"Double D, do you think space mutants would have red eyes or white eyes?"

"The beginning of last summer he put Kevin in the hospital for three weeks. It was really really scary."

"Double D, cmon, what does science say?"

"He doesn't want to leave Peach Creek."

"Sockhead!?" Eddward felt himself be jolted from the confines of his mind, back to Ed's living room rather than the high school basketball court. Ed frowned at his friend, white shirt covered in multicolored fluorescent paint. Ed had been working on this painting for weeks, and when he asked Edd to come keep him company as he finished, Eddward agreed. He hadn't wanted to be alone. Now he realized he wasn't being much company to Ed, either.

Eddward closed the textbook propped on his lap; he was barely reading it anyway.

"My apologizes, Ed. I think white would make more sense. " Ed nodded, content with the answer before reaching for his bucket of paints.

"Look, Edd. I'm sorry about what I did to you. But I'm not gay. I can't be. I thought I was, but I was wrong. I didn't know how to tell you, and I'm sorry."

Was it heartbreak that he was feeling? Or anger?

" Someone decked me at the football game this weekend. Are you done invading on my life again, you creep?"

Was he really being abused?

"Double D, if you keep thinking too hard your brain is going to ooze out your ears." Eddward almost chuckled at the absurdity of the comment.

"You're right. Forgive me, Ed." Ed beamed at Eddwardbefore placing his brush down and wiping his hands dry on an old cloth. He approached Eddward and plopped down onto the couch next to him with a groan of relief. He lifted his booted feet and propped them onto the coffee table. Eddward was too exhausted to lecture him.

Eddward peered down at his cell phone, almost wishing Kevin would text him with an explanation...anything really to put his mind at ease. His screen lit up, showing a picture of himself with his two best friends the goofy faces that normally made Edd chuckle suddenly made his heart sink.

"No one is going to call my friend a faggot."

He didn't notice Ed peering over Eddward's shoulder at the picture until he spoke up, his deepened voice graveling out into Eddward's ears.

"You know, you're are not a bad person for wanting to be yourself, Double D."

Eddward's breath hitched, his eyes slowly following the source of those comforting words.

Ed's unwavering stare caused Eddward to avert his eyes and sigh in defeat.

"I...I suppose I know that, Ed." Ed leaned back, draping his arms over the couch.

"Eddy isn't trying to be an ass you know. He gets ahead of himself sometimes, but he's just trying to protect you, Double D. He doesn't trust Kevin; he never has, you know? He doesn't want something bad happening to you over something he doesn't really understand." Ed paused, resting his head on the back of the couch and peering up at the ceiling.

Eddward looked down at his hands again. He sighed again before agreeing with Ed.

"I think he's also afraid of us growing apart. Now that we're in high school, our days are measurably numbered. I can imagine that he wouldn't like the idea of us separating before we have to." He chuckled to himself. "But it seems so silly. He should know that we will always be close, right?" Ed frowned.

"C'mon Sockhead. You know you're going to get into some big fancy ivory school and me and Eddy are going to be left behind in Peach Creek."

"Its Ivy, Ed. Ivy League…"

"Whatever. We have known our whole lives that our days are numbered as a trio. I've made peace with it, I mean, you're the one kid in the cul-de-sac that we knew would eventually get the hell out of here. But Eddy? I don't think he's accepted it yet. I'm pretty sure he's still looking for a way to keep us all together. I'm not the smartest guy around but I think he's looking for a way for us to follow you." Eddward's eyes widened, his mind racing with the potential trouble Eddy could get himself into for the sake of leaving Peach Creek. Changing his grades, bribing a landlord, good lord there were so many possibilities with Eddy. He was so smart in all of the wrong ways.

Eddward did not speak for a moment, mulling over the conversation in his head. He knew he was heading towards elite schools. He has been pushed in that direction since elementary school.

Did it really matter how things turned out with Kevin? In the long run, even if they got together, the odds were strong that they would eventually have to seperate. There was no way he and Kevin would end up at the same University.

In all honesty, what did Eddward have to lose? Would confronting Kevin be the worst thing in the world knowing that he might never see him again after high school graduation?

A feeling began to rise in his chest. He was feeling almost confrontational.

"There are things that just cannot be changed, no matter how much we may want it to." Eddward muttered. He stood up, hoping to act quickly before his bravery wore away.

"Alright, that settles it then. Come, Ed. We have a party to attend."

It was easy to walk across the cul de sac to Nazz's house. It was also easy to enter the pouding music and flashing lights and witness their classmates, once innocent children, dancing wildly to the loud music and guzzling questionable liquids.

But when Eddward saw Kevin, leaning up against the back living room wall, suddenly it became incredibly difficult to be there with him.

Kevin's eyes disinterestedly glazed over the crowd. He didn't want to be there, not that night. When his eyes landed on Eddward's nervous face, his heart dropped into his stomach.

Their eyes met across the room, Kevin's words from days before ringing in both of their minds.

" I can't be associated with a faggot like you."

Eddward found his lips twisting into a scowl, eyes narrowing with an angry glare. Kevin's eyes dropped to the floor. He pulled his hat over his eyes before ducking out onto the back porch.

"Oh no you don't!" Eddward found himself growling. He pulled his head down over his hears and pushed past his peers onto the back deck. The cool hair hit his face, nipping at his nose and ears. Kevin was still walking to the opposite side of the deck. The dark water of Nazz's pool waved quietly and reflected the glowing lights from the house.

"Kevin! Kevin Stop...Don't think you can just walk away from me. " Kevin slowed, flipping the color up on his dark dress shirt. It was certainly not the dress code that appeared to be expected at this party, but Kevin tended to overdress when he was nervous.

"Just leave me alone do-" Eddward interrupted.

"Don't you dare! Don't even…." He paused, pushing a frustrated breath through his nose and squaring his shoulders. This was it. This was the time to show Kevin that he could be a man too.

The two teenagers stared at each other from across the back deck for what felt like an eternity to Eddward. His heart swelled in his chest, rising to the top of his throat and the loud thumping in his ears draining out the thumping music from inside of the house. Suddenly he was too emotional to articulate his anger like he had originally intended to. Suddenly he felt as vulnerable as that first time alone in the library, or that first night that Kevin snuck through his window.

The words flowed from his mouth with no control, his tongue drying up as it carried the syllables out into the cool air around them.

"I still love you, Kevin" He started, tears already starting to pool in the corners of his eyes. Kevin couldn't seem to make eye contact with him.

"Unlike you, I never lied, and I never took advantage of you like you had of me. Everything I said and felt was genuine. I hope you know that." Kevin looked up, appearing angry.

"I never took advantage of you, Edd! I would never…" He exclaimed, before cutting himself off, pulling himself back.

"You would never what? Use me for your sick queer experimentation?! For your private glory hole?! Is that it?!" Kevin flinched, biting his lower lip.

"I am a person, Kevin! Not something you can toy around with and then throw away when you're not interested anymore! If I'm not good enough for you, tell me! Don't just erase what you did to me like it never happened!

"Of course not…You don't understand, Edd…I'm not like you...I'm not"

"You're not what? A decent human being?!" Kevin scowled before dropping himself into the nearest deck chair, thrusting his head back and covering his eyes with his hands. "I'm not strong enough, Edd….I am just….I'm not. Okay?"

Eddward paused, his furrowed brow relaxing as his heart started to slow. "What...What do you mean by that?"

"You've always been so good at being yourself, Edd. You've had your stupid dork friends to back you up and you've never been afraid to be brainy and nerdy and nice and….and you're okay with being gay and I just…I can't."

He dropped his hands and lowered his face so he was looking at his sneakers and the wooden deck panels. Anything else but Eddwards's face would have sufficed. Eddward bit his lip.

"Do you really think I've been okay with being gay? This hasn't been easy for me either, Kevin. You're the first person I've ever had any real feelings for."

Eddward took a few steps forward slowly, lightly letting his feet tap against the hardwood.

"Kevin, it's okay. People are generally so much more accepting nowadays. I know it's rough but….I really think our friends will be understanding. "

Kevin shook his head, still refusing to look up immediately.

"No," He started, "Not in Peachcreek." Eddward crossed his arms over his chest and shuffled his feet. His determined drive was starting to run low. Now he just wanted to hide anywhere else.

"Well, you can't run away from yourself, Kevin. Not forever at least." He started to turn away, feeling frustrated and defeated. Maybe he was wrong; maybe tonight just wasn't the night to settle this.

Kevin's eyes widened, a realization seeping into his brain.

"No, I can't run from myself, but maybe…" He stood up, reaching out to Eddward's hand as he started to walk away. He spun Eddward around and cupped his face between both of his chapped hands.

"Run away with me, Edd." Eddward's eyes widened before he pressed his hands into Kevin's chest to push Kevin away

"Are you crazy, Kevin? We've talked about this! We're too-"Kevin grabbed Eddward's hands and held them.

"Not now, Dork. I realize that was an impulsive idea. We'd need a plan, a vehicle, money. What about after we graduate?"

"Kevin-" Kevin gripped Eddward's hands tighter, pulling them to his chest.

"No, seriously. We finish high school and then get the hell out of here. No one will know what hit them and we'd be long gone before they do. That will give us time to come up with a plan." Eddward shook his head. This was ludicrous, simply insane.

"Kevin there are more reasonable options than to simply run away and abandon everything in our lives."

Kevin pressed Eddward's palm to his chest, allowing Eddward to feel the erratic loud thumping of Kevin's heart.

"You are everything in my life, Edd. Don't you understand that? I can't be gay here. We can't be gay here. This town is too cut off from the rest of the world, too small. We'll never be able to escape our reputations here." His voice was low, rumbling in his throat. Eddward shakily placed his palms on Kevin's cheeks.

"You're starting to worry me, Kevin. What are you not telling me?" Kevin placed his hands over Eddwards, bringing them down from his face before lacing his own fingers through them.

"Can you wait for me, Edd? Can you wait for me until we graduate?" His pleading eyes struck Eddward's heart deep. Kevin sounded almost like a maniac, illusioned with threats that Eddward could not see.

But Eddward had to remember that just because he could not see something didn't mean it was not there.

After all, isn't that how they got to this conversation in the first place?

"I mean, you know, you don't have to decide right away," Kevin stuttered, face turning red. "We have plenty of time to think about it, you know? Just….think about it?"

Eddward nodded slowly, causing Kevin to grin before pressing his lips against his. His hands rose to Eddward's face again, pulling him close. Eddward had almost forgotten what Kevin's lips had felt like. He was almost ashamed to have considered forgetting. Kevin pulled his lips away, taking Eddward's breath with him. His lungs struggled to recover.

The sliding back door opened, revealing Nazz in her favorite red mini skirt and black sweater. It was nights like these that Eddward remembered why Nazz was so popular with boys. Maybe she was hiding like Kevin was.

"Double D, could I, like, borrow you for a minute?" Kevin and Eddward pulled apart. Nazz either did not notice the two's exchange or did not care.

"Of course Nazz, I'll be right there." He turned back to Kevin for the briefest second, releasing his hands from Kevins. As he started to walk back to the house, all he could hear his Kevin's faint whisper from the deck.

"Wait for me."