Currently No Name

(Don't worry, a new name is coming)

All right, every one! This is collaboration between the infamous Shelly and Ditey! The other, C-Chan, may come along, but we can't really find her. (Hey! Chan! If you read this, e-mail us! Your chapter's coming up!!)

This will be a little late, we will update every few days, but the whole party scene takes place on Valentines Day.

Oh yeah, just to remind you

Chapter 1

(Remember:  ~TEXT~ = Ephram's thoughts)

 I just sat there. It was impossible to know what to say. How do you say anything when one of the worst things that has ever happened on the face of the Earth happens to you?

"So, Ephram, I just wanted to tell you that you are such a great friend. You're one of the best, most supportive friends I've ever had. That's why Colin wants you to be his best man!" The blonde exclaimed happily.

~What? Colin doesn't even know who I am!~

"Amy, what are you talking about?"

"Oh! Me and Colin, uh, Colin and me… erg, Colin and I are getting married!"

"EXCUSE ME?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Yeah! Isn't that cool! I mean, I get to choose bridesmaids and buy a wedding gown and make invitations and you know you would be my maid of honor, but you're a boy so that's pretty stupid and doves and ooh, flowers are good! And…" Amy went on and on for what seemed to be an hour at a faster pace than my brain could process, as usual. But even though she was still talking, my stupid mind couldn't help but wander.

~Married, as in holy matrimony and all that stupid pastor jazz? Like wedding bells and 'I do's'? What the hell is she thinking? She's only 15!~ Amy continued.

"…but he's all 'But… Ephram I don't know if he's up for us, you know, together' and I'm like, 'he's almost you're best friend, silly! And-"

"Amy, you're only 15!"

"I know! Isn't that great? Young love, sigh. So anyways, I'm like, 'And Ephram's my bestest, very good friend, very good friend, very good friend, very good friend………" she echoed.

I then awoke with a start. A dream, it had been a dream. I wondered how cliché my life could get. It was like a stupid scene from a movie. I sat abruptly and wiped the trickling sweat off my pounding head and from around my nose. I couldn't help but breathe heavily as though there was a 500-pound anvil sitting contently on my chest. He rubbed eyes sleepily and scratched his stomach. Through the thick darkness I couldn't see a thing and turned to my right. The blaring neon numbers on the digital clock flared a big red 3:52 AM in my tired eyes and I tore my blankets off myself.

Stepping into the bathroom, I mechanically shut the door, turned on the light, and turned up the tap. As the water flowed evenly onto the palms of my clammy hands, I almost began to doze again, but snapped back awake as the last three words I had just conjured up in the recesses of my mind haunted me.

~I'm so far a very, very good friend,~ I thought as I splashed some of the trickling water onto my face.

~That can't be very good. I'm competing with a guy who's just out of a stupid coma. If I'm really lucky, they will be getting married,~ I turned the water off so as not to wake anyone up and wiped my face off with a hand towel.

 ~I'm so confused, and don't forget stupid. I mean, I was mad when Amy wanted Colin to have the surgery, then I was angry when my dad wouldn't do the surgery, now I'm angry because he DID do the surgery!~ I stumbled sleepily back into my dark, empty room and lay back down.

~Stupid,

stupid,

stupid me,~

I looked up at the blank ceiling. The darkness had consumed that too, and instead of being just another wall of white stucco, it seemed to be a vast sky deplete of stars. I rolled over onto my side.

~That was one great start to my day. Hey, even my inner voice is sarcastic. Hmmm…~ He finally fell asleep, but his mind was still taunted by the comatose boy.

~Stupid,

stupid,

stupid Colin,~

----_----

I stared at the teacher blathering on. This was the one class I actually bothered to pay attention to, and today there was a stupid sub. They always ruined everything.

"And so by the time you all get into college, you'll be absolutely sick of television and movies! So why should I bother taking the time to show you this movie now?" the substitute, Mr. Cranola, asked my fellow high school students.

"Because we took all the time to read the book. Besides, we deserve a break Mr. Granola!" one girl shouted.

"Yeah!" all the other students boomed in unison. All except me. I have to be the outsider, it's just how the world turns. I had already tuned out the rest of my peers with a walkman and some classic Magna comics, and although it seemed I wasn't paying attention, my curiosity got the better of me, and I was hoping I wouldn't have to witness a scene from 'The Lottery" (A/N This is a Shirley Jackson story about a community that gets together once a year for an annual stoning. The person they stoned depended on if that person had won the 'lottery' or not).

"That's Cranola, students, Cran-ola!" the sub spelled out for us. I snorted

As I stared into oblivion, my eyes fell on her.

There she was, about seven feet away, smiling as usual. Her smile looked faulty, but lately they all did. We hadn't spoken much lately. It wasn't for lack of friendship, just lack of time and energy. And since those couple of kisses we had shared in my room, I wasn't even sure where our friendship was currently located anyways. Besides, I knew that Kayla and Paige were entirely psyched about Colin being awake and would much rather shave their tongues then even look at the likes of me.

~Idiots, they're all idiots, and they are so similar, I sometimes wonder if they all have the same DNA… ~

Finally the bell rang. The teens were disappointed that they had wasted a whole period being lectured on why they shouldn't watch TV, but left happily and strangely in single file. "Mindless zombies…" I muttered, just as annoyed with my classmates as ever. I was the last to go, dawdling and taking off my CD player and 'angry' music. There was no point in rushing if you have no one to rush to was my point, and although the teachers hated this, especially right before lunch, they too were forced to wait for me. Haha, torturing them was my specialty. As I finally got out the door, there was someone standing in the doorway for me, guess who? Amy. I smiled slightly and went on my usual, lonely way.

"Ephram!" she called out after I had passed. I cocked my head and turned around on my heels, wondering what was going on.

"Yup," I replied simply.

"Come with me," she pulled my arm painfully and dragged me into a niche in the white school wall. She stopped and dropped my now sore arm. She paused and looked at my face.

~Why does she always look at me like that, as if she wants to know what I'm thinking?~ my head screamed out to her: ~Believe me Amy! My thoughts aren't that interesting!~ When Amy continued to stay mute, I raised my eyebrows.

"You brought me here, why, Amy?" Her lips still didn't move. Suddenly, she smiled. It was the same exact grin that had graced her features just minutes ago in the small, cramped classroom.

"Guess what today is!" she whispered. "The best day of the year!"

~Let me guess… We found Osama Bin Laden? Uh, Elvis Presley? Casper the friendly ghost? I need a little more information here, Ames!~

"I need a little more info here, Ames," I repeated while I chuckled at her innocence, this time aloud.

"Colin is here and it's Valentines!" she sighed at the name and it rolled off her tongue like a million sweet kisses.

~That seems to be the Goddamn word of the day, doesn't it?~ I basically felt my heart hit my throat and plop into his stomach with a thud. I could feel my stomach acids slowly and painfully disintegrating it bit by bit.

"Oh,"

 ~Bravo to me for the biggest vocabulary ever,~

"There's a party tonight at my house. A Valentines party for him, you know, to help his memory, and his social life. I really, really want you to be there," there was a slight pleading in her voice, and I wondered if she'd actually beg me. It would've been an awesome sight, come to think of it.

"I don't know, that might not be the best idea…" I trailed off, only to be interrupted again.

"Pleeeaaase?" she dragged out the word. "You two already get along great!"

~I just can't wait. We'd be a real match made in He-~

"Hello! Anybody home?" Amy waved a small piece of pink paper in my face. I re-focused my attention to the totally whacked out girl in front of me.

"Sorry," I cleared his throat. I really don't have any problems with Colin. I mean, except for the fact that he has everything that I want, but some people have all the luck. Too bad he had to go through a coma to get it.

"Amy I-"

"Won't take no for an answer. Here," she shoved the paper in my callused hands. "You'd better be there!" She quickly paced off and with a flip of her hair, she was gone. I examined the pink envelope with "Ephram" signed on it neatly. I carefully peeled open the sealed letter and realized it was an invitation.

"Here ye! Here ye! You are cordially invited to Amy's annual L'Amour party! You are to come forth and wear your regular dress-"

 ~Dress? Oh, clothes, ~

"Gifts are optional ect, ect, ect," I searched for Amy to refuse yet again, but she was nowhere in sight. I carelessly tossed the invitation into his backpack. I would've thrown it away, but hey, Amy's phone number and address may come in handy sometime, and instead I walked into the crowded cafeteria.

As I sat down and took out my lunch, Wendell approached me.

"Big party tonight. Supposed to be lots of fun," the kid said as he slid into the seat across from mine, but I continued shoving my face with salad.

I snorted for the second time that day. "Yeah, loads of it," was my sarcastic reply.

"Why the sarcasm, my man? This will be your perfect chance to be with Amy. Alone. At her house. No parental supervision," Wendell smiled wildly.

~Poor soul. Doesn't even know how stupid he sounds right now,~

"And you know all this how? It's not like you were invited," I replied bitterly.

"You know me! Besides, I will be there," Wendell said brazenly.

"Once again, how?" I asked the strange one.

"I have my ways," the boy replied mysteriously and he strolled off. I shook my head and ate my salad. I had learned early on to make my own lunch. It was much safer than trusting my father or the stupid, maggot (including the kids) infested school district. When I looked up, I saw Amy laughing with her friends. Really laughing. There were no shows, no games. Her gaze met mine and I held it there. Her eyes glinted as she smiled genuinely and after a minute of pure, unspoiled Amy, I returned his attention back to my food.

~This is going to be one long day. And I can already tell how bad it's gonna be…~

----_----

"I got your report card in the mail today, Ephram," The Great Dr. Brown stated sternly just as I walked through the front door.

"Shall we yell now, or can we save it for later 'cause I have this big party thing I have to go to and it's not going to be avoidable," I trailed on as I plopped onto the big, leather couch in my father's nicely furnished den.

"Let's just say I'm not proud," he continued, paying no attention to my last comment.

~Well, this sure isn't the place to get some respect. Maybe a hoarse voice or a sore throat, but no respect.~

"Ephram, you're failing every class except English! What's going on? You used to be a good student!" dad shouted. Ephram just shrugged and turned on the television. While flipping the channels, I saw little tidbits of the crap that was on…

"Easy, simple spray on hair! You'll never have to-"

"Bad boys, bad boys, whattcha gonna do? Whattcha gonna do when they come for you?"

"Nelly I, love you. And I need you, Nelly I-"

"Marsha Marsha Marsha! It's always Mar-"

"TOYOTA TRUCK MONTH!"

"So you want to be a model? Barbizan!"

I flicked off the TV.

~What has this world come to?~

"Ephram, your principal called today. She basically said that your teachers have given up on you! That you just sit there with your music and you doodle, or write or whatever. You don't even listen to them. They've completely stopped trying,"

"Well that's good, now I won't have to work so hard," I retorted. In my mind I congratulated myself for such a witty answer, and smiled. Well, I don't really smile, it was more of a smirky, dark thing.

"Ephram, if you talk back to me one more time…" my father fumed.

~He doesn't have the guts,~ I stood up and circled around the couch over to the stairs threateningly.

"What? What are you going to do to me? Take away my privileges? Oh no, I can't go to the party, bummer. I hope that you at least call them and tell them to suspend me, that way I get a free vacation too,"

"Maybe I won't let you go to this party thing!" he shouted after me as I angrily bounded up the stairs.

"Too bad, 'cause you know, I was really looking foreword to getting to know Colin better. I could barely hold in my happiness any longer," I slammed the door to my new room closed and tossed myself onto the firm bed.

~I can't believe he thinks this is all for my own good. He's so oblivious to everything he does. I can hardly believe that he actually thinks he'll be successful. I should go to that party, just to defy him. Actually, I think I will…~