Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, Everwood owns me xD Hehe. Anyway. I don't own the characters.
Forewords: If you don't like the thought of Amy and/or Ephram going onto the dark side, pooh on you and go find a fluffy Everwood story. Also, I recommend reading my dear Nick's story, Reliving. It's what inspired this. Also, this is based on a little bit of role playing between he and I. So this will probably be a short story. This takes place directly after The Unveiling episode. So, enjoy!
Secondary forewords: I've decided to just slap it all together and make it one huge chapter since chopping it up seemed to make the chapters too small. Okay, maybe two chapters. Yeah. Yeah. Two chapters. Anyway. ENJOY!
Amy sat alone, huddled in a corner on the couch as she watched television. She was pretty close to letting her eyelids fall, when the telephone rang. It immediately brought the girl to her toes, sending her at a run for the screaming communicator. It was picked up within seconds of its third ring.
"Hello?"
"A... Amy?" The voice was very, very familiar.
"Ephram! Hey, you were supposed to be home a few days ago. What happened? How you been?"
"I'm… I'm fine. We just flew in this morning." His voice seemed much too timid, it almost worried Amy.
"Ooh. What was the delay?"
"Um… just s… some stuff."
"Okay… Do you want to talk about it?" Now she was most definitely worried. And it was almost seeping through her words.
"Yeah, actually. But, uh, it can wait. How've you been?"
"Oh… simply… wonderful." Amy let herself calm; knowing it was all just casual.
"I sense sarcasm."
"Well, you are the king in that department. Heh… well, not everything's wonderful. Pretty much... nothing. Except that 'A' I got on the homework... but that's about it."
"Well, hey! Why aren't you throwing a party?" His tone was sarcastic, but that was normal.
"Hmm, I dunno. Party hats do make me look sexy, though. So, what about you?" It was time to rope him in.
"Oh, uh…" He shrugged, even though she couldn't see. "You know… the usual. Saw my mom's headstone. Got to sound like a fool speaking Hebrew...."
"Ooh, I'm sorry, Ephram. Was that what the suit was for?" And like Ephram, she frowned, even though he couldn't see.
"Yeah, it was. Well, that and the recital. But mainly the unveiling…" he trailed.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know." He paused before going on. "There's some stuff I need to tell you, Amy, though I'd… rather do it in person. Um… are you busy sometime in the future?"
"Yeah." She laughed, though she knew she shouldn't've.
"However, I'm more often not busy. Like now. Do you want to go for a walk?"
"What, now?" He hadn't been prepared to go that very minute, but it was better he get it out sooner rather than later.
"Um, sure. Let me check something first." He didn't wait for her to say okay before he put the phone down, and took off. Within seconds though, he was back.
"That was fast." Amy scoffed.
"Like lightning. So, a walk?"
"Yeah. How about we meet outside Mamma Joy's?" Her suggestion was normal, however over-used.
"Um, okay. I'll see you then, Amy."
"Byes."
They both hung up, and both took to their rooms. Amy refreshed her makeup a bit, and combed her hair once more before grabbing her jacket and heading out the door. Ephram, however, took his time. He wanted to get there a little after she did, so he dawdled when he walked, as well.
As expected, Amy did arrive a bit earlier than he had. She stood around a few minutes, looking up and down the streets for any sign of him. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets, searching for any bit of warmth she could scrounge up.
"Where is he…"
Almost like a ghost, the boy appeared. His figure was difficult to make out as he sauntered between streetlights. When Amy finally noticed him, she smiled and began to walk down the lane to meet him. About halfway over, she was about to wave, when a young boy, about their age, came running up behind her. He accidentally slammed into her, causing her to gasp and hit the concrete. It also caused Ephram to break into a run.
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Hi, I'm Peter… from County." The boy explained, helping Amy to her feet as she somewhat glared daggers at him.
"Hi…"
"Amy, are you okay?!" Ephram finally reached them, and was checking Amy over. As was Peter. Not in an Are-You-Okay sense, and more in a Damn-You're-Sexy. Sense. Either way, Ephram was about to rip the boy a new ass, until he took off running.
"I'm okay… what a weirdo…" Amy muttered as she shot a few more daggers after the kid before turning back to Ephram, noting how ill he looked. His body seemed to be wracked with shivers when he composed himself, and his face was awful. Two black eyes, and a nose to match, not to mention the large purple bruise across his forehead. Amy fretted.
"Oh my god, what happened?" She could only imagine things that could've happened between the time he had left for some strange unaccounted reason, and that morning. Her fingers rose to softly touch his face, but ultimately bringing them back down as he jerked away, out of instinct of course.
"That's… what I needed to talk to you about…" He looked down, almost shamefully, and couldn't make eye contact for a second.
"Okay, let's talk." Amy, on the other hand, couldn't take her eyes off him. The way he moved, mumbled incoherently at first when he tried to speak. They began to walk down the street, Amy diligently coercing him to talk.
"So. I know why I'm in a bad mood. Why are you?" He avoided this subject as long as he could. In his mind, Amy couldn't hear of this… not for a while yet. Luckily, Amy sensed this.
"Well… Colin got sick when he was over at my house… and I told my dad about it in confidence, and he told your dad I guess, and then he went over to Colin's house. Now Colin thinks he can't trust me, and I don't think I can trust my dad much." Sure Amy was winded, but getting it all out and done with might bring Ephram to further explain his evasiveness.
"Sorry… Heh, kind-of ironic. I'm just getting along with my father, and now you and yours are starting go at it," he attempted at joking.
"Yeah… sucks. So, wanna tell me how you got that lovely facial?" Amy asked, prodding it out of him.
"I was hoping I could avoid that a little longer…" he sighed, almost hoping she'd forget it again.
"You've gotta come to it eventually," she nodded.
"Yeah, but, can I procrastinate on it like I do with everything else?" He half-grinned, and lead them onto a not-so well-traveled road.
"Well maybe but it'll still be there for you to talk about when we've run out of calculating how to get the baboons into snow-shoes," she smirked.
"Well, my face is from the tub…"
"The… tub?" Amy's head tilted. Not usual was the case when someone's bathtub got up and attacked the owner.
"Yeah…" Ephram sighed before he went on.
"I started remembering things about before my mom died... repressed memories... arguments between my mom and my dad. …I was sure that he was cheating on her… I confronted him about it, just before we left..." He knew he wouldn't cry or break in front of Amy. He knew he wouldn't. Though, he was beginning to feel his doubts.
"I found out, that it was my mother having the affair… not my dad," he managed. This left Amy in shock.
"I'm so sorry…"
"I always had this-this picture in my head, of her being the perfect mother and wife. She was like it… but she wasn't." He finally brought himself to look at Amy, before back down to his hands. Amy was about to say something to the effect of 'I'm sorry,' or 'can I do anything?' but he knew there was nothing she really could do, so he went on.
"So anyway, I was really upset about things." This earned him a nod, and a 'go on.'
"Well…" He finally sighed, and paused. Instead of using his words, he showed her. He rolled his right sleeve up, and showed her his wrist. It was wrapped in gauze, and had a faint brownish spot in the middle. It'd been slashed. This took a moment for Amy to register.
"Ephram…" She futilely attempted to pick her heavy jaw from the ground, neither her throat nor tongue or lips could form words to say to him. Her eyes never left his wound. Ephram looked down at the ground, his arm soon following as he shoved his sleeve back over the evidence of his deed.
"I took some pills... aspirin, I think. They didn't do anything so I snapped the blade out of my razor... When I passed out I landed in the tub and hit my head." He was still unable to meet her sickened eyes. Amy grimaced as she listened, her dearest friend had attempted to kill himself. She held back her tears and looked away.
"It was worse than the last time…"
"The last time?!" More? He'd done this before?
"After… my mom died."
"You must really love your mother…"
"Yeah, but she wasn't the main reason this time. It was just the whole… catalyst type thing. Moment of weakness. Anyway, the doctors said I'd be fine." He looked up for the first time since he'd shown her his wrists, looking her directly in the eye.
"I just thought I should tell you, seeing as you're pretty much my only friend in this glorified hick-town we have here. … I don't really want anyone else to know. You know, I don't want to make myself any more of a town pariah than I already am."
"I'm glad you told me... I'm not sure how I should react... No one's tried to hurt themselves around me that I know of... but Ephram... I want you to know you don't need to ever, ever try that again. It's just not worth it..." Amy chided slightly, turning so he couldn't see her tears slip down her cheeks.
"You were all I thought about." He grinned at her, trying to lighten the mood. He also didn't realize what he was saying until too late.
"I certainly hope not! If just thinking about me makes you wanna kill yourself…" She smirked.
"No, no, no! No. I mean, when I was in the hospital, when I was recovering—When I first woke up, the nurses all wanted to know who Amy was. Apparently, I called out for you, and my mom when I was unconscious." He smiled and laughed, both in little amounts.
"I hope you're okay now, though…" Amy's smile was as small as his.
"Yeah," he paused, looking around their environment. "No, no I'm not. I haven't been for a long time."