**** AUTHOR'S NOTE: My computer had decided it's time to dump a powerfan, so this chapter is going to be brief until it can be sent in to be fixed. But I promise, a long chapter will be up right after it get's fixed! Anyways, I'll be in temporarily to check email between that time, so please, keep up the reviews. :o) And thank you very much for all your kind words. :o) Oh, and Ditey, THANK YOU for the lovely card. - FF ****
-- Chapter 3 --
"Delia, catch." Ephram tossed the bag of chips to her, making sure to go in close enough for her to actually catch them. "Careful, the bag's already open."
"Thanks." she slid a little further into the chair, the remote clattering loudly to the floor. "Oops."
"Shove down." Angel had found a nice comfortable spot, and was now being moved. How rude.
"Why should I?" She asked, a playful look on her face. "I was here first."
"Fine, I won't sit with you then." Sticking his tongue out at her, Ephram perched on the floor, just out of her reach.
"Real mature." She swatted at the back of his head anyways, the scene more than familiar to the two. The tips of her fingers just brushed a few back strands of hair, and the wind tickled the back of his neck. She sighed loudly, playfully. "Fine!" She slid to the floor, crunching her newly-rounded belly in a quite painful way. "Jesus, ow!" She sucked in a breath, hands lifting to her stomach.
"Angel!" Ephram was at her side in an instant, his hands over hers, his face dangerously close to her's. She smiled after a minute, and lightly pecked his lips, the movement originally meaning to be playful. An electric shock, probably from the carpet, spark between the two, and they both jumped. "Hey." He laughed, and hopped up on the couch, spreading out slightly. "Coming?"
"In a second." Angel whispered, crossing her legs underneath her. She shouldn't've kissed him. Definatly not. She lifted a hand to her lips, glancing over at Delia. She was watching the two with curious, youthfully innocent eyes.
"If you guys are done flirting..." Delia said after a minute, the remote ready between her fingers.
"We're not flirting, Delia. You don't even know what that means."
She pouted, shaking her head. "That's not the point, Ephram."
Angel stood, pausing briefly to ruffle her hair. "I'll explain later." She sat on the very edge of the couch, and laid back, her head tucked neatly under Ephram's chin. She then stretched out her legs, tangling her feet into his, the way they'd stretched out to watch a movie so many times before, when Corey wasn't around. "I think I missed this a little more than I thought I did." She said after a few moments silence. "So how's your year gone?" She asked softly, lifting a hand, and letting it fall to the center of his chest, his heart strong against the back of her hand.
"Will you two shut up and watch the movie?"
"Pardon me!" Angel laughed softly, slipping an elastic bracelet from her wrist, and snapping it at Delia. "Keep it." She had about five hundred more at home. Or rather, packed away in her backpack. And so they watched in silence, Ephram and Angel snuggled together like they had done so many times before, and Delia quietly content, none of them really paying any attention to the movie. It was just relaxing to have such a feeling of home once again.
*
"Where's Ephram and Angel?" Andy asked when Delia came in the kitchen a couple of hours later.
"Sleeping on the couch." Dragging a chair over to the counter beside her father, Delia climbed up, resting on her knees, calves tucked below her. "What's for dinner? I'm -starving-."
"Oh, you don't know what starving is. Both of them are sleeping?" Delia nodded, tossing the now-emtpy chip bag on the countertop. "Yes... alright. She used to babysit you, in New York, right?" Again, Delia nodded. "Ephram's pretty close to her?"
"Very. Ever since she moved there. Don't you like her?" Delia asked, the last comment so purely innocent, Andy had to laugh.
"No, no. I don't mean that. How about Mama Joy's for dinner tonight?" Delia's stomach rumbled hungrily at the suggestion.
"I like the way you think." Practically falling off the chair in an overwhelming effort to get up without taking too much time, the chair clattered to the floor after her. Andy picked it up, and put it away, heading into the family room to wake Ephram and Angel.
Pausing in the doorway, Andy rested a hand on the frame, watching the two sleep by the light of the television screen. Angel was nestled on top of Ephram, arms wrapped around his stomach tightly. She had her back to the TV, with her head butted right up underneath his chin. A tuft of her long dark hair was resting lightly on his lips, rising and falling in his breath. Ephram had his arms stretched down over her, clasped together in the very small of her back. He moved a little in his sleep, wrapping his arms around her waist, crossing over at his elbows. The two looked so peaceful Andy almost didn't want to wake them. He jumped a little as Delia tugged on the back of his shirt, holding out Ephram's video-camera. "Here. I think he'd like it."
Smiling, Andy opened it, searching out the little red record button. He shot from the doorframe, and then tiptoed around in front of them. Angel stirred a little, but didn't wake. Ephram, on the other hand, opened his eyes slowly, carefully lifting to smooth down her hair. "Yummy." He whispered, and gave a sleepy smile. "Is she sleeping?" Andy nodded, still filming the two. "What are you doing?"
"Creating a memory. Delia said you two were close, but jeez." Ephram chuckled softly, tucking a bit of hair behind Angel's ear. She gasped a bit, waking quickly.
"Oops." She smiled, buring a yawn in Ephram's chest, then rolling over, and nearly falling off the couch. "Sorry."
"It's fine!" Andy, eager to see Ephram happy again, stopped, and closed the camera, and shut off the TV as well. "Would you like to join us for dinner at Mama Joy's, Angel?"
She yawned again, covering her mouth with a hand. "That's very generous of you, but I should really head home now. But thanks." Ephram sat up, helping Angel to her feet, and walked her to the door. "I didn't think I was that tired. Tell your sister if she wants any more bracelets to let me know. I got a bunch of them."
"I fell asleep too." Ephram admitted, and grinned slightly sheepishly, his cheeks reddening a bit. "When are you starting school?"
"Tomorrow. I'll tackle you when I see you." She smiled, stepped out the door, and turning briefly. "And thanks. I haven't been this happy in weeks." She leaned in, and kissed his cheek gently.
"No problem. Always happy to help." Ephram smiled, flushing a bit at the kiss. "And if things get rough with your Dad..."
"Your door is always open right?" He nodded, taken a bit aback by the sarcasm suddenly flooding Angel's voice. "I'm sorry, Ephram. It's just, that's what Corey said the day before I told him."
"Yeah, well, don't forget." Ephram said, closing the door halfway. "I'm not Corey."
Angel smiled, and waiting on the porch long enough for him to shut the door. She then snuggled into her coat, and hopped down into the lightly falling snow.
*
"What do you mean I have to audition? How many damn people are there in this school anyway?" Angel was more then a little tired, and more then a little ready to flip out on the next person to look at her the wrong way.
"Listen, Miss, if you think you can get away with disrespect like this here, you'd better think twice. This is not New York, and you are very lucky to accepted here anyways, given your little 'condition.'," The teacher snarled, waving her hand like Angel was nothing more then just an annoying bug. Angel sighed, and turned towards the door, getting halfway across the room before she head a soft. "It's disgraceful."
She whirled back towards the teacher, eyes narrowed, and bright with a posion only a tired female could possess. "Excuse me, but I don't think you hold the proper authority to tell me that to my face, nor do you have the right. My 'condition' is rather simple. I'm pregnant, for Christ's sake. Might I remind you of the fact I can be automatically moved ahead of your class, with honors, for comptempt of a student? Or would you rather me let you sink that low?"
The teacher couldn't bring herself to say anything. She did in fact have Angel as a student anyway... Math, second period. And she could, in fact, be passed for contempt of student, should someone speak to the wrong person.
"Oh, and by the way... I suck at math." Angel left quickly, not taking a moment to relax any until she heard the door click shut, without anyone leaving after her. "Phew." She leaned back against the locker, hands over her face. She peeked through her fingers, hearing voices around her. She ran her fingers through her long hair, watching a group of girls walk by. They looked at her curiously, smiled slightly, but kept going. "Hi, hi." Angel mocked softly, as they passed out of earshot.
"Would you mind getting -off- my locker?" A girl, probably about a year younger with long, brown hair was suddenly in front of her. A couple steps behind her, was a blonde, about the same age.
"Sorry, didn't know it was yours." Angel stepped a few down, eyes glued to the door, hoping to catch Ephram coming in. She knew she wouldn't have any classes with him, her being the year ahead.
"Christ, what is with all the new students recently? Are we, like, spill-over central for the New York rejects?" Angel grit her teeth, but let it go, merely sending a poisonous glance in the girl's direction. She, of course, saw it, and smiled, the look only egging her on further.
"And they aren't even the least bit cool. I mean, look at this."
"Come on, leave her alone. She just moved. And Ephram is a good guy." The blonde look appologetically towards Angel, but she pretended not to see it.
"Amy, I don't know what I'm going to do with you, honey." The brown-hair girl just laughed it off, and walked away.
"I'm really sorry about that. She's got this whole popularity thing going on..." Amy smiled, and came over.
"Yeah. More like superiority. And Ephram isn't just a good guy. He is the closest thing to a saint I've ever seen." The words had stung a little more than Angel thought they had, and she just kind of fell apart. Tears streamed down her face, and she took off for the nearest bathroom, leaving Amy agast.
"Congratulations, you broke her." Ephram had been watching from a few yards back. "Why couldn't you just leave her be?" He was more than a little upset, and followed after Angel, shaking his head.
-- Chapter 3 --
"Delia, catch." Ephram tossed the bag of chips to her, making sure to go in close enough for her to actually catch them. "Careful, the bag's already open."
"Thanks." she slid a little further into the chair, the remote clattering loudly to the floor. "Oops."
"Shove down." Angel had found a nice comfortable spot, and was now being moved. How rude.
"Why should I?" She asked, a playful look on her face. "I was here first."
"Fine, I won't sit with you then." Sticking his tongue out at her, Ephram perched on the floor, just out of her reach.
"Real mature." She swatted at the back of his head anyways, the scene more than familiar to the two. The tips of her fingers just brushed a few back strands of hair, and the wind tickled the back of his neck. She sighed loudly, playfully. "Fine!" She slid to the floor, crunching her newly-rounded belly in a quite painful way. "Jesus, ow!" She sucked in a breath, hands lifting to her stomach.
"Angel!" Ephram was at her side in an instant, his hands over hers, his face dangerously close to her's. She smiled after a minute, and lightly pecked his lips, the movement originally meaning to be playful. An electric shock, probably from the carpet, spark between the two, and they both jumped. "Hey." He laughed, and hopped up on the couch, spreading out slightly. "Coming?"
"In a second." Angel whispered, crossing her legs underneath her. She shouldn't've kissed him. Definatly not. She lifted a hand to her lips, glancing over at Delia. She was watching the two with curious, youthfully innocent eyes.
"If you guys are done flirting..." Delia said after a minute, the remote ready between her fingers.
"We're not flirting, Delia. You don't even know what that means."
She pouted, shaking her head. "That's not the point, Ephram."
Angel stood, pausing briefly to ruffle her hair. "I'll explain later." She sat on the very edge of the couch, and laid back, her head tucked neatly under Ephram's chin. She then stretched out her legs, tangling her feet into his, the way they'd stretched out to watch a movie so many times before, when Corey wasn't around. "I think I missed this a little more than I thought I did." She said after a few moments silence. "So how's your year gone?" She asked softly, lifting a hand, and letting it fall to the center of his chest, his heart strong against the back of her hand.
"Will you two shut up and watch the movie?"
"Pardon me!" Angel laughed softly, slipping an elastic bracelet from her wrist, and snapping it at Delia. "Keep it." She had about five hundred more at home. Or rather, packed away in her backpack. And so they watched in silence, Ephram and Angel snuggled together like they had done so many times before, and Delia quietly content, none of them really paying any attention to the movie. It was just relaxing to have such a feeling of home once again.
*
"Where's Ephram and Angel?" Andy asked when Delia came in the kitchen a couple of hours later.
"Sleeping on the couch." Dragging a chair over to the counter beside her father, Delia climbed up, resting on her knees, calves tucked below her. "What's for dinner? I'm -starving-."
"Oh, you don't know what starving is. Both of them are sleeping?" Delia nodded, tossing the now-emtpy chip bag on the countertop. "Yes... alright. She used to babysit you, in New York, right?" Again, Delia nodded. "Ephram's pretty close to her?"
"Very. Ever since she moved there. Don't you like her?" Delia asked, the last comment so purely innocent, Andy had to laugh.
"No, no. I don't mean that. How about Mama Joy's for dinner tonight?" Delia's stomach rumbled hungrily at the suggestion.
"I like the way you think." Practically falling off the chair in an overwhelming effort to get up without taking too much time, the chair clattered to the floor after her. Andy picked it up, and put it away, heading into the family room to wake Ephram and Angel.
Pausing in the doorway, Andy rested a hand on the frame, watching the two sleep by the light of the television screen. Angel was nestled on top of Ephram, arms wrapped around his stomach tightly. She had her back to the TV, with her head butted right up underneath his chin. A tuft of her long dark hair was resting lightly on his lips, rising and falling in his breath. Ephram had his arms stretched down over her, clasped together in the very small of her back. He moved a little in his sleep, wrapping his arms around her waist, crossing over at his elbows. The two looked so peaceful Andy almost didn't want to wake them. He jumped a little as Delia tugged on the back of his shirt, holding out Ephram's video-camera. "Here. I think he'd like it."
Smiling, Andy opened it, searching out the little red record button. He shot from the doorframe, and then tiptoed around in front of them. Angel stirred a little, but didn't wake. Ephram, on the other hand, opened his eyes slowly, carefully lifting to smooth down her hair. "Yummy." He whispered, and gave a sleepy smile. "Is she sleeping?" Andy nodded, still filming the two. "What are you doing?"
"Creating a memory. Delia said you two were close, but jeez." Ephram chuckled softly, tucking a bit of hair behind Angel's ear. She gasped a bit, waking quickly.
"Oops." She smiled, buring a yawn in Ephram's chest, then rolling over, and nearly falling off the couch. "Sorry."
"It's fine!" Andy, eager to see Ephram happy again, stopped, and closed the camera, and shut off the TV as well. "Would you like to join us for dinner at Mama Joy's, Angel?"
She yawned again, covering her mouth with a hand. "That's very generous of you, but I should really head home now. But thanks." Ephram sat up, helping Angel to her feet, and walked her to the door. "I didn't think I was that tired. Tell your sister if she wants any more bracelets to let me know. I got a bunch of them."
"I fell asleep too." Ephram admitted, and grinned slightly sheepishly, his cheeks reddening a bit. "When are you starting school?"
"Tomorrow. I'll tackle you when I see you." She smiled, stepped out the door, and turning briefly. "And thanks. I haven't been this happy in weeks." She leaned in, and kissed his cheek gently.
"No problem. Always happy to help." Ephram smiled, flushing a bit at the kiss. "And if things get rough with your Dad..."
"Your door is always open right?" He nodded, taken a bit aback by the sarcasm suddenly flooding Angel's voice. "I'm sorry, Ephram. It's just, that's what Corey said the day before I told him."
"Yeah, well, don't forget." Ephram said, closing the door halfway. "I'm not Corey."
Angel smiled, and waiting on the porch long enough for him to shut the door. She then snuggled into her coat, and hopped down into the lightly falling snow.
*
"What do you mean I have to audition? How many damn people are there in this school anyway?" Angel was more then a little tired, and more then a little ready to flip out on the next person to look at her the wrong way.
"Listen, Miss, if you think you can get away with disrespect like this here, you'd better think twice. This is not New York, and you are very lucky to accepted here anyways, given your little 'condition.'," The teacher snarled, waving her hand like Angel was nothing more then just an annoying bug. Angel sighed, and turned towards the door, getting halfway across the room before she head a soft. "It's disgraceful."
She whirled back towards the teacher, eyes narrowed, and bright with a posion only a tired female could possess. "Excuse me, but I don't think you hold the proper authority to tell me that to my face, nor do you have the right. My 'condition' is rather simple. I'm pregnant, for Christ's sake. Might I remind you of the fact I can be automatically moved ahead of your class, with honors, for comptempt of a student? Or would you rather me let you sink that low?"
The teacher couldn't bring herself to say anything. She did in fact have Angel as a student anyway... Math, second period. And she could, in fact, be passed for contempt of student, should someone speak to the wrong person.
"Oh, and by the way... I suck at math." Angel left quickly, not taking a moment to relax any until she heard the door click shut, without anyone leaving after her. "Phew." She leaned back against the locker, hands over her face. She peeked through her fingers, hearing voices around her. She ran her fingers through her long hair, watching a group of girls walk by. They looked at her curiously, smiled slightly, but kept going. "Hi, hi." Angel mocked softly, as they passed out of earshot.
"Would you mind getting -off- my locker?" A girl, probably about a year younger with long, brown hair was suddenly in front of her. A couple steps behind her, was a blonde, about the same age.
"Sorry, didn't know it was yours." Angel stepped a few down, eyes glued to the door, hoping to catch Ephram coming in. She knew she wouldn't have any classes with him, her being the year ahead.
"Christ, what is with all the new students recently? Are we, like, spill-over central for the New York rejects?" Angel grit her teeth, but let it go, merely sending a poisonous glance in the girl's direction. She, of course, saw it, and smiled, the look only egging her on further.
"And they aren't even the least bit cool. I mean, look at this."
"Come on, leave her alone. She just moved. And Ephram is a good guy." The blonde look appologetically towards Angel, but she pretended not to see it.
"Amy, I don't know what I'm going to do with you, honey." The brown-hair girl just laughed it off, and walked away.
"I'm really sorry about that. She's got this whole popularity thing going on..." Amy smiled, and came over.
"Yeah. More like superiority. And Ephram isn't just a good guy. He is the closest thing to a saint I've ever seen." The words had stung a little more than Angel thought they had, and she just kind of fell apart. Tears streamed down her face, and she took off for the nearest bathroom, leaving Amy agast.
"Congratulations, you broke her." Ephram had been watching from a few yards back. "Why couldn't you just leave her be?" He was more than a little upset, and followed after Angel, shaking his head.