One word, that's all was said,
Something in your voice called me, caused me to turn my head.
Your smile just captured me, you were in my future as far as I could see.
And I don't know how it happened, but it happens still.
You ask me if I love you, if I always will
Well, you had me from "Hello"
I felt love start to grow the moment I looked into your eyes,
You won me, it was over from the start.
You completely stole my heart, and now you won't let go.
I never even had a chance you know
You had me from "Hello"

~Kenny Chesney

Edd

I was delighted to be moving to Peach Creek. Mother and Father promised that it would be the last move. It was the summer prior to my fifth grade year, and it marked the fifteenth time in my life that I had been uprooted. It was difficult to make friends, but hopefully this time I would be in a position to make plenty. I could already imagine my home-- a real, permanent home. We arrived ahead of the moving truck, parking in the driveway of a modest (at least, modest for my family) two-story house. Movement in my peripheral caused me to turn around completely in my seat. My knees were tucked under me and I was gripping the back of the seat, peeking over it nervously. A crowd of children were standing in the street watching us curiously. "Oh, look at that! Eddward, dear, it seems the neighborhood children have come to welcome you," Mother smiled, craning her neck to see what I was seeing. "Why don't you go say hello?" Father suggested as he turned the car off. I opened my door and got out, shuffling awkwardly toward the street. "Salutations everyone! My name is Eddward," I introduced myself. Two boys, one extremely short and the other enormous for someone my age, grinned at me. "Our names are Edward, too!" the tall one chuckled, fidgeting with the sleeve of his green jacket. "They call him Ed and everyone calls me Eddy," the small one explained. I nodded, trying my hardest to swallow the lump in my throat. Curse this anxiety.

"Pleased to meet you," I murmured. Then a boy in black shorts and a green sweater stepped forward, a red baseball cap perched backwards atop his head. He had deep emerald eyes and bright red hair that peeked out slightly from his hat. He flashed a lopsided grin. "This is Johnny, Nazz, Rolf, Jimmy, and Sarah. I'm Kevin, nice to meet ya." I went to speak, but the moving van pulled up, effectively cutting me off. Father's voice soon followed. "Eddward, come unload your things!" he commanded. I looked back at the neighborhood children forlornly. "I guess we'll see you later," Eddy sighed. The group started to disperse, but Kevin lingered. It was just me and him standing there, him in the street and me at the edge of the driveway. "You should come hang with us. Catch you later," he smiled softly. I stared after him, feeling the most foolish smile spread to my face. I think I've made a friend, I thought as I turned around, bounding happily toward the moving truck.

Kevin

The short dork stopped our game of hide 'n seek when he jumped out from his hiding spot and yelled, "New neighbors!" Everybody came out of hiding almost immediately, running toward the house where a sleek, black car had pulled up. I whistled low as I followed behind them. Nice car, Benz if I wasn't mistaken. A boy about our age got out and came to greet us. He was scrawny, and his oversized clothes didn't help. He was in an orange shirt and purple cargo shorts, wearing a black beanie. He looked so nervous, I almost felt bad for him. Eddy and Ed introduced themselves, and the poor boy flinched at the bigger dork's shout. I decided to try to ease the overwhelming feeling he must have had by introducing us as a group instead of everyone coming at him at once. A tall man with black hair leaned out of the doorway. "Eddward, come unload your things!" he called. He looked back at the house and then at us like he wanted to go wherever we were going. The other kids left, and it was just me standing by him. "You should come hang with us. Catch ya later," I said, giving him a little smile. He smiled back, and I could see the wide gap between his teeth. I don't know why, but I got this weird fluttery feeling in my stomach. I had to hurry up and get away so that I could process this weird twisting in my gut. "I hope he'll be my friend," I mumbled to myself as I went to catch up with the others.