A/N: OK, here's another update. Unfortunately, my 5 day weekend ends
tomorrow. So I won't have a ton of time for updates. The good news is that
Christmas is in 3 weeks, and I get 12 days off! You can look forward to a
bunch of updates then, but here's one last one to tide you over! Enjoy! And
review!
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own Everwood!
Just Another Day
Chapter Six:
"Right." Remarked Ephram, shaking his head and backing out of the door, and closing it behind him.
Andy opened the door and pulled Ephram back in. "Happy Birthday son!"
Ephram looked around the room. He spotted Nina, Sam, Edna, Irv, Amy, Grandpa, Nonny, and Delia. A huge sign that read "Happy 16th!" was drapped over the doorway. A pile of presents was stacked by the fireplace, and an array of food was laid out on the table.
"Hey thanks everyone." Commented Ephram, forcing a smile.
Everyone clapped and went back to their conversations and food. Grandpa walked over to Ephram.
"So, what do you think, eh?" he asked.
"I can't believe you guys came all the way out here for this." Ephram remarked.
"Why? This is the social event of the season." Joked Jacob. "We wouldn't have missed it."
Ephram laughed. "Yeah, all 8 guests, huh? I don't know why he even bothered."
"Because." Explained Jacob. "He's a good father. He wants you to be happy.
Ephram nodded his head. Nonny came over to them. "Ephram, have some dinner. You look even thinner than the last time we were here."
Nonny, you guys were here less than a month ago. Believe me, he feeds us. Usually food beyond recognition, but food nonetheless." Ephram assured her.
"You need some meat on your bones!" Nonny fussed. "Here. Have some pasta and salad." She said, handing him a plate of food.
Ephram humored his grandmother and began to eat. He walked across the room to where Amy was standing, but was stopped by Nina.
"Hey there." She greeted him. "Surprised?"
"You cold say that." He replied.
"Good." She remarked. "Glad to see your day improved."
"You were right. He didn't forget." Conceded Ephram.
"What can I say? It's a talent." She joked.
"And thank you." Ephram offered. "I know my father did not cook any of this. Not only does it look like actual food, but it tastes good too."
"I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled. "No problem kiddo."
Just as Ephram was about to turn away, Sam rubbed up against Nina's leg.
"Hey Sam." Ephram greeted, rubbing the top of Sam's head.
"Happy Birthday!" Sam exclaimed.
"Thanks little guy." Replied Ephram. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go visit with the other guests."
Yet again, he started to make his way towards Amy, who was now talking with Nonny. This time it was Delia who intercepted him.
"Come on!" she exclaimed. "It's time to open your presents!"
Ephram allowed himself to be dragged to the family room. The crowd followed and took seats as Delia began to hand Ephram his gifts.
"Mine first!" she commanded, handing him a bag.
Ephram reached into the bag and took out a small scrapbook. The cover spelled out "Happy 16th Birthday Ephram!" in Delia's childish scrawl. He began to leaf through the pages. Inside were pictures of the Brown family over the past year. Also, a page entitled "16 Reasons Why We Love Ephram". Ephram smiled. This was yet another one of Julia Brown's traditions, not unlike the grateful books.
"Thanks Deil." He smiled. "It's just like Mom's."
Delia beamed. "Here's another one."
Ephram read the card. It was from Edna and Irv. He unwrapped the box to reveal a book entitled "Car Care for Dummies". Ephram laughed. "Thanks Edna, but I don't have a car."
"Well, I figured at some point in time you'd get your liscense, seeing as how you're 16 and all. You need to play catch up; Delia's already got a leg up on you." Edna pointed out.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day when my granddaughter would know how to change a tire before her older brother." Nonny remarked.
"Well, looks like you did." Quipped Edna, flatly.
"Ok, who's next?" asked Andy, sensing the tension.
"Here." Said Nonny, getting up. "Open ours." She handed him a pile of presents bound together with a ribbon.
Ephram untied the ribbon and grabbed the large box on the bottom first. He ripped the paper and took the lid off the box. Inside was a ski jacket. "Great!" exclaimed Ephram. "I was just saying how I needed one of these!"
"Try it on dear, make sure it's the right size." Nonny instructed him.
Ephram stood up and put on the blue and green coat. It fit him perfectly. He sat back down and finished opening his presents. Nonny and Grandpa had also given him a few pairs of pants, some shirts and a plane ticket to come spend his winter vacation with them in NewYork. Nina and Sam gave him a sweater and a batch of Nina's cookies.
After he had finished opening his presents, Ephram and his guests had cake and ice cream, and spent some more time chatting. Then Andy told Ephram to close his eyes and follow him outside. "I still haven't given you your present." He explained.
The party moved out onto the Browns' front lawn. "Okay Ephram, when say 'open', you can look."
"Ok." Ephram agreed.
"Open!" exclaimed Dr. Brown.
Ephram took his hands away from his eyes, and saw before him a black Jeep. "Oh my God!" he exclaimed. "You got me a car?"
"You like it?" asked Andy.
"Like it? Dad, this is the best gift ever!" he exclaimed, running to examine it. It was perfect. Not brand new, but not too old either. It had a nice interior, and best of all, a CD player. Ephram was ecstatic.
After all the commotion and excitement over the car. Everyone returned back inside. All except Ephram, who sat down on the swing on the porch. He was soon joined by Amy.
"This seat taken?" she asked.
"Actually I was saving it for someone." He joked.
"Oh really?" she asked, mocking disappointment. "I was hoping to get to talk to you, seeing as how you've been Mr. Social to everyone except me."
"What can I say, I'm a popular guy." Ephram joked. "I suppose you can sit down."
Amy did so. "So, was it a good birthday?"
"Yes. I would give it a 9 on the birthday scale." Ephram remarked.
"Only a 9?" she asked in disbelief. "But you got a car!"
"Well, you missed my 7th birthday." He replied. "Not only was it at Chuck E. Cheese, but I got a bike, and a kiss from Lizzie Fuller." He joked.
"Lizzie Fuller huh?" she asked.
"Yep. The prettiest girl in Miss Perkins 1st grade class." Ephram told her.
"So, why did Lizzie Fuller decide to kiss you?" asked Amy.
"I dunno, she thought I'd turn into a prince or something?" Ephram joked.
"Ha ha. You are so funny." Amy stated, sarcastically.
"Actually, I won a bunch of tickets, and I got her a mood ring. She was so happy that I gave it to her." Ephram remembered. "She kissed me on the check and said that she would marry me."
Amy laughed. "Well I don't see any wedding ring on your finger."
"It didn't work out." Ephram laughed. "The next day at recess, Sarah James told her I had cooties."
"Aww, that wasn't very nice." Amy commented.
"Yeah, well Sarah was my neighbor and she hated me because I always used to beat her at Candyland. Needless to say, all the girls in my class avoided me for the rest of the year." Ephram explained.
"I used to run around telling everyone that Bright had cooties." Amy laughed.
"That doesn't surprise me." Ephram remarked.
"Come to think of it, I'm not entirely convinced he doesn't." Amy thought out loud.
The two sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the silence, looking up at the stars.
"So," Amy started, "What'd you wish for?"
"Now if I told you that, it wouldn't come true." Ephram reminded her.
"You've got a point." She conceded. "But whatever it is, I hope it comes true."
"Thanks." He smiled at her. She would never know that she was the one he needed to make it come true.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I almost forgot!"
"What?" asked Ephram.
"Your present!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything." Ephram remarked.
"Yes I did. It's your birthday!" She reached beside her and grabbed the bag she had laid down next to her on the porch. She handed it to him. "Happy Birthday Ephram Brown."
"Well thank you Amy Abbot." He replied. He opened the bag and pulled out the thin case it contained. It was a CD Amy had made. On the cover it said "Traveling Tunes". Ephram looked at it for a minute. "Why do I have the feeling that you've got something planned."
"Probably because I do." Amy replied. "A road trip."
"To Denver?" asked Ephram, knowing the answer.
"To Denver." Amy replied.
"Ah. I knew you had ulterior motives." Ephram remarked. You know, you're are being awfully presumptuous."
"How so?" asked Amy.
"I haven't even passed my road test yet. In fact, I won't have taken it until tomorrow morning." He pointed out.
"You'll pass. Everyone passes." She quipped.
"Everyone?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, almost everyone. But we're hopeful for Bright. Third time's a charm!" she replied cheerfully.
"Well, let's assume I do pass my test." Ephram said. "How are we going to get our parents, namely yours, to let us go four hours away when I've only had my license for an hour or two?"
"Leave it to me." She assured him.
"Why do I have the feeling that this whole thing will backfire?" he remarked.
"It won't." she replied. "Just pick me up at 10:00, ok?"
"I'm going to regret this, but ok." He said.
"Great!" she exclaimed. "Well, I've got to go. But here's the other part of your present. Wait till I go to open it."
"Ok." Ephram agreed.
Amy got up and walked down the front steps and headed down the street to her house.
"Oh, and Ephram?" she yelled.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Happy Birthday!" she exclaimed. And with that, she disappeared into the cold night.
TBC!!!!
Review!
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own Everwood!
Just Another Day
Chapter Six:
"Right." Remarked Ephram, shaking his head and backing out of the door, and closing it behind him.
Andy opened the door and pulled Ephram back in. "Happy Birthday son!"
Ephram looked around the room. He spotted Nina, Sam, Edna, Irv, Amy, Grandpa, Nonny, and Delia. A huge sign that read "Happy 16th!" was drapped over the doorway. A pile of presents was stacked by the fireplace, and an array of food was laid out on the table.
"Hey thanks everyone." Commented Ephram, forcing a smile.
Everyone clapped and went back to their conversations and food. Grandpa walked over to Ephram.
"So, what do you think, eh?" he asked.
"I can't believe you guys came all the way out here for this." Ephram remarked.
"Why? This is the social event of the season." Joked Jacob. "We wouldn't have missed it."
Ephram laughed. "Yeah, all 8 guests, huh? I don't know why he even bothered."
"Because." Explained Jacob. "He's a good father. He wants you to be happy.
Ephram nodded his head. Nonny came over to them. "Ephram, have some dinner. You look even thinner than the last time we were here."
Nonny, you guys were here less than a month ago. Believe me, he feeds us. Usually food beyond recognition, but food nonetheless." Ephram assured her.
"You need some meat on your bones!" Nonny fussed. "Here. Have some pasta and salad." She said, handing him a plate of food.
Ephram humored his grandmother and began to eat. He walked across the room to where Amy was standing, but was stopped by Nina.
"Hey there." She greeted him. "Surprised?"
"You cold say that." He replied.
"Good." She remarked. "Glad to see your day improved."
"You were right. He didn't forget." Conceded Ephram.
"What can I say? It's a talent." She joked.
"And thank you." Ephram offered. "I know my father did not cook any of this. Not only does it look like actual food, but it tastes good too."
"I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled. "No problem kiddo."
Just as Ephram was about to turn away, Sam rubbed up against Nina's leg.
"Hey Sam." Ephram greeted, rubbing the top of Sam's head.
"Happy Birthday!" Sam exclaimed.
"Thanks little guy." Replied Ephram. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go visit with the other guests."
Yet again, he started to make his way towards Amy, who was now talking with Nonny. This time it was Delia who intercepted him.
"Come on!" she exclaimed. "It's time to open your presents!"
Ephram allowed himself to be dragged to the family room. The crowd followed and took seats as Delia began to hand Ephram his gifts.
"Mine first!" she commanded, handing him a bag.
Ephram reached into the bag and took out a small scrapbook. The cover spelled out "Happy 16th Birthday Ephram!" in Delia's childish scrawl. He began to leaf through the pages. Inside were pictures of the Brown family over the past year. Also, a page entitled "16 Reasons Why We Love Ephram". Ephram smiled. This was yet another one of Julia Brown's traditions, not unlike the grateful books.
"Thanks Deil." He smiled. "It's just like Mom's."
Delia beamed. "Here's another one."
Ephram read the card. It was from Edna and Irv. He unwrapped the box to reveal a book entitled "Car Care for Dummies". Ephram laughed. "Thanks Edna, but I don't have a car."
"Well, I figured at some point in time you'd get your liscense, seeing as how you're 16 and all. You need to play catch up; Delia's already got a leg up on you." Edna pointed out.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day when my granddaughter would know how to change a tire before her older brother." Nonny remarked.
"Well, looks like you did." Quipped Edna, flatly.
"Ok, who's next?" asked Andy, sensing the tension.
"Here." Said Nonny, getting up. "Open ours." She handed him a pile of presents bound together with a ribbon.
Ephram untied the ribbon and grabbed the large box on the bottom first. He ripped the paper and took the lid off the box. Inside was a ski jacket. "Great!" exclaimed Ephram. "I was just saying how I needed one of these!"
"Try it on dear, make sure it's the right size." Nonny instructed him.
Ephram stood up and put on the blue and green coat. It fit him perfectly. He sat back down and finished opening his presents. Nonny and Grandpa had also given him a few pairs of pants, some shirts and a plane ticket to come spend his winter vacation with them in NewYork. Nina and Sam gave him a sweater and a batch of Nina's cookies.
After he had finished opening his presents, Ephram and his guests had cake and ice cream, and spent some more time chatting. Then Andy told Ephram to close his eyes and follow him outside. "I still haven't given you your present." He explained.
The party moved out onto the Browns' front lawn. "Okay Ephram, when say 'open', you can look."
"Ok." Ephram agreed.
"Open!" exclaimed Dr. Brown.
Ephram took his hands away from his eyes, and saw before him a black Jeep. "Oh my God!" he exclaimed. "You got me a car?"
"You like it?" asked Andy.
"Like it? Dad, this is the best gift ever!" he exclaimed, running to examine it. It was perfect. Not brand new, but not too old either. It had a nice interior, and best of all, a CD player. Ephram was ecstatic.
After all the commotion and excitement over the car. Everyone returned back inside. All except Ephram, who sat down on the swing on the porch. He was soon joined by Amy.
"This seat taken?" she asked.
"Actually I was saving it for someone." He joked.
"Oh really?" she asked, mocking disappointment. "I was hoping to get to talk to you, seeing as how you've been Mr. Social to everyone except me."
"What can I say, I'm a popular guy." Ephram joked. "I suppose you can sit down."
Amy did so. "So, was it a good birthday?"
"Yes. I would give it a 9 on the birthday scale." Ephram remarked.
"Only a 9?" she asked in disbelief. "But you got a car!"
"Well, you missed my 7th birthday." He replied. "Not only was it at Chuck E. Cheese, but I got a bike, and a kiss from Lizzie Fuller." He joked.
"Lizzie Fuller huh?" she asked.
"Yep. The prettiest girl in Miss Perkins 1st grade class." Ephram told her.
"So, why did Lizzie Fuller decide to kiss you?" asked Amy.
"I dunno, she thought I'd turn into a prince or something?" Ephram joked.
"Ha ha. You are so funny." Amy stated, sarcastically.
"Actually, I won a bunch of tickets, and I got her a mood ring. She was so happy that I gave it to her." Ephram remembered. "She kissed me on the check and said that she would marry me."
Amy laughed. "Well I don't see any wedding ring on your finger."
"It didn't work out." Ephram laughed. "The next day at recess, Sarah James told her I had cooties."
"Aww, that wasn't very nice." Amy commented.
"Yeah, well Sarah was my neighbor and she hated me because I always used to beat her at Candyland. Needless to say, all the girls in my class avoided me for the rest of the year." Ephram explained.
"I used to run around telling everyone that Bright had cooties." Amy laughed.
"That doesn't surprise me." Ephram remarked.
"Come to think of it, I'm not entirely convinced he doesn't." Amy thought out loud.
The two sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the silence, looking up at the stars.
"So," Amy started, "What'd you wish for?"
"Now if I told you that, it wouldn't come true." Ephram reminded her.
"You've got a point." She conceded. "But whatever it is, I hope it comes true."
"Thanks." He smiled at her. She would never know that she was the one he needed to make it come true.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I almost forgot!"
"What?" asked Ephram.
"Your present!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything." Ephram remarked.
"Yes I did. It's your birthday!" She reached beside her and grabbed the bag she had laid down next to her on the porch. She handed it to him. "Happy Birthday Ephram Brown."
"Well thank you Amy Abbot." He replied. He opened the bag and pulled out the thin case it contained. It was a CD Amy had made. On the cover it said "Traveling Tunes". Ephram looked at it for a minute. "Why do I have the feeling that you've got something planned."
"Probably because I do." Amy replied. "A road trip."
"To Denver?" asked Ephram, knowing the answer.
"To Denver." Amy replied.
"Ah. I knew you had ulterior motives." Ephram remarked. You know, you're are being awfully presumptuous."
"How so?" asked Amy.
"I haven't even passed my road test yet. In fact, I won't have taken it until tomorrow morning." He pointed out.
"You'll pass. Everyone passes." She quipped.
"Everyone?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, almost everyone. But we're hopeful for Bright. Third time's a charm!" she replied cheerfully.
"Well, let's assume I do pass my test." Ephram said. "How are we going to get our parents, namely yours, to let us go four hours away when I've only had my license for an hour or two?"
"Leave it to me." She assured him.
"Why do I have the feeling that this whole thing will backfire?" he remarked.
"It won't." she replied. "Just pick me up at 10:00, ok?"
"I'm going to regret this, but ok." He said.
"Great!" she exclaimed. "Well, I've got to go. But here's the other part of your present. Wait till I go to open it."
"Ok." Ephram agreed.
Amy got up and walked down the front steps and headed down the street to her house.
"Oh, and Ephram?" she yelled.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Happy Birthday!" she exclaimed. And with that, she disappeared into the cold night.
TBC!!!!
Review!