Edd pulls at his normal orange short-sleeved shirt with a bit of disdain over his purple shorts, his usual outfit not behaving as it should, and on a say as important as this. Today, he would be taken somewhere by a neighborhood parent with other children, and he wasn't happy about that at all. He didn't do well around the ridicule of the other males of the neighborhood if he wasn't around Ed or Eddy. The reason for this situation, however, was in fact Eddy. His parents had gotten word from the other parents of the neighborhood about what he, Ed, and Eddy had been doing to the other kids - trying to scam them out of their money and such, and hadn't been too happy about it. Thus, they contacted other parents around the neighborhood, trying to find other people for Edd to hang out with for just one day, after Edd had tried to say he didn't know any of the other kids well.

He didn't even know where they were going, but it was about 7AM when his doorbell rang. He froze up a bit and swallows hard, slightly regretting eating such a large helping of breakfast, but he didn't know the next time he would eat would be. He moves towards the door as the doorbell rang again. "C-Coming!" He manages before he's there and unlocking the door, pulling it open.

In front of him stood Kevin, the male of his dreams and nightmares. Let Edd explain, Kevin was the neighborhood bully around the cul-de-sac. He was a jock, he built his own bike, he was popular, and he despised all things Ed(d/dy) related (mostly Eddy though). And for the dream part? He didn't want to talk about it. Right now, he was wearing his usual get up, green long-sleeved shirt, black shorts, tennis shoes. The only new addition to the outfit was his jacket, and he didn't understand why Kevin would be wearing it. It was summer afterall.

The once-over seemed to be unnoticed and Kevin just gives him a scowl. "You ready, Double Dweeb?" He asks, and the usual nickname has no effect to Edd, he was more than a little used to such harsh words coming from Kevin. He just lets out a breath of a sigh, double-checks for his money and his house key before he's moving out the door, Kevin backing away as he does. Edd locks up the house and then looks to Kevin as he slips the key back into his pocket.

Without another word, Kevin turns away and makes towards his house - the one right next to Eddy's - and he's half worried that perhaps his friend would look out the window. He hadn't told Ed or Eddy yet where he would be all day, and he wasn't sure how he would react when he got back, but that was the future. His present-time goal was to make it through a day with all of the other boys - besides Jimmy - of the neighborhood.

The rest of them are already there, along with Kevin's father, and Edd gives a friendly hello to the boys before looking to the older man. "Thank you, sir, for allowing me to tag along on today's little escapade. I know my parents can be quite... demanding at times, and if you don't wish to go through with this, just give me the word, and I will return to my home."

His words seem to make the older man backpedal a bit, because he was used to a different type of talk, like the way Kevin talks, or maybe with an accent like Rolf's, not some educated little boy whose vocabulary was slightly advanced. He shakes his head after a moment however. "Not going to turn back now, kid, sorry. Your parents are expecting you to have a day away, and I'm not going to be the topic of cul-de-sac gossip because I didn't take a poor kid with my boy and his friends after I agreed to."

It was a valid point, and Edd gives a curt nod. "Yes, sir," he says, and they're soon piling into the car. The three boys made a fuss about who was going to be sitting in the backseat before Edd lets out a soft huff. "I rather not be cramped up in the back with teenage boys," he says indignantly and climbs into the passenger seat of the car, fastening his seat belt and waiting for the others as he shuts his door. There is a muffled conversation before the other people are getting into the car and buckling up.

Kevin's dad starts the car, and Edd is vaguely reminded that he doesn't know where they are going, but he doesn't bother to ask. Instead, as the radio is turned on, it begins to play a loud song that Edd doesn't have time to distinguish before the man is turning it down with an apology. As the car is backed out and it begins to move, the boys in the back begin to talk, mostly Kevin and Rolf, then Jonny and Plank. Kevin's dad clears his throat a bit and Edd looks over at him.

"So, you don't have many friends in the neighborhood?" The man attempts and Edd appreciates the effort, deciding it was the least he could do to at least try to maintain it.

"I have two," he says matter of factly, "my parents just aren't too fond of them, I suppose. One of them tends to get me into an unnecessary amount of trouble while the other... well, there isn't much I can really say about Ed. He's a good friend who is there to listen, but likes to do as my other friend says. I have never really had the opportunity to befriend anyone else."

"Oh," the man says, seeming surprised, glancing in the rearview mirror at his son a bit, but the younger of the family isn't paying any attention. "Well, I'm sure you and the boys will get along just fine. You have to have some similar interests."

"Oh, that's highly doubtful," he says, before he can really catch himself, and he flusters, "I mean, they're not into the academic... erg..." He was messing up, fearing that perhaps the man would take offense to what he was saying, but the man just merely chuckled, shaking his head and Edd decides to work on his thought process. "I am more into scientific research and inventions, as well as other academic things while your son and his friends seem fond in their socialization and sports," he explains softly and the man nods.

"You're good at science?" He asks and Edd nods. "Hey, Kev, you hear that?" The man asks his son, whose head snaps to look at his dad with a "what?" "Edd here is good at science. Maybe he can help you when school's back in." Edd's cheeks color at that, and he pulls his hat over his head, murmuring softly inaudible about how it was unnecessary as Kevin huffs a "Whatever."

The rest of the ride to their destination is in relative silence in the front seat, half-hearted murmurs in the backseat. When they arrive, Edd is shocked to find a go-kart course with a miniature-golf course and a small building that seemed to be filled with arcades. He gets out of the car when the others start to, but Kevin's dad halts his son. Jonny and Plank are already moving inside, with Rolf in tow, and Edd decides to follow, hearing the mutters behind him.

As he's opening the door, he hears jogging footsteps behind him and Kevin is giving him a light push. "C'mon, Double D, move," he grumbles and Edd rushes in now, slightly flustered at being a roadblock before Kevin is moving to the counter. "My dad rented the place out?" He asks, and he gives the name before the man at the counter is handing out blue bracelets and the boys are putting them on, and Edd notices that everyone is wearing some form of long-sleeved thing and he wonders if he should've before Kevin is stalking towards him, and he's panicking slightly before he notices the blue bracelet. "Just gonna be standing around all day?" he grumbles before he's grabbing Edd's hand, the feeling sending sparks up Edd's arm and he's wrapping the bracelet around his wrist, tearing off the protective guard of the glue and clasping it onto the other piece of paper.

"I-I apologize," Double D manages in embarrassment. "I-I just-..." he rubs the back of his neck a bit, the hair there getting brushed to the side as he does. "I've never been here," he finally admits and Kevin raises an eyebrow.

"Never?" he questions, sounding slightly disbelieving, and Edd gives a light shrug. "That probably explains why you're so into those stupid books, c'mon," he murmurs and Edd is about to give a lecture about how he reads book for his own entertainment and to keep his knowledge, but Kevin is calling for Rolf and Jonny and he's being pulls out the door again by the wrist.

He felt like he was a child being led around, and he wasn't even going to try and think about the germs that could be on Kevin's hand either. Had he even washed that day? Did he cough or sneeze? Yuck. As they reach the go-kart course, however, the attendant sees their wristbands and nods for them to enter, and they do.

"Alright, guys, we're gonna have to try and let Double D in on the fun some," Kevin murmurs to the others, and they just nod.

"Of course, we wouldn't the Ed-Boy to be left out on the appreciations of this country," Rolf says, and Edd feels a bit of happiness at that statement.

"Yeah! Double D's cool when he isn't being bossed around, right, Plank?" Jonny asks, and Edd is put off by that one.

"Well, I am not normally bossed around. I just am providing a service for a friend. I like being useful-" he starts, before Kevin is cutting him off.

"Yeah, let's skip the lecture, Double Dweeb," he mutters, "Just get in a go-kart."

At the order, Edd looks over at the go-kart (they looked more like death-machines) with wide eyes. "Those things?" He questions, and Kevin scoffs a bit, giving Edd a push. "Are these even clean?!" He asks in distress and Kevin murmurs something to Rolf before they are both pushing Edd towards a go-kart.

"C'mon, Ed-boy, it's fun!" Rolf assures and Edd seems like he's about to have an anxiety attack, eyes wide.

"Just get into it, I promise it's not going to give you some kind of infection, alright?" Kevin grumbles and Edd lets out a slight whine of distress before they aren't pushing anymore, and he's as close to the go-kart as he can be without being in or on it. "C'mon, get it!" He urges, and Edd is frozen for a moment.

Then he's moving, getting into the go-kart. He looks at the pedals at his feet and at the wheel in front of him before he's looking for his seatbelt and clicking it into place, looking to see the other three boys were doing the same. Then the attendant is there checking on the seatbelt and then going around to the other's.

"Just step down on the pedal and steer when you get the signal, Double Dweeb!" Kevin calls, and Edd is slightly offended that the other thinks he needs that instruction, but on the other hand, he's entirely thankful. He watches the traffic signal turn green before he's stepping down on the pedal and he's off, eyes barely remaining open with the wind on his face. He begins to steer as well, and his adrenaline is running fast, but the other three boys are in front of him. That's okay though, Edd really didn't want to race as the others seemed to want, he wanted to focus on getting used to the track.

The track had to be over a mile long because it took a bit before Edd was finished with it, Kevin is already standing out to the side, but the others were nowhere in sight. Edd slows the go kart and unbuckles his seatbelt, a slow grin beginning to cross his face as he looks at the other, getting out of the go-kart and putting his hands behind his back. His face was slightly red with a bit of windburn and his hat was slightly ascue, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. "Where are the others?"

"Still on the course, I just wanted to make sure you were enjoying yourself so far," he says easily, and Double D grins even wider.

"I am enjoying myself! This is far better than the other things I do with Ed and Eddy," he says, nodding a bit, "But I do believe I would like a refreshment before I go for a few more laps."

Kevin seems to take a moment before he understands and nods. "Yeah, sure, want me to show you where it is?" Edd thinks for a moment before he nods and Kevin is leading the way but inside to show Double D where to get the drinks.

Edd is then going back out to the go karts and grinning as he goes about 10 more laps before he's getting out and moving to where he saw the arcade. It was about an hour after playing games that the rest of the boys were coming it to try their hand at miniature golf. Double D - thanks to his advanced mind of projections and angles - is actually pretty good at the game, giving Kevin a run for his money on first place.

It's actually some swell bonding, in Double D's opinion, and as the other's settle down for seconds of the pizza they were eating, he excuses himself to go look at the other sections of the place he didn't get to see. As he looks, he finds a batting cage, and he doesn't hear the footsteps behind him before someone's pushing his hat down in front of his eyes and flicking his ear. "Hey Dork, you don't have to run off every time you don't have something distracting you, you could stay and talk to us," comes Kevin's voice, the sound teasing, and Edd scoffs.

"I am unsure what to even talk about," he says in a bit of distress, "I do not want to be a bring-down on a good day."

"You're not being a bring-down. You're actually pretty cool for a dork," Kevin says, and he seems slightly embarrassed at saying it. "Look, how about you do me a favor and pay for this batting cage for me and I'll give you and your stupid friends jawbreakers when we get home," he says and Edd is slightly put off.

"Alrighty then," he says, moving into the cage as Kevin is grabbing a bat and putting it four quarters before moving back as Kevin presses a button and begins to hit the baseballs "pitched" to him.

"Why do you hang out with them anyway?" Kevin asks as Edd hangs onto the chain link fence separating the batting cage and the sidewalk.

"With who?" Edd asks, "Ed and Eddy?" He asks, and Kevin nods, hitting the second ball that was pitched. "Well, no one else will," he says simply and Kevin seems to think for a moment.

"I mean, I would, but you're always around Dorky," Kevin says and it is surprising to Edd. Kevin would hang out with him? That's hardly believable. "I don't know if you've noticed or not, but me and Dorky don't tend to get along too great."

"Well, yes, I have noticed, I just never knew that was my problem in everyone not hanging out with me," he says honestly and Kevin shakes his head, hitting the third ball.

"You ain't as bad as the others, Double D, really," he assures, and Edd can't bring himself to correct the other's use of something that wasn't a word, instead resting his face on the fence, watching. As the balls go by, about 10 in, Kevin just hitting the 11th, he finally speaks again.

"I apologize for all the shenanigans that you have fallen victim to in the past," he murmurs before Kevin laughs a bit, and Double D knows what's it's for. "I know it's not necessarily my fault, but it still is because I built most of the things."

"I don't care about what you did to please Dork-face," Kevin says simply and Double D is slightly confused, cringing as he listens to the last crack of the baseballs and then the bat is clanging on the ground before Kevin's against the opposite side of the chain fence, fingers curled into the links like Edd's were. "We both have a lot of redemption if we're going to be friends."

Edd looks at him, a bit of fear evident there. "Can I still be friends with Ed and Eddy?" he asks and a soft smile stretches across his lips.

"No one's stopping you," he answers before picking up the bat and heading to put it up. Edd is still shocked.

When it's time for dinner, they are all piled up in the car again, Jonny sitting in the front seat now with Rolf, Kevin, and Double D in the back seat, and they're all in conversation now, Edd doing his best to keep up with it.

They are soon back in the cul-de-sac and at the sight of the car, Ed and Eddy are looking up from where they are sat on the curb side.

"Hey, is that sockhead?!" is what's audible as Edd is getting out of the car.

"Double D!" Ed cries out, already running towards him. "We missed you!" He says, squeezing Edd into a bear hug that has him barely able to breathe.

"Yeah, Sockhead, where were you?" Eddy asks, scowling at Kevin as he gets out of the car too. "Wait, did you go go-karting with them?"

"Mother and Father's orders," Edd manages as Ed begins to run, laughing like the big tall glass of joy he was. "Ed! Put me down!"

"No way, Double D! We have to make up for lost time!" Eddy calls as he races after them. "Tell me what you've learned!"

Kevin looks on after them, huffing a bit. "Dorks..." he grumbles.