Turnarounds
by moonswirl
Disclaimer: It's not mine, alright? Alright.
Rating: G as far as I know, PG to be safe.
Summary: E/L - Post-Unveiling, couple troubles and pleasantries ahead. Starts with Ephram consoling Amy after Colin dumps her, then it ends up in a whole other place.
Pairings: Goes around the lot, Colin/Amy, Ephram/Amy, but it's a Ephram/Laynie fic, so guess where it's all leading ;)
A/N: This is for the people at the Ephram/Laynie thread over at f4f :) Reviews are much appreciated.
Chapter 1
Ephram walked into Mama Joy's and up to the counter. Nina came up to him. "Ephram, your order's not quite ready yet but it shouldn't take long."
"Alright," he nodded. Nina leaned forward.
"While you're waiting, I was hoping you could do something for me," she whispered.
"What's that?" Ephram whispered back. Nina nodded toward the back of the diner. Ephram turned and spotted Amy sitting in one of the booths, crying into a plate of fries and a coke. Ephram turned back to Nina. "What happened?"
"She wouldn't tell me. Can you talk to her?"
"Sure, of course."
"Thanks, Ephram." He nodded to her and made his way to the back slow and careful.
"Amy?" he asked softly. She looked up mid-sniffle. When she saw it was him, she turned away slightly, not wanting him to see her this way.
"Hey Ephram." He sat across from her.
"What's going on? Did something happen to you?" Suddenly she looked at him... and she laughed.
"You know, it's the funniest thing. I went to see Colin today, and you know what he told me?" Knowing a wisecrack wouldn't have been the most appropriate at the moment, he kept quiet. "H-He broke up with me." She was still laughing, playing with her fries. Ephram looked down.
"I'm sorry," he told her.
"No you're not," she immediately responded. He looked at her. She sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like..."
"Don't worry about it." She stopped laughing, the waterworks opening again in full force. Ephram stood and went to sit on her side, putting his arms around her. She welcomed the gesture, burrying her head in his shoulder.
"It just can't be happening..." he managed to understand her say. He didn't know what to do. On one side he was happy, because now she was single, he might have a chance... but at what price?
*Two weeks later*
Ephram sneaked in as quiet as he could. Odds are his father would be waiting for him, but it didn't mean he wouldn't take the chance. He'd been out a little later than he should have, but it didn't matter, not when it had been time spent with Amy.
"Lovely night, isn't it?" he heard as he tiptoed to the stairs. The lights in the living room came on. He was busted alright. He went to the room where his father sat with a book, dressed in his nightclothes.
"Forgot what time it was," he explained.
"Did you now," Andy started, nodding his head, "Where were you?" There was a hint of a smile on Ephram's face.
"A date..."
"Ah, I see. And who was the lucky lady?" Just by the look on his face, it was obvious. "Would the lady happen to have the initials 'A.A.'?"
"Goodnight," Ephram told him before heading to his room.
This had been their third date in that many nights. Her first week back among the singles had been rough, but he'd helped her through it. And then surprise of surprises, she'd asked him out. The first date had been a dream. The second had been better because the buzz of 'wow first date' had worn off, though he was starting to get a feeling that something was off. He figured it was because she was still getting over Colin. It took until that night to realize maybe she wasn't the one trying to get over someone.
It wasn't possible. He'd waited for this for so long, he'd been so sure that it was all great, all fine. And now a single errant thought was putting everything in question. He decided to put it aside and go to bed.
But he couldn't sleep. The thought kept coming back at him, poking at his sides refusing to be ignored. Hours later, still awake, he looked at the clock. It flashed brightly announcing it was 5:30. With a sigh, he got up. Still in the clothes from the night before, he headed out, careful not to wake his father and Delia.
He wandered around for some time, unsure of where to go or what to do. It was still hours before he had to go to school, and he doubted anyone would be around to chat him up.
Finding his way into the middle of town, the thought continued to tease him in a new way. There was the station, his father's office, where they'd first met. The post office and the street where they'd walked and talked together. This was driving him insane. He had to do something... but what? He knew what he had to do deep down, but he just needed a push. He decided to make sure he couldn't back down.
He took off running for the Hart home. Climbing up the side of the house, he went and knocked on Colin's window. He looked around, making sure no one had seen him. He knocked again and eventually Colin peaked his head through the curtains, looking all kinds of asleep. Ephram motionned for him to open the window, which Colin eventually did.
"What's going on?" he asked and yawned.
"I know this is weird..." Ephram started.
"No, it's alright. I always have guys climbing up to my window at 5:30 in the morning." He laughed, though he could barely keep his eyes open. "What do you want?"
"I need to know the name and location of the boarding school Laynie goes to."
"What do you need that for?"
"I... I have to send her something."
"Yeah, okay..." he walked to his desk and wrote down the information as best he could, then went and gave the slip of paper to Ephram.
"Thanks," he started back down to the ground.
"Sure, whatever..." he closed the window and crashed back into bed. He probably wouldn't even remember when he woke up again, and in a way it was better that way.
He headed back home and went into his room. He packed up a few things, grabbed some money and left a note on the kitchen table.
'Went to see a friend, be back in a couple days. I'll call when I get there, Ephram.'
by moonswirl
Disclaimer: It's not mine, alright? Alright.
Rating: G as far as I know, PG to be safe.
Summary: E/L - Post-Unveiling, couple troubles and pleasantries ahead. Starts with Ephram consoling Amy after Colin dumps her, then it ends up in a whole other place.
Pairings: Goes around the lot, Colin/Amy, Ephram/Amy, but it's a Ephram/Laynie fic, so guess where it's all leading ;)
A/N: This is for the people at the Ephram/Laynie thread over at f4f :) Reviews are much appreciated.
Chapter 1
Ephram walked into Mama Joy's and up to the counter. Nina came up to him. "Ephram, your order's not quite ready yet but it shouldn't take long."
"Alright," he nodded. Nina leaned forward.
"While you're waiting, I was hoping you could do something for me," she whispered.
"What's that?" Ephram whispered back. Nina nodded toward the back of the diner. Ephram turned and spotted Amy sitting in one of the booths, crying into a plate of fries and a coke. Ephram turned back to Nina. "What happened?"
"She wouldn't tell me. Can you talk to her?"
"Sure, of course."
"Thanks, Ephram." He nodded to her and made his way to the back slow and careful.
"Amy?" he asked softly. She looked up mid-sniffle. When she saw it was him, she turned away slightly, not wanting him to see her this way.
"Hey Ephram." He sat across from her.
"What's going on? Did something happen to you?" Suddenly she looked at him... and she laughed.
"You know, it's the funniest thing. I went to see Colin today, and you know what he told me?" Knowing a wisecrack wouldn't have been the most appropriate at the moment, he kept quiet. "H-He broke up with me." She was still laughing, playing with her fries. Ephram looked down.
"I'm sorry," he told her.
"No you're not," she immediately responded. He looked at her. She sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like..."
"Don't worry about it." She stopped laughing, the waterworks opening again in full force. Ephram stood and went to sit on her side, putting his arms around her. She welcomed the gesture, burrying her head in his shoulder.
"It just can't be happening..." he managed to understand her say. He didn't know what to do. On one side he was happy, because now she was single, he might have a chance... but at what price?
*Two weeks later*
Ephram sneaked in as quiet as he could. Odds are his father would be waiting for him, but it didn't mean he wouldn't take the chance. He'd been out a little later than he should have, but it didn't matter, not when it had been time spent with Amy.
"Lovely night, isn't it?" he heard as he tiptoed to the stairs. The lights in the living room came on. He was busted alright. He went to the room where his father sat with a book, dressed in his nightclothes.
"Forgot what time it was," he explained.
"Did you now," Andy started, nodding his head, "Where were you?" There was a hint of a smile on Ephram's face.
"A date..."
"Ah, I see. And who was the lucky lady?" Just by the look on his face, it was obvious. "Would the lady happen to have the initials 'A.A.'?"
"Goodnight," Ephram told him before heading to his room.
This had been their third date in that many nights. Her first week back among the singles had been rough, but he'd helped her through it. And then surprise of surprises, she'd asked him out. The first date had been a dream. The second had been better because the buzz of 'wow first date' had worn off, though he was starting to get a feeling that something was off. He figured it was because she was still getting over Colin. It took until that night to realize maybe she wasn't the one trying to get over someone.
It wasn't possible. He'd waited for this for so long, he'd been so sure that it was all great, all fine. And now a single errant thought was putting everything in question. He decided to put it aside and go to bed.
But he couldn't sleep. The thought kept coming back at him, poking at his sides refusing to be ignored. Hours later, still awake, he looked at the clock. It flashed brightly announcing it was 5:30. With a sigh, he got up. Still in the clothes from the night before, he headed out, careful not to wake his father and Delia.
He wandered around for some time, unsure of where to go or what to do. It was still hours before he had to go to school, and he doubted anyone would be around to chat him up.
Finding his way into the middle of town, the thought continued to tease him in a new way. There was the station, his father's office, where they'd first met. The post office and the street where they'd walked and talked together. This was driving him insane. He had to do something... but what? He knew what he had to do deep down, but he just needed a push. He decided to make sure he couldn't back down.
He took off running for the Hart home. Climbing up the side of the house, he went and knocked on Colin's window. He looked around, making sure no one had seen him. He knocked again and eventually Colin peaked his head through the curtains, looking all kinds of asleep. Ephram motionned for him to open the window, which Colin eventually did.
"What's going on?" he asked and yawned.
"I know this is weird..." Ephram started.
"No, it's alright. I always have guys climbing up to my window at 5:30 in the morning." He laughed, though he could barely keep his eyes open. "What do you want?"
"I need to know the name and location of the boarding school Laynie goes to."
"What do you need that for?"
"I... I have to send her something."
"Yeah, okay..." he walked to his desk and wrote down the information as best he could, then went and gave the slip of paper to Ephram.
"Thanks," he started back down to the ground.
"Sure, whatever..." he closed the window and crashed back into bed. He probably wouldn't even remember when he woke up again, and in a way it was better that way.
He headed back home and went into his room. He packed up a few things, grabbed some money and left a note on the kitchen table.
'Went to see a friend, be back in a couple days. I'll call when I get there, Ephram.'