Misrepresentation

Don't own Ed, Edd, or Eddy

"Ugh! What do I do?" He asked. He held his head in his hand and continued looking at the book for answers. The book didn't have any of the answers to his questions, but he needed at least some ideas. Maybe he could simply look at something and get an idea like Ed does with his fanfics about Galactica 9. Sadly, for Double D, that wasn't the case. It was his senior year and Edd was trying to figure out a project for his Alternative Perspectives class. (It has a real name but I can't remember what it's called.) The project was simply this: report about a perspective you have on a subject. Simple yet complicated, as you will soon see in your life probably. More choices mean more decisions and which one is the right one. Literally, Edd could do something from how mountains look to what he thinks about the state of the world. It was a very broad thing to report on. "Ma'am?"

"Yes," Said the librarian.

"I'm trying to figure out something to do for a project, do you know where I could go to get some ideas?" Double D asked. The lady shook her head.

"Maybe you could get some ideas from the papers, or maybe life will just give you a subject," The librarian lady smiled. Edd sadly smiled back. That wasn't much of a help. Edd, being the way he was, put the book he got back in its slot. He brushed his hand through his hair. He had decided to ditch the hat in ninth grade. That and no matter how high his grades were, some of his teachers really didn't like it. "Plus," some of them said, "Your haircut can't be that bad." It really wasn't. Paranoia was responsible for causing Edd to worry so much. He was still proper, polite, and punctual but several things had changed over the years.

"Gotcha!" Whispered a voice that grabbed Edd around the waist.

"AHH!" Edd exclaimed, quickly covering his mouth. He turned around to see a familiar smirking face. "Marie! Do you do this just to get my blood pressure up?"

"I got to make sure you're healthy," She smirked. Oh yeah, that. Marie had changed a great deal. For some reason unknown to Edd, she and her sisters stopped bothering the other Eds. Lee had gotten into a relationship with some other scam artist, which surprisingly left Eddy jealous. May was working to be a fashion artist, which really flipped everyone's lid. Part of middle school, Edd didn't really see much of Marie until freshman year. It was then that she showed her passion for literature and history. Needless to say, the first year of high school left everyone confused and shocked. "What are you overthinking," Marie joked. Edd rolled his eyes. Marie and everyone else thought that Double D thought way too much. He complicated things himself and Marie always told him that. Maybe she was right this time.

But Edd wouldn't tell her that. Even though he was a big genius, pride sometimes got to him. "I'm just thinking of something for this class I'm taking. I don't know what to do," He replied.

"What is it about?" Marie asked. Edd told her. She scoffed. "You are overthinking this."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You forget that you're smart enough to do almost any topic from your perspective and pass with flying colors. Basically, it doesn't matter what you choose," Marie explained. Edd was about to respond but found himself trapped. She was right. Edd wisely shut his mouth to the smiling blue haired girl. "Told you."

"The subject I should choose is why I'm friends with you," Edd muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Edd promptly said. Marie still dressed very casually, like when she was a kid. Two earrings and a maroon tank top were all that really changed in her outfit. Her features also evened out. Smooth to the touch was her skin and fit as a fiddle were her muscles. Of course, rock climbing will do that for you. She had always been athletic, something that Double D was only now starting to do when his tennis playing started to get intense. He found that it took a lot of muscles to actually get the ball in and serve. As a result, his muscles were still a little lanky but not bone thin.

Now how Marie and Edd became friends is still not really clear. Marie actually came into the library one day and Edd, who was usually there, noticed she was having problems finding the book she needed. When he helped her find the book, she thanked him, checked the book out, and left. Double D thought it was weird that she didn't at least try to flirt with him. Weirdly enough, Edd started hanging around Marie whenever she came to the library, which turned out to be a lot since Lee used most of the trailer home for her work. "So, what are you going to do?" Marie asked. Edd decided to leave it at that.

"I think I'm actually going to put it off for another day," Edd sighed. Marie pretended to be shocked.

"The brilliant Double D is procrastinating? Gasp!" Marie dramatically said. Edd rolled his eyes again.

"I'm not procrastinating. The project isn't for another five months. I could use this time just to think," Edd said. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"I'm actually doing something. I need to search about how infatuation led to people's destruction," Marie said.

"Ah, right. You're doing that Psychology AP. Why did you take that again?" Edd asked.

"Because I wanted to know how you think," Marie joked, poking Edd's head. Edd was taller than Marie by a foot, so Marie often had to look up at Edd. "Anyways, I'm trying to look for Samson and Delilah, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Romeo and Juliet. It's all about love," She said batting her eyelashes at him playfully. Double D chuckled.

"Where's my 'Kanker Repellent' when I need it," He laughed. Marie cheekily swatted him in the arm. He looked at Marie again, who was staring at Edd with a smile. "What?"

"Huh? Oh! Nothing, I was... daydreaming," Marie recovered, blushing a bit. She still had some... feelings for Edd even after they matured a bit. She wasn't really sure if it was just childish liking, a crush, or genuine love. The thing that bothered her most of the times was that she knew he wouldn't love her. Especially considering his... preferences. "Anyways, I'll be going now," She said trying to get rid of the awkward moment.

"Wait, what about your books?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! That," Marie said. She had completely forgotten the reason she came here. "Let me just get them," She laughed nervously.

"Are you thinking at your optimal level, Marie?" Edd asked.

"English, Double Brain," Marie muttered.

"Is your head on straight? You're acting out of sorts," Edd noticed. Marie just sighed.

"I'm fine," She replied. "Now, are you going to help me find this book, or are you going to ask more 20 questions?" With that, they went to work trying to find the books and then read them together. After about three hours, Marie closed her notebook. "Well, that's good for one day. I'm bushed," She said, stretching her body out.

"Well, I guess we can just rest for a while," Edd sighed, easing in his chair. Edd opened one eye to see Marie staring at him again. "Is there a four-legged bacterium that is causing you to look at my facial features so intensely?"

"No," Marie said, shaking her head awake. She could understand what Edd was saying, unlike everyone else. Sometimes she just didn't have the energy to dissect everything he said. Edd sat up in his chair and looked at her.

"What's the matter, Marie? You were just happy a second ago," Double D said.

"Do you," Marie paused for a while, "Do you believe in true love, Double Dear," She said, looking away. Double D would always smile at that nickname. Unlike, Ovenmitt, it showed Marie's soft side.

"Of course," Edd answered.

"Did you ever have a significant other, then?" Marie asked. Edd looked away, almost ashamed.

"No, I've never had a relationship with someone that close," Edd said sagging his shoulders. Marie didn't mean to make him feel bad.

"It's okay," She said, trying to offer some help. "I'm sure that the right guy will come around soon." That's when everything went south. Edd snapped up his head and looked at Marie with a confused look.

"Right guy?" Edd repeated. Marie tried to tread carefully.

"I mean, I know that you have a... preference for guys and it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just saying that you'll find true love in the right guy as well," Marie said. She shrunk a little when Edd leaned in closer to her. Maybe she shouldn't have said it that way. Maybe that's why he seemed upset. Maybe he thought she was scared to mention something like that. It wasn't that either. She just wanted to make him proud of who he was and not be ashamed of it. She wasn't scared of people like him nor did she hate them. But Edd's eyes still examined her.

"What made you think I was gay?" asked Edd. That's when Marie's eyes opened wide. She had made a complete and utter mistake.

"I...I um..." Now she was speechless. "Well, I... I mean... you're usually around a lot of women. You're so polite, mature, generous, and very considerate."

"And because I'm a good person, it makes me gay?" Edd asked.

"No, no, I... aw man. It's just... you're around a lot of women that seem to be very comfortable and safe around you, compared to Ed, Eddy, or any other guy. And then you hang around Kevin a lot. The guy who use to pick on you," Marie said.

"I hang around him because he and I are in the same mechanics club," Edd clarified.

"Edd, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Do the other girls see me like that?" Edd asked. Marie was slow to answer.

"Maybe," She said shyly.

"I can't believe this!" Edd collected his things and went out the door.

"Double D, wait," Marie called. It was too late.

"Heard you and Marie got in a fight in the library. What did she do? Try and kiss you again?" Eddy smirked. Practically everyone knew about Marie's preference for Double D, but very few knew about her feelings for him. Double D just angrily smashed up his steamed vegetables. They were in the cafeteria

"We didn't have a fight. We were just in a... verbal confrontation," Edd said. Then something clicked in his brain. "Wait, how did you know about that?"

"She came to me and Ed to tell you she was sorry for what she did. What exactly did she do to you? That's the first time I've seen a Kanker apologize," Eddy asked, smirking.

"You mean besides the time Lee had to apologize to that guy she was dating because you stole the tires and sold them away so they couldn't go on their date?" Edd remarked.

"Hey, that's a different story," Eddy said defensively. Edd sighed, knowing that Eddy wouldn't pursue the matter anymore. But Ed, who had gotten a little smarter in high school, did pursue the matter.

"What's the matter, Double D?" He asked. Edd sighed.

"Marie and I had a fig- I mean, a discussion about why she thought I was gay. It's ridiculous! No one thinks I'm gay," Edd said. Eddy looked away uncomfortably as Ed whistled. Edd was confused about what they were doing until he slammed his fork down on the table and glared at both of them. "Really?! You guys, too!"

"Okay, let's look at the facts," Eddy argued. "You hang around a lot of women who don't see you as a dating partner. You're friends with Nazz and you use to have a crush on her like we all did before she started going out with Rolf." Yes, you read that right. Nazz is dating Rolf. "You do have to admit you hang around Kevin a lot, even though you're in that mechanic's club with him." Edd sighed. He couldn't tell them that Kevin was in a relationship with another girl. Kevin didn't want anyone knowing just yet. "Then there's the fact you've never even shown signs of liking a particular person."

"I DO like a particular person," Edd foolishly shouted. Eddy and Ed's eyes widened. "She...um... she just can't know yet that I... love her."

"Who is it?" Ed asked.

"I don't want to tell you guys. Not yet," Edd sighed.

"Okay, we'll leave you to your love life, Double lover," Eddy teased. Double D grumbled. "But still, you do admit that with those facts, there is only one thing to assume." Edd sighed.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry for my outrage." Double D said, picking up his plate.

"So what should I tell, Marie?" Eddy asked. Edd thought about it for a while.

"Tell her to meet me at the library Friday," Double D said. With that, he left to get some answers from some other people.

"You're not," Jimmy laughed, whipping his hair back from his view. "And not everyone thinks that. That I know." Unlike Double D, Jimmy, it turned out, was actually gay. He had probably changed the most out of all of them in the cul-de-sac. "But what do you have against gays?"

"I'm not homophobic, Jimmy nor do I hate gays. I just don't want a misrepresentation of who I am. And I especially don't want it to be the cause of why I haven't had a girlfriend," Double D said.

"Well, I guess I can see that. I wouldn't want people seeing me as straight if I was trying to find my partner," Jimmy replied. "I'm just glad you're not pretending to be gay."

"Why not? Considering what I heard, homosexual people are supposed to be considerate, mature, kind, and all other moral ideals," Double D listed. That seemed to annoy Jimmy greatly. He whipped his hair back again.

"First of all, no they are not. Trust me, when you're trying to find the one that is for you, it's just as hard as trying to find the woman for a man. And it's actually a little worse when it comes to rough patches."

"What do you mean?"

"I may be just a sophomore in high school, but I've seen enough to know what people are like. When 'my kind', as people will say, get angry, jealous, or break it off, things get hairy and sometimes very violent and abusive."

"Wow, I didn't see it like that," Edd replied.

"But back to my point. A few people I've met on my trip around the country actually pretend to be gay to reap the... benefits," Jimmy explained. "Since women aren't really expecting their gay friend to do anything to them, guys will take advantage of them."

"That's horrible," Edd exclaimed.

"It is, which is why I'm trying to be a relationship's counselor. Someone needs to help them and warn them, girls and guys," Jimmy said.

"Well, that's very noble of you, Jimmy," Edd replied.

"But back to you. I don't think you should have gotten angry at Marie for thinking something like that. Eddy was right about the facts, anyone could have come to that conclusion," Jimmy smirked. Double D scowled him. For a guy younger than him, he seemed to know a lot more than Edd did on this subject.

"Okay, so what do I do?" Edd asked.

"Simple, tell Marie how you feel about her," Jimmy smirked. Edd's eyes widened.

"I can't! She-"

"You don't know if she does or doesn't. Just tell her you're sorry for what happened and then from there... get busy," Jimmy smirked. Edd blushed.

"Um... *sigh*. Against my BETTER judgment, what do I do?" Edd asked. Jimmy grinned from ear to ear.

"Here's what you do."

Friday finally came. Double D was in the library. While waiting for Marie, he was hoping to finish his project. He learned it would be an oral report about the perspective and Double D was practicing for the thing. He still had to finish it, but the majority was done. Edd breathed in and out deeply trying to get over the nerves of stage fright. "Are you trying to inhale everything in the air?" Marie said behind him.

"AHH! Marie!" Edd scowled. She wasn't laughing nor was she smiling. She just sadly looked at him. Edd couldn't stay mad for long. They were looking at each other nervously.

"I wanted to-" They both said at the same time. They lightly chuckled.

"You first," Edd said.

"Double Dea- I mean, Edward," She said properly. "I'm truly sorry for what I said two days ago. I didn't know and I should have-"

"It's okay," Edd interrupted. "I honestly shouldn't have gotten upset with you. Even Ed and Eddy thought I was gay. It actually took a homosexual person to show me how wrong I was for getting mad at you. So... I'm sorry."

"Heh," Marie nervously chuckled. She was shaking, more than frequently brushing and messing with her hair using her hands. This wasn't Marie, Edd knew that. Marie was usually more confident, blunt, plain, and tough, something that Edd had come to admire about her. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? Was it because of him? As she was about to touch her blue hair again, Edd stopped her and grabbed her hands.

"Marie? Are you okay?"

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-yeah I'm fine," She responded shakily.

"Are you sure?" Double D asked. He felt her head. "You don't have a fever. What's wrong?" Marie gulped as she saw how close he was to her. She parted her lips to try and say what was on her mind.

"Oven mitt," She said so tenderly and nervously that Double D couldn't be angry, "Do you... Um...Do you." She wanted to say what was on her mind, but she couldn't. She sighed and let fear take over. "Do you want to see a movie tonight? I'm buying," Marie asked. At least she would be with Double D. They had done this many times before but she really wanted to tell him what was in her heart.

"Of course, I will. After I get some more practice for my final project," Double D said cheerfully, seemingly oblivious. Marie smiled meekly and turned to sit down at the table. "Oh and Marie?" She turned around to look at him and felt a pair of soft lips on her lips. Her eyes nearly popped out. She was almost too shocked to realize what was happening. Edd slowly pulled away from her and nervously said, "I love you."

"C-can I get a repeat on that kiss," Marie asked. Edd slowly nodded. Marie rushed up and kissed him, full of passion and... love. That was the feeling she had towards him. True love. Marie pulled back and smirked. "I love you too, Double Dear." Edd laughed. "And I'm sorry for your... misrepresentation."

"It's okay. It actually gave me the idea for my project. So... thanks for thinking I was gay," Edd awkwardly said, making Marie laugh. "And thanks for loving me," Marie smiled as she kissed him again.

Edd went up to the front of the class as confidently as he was with acing a test. He didn't have stage fright anymore. His friends actually came to hear him give his oral report. Jimmy held his smirk at the back corner of the room. Ed and Eddy were sitting down and Marie was up front. Kevin, who was now open with his relationship with his girlfriend was there too. Even the teacher was surprised so many people came to hear a simple report. "You can start Edward," He said.

"Misrepresentation. We often don't think much of the word. We usually think it means impersonation. Taking someone's identity. But truthfully, misrepresentation can be clumped with the word, stereotype. We think that if a person is like this then everyone that looks, talks or acts like him must be the same. We use stereotypes because our brains can't handle the massive amount of information coming in. First impressions are important and so are repeated instances. But as Mark Twain said it, 'All generalizations are false, including this one.' We may think a person is dumb because they're a jock when really their interest is science and mechanics. We may think a person likes hip-hop because they are African American, but really they like classical and rock... and the Beatles." Everyone chuckled at that.

"But," Double D continued, "We all know stereotypes are more than that. We look at someone and say, 'hey, he likes this kind of people' or 'he looks like he would do this horrible thing'. Just because some guys are kind, nice, and sensitive to women doesn't mean they're gay. And just because a woman is very vocal and passionate about women's rights and equal opportunities, does not mean she's not interested in men. Many marriage counselors are single. Many singing judges can't sing. Even in religion, like the Bible, for example, the people were not perfect and the authors of the Bible acknowledge that plainly. Some people who look round in the stomach AREN'T pregnant. In my point of view, the only stereotype we should ever have is 'be careful judging people'. This will prevent us from assuming the false rather than the truth. Some things are plain as day, but other's are as hidden as night. Misrepresentations are things we all have to face sooner or later. But if we just tell the truth, then I believe things will go a lot smoother."

Everyone clapped and cheered. As Double D sat down, Marie hugged and kissed him. Edd looked to the back to see Jimmy smirking and giving a thumbs up as he exited the class.

Misrepresentations. You can make them or become included in them. Make sure you have the right representation.

The End

Again, if by chance I have offended anyone, I am deeply and truly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings.