Chapter 7
Double Dee's mind wrestled his heart all the way up the stairs and into his room. Upon reaching his room, he walked in, slipped off his bedroom slippers, and climbed into his cozy bed, covering himself with a thick orange comforter.
In the midst of all the confusion the previous night had caused, Double Dee had forgotten to set his alarm clock. Lucky for Double Dee, Ed and Eddy have chosen the perfect day to play a prank on him. Ed and Eddy had snuck into Double Dees yard and were standing next to the same drainpipe that Marie had used to get into Edd's room the previous night.
"Perfect." said Eddy, noticing that the window to Edd's room was still open, "The window is open."
"What are we doing here again Eddy?" asked Ed.
"We're giving the sock-head the ultimate wake-up call." said Eddy, brandishing a soccer horn in his hand. "One push of this little lever, and Double Dee will jump up right through the ceiling." Eddy chuckled under his breath.
"But Eddy, that loud noise will wake him up!" yelled Ed.
Eddy stared blankly at Ed, who clearly did not understand Eddy's plan. "Just follow my lead Monobrow." said Eddy. Eddy slowly made his way up the drain pipe and carefully climbed into the window to find Double Dee sleeping cozily in his bed. As Eddy began tip toeing over toward where Double Dee was laying, Ed began to climb into the window, only to become stuck in an awkward position.
"Eddy." Whispered Ed loudly, causing Eddy to turn around. "I'm stuck." said Ed while trying to free himself from the window.
"For cryin out loud," said Eddy as loudly as he could. "Why do you always have to screw everything up?"
Eddy rested the soccer horn on the floor and walked over to the window. He began tugging on Ed trying to free him from the window.
"Eddy, it hurts!" said Ed.
"Hold still lumpy." said Eddy, tugging harder and harder on Ed.
"Hey Eddy." said Ed, straining in pain.
"What," said Eddy as he was straining to free Ed.
"I know how I can get out." said Ed with smile on his face.
While Eddy continued to pull, Ed reached up and pushed the window up, opening it further and thus freeing him from its grasp. Eddy's pulling caused he and Ed to fly backwards, landing on the soccer horn setting it off. Double Dee jumped up in bed startled as if he had seen a ghost. In addition to the sound of the horn, there was a loud crash as Ed and Eddy collided with Double Dee's computer desk, causing his pile of books to fall onto the floor.
"Ed, Eddy, what in heavens name are you doing?" yelled Double Dee.
"It was supposed to be an awesome prank, until Ed blew it by getting stuck in your window." said Eddy.
"My window?" Double Dee looked over at his open window, and he couldn't help but once again think of Maries surprise entrance the night before. He quickly shook the picture of her smiling face out of his head and focused on the calamity that had just occurred in his room.
"Your childish pranks do not amuse me." said Double Dee as he began to slip his legs out from under the covers. He stood up and began making his bed to perfection, flattening out every fold that he could see. "And besides, isn't this a little early for you Eddy?"
"What are you talking about, I'm always up by this time?" said Eddy.
"C'mon Eddy, it can't even be 6:30 yet," Double Dee turned his head toward his digital alarm clock. His eyes widened as he realized that one of his worst nightmares had come true. It was 8:15 a.m. Classes at Peach Creek Junior High started in 15 minutes, and it was about a twenty minute walk from the cul-de-sac to the school. Double Dee was hysterical. He turned around to face Eddy.
"Please tell me that that clock behind me does not say 8:15!" yelled Double Dee.
Eddy and Ed stared at their friend with puzzled expressions. The highly distressed Double Dee ran into his closet and ripped off his pajamas.
"I can't believe I forgot to set my alarm!", yelled Double Dee as he began changing into his school attire, after which he ran out of the closet.
"Come on you two!" yelled Double Dee as he ran out of his room and down the stairs, with Ed and Eddy following suit. Double Dee led the boys out into his backyard and to his shed.
"Thankfully, I am prepared for such a terrible occasion. Drastic times call for drastic measures" said Double Dee. "Gentlemen, I give you the Ed-Mobile!"
Double Dee flung open the doors to the shed to reveal a green triple tandem bike sitting chained to the wall. Double Dee was smiling while Eddy and Ed stood looking confused.
"I found it in the junkyard in a horrific condition during one of our excursions last summer," said Double Dee, "I decided to bring it home and restore it to prime condition, and it is a good thing that I did."
"Cool!" yelled Ed.
"The Ed-mobile?" said Eddy. "Don't tell me that you expect us to ride this thing."
"Well seeing as we are running late, I figured that it was the best means of conveyance for such an emergency." said Double Dee. "And I seem to recall a certain someone who risks earning himself a detention for being consistently tardy."
Eddy perked up.
"Where do I sit?" he said in a very dull and uninterested tone.
It didn't take long for the "Ed-Mobile" to reach Peach Creek Junior High, and to Double Dees chagrin, they have made it there with two minutes to spare. Double Dee quickly hopped off of the bike and chained it to one of the designated posts on the school side walk.
The Ed's rushed into the school, bursting through the front doors and managed to make it into homeroom just as the teacher was taking roll. After a quick homeroom session, the sound of the bell signaling first period filled the air. The Ed's left the homeroom and began their journey to their first class of the day, biology.
"I hope we actually get to cut something open today." said Eddy as the boys made their way down the marble hallway.
"Ooh it will be just like that movie I saw last night!" yelled Ed "I hope we get to do an alien autopsy!"
Double Dee paused at his locker to exchange his books, after which he turned around towards Ed.
"Ed, while I admire your enthusiasm for the fascinating subject of Biology, I must inform you that what you have seen is just a movie."
Double Dee finished exchanging his books and closed his locker. He continued walking while continuing his conversation with Ed.
"And even if it were real, the organ systems and anatomy would be far too complicated for our introductory lessons."
Double Dee held the door to the biology classroom, which was right down the hall from his locker, open for Eddy and Ed to pass through before him. Just as he was about to enter the room and close the door behind him, something caught the corner of his eye. He quickly turned around and peered down the hallway.
To Double Dee's surprise, Marie Kanker was standing around 30 feet from his position, directly in front of his locker. Double Dee let go of the door, and stared down the hallway, wondering why Marie would be standing at his locker. In the midst of his thoughts, Double Dee inadvertantly began walking toward Marie's position. By the time he realized what he was doing, it was too late.
"Double Dee!" shouted Marie as she jumped out of surprise while covering her mouth with her hand. Her rusty red colored nails stood out against her peach skin. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh hello Marie." said Double Dee nervously. He was entering an awkward conversation he did not expect to have. He had decided to lie to explain his sudden appearance "I was just coming to my locker to exchange my books."
"Oh okay!" said Marie smiling at Double Dee.
Double Dee felt himself begin to blush, upon seeing Marie's attractive smile once again.
"Well, I guess you're wondering why I'm here," said Marie as she reached down into her pocket. She removed a small folded up piece of paper, and placed it into Double Dee's hand. She blushed and looked towards the floor as she did so.
"I was going to put this in your locker, but I figured since you're here I'll give it to you now." said Marie in a soft, gentle tone of voice.
Marie let go of the piece of paper and pulled her hand away from Double Dee's. The two stood together for a few more seconds until the late bell rang.
"Well, I really should be getting to my Biology class," said Double Dee.
"Right." said Marie, "I have to get to my math class too.
"Okay, then." said Double Dee.
A few more second passed, after which the sound of Lee's booming voice filled the halls.
MARIE!" yelled Lee from around the corner, "C'mon what's takin ya? Those cheerleading Barbies are in the girls room just waitin for us to take their lunch money!"
The sound of her shoes walking on the marble hallways floor grew louder, indicating that she was approaching. Marie sprung into action upon hearing Lee's footsteps.
"Well sorry I have to go, bye!" shouted Marie as she quickly leaned in and pecked Double Dee on the cheek, just as she did the previous night in the trailer park. She stared at Double Dee for a hair of a second, blushing slightly. Then, with a quick smile she turned and began running down the hallway towards the source of Lee's voice.
"Hold your horses Lee!" she yelled in her shrill voice that Double Dee had been accustomed to as she ran "I was just taking care of some business!"
"Well do it on your own time!" shouted Lee's voice. The sisters began a conversation which began to decay away as they walked down the hallway away from Double Dees position.
Double Dee had once again stood speechless. He was absolutely shocked at what he had just saw. Marie Kanker, the girl who would, prior to the recent chain of events, grab him as if it was nothing and kiss him in front of the entire school, was now acting like a shy soft-spoken school girl who just confessed to the popular jock that she liked him. Double Dee suspicions that Marie was something more than she seemed were confirmed. He knew Marie Kanker was truly different than her sisters. Inside the seemingly obnoxious, hard, and tough appearance that she created, Marie had deep seated emotions. Emotions that Double Dee had been able to pick up on during the course of the last two days, and that he would love to see even more of.
Double Dee had become so in tune to his thoughts that he had almost forgotten about the folded piece of paper that Marie had placed in his hand. He opened up his hand to see a small square of paper about three inches in width. On the front face was his name, Edd. He proceeded to unfold the paper until he found a letter written on the inside of the paper. At first glance, he was struck by how neat and beautiful the hand writing was on the paper. He finally began reading the words inscribed on the paper in blue ink.
Edd,
I know that we have had a turbulent past and there were many things that shouldn't have been done. I just want to let you know that I really admire the person you are. You are intelligent, respectful and a gentleman. Oh and extremely cute too! (Marie had inserted a heart in red ink as well as a smiley face winking after the last statement). I would really like to meet up with you alone, say maybe sometime at the carnival Friday night. I would really like to connect with you and get to know the person you really are. And I was hoping that you would want to get to know me too. If not, I totally understand why, after all there was no excuse for a lot of the things I did to you and your friends.
I hope to see you there,
XO Marie
Double Dee read the note over a dozen times before the full effect of the words was actually absorbed into his retinas. Double Dee was in awe at the command Marie had of language, never expecting her to write a letter as nice and neat as the one he had just read.
Double Dee had almost forgotten about Biology class. He quickly rushed back down the hallway and opened the door. He was quite embarrassed as the teacher had already started her lecture.
"Pardon me for my tardiness." said Double Dee.
Double Dee walked in and sat down in his usual place next to Eddy.
"What took ya so long Sock Head?" asked Eddy.
"Oh nothing, I just had to relieve myself in the restroom." replied Double Dee.
It was then that Double Dee looked up at the board and to his horror, saw the words:
ESSAY DUE TODAY PLACE ON FRONT DESK.
He had just realized that he had never finished his biology essay. Although devastated that he would have to turn it in the next day with a five point penalty, he was way too entranced with the aspect of being alone with Marie at the carnival on Friday night.