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clairethecutepup · 1 year

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Writing Practice: On the Run! (Ed Edd n' Eddy)

Writing is always important in media-- whether standard literature or otherwise --and thus it's important I sharpen my writing skills whenever possible, by both doing it and examining feedback.

Today's offered story, whether you plan to critique or simply enjoy, is a tale done in style of 2nd person narration and fanfiction form. Be warned, it has mentions of strong depression and all; but it's nothing overtly dark and gritty-- not even SLIGHTLY. Click "read more" to view, as well as the author's notes.

[*Note: all the characters are aged up and adults now, even if it's a simple 18 years of age. Nothing "inappropriate" for that reason, just a preference.]

Normally, Claire (You) gets along quite well with Sarah and Jimmy; but they won't hesitate to criticize the kid, when warranted-- or give chase, when most certainly warranted!

Claire promised the two she'd ditch the BCAA supplements, after seeming like she'd come close to a heart attack and getting a bit sick. Unfortunately, Claire is too determined to maintain her muscular gains and force her body to find the instant energy to do things. Plus, a third reason... The two have their suspicions, and when they find out... Well, if Claire's fine with harming herself, Sarah's eager to help; and Jimmy doesn't very much enjoy others acting like they're smarter than him, so he'd also like teaching Claire a lesson in being cocky enough to try and play him a fool.

****

You're in your bedroom, and you've secretly popped another BCAA pill for your latest workout. When you finish, your heart is still racing from the caffeinated substance you took. Hopefully, no one notices. Skyler then knocks on your door and tells you that he's going shopping for some more art supplies and groceries. You can go with him, or you can stay in the Cul-De-Sac. Obviously, he's not letting you stay by yourself, as you're not the type of person to be entrusted with their own well-being. You don't feel like walking around, after feeling the BCAA's strong effects on your body, so you ask to be left behind and in someone else's care. Skyler agrees to your demands, but with the question if it's because you don't feel well. You certainly don't look it...

Darn, if only you could do a better job of hiding your BCAA influence... It's a lot harder, when you've lost your tolerance to it, after going cold turkey for so long. Skyler asks Nazz to watch you for a bit, and she agrees. When you're at Nazz's place, you accept the offer to lie on her couch for a bit, after you show clear signs of feeling unwell.

Nazz leaves the room to get something for you, before she comes back into the living room. She sets down a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, before sitting beside you.

"This always helps me feel better, whenever I'm feeling sick myself," she smiles.

Guess that made one of you, as you could only cover your mouth instinctively. This only increases her concern, and she feels your forehead.

"Hmmm... You don't feel warm," she removes her hand, "Do you feel like you caught a bug or something?"

You shake your head, assuring you just feel tired after your workout.

"Dude, that's why they say to take 'rest days,'" she reminds, "Well, you can at least rest NOW. I'll leave the tray for you, okay?"

You watch her leave and internally sigh to yourself. Darn it, the BCAA pills were supposed to INCREASE energy, not make you bed-ridden! ... Or, couch-ridden, instead. You decide to eat the cookies anyway, since they're there. They taste pretty good, and you even manage to finish all of them, without any problems.

You then fall asleep, on the couch, while watching cartoons. You wake up in your own bed, and there's a damp cloth on your forehead. You stand up and leave your room, encountering Skyler in your kitchen.

"Oh, you're up," Skyler immediately takes notice, concern on his face, "Are you alright, Claire? Nazz says you were sleeping the entire time you were there, like you absolutely had no energy left... Plus, you seemed nauseous at the idea of eating."

You shrug, claiming you probably overworked yourself with your strength training. This furrows Skyler's brow.

"Claire," he says, "this isn't the first time that's been happening, lately... So, what exactly are you doing during those exercises? Whatever it is, I think you need to take a break from it, or at least use lighter weights..."

You nod in agreement, hoping he doesn't catch onto the pills being the real reason. You finally have more of an appetite, at least what wasn't ruined by Nazz's cookies, so you eat the dinner Skyler prepared. You lie awake that night, unable to sleep because of the pills' caffeine content and your lengthy daytime nap earlier. It's a tired morning the next day, so time to pop more BCAA pills. There's the energy boost, but with a hint of nausea. Oh well, it's been getting less intense. You greet Skyler for the morning, and he says he'd like to get you some fresh air today. Perhaps that'll help with your newfound and seeming sickness? At the playground, a passing Sarah and Jimmy notice you both. Specifically, Sarah and Jimmy focus on YOU, as they heard from Nazz that you weren't seeming of the best health yesterday. You assure them you're fine, just that you may be working yourself too hard with muscle-building.

Jimmy asks if you're sure, and you reply with a simple "yes." Something about your response doesn't seem acceptable to him. Then again, Jimmy could be manipulative at times, so it wouldn't be surprising if something about your false answer reminded him of his own lies, here and there.

"You seem a bit unwell, still..." he notes, "Did you also work out today?"

You deny it, your only truthful response, thus far. Jimmy is scanning your face. He then asks Skyler if he and Sarah can take you off his hands, and Skyler doesn't see much reason to object. He just asks that they ensure to keep a close eye on you, in case your state worsens. You don't like where this is going, as Jimmy leads you away by the shoulder. Sarah is suspicious, as she walks alongside you. She can tell when Jimmy's planning something, and it's clear you've given him something to plan about. Jimmy leads you both into one of the alleyways, before he stops and leans into your ear.

"You're trying to pull one over me, aren't you~?" he smirks, "I know you all too well, you know."

Wuh oh... You deny it.

"You think you're smarter than me, don't you?" his smile grows and looks a bit annoyed, "Perhaps even egotistical enough to think yourself smarter than ALL of us, since I've a feeling you've been a bit untruthful to Skyler, as well."

You insist you really don't know what he's talking about, you probably just got a bug or something...

"Oh Claire, those adorable blue eyes can betray you so easily~," Jimmy continues, "I'm willing to be forgiving, though, if you tell me what you're actually doing to make yourself so sick lately."

Sarah glances between you two, confusion on her face.

"Jimmy, what are you two talking about...?" she asks.

"Oh, how stupid she thinks we both are," Jimmy confidently responds, "it's why she won't tell us what's REALLY sickening her, as of late."

"... What's THAT supposed to mean?" Sarah fiercely stares you down, "Claire, ARE you hiding something...? Whatever it is, you better tell us RIGHT NOW..."

You back into the fence lining, as Jimmy smugly and calmly approaches you, and Sarah angrily and fiercely does.

"It's nothing, guys!" you protest, "Just some minor stomach problems, that's all! It's not anything bad, okay? Just... a little stomach bug, maybe..."

"'Maybe'?" Jimmy smugly repeats, "You don't sound so sure. I suggest the canary sings, before I have to introduce the cat to it," he motions to Sarah.

Well, they're gonna find out anyway, now. Good thing you carried the pill bottle for any emergency "energy" and the like, so maybe it can distract them long enough...? With a shaky hand and strong gulp, you hand over the bottle and Sarah snatches it from you. She and Jimmy both look at it, and they seem furious.

"WHAT?!" Sarah yells, "You've been taking this stuff again?!"

"Oh, so you truly DO think you're smarter than us, don't you?" Jimmy snarls, "Why else would you have apparently kept your fingers crossed, when you promised us all you'd stop taking these...? Well, I DON'T like being played for a fool..."

"ME NEITHER!" Sarah pushes her sleeve up, as Jimmy takes the bottle, "Claire, I'm gonna--!!"

While they focused on the bottle, you ran off.

"Oh, you ARE a cheeky little cad!" Jimmy grits his teeth, "Acting sneaky a SECOND time..."

"That's it, GET BACK HERE!!" Sarah yells.

You run for your life, as you flee the taller adults. Sarah is probably going to LITERALLY tear you limb from limb, while Jimmy would certainly make you squirm in other manners... You're pretty sure you wouldn't survive either of their wraths. Unfortunately, you couldn't even hide away at home, as Skyler would undoubtedly be told about this. Guess you'd best just run away from the Cul-De-Sac altogether... if that's somehow possible.

You quickly dart around corners, trying to lose the two larger figures chasing after you. They're gaining on you, though...

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASY!" Sarah shouts, "WE'VE CHASED MY BROTHER AND HIS FRIENDS DOWN ALL THESE YEARS, AND YOU WON'T BE ANY DIFFERENT!!"

You'd like to beg to differ. You had shorter legs, but you're pretty quick yourself. A smaller size also meant you can fit into and squeeze through things easier than them. In fact, you could easily slip under the fence... So, you do.

"It'll take more than that, you slippery weasel!" Jimmy calls out.

Sarah and Jimmy's hands follow you under the hole, but their fingers don't even come close to grasping you. You run toward the side of the oncoming house and past it. Now, you need to decide which direction to head in, preferably one the duo won't use to catch up. You don't want to bump into them. You decide to just hide in a nearby bush, for now, just to be safe. You'll see which way they're coming from and, more importantly, which way they'll be going. They eventually reach the spot, but they don't see you in the bush.

"Sarah, let's check the park," Jimmy suggests, "she may have gone running back to her trusted sibling for safety. Well, she'd only be half right, knowing what a foolish simpleton she can be..."

"Fine by me," Sarah agrees, "Let's see her sneak anymore, if Skyler finds out himself!"

The two of them run down the street, but then turn left at the corner.

Oh, thank goodness, they're gone now... Well, if they're telling Skyler-- whether him actually still being at the park, or him being found back home --then that confirms the idea of dismissing your home as a hiding spot. Well, you're officially "on the run"... You're worried how quickly word may spread about the search for you, and your continued use of BCAA supplements. You gotta be careful about encountering the other Cul-De-Sac members. At the very least, you know you can't hide in here forever: bushes are probably among the first things they'd check, and Ed could literally sniff you out. His likelihood of it is only increased, by the bush being near his home. You temporarily humor the idea of hiding in Ed's, and Sarah's, own home. It WOULD be the last place they'd expect to find you. Unfortunately, there's the whole "Ed sniffing you out" thing, and you're too scared to be THAT close to a furious and seeking Sarah. Ugh, where to go now?

Your options are limited. Double D isn't a good choice, because he'd likely tell Skyler about all this, too. If only you had a different problem, then he'd help fix everything, as per usual. The Cul-De-Sac clubhouse is not a good choice either, as Sarah and Jimmy would definitely think to examine an empty, isolated treetop space like that. That leaves... the outskirts of the Cul-De-Sac, you guessed. Great, even if you somehow managed to get out of the neighborhood, you didn't have any real place to hide and survive in. Honestly, you'd have better luck jumping out of the clubhouse and praying it's quick. Okay, a bit TOO dark and dramatic a solution, in THIS case, but you're essentially screwed either way; yet, you'll be even more so, if Sarah and Jimmy manage to get hold of you.

You're just going to have to keep moving. Maybe try heading towards the woods, and hope for the best; or maybe you should just hide somewhere and make everyone THINK you fled elsewhere...? But how long do you wait, before the inevitability of having to run instead? Do you risk being caught and attempt to flee without being seen, in the current moment? And if you do try to escape, what happens when you encounter someone else? How many people do you have to worry about running into on the way out...?

Well, you've got to make a decision soon. Your phone is ringing, and it's Skyler's name on that screen. Sarah and Jimmy must've told him, and he's likely FURIOUS about things. You can already hear him telling you to come to him-- and NOW. You decide to just turn off your phone. Sure, ignoring him isn't going to ease his temper, but it'll be harder to locate you with a quiet phone that can't emit a trackable GPS signal, at least. You decide to find a new place to hide, at least one that'll take them longer to search. You gotta sneak out of the Cul-De-Sac eventually, though.

You slip away from the bush, careful to stay hidden in the shadows. There's no one around, which means you don't have to worry about anyone seeing you leave. You're also pretty small and quiet, so that'll help keep you under everyone's radar.

You glance around, trying to avoid seeming suspicious as you walk. If Sarah, Jimmy or Skyler spot you, they'll chase you down. Still, you should avoid getting spotted by anyone else, as you don't know whom else Sarah and Jimmy told to keep an eye out for you. Your legs start to tire, a sure sign you're experiencing a BCAA-related crash, again. Great, why NOW of all times? As much as you want to keep going, your body feels too heavy; but you prevail, even when Sarah and Jimmy took your only pill bottle of the energy-booster.

Then, the last thing you'd want happens: someone acknowledges you. Fortunately, it's not your brother nor your pursuing duo, but Nazz spots you regardless. Kevin is with her, and he's also eyeing you. It doesn't seem like they've been told anything, as they're not trying to grab you nor telling you to come over to them.

"Claire, are you alright?" Nazz asks, "What are you even doing alone? I thought Skyler didn't like it when you were."

Normally, people would think Skyler abusively possessive when hearing he doesn't like you alone, but Skyler's true motives are pure: only wanting to ensure you're given personal care that you can't be trusted to do for yourself. Hopefully, he believed, that would change, someday. Knowing Skyler's reason for it, Nazz would predictably be concerned to see you all alone. Crap, how do you lie here?

You assure them everything's fine, you just felt a need to give Sarah and Jimmy some space, after a falling-out.

Kevin looks at you with curiosity and concern, "'Wait, YOU storming off from someone, just like that...?" he asks, "Even if it WAS a real doozy, why would they just agree to let you walk off like that? They know how Skyler feels about that better than anyone..."

Nazz also seems upset, "Dude, if they agreed to watch you for him, then they NEED to stick with you," Nazz approaches you and holds her hand out, "Come on, let's go find them and we'll help settle things, o--" she confusedly watches you back away, "--kay...? Dude, you're acting really weird here. Like, there's more than just some fight happening between you guys."

You assure it won't be a good idea to find them right now.

"Um, then we can just wait for them to look for YOU instead...?" Nazz suggests.

Oh no, you can't let anyone hang onto you, you just can't!! You won't get out of here then! You lie about going back to Sarah and Jimmy, and run off. Nazz calls after you, but you ignore her and flee in whatever direction seems likeliest for escape.

As soon as you're out of sight of their sight, your legs start shaking from fear as you realize this plan might have been stupid. Your heart is racing so hard, your breath is short... And you feel like throwing up. Why did you ever think running away was such a great idea?! Those stupid BCAA side effects aren't helping, either... Where ARE you now, anyway? Wait, trailers? You're in the trailer park! You hope you don't run into the Kanker Sisters, as they'll probably ask why you're running around in some sickly panic. It wouldn't be the first time one would ask if a problem needed help being "finished," and you KNOW how easy it is to anger them with something like lying. Actually, maybe Sarah tearing you a new one instead-- even with Jimmy to add something into the mix --isn't all that scary, with competition like THAT.

You don't know if the Kankers would actually tell Skyler, or at least hand you over to Sarah and Jimmy, but you feel it's best not to get caught by them. You hear the sisters and instinctively dive under the nearest trailer: theirs. Yet, you don't see them anywhere, and it sounds a little muffled. You curiously follow it to the slightly opened window. That's the reason you hear them: they're inside, with the Eds, and all seem to be enjoying each other's company. Oh, great... If the Eds are here, that's definitely gonna complicate things, if you're noticed. Double D would especially screw you over, by returning you to Skyler (likely including Sarah and Jimmy), if he and the others managed to get the truth out of you. Time to go, before they spot you and ask any questions... Speaking of "complications": Sarah and Jimmy are prowling through the area, gazing around for you. Luckily, you spot them first and hide under the trailer again. You cover your mouth and hope they don't look under it and spot you. Their feet stop in front of the gap you're hiding in.

"She has to be around here, somewhere, Jimmy..." Sarah growls, "How far can an idiot with shorter legs run, anyway?"

"And, a SMALLER fool, as well, Sarah..." Jimmy adds, "She has many spots and the like she can squeeze into. We need to make sure we're as thorough as possible. We also best keep any noise down, so we don't risk alerting her to our presence."

A bit late for that, you can literally see them, in addition to hearing them. Still, as long as they don't know where exactly you are, maybe they'll lose interest in searching this area, eventually. You hope so. You're watching Jimmy and Sarah search the park's yard... Oh crap, they're looking UNDER trailers now, and they're about to look under the Kankers'!!

Just as they're kneeling down, Lee kicks the trailer door open.

"Okay, just what are you two doing out here?" she demands, pointing inside with a thumb, "We can all see you obsessing over every little detail out here, through the window..." she lowers her thumb, folding her arms, "You lose something, or you just trying to bug the neighbors? Trust me, last thing we need's you two setting off ol' Carl, over there."

"Have you seen Claire?" Sarah demands.

"The little blonde twerp; why, she in trouble or something?"

"You bet she is! She's been lying about not taking that stupid BCAA stuff anymore!"

"So? If it's her body, it's her choice, ain't it? If something happens to her, it's her own fault."

"She better hopes it makes something happen to her, before we find her, 'cause when I get my hands on that lying little...!! Did you see her, or not?!"

"Calm down, we haven't seen the squirt anywhere near here."

You feel a lump in your throat, but you dare not swallow and let the sound give you away to everyone. Too late, Jimmy just peered under the trailer.

"I found the slippery rascal, Sarah!!"

Jimmy dives in under you, but you back out quickly and take off in the direction that the trailer's backside faces. Sarah and Jimmy look past the trailer and toward you.

"You're making it a whole lot worse!!" Sarah snarls.

"Jeez, those three are sometimes crazier than our men..." Lee sighs.

She goes back inside the trailer, likely to relay the insane shenanigans of your own trio, just now. You run as Sarah and Jimmy follow, and continue yelling at you, while they chase you into Rolf's farm yard. You burst through the fence gate, Jimmy pushes the door open next, and Sarah LITERALLY smashes through the darn thing after it recloses.

Rolf instantly snaps his surprised attention toward the three of you, as you all run around his moving tractor. He's yelling at you all to not foolishly stand in front of his moving vehicle; while you're more focused on escaping your pursuers, and Sarah and Jimmy are more focused on catching you.

You're running all throughout Rolf's yard, much to his vocal dismay. Your latest dodge attempt of Sarah and Jimmy lands you onto Rolf's goat, Victor, and the critter carries you to freedom. Forget being on the "lamb" instead... Rolf yells at you to return his goat, but you don't really have much choice: Victor is freaked out and charging forward, with you riding on his back. Jimmy is riding someone else himself, for extra speed: Sarah, and spite/anger is motivating her to run at a very fast rate after you. She's clearly HAD it with chasing you every which way, as if it wasn't bad enough you lied to her and Jimmy.

You plow into a passing Jonny, who only had a few moments to notice Victor charging toward him. You fly off the goat, as the two fall onto the ground, and you suddenly find yourself traveling by the air. Well, that's one way to flee the Cul-De-Sac, even if you have no idea where to. Sarah and Jimmy aren't deterred, though, they're running toward where they believe you'll land. You eventually land in the trees of the nearby forest. You slide through the branches and land onto the ground. You quickly regain yourself and run, having a strong feeling that's not the last you'll be seeing of your pursuers, given how relentless your two friends can get.

The sun sets, and the sky turns dark. You're still running, but now you're lost in the woods, somewhat. You've been running for a while, and you're exhausted. You need to find somewhere to rest, and soon.

*****

It's gotten so dark outside, and you're still alone in the woods. You can barely see anything, and you're worried you'll stumble upon some weird creep or something, all the way out here and so late. You try to keep going, but you're too tired to move any farther.

Jeez, just how long have you been travelling for? Wouldn't Sarah and Jimmy have caught up to you by now? Then again, maybe they made a mistake in predicting your landing location, or these woods proved too vast for even the year-long residents to navigate effectively.

You sit down on a log, and lean against it. Your body is so sore from all the running, and you're starting to feel sick. You should have just stayed off those stupid supplements, then this whole thing would've never happened! Your heart won't stop racing, you've got a headache now-- because stress ALWAYS makes a BCAA-induced crash all the better! --and you're more exhausted than ever. You're also starving, but good luck eating anything with the increased nausea.

Still, your stomach growls, and you realize you haven't eaten since breakfast today. That was a bad decision, and you know it. Now you're paying the price-- paying the price for it ALL. You sigh, and look around. There's nothing here, and you don't think there's anywhere to sleep, either. Maybe you could curl up under a tree and wait until morning? It's a good thing the Summer air isn't all that cold, even during the night.

Suddenly, you hear a rustling sound. Something is moving in the bushes. You freeze, and listen intently.

"CLAIRE, YOU FATHEADED JERK!!!" Sarah's voice roars.

She goes flying from the foliage-- RIGHT TOWARD YOU!! She hits you like a cannon ball. She doesn't just hit you with her body, but her fists. Your tired body can only think to hold up its arms defensively.

"That's it, Sarah!" Jimmy emerges from the bush and hurries over, standing over you, "Give her the ol', 'One-Two' punch!" he then kneels beside you, during your received assault, "If you think THIS is bad, just wait until you see what I have in store for you afterward, you troublesome cad..."

Eventually, Sarah feels satisfied and she's unleashed all of her pent up rage that you caused. You lie on the ground, sobbing. You're not crying because Sarah battered and bruised you, but from the stress of EVERYTHING that happened today and what was to come: Jimmy's brand of retribution, Skyler undoubtedly waiting to ground you, the stress of being chased down by Sarah and Jimmy, the physical distress caused by your supplements, and so forth. Sarah sighs and sits beside you, while Jimmy sits across from her and on your other side. You continue sobbing, and you're not the ONLY saddened one: Sarah actually had teary eyes this entire time, and Jimmy also appears upset.

"Oh, be quiet..." Sarah huffs, "You don't have anyone to blame, but yourself... Just... Why do you do this to us?! Don't we ALREADY have to worry about losing you, when you're not popping some stupid pills that we told you not to?! Just because YOU don't care about yourself, doesn't mean no one else cares whether you're dead or not!"

A tad ironic to give a spiel about your well-being, seeing as she's why you're more bruised than a dropped apple. Then again, you can't exactly bring yourself to blame her, though.

"I'm sorry," you whimper, "I never wanna upset you guys, or the others..."

"Well, you did!" Sarah snaps back, "You do, every time you decide to do something that can or does end up hurting you! For crying out loud, is it so hard to ask that you LISTEN to us, for once?!"

"But I-"

"Enough of your empty words, Missy!" Jimmy shouts, "It's clear you simply can't be trusted with anything, whatsoever! No wonder Skyler asks for help in watching you, like the hapless infant you are!"

"But what good's HIS concern-- or ours, I guess --when you ALWAYS just throw it back in our faces?!" Sarah growls, "And for what: just for some slightly bigger muscles, or because naps are CLEARLY too hard for you to do? It's called, 'protein' and 'coffee,' you idiot!! It's not like those stupid pills are your only option!"

"I-I'm sorry," you sob, "th-they just seemed so faster and more effective..."

"Yes, at inducing cardiac arrest!" Jimmy huffs, "Or, have you forgotten about your gasping and chest-clutching that one time? I can't believe you'd be fine with scaring us a second time, in such a devastating manner!"

"Honestly, Claire," Sarah huffs, "why do we even bother with you, sometimes?! It seems like no matter what we do, you're just intent on doing whatever you can to get some kind of early grave..."

"No, i-it wasn't done for the sake of self-harm," you plead, "I-I really liked the effects BCAA had on my body... You know I like to be masculine, like large muscles..."

"Yeah, but it still counts when you don't care that something IS hurting you!" Sarah snarls.

"Besides," Jimmy adds, "we all know you'd consider a potential, life-ending heart attack as another 'bonus' from your precious BCAA's, wouldn't you?"

You go back to sobbing, as you can't deny the risk of heart failure as another pill "advantage," over the likes of coffee or protein drinks.

"So, why do you keep going back to this nonsense, then?" Jimmy demands, "Why do you think we should waste any further time with you, Claire? Why do you think we should give you ANY consideration, ever again, when it'll apparently be for naught, and everything said completely ignored by you?"

You fall silent, as you have no answer. Why SHOULD anyone be concerned about you or try to dissuade you from self-destruction, if you can't bring about any concern for your own self and life? No matter how good you currently have it, your mind always reminds you why you deserve to die and that it's probably better for you, over all.

You'd just be ticking timebomb for anyone who got invested in you. You likely could only offer someone eventual grief in the end. You sniffle, defeatedly staring at your toes, as you lie on your back.

"... I suppose the answer is that we've gotten too attached, to just let you go NOW." Jimmy finally sighs, "A foolish reason, when we could learn to just cut ties and move on from such madness; but a reason, nonetheless."

"Yeah..." Sarah agrees, resting her chin in a hand, "Besides, you always stick by US, even when I end up falling back into old habits myself..." she overlooks your bruises, hoping she hadn't roughed you up too badly, "We'd be a real set of fatheads, if we expected you to be there for US when we needed it, but we just threw YOU away when YOU'RE the miserable one..." She furrows her brow, "But enough's enough, got it?! It's high time you take your health and everything more seriously, and that starts by not letting this stupid brain of yours--" she presses a finger into your forehead, "--hold you back from enjoying life and convince you to make stupid choices."

"But, I'm not sure I can change," you whimper, "M-Maybe it would be better, if you guys just forg--"

"--I'm afraid of being someone that can't change, either, Claire..." Sarah sighs, "Most of my life, my parents spoiled me and let me turn into a real... Jeez, I don't even know if a 'C-U-Next-Tuesday' is the right word for it. But, you don't see ME welcoming death and thinking the whole place'd be better for it!" She crosses her arms, "Of course, it's something I had to decide on myself, since no one else could make me want to change. It's the same for you, Claire: we can't force you to do anything. We can't make you feel differently about yourself, or stop you from wanting to hurt yourself. Only you can do that, Claire."

"And, if you don't want to change," Jimmy adds, "then there's nothing we can do to help you. If you choose to continue down this path, then we might actually have to find the strength to say goodbye, before we have to say our farewells in a more painful and morbid manner..." He looks at you, "It's obvious you're of regrets, Claire, and you don't want to repeat them. That's enough of a reason for someone to try and change themselves for the better. So, if you have the reason to want change, why not take it then?"

"It doesn't erase what I've done, though..." You sniffle, "It doesn't even fix those problems..."

"So, quit worrying about it, then!" Sarah huffs, "You just said there's nothing you can do about it all anymore, so why worry about it like it's some current problem you have to solve? You just said, you can't actually 'fix' things anymore!"

"Well, yes..." You frown, "But, I still need to face up to my mistakes, somehow..."

"Then, you should do whatever you can and make amends," Jimmy says, "If you can't undo them, then you can at least apologize for them. And, if you can't apologize, then you can at least make peace with them. Maybe, if you can't forgive them, then maybe you can at least forget them."

"That's easier said than done," you sigh, "especially when it's bad to just 'forget,' 'cause then you do it again."

"Clearly, I mean 'forget' in the sense of evading self-torment, than in a literal sense..." Jimmy rolls his eyes, "Then again, you CAN be of a simpler mind, so I suppose I WOULD need to be more specific."

"But how do you remember, without rightfully tormenting yourself?" You ask.

"I'm not sure that's something Sarah and I can explain to you," Jimmy says, "but I think you should just focus on doing what you can, instead of dwelling on what you can't. It's not like you can go back in time and fix anything, just as Sarah said. All you can do is move forward from here, and hope for the best."

"What if I mess up, though?" You ask.

"Then, you'll learn from your mistake, and hopefully, you won't repeat it," Jimmy replies, "Now, let's go back home. Skyler's likely concerned about you. Hopefully, he won't mind the roughness you invited from Sarah... Then again, she likely did you a favor, as perhaps he won't punish you himself, if Sarah already took care of that~," he then slyly smiles, "But, you'll still have MY retribution to face, regardless."

Speaking of her, the redhead carries you back, bridal style, and Jimmy walks beside you both.

"Hey..." Sarah faintly whispers, "Just remember that we love you, okay...? I also need your help, if I'm going to change for the better myself. It's harder to beat the snot out of everything and scream up a storm, if you're there to be scared by it, y'know. I'll help you be better, if you keep helping me."

"O-Okay..." you sniffle.

You're too tired to do much else, and just lay in her arms. They can tell, and smile at your drifting state.

"Good night, Claire," Sarah says softly, "Sleep tight."

You nod and let your head hang afterward.

"Sweet dreams, Claire," Jimmy says.

You feel him pet your head. You don't really recall much else of that night, as you fell fast asleep; but hopefully, things would be better tomorrow-- including your abilities at maintaining promises.

{The End}

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Author's notes:

I'll admit, I practiced using Novel AI for this; however, ONLY for the rough draft, not the final version you see before you-- and even then, I only turned to the AI whenever I had no idea what to write next. Let me make something perfectly clear: you are no less of a writer nor creator, if you utilize an AI's help. Now, if you're trying to pass off work COMPLETELY done by an AI as your own, you're definitely worthy of personal shame and indeed a failure then.

I mean, Novel AI is designed to help out writers, like me, right? So, why not see what inspiration I can work off of, or even let it include a sentence or two that actually fits well? Trust me, though, when I say you still gotta worry about characters acting like themselves and talking like themselves, or other things an AI can't replicate as well. So, yeah, don't be afraid to use AI tools, just don't go around claiming the work as entirely your own.

Also, this is NOT the same Claire you may be used to: the small girl that's a wolf-hybrid. No, this is an alternate Claire. This is also the version of Claire that'll be replicated in the "Assassin AU" fan comic series of EEnE I'm planning. Hey, practice goes beyond just the art of making words form a coherent story. So, yeah, hope you enjoyed, those of you simply looking for an EEnE fan fiction. And, hope you found something to speak on, if you felt a need to let your inner critic out instead. Hopefully, this can also encourage others to take a shine to my means of writing, 'cause I AM planning on creating comics, and thus involve a LOT of writing.

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OTHER writing practices:

Seaside Squabbles! (Digimon)

#ed edd n eddy #fanfiction #sarah #jimmy #nazz #kevin #ocs and cannon #depression #novel ai #writing practice #opinions welcome #literature #short story #fiction

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