Amy walked alone through the school hall, passing the rows of lockers with
her head hung down. She didn't like to look at the other students and see
them going about their daily lives without a care in the world. An arm
swung around her shoulder, making her jump. She lifted her head and peered
through the veil her hair provided. Colin stood next to her, his fingers
digging painfully into her arm.
"Good afternoon, how were classes?" she managed to get out. He turned and fixed his cold, steely, gray eyes on her, a sneer on his face.
"Drop the act Abbot; I'm just trying to keep a pretense set up. Can't have everyone thinking that I can't keep a girl. And would you please stop dressing like that? You look like a turkey that stuck a feather duster on it and tried to pass for a peacock."
Amy fought back tears that threatened to spill over. She looked down at her outfit. It was no different than what the other teenagers wore. In fact, before the accident the shirt she was wearing had been one of Colin's favorites. Truth be told, she'd worn it for that reason, trying to gain a modicum of favor in his eyes.
He took his time walking, and her arm started to go numb. When they reached the parking lot and his car, he shoved her roughly away from him. "See ya later, little girl."
Amy looked at him incredulously. How was she going to get home? Bright had already left, and to her dismay, she looked up to see the school bus pull away. "You're going to make me walk?" She squeaked.
"Did I say you could get in my car? Did I offer to take you home? Now stop ruining the paint job and back off." With that, he rolled the windows up, almost catching her fingers in them and sped off; leaving her coughing in the trail of dust he left behind.
The tears she had been fighting now poured out. Her house was on the other side of town. She didn't want to walk home all by herself either. She sat down abruptly and buried her face in her hands. Why did she have to deal with this? No other person her age had to worry about a brought back from death boyfriend who mistreated them.
~~~~~ Ephram walked out of the double doors of the school, mumbling to himself about the guidance counselor. She'd made him stay late again, trying to help him to 'fit in'. And of course, he'd been as obstinate as ever. He reached the black, asphalt parking lot and walked toward his car. He'd recently gotten his license, and his father had given him a clunker that looked like it belonged more in the junk heap than in a driveway. It builds character his dad had said. He might not have liked it, but it was a form of transportation and it did get him where he needed to go.
He opened the door and got in, sliding behind the wheel, sinking into the worn upholstery of the driver's seat. He turned the ignition and the car started. He was about the leave when he noticed a figure bent over on the ground.
Even though his mood was poor, he still drove closer to see if he could be of assistance. He braked the car and put the gear into park. He opened the door, wincing as it creaked loudly. The girl heard him and turned around startled. He found himself staring down at Amy Abbot's tear-stained face.
"What happened?"
She sniffed, and stammered out an explanation, her voice thick from crying. "Colin left me. He dragged me out to the parking lot to his car, but I missed my ride and he drove off. I'm sorry, I know it sounds incredibly childish, and I probably look like I'm having temper tantrum since I have to walk home," she finished, wiping her sleeve under her nose in a very undignified, unAmy-like fashion.
Ephram's blood boiled. He knew that Colin had been mistreating her; he considered it mental and emotional abuse. He was the only one who actually believed Amy; the rest didn't want to leave their protective little shells. Why she didn't leave him, he couldn't guess. Actually, he did have an inkling. It reminded him of what his father had told him months ago, when they'd taken the doe back to her home. Amy couldn't cope with the present and didn't want to let go of the past.
"Here, I'll give you a ride home," he told her.
"No, I can walk, it wont kill me, just give me a little time. Thank you for checking on me though."
"Nonsense! You live clear across town, and besides, in case you haven't noticed, we aren't exactly in Florida here. Now stop trying to be strong and just get in the car. My heater is working this time, and you can help me celebrate this rare occurrence."
She laughed and stood up, gingerly brushing her pants off. "Well, I guess I can't miss out your daily prayer to the heater god can I?" She smiled at and climbed in the car as he held the door open for her.
Ephram kept the conversation light on the way home, and he lifted her mood quite a bit. When he pulled in front of her house, he shifted his car into park again and turned to face her.
"If you need to talk later, I'll be home. Amy, take care of yourself. Don't let him hurt you. You're better than that."
She scooted over in the seat and hugged him. He held her to him tightly, breathing in her scent which smelled of Lucky perfume and strawberry shampoo. She snuggled into him, albeit a bit awkwardly over the car seat. "Ephram, what would I do without you?" she murmured into his chest.
"You'd probably be walking home," he told her, moving out of the way as she swatted at him. "I'd probably better get inside," she told him. "I wouldn't want dad to freak."
He nodded and they let go of each other. "Goodnight, Grover." She looked back at him, and he was rewarded when a smile touched her lips again.
"Goodnight, Ham." And then she went inside.
Ephram shifted his car into drive and coaxed it back into the street. He was halfway home when he saw Colin's car parked in the middle of the street. It was still running and it seemed to be.moving.
Slowing his car down to a crawl, he got closer. He didn't see anything at first, and figured the jerk had forgotten to turn the car off. But then a girl sat up, and he saw Colin follow.
They were making out.
"Good afternoon, how were classes?" she managed to get out. He turned and fixed his cold, steely, gray eyes on her, a sneer on his face.
"Drop the act Abbot; I'm just trying to keep a pretense set up. Can't have everyone thinking that I can't keep a girl. And would you please stop dressing like that? You look like a turkey that stuck a feather duster on it and tried to pass for a peacock."
Amy fought back tears that threatened to spill over. She looked down at her outfit. It was no different than what the other teenagers wore. In fact, before the accident the shirt she was wearing had been one of Colin's favorites. Truth be told, she'd worn it for that reason, trying to gain a modicum of favor in his eyes.
He took his time walking, and her arm started to go numb. When they reached the parking lot and his car, he shoved her roughly away from him. "See ya later, little girl."
Amy looked at him incredulously. How was she going to get home? Bright had already left, and to her dismay, she looked up to see the school bus pull away. "You're going to make me walk?" She squeaked.
"Did I say you could get in my car? Did I offer to take you home? Now stop ruining the paint job and back off." With that, he rolled the windows up, almost catching her fingers in them and sped off; leaving her coughing in the trail of dust he left behind.
The tears she had been fighting now poured out. Her house was on the other side of town. She didn't want to walk home all by herself either. She sat down abruptly and buried her face in her hands. Why did she have to deal with this? No other person her age had to worry about a brought back from death boyfriend who mistreated them.
~~~~~ Ephram walked out of the double doors of the school, mumbling to himself about the guidance counselor. She'd made him stay late again, trying to help him to 'fit in'. And of course, he'd been as obstinate as ever. He reached the black, asphalt parking lot and walked toward his car. He'd recently gotten his license, and his father had given him a clunker that looked like it belonged more in the junk heap than in a driveway. It builds character his dad had said. He might not have liked it, but it was a form of transportation and it did get him where he needed to go.
He opened the door and got in, sliding behind the wheel, sinking into the worn upholstery of the driver's seat. He turned the ignition and the car started. He was about the leave when he noticed a figure bent over on the ground.
Even though his mood was poor, he still drove closer to see if he could be of assistance. He braked the car and put the gear into park. He opened the door, wincing as it creaked loudly. The girl heard him and turned around startled. He found himself staring down at Amy Abbot's tear-stained face.
"What happened?"
She sniffed, and stammered out an explanation, her voice thick from crying. "Colin left me. He dragged me out to the parking lot to his car, but I missed my ride and he drove off. I'm sorry, I know it sounds incredibly childish, and I probably look like I'm having temper tantrum since I have to walk home," she finished, wiping her sleeve under her nose in a very undignified, unAmy-like fashion.
Ephram's blood boiled. He knew that Colin had been mistreating her; he considered it mental and emotional abuse. He was the only one who actually believed Amy; the rest didn't want to leave their protective little shells. Why she didn't leave him, he couldn't guess. Actually, he did have an inkling. It reminded him of what his father had told him months ago, when they'd taken the doe back to her home. Amy couldn't cope with the present and didn't want to let go of the past.
"Here, I'll give you a ride home," he told her.
"No, I can walk, it wont kill me, just give me a little time. Thank you for checking on me though."
"Nonsense! You live clear across town, and besides, in case you haven't noticed, we aren't exactly in Florida here. Now stop trying to be strong and just get in the car. My heater is working this time, and you can help me celebrate this rare occurrence."
She laughed and stood up, gingerly brushing her pants off. "Well, I guess I can't miss out your daily prayer to the heater god can I?" She smiled at and climbed in the car as he held the door open for her.
Ephram kept the conversation light on the way home, and he lifted her mood quite a bit. When he pulled in front of her house, he shifted his car into park again and turned to face her.
"If you need to talk later, I'll be home. Amy, take care of yourself. Don't let him hurt you. You're better than that."
She scooted over in the seat and hugged him. He held her to him tightly, breathing in her scent which smelled of Lucky perfume and strawberry shampoo. She snuggled into him, albeit a bit awkwardly over the car seat. "Ephram, what would I do without you?" she murmured into his chest.
"You'd probably be walking home," he told her, moving out of the way as she swatted at him. "I'd probably better get inside," she told him. "I wouldn't want dad to freak."
He nodded and they let go of each other. "Goodnight, Grover." She looked back at him, and he was rewarded when a smile touched her lips again.
"Goodnight, Ham." And then she went inside.
Ephram shifted his car into drive and coaxed it back into the street. He was halfway home when he saw Colin's car parked in the middle of the street. It was still running and it seemed to be.moving.
Slowing his car down to a crawl, he got closer. He didn't see anything at first, and figured the jerk had forgotten to turn the car off. But then a girl sat up, and he saw Colin follow.
They were making out.