Without You
By: Jennifer Gay
Summary: This is an original story that is centered on Double D and Eddy. The three Eds were planning on going to the candy store after Eddy found some money in his house. But, little did they know that something devious was being plotted for them, something that would test their friendship a hundredfold. And to think, it all started with a dodgeball, five years ago…
Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy at all! All I own is one girl in this story… and that's it!
Chapter 1: A Threat
It was a somewhat, quiet and peaceful fall evening here in the little town of Peach Creek as we soon came upon the little neighborhood of the Peach Creek Cul-De-Sac. It was in the first house on the left of the entrance of the neighborhood that we could see someone inside this house, home alone.
It was a preteen boy, around the age of twelve years or so. He had only three strands of black hair coming out of the back of his white-striped, black beanie and had dark, jade-green eyes. He wore a red-orange t-shirt that went past his waist, purple carpenter pants that went to his knees, and blue tennis shoes with long, red socks that went to his mid-calf.
The boy's name was Eddward "Double D" Johnson. He was currently doing some chores around his house. And, according to the last sticky note that his parents left him, he was supposed to clean the phone from all of the dust from not using it.
Double D made a little sigh at the last note, 'If only the phone was used more often between me and my parents…'
Suddenly, as he placed the sticky note in his 'sticky note archive', the phone started to ring.
"Huh…?" muttered Double D as he picked up the phone in front of him, "Hello?"
There was no speaking on the other line before Double D repeated with a stutter, "H-Hello…?!"
"I'm coming for you, Eddward…" stated a raspy voice from the other line, "And I will kill you, along with anyone else who will get in my way."
After that was said, the phone hung up on the other line, leaving a pale face and shocked Double D, "W-What…?" muttered Double D with a weak tone of voice as he placed his phone back where it was supposed to go, "W-Who was that…?!"
He then made a bit of a mad face as he picked the phone back up again, 'I bet it was only Eddy playing a trick on me again. The nerve of him!' he thought as he dialed Eddy's number.
It only took a few seconds before Eddy answered back on the other line, "Hello?" he answered with a tired groan of his voice.
"Eddy, it's Double D," Double D stated, "Did you just call me a while ago?"
"Uhh, no; I didn't," Eddy replied back, "I was asleep, and then you woke me up when you called."
This made Double D paler in the face again.
"Why do you ask, Sockhead?" questioned Eddy before realizing by the awkward pause on the phone that something was not right, "Hey, Double D… are you still there, huh?"
"… I-I'm still here, yes…" replied Double D, but his voice seemed a bit freaked out, "Listen, Eddy; I have to go now - I-I'll see you tomorrow."
It was as soon as he said that statement that he hung up the phone on Eddy.
"Huh…? Double D?" Eddy questioned a little as he hung up his phone with irritancy, "Geez, what the heck's Sockhead thinking? Waking me up at this hour for no reason…"
"Oh dear…" Double D muttered as he put his shaky right hand onto his beanie-covered forehead, sweat starting to form on the brim of his beanie, "I-I need a glass of water…"
Double D then trailed to his kitchen and went to get a glass out of a shelf over his countertop he then went to the sink and filled that glass up with water from the sink's faucet.
"M-Maybe… it was a wrong number…?" Double D questioned aloud with a mutter as he took a sip of water from his glass and set the glass back down on the counter, "But, the person also knew my name too…" he gripped onto the small glass he held with a bit of a frightful look on his face.
"I-I shouldn't be thinking of these trivial things now," Double D stated to himself as he made a calmer face. He then pours out the water from his glass and sets it in the sink, "I should be going to bed now…"
Double D then strolls off towards the stairs as he then goes into his room. He then gets ready to go to bed; putting on his PJs, brushing his teeth, and whatnot before finally laying down on his bed, underneath his clean sheets, "Goodnight world…" Double D muttered with a yawn as he closed his eyes, falling into a peaceful sleep.
"Mmm… nngh… leave… me… alone!" Double D cried aloud as his eyes snapped wide open at a bad dream. Sitting straight up on his bedside, the hyperventilating preteen took a moment to not only notice that his clock read 1:00 am but also to think for a moment, "Surely… I-It couldn't have been her… c-could it…?!" he choked out a little as he shook in fear of memory; the dodge ball incident.
(Flashback)
A line of youngsters stood before gym bleachers four years ago in a different elementary school. Double D never liked gym class because he just couldn't keep up. His lack of enthusiasm for physical activities made him a bully's favorite target. Little did he know of what horror lay ahead on that one infamous day.
Double D's greatest fears of what might and was going to happen soon enough dominate his worries as to when he got chosen. In fact, he bet his worst on one opposing team member in particular: a surly-looking girl with a yellow bandanna covering much of her scraggly auburn hair. She'd lately worked up a record for putting the poor boy through the greatest P.E. torture to date. Both teams chose which side of the gym to stand on, and the instructor quickly stood between them for some last-minute instructions. She also quickly equipped half the members on each team including Double D and the one girl with a rubber ball.
Balls sailed through the air like streamers around a boat after the teacher cowered underneath the bleachers. Though both teams suffered a fair share of lost members, Double D's team predictably shrunk faster. Today almost seemed better than expected; the fragile boy unwittingly dodged incoming projectiles better than his scornful teammates, who finally dealt crushing blows to their pride. Double D kept a firm grip on his own ball but was too busy to bother attempting a throw. By the time the opposing team's next concentrated barrage daunted him without making actual contact, only four others just as fearful stood by his side.
"Aw man," one opposing member complained, "Our favorite target, and we missed every single shot."
"We still got one chance," the captain said, "Janet?"
It turns out Janet - the girl with the yellow bandanna - had also retained a ball waiting for the right moment. At the sound of her name, she held it up to receive an approving nod from the captain before glancing toward Double D. Those who'd been struck out knew what rough reputation Janet maintained and so dared not interfere.
"Fresh meat," she whispered with a little smirk on her face. Double D and his remaining teammates were too dazed to do anything about the following life-changing event. Time slowed down as the ball collided right into his mouth, not only knocking out a tooth but also damaging a nerve.
"Hey, pudding hat!" another opposing player called, "Looks like you're out!"
"Sweet move!" a third congratulated. Still smirking, Janet exchanged high-fives with her teammates before the gym teacher finally took control of the situation.
A trip to the dentist's office two days later resulted in some face masks Double D had to wear for a short while. But the spot was so badly damaged; that a gap in his smile was the boy's only option. Although Double D continued receiving constant taunts now and then, at least he'd been excused from gym class almost indefinitely. Such oral trauma made lugging around even some of the smallest objects outlandishly difficult. Double D had become far weaker than before: Someone could easily knock him down with a handful of peanuts without the shells, figuratively speaking.
Janet received two weeks' worth of suspension and never strayed so much as an inch near Double D. And when he received news that his parents were transferring to Peach Creek once school let out, the fragile boy couldn't have felt more overjoyed. After all the bad experiences in the old town, he was looking forward to starting anew. That's when he met Eddy and Ed later on, thus beginning the trio's misadventures.
(End Flashback)
"I-It just can't be her…" Double D muttered after the flashback as he put his tongue in between the gap in his teeth, "A-At least, I don't want it to be her…"
He then made a little sigh as he lay back down in his bed, going back to sleep; a worried face imprinted on his face as he did…
