-- Autumn

They watched us walk down the stairs. People were already here I couldn't believe it. Amy leaned smugly against the piano talking to her friend Regis who was checking out my brother. Regis seemed annoying to me already even though I had never spoken to her. I walked away from Ephram and over to the piano. I sat down and instantly started playing while the other guests started arriving. I honestly don't know where Ephram went and my mind wasn't on him as I played. I was simply focusing on how to keep myself occupied and not kill my sister. I really didn't like her. It was odd but it seemed almost as though she wanted to make my life miserable. I played every song I could possibly think of. I sat in front of the piano for almost an hour. It was then that Regis walked over and smiled.

"Hey so you're the new girl?" She asked with as smile I stopped playing and looked up at her.

"Yes, I am the new girl, but I have a name too, it's Autumn" I said as I looked back at the keys and went back to playing.

"So! You're Winter's sister right?" She asked as I went back to playing.

"Yes, I am"

"He's really cute do you think I have a chance?"

"It depends how fast you're willing to drop your skirt for him" She looked completely applaud.

"Now I see why Amy doesn't like you"

"No... Amy doesn't like me because I took away her squeaky toy" I stopped playing and smiled.

"Squeaky toy?"

"I took her ex-boyfriend, now go before I do something mean" I spoke as I went back to playing. She nodded and walked away.

After I had finished the song Ephram walked over and sat next to me. He simply watched me play and it made me so nervous that I messed up and he looked at me with a smile. After I had finished we both looked at each other and laughed.

"you need a break" he said as he handed me a cup of eggnog. I sniffed it and then sipped, it was alcohol free. He then started playing, it was something from the Opera Carmen that's all I knew. It had that under rhythm in it.

After I finished the cup I set it on top of the piano and looked at him for a moment. I then got up and walked over to where my sister was standing her and Dr. Brown were talking mostly about my dad. I didn't even have to get all that close to hear. He didn't think my dad was going to come out of it this year. I sighed and turned around to find Bright.

"Hey there Autumn, what's up?" He asked grinning

"Nothing." I said as I offered a small polite smile.

"So, I saw you in the ballet, you were good" He said as he smiled at me. I almost laughed,

"Yeah, thanks, I have to go do something so I'll see you later" I said as I slipped out into the kitchen. To find Summer warming stuffing in the over. She smiled when she saw me.  I was completely amazed that in a span of seconds she was able to get from the living room to the kitchen. I was also up set mostly because thanksgiving was never like this. At home mom would take time to make all our favorite dishes and we would sit around the good table with the good silver just the six of five of us depending if dad was there or not and we would sit as a family and eat. Now that was a rare thing for people now and now I knew why so many people took to the bottle during get-togethers. It was harder to avoid people you don't like when a whole lot of them were shoved into such a small area, and it's easier to get along with those people if you're drunk. I grabbed a carrot sick off of a tray and left the kitchen. I walked back over to where Ephram was playing and sat down next to him.

Just watching him play was intoxicating to me. He moved his body a bit to the rhythm like he could feel the music, it intrigued me. He then stopped and looked at me. He leaned towards me and I leaned forward and started play a piece by Chopin. It reminded me of something that my ex-boyfriend told me before he was killed in the car accident. Chopin often gave lessons to young women whom he wanted to gain the favor of so he often played some of his pieces with them modified into duets so the pupil would have to reach over and often brush his hand while playing. I was playing Polonaise in C minor it was my ex's favorite piece to play. I had the whole thing memorized but the music sat on the stand and Ephram watched it taking almost no mind to me as he stared playing the second part on it. We brushed hands when we were near the pieces end. And that's when it happened. We stopped playing and our eyes locked. We were instantly pulled together and then our lips met.

It all went down hill from there. We really stared to make out on the piano bench. Everyone was staring at us. When the last kiss broke Amy shook her head and started to leave. Ephram noticed this and stood. Her called after her and walked out to the porch behind her. I felt my heart sink. I sighed and decided to follow. I stood in the threshold of the porch door and listened.

"Amy, I...I'm sorry" Ephram stated as Amy stood on the stairs zipping up her coat. She watched him for a moment tears in her eyes.

"Sorry for what Ephram you have nothing to be sorry about, I have Colin now why would I need someone like you?" She spoke as she started off.

"Amy!" Ephram called from the bottom stair she ignored him and kept walking. He turned around and saw me. I had felt my eyes go dry. I wanted to try but I was holding it back with all my power. I took a deep ragged breath. And then I sighed.

"I, I know how this seems Autumn but I-" I stopped him and shook my head

"You what? Never mind I don't care, you go and you kiss me, and then you run after Amy and tell her you're sorry?" I laughed "Ephram, you're pathetic, Why the hell do you care what Amy thinks or how Amy feels, you and Amy are over, even though I now see that you haven't caught on to this... you know what.. if you care about Amy's opinion so damn much go and kiss her, maybe I'll get lucky and Colin will run you over with his truck" I screamed so loud the people in side probably heard it. I had a knot in my throat the size of Texas as I walked back inside. Everyone was watching me as I held my elbows and went up the stairs with my head lowered.

I didn't go back down. I didn't eat, but that was really nothing seeing as I couldn't bring myself to eat. I watched all the guests leave from the window. I sat holding my book in my hands. I sighed and there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I called as I looked up at the door.

"It's Ephram"

"Go away" I cried as I went back to reading.

" I just want to talk" I tossed my book on the bed and stood walking over to the door. I opened it and punched him in the nose. I heard cartilage break.

"I'm sorry Ephram but that's all the talking I can do right now" I spoke before closing the door. All I heard for the rest of the night was Ephram out side of my door crying, probably holding his nose. I cared and it hurt to know that I put him like that but on one level I felt like he deserved it completely.

How ever it simply made the few days after worse. Ephram walking around with a bandage on his nose while my older sister bummed it on the couch. Everyday was living hell. I didn't leave my room to do anything other than to get food for three days. It was then that I decided what I was going to do. I woke up late it was Sunday and everyone was still asleep or at least I thought so as I walked down stairs and sat next to my sister on the couch she was already awake and watching T.V.

"I think I wanna go live with you in Denver, maybe" I said as I looked at her the offer had always been there she told my mom that on the phone the first week we got here. But that's when I heard it, a glass shattered I turned around to find Ephram standing in the doorway with his jaw open. He left the room and I ran after avoiding the glass. I found him in the kitchen in black and blue plaid pajama pants and a Metalica t-shirt.

"What was that about?" I asked as I sat next to him. He was sitting down at the kitchen table he was staring into a tablemat.

"Why do you want to go?"

"Why did you run after Amy on thanksgiving?" He took a deep breath and looked over at me.

"I had kissed you and I was in shock, my entire mind was wow, and then I looked up and I saw her sad and I don't know what actually happened but next thing I knew I was up and walking after her, but I really didn't know why I did it all I knew was that I did it and then next thing I remember is you standing in that door way and, you just looked at me and I had never felt worse in my life" our eyes locked.

"I want to go because, besides you Ephram Brown... my Hyde there is nothing here for me, and now I know that your not even fully here for me... But I'm really sorry for breaking your nose... I was just so pissed off"

"I wanted to leave last year too, me and Amy had gotten into I guess you could call it a fight and I"

"Save it I know what you're gonna say, but I'm still thinking of leaving, I'm not my self here, and I don't think I have shown anyone who I really am since we drove passed the whole welcome to Everwood sign" I then put my head on his shoulder and started to cry. "I just want it all to go back to how it was, but with you, I want my old life back and I want you, I want to be popular again and I want to have my parents together I want my room back, I want it all to be the same" he wrapped his arms around me. It was weird having him hold me like that. For the first time since my dad was put in the hospital I felt like everything was going to be alright.