"And, cut!" Eddy yelled, waving a hand in the air to signal for Dry Rain to stop. The band members quit playing, and looked up at him expectantly.
"Thats all," he winked, and Edd sighed with relief.
"What an exhausting day!" he chuckled. "I didnt realize staring in a music video would be so much work!"
It was a bright and beautiful Sunday afternoon in the cul-de-sac, which had been carefully reserved for the filming of Edds alternative band, Dry Rain, in their first music video. It had been a great idea by Eddy to sell copies of the video at the long-awaited Homecoming Dance this coming Friday. Standing around in Edds garage were the members of Dry Rain (Edd, Brian, Spud, and Marie), plus Ed the prop boy, Eddy the director and photographer, and May and Lee cheering them on.
They had traveled around town, filming in various places, and left the filming in Edds garage for last.
"Good job everyone!" Ed grinned his silly grin. "That is a wrap!"
The band began packing up, and Eddy and Ed put away the recording equipment. "Ill edit and dub the video tomorrow after school, I guess," Eddy said, as he did.
"Thank you Eddy," Edd told him. "You were a good director!"
"No problem," Eddy smiled slyly.
Everyone began going there separate ways - Brian and Ed walked home, the Kankers disappeared, and Double D appeared to be going with Spud to his house. Sighing, Eddy dragged all the video equipment back to his house - he knew he had a big job ahead of him, editing and dubbing this video!
Eddy kicked open the door, and dragged everything inside. The door slammed shut behind him, and he flopped down on his bed, completely exhausted. "This scam had better be worth it!" he muttered.
*************************
"Nice bat, isnt it?" Spud glanced over at Edd, who nodded.
The two boys were in Spuds room - Spud was sinking into his comfortable bed, and Edd was looking around. It had been a while since Spud had last had Edd over, and he was looking at Spuds newest baseball bat, propped up in the corner.
"So You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Edd asked curiously.
Spud sighed. "Yeah - I kinda need your advice."
"Edna?" Edd asked, and Spud nodded somberly. Edd sat down at Spuds desk, and faced his friend.
"Okay, well Explain this to me again."
Spud sighed. He hated telling the story - he was thoroughly embarrassed by what he had told Edna on the beach and the argument that had followed. "Well," he began, "Ednas always been paranoid - she thinks that I still like Nazz, and no matter what I tell her, she still thinks that! Im not very good with words And I kinda screwed up really bad one day when we went to the beach. Nazz came to talk to us, and after that we began arguing I havent talked to Edna since, and I dont know what to do. I like her a lot and I miss her."
"Have you tried telling her this?" Edd asked.
Spud rolled his eyes. "She wouldnt listen to me - you know how stubborn she is."
Edd chuckled. "Thats true With Edna, youd need to write her name in the clouds to get her attention."
Spud stared at Edd, as his expression changed from amusement to amazement.
"You know," Edd said, "I think Ive got an idea."
Spuds eyes lit up. "Really? Do you know how I can get her back?"
Edd winked. "Ive got just the thing." He proceeded to tell Spud his little plan, and Spud grew more and more excited as Edd went on. By the end, he was ready to jump up from the bed and shout!
"Thats perfect!" Spud grinned. "I know people who can help me make this plan work,and if I explained the story, Im sure they would agree. Youre brilliant, Edd."
Edd blushed. "Well thank you Spud - I do what I can. You deal with the officials, and Ill deal with Edna, okay?"
"Okay!" Spud replied enthusiastically. The plan was in motion -it was time to get Edna back!
*************************
Sunday night, Dana usually hit the last of the weekend parties - it was a great way to socialize and end another exciting week in her life. But not this Sunday night. Right now, Dana didnt really feel like partying.
"I cant believe he turned me down - for Lee Kanker," Dana whispered to herself. She was lying on her back, on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "What did I do wrong?"
Dana rolled over and buried her head into her pillow. What a mess she had created. Sure, tomorrow shed have a great roll of film ready for developing, and with her interesting subject, she was sure to get an A. But she didnt care about her grade at the moment - it was insignificant compared to her loss of Eddy.
"I thought we had something special," Dana mumbled into her pillow, feeling incredibly silly for her emotions. She wasnt the type of girl to get hung up over a guy - men would come and go, and she would accept them for as long as they were useful. But with Eddy, everything she had told herself was out the window. Here she was, moping over a guy that had left her life two years ago! And now, he clearly wasnt interested in her.
"I dont know what Lee did to get Eddy to go to the dance with her," Dana mused,"But it must have been a pretty good tactic - I did my best, but it just rolled off him. I dont get it."
Dana pulled her face from the pillow, and glanced over at her phone. For a moment,she pondered calling Eddy - just to see what he was up to Maybe he was feeling lonely too! But she shook her head, knowing it would be useless to call him - he would just reject her again. Then she thought of calling Lee, and asking for her secrets in getting Eddy to take her to the dance But a confrontation with Lee would be highly unpleasant - the two girls had never gotten along.
"Let it go," Dana told herself, and sighed.
*************************
It was a busy Monday night at the PCMS gym, and the Eds were surrounded by action. The bleachers were completely packed with people, and when the girls basketball teams took the floor, the crowd erupted in cheering and whistles.
Settled in the back corner of the bleachers were the three Eds. Ed was cheering as loud as everyone else, Edd was staring off into space, and Eddy looked pissed.
"I dont know why we came to this with you, Ed," Eddy groaned.
"GO BABY SISTER!" Ed screamed, as Sarah walked out onto the court. She noticed her brother and stuck out her tongue at him.
"Sarah is great at this game," Ed smiled. "She is so aggressive with the ball."
"Sarahs aggressive with everything," Edd sighed. Sarah looked over again, and noticed him. Her face lit up and her eyes were filled with adoration. She waved at him shyly, not meeting his gaze.
"I cant believe shes still got a crush on you, Double D," Eddy said, and Edd blushed. "You sure have a way with women. Even Megan and Sabrina are ripping at each other because of you."
"They are not!" Edd replied. "Theyre both nice, understanding girls why would they get angry at each other because of *me*?"
Eddy shook his head. "You just dont get it, do you, sockhead?"
"Look!" Ed exclaimed. "The game is beginning!"
The Eds watched in amusement as the game began they could tell early on that Sarah was a key player. Indeed, she was more outright aggressive than the other girls were, and the coach looked pleased with her performance. At the stats table sat Jimmy, who busied himself with the clock, cheering Sarah on occasionally. Once, the ball went flying from Sarahs hands, and accidentally collided with Jimmys head.
Eddy was in stitches at his misfortune.
The Eds could see Sarah run over and help Jimmy up. He rubbed his head and looked like he was about to cry, but did not instead he returned to his place at the table, and the game continued.
"Jimmy has gotten a lot more tolerant to pain since his youth," Edd smiled.
"Yeah, but hes as accident prone as ever!" Eddy laughed.
"Oh no guys!" Ed suddenly got an upset look on his face. "What are we going to do about tuxes? For the Dance!"
"I didnt even think of it!" Edd exclaimed. "Eds right tomorrow, we should go to the tux shop and see if we can still rent one! Hopefully theyre not all out! Eddy, dont you usually need one special-ordered, for your height?"
Eddy stuck out his tongue at Edd. "For your information, *I* already have my tux, so I wont be needing to shop with you tomorrow! Today was really busy so tomorrow I do nothing."
Edd smiled. "Thats right you had to edit the video today, didnt you?"
"Yeah," Eddy sighed. "It was a lot of work, but I think Ive got it done. Ive still gotta copy the videos, though I guess Ill be working tomorrow after all."
"I admire your efforts, Eddy its not like you to work so hard on something that isnt a scam!"
Eddy blushed. "It IS a scam," he insisted. "Were going to charge way more than the video is worth!"
"Look at Sarah go!" Ed exclaimed, and the three Eds watched as Sarah jumped up and dunked the ball. The crowd cheered wildly, and she smiled sweetly at everyone after landing.
"Shes very good," Edd said, mildly shocked.
"Its hard to believe that somebody good at something could come from Lumpys family," Eddy groaned.
"Gravy!" Ed winked.
*************************
The parking lot of Sophies Used Clothing Store was quiet and calm, until the Kanker sisters rolled around. Their gas-guzzling, massive blue RAM pickup roared into the parking lot and pulled to a stop in front of the store, taking up three spaces. The doors burst open, and Lee, May, and Marie jumped out and raced into the store.
"I just love dress shopping!" May exclaimed, entering first and dashing for the dress rack.
"Weve got to be pretty for our boys," Marie giggled, pulling dresses off the rack randomly.
"I havent gotten a new dress in years!" Lee said, inspecting each dress closely.
"Ooh!" May exclaimed, pulling one off the rack. It was pink and light gray, with a big poofy skirt and no sleeves. "This ones purdy!"
"I want it!" Marie exclaimed, and she grabbed it, trying to pull it away.
"I saw it first!" May tugged on her end, and they quarreled as they tried to rip the dress from the others hands.
Lee walked up, took one look at the dress, and shoved both May and Marie away,grabbing the dress.
"This dress is mine, girls!" Lee said, and ran to a booth to try it on.
"Wow!" May exclaimed, taking another off the rack. This one was long and slinky, a shiny blue-green color, with spaghetti straps. "I like this one!" She too ran to try on her dress.
"Hmmm," Marie pulled dress after dress off the rack and tossed them to the floor, to the horror of the clerk. Finally, one dress caught her eye it was a red and black dress, cut jaggedly. Marie smiled.
"This will do," she said, and ran to change.
A few minutes later, the Kankers emerged from the dressing rooms, and oohed and aahed at each others dresses. "The Eds will be so impressed!" May gushed. "They’ll find us irresistible!"
"I hope so," Marie said, checking out her dress from all sides.
"Lets check out, girls," Lee said, and the three girls walked up to the counter.
"Well take these dresses, maam," Marie said, and the clerk looked shocked as the girls, one by one, grabbed the barcode-scanning gun and scanned their dresses into the computer.
Most people take off the clothes theyre buying before they leave," the clerk said finally, as Lee tossed down some money onto the table.
"Were not most people," May replied, and the three girls dashed out of the store in their dresses.
"Fish Bowl Seven is coming on," Marie reminded her sisters as they piled back into the pickup, "so dont drive so damn slow this time!"
"Shut up, Marie," Lee said, revving the engine and pulling away from Sophies Used Clothing Store, back onto the street.
*************************
Tuesday after school, the Eds were in a similar scene.
"So, you two are looking for some formal wear?" said Mr. Jones, the owner of Well-Dressed Men, the local shop for renting tuxes and buying other types of formal-wear. Ed and Edd looked at each other and nodded.
"What are you looking for?" he asked Ed.
Ed grinned. "Something old fashioned to make me handsome!"
"And you?" Mr. Jones asked Edd.
Edd shrugged. "Im not big on fashion," he replied. "Just something a little different, I guess."
Mr. Jones nodded. "Im sure I can find something perfect for the both of you!" Ed and Edd followed him towards a long row of tuxes, and Mr. Jones thumbed thru them as he surely had a million times ago.
"I know what would be perfect for you, Ed," Mr. Jones said, finally pausing and pulling a tux off the rack.
"What do you think of this one?" he asked. Eds eyes lit up when he saw it it was a large tux, and it indeed looked old-fashioned, with long tails and fancy buttons.
"That is perfect!" Ed exclaimed, and held it up to himself. "What do you think Double D?"
Edd smiled. "Its perfect, Ed," he winked, and laughing, Ed ran to try it on.
"Got anything for me?" Edd asked, and Mr. Jones scratched his chin.
"Surely, we must" Mr. Jones walked around the store, and Edd followed, eyeing allthe outfits critically. Nothing seemed to meet his taste, until finally, a shirt hidden at
the back of a rack caught his eye. He pulled it out and smiled it was a plain black shirt, with fancy silver buttons and a velvety pattern.
"I kinda like this one," Edd said, and Mr. Jones nodded vigorously.
"Thats a good choice," he said, and dashed off. When he returned, he had a pair of crisp black pants. "Try that shirt on with these pants," Mr. Jones instructed, and Edd did as he was told.
A few minutes later, the two boys emerged and admired each others outfits. Ed looked stunning in his tux, and Edd looked smooth in his outfit.
"I think these will be perfect!" Edd smiled. "Mays going to be so impressed, Ed," he teased, and Ed blushed.
The two boys returned to change back into their normal clothes, and Mr. Jones rang up their purchases. "Theres a big dance coming up, isnt there?" he asked, handing them two large shopping bags.
"Yes, Mr. Jones," Edd nodded. "The Homecoming Dance is this Friday, a little while after the game."
"You kids have fun," he said.
"We will," Ed and Edd replied.
*************************
Tuesday night, Megan trotted up to the door of her house. She smiled, as she checked her pockets for her house key - she felt she had accomplished a lot by spending the evening at the library. Now, the stars were scattered across the night sky, and she couldnt wait to dust off her telescope and have a look at the stars. Indeed, it had been a long time since she had last done that!
The house was fairly quiet when Megan entered - she figured her parents must have gone to bed early. She tiptoed around, and stopped by the kitchen to check if there were any messages for her. A yellow notepad sat near the phone, with writing scrawled across it in. It dictated that three different colleges had called for her today, all of them prestigious and picky. She smiled, and tore off the sheet, sticking it into her purse.
Megan tiptoed to her room, hoping not to disturb anyone. Once arriving, she flung her purse onto the bed, and rummaged around in her closet for the case her telescope sat in. After a minute or two, she smiled as she caught sight of it, buried under several pairs of shoes.
"Its been a while, old friend," Megan whispered to herself, as she unzipped the case. But, her amusement turned to horror as she opened the case. There was nothing inside the case! The telescope was gone, not a trace of it left.
Megan stared down in shock at the empty case - there was only one person who would stoop so low. "That little bitch," she scowled. How could Sabrina do that? This telescope was incredibly expensive!
Megan pondered the situation - she could call the police, of course, and get her into some serious trouble. That would be an amusing sight, and Megan chuckled at the thought of Sabrina being caught. But no, that didnt seem like the solution to her There was only one thing to do - keep getting revenge.
In all cases, except for this one, Megan was used to being the good girl, and she knew Sabrina was the same way. But for some reason, this rivalry over Double D couldnt dissolve! Megan knew in her heart that Edd liked her more while they were dating, than he had liked Sabrina while he was dating her.
"Thats it, Ms. Perfect," Megan growled to herself. "Youve pulled your final naughty act."
*************************
Ed had been hoping his bouts of insomnia would go away, now that he had asked May to the dance. Surely this would be a very official step of putting Penny Lane into his past! So, why couldn't he stop thinking about her?
"What time is it?" Ed mumbled to himself and looked at the clock. 4:30 - this was ridiculous! Ed was working so hard to be a member of the present, and let his memories of his beloved hippie chick slide into the past.
"I've got to think about May now," Ed told himself, running a hand thru his long hair. "We went on one date, and we're going on another this Friday. Maybe I could even ask her to be my girlfriend. I can't think about Penny anymore - she's gone."
Ed sighed - Penny was the last girlfriend he'd had. He'd been single for a very long time, and he wondered if he would even remember how to be a good boyfriend. He wasn't sure why Penny had ever dated him in the first place... All he knew was that he was glad she did.
"I wonder what Penny's doing now," Ed pondered aloud, stretching out on his bed."I'll bet she's doing well," he sighed. "She's probably famous, travelling the world and meeting lots of guys better than me." He knew it was true - with her stunning looks she was sure to have her fair share of admirers.
"I've gotta let go," Ed told himself with determination. "I can't think about her anymore.I have a date with May Kanker, and I'm going to have a great time." With that, Ed rolled onto his stomach, ready to take another attempt at sleep.
*************************
Edna groaned - why did she let Edd talk her into this again?
It was Wednesday evening, and Edd and she were walking into the Peach Creek High Softball Complex. PCH put a lot of money into their softball team, and fancy bleachers surrounded the field This last year, they had even gotten a giant screen, like the kind they have at professional games! Edna couldnt help but smile at the familiarness of the complex - she had watched many games here, first with Spud as friends, and after starting high school, she came to watch him play.
"Where should we sit?" Edna asked.
"Theres a good spot!" Edd exclaimed, pointing at two open chairs right behind home plate.
"How could seats so good just be left open?" Edna wondered, as she and Edd raced towards the chairs, snatching them up before anyone else could. Shed never had this good of a view of the game before!
"Were lucky, I guess," Edd chuckled.
A few minutes later, the game started, and Peach Creek took the field. Everyone clapped enthusiastically, including Edd, but Edna did it only halfheartedly. She just wasnt into the spirit right now. Although, she had to admit, Spud did look handsome out there - his hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail, his blue and white uniform a perfect fit Edna shook her head at her silliness.
It was a very good game, and Edna soon forgot about Spud and got wrapped up in the game - except for when everyone cheered for him at bat, then she was forced to acknowledge his existence.
"Something wrong, Edna?" Edd asked, as the bottom of the ninth began, and the first Peach Creek boy walked up to bat.
Edna stuck out her tongue at Edd. "Of course there is - I didnt want to be here in the first place!"
The first two batters struck out, and Edna slapped her forehead - the score was tied,4-4, and she figured she might be here a long time.
"Next up to bat - our "Maine Man", Spud!" the announcer bellowed, and a cluster of girls screamed.
"Hmmph," Edna frowned, but Edd was grinning.
"This is perfect!" he exclaimed, and when Edna stared at him, he clasped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment.
A murmur spread thru the crowd - because instead of pointing the bat at where he wanted to hit the ball, he pointed it at the giant screen.
"What the hell?" Edna asked, as a message began lighting up.
EDNA
IM SORRY - PLEASE FORGIVE ME
WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND AGAIN?
SPUD
A tear trickled down Ednas cheek, as she read the message silently. He had gotten a message spelled out for her, in front of all these people? Edna wiped the tear way, as Spud turned to her and smiled. Then, he turned, ready to hit the ball.
There was the pitch And in a moment of glory, Spud hit the ball for all he was worth,and it went sailing into the crowd.
"HOME RUN!" cheered the announcer, and everyone in the crowd. Spud ran the bases, and everyone from Peach Creek was in an uproar. "SPUD HITS A HOME RUN, WINNING THE GAME!!!"
Edna was ecstatic. She jumped up from her seat, and ran down the bleachers, near home plate, and after Spud touched it, he continued running to Edna.
"Did you see that?" he panted.
"Of course I did," Edna smiled, tears in her eyes.
"I meant it," he said. "I miss you."
"But but" Edna stammered, "What about Nazz? You said shes fun to look at."
"You didnt let me finish," Spud chuckled. "I was GOING to say that Nazz is fun to look at, sure But, youre fun to look at AND fun to be with. Thats why I like you."
"Oh Spud," Edna blushed, and with that, she embraced them, and they kissed, a deep passionate kiss that made the whole crowd cheer.
*************************
Brian shoved his books into his locker at the end of the school day Thursday it had been a busy day and he was more than happy to escape home and catch a quick nap before doing his homework and practicing bass. He was also feeling good because Edna and Spud had gotten back together, and now his sister was back to her crazy self.
A hand clasped onto Brians shoulder, and he yelped in surprise.
"Sorry Brian," Ed chuckled, and Brian turned around and clutched at his chest.
"You scared the hell out of me!" Brian exclaimed, and Ed and Spud laughed. "Whats up, guys? Im not done with your Marillion CD yet, Ed, sorry"
"No, its okay," Ed smiled. "Spud and I got you a gift."
"A gift?" Brian raised an eyebrow. "What kind of gift?"
"A really cool one," Spud laughed. Ed reached into his backpack, which was stuffed full with something, and pulled out something large and green. When it was all out of his backpack, Brian gasped it was a large khaki-green trenchcoat, with an anarchy patch on the chest.
"Youre one of us now!" Ed chuckled, and put the coat on Brian, who was awestruck.
"This coat couldnt have been cheap," Brian said quietly, looking down at it.
"Its no problem," Spud replied. "We just wanted you to have one, too."
"Hey, you guys!" Brian exclaimed, his dreams of resting now gone. "Wanna come over and watch my Queensryche concert video?"
"Sure!" Spud and Ed nodded.
"OPERATION EDCRIME!" Ed yelled, and Spud and Brian laughed. As the three of them walked out of the school, looking mildly like a gang, Brian couldnt help but be pleased with his friends it was nice of them to include him as a fellow "anarchist", even if it was more joking than reality. He knew next year he would be awfully lonely when Ed and Spud went off to college at least hed still have his best friend Johnny.
And Sheet, of course.
*************************
That night, Edd yawned, and stared eagerly at his bed. "Well, my homeworks finally complete," he smiled. "Now, I can go to bed and get a nice long sleep."
Edd peeled off his shirt, folded it, and set it in his laundry hamper carefully. Next came his pants, and again, he folded them and laid them in the hamper neatly. Walking around in his boxers, he hunted for an old t-shirt to wear with them for sleeping. "I must have one somewhere," he muttered as he dug thru his drawers.
Suddenly, a noise from outside caught his attention, and he straightened up. It sounded like it was coming from right outside his window! He shook his head, dismissing it as his mind playing tricks on him, and went back to searching for a shirt. But as soon as he did, he heard the noise again! This couldnt be his imagination!
Edd crept slowly towards the window, and as he did, he heard a crashing noise from outside. He ran to the window, and saw a person sprawled out at the foot of the tall tree that stretched past his window! He couldnt see the persons face, but he thought it looked a little like Marie!
"Who are you?!" he yelled, but the person didnt answer. Instead, they got up and ran off into the night, before Edd could figure out who had been spying on him.
"It couldnt have been Marie, could it?" Edd asked himself. "Shes got more respect for me than that! Just because I asked her to the dance doesnt mean she would go and spy on me Does it?"
*************************
"Are you just about ready?" Edd asked impatiently. It was the big night, and the three boys were at Eddy's house, preparing for the Homecoming Dance. Edd and Ed were already ready, but Eddy was still changing into his suit, and he had refused to let anyone see what he was wearing.
"I almost don't want to know what he's got planned," Edd cringed, as he adjusted his black shirt. "Knowing him, it'll probably be a..."
"Leisure suit?" Eddy asked, emerging. Sure enough, Eddy was decked head to toe in vintage polyester. The knit green leisure suit was perfect for Eddy and he looked ready for a night on the town.
"Um, earth to Eddy?" Edd sniggered. "It's the year 2000."
"Kiss my ass," Eddy stuck out his tongue.
"Okay, we are ready!" Ed exclaimed, and picked up Eddy and Edd, throwing them over his shoulders.
"Careful, Ed! I don't want to wrinkle my shirt!" Edd exclaimed.
Ed ran out the door and around to Eddy's driveway, where Ed's parents' car was parked. They had been generous enough to let Ed borrow it to escort his friends and their dates to the dance. It was a large tank of a thing, and there would easily be room for all of them!
"Get in, you guys! We must get to Park n Flush right now!" Ed exclaimed nervously,so Eddy and Edd climbed in the backseat. Ed jumped in the driver's seat and revved the engine. In a flash, the car was out of the driveway and down the street. A few minutes later, they were pulling into the infamous Park n Flush Trailer Court, where the Kanker's trailer had been parked for the last seven years.
"Here we are!" Ed said, and turned off the car. The three Eds climbed out, and walked slowly to the door.
"I can't believe I'm going on a date with Lee," Eddy exclaimed in disdain. "I never ever thought..."
Before the Eds could even knock, the door was swung wide open, and there stood the Kankers, dressed to the nines and grinning excitedly.
"It's our dates!" May exclaimed, and the Kankers' sighed. "They're so dreamy!" the girls said in unison, and the Eds blushed.
"Your tux is very nice, Big Ed," May gushed, stepping up to Ed's side. He looked very nervous at first, but then sighed and smiled. Eddy and Edd exchanged confused glances, and then turned their attention back to their dates.
"That's a pretty cool suit Eddy," Lee said approvingly, grabbing Eddy by the ear and dragging him towards the car, despite his protests of, "Ow ow ow!!"
"C'mon, muffin," Marie took Edd's hand. "Let's go."
"Um, yes, let's," Edd agreed.
*************************
The moment had arrived it was 9:00 sharp, the beginning time of the Homecoming Dance. Three hours ago, the football team had began their Homecoming game against the BHS Tigers, and PCH had won, 24-7! Truly, this was a night to celebrate.
The PCH gym had been carefully decorated, and everyone who entered seemed to appreciate all the hard work put into it. It was decorated in lavender and light blue streamers, with silver and gold stars hanging from the streamers and on the walls. There was a section of nice tables, and lots of floor space for dancing. A DJ was stationed at the other end, spinning well-known tunes.
As couples flowed in, Spud and Edna were two of the first to arrive. "I dont want to miss a moment of dancing!" she gushed, holding Spuds hand. He looked nervous, and nodded in agreement.
"Dancing with you is fun," he smiled, and Edna smiled back. Thru the crowds of people, there was talk of their elaborate reconciliation at Wednesdays baseball game. Clearly, this was a hot topic for the school gossips!
"Ooh, theyre playing Stayin Alive," Spud nudged Edna. "Wed better get on the floor!"
"Oh yeah!" Edna grinned, and dragged Spud out to instigate the dancing. Soon,several other couples hit the floor and began dancing as well.
"My sister is such a dork," Brian groaned, as he walked in with his date, The Morg. "Im amazed she even wore a dress usually its all leisure suits for her." Edna was dressed up in a beautiful lavender dress, and Spud had a fabulous tux. Brian and The Morg looked grand too he had a fancy deep red shirt and crisp black pants, and she had a shiny blue dress.
"I like leisure suits too," The Morg smiled, "but I left mine at home. I love the Bee Gees you wanna dance?"
"Sure," Brian smiled, and they joined the couples on the floor.
Making a "grand entrance" about 10 minutes later were the Eds and their dates, and when they arrived, the Kankers were elated.
"Look at all that food!" May exclaimed, pointing at a table piled high with snacks.
"Lets dance, muffin," Marie exclaimed, taking Edds hand and pulling him towards the floor before he could decline.
"This is a really romantic gesture, Eddy," Lee exclaimed, hugging Eddy (which was a little awkward considering the height difference).
"Um, yeah, no problem," Eddy replied, pulling himself away. "Lets just dance, okay? Thats what were here for." With that, Eddy and Lee strutted onto the dance floor, and both instantly began showing off.
Meanwhile, May and Ed dashed for the snacks. "I love food at parties," May exclaimed, cramming a donut into her mouth.
"Mmm brownies!" Ed licked his lips and picked one up. First, he took a tiny bite, but the opened his mouth wide and tossed the rest in, swallowing it easily. "Brownie fresh!"
Suddenly, a girl Ed didnt recognize walked up to May, and said, "did you see that Megan and Sabrina have the same dress on?"
"Nope," May replied, sounding uninterested, and the girl walked away.
"The same dress?" Ed asked rhetorically. "Thats funny." He looked at Sabrina on one side of the gym, and Megan on the other clearly, they hadnt realized their faux pas yet. But Ed had a feeling that was going to change, and sure enough, the two girls gaze met. The anger between them was almost visible, and Ed cringed at their icy expressions as they found each others slinky gray dresses to be strangely familiar.
They walked up to each other, their stares growing colder by the second.
"Nice dress you have there, Megan," Sabrina said, her eyes motionless.
"I must say the same about yours, Sabrina," Megan said in the same creepy tone.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose in the two girls. "DOUBLE D LIKED ME BETTER!" Sabrina screeched.
"NO!" Megan retorted. "HE LIKED ME BETTER!"
Across the gym, these words reached Edds ears, and he stopped dancing.
"Something wrong?" Marie asked.
Edd nodded. "I swear, I heard someone say my name." By now, everyone had stopped dancing, and were instead staring at the two girls. Edd pushed his way thru the crowd, Marie close behind, and when he reached the front of the crowd, he gasped Megan and Sabrina were at each others throats (literally), growling and screaming at each other.
"Double D liked ME more!" Megan growled.
"No, he liked ME more!" Sabrina spat.
"Youre both wrong," Marie laughed. "He liked, and continues to like, me the most of all!"
The two girls paused, and stared at Marie for a second, before lunging at her and including her in the catfight. Edd pressed his hands to his head, as if to block it out of his mind.
"STOP FIGHTING!" he finally yelled. "I cant stand you girls anymore!" With that, Edd dashed out of the gym. The girls didnt even notice his protests, but instead kept arguing. Finally, the principal stepped in, and split them up, ordering all three of them out of the gym they were now banned from the dance.
"This is all your fault!" Megan screamed at Sabrina.
"Its your fault, bitch!" Sabrina screamed back.
Marie plugged her ears and sighed.
Meanwhile, Eddy watched from a distance and sniggered at Edds female misfortunes. He was setting up the display to sell Dry Rains video, and Lee was watching with amusement and disappointment.
"Cmon, Eddy," Lee whined. "Lets dance some more!"
"We will, we will!" he grumbled as he loaded the display with videos. "But first Ive gotta finish my scam! Watch the display, will ya?" With that, Eddy dashed off, thru the mass of dancing teenagers, to the DJ stand. When the song ended, Eddy snatched the mike from the DJ, and grinned his most cheesy grin.
"Ladies and germs!" he bellowed. "Right now, for a mere $5, you can buy a copy of the new music video from Peach Creeks hottest new band, Dry Rain! Talk to me, Eddy, at the display over yonder," he pointed at the display, "and Ill be glad to sell you a copy! Hurry, supplies are limited!"
Eddy handed back the mike, and ran back to the display. Students were already lined up to buy a copy! Dollar signs lit up Eddys eyes, and he ran to the display to take everyones money. "One at a time!" he grinned, as everyone paid for his or her copies.
But, there was one person who wasnt pleased with the videos. Superintendent Olsen walked up, and eyed the videos critically.
"Did Dry Rain copyright their song?" he asked.
Eddy grew confused, and began sweating nervously. "Um, no," he replied. "They did a Silverchair cover song."
"You know, you need permission from the band if you intend to sell their song"Superintendent Olsen said. Eddy grabbed a tape and thrust it into his hands.
"Here you go!" he said. "Free of charge!"
"Um, thank you," Superintendent Olsen said, and Eddy pushed him away from the display before returning to his sales. Lee sighed as she watched, and finally sat down at a table by herself.
20 minutes later, the display was empty, and Eddy had a jar full of cash. "I cant believe it worked!" Eddy exclaimed happily. "Im rich!"
But his happiness turned to fear, as Superintendent Olsen walked back into the gym,heading straight for Eddy.
"Uh oh," he said, as Superintendent Olsen stood next to Eddy, looking down at him.Eddy tried to read his expression but wasnt sure what to make of it!
"I just watched this video," he said. "And I must say, I was rather impressed. What role did you play?"
Eddy breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "I directed, filmed, and edited the video, sir."
Superintendent Olsen smiled Eddy was sure hed never seen that before! and shook Eddys hand.
"You know," he said, "You could have a future in film-making. The directing was outstanding I can see you making it big in Hollywood."
"Hollywood! Fame! Fortune!" Eddy exclaimed happily, and Superintendent Olsen nodded before walking away.
Eddy ran over to Lee. "Did you hear that?" he asked. "My career search is over! I wanna be a director!"
Lee yawned. "So far, you havent been a very good date," she said, looking at the floor, and Eddy instantly felt guilty.
"Im sorry," Eddy apologized. "I guess I should be honest with you I only asked you to come to the dance so I wouldnt have to go with Dana." Lee looked up at him, and by the expression on her face, Eddy could tell he had really hurt her feelings.
"Oh, really?" said a voice behind Eddy, and he gulped nervously. He whirled aroundto see Dana, her gaze shooting daggers into him.
"I uh Yes, thats true," Eddy mumbled, not meeting her gaze. "I dont know why I didn’t want to go with you, but for whatever reason"
"I dont want to hear it," Dana growled. "Youre a creep forget I ever cared about you!" With that, she stormed away, and soon began talking with a guy Eddy didnt realize.
"Shell get over it," Lee laughed, and Eddy hung his head.
"I am a creep," he sighed, and walked towards the gym door, not looking back.
"Is something wrong with Eddy?" May asked. She and Ed were seated at a table,after several rigorous dances, enjoying a pop together.
"Im not sure," Ed replied, raising his eyebrow. "He doesnt look too happy."
May thumbed thru the Seventeen magazine someone had left sitting at the table,while she slurped on the pop. Ed watched her, and smiled there was something strangely innocent about May Kanker!
Suddenly, May stopped on a page with an article about new hairstyles, and Ed peered over at the model showing off a new shoulder-length cut. There was something oddly familiar about this girl And suddenly, Ed gasped this girl looked a lot like Penny Lane! Sure, the hair was the wrong color and length, she was far too tall, the dress was pure 80s, and the smile was unfamiliar, but there was something about her pale skin and big eyes that reminded him of his former love.
"Hey, she looks a little like Penny," May said, and looked over at Ed, who was panic-stricken. May blushed when she realized what she had said.
"Im sorry," she apologized. "Do you still like her?"
Ed sighed with this confrontation, he couldnt keep lying to himself anymore. "Yeah, I do," he said somberly. "I never got over her. She was my first love and I miss her a lot."
"I understand," May sighed. "I suppose you just want to be friends?"
Ed shook his head. "I I dont know what I want I need to figure it out."
"When you decide, let me know, ok?" she smiled.
Ed grinned. "Gravy May! Hey, Im gonna go find Eddy and Double D I will be back soon." Ed stood up from his spot and dashed out the door. May sighed, and looked back at the picture PANELOPE, it said, in small print underneath could it be?
*************************
It was a beautiful, cloudless night in Peach Creek, and the stars twinkled overhead.The glow of the full moon lit the way to a large oak tree, along the path from the school to the football field. It was here, that the three Eds were sprawled out, staring up at the stars, and pondering their so-far exciting senior year.
"Its been quite an evening," Edd sighed. "I guess you guys were right, about Megan and Sabrina fighting why do they do that? Their conflict will never be resolved!"
"Dont strain your brain over it, Double D," Eddy sighed. "Theres no way to understand girls. Theyre impossible."
"What a load of trouble," Ed frowned.
"Why are there so many girls interested in me?" Edd groaned. "I dont want to date any of them right now! I dont think Ive got time, between studying and Dry Rain, to be a good boyfriend."
"I think its the goatee," Ed said, and Edd chuckled.
"Maybe, Ed, maybe"
"What am I going to do about Lee and Dana?" Eddy asked. "I really hurt them both."
"Do you want to date either of them?" asked Edd, assuming the advice-giver role.
"Well, not right now," Eddy replied. "Danas cool, but I dont think Im ready to try again with her just yet. And Lee, well I dont think Ill ever be ready for Lee."
"You never know," Edd teased, and Eddy rolled his eyes.
"Hey, at least one good thing came out of this," Eddy said. "I finally figured out what I want to do with my life. My parents are gonna be happy with me, for once. Plus, look at all this cash!" Eddy held up the jar, and grinned.
"What do I do about May, Double D?" Ed asked, his face scrunched in concentration.
Edd chuckled. "Well How do you feel about her?"
Ed put a finger to his chin and pondered this. "She is nice," Ed said. "She makes me feel good inside. And sometimes, when I look at her, I"
Eddy clasped a hand over Eds mouth. "Too much information, Lumpy," he said, and Ed blushed.
"But, what I mean is, I do like her," Ed sighed. "But I like Penny too. I wish she would come home. Then I would date her and everything would be okay."
"Yeah, but shes not coming home, Ed," Edd reminded him. "You need to move on."
Ed nodded. "Someday I will ask May to be my girlfriend. But not yet. Not until Im ready."
"Sounds like a plan, Big Ed," Eddy said, and stared up into the sky. "You know, with all the girl problems we have, why are we still the most unpopular guys in school? Were seniors but we still get picked on by people younger than us."
"Its the curse of being an Ed, I suppose," Edd sniggered.
"Better than being a Kevin," Ed stuck out his tongue.
"Ive got an idea," Eddy said. "Tomorrow, lets drive over to the candy store and buy a ton of jawbreakers its been way too long since my last one!"
"Jawbreakers! Yum yum!" Ed licked his lips.
"What a delightful idea!" Edd smiled. "Well do just that."
The three Eds looked over, to see people were flooding out of the gym and into the parking lot. The dance was over, and the first portion of their senior year gone. Now, they would have to find something new to look forward to, and place their interest in.
After all, isnt that what high school life is all about?
"I guess we should find our dates pretty soon," Eddy smiled. "Theyre probably pretty lonely."
"Yeah, we werent very polite," Edd chuckled softly. "But then again, Im so comfortable here I really dont want to get up!"
"Corn gets stuck between my teeth," Ed commented.
"Wisdom from the Lump," Eddy groaned.
Edd smiled. "You know, being an Ed might be a curse sometimes, but its also a blessing. No matter what happens, with girls or school or life in general, were always going to have each other."
"Isnt that just touching," Eddy rolled his eyes.
"That is beautiful, Double D!" Ed exclaimed. "Group hug!" He pulled Edd and Eddy closer, into a big hug. They gasped and struggled to free themselves, but Ed wouldn’t let go. "Im hanging on forever!" he grinned.
Eddy and Edd paused from their struggling Ed had a point there. In all reality, Ed,Edd, and Eddy would always be hanging on to each other, now and forever.
The End
"Thats all," he winked, and Edd sighed with relief.
"What an exhausting day!" he chuckled. "I didnt realize staring in a music video would be so much work!"
It was a bright and beautiful Sunday afternoon in the cul-de-sac, which had been carefully reserved for the filming of Edds alternative band, Dry Rain, in their first music video. It had been a great idea by Eddy to sell copies of the video at the long-awaited Homecoming Dance this coming Friday. Standing around in Edds garage were the members of Dry Rain (Edd, Brian, Spud, and Marie), plus Ed the prop boy, Eddy the director and photographer, and May and Lee cheering them on.
They had traveled around town, filming in various places, and left the filming in Edds garage for last.
"Good job everyone!" Ed grinned his silly grin. "That is a wrap!"
The band began packing up, and Eddy and Ed put away the recording equipment. "Ill edit and dub the video tomorrow after school, I guess," Eddy said, as he did.
"Thank you Eddy," Edd told him. "You were a good director!"
"No problem," Eddy smiled slyly.
Everyone began going there separate ways - Brian and Ed walked home, the Kankers disappeared, and Double D appeared to be going with Spud to his house. Sighing, Eddy dragged all the video equipment back to his house - he knew he had a big job ahead of him, editing and dubbing this video!
Eddy kicked open the door, and dragged everything inside. The door slammed shut behind him, and he flopped down on his bed, completely exhausted. "This scam had better be worth it!" he muttered.
*************************
"Nice bat, isnt it?" Spud glanced over at Edd, who nodded.
The two boys were in Spuds room - Spud was sinking into his comfortable bed, and Edd was looking around. It had been a while since Spud had last had Edd over, and he was looking at Spuds newest baseball bat, propped up in the corner.
"So You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Edd asked curiously.
Spud sighed. "Yeah - I kinda need your advice."
"Edna?" Edd asked, and Spud nodded somberly. Edd sat down at Spuds desk, and faced his friend.
"Okay, well Explain this to me again."
Spud sighed. He hated telling the story - he was thoroughly embarrassed by what he had told Edna on the beach and the argument that had followed. "Well," he began, "Ednas always been paranoid - she thinks that I still like Nazz, and no matter what I tell her, she still thinks that! Im not very good with words And I kinda screwed up really bad one day when we went to the beach. Nazz came to talk to us, and after that we began arguing I havent talked to Edna since, and I dont know what to do. I like her a lot and I miss her."
"Have you tried telling her this?" Edd asked.
Spud rolled his eyes. "She wouldnt listen to me - you know how stubborn she is."
Edd chuckled. "Thats true With Edna, youd need to write her name in the clouds to get her attention."
Spud stared at Edd, as his expression changed from amusement to amazement.
"You know," Edd said, "I think Ive got an idea."
Spuds eyes lit up. "Really? Do you know how I can get her back?"
Edd winked. "Ive got just the thing." He proceeded to tell Spud his little plan, and Spud grew more and more excited as Edd went on. By the end, he was ready to jump up from the bed and shout!
"Thats perfect!" Spud grinned. "I know people who can help me make this plan work,and if I explained the story, Im sure they would agree. Youre brilliant, Edd."
Edd blushed. "Well thank you Spud - I do what I can. You deal with the officials, and Ill deal with Edna, okay?"
"Okay!" Spud replied enthusiastically. The plan was in motion -it was time to get Edna back!
*************************
Sunday night, Dana usually hit the last of the weekend parties - it was a great way to socialize and end another exciting week in her life. But not this Sunday night. Right now, Dana didnt really feel like partying.
"I cant believe he turned me down - for Lee Kanker," Dana whispered to herself. She was lying on her back, on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "What did I do wrong?"
Dana rolled over and buried her head into her pillow. What a mess she had created. Sure, tomorrow shed have a great roll of film ready for developing, and with her interesting subject, she was sure to get an A. But she didnt care about her grade at the moment - it was insignificant compared to her loss of Eddy.
"I thought we had something special," Dana mumbled into her pillow, feeling incredibly silly for her emotions. She wasnt the type of girl to get hung up over a guy - men would come and go, and she would accept them for as long as they were useful. But with Eddy, everything she had told herself was out the window. Here she was, moping over a guy that had left her life two years ago! And now, he clearly wasnt interested in her.
"I dont know what Lee did to get Eddy to go to the dance with her," Dana mused,"But it must have been a pretty good tactic - I did my best, but it just rolled off him. I dont get it."
Dana pulled her face from the pillow, and glanced over at her phone. For a moment,she pondered calling Eddy - just to see what he was up to Maybe he was feeling lonely too! But she shook her head, knowing it would be useless to call him - he would just reject her again. Then she thought of calling Lee, and asking for her secrets in getting Eddy to take her to the dance But a confrontation with Lee would be highly unpleasant - the two girls had never gotten along.
"Let it go," Dana told herself, and sighed.
*************************
It was a busy Monday night at the PCMS gym, and the Eds were surrounded by action. The bleachers were completely packed with people, and when the girls basketball teams took the floor, the crowd erupted in cheering and whistles.
Settled in the back corner of the bleachers were the three Eds. Ed was cheering as loud as everyone else, Edd was staring off into space, and Eddy looked pissed.
"I dont know why we came to this with you, Ed," Eddy groaned.
"GO BABY SISTER!" Ed screamed, as Sarah walked out onto the court. She noticed her brother and stuck out her tongue at him.
"Sarah is great at this game," Ed smiled. "She is so aggressive with the ball."
"Sarahs aggressive with everything," Edd sighed. Sarah looked over again, and noticed him. Her face lit up and her eyes were filled with adoration. She waved at him shyly, not meeting his gaze.
"I cant believe shes still got a crush on you, Double D," Eddy said, and Edd blushed. "You sure have a way with women. Even Megan and Sabrina are ripping at each other because of you."
"They are not!" Edd replied. "Theyre both nice, understanding girls why would they get angry at each other because of *me*?"
Eddy shook his head. "You just dont get it, do you, sockhead?"
"Look!" Ed exclaimed. "The game is beginning!"
The Eds watched in amusement as the game began they could tell early on that Sarah was a key player. Indeed, she was more outright aggressive than the other girls were, and the coach looked pleased with her performance. At the stats table sat Jimmy, who busied himself with the clock, cheering Sarah on occasionally. Once, the ball went flying from Sarahs hands, and accidentally collided with Jimmys head.
Eddy was in stitches at his misfortune.
The Eds could see Sarah run over and help Jimmy up. He rubbed his head and looked like he was about to cry, but did not instead he returned to his place at the table, and the game continued.
"Jimmy has gotten a lot more tolerant to pain since his youth," Edd smiled.
"Yeah, but hes as accident prone as ever!" Eddy laughed.
"Oh no guys!" Ed suddenly got an upset look on his face. "What are we going to do about tuxes? For the Dance!"
"I didnt even think of it!" Edd exclaimed. "Eds right tomorrow, we should go to the tux shop and see if we can still rent one! Hopefully theyre not all out! Eddy, dont you usually need one special-ordered, for your height?"
Eddy stuck out his tongue at Edd. "For your information, *I* already have my tux, so I wont be needing to shop with you tomorrow! Today was really busy so tomorrow I do nothing."
Edd smiled. "Thats right you had to edit the video today, didnt you?"
"Yeah," Eddy sighed. "It was a lot of work, but I think Ive got it done. Ive still gotta copy the videos, though I guess Ill be working tomorrow after all."
"I admire your efforts, Eddy its not like you to work so hard on something that isnt a scam!"
Eddy blushed. "It IS a scam," he insisted. "Were going to charge way more than the video is worth!"
"Look at Sarah go!" Ed exclaimed, and the three Eds watched as Sarah jumped up and dunked the ball. The crowd cheered wildly, and she smiled sweetly at everyone after landing.
"Shes very good," Edd said, mildly shocked.
"Its hard to believe that somebody good at something could come from Lumpys family," Eddy groaned.
"Gravy!" Ed winked.
*************************
The parking lot of Sophies Used Clothing Store was quiet and calm, until the Kanker sisters rolled around. Their gas-guzzling, massive blue RAM pickup roared into the parking lot and pulled to a stop in front of the store, taking up three spaces. The doors burst open, and Lee, May, and Marie jumped out and raced into the store.
"I just love dress shopping!" May exclaimed, entering first and dashing for the dress rack.
"Weve got to be pretty for our boys," Marie giggled, pulling dresses off the rack randomly.
"I havent gotten a new dress in years!" Lee said, inspecting each dress closely.
"Ooh!" May exclaimed, pulling one off the rack. It was pink and light gray, with a big poofy skirt and no sleeves. "This ones purdy!"
"I want it!" Marie exclaimed, and she grabbed it, trying to pull it away.
"I saw it first!" May tugged on her end, and they quarreled as they tried to rip the dress from the others hands.
Lee walked up, took one look at the dress, and shoved both May and Marie away,grabbing the dress.
"This dress is mine, girls!" Lee said, and ran to a booth to try it on.
"Wow!" May exclaimed, taking another off the rack. This one was long and slinky, a shiny blue-green color, with spaghetti straps. "I like this one!" She too ran to try on her dress.
"Hmmm," Marie pulled dress after dress off the rack and tossed them to the floor, to the horror of the clerk. Finally, one dress caught her eye it was a red and black dress, cut jaggedly. Marie smiled.
"This will do," she said, and ran to change.
A few minutes later, the Kankers emerged from the dressing rooms, and oohed and aahed at each others dresses. "The Eds will be so impressed!" May gushed. "They’ll find us irresistible!"
"I hope so," Marie said, checking out her dress from all sides.
"Lets check out, girls," Lee said, and the three girls walked up to the counter.
"Well take these dresses, maam," Marie said, and the clerk looked shocked as the girls, one by one, grabbed the barcode-scanning gun and scanned their dresses into the computer.
Most people take off the clothes theyre buying before they leave," the clerk said finally, as Lee tossed down some money onto the table.
"Were not most people," May replied, and the three girls dashed out of the store in their dresses.
"Fish Bowl Seven is coming on," Marie reminded her sisters as they piled back into the pickup, "so dont drive so damn slow this time!"
"Shut up, Marie," Lee said, revving the engine and pulling away from Sophies Used Clothing Store, back onto the street.
*************************
Tuesday after school, the Eds were in a similar scene.
"So, you two are looking for some formal wear?" said Mr. Jones, the owner of Well-Dressed Men, the local shop for renting tuxes and buying other types of formal-wear. Ed and Edd looked at each other and nodded.
"What are you looking for?" he asked Ed.
Ed grinned. "Something old fashioned to make me handsome!"
"And you?" Mr. Jones asked Edd.
Edd shrugged. "Im not big on fashion," he replied. "Just something a little different, I guess."
Mr. Jones nodded. "Im sure I can find something perfect for the both of you!" Ed and Edd followed him towards a long row of tuxes, and Mr. Jones thumbed thru them as he surely had a million times ago.
"I know what would be perfect for you, Ed," Mr. Jones said, finally pausing and pulling a tux off the rack.
"What do you think of this one?" he asked. Eds eyes lit up when he saw it it was a large tux, and it indeed looked old-fashioned, with long tails and fancy buttons.
"That is perfect!" Ed exclaimed, and held it up to himself. "What do you think Double D?"
Edd smiled. "Its perfect, Ed," he winked, and laughing, Ed ran to try it on.
"Got anything for me?" Edd asked, and Mr. Jones scratched his chin.
"Surely, we must" Mr. Jones walked around the store, and Edd followed, eyeing allthe outfits critically. Nothing seemed to meet his taste, until finally, a shirt hidden at
the back of a rack caught his eye. He pulled it out and smiled it was a plain black shirt, with fancy silver buttons and a velvety pattern.
"I kinda like this one," Edd said, and Mr. Jones nodded vigorously.
"Thats a good choice," he said, and dashed off. When he returned, he had a pair of crisp black pants. "Try that shirt on with these pants," Mr. Jones instructed, and Edd did as he was told.
A few minutes later, the two boys emerged and admired each others outfits. Ed looked stunning in his tux, and Edd looked smooth in his outfit.
"I think these will be perfect!" Edd smiled. "Mays going to be so impressed, Ed," he teased, and Ed blushed.
The two boys returned to change back into their normal clothes, and Mr. Jones rang up their purchases. "Theres a big dance coming up, isnt there?" he asked, handing them two large shopping bags.
"Yes, Mr. Jones," Edd nodded. "The Homecoming Dance is this Friday, a little while after the game."
"You kids have fun," he said.
"We will," Ed and Edd replied.
*************************
Tuesday night, Megan trotted up to the door of her house. She smiled, as she checked her pockets for her house key - she felt she had accomplished a lot by spending the evening at the library. Now, the stars were scattered across the night sky, and she couldnt wait to dust off her telescope and have a look at the stars. Indeed, it had been a long time since she had last done that!
The house was fairly quiet when Megan entered - she figured her parents must have gone to bed early. She tiptoed around, and stopped by the kitchen to check if there were any messages for her. A yellow notepad sat near the phone, with writing scrawled across it in. It dictated that three different colleges had called for her today, all of them prestigious and picky. She smiled, and tore off the sheet, sticking it into her purse.
Megan tiptoed to her room, hoping not to disturb anyone. Once arriving, she flung her purse onto the bed, and rummaged around in her closet for the case her telescope sat in. After a minute or two, she smiled as she caught sight of it, buried under several pairs of shoes.
"Its been a while, old friend," Megan whispered to herself, as she unzipped the case. But, her amusement turned to horror as she opened the case. There was nothing inside the case! The telescope was gone, not a trace of it left.
Megan stared down in shock at the empty case - there was only one person who would stoop so low. "That little bitch," she scowled. How could Sabrina do that? This telescope was incredibly expensive!
Megan pondered the situation - she could call the police, of course, and get her into some serious trouble. That would be an amusing sight, and Megan chuckled at the thought of Sabrina being caught. But no, that didnt seem like the solution to her There was only one thing to do - keep getting revenge.
In all cases, except for this one, Megan was used to being the good girl, and she knew Sabrina was the same way. But for some reason, this rivalry over Double D couldnt dissolve! Megan knew in her heart that Edd liked her more while they were dating, than he had liked Sabrina while he was dating her.
"Thats it, Ms. Perfect," Megan growled to herself. "Youve pulled your final naughty act."
*************************
Ed had been hoping his bouts of insomnia would go away, now that he had asked May to the dance. Surely this would be a very official step of putting Penny Lane into his past! So, why couldn't he stop thinking about her?
"What time is it?" Ed mumbled to himself and looked at the clock. 4:30 - this was ridiculous! Ed was working so hard to be a member of the present, and let his memories of his beloved hippie chick slide into the past.
"I've got to think about May now," Ed told himself, running a hand thru his long hair. "We went on one date, and we're going on another this Friday. Maybe I could even ask her to be my girlfriend. I can't think about Penny anymore - she's gone."
Ed sighed - Penny was the last girlfriend he'd had. He'd been single for a very long time, and he wondered if he would even remember how to be a good boyfriend. He wasn't sure why Penny had ever dated him in the first place... All he knew was that he was glad she did.
"I wonder what Penny's doing now," Ed pondered aloud, stretching out on his bed."I'll bet she's doing well," he sighed. "She's probably famous, travelling the world and meeting lots of guys better than me." He knew it was true - with her stunning looks she was sure to have her fair share of admirers.
"I've gotta let go," Ed told himself with determination. "I can't think about her anymore.I have a date with May Kanker, and I'm going to have a great time." With that, Ed rolled onto his stomach, ready to take another attempt at sleep.
*************************
Edna groaned - why did she let Edd talk her into this again?
It was Wednesday evening, and Edd and she were walking into the Peach Creek High Softball Complex. PCH put a lot of money into their softball team, and fancy bleachers surrounded the field This last year, they had even gotten a giant screen, like the kind they have at professional games! Edna couldnt help but smile at the familiarness of the complex - she had watched many games here, first with Spud as friends, and after starting high school, she came to watch him play.
"Where should we sit?" Edna asked.
"Theres a good spot!" Edd exclaimed, pointing at two open chairs right behind home plate.
"How could seats so good just be left open?" Edna wondered, as she and Edd raced towards the chairs, snatching them up before anyone else could. Shed never had this good of a view of the game before!
"Were lucky, I guess," Edd chuckled.
A few minutes later, the game started, and Peach Creek took the field. Everyone clapped enthusiastically, including Edd, but Edna did it only halfheartedly. She just wasnt into the spirit right now. Although, she had to admit, Spud did look handsome out there - his hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail, his blue and white uniform a perfect fit Edna shook her head at her silliness.
It was a very good game, and Edna soon forgot about Spud and got wrapped up in the game - except for when everyone cheered for him at bat, then she was forced to acknowledge his existence.
"Something wrong, Edna?" Edd asked, as the bottom of the ninth began, and the first Peach Creek boy walked up to bat.
Edna stuck out her tongue at Edd. "Of course there is - I didnt want to be here in the first place!"
The first two batters struck out, and Edna slapped her forehead - the score was tied,4-4, and she figured she might be here a long time.
"Next up to bat - our "Maine Man", Spud!" the announcer bellowed, and a cluster of girls screamed.
"Hmmph," Edna frowned, but Edd was grinning.
"This is perfect!" he exclaimed, and when Edna stared at him, he clasped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment.
A murmur spread thru the crowd - because instead of pointing the bat at where he wanted to hit the ball, he pointed it at the giant screen.
"What the hell?" Edna asked, as a message began lighting up.
EDNA
IM SORRY - PLEASE FORGIVE ME
WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND AGAIN?
SPUD
A tear trickled down Ednas cheek, as she read the message silently. He had gotten a message spelled out for her, in front of all these people? Edna wiped the tear way, as Spud turned to her and smiled. Then, he turned, ready to hit the ball.
There was the pitch And in a moment of glory, Spud hit the ball for all he was worth,and it went sailing into the crowd.
"HOME RUN!" cheered the announcer, and everyone in the crowd. Spud ran the bases, and everyone from Peach Creek was in an uproar. "SPUD HITS A HOME RUN, WINNING THE GAME!!!"
Edna was ecstatic. She jumped up from her seat, and ran down the bleachers, near home plate, and after Spud touched it, he continued running to Edna.
"Did you see that?" he panted.
"Of course I did," Edna smiled, tears in her eyes.
"I meant it," he said. "I miss you."
"But but" Edna stammered, "What about Nazz? You said shes fun to look at."
"You didnt let me finish," Spud chuckled. "I was GOING to say that Nazz is fun to look at, sure But, youre fun to look at AND fun to be with. Thats why I like you."
"Oh Spud," Edna blushed, and with that, she embraced them, and they kissed, a deep passionate kiss that made the whole crowd cheer.
*************************
Brian shoved his books into his locker at the end of the school day Thursday it had been a busy day and he was more than happy to escape home and catch a quick nap before doing his homework and practicing bass. He was also feeling good because Edna and Spud had gotten back together, and now his sister was back to her crazy self.
A hand clasped onto Brians shoulder, and he yelped in surprise.
"Sorry Brian," Ed chuckled, and Brian turned around and clutched at his chest.
"You scared the hell out of me!" Brian exclaimed, and Ed and Spud laughed. "Whats up, guys? Im not done with your Marillion CD yet, Ed, sorry"
"No, its okay," Ed smiled. "Spud and I got you a gift."
"A gift?" Brian raised an eyebrow. "What kind of gift?"
"A really cool one," Spud laughed. Ed reached into his backpack, which was stuffed full with something, and pulled out something large and green. When it was all out of his backpack, Brian gasped it was a large khaki-green trenchcoat, with an anarchy patch on the chest.
"Youre one of us now!" Ed chuckled, and put the coat on Brian, who was awestruck.
"This coat couldnt have been cheap," Brian said quietly, looking down at it.
"Its no problem," Spud replied. "We just wanted you to have one, too."
"Hey, you guys!" Brian exclaimed, his dreams of resting now gone. "Wanna come over and watch my Queensryche concert video?"
"Sure!" Spud and Ed nodded.
"OPERATION EDCRIME!" Ed yelled, and Spud and Brian laughed. As the three of them walked out of the school, looking mildly like a gang, Brian couldnt help but be pleased with his friends it was nice of them to include him as a fellow "anarchist", even if it was more joking than reality. He knew next year he would be awfully lonely when Ed and Spud went off to college at least hed still have his best friend Johnny.
And Sheet, of course.
*************************
That night, Edd yawned, and stared eagerly at his bed. "Well, my homeworks finally complete," he smiled. "Now, I can go to bed and get a nice long sleep."
Edd peeled off his shirt, folded it, and set it in his laundry hamper carefully. Next came his pants, and again, he folded them and laid them in the hamper neatly. Walking around in his boxers, he hunted for an old t-shirt to wear with them for sleeping. "I must have one somewhere," he muttered as he dug thru his drawers.
Suddenly, a noise from outside caught his attention, and he straightened up. It sounded like it was coming from right outside his window! He shook his head, dismissing it as his mind playing tricks on him, and went back to searching for a shirt. But as soon as he did, he heard the noise again! This couldnt be his imagination!
Edd crept slowly towards the window, and as he did, he heard a crashing noise from outside. He ran to the window, and saw a person sprawled out at the foot of the tall tree that stretched past his window! He couldnt see the persons face, but he thought it looked a little like Marie!
"Who are you?!" he yelled, but the person didnt answer. Instead, they got up and ran off into the night, before Edd could figure out who had been spying on him.
"It couldnt have been Marie, could it?" Edd asked himself. "Shes got more respect for me than that! Just because I asked her to the dance doesnt mean she would go and spy on me Does it?"
*************************
"Are you just about ready?" Edd asked impatiently. It was the big night, and the three boys were at Eddy's house, preparing for the Homecoming Dance. Edd and Ed were already ready, but Eddy was still changing into his suit, and he had refused to let anyone see what he was wearing.
"I almost don't want to know what he's got planned," Edd cringed, as he adjusted his black shirt. "Knowing him, it'll probably be a..."
"Leisure suit?" Eddy asked, emerging. Sure enough, Eddy was decked head to toe in vintage polyester. The knit green leisure suit was perfect for Eddy and he looked ready for a night on the town.
"Um, earth to Eddy?" Edd sniggered. "It's the year 2000."
"Kiss my ass," Eddy stuck out his tongue.
"Okay, we are ready!" Ed exclaimed, and picked up Eddy and Edd, throwing them over his shoulders.
"Careful, Ed! I don't want to wrinkle my shirt!" Edd exclaimed.
Ed ran out the door and around to Eddy's driveway, where Ed's parents' car was parked. They had been generous enough to let Ed borrow it to escort his friends and their dates to the dance. It was a large tank of a thing, and there would easily be room for all of them!
"Get in, you guys! We must get to Park n Flush right now!" Ed exclaimed nervously,so Eddy and Edd climbed in the backseat. Ed jumped in the driver's seat and revved the engine. In a flash, the car was out of the driveway and down the street. A few minutes later, they were pulling into the infamous Park n Flush Trailer Court, where the Kanker's trailer had been parked for the last seven years.
"Here we are!" Ed said, and turned off the car. The three Eds climbed out, and walked slowly to the door.
"I can't believe I'm going on a date with Lee," Eddy exclaimed in disdain. "I never ever thought..."
Before the Eds could even knock, the door was swung wide open, and there stood the Kankers, dressed to the nines and grinning excitedly.
"It's our dates!" May exclaimed, and the Kankers' sighed. "They're so dreamy!" the girls said in unison, and the Eds blushed.
"Your tux is very nice, Big Ed," May gushed, stepping up to Ed's side. He looked very nervous at first, but then sighed and smiled. Eddy and Edd exchanged confused glances, and then turned their attention back to their dates.
"That's a pretty cool suit Eddy," Lee said approvingly, grabbing Eddy by the ear and dragging him towards the car, despite his protests of, "Ow ow ow!!"
"C'mon, muffin," Marie took Edd's hand. "Let's go."
"Um, yes, let's," Edd agreed.
*************************
The moment had arrived it was 9:00 sharp, the beginning time of the Homecoming Dance. Three hours ago, the football team had began their Homecoming game against the BHS Tigers, and PCH had won, 24-7! Truly, this was a night to celebrate.
The PCH gym had been carefully decorated, and everyone who entered seemed to appreciate all the hard work put into it. It was decorated in lavender and light blue streamers, with silver and gold stars hanging from the streamers and on the walls. There was a section of nice tables, and lots of floor space for dancing. A DJ was stationed at the other end, spinning well-known tunes.
As couples flowed in, Spud and Edna were two of the first to arrive. "I dont want to miss a moment of dancing!" she gushed, holding Spuds hand. He looked nervous, and nodded in agreement.
"Dancing with you is fun," he smiled, and Edna smiled back. Thru the crowds of people, there was talk of their elaborate reconciliation at Wednesdays baseball game. Clearly, this was a hot topic for the school gossips!
"Ooh, theyre playing Stayin Alive," Spud nudged Edna. "Wed better get on the floor!"
"Oh yeah!" Edna grinned, and dragged Spud out to instigate the dancing. Soon,several other couples hit the floor and began dancing as well.
"My sister is such a dork," Brian groaned, as he walked in with his date, The Morg. "Im amazed she even wore a dress usually its all leisure suits for her." Edna was dressed up in a beautiful lavender dress, and Spud had a fabulous tux. Brian and The Morg looked grand too he had a fancy deep red shirt and crisp black pants, and she had a shiny blue dress.
"I like leisure suits too," The Morg smiled, "but I left mine at home. I love the Bee Gees you wanna dance?"
"Sure," Brian smiled, and they joined the couples on the floor.
Making a "grand entrance" about 10 minutes later were the Eds and their dates, and when they arrived, the Kankers were elated.
"Look at all that food!" May exclaimed, pointing at a table piled high with snacks.
"Lets dance, muffin," Marie exclaimed, taking Edds hand and pulling him towards the floor before he could decline.
"This is a really romantic gesture, Eddy," Lee exclaimed, hugging Eddy (which was a little awkward considering the height difference).
"Um, yeah, no problem," Eddy replied, pulling himself away. "Lets just dance, okay? Thats what were here for." With that, Eddy and Lee strutted onto the dance floor, and both instantly began showing off.
Meanwhile, May and Ed dashed for the snacks. "I love food at parties," May exclaimed, cramming a donut into her mouth.
"Mmm brownies!" Ed licked his lips and picked one up. First, he took a tiny bite, but the opened his mouth wide and tossed the rest in, swallowing it easily. "Brownie fresh!"
Suddenly, a girl Ed didnt recognize walked up to May, and said, "did you see that Megan and Sabrina have the same dress on?"
"Nope," May replied, sounding uninterested, and the girl walked away.
"The same dress?" Ed asked rhetorically. "Thats funny." He looked at Sabrina on one side of the gym, and Megan on the other clearly, they hadnt realized their faux pas yet. But Ed had a feeling that was going to change, and sure enough, the two girls gaze met. The anger between them was almost visible, and Ed cringed at their icy expressions as they found each others slinky gray dresses to be strangely familiar.
They walked up to each other, their stares growing colder by the second.
"Nice dress you have there, Megan," Sabrina said, her eyes motionless.
"I must say the same about yours, Sabrina," Megan said in the same creepy tone.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose in the two girls. "DOUBLE D LIKED ME BETTER!" Sabrina screeched.
"NO!" Megan retorted. "HE LIKED ME BETTER!"
Across the gym, these words reached Edds ears, and he stopped dancing.
"Something wrong?" Marie asked.
Edd nodded. "I swear, I heard someone say my name." By now, everyone had stopped dancing, and were instead staring at the two girls. Edd pushed his way thru the crowd, Marie close behind, and when he reached the front of the crowd, he gasped Megan and Sabrina were at each others throats (literally), growling and screaming at each other.
"Double D liked ME more!" Megan growled.
"No, he liked ME more!" Sabrina spat.
"Youre both wrong," Marie laughed. "He liked, and continues to like, me the most of all!"
The two girls paused, and stared at Marie for a second, before lunging at her and including her in the catfight. Edd pressed his hands to his head, as if to block it out of his mind.
"STOP FIGHTING!" he finally yelled. "I cant stand you girls anymore!" With that, Edd dashed out of the gym. The girls didnt even notice his protests, but instead kept arguing. Finally, the principal stepped in, and split them up, ordering all three of them out of the gym they were now banned from the dance.
"This is all your fault!" Megan screamed at Sabrina.
"Its your fault, bitch!" Sabrina screamed back.
Marie plugged her ears and sighed.
Meanwhile, Eddy watched from a distance and sniggered at Edds female misfortunes. He was setting up the display to sell Dry Rains video, and Lee was watching with amusement and disappointment.
"Cmon, Eddy," Lee whined. "Lets dance some more!"
"We will, we will!" he grumbled as he loaded the display with videos. "But first Ive gotta finish my scam! Watch the display, will ya?" With that, Eddy dashed off, thru the mass of dancing teenagers, to the DJ stand. When the song ended, Eddy snatched the mike from the DJ, and grinned his most cheesy grin.
"Ladies and germs!" he bellowed. "Right now, for a mere $5, you can buy a copy of the new music video from Peach Creeks hottest new band, Dry Rain! Talk to me, Eddy, at the display over yonder," he pointed at the display, "and Ill be glad to sell you a copy! Hurry, supplies are limited!"
Eddy handed back the mike, and ran back to the display. Students were already lined up to buy a copy! Dollar signs lit up Eddys eyes, and he ran to the display to take everyones money. "One at a time!" he grinned, as everyone paid for his or her copies.
But, there was one person who wasnt pleased with the videos. Superintendent Olsen walked up, and eyed the videos critically.
"Did Dry Rain copyright their song?" he asked.
Eddy grew confused, and began sweating nervously. "Um, no," he replied. "They did a Silverchair cover song."
"You know, you need permission from the band if you intend to sell their song"Superintendent Olsen said. Eddy grabbed a tape and thrust it into his hands.
"Here you go!" he said. "Free of charge!"
"Um, thank you," Superintendent Olsen said, and Eddy pushed him away from the display before returning to his sales. Lee sighed as she watched, and finally sat down at a table by herself.
20 minutes later, the display was empty, and Eddy had a jar full of cash. "I cant believe it worked!" Eddy exclaimed happily. "Im rich!"
But his happiness turned to fear, as Superintendent Olsen walked back into the gym,heading straight for Eddy.
"Uh oh," he said, as Superintendent Olsen stood next to Eddy, looking down at him.Eddy tried to read his expression but wasnt sure what to make of it!
"I just watched this video," he said. "And I must say, I was rather impressed. What role did you play?"
Eddy breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "I directed, filmed, and edited the video, sir."
Superintendent Olsen smiled Eddy was sure hed never seen that before! and shook Eddys hand.
"You know," he said, "You could have a future in film-making. The directing was outstanding I can see you making it big in Hollywood."
"Hollywood! Fame! Fortune!" Eddy exclaimed happily, and Superintendent Olsen nodded before walking away.
Eddy ran over to Lee. "Did you hear that?" he asked. "My career search is over! I wanna be a director!"
Lee yawned. "So far, you havent been a very good date," she said, looking at the floor, and Eddy instantly felt guilty.
"Im sorry," Eddy apologized. "I guess I should be honest with you I only asked you to come to the dance so I wouldnt have to go with Dana." Lee looked up at him, and by the expression on her face, Eddy could tell he had really hurt her feelings.
"Oh, really?" said a voice behind Eddy, and he gulped nervously. He whirled aroundto see Dana, her gaze shooting daggers into him.
"I uh Yes, thats true," Eddy mumbled, not meeting her gaze. "I dont know why I didn’t want to go with you, but for whatever reason"
"I dont want to hear it," Dana growled. "Youre a creep forget I ever cared about you!" With that, she stormed away, and soon began talking with a guy Eddy didnt realize.
"Shell get over it," Lee laughed, and Eddy hung his head.
"I am a creep," he sighed, and walked towards the gym door, not looking back.
"Is something wrong with Eddy?" May asked. She and Ed were seated at a table,after several rigorous dances, enjoying a pop together.
"Im not sure," Ed replied, raising his eyebrow. "He doesnt look too happy."
May thumbed thru the Seventeen magazine someone had left sitting at the table,while she slurped on the pop. Ed watched her, and smiled there was something strangely innocent about May Kanker!
Suddenly, May stopped on a page with an article about new hairstyles, and Ed peered over at the model showing off a new shoulder-length cut. There was something oddly familiar about this girl And suddenly, Ed gasped this girl looked a lot like Penny Lane! Sure, the hair was the wrong color and length, she was far too tall, the dress was pure 80s, and the smile was unfamiliar, but there was something about her pale skin and big eyes that reminded him of his former love.
"Hey, she looks a little like Penny," May said, and looked over at Ed, who was panic-stricken. May blushed when she realized what she had said.
"Im sorry," she apologized. "Do you still like her?"
Ed sighed with this confrontation, he couldnt keep lying to himself anymore. "Yeah, I do," he said somberly. "I never got over her. She was my first love and I miss her a lot."
"I understand," May sighed. "I suppose you just want to be friends?"
Ed shook his head. "I I dont know what I want I need to figure it out."
"When you decide, let me know, ok?" she smiled.
Ed grinned. "Gravy May! Hey, Im gonna go find Eddy and Double D I will be back soon." Ed stood up from his spot and dashed out the door. May sighed, and looked back at the picture PANELOPE, it said, in small print underneath could it be?
*************************
It was a beautiful, cloudless night in Peach Creek, and the stars twinkled overhead.The glow of the full moon lit the way to a large oak tree, along the path from the school to the football field. It was here, that the three Eds were sprawled out, staring up at the stars, and pondering their so-far exciting senior year.
"Its been quite an evening," Edd sighed. "I guess you guys were right, about Megan and Sabrina fighting why do they do that? Their conflict will never be resolved!"
"Dont strain your brain over it, Double D," Eddy sighed. "Theres no way to understand girls. Theyre impossible."
"What a load of trouble," Ed frowned.
"Why are there so many girls interested in me?" Edd groaned. "I dont want to date any of them right now! I dont think Ive got time, between studying and Dry Rain, to be a good boyfriend."
"I think its the goatee," Ed said, and Edd chuckled.
"Maybe, Ed, maybe"
"What am I going to do about Lee and Dana?" Eddy asked. "I really hurt them both."
"Do you want to date either of them?" asked Edd, assuming the advice-giver role.
"Well, not right now," Eddy replied. "Danas cool, but I dont think Im ready to try again with her just yet. And Lee, well I dont think Ill ever be ready for Lee."
"You never know," Edd teased, and Eddy rolled his eyes.
"Hey, at least one good thing came out of this," Eddy said. "I finally figured out what I want to do with my life. My parents are gonna be happy with me, for once. Plus, look at all this cash!" Eddy held up the jar, and grinned.
"What do I do about May, Double D?" Ed asked, his face scrunched in concentration.
Edd chuckled. "Well How do you feel about her?"
Ed put a finger to his chin and pondered this. "She is nice," Ed said. "She makes me feel good inside. And sometimes, when I look at her, I"
Eddy clasped a hand over Eds mouth. "Too much information, Lumpy," he said, and Ed blushed.
"But, what I mean is, I do like her," Ed sighed. "But I like Penny too. I wish she would come home. Then I would date her and everything would be okay."
"Yeah, but shes not coming home, Ed," Edd reminded him. "You need to move on."
Ed nodded. "Someday I will ask May to be my girlfriend. But not yet. Not until Im ready."
"Sounds like a plan, Big Ed," Eddy said, and stared up into the sky. "You know, with all the girl problems we have, why are we still the most unpopular guys in school? Were seniors but we still get picked on by people younger than us."
"Its the curse of being an Ed, I suppose," Edd sniggered.
"Better than being a Kevin," Ed stuck out his tongue.
"Ive got an idea," Eddy said. "Tomorrow, lets drive over to the candy store and buy a ton of jawbreakers its been way too long since my last one!"
"Jawbreakers! Yum yum!" Ed licked his lips.
"What a delightful idea!" Edd smiled. "Well do just that."
The three Eds looked over, to see people were flooding out of the gym and into the parking lot. The dance was over, and the first portion of their senior year gone. Now, they would have to find something new to look forward to, and place their interest in.
After all, isnt that what high school life is all about?
"I guess we should find our dates pretty soon," Eddy smiled. "Theyre probably pretty lonely."
"Yeah, we werent very polite," Edd chuckled softly. "But then again, Im so comfortable here I really dont want to get up!"
"Corn gets stuck between my teeth," Ed commented.
"Wisdom from the Lump," Eddy groaned.
Edd smiled. "You know, being an Ed might be a curse sometimes, but its also a blessing. No matter what happens, with girls or school or life in general, were always going to have each other."
"Isnt that just touching," Eddy rolled his eyes.
"That is beautiful, Double D!" Ed exclaimed. "Group hug!" He pulled Edd and Eddy closer, into a big hug. They gasped and struggled to free themselves, but Ed wouldn’t let go. "Im hanging on forever!" he grinned.
Eddy and Edd paused from their struggling Ed had a point there. In all reality, Ed,Edd, and Eddy would always be hanging on to each other, now and forever.
The End
