Mother of Whatever From High Atop the Thing, four and a half years since this was conceived! Four whole damn years! It's absolutely astonishing that I'm not finished yet! So, since we all love those author's notes that disrupt the wonderful sensation of the first person narrative, here are a few things I wanna tell you before you commence reading; whether for the first time or the forty-second. Trust me; you're gonna wanna read this...

This started out as a request from then user Animeangel088 who asked for an Edd/Marie story where Double-D's overprotective sister came back to rescue him from their neglectful parents. Sound simple enough? It was! Then came...

The Detest for the Con Artist; The Choices We Make (such an inspired title, wouldn't you say?) which was a reply to a competition concerning Eddy/Sarah, at which point I thought it would the most brilliant literary move ever to combine the two into one single narrative. So-so, in my older, not necessarily wiser, opinion. So, check it out, if you want to; it's not a must to read to fully understand this story but I think it's a delight, like a behind-the-scenes, like this is to that story. Actually, no; don't! Not until it too suffers the fate of this story...

A massive fucking rewrite. Yes, you should be terribly excited! You see, it was only after the great KevEdd outbreak of 2013 when the EENE ward of the asylum called fanfiction dot net was overflowing with poorly written, porn-without-plot, so-many-plot-holes-you-could-shove-a- Well, whatever you choose to shove into holes. And no, I was actually thinking about how we plugged up a friend's leaky boat summer last. Dirty, dirty reader; go sit in the corner and re-evaluate yourself!

Where was I? Oh, yes! The whole thing made me realize, with the unknowing help of two fantastic and most of the time unbiased authors, that I am not as innocent as I might have imagined. See, this story is not just about choices; it's about change. And, thinking back on the change that I myself have experienced in the four years (I feel ancient, good grief) since I first penned up this story, I realized that there wasn't enough of it in this story, certainly not enough after six or so years, transcending from childhood into adulthood.

To sum it up; this is not the story you've read before, the story you'll read again or even the story you're reading now. It's in a state of constant flux, barely if ever making sense. So, until the last of the last chapter has been posted (trust me, I've known this story inside and out for about three years now... He said after making an incredulous statement of massive rewrites), consider yourself in for a hell of a ride!

Oh, and I don't own any of the mentioned franchises and brand names in this story, yada, yada, yada; solemnly swearing that I'm up to no good!

Peace!

Chapter 1 – The Aftermath, Rewind, the Beginning.

Day eighteen; 2:04 A.M.

Oh, you don't know what a bad moment you have caught me at.

As you do not know me and I not you, I must begin by begging your pardon for intruding in your everyday life, but… I'm in a lot of danger right now. I don't expect your help since there is nothing anyone can do for me. There is no hope left.

Certain, if not all, authorities must be searching for me by now, the Kanker sisters are most definitely after me and it would not surprise me if my neighbors in the Cul-de-Sac have set out on a spare-no-expense manhunt. But the most dangerous by far; the one who could find me with a simple button press, the one who has the most to lose with me sitting here unharmed, the one who would not hesitate to kill me on sight is my sister.

Of course, you may know of me in which case the chances of you knowing about her are rather slim. You see, while my sister has been a big part of my life, I have always been reluctant to talk of that part because it was easier to disillusion people with lies than to admit the truth; if even towards oneself. Not unlike the case of Eddy's brother. Eddy… How fast worlds can turn in less than one month; barely even three weeks. Seventeen days to be more precise.

My current location is a secret- Actually, no, ignore that; if they really want to find us, they will do so. We, being myself and my friend Ed, are currently positioned under a bridge while the fire from our abandoned vehicle above us is creating the illusion that the surface of the lake in front of us is ablaze. As anarchistically beautiful as it is, it's also a beautiful way to locate us. But I believe Ed's in no condition to travel a great distance, much less stand up. So we are temporarily trapped here, waiting for one of them to find us. Whoever wins the race. Just as well; it's been too long a day for my liking.

Oh, we have not been involved in an accident if that's your first conclusion, quite the opposite; the reasons for Ed and I ending up on this lake shore are plentiful. Just like nothing these last seventeen days have been anything close to accidents; it was all parts of great plans out of my control, leaving me with the dreadful consequences. Eddy's atrocious betrayal. Kevin's hatred. Sarah's attempted suicide. Marie's… Marie's… She…

Marie. Marie Kanker.

If you know who I am, which I am going to assume you do to some degree, you're bound to know of Marie. Of course, on the offhand you know neither of a beautiful young woman by the name of Marie Kanker or myself, I think introductions are in order. My name is Eddward, Eddward Hammer; Double-D for short. I'm probably most known as part of the trio Ed, Edd and Eddy... Which is no more. As you may know or have figured out; I am the one they call Edd in the small, infamous group.

The first one in the group, Ed Firefly, is the one sitting next to me right now; observing the lake with an empty stare. I'm not all that certain he knows everything that has transpired and I know that he's in no state to be told all of these horrible events in this moment. For all I know, he might never be the same after tonight. But then again... What is?

The last one… Eddy McGee. We were like brothers; bickering back and forth at times, only to be closer than ever at the next moment. But it's his fault. Everything is his fault. If he hadn't- She would've- They both would've- God damn it, I hope she'll find and kill that bastard.

…

I apologize. Slowly, piece by piece, it's all starting to sink in. What's happened. What drove us away from our home. What killed them. The mere fact that… That they're...

I wonder how long we can hide under here. Immobilized by exhaustion and grief. The flaming wreck, once a broken down purple van containing a water-bed, is the perfect synonym for what tonight is; a distant memory symbolizing the end of all things familiar and safe. And for now, I have nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company. Well; and you, of course.

Perhaps… If it's not too much of an inconvenience, could I perhaps trouble you with a recount of this whole journey? Not for entertainment reasons, I assure you; this is a dire story of true love, horrid betrayal, the death of friends, unimaginable powers hidden in plain sight and cucumber soup.

…

I must warn you; by the time we reach the end, I may not be the very same man speaking with you right now and chances are you will not go unaffected by this horrendous story.

…

Very well, do not claim later that I have not warned you.

I will always consider the beginning of this story, the downfall of my life, to be dated seventeen days back because... Well, that was the starting point when she came back to Peach Creek and I became a pawn in a much bigger game than I could ever imagine.

But there are... Moments, mere glimpses that play an even bigger role, a more important role, in this story; in my relationship with Marie Kanker. Fleeting droplets in the vast ocean that played a part in creating these events; a mirror into ones-

She often said I could become incredibly melodramatic when I got worked up.

Moment two; 24th of December, 5:17 P.M.

I remember it so well; it was Christmas Eve and the snow was falling peacefully. Which, I must admit, was close to a miracle; the frozen rain had always had a tendency to cover Peach Creek in one all-out assault, leaving the males in charge of the snow shovel to groan an awful lot whenever they needed to even open their front door.

The Cul-de-Sac was... Quiet, almost unusually so. Though it had been a few years since us older residents had engaged in winter wonderland games, Sarah and Jimmy had always made sure to keep the playfulness alive; either making snowmen on our respective lawns that could greet or scare the living daylights out of us or something as simple as ambushing Rolf into a war of snowballs when he was dressing up Victor in a sweater made by his own hair.

But this winter, there were no such sounds. Sarah had traveled up to her and Ed's uncle near the Canadian border in Montana for Christmas and Jimmy had suddenly disappeared one day a few months earlier; the only explanation he had offered, to Sarah through a tear stained note, was that his parents were being transferred across the country and that he hadn't had the heart to bid farewell in person. It was tragic to see one of us go, so suddenly too, but as the end of our last year of high school grew nearer and nearer, some part in all of us accepted Jimmy's departure as the firm fact that our lives were going to move on. College, work, general adulthood. Our precious times frolicking in Peach Creek were drawing to a rapid close.

As I knew that Ed, Eddy and I were going to spend Christmas Day together, as we so often did, I had decided to take this whole day as an opportunity for solitude and just engage in activities that I and I alone could appreciate. Understand me correct; it was always jolly good fun to watch movies with Ed, listen to music and discuss everything imaginable with Eddy, even ponder over the enigmas of the universe with Jonny, but there were always activities that quite simply could not be executed with other people.

So, after making a stouthearted breakfast, I enveloped myself on my couch in a few blankets, a pot of tea and some gingerbread men while immersing myself in a few episodes of Carl Sagan's journey into the Cosmos. Once I had deemed traveling about in the Spaceship of my Imagination enough for one day, I made myself lunch before diving into The Hobbit; the first book I remember Father reading to me at bedtime and only around Christmas time. I never knew why the holidays or why that particular book and while it only occurred during the first few years of my life, I definitely cherish it. Not only because of the valued time with Father or the classic tale of a physically disadvantaged hero who goes on fantastic adventures, but also how it's possible for an entire mythology, an entire world to come from the mind and imagination of a single human being. If the subject should ever come up again, which I believe it will, I shall tell you why I find it so immensely fascinating, nostalgia and personal identification aside.

I estimate that I was something around three quarters through when the darkness began to fall outside, quickly as it so often does in the last months of the year. Putting aside the brilliant work of Tolkien, I hurriedly packed my backpack with necessities, got dressed up and embarked outwards. Striding across the silent Cul-de-Sac, wandering through the forest in the almost complete darkness, I reached my destination mere seconds after lighting my flashlight.

No one, to my knowledge at least, sat foot near the swimming hole apart from the four to five months when hypothermia wasn't immediate jumping in and it was therefore an ideal place to be alone in the great outdoors; a kind of Fortress of Solitude, so to speak. Though many a summers had passed since the children of the Cul-de-Sac used to crowd around it and the rivalry between Eddy and Kevin was more aggressive and outspoken than it was now, the somewhat secluded location looked about the same as ever. If you overlook the fact that everything appeared much bigger back then, as beloved locations from ones childhood so often do once revisited years later.

Really though, I remember some summers back when Eddy came up with the brilliant idea to climb the cliff overlooking the hole and I in my foolish state believed that shade could be possible at a higher altitude. Climbing it, I recall, was a harrowing experience, not merely because of the rapid elevation of the cliff but the ridiculously high temperature as well. Oh, yes; it was at that time Ed acted as a camel for Eddy which was... Very weird, surely a result of all the Korean animation he watched that summer... I lost my trail of thought... Certain friends appear to have influenced me. Wait- Right!

Ascending the cliff on Christmas could not have been more different; I was as alone as could be, it was cold enough for my breath to be visible, the moon shined down upon the forest and it couldn't have taken me more than a minute to get up there this time.

Right; the point. I've never really noticed how easy it is to be sidetracked by going down other paths, especially when ones interest lies within avoiding the subject or activity all together. Which I just did again.

I went up there, to the top of the cliff on Christmas Eve, to look at the stars. There it is. I laid out a blanket, prepared the slightly cheaper hobby telescope I could bring outdoors with good conscience, lit up the family's old kerosene lamp and made sure I had packed down the two thermoses containing coffee and hot chocolate. Looking down on the temporary camp I had erected in the snow, I smiled slightly. Others may have deemed sitting in the snow, alone on Christmas, madness and maybe it was just so; maybe I was a little bit mad. But rather mad and smiling wide than sane and dead inside, as an old friend so elegantly put it once.

Taking my seat on the woolen blanket, I leaned back and gazed up for a minute; thinking back on the year we had been treated to. The last... Normal year, of sorts. Or the last abnormal year, if you want to. Whichever way, it had been the last full year of our child- and teenagehood that we all would spend together; friends or not.

I knew that wherever I would decide to attend college, Ed and Eddy would not. Or rather, their grades would not allow them to. I could at least trust them to match up their applications and choose a suitable location in correlation to mine. So our time together would not... Of course... At least, we thought it would not simply end. We were stronger than that. We really were.

Nazz and Kevin... I almost forgot, I had to describe them separately. It was a rather tumultuous year for the high school's power couple candidates; the beginning of the end I suppose was when it was announced that Kevin was to be promoted to Captain of the Peach Creek Cobblers, our noble football team, and Nazz to receive the same honor, within the cheerleading squad though. This lead to an awful lot more attention to both of them, bad and good. In the case of Nazz, it was mostly overconfident sportsmen with underlying motives; at least that's all that Kevin could see and, I must admit, it certainly looked that way to most of us outsiders too. The judgement day for their relationship happened to coincide with last year's graduation where the ceremony was briefly interrupted when she shouted that she had had enough of his 'overprotective, jealous jackass-ery attitude and junk'. The Peach Fizz Fizzlers, our equally noble swim team, made sure to have that quotation printed up on four dozen T-shirts by the time the new semester rolled around.

I refrained from thinking that Kevin was, is, a bad person though, quite the contrary; while Nazz had always been the affection of most males around the Cul-de-Sac, she never really seemed to acknowledge it or maybe even understand it, something I can say carried on to this day. And I think we can both imagine a worst case scenario for the blue-eyed, naive, blonde cheerleader from the secluded small-town community. So, in a way, I could actually begin to understand his obsession with keeping Nazz's friends of the male sex limited.

Rolf, I imagined, would most probably pack up his farm, his animals, and move back to... Well, 'the Old Country' I presume will suffice for narrative purposes. During a conversation we were having not too long ago, he mentioned the unlikeliness of him even wanting to find work here in the States; he was a child of the Earth, a plough horse designed and built for physical labor, the will of the shepherd rushing through his blood. I am paraphrasing heavily; almost ten years later and he has yet to rid himself of his native speaking habits. Then there... I mentioned Sarah and Jimmy previously... Jonny. Oh, dear lord; Jonny. It was the oddest thing.

Nazz, for whatever reason one can have for such a thing, had decided to host an outstanding party for all the freshmen annually since our own sophomore year, which always took place on the second Friday of September. There were usually no major mishaps for a party that size; some broken glasses, someone throwing up, unwise decisions made concerning sexual relations but that can just be considered collateral damage at most parties. But then there was the one last year... I'll give you more detailed information on it later but for now, let's just say that it was an absolute nightmare from Hell's seventh circle. Getting to my point though; no one had seen Jonny since, no one had heard from him, people were even starting to doubt if he had even been at the party to begin with. Then I received a postcard, written and signed by him. Dated and stamped in Singapore. Which... Is all we really know, even now seven months later; not how he got there from Peach Creek, not when he left the party, not even why he would even want to go there, but that he is safe, sound and stuck in Singapore and has been since the second Saturday of last September.

Don't ask. Just don't.

Last, and definitely not least, there were the Kanker sisters. The nefarious trio who had popped up at the start of... The very same summer we climbed the cliff and had made it their lives' apparent purpose to chase Ed, Eddy and me down in the delusion that we were destined for each other. I can assure you; the treatment we received, the way they expressed their supposed emotions, would most certainly be labeled as sexual harassment had it occurred today. On other days, as a stark contrast, they would tease us mercilessly, verging on pure bullying, just because... Well, we were afraid. If they did catch us, which they almost always did, we didn't stand a chance. Physically stronger, mentally stronger and cunning as few. Ferocious generals against an untrained pack of rag tag soldiers. Sure, we had the strength, intelligence and stubbornness to weasel our way out of it a few times but that was between the three of us. If ever they trapped one of us alone, we were defenseless. Like pumas cornering their pray, like vultures swooping down on the weakened antelope in the desert, the violent shredding of flesh that the claws of the tiger-

There I go, thinking of you again. How you used to act towards me, in comparison to these last seventeen days. The cold, ruthless tactician against the misunderstood diamond in the rough. Misunderstood; not merely by myself and the world but so often by yourself too. Oh, my dearest friend; how did it come to this?

...

Apologies. If you recall, melodramatic soliloquies?

They subsided, drastically, when our sophomore year came around. The Kankers' seemingly unrelenting pursuits of us, that is. In fact, their overall attitude towards everyone around them seemed to soften the slightest. They still kept to themselves the majority of the time but spotting a glimpse of them no longer meant a doomed and X-rated fate. As I said though, they merely subsided; there were still times when they would appear out of nowhere and chase us down, though not for one-sided sessions of amour it would seem. Ed and Eddy, especially Eddy who never really let go of his suspicion towards the sisters, were completely thrown off by this and began, as an example, the rather irritating habit of looking behind them twice before opening a door slowly, as not to draw attention to themselves; all in the belief that they were going to be ambushed at any moment of the day.

I often wondered; what complied them to fall for the three of us? Why show it in such an infantile manner for such an extended period of years? Why even continue in such a sporadic pattern after an apparent halt in activities? Something just... Didn't feel right about it. Almost ironically, a cold breeze sent a chill down my spine.

Old times, old friends. It's amazing how lost you can get within your own thoughts, just thinking about what has already been written, what is permanent, when what's in front of you is so much vaster and greater than anything else. A whole sea of endless possibilities. Just think of the scenarios that could unfurl as I was sitting there; I could dream up another fantastic invention like the ones that marked so many childhood hijinks, perhaps find a constellation of stars long forgotten that Grandfather once pointed out on the great Chicago sky, an uncharted meteor shower or something as imaginative as observing an extraterrestrial vessel on a quest across the universe. Who really knows what great things the future holds?

"Oh. Hey, Double-D."

I'll tell you; whoever it is, that being has to have a twisted sense of humor.

Old, familiar reflexes kicked in; I stumbled to my feet and quickly spun around, eyes darting around in search for a possible escape route. Coming up from the same path I had was Marie Kanker, appearances not so different from the cunning, ferocious animal I had just been thinking about. The black beanie that covered her ever so blue hair was a new detail, the beaten up leather jacket a few years old and the pair of dark blue jeans hanging loosely on her hip were most likely new as well; they were still intact around the knees.

"M-Marie! What- What are-" Calming the initial panic seeing Marie always sparked, inquiries about her presence began to pop up; she was far down on the list of people I could imagine encountering on that cliff.

"Calm your shit there; I was walking around the forest 'cause Lee kicked me outta the kitchen. The fuck does she think she is telling me how to cook a damn turkey?" She took a look around the majestic scenery, gazing down upon the lake below and the snow covered tree tops surrounding it before staring firmly at a point in the distance and though I did not dare to take my eyes off of her, I still suspect that it was the trailer park she was observing. "Anyway, I saw your lamp and was wondering who the hell would be dumb enough to be up here Christmas Eve." Right, the kerosene lamp. I didn't tell her in that particular moment but in commemoration of my paternal grandparents, I lit it on special occasions we used to spend together; birthdays, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Day. It's nothing, really; the lamp had always been hanging in- Sorry, one thing at a time.

"Uhm, yes, well- I was- I mean I am-"

"Stargazing?" I tore my gaze from her for the slightest of seconds to spare the assembled telescope next to my foot a glance.

"... Yes. A bit unorthodox, I presume-"

"No, no, you spend Christmas however you like; I'm not one to judge. And, y'know, perfect night for it." Cue the awkward silence. Well, I perceived it as such; she had turned her attention upwards, eyes sweeping the starry sky. I was bewildered; should I keep standing there? Sit down? Pack up, claim to be done for the night then run for dear life? Or, God forbid, do the polite thing and invite her to sit down? It was all so new to me; having what appeared to be a civilized conversation with a person, a young woman at that, with whom my word exchange had been limited to 'please stop', 'mercy' and 'oh, the inhumanity' for numerous years. And having been taken by such surprise, what were my emotions towards her? After everything she had put me through? "I should... Probably head back home. Wouldn't trust Lee with dinner alone on my life. Besides, big sky; gonna take a long time to see all the stars."

"Quite, yes." Processing every outcome, every possibility, I was too distracted to react or even listen to what she was actually saying. Now that I think about it... It must have appeared as if I just stood there, staring at her dumbfounded.

"But, there was a... Thing I wanted to, y'know, tell you." Oh, lord, here it comes. 'Merry Christmas, Sugar Plum' and then I'm on my back in the snow. I just hope that the lipstick she's wearing is- "Sorry." ... Okay, wasn't expecting that.

"What?"

"Look, I..." She took a hesitant step forward so that we stood somewhat leveled, adjusting the beanie slightly and pushing in a few strands of hair that had fallen out before violently shoving her hands into her pockets and letting out a shaky breath. If I didn't know any better, I would have been so bold as to say that... Marie Kanker was nervous. "All that shit May, Lee and me did to you guys? The kissing, the teasing- Fuck, you know what I mean; back when we were royal cunts to you Eds."

"..." I opened and closed my mouth, whatever words I felt suited the situation never reached my suddenly blank mind. Instead, I just slowly nodded.

"I just... Hate myself for the way we- the way I acted, for what I put you through, how I showed my feelings to you. 'Cause I did, I really did. Still do, y'know." She sounded so casual about it, like we were discussing school or the weather. "It doesn't excuse what I did but I just wanted you to know that you weren't some random kid I just decided to terrorize and... Bully, I really liked you. I was just too fucking stupid to show it in a smart way." It wasn't until she looked back up that I realized that her eyes had wandered to the lamp during the course of the conversation. Usually so sure of herself, dominating whatever situation she was in... Now just a nervous person like anybody else. Was this a dream? No, it couldn't be a dream, no, nor some form of plot to lure me into a sense of false security. No, this was more than that. This was real. She was really apologizing to me.

"Okay..."

"I'm not expecting some kind of shitty Disney miracle where you suddenly forgive me and we're the best of friends or fucking our brains out happily ever after-" I couldn't help but blush at the crude phrasing. "- I don't even need you to like the person I am or forgive me, like, ever. I just... Want you to know that I'm sorry. I fucking well am sorry."It could have been the brief winter breeze or merely my imagination but for a moment, it looked as if a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm..." I didn't know what I was, I didn't know what I was feeling; I now had too many thoughts to express, so many that I ended up with absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing to say. So I whispered. "Thank you."

"Merry Christmas, Double-D." Flashing me a sad smile, she quickly turned around and began making her descent through the snow; a few well-descriptive curses echoing up every now and then. Left there was me; confused, standing ankle deep in snow and a million different thoughts and feelings that all wanted to be heard at the same time rushing through my head.

I can tell you, I didn't stargaze much that night. In fact, I packed together my things rather hastily, went home clutching the lamp and stared at the turned off television for an hour straight without removing my coat.

Of course, she got her 'shitty Disney miracle'. Even if she wouldn't have gotten... Every point of it, I most probably would have accepted a friendship with her; the route of individual development she chose ended up feeling compatible to my own, even from a platonic point of view.

... Right.

...

Anyway... This moment was essentially a seed of beginnings for over the next few months, her apology rooted in my mind and slowly grew alongside my relentless curiosity. Every time I passed her in the hall, every time I glanced that blue hair in the cafeteria, every time Ed and Eddy took an enormous detour to class because she and her sisters were taking an extra long time at their lockers, more and more questions arose within me; some were answered over this time, some I dared not ask her.

Because yes, we did talk. Not overly long heart-to-hearts, barely even what could be considered conversations. It was... Polite, the usual 'how are you?' routine you do with people you barely know. And that was it; I didn't know her, the person that I had been acquainted with, if that, had seemingly matured over a few years during which I was not paying attention. So there I was, faced with the possibility of a fresh start, with this somewhat stranger who obviously wanted to repent for her wicked ways.

Was that not the way I should have chosen? To forgive and forget, live and let live? I know several choices I made as a pre-pubescent that I could have been happier without, an awful lot involving certain scams, so... What differentiated her regret from mine? It's different, I imagine, since I walked into those situations with pure intentions but I still could have learned from experience and put my foot down before things got so incredibly out of hand. But the other children forgave us and gave us the second chance we quite possible did not deserve so why should I, especially after all this time, not grant Marie the same luxury when she seemed to want to make it right by me?

... It's absolutely astonishing how almost four months worth of theorizing, hypothesizing and general pondering can be summarized in two paragraphs.

Now, in normal cases, I would tell this story in a linear format as one usually does; beginning, middle, end. But... To tell the truth, I barely even know where to start, much less continue and I'm quite sure the story is not over even as I sit here, under the bridge. So, if you have the patience, I will do what Ed often does and simply complete the narrative as I go along with whatever pieces are missing. For in my current position, who wouldn't become an unreliable narrator?

So... Seventeen days ago. Feels like a whole other lifetime, a life led and forgotten.

Day one; April 17, 4:12 P.M.

"No, Eddy, just no; I advise you to give up on all these foolish plans." It was an afternoon like any other; after a long day of studies (long according to my two friends) at Peach Creek High School, we were on our way home to our neighborhood on Rethink Avenue. Eddy, who had always been the unpronounced leader of our trio, was throwing suggestions for scams out in the air. Not unlike the Kanker sisters', we had ceased with those activities around the year we enrolled in high school but Eddy still liked to toy with the idea of 'pulling off one last big one, for old time's sake, before retiring for good'. Said suggestions, said ideas, were always as unreasonable and unrealistic as they had been back when we were kids, if not more so. "If you do wish to engage my interest in a coup de grâce to all scams, it has to be exceptionally spectacular; something we couldn't even imagine considering."

"Why don't we just tweak-"

"I don't mean improve the biggest we ever made; I mean something new, original and most importantly, honest and beneficial for the consumers, whether materialistic or experiential."

"I'll get back to you on that, Double-D!" Ed, who was as happy as ever to be out of school, swung his book bag back and forth violently and I had a hunch that it would very soon connect with Eddy's back.

"What he said, Sockhead; you're damn right. It gotta be bigger, better and a hell of a lot more awesome than anything we've ever done before!" That inspired, greedy look in his eyes that might as well have been comically replaced with dollar signs; it was almost like we were twelve years old once more. "Boys, I want two fantastic ideas by tomorrow, each!"

"Eddy, I must protest; I know I have homework in Psychology and if I'm not mistaken, you and Ed both have-"

"Hello there, boys." My retort was abruptly interrupted by an all too familiar voice behind us. Ed and Eddy were shaking even before we had spun around to meet the three Kanker sisters face to face.

"How's the lovely day treatin' yah?" Lee, the oldest and very pronounced leader of their sisterhood, still kept her eyes hidden behind locks of unruly red hair, although in the form of incredibly long bangs that enhanced her femininity more, along with an otherwise well-developed figure. I don't blame her for concealing her eyes though; it added to the element of fear that she seemed to naturally invoke in all who crossed her.

"Headed home or you wanna do somethin'?" Many of May's faults as a child had been improved over the years; braces decreased the excessive overbite, a sudden found love for gymnastics actually landed her a spot on the cheerleading squad along with an overall improved physique and, based on a fleeting comment from Marie, received the extra help she needed in school due to a dyslexia diagnosis.

"Hiya, Double-D." Then, there was Marie, who I believe needs no further introduction. Seeing the three together made me think... If Marie had grown into a person I definitely could feel comfortable having as a friend, what's saying that May and Lee hadn't experienced the same change?

"Hells no!" Eddy's voice pulled me back to reality; a reality where he was now slowly backing away from Lee Kanker who, through the curtains of hair, raised an eyebrow.

"Every Ed for themselves!" One thing you must know about Ed is that he has never been subtle. At anything. Especially not in hiding his disdain for the three sisters. So before I could even bat an eyelash, I watched my two best friends take off down the street in sheer panic. A lone thought crossed my mind; Animal Planet. My flock had abandoned me and I was now an easy target for these vultures. Of course, this was just another old habit that never really seemed to want to leave.

"For old times?"

"Eh, why not? You sure need the exercise, Lee."

"Oh, no, you don't! Get your damn ass back here so I can kick it properly!" It felt... Peculiar. I had seen the scene so many times before; Lee and May running after my two frightened friends, some sisterly bickering back and forth. But this was so different; they seemed more interested in the actual bickering than the chase, casually jogging in the direction of the Cul-de-Sac instead of the ferocious speed of an all-out manhunt.

"It really is odd..." I mumbled it absentmindedly but she managed to pick up on it.

"What?" The fact that she was there, now standing next to me, watching her two sisters slowly make their way down the street only added to the absurdity of the whole event.

"How much things have changed. I was thinking of you three; how far you've come since, well, you know..." I grew quiet; neither of us had yet to mention our little moment Christmas Eve and our previous encounters had not been suited, as if any time would ever be, to bring up the old days.

"Yeah..." With an almost childlike stubbornness, we refused to look at each other as an awkward silence occurred. Our past meetings and conversations had been brief and kept short due to a neatly followed school schedule but now, we were destined to be walking parts of our path home together. "Wanna-"

"Should we-" We both spoke at the same time and grew quiet again, finally daring to glance at each other and... Emotions. That's the only word for it; I didn't know what I was feeling. Parts of me wanted to simply forgive her there and then, other more cautious parts thought it wise to take the slow path and take it as it happened, a small and quite frightened part still found the logigal course of action to leave straight for home and commence work on the Psychology homework while some other parts were simply... Confused. I had absolutely no experience when it came to matters of feelings; any cerebral conundrum, all fine, but matters of the heart was impossible to learn of in scientific literature. As I had learned the scenic route with my namesakes, you don't simply and logically decide who your friends are.

"Wanna head home? I mean, you to yours, me to mine?"

"Well, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to enjoy each other's company the part of the way we share." The sides of her mouth drew upwards into a small smile.

"Are you still always this proper and gentlemanly?" She elbowed me lightly in the ribs and hoisted the bag she had been holding in her hand up on her shoulder.

"It's seems a curse in today's modern society." A sharp exhale, representing a short and silent laugh, before we began our walk down the very same road my friends and her sisters had rushed down. "So… If you don't mind me being so abrupt, I couldn't help but notice your... Enthusiastic participation in Mr. Benton's religious discussion today." I was attempting to keep the whole situation casual and away from the obvious elephants in the room. Besides, that was definitely something that had taken me, Mr. Benton and the whole class for that matter, by surprise; Marie's contribution to the class was rarely anything other than 'Sod off, I'm sleeping' or 'I'll tell you when it's important enough for me to listen, jackass'. Heavily censored quotes, I might add.

"Had a meeting with the principal last week, said if I tie together the subjects I have now with at least C average, he'd try to talk to some contacts in L.A. about finding me a college."

"Why, that's fantastic!" I was genuinely impressed, never really having imagined what sort of plans for the future she could be harboring. Her or her sisters for that matter.

"Yeah, thought Antonucci would still have it out for me after all these years of messing around." Had he been a lesser man, most definitely; the havoc that the sisters had wreaked since their enrollment was enough to break any sane man.

"I assume he must have seen some real potential in you then." She smiled, possibly unknowingly, to herself before kicking a smaller rock in her path into a bush.

"Maybe he did... Almost changed my mind though when I realized how far behind I am in everything. But, when the hell did I ever give up?"

"Ahem…" I discreetly pointed to myself and she grew quiet and just stared at me. I was afraid I had crossed an unmarked line when, to my great astonishment, she burst out laughing. Not the shrill, terrifying laugh that had so often rung in my ears when a hunt had been particularly amusing, no; it was genuine, warm and truly joyous. And… The sound made my spine quiver. For whatever reasons a spine quivers.

"Aight, maybe once."

"Admitting we're wrong too? Who are you and what have you done with Marie Kanker?" There was too much playfulness in that statement for my liking, and I instantly regretted saying it, but she didn't seem to mind; she retaliated by punching my arm playfully. It took all my strength to stay upright on both feet and not immediately assess that no bones were broken. They weren't but some mild bruising occurred.

"Yeah…" She paused, possibly as unsure how to continue as I was. "But that discussion today was kinda cool. Think about it sometimes."

"Which part?"

"The destiny part, never cared for all that shit about a god." A quick look. "You're not-"

"Oh, no; I can't recall that there has ever been a religious member of my family. I think we just prefer to believe in the confirmed, scientific approach to the world. Never really connected with religion in the same way, never experienced the sense of spirituality that some people describe with an undying passion. Not that there's anything wrong with having faith in a higher power, I suppose." A brief moment of silence followed after I had finished talking and when I turned to her, I could see not only an expectation for a continuation but also... Admiration. Which... I'll tell you, never happened. "Sorry, didn't mean to overthrow the conversation so narcissistically; I believe you were talking about destiny?" She blinked a few times and quickly composed herself again, focusing on the pavement in front of us.

"Oh, yeah, right... Right; I don't believe that there is, you know, some big stone tablet in the sky where there're goals we have to complete just to get into heaven. It's too simple, life doesn't work like that."

"I agree."

"But-" She stopped, seemingly thinking over what to say next. It was rather apparent that she was passionate about this subject. "I don't know, I think there's something, somewhere out there in the enormous darkness of the universe we don't have the intelligence to understand… Which makes the possibilities more endless than we imagine so in the end, there is no right or wrong. Maybe we'll never even find the answer; who the fuck really knows?" Her gaze locked on the clear blue sky. "Who knows…? Anyway, what do you think? About destiny and shit." She turned her head and I once more felt nervous being watched by those piercing blue eyes.

"Me?" I wasn't prepared to be asked of my opinion; as evidenced earlier, I had the habit of running conversations into ridiculous lengths, often due to my sesquipedalian vocabulary. Merely an exaggerated example, I attempt not to overdo it in everyday situations.

"Who else am I talking to?"

"Right… Well, I would say that, as you put it, there is not a predetermined 'fate' or 'destiny' for any of us. Instead, everything that happens or will happen is all within our control. Nothing more than consequences of our choices; choices you or I make may only affect the two of us but choices that more 'powerful' men and women make might affect a bigger group of people."

"So, free will?"

"More or less. For example, imagine that you're walking to school when suddenly, a giant dinosaur appears out of the bushes." I didn't even finish the sentence before she started to laugh.

"Why the hell would a-"

"It's one of the cons of being friends with Ed; your imagination is bound to expand to obscure levels."

"Aight, dinosaur on the way to school." She couldn't even get through that without snickering. I could see why, it was an absolutely ridiculous example.

"It's the choices that both of you made before that meeting that brought you to it. However, had you maybe slept in, had it not chosen that particular bush but the one across the street or something as simple as stopping to tie your shoes while an innocent freshman gets ambushed and eaten instead of you. Different circumstances, different choices, different outcomes. Basically what constitutes a coincidence."

"I see what you're getting at but that was the shittiest example I've ever heard." She nudged me with her shoulder playfully, not having meant it as an offensive comment.

"I'll admit, it wasn't the best I've conjured up."

"But…" At the very end of the Cul-de-Sac, just outside Jimmy's house, she stopped and smirked slyly "If we stopped here for, let's say, thirty seconds because little old me had to tie her shoes…" She never broke gaze or smirk as she slowly reached down and undid her shoelaces, only to slowly redo them. "Maybe we'll be able to dodge whatever dinosaurs hiding in the bushes around here."

"Yes, that's…" For what felt like the seventeenth time that day, I laughed nervously. This time because she was staring at me. And I mean really stared at me; almost like she was trying to see what lied beyond my eyes and analyze my deepest being. Or maybe I was exaggerating the whole thing out of nervousness because that was the first time I had actually looked at Marie Kanker as a… Young woman.

It dawned on me then that she should have turned left a long time ago to take the direct path to the trailer park. I hadn't noticed.

"Hey, Double-D!" A voice was heard behind me; an all too familiar voice that froze the entire world in the blink of a second. Memories, long forgotten and buried, resurfaced and flashed before my very eyes in an instant. It's absolutely amazing how a person could just step back into a role after years of absence with such ease, without a doubt in the world. But had it not always been like that, had she not always come and gone as she pleased in my life? Marie quickly stood up; her eyes glaring past me with a dark and murderous tint.

"Hel-" I barely had time to turn around and see the source of the voice before I was engulfed in a bone crushing hug that could very well rival that of Ed's.

"It's been forever! Holy shit, you've grown like a foot or something!"

"Spi- Spinal cord! Spinal cord!" That carefree laughter rung once again in my ears, as it had done countless of times before, and she let me go, carefully as if not to harm me; the fact that I had outgrown her by a couple of inches had no correlation to the strength superior to my own she held.

"You haven't changed at all!" She looked me up and down and nodded in approval, a wider smile than anything she had offered me since that unfortunate night. I glanced to my left and wished I hadn't; Marie was trying hard, though failing, to hide the white hot fury of jealousy.

"I'm Marie." I had made the almost fatal mistake to upset Marie in the past on a number of occasions but never had I heard the venomous tone her voice now held. Grace did not appear to notice, or quite simply made us believe so, but just elbowed me softly in the ribs.

"For real, I go away for two years or something and all your manners just go down the drain? Shame, Double-D!" I could only shake my head and as my eyes traveled between the two of them, the thought that these two never should have met popped up out of nowhere. Maybe it was the subconscious part of my brain which had a bad habit of spouting nonsense ideas, who knows? Whatever it was though, it was right. Oh, how right it was.

"Pardon my rudeness; Grace, this is Marie Kanker." They extended and shook hands quite gently but I knew that at the first sign of struggle, they could easily break each others' necks. "And Marie, this is Grace Hammer."

"Hammer?" Surprise replaced the fury in her face and I nodded in response.

"Yes. Grace here… Is my sister."