy and myself, being grounded for the weekend.

My father even came home extremely early from his job at the Jawbreaker factory that day to yell at me.

My confused face back then interrupted it half-way through and he quietly explained that they were Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, former famous surgeons that weren't exactly around a lot during the first few years they moved in, who lost their child to a group of escapees from a insane asylum that came from the next town over. They were heading to pay respects to his tombstone at the cemetery because the body was never found. They were never given the chance to be grand-parents, and instead tried to avoid children as much as they could.

After I was sent to my room, my mother came in to wish me an early good night. Asking her on why did it upset him so much, her eyes glazed over as she gently patted my head.

"He was practically best friends with him in the end, despite their obvious differences."

There were no pictures of the boy with my father, but that was because he donated them all to the remaining Vincents in respect. It always leaves a bitter-taste in my mouth at the remembrance of the sad story. It became very clear that only me and the dork Eddy knew of the story, due to our clear respect and avoidance when it came to their piece of land and house, always looking away when they glanced back.

Afterward I never exactly asked for my fathers details during his time in high school, because I never wanted to bring up bad memories for him. Sometimes my mom would drop hints if she wasn't boasting about a fun and memorable moment that had happened back then, but in the end I never knew what to say even in their hilarious moments.

Slouching over, I rested my elbows on my knees and hid my face in my hands, rubbing at my eyes every once in awhile.

'Of course when I'm not thinking of my gay shit, I think of other crap to make myself sad.'

Deciding to rest my chin in the palm of one of my hands, I did to stare out the window once more to see the sun very slowly begin to rise. Glancing at the said house of the Vincents, I watched as the two graying former parents in scrubs walk towards their parked car, quickly climb in, and drive off.

Straightening my back, I turned my upper body around to check the time off the digital blinking clock on my still messy nightstand.

6:07AM

Rising my eyebrows, I wondered on when did I even wake up in the first place. Rolling my eyes, I stood up deciding to just throw on a random shirt and call it a day for my outfit, and to truly shower once I got back home from school and practice.

Turning to my left to walk around my bed, fear started to cling heavily on my heart at the sight of a dark shadow that made the form of someone clearly taller than me.

It tilted its head to the side, and a bit of white peeked through on its face to form some kind of a smile, a little twisted gap toothed smirk really rather than a smile. Staring with what I know was fear, it walked forward into the still moon-lit area of my room. Watching its every move, I could finally see what it was made of.

Like his body was made of active black smoke from a burning fire, the only details I could even see besides the shape of the form, were the smirk and amused turquoise eyes. His body, not even a real shadow, teasingly inched forward, never really touching the ground. Backing up toward my window, I was beginning to consider breaking it to get away from this creepy, see-through black smoking ghost.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, making my blood rush through my veins even faster and I swear I could hear it in my ears. Feeling my back against the cool surface of the only window, I squeezed my eyes shut in terror, now understanding that I should've just jumped over my bed to the door.

"Mmm.."

Slowly opening my eyes at the lustful sound, I jerked my head back right into the window, feeling the pain that only was fitting to go with the loud thunk. Right before me, not even a foot away, was the shadow. Though I could see the rest of my room right through the creature, I was still terrified at the nearly glowing details of its face that shined a little light on the objects around it and onto it's smokey face giving a faint gray look rather than pitch black.

The form lifted its arms to put the hands against the wall by my head, trapping me unless I wanted to go right through it which I wasn't sure actually possible. Just because it looks see through, doesn't mean I'll be able to go through it in a sprint. Staring down into my eyes, a glint of sick amusement only grew at the sight my face. I could feel the room begin to suddenly warm up, though I couldn't hear the sound of hot air from the vent.

The creatures eyes suddenly grew wide with the smirk forming into a malicious grim, giving off a very insane look. Feeling myself begin to shake, I knew tears of fear were beginning to form as my heart went wild.

"Comment mignon, citrouille." With that, my eyes widened at the smooth voice that had no crackle of puberty or of demon shit, and I watched the smokey creature dissipate, with some of the smoke practically rubbing against me affectionately.

3rd POV

Later in that exact day at one of the three Junior High schools in the small town of Peach Creek, there was a busy cafeteria that was being over-watched by several pairs of eyes, some in irritation and others with blank stares. Two pairs though were watching in pure amusement outside a window, though nobody except two students could see either of them, in which they were watching at their own table with a third member who was trying to ignore their confused mind-boggling expressions.

Outside that window, Edd floated slightly next to Rolf to get a better view of the crowded room, making small talk about what they have been working on recently.

At the angry door-slamming entrance of the very popular red-headed Kevin, Edd's face broke out into a proud feral grin as Rolf let out a little amused chuckle. Catching Ed's eyes, he pointed toward his own ear and mouthed the word Kevin. Tilting his head, Ed took a moment to understand the demand, and turned to Johnny and Eddy, just barely whispering that they should begin listening to the steadily growing louder conversation at the Jock table that was only diagonally 8 feet away from their own. All at once, they looked down at their plates slowing their chewing and taking more time from moving their forks from point A to point B, they blocked out most of the other conversations going around them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Kevin!? You're acting like a paranoid fucking freak."

"He saw somebody in his room last night, and it scared the shit out of him."

"Shh, you guys, you all promised that you wouldn't tell anyone I told you!"

"Nazz what the hell, I told you because I thought you could keep a secret!"

With more words passing by between the long table claimed by the jocks, discriminating both Kevin and Nazz due to being a paranoid pissy lunatic and a stereotypical gossiping blonde respectably, even other tables were looking around and at each other oddly, picking up pieces of the conversation. Teachers that were overlooking the room tensed at the clearly growing heated discussion, preparing themselves for possibly breaking up a brawl. Rolf could only let out an amused pig sounding snort, muttering something about bull-headed boys. Seeing Ed look up from his plate and glance at Edd with worry, Edd's grin changed into one of amusement and subtle reassurance for the big lovable oaf.

Comment mignon, citrouille. = How cute, pumpkin.