Chapter Text
A dim orange glow hung over the cul-de-sac one May morning, this day held a great significance to Edd, known to his friends as Double D. For this was the first day of summer vacation. Endless possibilities for what the coming days would offer dashed through his mind. He knew that his friends Eddy and Ed, had big plans for the summer. No doubt involving many misadventures, he could see them vividly. Previous years had held many exploits, all stemming from various scams they had attempted. Most unsuccessful, with these cons invariably earning them the ire of the local cul-de-sac kids. Each of them had been given their fair share of pummeling's and humiliations, both deserved and undeserved.
But all of this was in the past, for the last two years had been spent in relative peace. The ones who had once ridiculed and mocked them, now accepted them as their own. At first this required some adjustment on the Eds part, as going from being considered the neighborhood nuisances to just being part of the group took some acclimation. Though the change was a welcome one, now Double D could enjoy his summers differently than he'd ever been able to before. No longer would he have to worry about embarrassment due to a failed scam or some other unsuccessful rip off. Most days he was free to spend his time however he'd wished.
Today though, he had plans, a carefully regimented set for chores awaited him. After all was done, he would have time for other things. Sauntering to his window, looking over the neighborhood, he noted a lingering sense of peace, for the time being anyways. He changed into his clothes; Double D hadn't made any major alterations to his wardrobe in the last two years. The only noticeable change he'd made since he was younger, was the inclusion of a long black sleeved shirt, which he now wore under his familiar red shirt. Aside from this minor alteration, the rest of his attire had remained the same.
Heading downstairs, he instantly noticed the plethora of sticky notes that littered his house. Picking one up it read "Dear Edward, your father and I expect you to have all your chores done today, love Mom". He sighed; his frustration grew. For years he'd accepted the incredible amount of work placed on him by his parents. Lately however, a growing weariness of these chores had emerged within him. Regardless, knowing that the work needed to be done, he began.
A few hours later
Eddy and Ed were busy making their way over to Double D's house, Ed was overjoyed at tonight's plans. There would be an all-night monster movie marathon on tv, and he was dying to see it.
"Oh boy, tonight will be the coolest yet!" He shouted at Eddy excitedly.
Eddy turned and looked over at Ed eagerly, he too was enthusiastic.
"Yep, you can bet on that Lumpy, we just need to get Double D in on this and we're golden."
"Y'know I wonder if Escape from the Hadron Nebula will be on tonight, it's about a lone spaceman who gets sucked into the Hadron Nebula, never to return!" Ed continued.
Both of them were eager to spend their first day of summer vacation not doing much of anything, but this was fine. So long as they were together everything was as it should be, the last two years had strengthened their friendship. Ever since they'd gone on the journey to find Eddy's brother, all had gained a sense of brotherhood with one another. The last two years had not only brought about mental changes, but physical ones as well. Eddy had grown slightly, but was still the shortest of the group, he'd also grown out his hair, which was now slicked back.
Eddy had also opted to wear a button up shirt over his usual polo shirt and light blue jeans. But the growth spurts had not ended with Eddy, in fact Ed to had picked some height. He not only sported an increased stature but had also managed to grow a few hairs on his chin. The top of and sides of his head had seen some development as well, previously Ed had sported a buzzcut but now featured a short slightly spiky cut. Though all three of them had changed and in some ways, had matured during the interim.
Most of their quirks and personalities from when they were younger still remained. As the boys continued on, they suddenly stopped to greet someone. At that moment Kevin was riding past on his bike with Nazz in tow. Kevin had noticed the two Ed's and begun to slow down, wanting to greet them. Their newfound friendship with Kevin was certainly one of the oddest things to occur to them.
Throughout the years he'd been one of, if not their greatest adversary, but he to along with the other cul de sac kids had been won over by Eddy's sincere apology to them. Ever since then, Kevin accepted them as his friends.
"Hi Kevin!" Ed said brightly.
Eddy smiled and said amicably, "Hey, how goes it Kev?"
Having fully stopped, Kevin looked at both of them and grinned. "Oh, not much, me and Nazz are just cruising right now, I think we'll see a movie later."
Ed and Eddy had then noticed Nazz, she'd been listlessly riding along with Kevin and her eyes were closed. Seeming content with herself and the situation.
"Hi Nazz." Ed said smoothly, evidently not wanting to startle her.
Stirring from her dormancy and upon seeing Ed and Eddy standing before her she beamed, "Hey guys, what's going on?"
"Me and Ed are heading over to Double D's, there's a monster movie marathon on tonight and were gonna watch it together." Eddy said this assuredly whilst Ed stood beside him
"All night monster mayhem awaits us!" Ed shouted.
Kevin looked at them and laughed "Sounds like fun, catch you guys later."
Nazz glanced back at them "Have fun you guys!"
With that Kevin and Nazz rode away. Ed and Eddy waving to them as they left, the two ventured on to Double D's.
Meanwhile
Double D had just finished putting the dishes away when he heard his doorbell ring. Edd felt drained from the monotonous undertaking of all his chores, lumbering towards the door he wondered who it was. "Now who could that be, well, I can think of two people at least." Knowing the chances of it being his friends was fairly high, he picked up pace.
Reaching the door and answering it he was greeted by the sight of his two best friends Ed and Eddy. They'd seemed high in spirit and were grinning from ear to ear, Eddy noticed Double D's weariness and questioned him, "What's with you?" "Why do you look so tired?" Ed began to wonder as well and attentively asked "Are you sick Double D?"
Double D became flustered but assured them he was fine.
"My condolences gentlemen, work has kept me busy, and as such has left me in a state of mild exhaustion."
Satisfied with his answer Eddy responded with a quick rejoinder "Well don't you worry about a thing pal, me and Ed got a plan for tonight and came over to see if you'd be interested."
Double D was immediately interested, he wondered what his friends had in mind.
"Eddy what are you planning?" He questioned.
But before Eddy had a chance to respond Ed loudly blurted out "Monster movie marathon Double D, you gotta come!"
The chance to get out of the house and spend time with his friends instantly appealed to him, he entertained the idea of staying up all night watching monster movies and thought it sounded like fun. Returning to Ed and Eddy and cheerfully declaring "That sounds… enjoyable, count me in."
Jubilantly Ed began to jump up and down, smiling widely, "Double D you're a true hero!"
Double D wasn't quite sure what Ed had meant by that, but he thought nothing of it and tuned to Eddy.
"Well what are we waiting for?"
"Let's get a move on amigo!" Eddy said as he grabbed Double D and Ed and began bounding over to Ed's house.
Just beyond the cul de sac and lying adjacent to a construction site sat the trailer park, known by few as it's official name "Park and Flush." The park was infamous for its repugnant and often creepy atmosphere. Being that the place was littered with abandoned cars, piles of tires and scattered throughout with junk. Within this decrepit and worn out place resided a trio the Eds were all to familiar with, the Kanker sisters. Since moving in they'd acted as nothing but a plague and an inconvenience to the Eds and to the other cul de sac kids at large. Their acrimony was legendary, and their attitude had been fierce. Whilst their romantic endeavors with the Eds had proved unsuccessful at the time and they generally speaking, hadn't exactly endeared themselves to the cul de sac natives.
Despite this, none of them seemed phased by the fear they caused. Or the alienation they'd experienced by their peers. Not that it mattered much. As, similar to the Eds they vehemently pursued, they were much stronger when acting as a unit, rather than as individuals. On this particular summer afternoon however, the strength of their unity would be tested.
Within the light blue trailer in which they lived; the sisters had been going about their usual activities. The youngest sister May, had just finished washing their clothes, inside lounging on the couch was the middle sister Marie, and having just fetched a soda from the kitchen was the oldest sister Lee. The past two years had not been charitable for the siblings. Their mother, who'd always been a fairly absent figure in the lives of her daughters was as ever busy with work. This left most of the what could be charitably described as "parenting" up to Lee, who'd always managed to handle it with the grace and nuance of a jackhammer.
Finances had also continued to prove a sore spot for the family, this was nothing new, but its dearth was still felt. Yet in the face of these setbacks and shortcomings, the triumvirate had always managed to remain stubborn and dogged in life. May entered with a basketful of laundry, stumbling slightly before fully entering, Lee noticed this and commented "Hey careful May, you fall over, and you'll spill our unmentionables."
May rebutted "I'm trying Lee, there's too much!"
Lee chuckled "Try any harder and you'll hurt yourself, right Marie?"
Looking to Marie yielded an unusual sight, the typically sarcastic and slightly mischievous girl hasn't said anything. In fact, she hadn't even acknowledged Lee or May's presence at all. This was definitely an abnormal sight for sure, Lee peered at Marie, studying her. She was curled up on the couch, looking away from them, her vacant eyes had been staring at the wall, yet she was seeing nothing. Seeming to be somewhere else entirely, Lee drew concern and demanded "Marie, aren't you gonna say anything?"
Lee said in her usual blunt tone, but within this there laid a hint of concern. May spoke secondly "Yeah Marie, say something already."
This honest show of worry on her sister's part managed to rouse Marie from her trance, she returned her gaze to both of them. "Sorry guys, I'm okay don't worry about it."
Marie observed her sisters and began to wonder how much they'd changed. For most, two years in life, is no more than a meager drop in the bucket. But in this short time, the Kankers, however subtly had changed and Marie was beginning to notice. She settled her gaze on May and began to examine her, scrutinizing every detail.
May, who'd always been the most naive among them had allowed the years to pass by her without incident. Out of all of them it was her who had changed the least. Practically speaking yes, she had indeed changed, she had grown taller and now wore her hair in a ponytail. But as for the rest of her, that had remained much the same, her childish optimism and cheerfulness had remained and was just as strong. Marie had taken comfort in this, and felt that this helped to "ground" her and Lee, and knowing that in spite of everything she'd remained true to herself.
Turning to Lee, Marie had begun to think about her as well, Lee had as apposed to May, changed considerably. Lee had still remained the most pragmatic and still hung on to her crass humor and jokes, but she had seemed to mature. As much as a Kanker sister could mature at least, by taking on more "adult" tasks she demonstrated this fact clearly. Lee tried not to show it, but she had grown, and she knew it. The love for her sisters was something she'd always had; nowadays however her jokes and wisecracks at their expense had become less frequent and harsh. Marie also took note of the minor changes Lee had made, most prominently her appearance.
Over the years Lee had taken the opportunity to spruce herself up a bit, she'd cut her hair shorter, meaning that both her eyes could now be seen. She'd also recently bought a short denim vest and wore it over her familiar polka dotted tank top. All the scrutiny Marie had given her sisters made her think inwardly about herself. Had she changed; Marie hadn't given it much thought. Given both Lee and May's subtle but notable transformations, it seemed only inevitable that Marie would follow suit. But she'd begun to doubt this, not having felt any different from before had worried her.
As opposed to her sisters, Marie had done very little in the way of changing either by way of her attire or her looks. She's still worn her old black tank top and green BDU pants from years prior. Marie may have been simple and immature from time to time, but she knew she wasn't stupid. Taking note of everything in her life up to that point, from her mother's continued busyness, to her sister's growth and development, to finally her growing dissatisfaction with her life, had disquieted Marie.
"Lee, what's wrong with Marie, she ain't saying nothing, do something!" May looked at Lee with a look of confusion and apprehension.
Lee responded by kneeling down to Marie's eye line and asked, "What's the matter Marie, was my joke that bad?"
Marie finally spoke, "No, it's not that, I just…I don't know, I don't feel so good y'know."
May became even more worried and earnestly replied, "Gee Marie, I didn't know you were sick, you should've said something earlier, I would've made soup."
Lee glared at May irritated "Shut up May, she's not that kind of sick."
"Well what do we do then?" May nervously asked.
"Let me think, something you want Marie?" Lee looked to Marie expectantly, hoping for a simple answer. Marie instead, quietly shook her head. Frustrated, Lee turned away from Marie and tried to think of something to help, seeing this May turned to Lee.
"What do you think she wants Lee?"
"She said she don't want nothing, but I know that ain't true." Lee continued to ponder, what could Marie possibly want now? May stared blankly at the floor, trying to come up something useful to say.
Then it came to her, a potential solution. She blurted out abruptly "What about Double D, he's smart, maybe he could help?"
Marie peeked up at the two, her interest piqued. She thought "Double D, it'd be nice to see him, but he probably doesn't want to see me, can't say I blame him."
"Y'know May, that ain't a bad idea, Marie, what do you think about that huh?"
Marie said nothing, but the thin paper smile on her lips told all. "Alright, tell you what, May and I are gonna go get lover boy for ya." Lee said walking towards the door with May in tow.
"Yeah Marie, this'll be fun, so don't worry!"
With that both left, with the trailer now seeming vacant and lonely. Marie wasn't sure what to think following her sister's promise. On the one hand she would get to see Double D. On the other was the potential for something very ugly and uncomfortable. But for now, she would wait, and began to think again. Over time, her feelings towards Edd hadn't altered in the slightest, though he hadn't reciprocated her feelings it didn't matter to her. He had still tried to be nice to her, despite having little reason to. Endeavoring also over the last two years to even help her in classes if she had asked.
For this, Marie had grown a respect and admiration for him, to her this had gone beyond a simple crush, it was now something more. Perhaps, Marie realized she had changed after all. Lee and May made their way over to Lee's truck, it was a beat-up old light blue 1970's Chevrolet C20. It wasn't Lee's first choice, but their mom had gotten it cheap, and with them all having an interest in cars or really anything with an engine, Lee had agreed to take it.
"Do you really think this'll work Lee; I mean what if Double D doesn't wanna come?"
The fact that May had even bothered to consider how Double D would react spoke volumes of how much she had matured.
"Oh, he'll come, I can be very persuasive. Besides, it's for Marie, I'm sure he'll understand."
Lee had thought that sounded like a bad excuse for what would ultimately resort to kidnapping, but she had been genuine. This was for Marie and she had hoped that it wouldn't come to that, still the option was always there if need be.
Meanwhile at Ed's House
The evening had started simply enough for the Eds. After arriving at Ed's house, the boys had begun to go to work. Ed and Eddy had taken up the task of getting the food situation taken care of. Double D otherwise was setting up in Ed's room, for the longest time he'd always dreaded the place.
It was a den of filth and disarray, a virtual symphony of grime and gunk, and complete nightmare for someone such as himself. Who he'd always prided on being neat and orderly. He finished by dragging out some bean bag chairs from Ed's closet and setting up a few fold up tables. Upstairs he heard Ed and Eddy rummaging around in the kitchen but now it seemed they were satisfied with their pillaging and headed downstairs. As they made their way into Ed's room, Double D saw them lugging around armfuls of snacks and junk food. Eddy was carrying a bag of potato chips, a bucket of popcorn, and a twelve pack of soda. Ed held some sausage links, a jar of pickles, and a box of chunky puffs. "The height of culinary artistry." Double D thought sarcastically, reclining on the middle bean bag chair.
Ed and Eddy sat either side of him, Eddy shoveling popcorn into his mouth turned to Ed.
"Hey Lumpy, when's the marathon supposed to start?"
"Soon Eddy, don't worry I checked my watch and everything!" Ed said assuredly holding his watch up for Eddy and Double D to see. Both noticed that Ed's watch was amusingly cracked and broken.
Double D attempted to amend to situation suggesting, "Well in that case, why don't we see what's on right now?"
With no hesitation Ed sprang into action flipping on his tv. At first, they were greeted with nothing but a loud static.
"Ed, turn it down for the love of god!"
Fully agreeing with Eddy, Double D covered his ears in defense of the acoustic onslaught.
"No problem guys, I'll fix it."
Helpfully Ed decreased the volume, giving Eddy and Double D some respite. Ed continued to flick through channels before finally reaching their destination.
"Here it is guys, our haven of horror, the place where all good things perish, and only nightmares remain!"
Ed's sudden theatrics had entertained Eddy and surprised Double D, but all were dismayed when at the bottom right corner, a timer was displayed. It showed that they still had about a half hour before the marathon was set to begin.
"Are you kidding, a half hour!" "What are we supposed to do for half an hour?"
Being both annoyed and impatient Eddy scowled. Once again trying in vain to ameliorate the scene, Double D attempted to proffer a solution.
"Well we could just-"
But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Ed, who offered a solution of his own.
"Oh, I know, we could read some of my comics!"
"Eh, think I'll pass, unless you got some other kind of reading material." Eddy said suggestively.
The implication however was lost on Ed, and he looked to Double D.
"Double D, did you ever finish Attack of the 50-foot Slug Mutant?"
Double D then remembered that about a month earlier, Ed had lent him his copy of the comic, he had tried to read it, but found it to be "lacking" for his literary standards. Nevertheless, not wanting to hurt Ed's feelings, Double D embellished his opinion lightly.
"Yes, I did Ed, it was very…engaging."
Ed stared blankly and said, "I thought it was mediocre, but I'm glad you liked it!"
Once again, Ed's acumen had dumbfounded Double D.
A half hour later
In spite of their growing boredom, the three had managed to stave off mania just long enough for the marathon to begin. Ed's bedroom was brimming with energy and excitement, Ed and Eddy had been waiting all day for this and now that Double D was with them, their enthusiasm was at a complete high.
The dim glow of the tv enraptured them and, bringing them closer. A man dressed in a cheap Dracula costume greeted them, beckoning them to experience the wonders of darkness and all that entailed. Outside Ed's window Double D could see that it was just beginning to get dark. "The perfect time for a monster movie marathon." he thought seeing Ed and Eddy. It was times like these that really demonstrated how close they'd all become; in the past they had fought with one another. Usually for some absurd reason or a petty argument, but that was no longer. It seemed as though all of them had grown past that and were now simply content being in each other's company. The marathon continued.
Two hours later
About two hours had gone by, and while Double D vehemently enjoyed himself an unfortunate distraction had arrived. The call of the wild as it were, had visited him suddenly and he got up to use the bathroom. Using Ed's bathroom simply wasn't an option for Double D, if the rest of Ed's bedroom had been a hotbed of bacteria. Then his bathroom was a cornucopia of contamination, and this was not something he wanted to ordeal. Therefore, he opted to use the upstairs bathroom instead, as he'd begun hurrying up the stairs Eddy called out to him "Hey where ya goin? "The best part just started."
Double D quickly hastened a rejoinder and explained "I'll be back down in a second, I just need to excuse myself for a moment if that's okay."
Understandably Eddy was placated and remarked "Alright, but don't take too long or Ed will start to miss ya."
Double D looked to Ed, seeking confirmation of Eddy's claim and was instead met with a complete absence on his part. His eyes were glued to the TV, and Double D made his exit. After finishing up and looking himself over in the mirror for any blemishes and upon finding none set about making his way back to the basement. He had just managed to reach the landing of the stairs when an unexpected noise reached him. The doorbell was ringing, unsure of how to proceed he called down to Ed.
"Ed, someone's at the door, aren't you going to answer it?"
This was only replied with "Uh sorry Double D, a little busy at the moment."
An additional response from Eddy immediately followed.
"Yeah, could you answer it sock head, you're closer."
Annoyed but nevertheless applicable, Double D promptly moseyed his way to the door, albeit begrudgingly. Standing before the front door he truly wondered exactly who would be stopping by at such an hour. Double D could always be counted on for his levelheaded and sensible reasoning skills. This however puzzled him, and an answer escaped him. As this query filled his mind, he unconsciously opened the door and was met with a frightening and an unexpected surprise.
Before him stood Lee and May Kanker, two thirds of the terrifying trio which had pursued and haunted the Eds for years. Though recently their efforts had diminished, the lasting effects of their harassment were still felt and palpable.
"Wha-Lee, May, what are you doing here?"
Double D's voice came out shaky and confused, he had meant to sound sterner and more collected. But the sudden predicament he'd found himself in had won out over his better judgement. Worried about the volume of his outburst, Lee swiftly cupped a hand over his mouth.
"Calm down Casanova, we ain't gonna bite, you're needed."
"Needed, what for?" he tried to evaluate what exactly they she meant by that.
"Lee, c'mon let's go already, I'm getting nervous." May anxiously confessed.
"Eh don't be nervous May, it's all under control."
All at once Double D was yanked from Ed's doorway and pulled towards Lee's pickup truck. A million thoughts swirled through his mind.
A few minutes had gone by since Double D's departure, and Eddy had begun to feel jittery. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he somehow knew that something was amiss. An odd sense of unease now permeated the house, not helped by the last few hours of horror movies the three had indulged in.
"Hey Ed, Double D's takin awhile in the can, don't you think?" Eddy had asked this in the hope of finding some answer.
Instead, he was met with an equally perturbed look from Ed.
"I don't know Eddy, it's weird"
While Eddy had felt restless, he didn't believe that Double D was in any sort of danger, all he had done was go upstairs. "What's the worst the could've happened?" Eddy thought trying to dissuade his growing apprehension.
"I'll go see what's up, stay here will ya?"
Eddy said feigning confidence, Ed meanwhile had stayed put, adamant in following Eddy's orders. Quickly ascending the stairs, Eddy doubted his own judgement, "This is stupid, why I am I worried, he's fine probably just-."
His thought process had screeched to a halt when he noticed the front door opened. Going to close it, Eddy laid eyes of an outlandish scene, Double D was being crammed inside Lee Kanker's truck, struggling all the while.
"Hey, what the hell are you two doing, get back here!" Shouted Eddy from the doorway, his outrage soaring across the front lawn and meeting the trio.
"Crap Lee, were busted, floor it!" May yelled.
Without hesitation Lee slammed on the pedal, speeding the truck forward and out of the cul de sac. Acting without hesitation as well, Eddy turned back towards Ed's room.
"Ed get up here quick!"
A deluge of stomps and trampling came rising from downstairs and before Eddy even had a chance to catch his breath, Ed stood before him.
"You're not gonna believe this Ed, but the Kankers just stole Double D."
This situation was a strangely familiar one, years ago Ed had also been kidnapped the Kankers, and was subsequently subjected to, as Double D would call it an "amorous onslaught". This night however, history would not repeat itself, as Eddy and Ed refused to allow to same ordeal to befall Double D.
"To the trailer park Ed, let's go get sock head back!" Eddy declared, with Ed in full agreement.
In Lee's Truck
"What's going on here, what are you two doing?" Double D exclaimed, trying hard not to be hysterical.
"I told ya we should'a just been honest with him Lee, now he's scared to death over nothing." May said glancing at Double D, then looking back to Lee.
"Calm down May, I already said it's under control, hey Double D."
Gazing up at Lee, Double D was transfixed, partially from fear, but also from genuine curiosity as to what she would say.
"Like I said before, you're needed, it's also real important, so stay sharp alright." This attempt at an explanation had only served to perplex Double D more.
"Yes, I know that much, but you haven't specified exactly what I'm needed for." He couldn't be sure how Lee would respond to his continued questioning, but Double D required a more substantial explanation. The vague descriptions given by Lee and May were beyond lacking.
"It's…it's Marie." Lee's voice had changed, it was different now.
Her inflection and tone had become serious and subdued.
"She ain't feelin so hot right now and well…we figured since you and her were "familiar", you could help us out."
Double D was at a loss for words, all he could do was think, "That's what this is about, an ad-hoc treatment for Marie's woes, I don't know what makes them think I can help, I'm no doctor." But the more he toiled over it in his head the more it had begun to make sense, "Well I can't exactly say no, but even if I could, I don't think I would, after all, this entire thing is for Marie's sake, whatever it is must be serious."
"Yeah, we thought you could use your boyfriend magic on her." May's offbeat comment was enough to snap him out of his contemplation.
"Oh, be quiet May, he's already got enough on his mind."
The closer they arrived to the trailer park, the more discombobulated Double D's thoughts became.
Ed and Eddy had left the house in a flash, springing into action both made there way to their obvious destination. The trailer park, though they both feared the place, and associated it with memories of torment and angst. They knew that in order to rescue their friend, these worries would have to be pushed aside. Though the night had initially been relatively calm and placid, the weather had now begun to change. A slow and gradual rain had started up, not helping the confidence of the two.
"Ah man, can you believe this, of all the times…" Eddy said irritated and trailing off.
Ed said nothing stoically marching forward, seeing this Eddy wondered what was going through Ed's mind, probably nothing he figured. But with Ed one could never fully be sure exactly what he would say or do. Soon they reached the construction site, a clear indicator that they were rapidly closing in on their target. Sensing that a plan of action was in order Eddy quickly ushered Ed into a huddle.
"Alright lumpy, we can't just go rushing in there, we gotta be smart about this."
Eddy watched Ed for a sign of thought, but none was there. Ed simply stared blankly ahead at him, before finally smiling and saying, "I can't think of nothin Eddy, my plans don't work remember."
Eddy did remember, he remembered the few times Ed had been allowed to lead a scam, needless to say they hadn't ended well. Right now, though they needed to think, to come up with a plan. Just then it struck, inspiration, it was simple, but Eddy thought it could work.
Turning to Ed with confidence he divulged his strategy, "I got it, Ed listen carefully…"
Lee's truck shuddered to a halt in front of the trailer, in the brief moment of silence, all Double D could do was endure his nervousness. He recognized the trailer, he knew it well, though it had been awhile since his last visit. It was all to familiar to him, at once a flood of emotions poured into him. Feelings he expected like anxiety, worry, and general unease. A feeling he hadn't expected was an odd sense of familiarity, the memory of the first time he and the rest of his friends had met the sisters rolled into recollection.
"Everybody out, c'mon." Lee commanded, ushering them all out.
"Marie's gonna flip when she sees you Double D!" May beamed, cheerfully strutting towards the trailer.
Double D didn't share their elation, he was till contemplating his plan for Marie.
"Hey lover boy, I need to talk to you for a sec."
Double D stopped and turned to face Lee.
"Yes, Lee what is it?"
"Listen, I know this whole things been pretty sudden, and you might be mad or something."
Double D listened will full attention, he'd known for years, that of all the sisters, Lee had been the most "realistic "of the bunch. Being aware of this, it came as little surprise to him that she would be the one to handle the situation.
"But our sisters in there and even if we ain't the best at showing it, we love her, so whatever you do just try to help her."
This newfound humility on the Kankers part, humbled Double D considerably.
"Well Lee, regardless of the circumstance, I'll try my best to help her, however I can." Double D tried to sound positive in his approach, fully knowing this confidence was a deception. Lee had taken this assurance at face value and regained some of her composure.
"Good to know, cause if you make her sad, I'll break your nose." Double D could decidedly say that Lee's proclamation hid no such deception.
The rain had begun to pick up more and all three entered the trailer. Inside, the atmosphere was clearly different, the bitter cold had been swept aside and made room for a cozy aura. Double D was glad to be out of the rain, even if it meant taking shelter in a place, he held a strong aversion to.
"We're back Marie." Lee announced aloud.
"We got you a present to!" May jubilantly cheered.
Marie was no longer slouched over on the couch; she was now in the kitchen rooting through the fridge. Upon hearing her sisters' entrance, she timidly peeked over the refrigerator door, seeing both her sisters and her reluctant boyfriend. Though all of them attended the same high school, this year due to the home room changes, she hadn't been able to see Double D nearly as much as she wanted.
This brief reunion somehow felt more meaningful that perhaps it normally would. Marie felt oddly sheepish, typically she held no qualms about her feelings. In that instant however her moxie vanished, leaving her feeling startlingly vulnerable. Howbeit seeing Double D before her had given her some boldness and she gently sauntered over.
"I tell you what, May how's about you and me go for a ride, give these two some time alone." Lee hastily began escorting May outside.
"Aw but we just got back, can we at least stop for snacks on the way?" May sincerely asked. "Sure, thing bucko, anything you want."
Both girls left promptly, leaving the two of them alone with each other.
"Shall we sit down Marie?"
Double D shifted over towards the couch, taking the lead. Trying to take control of the situation and thereby attempting to help Marie, Double D still had no plan of action. The only angle he had was the simplest one, simply hear Marie out, listen to whatever concerned her and act accordingly. Marie complied and joined him on the couch, sitting closely next to him.
"So, tell me, what's wrong Marie, you're unusually dreary."
Double D had hoped his characteristic vocabulary wouldn't scare Marie from opening up and to his relief it hadn't.
"I'm glad you're here Double D, even if it's against your will, I didn't ask them to bring you here, they decided that."
As Marie spoke, Double D couldn't help noticing her eyes, these weren't her eyes. These were the eyes of someone vacant or lost, "What's bothering her?" he wondered.
"Well, Marie I appreciate your concern, but don't worry about me, I'm asking about you."
He tried to be as direct as possible while still being understanding, "Please Marie, just tell me, I want to help you." It was the only thought brimming in his mind, his nerves were shot, and he wanted to get to the bottom of all this.
"I'm sad Double D, and scared, and I don't know why."
Suddenly all at once the trailer, which had felt oddly cozy, now felt cold and eerily claustrophobic. Double D felt his heart sink with her words, but why? Why did he feel this way, when years ago, this same girl and her sisters had taken great joy in tormenting him and his friends. Was this some kind of sick joke or awful prank? "No" he thought, because here she was spilling her guts to him, showing him a side of her he'd never seen. Sure, he'd seen her "love", her anger, and even her jealousy but not this. This was different, it was too real for him, and he had difficulty understanding it. All of this was too new and unfamiliar for him and like before, he had nothing, no idea, no plan or action.
"I've been thinking a lot lately, about my sisters, my mom…my dad." His stare returned to her sullen gaze, "Feels like sometimes, I just…I mean I suck at school, I've got no friends, my mom's always working and…"
She faltered, caught up in her own thought. Finally, the pieces had fallen into place, it was starting to make sense. At last, he knew where to begin.
"I'm your friend Marie, I like you and I'm here."
Those simple words had spoken volumes to Marie. It was something, maybe not much, but something showing her, that not all was bad. Hearing it come from Double D was especially meaningful, "Thanks Double D, I appreciate it."
She had begun to lighten, her mood slowly brightening. "Well, she looks happier, it's a start at least." That had been his first positive thought since his abduction, he then shifted to his next idea.
"Y'know Marie, despite everything that's happened over the years, I never hated you, I just wished you'd gone about things…differently."
Directly looking at him, she wondered herself, "What does he mean by that exactly?"
"Really, cause I thought for sure after everything we did, you'd hate my guts." Her voice was still subdued but energy returned gradually.
"No, I don't hate anybody, especially not you, you're to…idiosyncratic to hate."
Looking at her generated at a funny expression. Confusion.
"I assume that's a compliment, she chuckled, you and your big words."
Another new expression, she smiled at him, and he returned the feeling. Emboldened by her progress, Double D decided to make sure this night ended on a positive note. Rising from the couch, and walking over to the record player sitting across from them he begun to flip through the various albums they owned. Marie had no response to this; her curiosity was piqued and she stared attentively at him. It didn't take him long to find a fitting choice. Double D put the record on, and the song began to play.
Turning to face Marie he had only one question, "Do you want to dance with me?"