Right Place, Wrong Time
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Everwood characters; they all belong to the WB.
PG
A/N: Just to let everyone in on things they probably already knew, Gonzo is one of my bestest best friends in the entire world, and I thank her for the one review for this story, and the one for the last story. As for Monkey, well, if it wasn't already obvious enough, he's my BF, and I love him dearly. I want to say happy birthday to Monkey, his age is my secret. I also want to thank every reviewer for reviewing, I really do appreciate it. I think I've made my point. And now to chapter 3!
Ephram sat in somewhat of a shocked state with the girl sitting next to him, but not for long. She stared at him for a second, then stood up and left. Ephram attempted to follow her, but didn't succeed. He looked all around the club, and then ran outside, just in time to see her get into her car and drive away. Well, he knew one thing, she was older than sixteen. He also knew something else, he had no idea what her name was.
All he knew was she had dark brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and was fairly slim. He knew nothing past that, and that wouldn't get him very far. He immediately looked at the license plate, quickly remembering what he saw.
PICKLE...Ephram didn't know, or care why it said that, he just knew that's what he had to remember, and so he did. As fast as he ran out, he ran back into the club, catching sight of Amy walking into the bathroom.
"Where's Bright?" He had to get out of there, and stop that girl before whatever time tomorrow she planned to do whatever she was going to do. He knew he probably wasn't going to find her in time, but he knew he had to try, or else he would be a failure.
******
"Dude, what is your deal?" Bright was pushed into his own truck, by Ephram.
"I don't have time to explain, just take me to this towns freaking police station!" Ephram got in after Amy, who was just as worried as Bright.
"Ephram, what's going on? Are you in trouble?" She looked over at him, very concerned.
"No, I'm not, but someone else might be if I don't hurry." Ephram looked at Bright with a demanding look, and Bright took the hint. He put the car in gear and headed for the police station.
Ephram was out of the truck before it even stopped, which worried Bright and Amy even more. They both knew something had to have been terribly wrong if Ephram didn't even care for his own safety, which was getting dangerously close to unsafe by the minute.
There were cars speeding everywhere in the parking lot of the station, and Ephram was nearly hit by two of them. It surprised him that they decided to be that stupid, because, after all, they were at a police station. He practically flew up the steps and through the doors to the front desk.
"Excuse me, I need some help." Ephram breathlessly told the clerk, a woman that appeared to be in her late thirties.
"Of course, how may I help you?" She was a very sweet lady.
"I need a license plate...Number so to speak...Anyway, I need something tracked." Ephram knew it wasn't aloud, but he couldn't say why, because this might make things even worse.
Bright and Amy ran in a moment later, also out of breath, "Ephram," Amy walked up to him, "What is so wrong that we had to come here?" She started looking around the place, it was huge. Directly in front of her was the courtroom, which took Amy by surprised, because she didn't think they had courtrooms IN police stations.
"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid I can't trace any license plates for you here. It's against regulations." She smiled sweetly and looked back down at her papers.
"Screw those freaking regulations! I need that license plate tracked now!!!" Ephram was now thoroughly angry, and nothing would calm him down.
The girl at the desk looked back up, but this time she signaled for an officer to come over.
"Way to go, Ephram, I think you've done it now." Bright pointed to the officer heading their way, but walked away as soon as he came into speaking range.
"Young man," The husky officer took Ephram by the arm, "I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."
Ephram was pulled by his sleeve down the hall. He looked back at Amy and mouthed, 'Call my dad.' Amy understood and went to find a payphone.
******
Andy was sitting at home watching a football game on television, when the phone rang. He jumped up off the couch and picked up the phone, "Hello?" He talked into the receiver.
"Dr. Brown?" He knew that voice, it was Amy's.
"Where is Ephram?" A thought went thought went through his mind, that he prayed with all his heart wasn't true, 'Oh God, don't let Ephram be dead.'
"He's fine," A wave of relief flooded Andy, "But he's at the police station."
"I thought you said he was fine?" Andy began to worry again.
"He is, he asked Bright to drive him here. He asked some the clerk at the front desk to track a license plate, but she said that was against regulations, so he got mad, and was taken into the back." Amy paused for a minute, "That was about ten minutes ago."
Dr. Brown could feel worries grow inside of him, wondering what his son was up to, but afraid something was still very wrong, "Why aren't you at that club, Amy?"
"Ephram just grabbed me by the arm when I came out of the bathroom, the next thing I knew we were at the station; he has yet to tell us why. While he was being dragged away..." Dr. Brown interrupted Amy.
"Dragged away?"
"Yeah, a police officer told Ephram to come with him, and so he did. Anyway, Ephram told me to call you as that was happening, and so that's why we're talking right now. I think he wants you to come down here."
"I have no clue as to where you are, Amy." Dr. Brown, with all his heart wanted to be with her, but wasn't very good with directions yet.
"Call my dad, he can help you, I promise." Amy stopped talking for a moment, but quickly came back on, "I have to go Dr. Brown, please get here as soon as possible."
Before Andy could say anything else, Amy hung up. "Call your dad? Dr Abbott isn't the man I need to call for help right now." But without much hesitation, Andy was calling Dr. Abbott in a matter of seconds.
******
Ephram was sitting at a table in what appeared to be an interrogation room, which began making him regret saying anything at all to that lady up front. A man came in a minute later, staring at Ephram the whole time, "What's your name, kid?" The man wasn't very friendly looking.
"Ephram Brown." He didn't dare mouth off to a potential officer of the law.
"Well, Ephram, you caused quite a scene out there awhile ago, and I have to ask you why?"
"Um," Ephram didn't really know what to say, "I was at a club earlier today, and I met this girl, I thin she might have a problem." It was better than anything else he could think of.
"A problem...Care to explain?" The man was still staring at Ephram, which was beginning to make him feel very uncomfortable, just like on the dance floor at Clix.
"Yeah, I guess so, but I don't know that you'll believe me." Ephram took a deep breath and started, "I didn't get her name, but I asked this girl how she was doing, and then she asked me if I really wanted to know, I nodded yes, and..." Ephram was hesitant to say anything else.
"Go on, I'm listening."
"She told me..." Ephram started looking around the room, "She told me she was going to kill herself tomorrow." Ephram felt the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders when he told this man what that girl had said, but he began to worry a little, too.
What if they couldn't help him, what if they just blew him off? Ephram's questions were answered in a simple sentence, "What is that license plate number?"
Ephram started giving the man all of the information he knew, like what she looked like, the look of the car she drove, and, of course, the license plate on the car.
"Pickle, are you sure?" The man looked at Ephram oddly.
"I know what I saw, if you don't believe me than forget it." Ephram stood up, but was pushed back down in his seat, which didn't feel too good, "Hey, watch it!" He pointed to his broken arm.
"What happened to you by the way? I've been meaning to ask you."
"I was in a hiking accident, that's I'll I'm saying." Ephram wanted more than anything to forget what had happened that day.
"Oh, alright, fair enough. I'll see what I can do about that girl, but in the meantime I don't want you getting into any trouble with her, she might be dangerous."
"How can I get into any trouble with her? I don't even know where she is!!!" Ephram stood up again, this time pulling away from the officer's hand.
"I see your point. I think you should leave now." He opened the door for Ephram.
"Not until you answer one more question for me." Ephram stood in the guys face.
"What now?" He was getting very impatient.
"Are you a real police officer?"
"That was a stupid question." The officer pushed Ephram out the door and down the hall, back to where Amy and Bright sat, waiting patiently.
"Are you okay?" Amy ran up to him.
"I'm fine, Grover, did you call my dad?" Amy blushed at the sound of her nickname.
"Yeah, he should be here soon." Amy walked back to the waiting area with Ephram.
"I have to find that girl, no matter what happens." Ephram whispered once he sat down.
"Why you care so much about a girl?" Bright leaned in closer.
"Because she told me something that I don't think I should tell you, I don't think I should even be talking about this right now." Ephram sat back up, just in time to see his father walk inside, "Dad!" Ephram called to him."
"Ephram, what happened?" Andy examined Ephram from head to tow.
"Dad, I'm fine, don't worry about me. I can't really explain what happened; I just want to go home." Ephram stood up and walked back outside, where he saw Dr. Abbott waiting in his car, "What in the world?" Ephram looked at his dad.
"I had to get here somehow, and he was the only way." Dr. Brown walked over to the car and got in, "I want you kids to follow us home, do you understand that?" Andy was looking straight at Bright.
"Yeah, I understand." Bright walked to his truck, unlocked it, and got back in for what he thought would be the final time that night, but he was wrong.
"Come on Ephram, get in!" Amy was waiting by the passenger's door, just to make sure he was coming. Ephram slowly walked to the door, waited for Amy to get in, and then preceded after her.
Once they were all driving home, they thought all the excitement would end for that day, but that all changed when Ephram looked out the window toward some houses. He looked in the driveway of one of them, and saw a car with the license plate PICKLE. He sat straight up, making sure he was positive about what he saw. When he was 100% sure, he looked over at Bright, "Stop the truck!"
That announcement scared Bright so much he hit the brakes hard, "Why, what's wrong?" Before he even got an answer, Ephram was out of the truck and headed up a driveway.
"What is he doing?" Amy got out and followed him, with Bright right behind her.
"Ephram, where are you going!?!" Bright ran ahead of Amy.
"This is the girl, that license plate, it's her car." Ephram didn't make much sense, but Bright decided to follow him anyway, "Our dads are going to kill us."
"Then you go ahead, I'll be here the whole time, I promise." Ephram wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying, it was just that whatever he thought came out of his mouth, even if he didn't mean for it to.
Amy turned around and saw her father pulling over a little ways ahead of her. She waved Dr. Brown down, and he came running, "What is Ephram doing?"
"I have no clue." Amy just stared at her boyfriend, wishing he would turn around and come back to her.
Soon Bright was doing just that, turning around. He had stopped about five feet in front of the doorstep, not planning to go any further. He walked back to Amy and Andy, waiting for Ephram to come to his senses.
But what everyone was hoping for wasn't going to happen. Ephram had something he knew he had to do, and he was going to do it. He slowly made his way up to the door, found the doorbell, and pushed the small, lit button.
He could hear footsteps inside, and finally, after what seemed like five minutes, the door swung open, revealing the girl from earlier, "...It's you, what are you doing here?" She looked a little more than surprised, but just how Ephram remembered her.
"You can't do it," Ephram realized what he was doing, and knew it was stupid, but there was no turning back now; "I can't let you kill yourself." For some reason, Ephram began to feel extremely light headed.
"And you're going to stop me? I don't think so." She attempted to shut the door, but Ephram put his foot in its way, which didn't feel too great, but he kept talking.
"Please, let's just talk." Ephram reopened the door.
"With you? I don't even know you, except that your name is Ephram Brown." She sighed heavily.
"Well, that's a start. What's your name?" Ephram was hoping she wouldn't catch onto what he was doing. She didn't.
"My name?" She looked into his eyes sincerely, "My name is Annette Macmillan." She opened the door a little wider, inviting him inside.
Ephram took the offer and stepped into Annette's house, "I like your place." Ephram looked around at all of the antique things in there. There was a huge shelf dedicated to antique glass.
"Thanks, I'll give it to you when I'm gone." She closed the door behind him, leaving Drs. Brown and Abbott, and the kids, outside in the cold.
******
Amy stood against Bright's truck waiting for Ephram to come back outside in a matter of minutes. But those minutes kept passing by more and more, until it reached the thirty minute marker. She began to get a little worried, because she had seen him swaying outside the girls door, and she knew that wasn't a good sign, it meant he had to get home and take his medicine.
She didn't want him to leave, because if this girl was in as much trouble as Ephram made it out to be, Amy wanted her to have all the help she could get. If only Amy knew how little help Ephram was being, she might have changed her mind.
******
Ephram had taken a seat on Annette's couch awhile ago, and remained there now. It was almost as if he was afraid to move, but that wasn't the case. He felt horrible, and he knew why, but there was nothing he could do about that now.
"So, Annette, this is going to sound strange, but why are you going to commit suicide tomorrow? What is it that has made you so upset?" Ephram wanted a simple answer, so he could say something to change her mind, but that answer didn't come.
Instead, he got the one answer he least wanted to hear, "My parents told me I was a worthless piece of junk, just waste in the universe. I tried to live with my older brother, but he was killed in a car accident about a year ago. I have no one else to turn to, and no place else to go. I'm only seventeen, I don't have a job, and I can barely stay out of jail long enough to look for one." She looked up at Ephram, who, at that point, looked very ill, "I'm beginning to believe my parents."
Ephram could feel the sweat on his forehead, but did nothing to remove it; he just sat with Annette in silence. He wanted to say something, but he feared he would only make things worse. If he only knew how much worse he being silent was making things, he, like Amy, might also want to change his mind.
Ephram was getting increasingly dizzy, and knew if he didn't get back to the truck soon, he would be in trouble. He stood, nearly falling over, but catching himself, "I...I have to go." He managed to say as he opened the door, He turned back to Annette and smiled the best he could, "Look, I don't know what to say to make you not do this, but if you will just give me a chance to change your mind, I will. The only reason I'm leaving now is because I have to go home before I pass out."
Annette stood to meet Ephram at the door, "If you really want to try and talk me out of this, meet me at that bridge between this town and Everwood. I'll be happy to see what you have to say, but there are no promises I'll listen. I highly doubt I will actually." She let Ephram walk out the rest of the way before closing the door.
Ephram realized he hadn't gotten a time from her, and knowing that was a problem, turned back around, but the door had already been closed. He headed back toward his dad, but felt like his feet were being lifted off of the ground. He tried to walk faster, but that only made it worse. He felt himself falling to the ground, and before he knew it, the small group in the yard was running toward him.
Before any of them knew it, Ephram's eyes were closed. Due to the pressure he had put on his body, the shock of what Annette planned on doing, and the small fact that Ephram hadn't taken his pain medicine in over twelve hours, made him pass out.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Everwood characters; they all belong to the WB.
PG
A/N: Just to let everyone in on things they probably already knew, Gonzo is one of my bestest best friends in the entire world, and I thank her for the one review for this story, and the one for the last story. As for Monkey, well, if it wasn't already obvious enough, he's my BF, and I love him dearly. I want to say happy birthday to Monkey, his age is my secret. I also want to thank every reviewer for reviewing, I really do appreciate it. I think I've made my point. And now to chapter 3!
Ephram sat in somewhat of a shocked state with the girl sitting next to him, but not for long. She stared at him for a second, then stood up and left. Ephram attempted to follow her, but didn't succeed. He looked all around the club, and then ran outside, just in time to see her get into her car and drive away. Well, he knew one thing, she was older than sixteen. He also knew something else, he had no idea what her name was.
All he knew was she had dark brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and was fairly slim. He knew nothing past that, and that wouldn't get him very far. He immediately looked at the license plate, quickly remembering what he saw.
PICKLE...Ephram didn't know, or care why it said that, he just knew that's what he had to remember, and so he did. As fast as he ran out, he ran back into the club, catching sight of Amy walking into the bathroom.
"Where's Bright?" He had to get out of there, and stop that girl before whatever time tomorrow she planned to do whatever she was going to do. He knew he probably wasn't going to find her in time, but he knew he had to try, or else he would be a failure.
******
"Dude, what is your deal?" Bright was pushed into his own truck, by Ephram.
"I don't have time to explain, just take me to this towns freaking police station!" Ephram got in after Amy, who was just as worried as Bright.
"Ephram, what's going on? Are you in trouble?" She looked over at him, very concerned.
"No, I'm not, but someone else might be if I don't hurry." Ephram looked at Bright with a demanding look, and Bright took the hint. He put the car in gear and headed for the police station.
Ephram was out of the truck before it even stopped, which worried Bright and Amy even more. They both knew something had to have been terribly wrong if Ephram didn't even care for his own safety, which was getting dangerously close to unsafe by the minute.
There were cars speeding everywhere in the parking lot of the station, and Ephram was nearly hit by two of them. It surprised him that they decided to be that stupid, because, after all, they were at a police station. He practically flew up the steps and through the doors to the front desk.
"Excuse me, I need some help." Ephram breathlessly told the clerk, a woman that appeared to be in her late thirties.
"Of course, how may I help you?" She was a very sweet lady.
"I need a license plate...Number so to speak...Anyway, I need something tracked." Ephram knew it wasn't aloud, but he couldn't say why, because this might make things even worse.
Bright and Amy ran in a moment later, also out of breath, "Ephram," Amy walked up to him, "What is so wrong that we had to come here?" She started looking around the place, it was huge. Directly in front of her was the courtroom, which took Amy by surprised, because she didn't think they had courtrooms IN police stations.
"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid I can't trace any license plates for you here. It's against regulations." She smiled sweetly and looked back down at her papers.
"Screw those freaking regulations! I need that license plate tracked now!!!" Ephram was now thoroughly angry, and nothing would calm him down.
The girl at the desk looked back up, but this time she signaled for an officer to come over.
"Way to go, Ephram, I think you've done it now." Bright pointed to the officer heading their way, but walked away as soon as he came into speaking range.
"Young man," The husky officer took Ephram by the arm, "I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."
Ephram was pulled by his sleeve down the hall. He looked back at Amy and mouthed, 'Call my dad.' Amy understood and went to find a payphone.
******
Andy was sitting at home watching a football game on television, when the phone rang. He jumped up off the couch and picked up the phone, "Hello?" He talked into the receiver.
"Dr. Brown?" He knew that voice, it was Amy's.
"Where is Ephram?" A thought went thought went through his mind, that he prayed with all his heart wasn't true, 'Oh God, don't let Ephram be dead.'
"He's fine," A wave of relief flooded Andy, "But he's at the police station."
"I thought you said he was fine?" Andy began to worry again.
"He is, he asked Bright to drive him here. He asked some the clerk at the front desk to track a license plate, but she said that was against regulations, so he got mad, and was taken into the back." Amy paused for a minute, "That was about ten minutes ago."
Dr. Brown could feel worries grow inside of him, wondering what his son was up to, but afraid something was still very wrong, "Why aren't you at that club, Amy?"
"Ephram just grabbed me by the arm when I came out of the bathroom, the next thing I knew we were at the station; he has yet to tell us why. While he was being dragged away..." Dr. Brown interrupted Amy.
"Dragged away?"
"Yeah, a police officer told Ephram to come with him, and so he did. Anyway, Ephram told me to call you as that was happening, and so that's why we're talking right now. I think he wants you to come down here."
"I have no clue as to where you are, Amy." Dr. Brown, with all his heart wanted to be with her, but wasn't very good with directions yet.
"Call my dad, he can help you, I promise." Amy stopped talking for a moment, but quickly came back on, "I have to go Dr. Brown, please get here as soon as possible."
Before Andy could say anything else, Amy hung up. "Call your dad? Dr Abbott isn't the man I need to call for help right now." But without much hesitation, Andy was calling Dr. Abbott in a matter of seconds.
******
Ephram was sitting at a table in what appeared to be an interrogation room, which began making him regret saying anything at all to that lady up front. A man came in a minute later, staring at Ephram the whole time, "What's your name, kid?" The man wasn't very friendly looking.
"Ephram Brown." He didn't dare mouth off to a potential officer of the law.
"Well, Ephram, you caused quite a scene out there awhile ago, and I have to ask you why?"
"Um," Ephram didn't really know what to say, "I was at a club earlier today, and I met this girl, I thin she might have a problem." It was better than anything else he could think of.
"A problem...Care to explain?" The man was still staring at Ephram, which was beginning to make him feel very uncomfortable, just like on the dance floor at Clix.
"Yeah, I guess so, but I don't know that you'll believe me." Ephram took a deep breath and started, "I didn't get her name, but I asked this girl how she was doing, and then she asked me if I really wanted to know, I nodded yes, and..." Ephram was hesitant to say anything else.
"Go on, I'm listening."
"She told me..." Ephram started looking around the room, "She told me she was going to kill herself tomorrow." Ephram felt the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders when he told this man what that girl had said, but he began to worry a little, too.
What if they couldn't help him, what if they just blew him off? Ephram's questions were answered in a simple sentence, "What is that license plate number?"
Ephram started giving the man all of the information he knew, like what she looked like, the look of the car she drove, and, of course, the license plate on the car.
"Pickle, are you sure?" The man looked at Ephram oddly.
"I know what I saw, if you don't believe me than forget it." Ephram stood up, but was pushed back down in his seat, which didn't feel too good, "Hey, watch it!" He pointed to his broken arm.
"What happened to you by the way? I've been meaning to ask you."
"I was in a hiking accident, that's I'll I'm saying." Ephram wanted more than anything to forget what had happened that day.
"Oh, alright, fair enough. I'll see what I can do about that girl, but in the meantime I don't want you getting into any trouble with her, she might be dangerous."
"How can I get into any trouble with her? I don't even know where she is!!!" Ephram stood up again, this time pulling away from the officer's hand.
"I see your point. I think you should leave now." He opened the door for Ephram.
"Not until you answer one more question for me." Ephram stood in the guys face.
"What now?" He was getting very impatient.
"Are you a real police officer?"
"That was a stupid question." The officer pushed Ephram out the door and down the hall, back to where Amy and Bright sat, waiting patiently.
"Are you okay?" Amy ran up to him.
"I'm fine, Grover, did you call my dad?" Amy blushed at the sound of her nickname.
"Yeah, he should be here soon." Amy walked back to the waiting area with Ephram.
"I have to find that girl, no matter what happens." Ephram whispered once he sat down.
"Why you care so much about a girl?" Bright leaned in closer.
"Because she told me something that I don't think I should tell you, I don't think I should even be talking about this right now." Ephram sat back up, just in time to see his father walk inside, "Dad!" Ephram called to him."
"Ephram, what happened?" Andy examined Ephram from head to tow.
"Dad, I'm fine, don't worry about me. I can't really explain what happened; I just want to go home." Ephram stood up and walked back outside, where he saw Dr. Abbott waiting in his car, "What in the world?" Ephram looked at his dad.
"I had to get here somehow, and he was the only way." Dr. Brown walked over to the car and got in, "I want you kids to follow us home, do you understand that?" Andy was looking straight at Bright.
"Yeah, I understand." Bright walked to his truck, unlocked it, and got back in for what he thought would be the final time that night, but he was wrong.
"Come on Ephram, get in!" Amy was waiting by the passenger's door, just to make sure he was coming. Ephram slowly walked to the door, waited for Amy to get in, and then preceded after her.
Once they were all driving home, they thought all the excitement would end for that day, but that all changed when Ephram looked out the window toward some houses. He looked in the driveway of one of them, and saw a car with the license plate PICKLE. He sat straight up, making sure he was positive about what he saw. When he was 100% sure, he looked over at Bright, "Stop the truck!"
That announcement scared Bright so much he hit the brakes hard, "Why, what's wrong?" Before he even got an answer, Ephram was out of the truck and headed up a driveway.
"What is he doing?" Amy got out and followed him, with Bright right behind her.
"Ephram, where are you going!?!" Bright ran ahead of Amy.
"This is the girl, that license plate, it's her car." Ephram didn't make much sense, but Bright decided to follow him anyway, "Our dads are going to kill us."
"Then you go ahead, I'll be here the whole time, I promise." Ephram wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying, it was just that whatever he thought came out of his mouth, even if he didn't mean for it to.
Amy turned around and saw her father pulling over a little ways ahead of her. She waved Dr. Brown down, and he came running, "What is Ephram doing?"
"I have no clue." Amy just stared at her boyfriend, wishing he would turn around and come back to her.
Soon Bright was doing just that, turning around. He had stopped about five feet in front of the doorstep, not planning to go any further. He walked back to Amy and Andy, waiting for Ephram to come to his senses.
But what everyone was hoping for wasn't going to happen. Ephram had something he knew he had to do, and he was going to do it. He slowly made his way up to the door, found the doorbell, and pushed the small, lit button.
He could hear footsteps inside, and finally, after what seemed like five minutes, the door swung open, revealing the girl from earlier, "...It's you, what are you doing here?" She looked a little more than surprised, but just how Ephram remembered her.
"You can't do it," Ephram realized what he was doing, and knew it was stupid, but there was no turning back now; "I can't let you kill yourself." For some reason, Ephram began to feel extremely light headed.
"And you're going to stop me? I don't think so." She attempted to shut the door, but Ephram put his foot in its way, which didn't feel too great, but he kept talking.
"Please, let's just talk." Ephram reopened the door.
"With you? I don't even know you, except that your name is Ephram Brown." She sighed heavily.
"Well, that's a start. What's your name?" Ephram was hoping she wouldn't catch onto what he was doing. She didn't.
"My name?" She looked into his eyes sincerely, "My name is Annette Macmillan." She opened the door a little wider, inviting him inside.
Ephram took the offer and stepped into Annette's house, "I like your place." Ephram looked around at all of the antique things in there. There was a huge shelf dedicated to antique glass.
"Thanks, I'll give it to you when I'm gone." She closed the door behind him, leaving Drs. Brown and Abbott, and the kids, outside in the cold.
******
Amy stood against Bright's truck waiting for Ephram to come back outside in a matter of minutes. But those minutes kept passing by more and more, until it reached the thirty minute marker. She began to get a little worried, because she had seen him swaying outside the girls door, and she knew that wasn't a good sign, it meant he had to get home and take his medicine.
She didn't want him to leave, because if this girl was in as much trouble as Ephram made it out to be, Amy wanted her to have all the help she could get. If only Amy knew how little help Ephram was being, she might have changed her mind.
******
Ephram had taken a seat on Annette's couch awhile ago, and remained there now. It was almost as if he was afraid to move, but that wasn't the case. He felt horrible, and he knew why, but there was nothing he could do about that now.
"So, Annette, this is going to sound strange, but why are you going to commit suicide tomorrow? What is it that has made you so upset?" Ephram wanted a simple answer, so he could say something to change her mind, but that answer didn't come.
Instead, he got the one answer he least wanted to hear, "My parents told me I was a worthless piece of junk, just waste in the universe. I tried to live with my older brother, but he was killed in a car accident about a year ago. I have no one else to turn to, and no place else to go. I'm only seventeen, I don't have a job, and I can barely stay out of jail long enough to look for one." She looked up at Ephram, who, at that point, looked very ill, "I'm beginning to believe my parents."
Ephram could feel the sweat on his forehead, but did nothing to remove it; he just sat with Annette in silence. He wanted to say something, but he feared he would only make things worse. If he only knew how much worse he being silent was making things, he, like Amy, might also want to change his mind.
Ephram was getting increasingly dizzy, and knew if he didn't get back to the truck soon, he would be in trouble. He stood, nearly falling over, but catching himself, "I...I have to go." He managed to say as he opened the door, He turned back to Annette and smiled the best he could, "Look, I don't know what to say to make you not do this, but if you will just give me a chance to change your mind, I will. The only reason I'm leaving now is because I have to go home before I pass out."
Annette stood to meet Ephram at the door, "If you really want to try and talk me out of this, meet me at that bridge between this town and Everwood. I'll be happy to see what you have to say, but there are no promises I'll listen. I highly doubt I will actually." She let Ephram walk out the rest of the way before closing the door.
Ephram realized he hadn't gotten a time from her, and knowing that was a problem, turned back around, but the door had already been closed. He headed back toward his dad, but felt like his feet were being lifted off of the ground. He tried to walk faster, but that only made it worse. He felt himself falling to the ground, and before he knew it, the small group in the yard was running toward him.
Before any of them knew it, Ephram's eyes were closed. Due to the pressure he had put on his body, the shock of what Annette planned on doing, and the small fact that Ephram hadn't taken his pain medicine in over twelve hours, made him pass out.