So hello there, writing a new one that I suddenly had muse for. Don't worry! I'm still continuing The Caste, but as it is I write most of these on a school laptop and I don't think copious amounts of violence and murder and god knows what else is appropriate for that so I'm likely just going to start with this one and write the other when I get home!

I'm not sure what inspired this story, just that I was sitting there and suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks and I just... yeah. So I hope you enjoy it.

If I'm completely honest, I think I've known him since before we were born. We were always so competitive with each other. So it's no surprise that he became the swimming team's best and I the captain of the baseball team; always trying to see who could win more games or meets. It was a never ending tie and he came to all of my games like I went to all of his meets. Eddward "Shark" Vincent, given his nickname from years of practice and skill. He always rubbed it in my face that he had one and I hadn't gotten a title to be famous by. He really pissed me off. Before you say a single word, no, it's not love, though I've been perfectly content knowing about my bisexuality for a few years now. It's not love. Not for him anyways. It's competition. A thrill, a passion. We enjoy it, watching the other go on and on, pushing themselves to the limit until finally you won or burned yourself out trying. I burned out far more times than he did, he knows how to pace himself, he's always been smart… however I pride myself on brute force and that doesn't always work. Despite our issues with one another, he is my best friend, Nazz and Nat aside.

And then the storm hit Peach Creek.

The weather channel was explaining how it was this huge, rare anomaly and Eddward had insisted I stay and watch with him. He's a nerd like that. The colours of this perfect storm were bright blues and pinks that lit up the night like it was still day, brilliantly shining above and through the curtains. I decided it was a smart fucking idea to dare him to step out into it. I didn't know if I actually expected him to take me up on it or not, but regardless, he did it. It happened so quickly after that, lightning hit him and he toppled to the wet grass. I felt my heart stop and my head cloud up, I couldn't hear anything and just bolted forward, dragging him inside… But hang on, there's more to this than I've just said, so can we put this part on hold for a while?

I remember that day had been so strange too…

Eddward was walking out to his car, we usually just lagged around the parking lot. He was talking about something he think he found, that dork get's just about as excited for science as he does for his swim meets.

"If I'm right there might be another universe parallel to this one. The data I've collected suggests we could be on a collision course with it soon as well a- Kevin David Barr are you listening to me?" He snarled.

I wasn't, I was too busy staring down girls that left the building and feeling a swell of pride every time they giggled and turned to whisper with flushed cheeks.

"Yeah… go on…" I said, pretending to have an interest. It's really one of those things you don't care about until later when you suddenly remember it.

He cleared his throat and I turned, I already knew he was irritated with me, so I pretended to look like I didn't care.

"I said I was listening."

"If you would pause your ogling for two minutes to listen to me…"

"What are we even going to do about a collision dude? We're high school students, not rocket scientists or whatever…" He seemed shocked that I even retained that much.

Thin fingers twisted his dog tags around. "Yes, well, I'm merely suggesting it's possible something will open up and let an influx through. I found it interesting."

"You collected data from the National Geographic, dude, there's nothing actually there."

"I'd appreciate it if you would take me more seriously, Kevin, I'm not afraid to hit you and we all know what happened last time…"

I scowled, the last time we got into a fist fight it ended… well lets just say I couldn't really walk straight for about a week. I said it wasn't love… but lust is completely different.

"Yeah yeah, smartass. We still hanging at your place later? I need help with Chemistry…"

"I believe the plan still stands, Kevin, I advise you eat before you come over, Mother and Father were very unhappy about the pizza sauce stain on the couch."

"That one was your fault, you shoved me." I grumbled.

He smirked. "Well anyway, eat before you come over and take off your shoes at the door this time, I'm tired of cleaning up the mud you track in. I live in a home, Kevin, not a pig stye."

So that's how he got me over, homework, and then the storm started and he made me stay.

Now I'm looking down at his limp body, frantically trying to dry him off. I'm not suited for this! If I'd been the one to pass out, Eddward would easily know what to do. I'm not the brilliant one here. He was heavier than I thought, so moving him to the couch was hard. Once there, I pulled the blanket over his still damp body. That's when I noticed something strange about him… His piercings were gone, and so were his dog tags. I'd never seen him without them, and he was definitely wearing them when he went out. I went to go look for them, I mean hell, does lightning even do that? Can lightning make jewelry come off? What's worse is when I went to go look for them, there wasn't even a glitter of silver anywhere. The storm had already started to clear up by then and the thunder was a mere rumble in the sky with the rain a continuous downpour hitting my skin and soaking me. I heard him groan from inside the house and ran back to see if he was okay.

There was definitely something wrong.

Eddward didn't seem like himself, normally he'd swear at me for handling him roughly, since I was pretty sure I'd bruised him getting him up there. No… instead he just stared at me with wide eyes, his hand was curled slightly, up at his lips with the sleeve clutched between his fingers.

Wait was he always wearing that sweater?

He and I didn't speak, just staring back and forth. I was trying to figure out what was going on here. He just seemed like he didn't know who I was. He finally moved, looking quickly around the room.

"W...what are you doing in my house?" He asked, his voice abnormally feeble.

"Dude, what are you talking about… you invited me, remember? Help with chemistry? Are you okay? Did that lightning fry your brain or something?"

"You? Need help with Chemistry?" He frowned. "Lightning… oh right…" He looked like he'd made some sort of connection as to what happened.

"Well duh, I'm failing remember?"

He was alarmed. "Failing?! How?! You've always been good at Chemistry!"

I was so confused… but then he seemed to be as well. "Eddward are you okay?"

"Goodness…" He blinked. "What's with using my full name?"

"I've always called you that…"

"No… it's always been Double D or Edd… I'm pretty sure of that…"

Remember when I said that the information Eddward had given me was something you remembered later? This was that moment. For some reason it made more sense to me than him losing his mind. I don't know why I completely threw reason out the door like that, I've heard of people losing their personalities in freak accidents, but it was just one of those things that couldn't happen to him… and besides that, this Eddward had different memories than mine… so it made sense to me that he wasn't the same Eddward.

"You're not him…" I frowned.

"Pardon?"

"What were you doing before you got hit?"

"I was taking measurements on my porch… I'd never seen a storm like that before and I wanted to make sure I had it documented… and then I remember everything got very warm…"

"You…" How did someone say this? You'd sound crazy… "I don't think you're my Eddward."

"Well there is three of us."

"But only one spells his name with two D's."

"Thank you for stating the obvious." He snorted.

"I'm saying you're not the one I know."

"How is that possible, I'm the only one who-"

"Like hell if I know how you got here… but you're not him. The Eddward I know is incredibly good at school, swimming, and is a huge dick."

"I beg your pardon!" He was clearly offended.

"Look, Edd, or… whatever you said your name was… I don't know how it's possible but I think you've swapped places with my Eddward."

He seemed to mull that information over with the same look the Shark would give me, the one that told me I was a complete moron.

"Look, Eddward was talking about this… Parallel universe or something, he'd been gathering a bunch of snips from studies and came up with this whole theory where the two universes were going to clash… I think it did that and somehow you two got switched."

"...Are you sure this Eddward of yours is smart?" This kid made me want to hit him.

"Yeah, I'm fucking sure. I want mine back, so can you just leave."

He sighed. "Even if your theory was correct, Kevin, I don't know how."

"... so you do know who I am then?"

"I thought I knew… until you said you were failing Chemistry. What's next, quitting your robotics club?"

"What? Peach Creek doesn't have a Robotics Club…"

"Peach…" His eyes widened again. "Okay there might be something to your theory."

"What made you believe me?" I folded my arms over my chest.

"I'm not from Peach Creek… I live in Appledale."

This was what caught him? The town switch…? Whatever, as long as he realised it. Now the problem was getting him back. Did the lightning make him come here? It was likely, after all they both were hit right? So it made sense in my head to drag him to the backyard.

"You need to get shocked again." I said flatly.

"Are you crazy?!" He squeaked. "Good lord, man!"

But unfortunately, the storm had passed already. I swore under my breath. I'd never see him again… Losing your best friend hurt pretty bad. What's worse is that according to this Edd, Eddward would wake up on the grass alone. He had no one to pull him inside and call him an idiot for taking the dare. This one was too floppy. He looked like you could blow him over with just breath.

I sighed and sat on the couch, rubbing my face. I don't know why, but the new Edd walked over and sat down next to me, a light touch to my back told me his hand was there.

"Were you together or… something along those lines?" He asked.

"He's my best friend… not my boyfriend or anything if that's what you mean." I sighed. "Not that we'll admit it. We're kind of big assholes."

"Language, Kevin." He sighed. "If I could switch with him again, I would."

I grunted, not really wanting to talk to this guy. He was incredibly nice but I didn't know what to do with a nice Edd.

"Oh shit… he has a swim meet tomorrow… if you don't show…"

"I-I…" He stammered. "I'm not… the best swimmer…"

"Fuckin'... perfect…" I groaned. "He'll kill me…"

"It's not your fault…"

"I'm the one who made him go outside, it kinda is my fault." I rubbed my face again. "He's never missed a single meet…"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You'll have to stay home sick tomorrow… it's the only way he'd get away with getting out of it…"

"You mean skip school?!" He was absolutely appalled! "I've never skipped school in my life!"

"Eddward does all the time, but missing a meet… the coach will assume he's sick…"

"H-he misses school… and he's prancing about my life?"

"Oh relax, Mr. Perfect… you won't be gone long."

"You said you took measurements on the storm right? Well maybe if Eddward sees them he could figure out how to use those to recreate it or something…"

"This isn't a science fiction movie, Kevin! This is a real life accident! My perfect attendance record…"

I couldn't help it, I started laughing. Maybe I was tired, maybe I was annoyed, I don't know what started it, but the moment he started whining I just laughed. Edd gave me this pouty look, it was actually rather adorable.

"Sorry… I'm sorry." I apologised, wiping my eyes. "You're just so different." I made an excuse for my laughter, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like that's what happened.

"It's fine…" He sighed. "Hey… is this Eddward violent?"

"When he's angry, yes."

"... then my Kevin may be in trouble…"

"Whoa, there's another me?"

"No." He said blankly, staring at me with this miffed expression. "I just happen to know your name and face because I'm magic."

"Okay sassy… no need to be rude." I rolled my eyes. "What's your Kevin like?"

"The opposite of you. He's nice and doesn't really swear… smart and unathletic whereas you seem to be built for sports."

"So now you're checking me out?" I grinned.

"H-hardly! I make mental notes." He muttered.

"Well I don't think this Kevin will have much of a problem with Eddward then, so long as he doesn't get in his way."

"That's the problem… Kevin tends to be slightly confrontational… especially to people who are rude to him…"

"He's going to get decked." Kevin shrugged. "No big deal."

"No! It is! With his… home issues…"

I paused. So this one had family problems too… As long as I can remember my mother had been rather violent. It was always something I could handle, but if this Kevin was as apparently fragile as Edd was… Eddward hitting him or saying something rude would be bad. I can handle my friend's rage pretty easily, but Edd's Kevin wouldn't know that they aren't the same person and could come across as annoying…

"He has to grow up some time, Edd. He's gonna get hurt in life. I can't change Eddward if I tried, he's too stubborn. If your Kevin gets hit, there's nothing we can do."

He didn't respond.

"I'm gonna head home. If you need me my house is right across the street and my phone is number three on his home phone's speed dial."

"Where am I supposed to stay? Here?"

"Well yeah… it's his house but what is he going to do? He's not here."

Edd just nodded and watched me leave. The sky was still cloudy overhead, but it was no longer raining. My walk home was one of brief contemplation. How long would he be here? What if the other Kevin got hurt? How would they even get him back? Hell I still didn't understand how exactly the lightning had caused all this… The moment I got back into my own house it smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. Dad was working late again, his car wasn't back, so that means mom was there. The door closed behind me and the clicking of the fastener was enough of a cue for her to start screaming.

"Where have you been?"

"What were you doing?"

"You're such a horrible son!"

"I bet you were out screwing around!"

"I'm too young to be a grandmother!"

"You're so ungrateful!"

"Selfish!"

I listen to her scream at me for a while, when I don't respond to any of it, she slaps me, her manicured nails scratching my cheek deep enough that I can feel little droplets of blood raise to the surface. Sure enough, touching the spot, I draw away and red is on my fingers in small amounts. I start walking up to my room and the screaming starts up again.

"Don't you walk away when I'm talking to you!"

"Your father will hear about this!"

"You're grounded!"

And so on and so on… I collapse on my bed, exhausted from the nights events and my mother's antics. Without getting changed or even climbing into the covers, I drift off on my bed in the cold darkness of my room.

PS: I literally just made up the name Appledale. In no way shape or form is it supposed to be an actual place.

Review please! It really does help me want to keep writing!