I looked up guidelines online on how to properly write dialogues in text. I've no idea how I did.
Something in the way she moves,
Something in the way she woos me,
Something in the way she knows,
Something in the way she shows me,
Chapter 33
Something #1
"Hey Double-D! Nice jacket!" A sweet and very recognizable voice calls out to him from across the room. He doesn't need to turn around to see who it is, but he does it anyway so that she can see that he heard her, and to make sure that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. It doesn't take him too long to spot her in the midst of people, smiling at him and waving. Nazz, one of the few people he feels could've been trustworthy, if it wasn't for the fact that she hangs out with Kevin so much. He smiles back at her, barely, and gives her a quick curt nod as a response before he turns on his heel and walks to his seat with Eddy and Ed at their usual table.
Following him with her gaze, Nazz lets out a slightly frustrated sigh as he sits down with his back turned against her. After everything Kevin has told her since she came back from her trip with her parents, she's been so eager to see what Double-D is like now. So far, all she's noticed is the new jacket, and Kevin hasn't said anything about that yet. The ginger soon sits down next to her with his tray. She doesn't hesitate to point out Double-D's new jacket and nor does it take long for Kevin to tell her that it is indeed new for him too. They continue talking about it whilst eating their food, sharing their personal theories and ideas as to what would cause the brainiac to suddenly change his style like that, as it reminds them of that one time where he kept hurting people by accident and thus accidentally was seen as a "bad guy" at school. Kevin growls at the memory of Eddy abusing the moment to gain "fame" at school, but then again, given how his brother is, he really shouldn't be surprised that the short dork is desperate for approval or attention like that.
He walks up to the table where Ed and Eddy sit, puts his tray down and sits down on a chair… and then he attempts to sink down through the ground, hoping to never be seen again. The whole day he's had this feeling that everyone is looking at him, and Nazz calling out to him like that did very little to help. Why yes, he is wearing a new jacket, navy blue (what? You thought he was gonna go for black leather jacket just like that?) but why is that triggering everyone to stare?! It's not the first time he's gone to school with some jacket garment. True that it's mostly been cardigans, but it's not only cardigans, so why…?
"Hey, Double-D! Check it out!" Eddy suddenly puts a hand on his shoulder and points behind them. "Nazz is checking you out!"
Frowning slightly at Eddy's lack of manners for pointing at people, he does eventually give in and carefully turns his head to look without being spotted. Just as Eddy claimed, Nazz is looking in their direction, but do you know who else is watching them?
"So is Kevin, apparently," he whispers back.
Eddy is silent for a few seconds, processing the information before he lets out a rather loud "What?!" He then turns around completely and starts yelling. "Hey! What do you think you're looking at Shovel-Chin?!" He throws a fist in the air to punctuate his words. It does little to scare the ginger.
"Pipe down Skipper! You're ruining my appetite!"
"Keep staring and it ain't gonna be the only thing I ruin!"
"Eddy!" Double-D snaps, silencing both teens at the same time, and everyone around them. "Sit down and be quiet!" And just like that he's put the foot down. He waits for Eddy to do as he's been told before he starts eating his food in silence. Once again, he can feel people's eyes on him, but this time he's not so surprised over it. He knows that what he just did is very much out of his usual character, but he just doesn't have the patience to listen on Eddy and Kevin going back and forth at each other like they always do. Speaking of which, he's a little curious as to why Kevin piped down too. Normally he's not shy to point out his given victory to Eddy, to rile him up again, but he can't hear anything like that. Carefully he sneaks a peak behind him once more. Kevin and Nazz both are looking their direction, surprise written all over their faces. He lets out a sigh. "Kevin. Nazz. It's rude to stare like that when someone tries to eat. Please stop."
It takes a short moment before they respond, but he's certain it's due to their surprise still. "Y-yeah, sure. Sorry." Their voices are hollow.
A few moments go by and gradually the stares fade away, people getting bored that nothing more happened. Edd shakes his head ever so unnoticeably. Is this what his life is going to be like from now on? Impatient, snapping at people (even his friends), people staring at him like he's just cursed in church? He carefully looks back at the two teens in the distance behind him.
Kevin and Nazz… what do you make of them? A couple to be or best friends for life? Not that it matters to him anyway, that's not why he's glancing back at them like this. Looking back at his tray from time to time, trying to avoid suspicion, the way they're talking to each other is making him feel uneasy. It's completely normal for them to talk to each other, don't get me wrong, it's just that the way they're leaning closer to each other to speak, with the serious expressions on their faces, it seems more like they're whispering to each other and not in a romantic way either. He keeps watching them like this for a while, slowly eating his food in between, picking up some words from his friends now and then. All it takes is one little glance from Nazz, a glance aimed at him, and he can feel his body tense up. They're talking about him.
He finishes his lunch with a rush, tells his friends that he really needs to go, picks up his tray and walks away from the table. Their eyes are as if they were glued onto him, it burns his skin almost, but it's not Eddy's nor Ed's stares that bother him so. Yes; Kevin and Nazz are watching him intensely, not letting a single movement he makes go unnoticed.
Being known as the gentle and friendly kid at school, the lunch lady is stunned by how he nearly throws the tray away from him in the kitchen and storms out without saying a word to them. Sadly, he doesn't have time to be polite right now.
Nazz and Kevin watch him carefully as he suddenly leaves his friends at their table and walks out of the lunchroom. They glance at each other quickly before Nazz stands up from her seat.
"I'll go after him," she says, placing a hand on Kevin's shoulder to prevent him from getting up. "Wait here. You'll probably annoy him even more anyway." She gives him a quick smile before she leaves.
"Fine," Kevin says as he turns back to his food. He looks up as he chews and just so happens to catch Skipper's gaze, staring daggers at him. "What now, Skipper?!"
Feeling relief wash over him as he leaves the lunchroom behind, with all the staring eyes, Double-D closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. The tension in his body doesn't go away, but it eases ever so slightly. Good enough. Yeah… good enough. He fixes his posture as he walks, trying to collect his thoughts. For some reason his mind hasn't really been up to its usual self today. It bothers him, especially since he doesn't know why it's happening either… or does he?
He looks down at his clothes for a few seconds, taking the sight of himself in the best he can. It's not exactly what he's used to be wearing, and certainly not what he's used seeing himself wearing. Is this really who he is? Is this style really what he likes? It must be since he's the one who picked it out, right? As much as it surprises him, he wasn't forced to buy any of these garments, he himself decided which ones he wanted and then Mel purchased them for him. She didn't tell him what she wanted him to pick; she gave him free hands, and this is what he ended up with. She gave him free hands, allowed him to decide for himself… why is that so hard for him to take in? Whenever he's gone out to buy new clothes with his mother or father, they've already decided for him what he's going to get and it's all been proper clothing. These are still proper clothing, but they're very dark in their colors. Has he always been drawn to darker tones without realizing it, because he's always been made to accept what others want him to dress like, and thus he's now so used to it that the fact that he wears clothes he actually picked out for himself feels off? Has he always been-?
"Double-D, wait!" Yet again, that sweet and recognizable voice calls out to him, forcing him to stop in his tracks.
He turns around to find the one and only Nazz making her way up to him in haste. She seems to be concerned or worried over something, or whatever that expression on her face means. He's not entirely certain what expression he's wearing himself, however, judging from Nazz' lack of smiling he's pretty sure it's not a happy one.
"Hey dude," she says, "are you okay?"
He merely looks at her. "What's it to you?" Despite the fact that her voice is sugar sweet and her makeup makes her eyes glow in this light, he doesn't feel any joy when talking to her. Could it be that the forever burning fire of boyish romance and love, that all of the boys in the cul-de-sac has for her, has died out for him?
"Wha-what's it…" Nazz almost seem chocked at his response. "I… I'm worried about you. You don't seem like your normal self today, so I got worried that something might be wrong." She grows quiet for a few seconds, then that very typical tilt of her head happens, her smile making its way on her lips, the way she looks up at him… the way that makes all the boys swoon for her. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Poor Nazz. Despite all of his observations of her current behavior, there is no trace of her meaning to come off as "flirty" – right now. Still, that in itself doesn't mean that she isn't aware of how the boys around her feel about her and how they react when she does certain things. There have been a numerous of times where she has used that to her benefits, after all, and even if it might be subconsciously of her to do so now, he knows deep down what she wants – he just isn't sure of her motives. For all he knows she's just being herself, not really knowing what it might appear as to others. Poor, poor Nazz. He's about to break her heart, isn't he, and ruin her day.
"Nazz," he says, "with all due respect; please stop talking."
Her body tenses for a split second. "What? What do you mean?"
"I mean; 'stop talking.' I'm sorry if you're offended by that, but I was taught and raised to never lie."
She blinks a few times before she scoffs at him, obviously feeling offended. "Says the boy who helps Eddy with his scams all the time," she says as she crosses her arms.
"Says the girl who's friend with a bully." He fights the urge to snicker at her shocked noises from his remark. It almost makes her seem childishly innocent… or guilty. He shakes his head. "Truthfully Nazz, you really shouldn't try and start an argument with someone by using a childish remark like that, especially not when you're going to lose. Now, I know that you may not be used to converse with a boy who doesn't find you attractive or think of you as the prettiest girl in the entire world, but unfortunately that's what's happening right now. Why, yes, there was a time where I thought you were pretty, however, unfortunately for you those feelings have long faded and I'm no longer affected by your 'charm' anymore, and thus will not fall for any of your attempts to swoon me and get me to do what you want me to do. I'm sorry, but I am not desperate for you, your attention or approval. I will not give you what you want, Nazz, whether you have ill intentions behind your curiosity or good ones. So please, why won't you do us both a favor and stop with your attempts of being the pretty and available girl at school that everyone wants as she keeps leading them on? After all, you and I both know you're merely leading them on to get what you want out of them, correct? With that, I'm afraid that this conversation between us has come to an end, so why don't you go back to Kevin now? As far as I remember, he still quite enjoys your company and wishes for you to notice him more. Adieu."
And with that, he turns around and starts to walk away from her. As much as he feels bad for all the things he just said, he also knows that it's for the best to just end whatever Nazz was attempting to start before it reached the point of either awfully embarrassing or simply going too far. He can hear her huff and puff her anger at him from behind his back, no doubt that she's going to yell out some mean things back to him before he's out of hearing reach.
"Well-" she begins, "fine! See if I care! Like, forget you!" Seeing how he doesn't stop in his tracks, unaffected, she keeps going. "And by the way; whoever said I wanted to have a stupid dork fawning over me anyway? Like, gross! Might as well crawl back to Marie since she's the only girl who wants to deal with you! Oh, but you can't! You're terrified of her, aren't you! How sad and pathetic isn't that? The only girl who wants you is the one girl you're too scared of to see anything good in!" She's almost out of breath, having yelled from the top of the lungs like that. Oh god… what if the teachers heard her…?! Putting her hands over her mouth in shock, she looks up at Double-D. He's stopped in his tracks now, turned to look at her over his shoulder. Something about him is different… the way his eyes scan her. There's not a hint of happiness in them, yet also no tears for having been yelled at. There are no emotions in them. She doesn't like it – she doesn't like it one bit! It's like-
"She doesn't lie," he says suddenly, killing the silence between them for a split second before he turns back and starts walking again.
Nazz is unable to move. She just watches Double-D – Edd – walk away from her, being completely unfazed from having been yelled at by her just a few seconds ago. And what did he mean with that? 'She doesn't lie'? What does that mean? Is he talking about Maire? Marie Kanker?! He doesn't think Marie Kanker lies?! Isn't that all those three sisters do? Cause trouble and lie about it? What in the world would make him say something like that? 'Marie doesn't lie' – is he being forced to say it? Is he being forced against his will to be like this... or is he choosing to?
Shaking her head to try and clear it out, she turns around and walks back to the lunchroom. The words he spewed out all over her flows through her mind, the meaning behind them repeating themselves over and over. 'I know you may not be used to a boy not having a crush on you', 'I will not give you what you want…I am not desperate for you', 'Stop with your attempts of being the girl everyone wants…we both know what you're actually doing…leading them on to get what you want.' She shakes her head again, but fails to clear it completely. Is this what Kevin meant when he told her that something is off about Double-D? He did say he's been acting odd and cold, but she never thought it would be like that. That was just mean, through and through.
As she enters the lunchroom again, she finds that Kevin and Eddy are once again going at it with each other. At least that hasn't changed. She lets out a sigh before she walks back to her seat next to Kevin, sits down and just stares down at her tray. It's empty… she must've forgotten she ate it all already. Was she really that hungry today?
"Yo, Nazz," Kevin says to her. "You okay?"
She blinks, snapping out of it temporarily and looks up at Kevin. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she says, though even she can tell it's not convincing. 'She doesn't lie' repeats in her head once more, and for some reason she wants to live up to that … even if he wasn't talking about her. "I just… I think I got a load of the new Double-D attitude puked all over me… that's all."
Kevin furrows his eyebrows. "What did he say?" It's obvious to her that he doesn't like what she just said.
"He..." Nazz slowly starts but cuts herself off. What did he say actually? "I think… I don't know. He said something about how I wasn't able to 'swoon him', or something, because his feelings for me have gone away so… he kind of confessed but at the same time told me off?" She shrugs as she looks at Kevin, waiting to see his surprised expression before she continues a bit. "But, like, the one thing I got from… that conversation is… he doesn't trust me."
Kevin looks at her, tries to read her the best he can. "That's not it though, is it?"
"U-umm…"
"What did he say, Nazz?"
She takes a deep breath. "He said… he said a lot of things and not in the politest way, which may have caused me to say some not so nice things back to him." Quiet for a second, she can't leave it like that. "Actually, I yelled at him… a lot."
Kevin whistles. "Jeez, what did he say to make you yell at him?"
She opens her mouth to spill it all out but stops herself. Something in her tells her not to say it, for whatever reason. But he did say something else. "He said that you enjoy my company." She tries her best not to giggle when Kevin suddenly rears back in his seat, almost choking on his own spit from surprise.
Song: Something – The Beatles
I tried to not make Nazz mean, just insulted and not really sure how to handle it. For Edd, I wanted to spice it up a bit, make him more suspicious of how others see him as he slowly starts to realize who he is, what with fashion styles and attitudes that not even you yourself understand sometimes. You know, normal preteen/teen stuff.
Also, the song I chose is not meant for Nazz.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Have a nice day!
