In this version, Double D moved to the cul-de-sac when he was 14, instead of a little kid. I'm telling you this so you readers will not be confused. I got the idea for this fanfic from listening to the songs How to Save a Life by The Fray and the song Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne. This is the most heart-wrenching story I've written, and am really proud of it!

I do not own Ed Edd n Eddy, now to the story!

Double D, now a junior in high school, lay on his bed. It was the anniversary of the worst day of his life, the day he lost his best friend, his first and so far only love. He felt tears rise to his eyes as he remembered her face... Her name was Alexandria, known to most by Alex, but Edd was the only one who could get away with calling her by her actual name.

She was a pale girl, with long black hair that wrapped around her shoulders and one red streak that started on her bangs and slid down a part of her hair on the right side of her face. Her eyes were blue as the ocean they used to gaze at together at their special place. She also wore a black beanie, one that Edd now wore at all times.

She was an artist.

There was nothing she loved more than to paint, it was her dream to have her work hang in art galleries around the world, and now that would never happen. Edd slowly closed his eyes, and started to get lost in the memories weeks before it happened...

-Flashback-

Alexandria yelled at him to hurry up as she raced to the top of the cliff were they would meet every day to talk about their dreams. It was a beautiful spot that over looked the ocean, as the sun set into the blue water every evening.

"Slow down Alexandria, I'm not the most athletic person in the world remember" She turned around and smiled at him, a dazzling white smile on her lips.

"Come on Eddward, if we don't hurry we'll miss the sunset, and I won't have any inspiration to paint anything tonight!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he laughed as he raced up the hill. Were he sat beside Alexandria who was already dangling her feet over the edge, enjoying the spring air. He looked at her, wondering how a girl who had a life tragic as hers could be so at ease right now.

When she was only three years old, her father killed her mother, and brutally murdered five other people in this town before killing himself with his last bullet. Ever since, the town had treated her as an outcast, as if she was the one who murdered all those people, instead of her father. Three people did this more so than most: Kyle and his two friends Ricky and Mark.

Kyle's dad was one of the people killed by Alexandria's dad, and even though he was over sixteen now, he still found pleasure in torturing her for it. She always put on a fake smile to make her adoptive family feel happy, but Edd knew how much hurt she had inside.

"Isn't beautiful Eddward?" she sighed.

"Yes, it certainly is, the waves crashing against the cliffs due to the rising of high tide caused by the moon's gravitational pull…"

"Shut it Eddward! That big brain of yours is going to ruin the magic of it," Alexandria laughed.

"Okay, I'll turn off my brain now" He scoffed as she leaned into him.

"I love it here, being here with you, it's the only place we can get away"

"It's our place, and it always will be..." Edd promised. She nodded as the sun disappeared behind the ocean waves, as if the sea had swallowed it.

"Come on, I'll take you home, it's getting late, you know how worried your parents get" Edd pointed out.

"Blech, home..." she muttered. Edd laughed.

"Come on, we can cut through the park" but on the way to Alexandria's house three deep voices stopped them in their tracks.

"Were do you think you're going freak"

"It's Kyle and his stupid friends," Edd franticly whispered in her ear.

"Leave us alone Kyle, I'm just trying to go home" Alexandria hissed.

"I don't think this is the way to hell bitch," He growled at her, as he shoved her hard against the rocky ground.

"Leave her alone" Edd weakly cried, causing the three boys to turn towards him, eyes filled with scorn.

"Did you say something, Edd-weird" Kyle sneered.

"No, I m-mean y-yes. Leave her alone" Edd stuttered. "Please" he added, his politeness getting the better of him.

"Did you hear that boys? Please, maybe we should give Alexandria's usual treatment to you, huh Edd?" Kyle laughed before sucker punching him hard in the face.

"Stop it!" Alexandria screamed, but the boys didn't let up. They kept beating him until he was covered in thick dark welts.

"Maybe next time you'll think before rushing in to save your little girlfriend" Kyle laughed before disappearing with his two friends.

"Edd!" Alexandria screamed, rushing over to him. He felt that his right eye was swollen shut, his lip was cut badly, but he still managed a weak feeble smile.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault, if I just-" Alexandria started.

"No, I'm the one who suggested cutting through the park, besides, If they come after you again, I would gladly take the beating every time... You're the best friend I ever had...I lo-"

"Come on I'll take you home... You know for such a genius you sure are stupid sometimes. You don't have take a beating not meant for you"

"That's a matter of opinion I'm afraid" Edd chuckled slightly. Alexandria sighed, and for the first time in years, Edd was able to see the terrible pain across her face. It made him want to cry for her, a boiling rage consumed Edd. It wasn't fair how those boys, no, the entire town treated her for something that happened when she was just a toddler. Edd promised himself he would uphold his promise to her, and take the pain for her, no matter what the cost.

Edd had upheld his promise, almost every day Kyle and his gang would come looking for trouble, and Edd always took the beating. He'd come to school every day covered in bruises and welts, but it was worth it. He made himself a vow that no one would ever hurt his friend again. Three weeks past, and the beatings weren't becoming ant less unpleasant, and soon the three boys had stopped going for Alexandria first. They came straight to him now.

"Come on" Alexandria urged. "We have to get to our place before the three heads of Cerberus come after you again" She begged him, a cast-off sorrow look in her eyes.

"Okay, let's get out of here" Edd agreed, If he could skip a daily beating by those three idiots he would take it, thankfully his parents were never home so they never saw the wounds he would come home with. When they got to the top of their hill, Alexandria turned to him, a real smile on her face.

"What are you planning" Edd asked in a joking matter.

"Just close your eyes smart guy" she laughed. Edd obliged. He felt a slight tug around his head, and when he opened his eyes, his friend's favorite black beanie was gone, and was now on his head.

"Your lucky hat, but you never go anywhere without it" Edd gasped.

"I don't need it anymore, hopefully it will bring you more luck than it brought me" she sighed.

"Alexandria, I've always wanted to tell you that I lov-"

"Just shut up a sec okay?" she laughed as she leaned towards him. Edd's heart began to speed up. His first kiss. Her lips just started to brush his...

"Well, well, well, looks like the love birds have found us a new little hang out, huh boys?" It was Kyle.

Alexandria turned herself towards him to tell him off, but gasped when she saw a tire iron in his hands...

"Eddward we have to get out of here"

"Oh no bitch, you're not going anywhere, your father murdered my dad, and someone's going to pay"

"Fine, do to me what you want, just let Eddward go!"

"Oh no, were not going to hurt you, you need to know what's it's like to lose everything you care about, boys take lil Alex away, she won't want to see what's about to happen to her little nerdy boy toy." Ricky and Mark grabbed her roughly, and led her away.

"Why are you doing this? She didn't do anything, it was her father who-"

"Was the cowered that killed himself instead of taking a punishment, well now someone has to pay." Kyle growled. The tire iron slammed into Edd's head, and all went black.

Edd woke to Alexandria crying beside him, he could hear police sirens somewhere farther along the road.

"Eddward why, just look at you you're a bloody mess" Edd tried to talk but his mouth wouldn't work, he realized he couldn't even see, he was still out as a light, but his ears were painting the picture for him.

"I'm sorry Eddward, I know now what I must do, I have to be punished for your sake, I know you won't like it, but there's no other way, I half to protect you, I love you" That's when Edd's hearing went for broke too.

Edd woke up what he was told tree weeks later in a hospital, he looked around for his Alexandria was not there... but for once his parents were.

"Mother, Father…where's Alexandria?" Edd asked. His parents only sighed sadly.

"You better go talk to her parents, I'll drive you. The doctors said you can leave for a short while..." his father choked. He helped Edd to his car and drove him to an all too familiar blue house. He knocked on the door. Her adoptive parents answered.

"Excuse me, where is Alexandria, is she ill?" Edd asked worriedly. Her mother burst into tears and ran back inside. Her father turned towards him, a dark sadness about him.

"She committed suicide last night" he sighed.

"What!" Edd screamed, feeling salty tears rolling down his face.

"She's gone, but why, how could it benef-"

"She left a letter addresses to you on her nightstand" her father merely said, handing him a plain white envelope, before closing the door again. Edd couldn't bring himself to read it. Instead, he slid it under Alexandria's lucky beanie, and headed for their sea cliff.

When he reached the cliff, a beautiful sunset awaited. It was the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen, as if it was painted by angels... or an angel.

"Thank you for this Alexandria, I love you...," he whispered into the breeze hoping the wind would carry his message to her. He started his trek down, knowing this was his last time here, in their place. He could have sworn he heard o soft whisper in his ear as he stumbled down the mountain.

"I love you too," it said.

-End Flashback-

Edd's eyes flashed with pain as he recalled the horrible memories of her... He glanced over at the letter she had left for him, never opened, seal never broken. Edd made his way over to the letter, ripped it open, and gently held the letter as he read...

Dear Eddward,

I'm sorry I must leave you this way, but I would rather die like this rather than slowly die every day alone if something ever happened to you.

I hope you can forgive me.

I know I don't deserve it.

I think I have my inspiration now to paint our perfect sunset.

I hope you treasure my beanie, it's lucky you know.

It's my time now, I hope you can understand that, and remember this forever

I love you

Sincerely,

Alexandria

Edd closed the letter and let his tears consume him...

Well I hope you enjoyed my story, i promise future stories won't be as sad as this one!

Please review!