The Mourning After
PG-13
A/N: This is the third story in a series of stories, beginning with Hanging by a Moment, and then followed by Right Place, Right Time. Please read those two stories before you read this one, or else it won't make any sense.
I do not own Everwood, or any of the characters in this story, but in later chapters I might. Everwood is the property of the WB.
The bells indicating that first period was over rang loud and clear in Ephram's ears. He was half asleep when they rang, and so he jumped up when he heard them. He quickly gathered his books and stuffed them in his backpack. As he stood up and started walking toward the door, he heard someone calling him. He knew right away who it was.
"Ephram, wait up!" Amy ran toward him, pulling the strap of her backpack over her shoulder, "Hey, how are you?" She said breathlessly as she caught up with him.
He kept walking, hoping she would get the idea, but after a few seconds he decided to answer, "I've been better." He kept a straight face.
"I'd imagine. I am so sorry about Annette."
He didn't even want to hear that name, let alone get sympathy about a person nobody even knew, "Could we talk about something else please?" Ephram quickly snapped his head toward Amy with an unhappy look on his face.
Amy stepped back a little, but then came back to Ephram, "Sorry." They walked in silence for a minute, but then Amy broke it, "I'm sorry about what my brother did to you last week; I had my dad get on to him." Ephram just rolled his eyes, but Amy didn't see, "Ooh, you still have a nasty cut on your face from that fight."
"Amy, it was like five against one, I'm surprised I didn't wind up in the hospital." Ephram was in no mood to talk right now, and he was letting Amy know it in his own way.
She gave him a stern look and then let out a heavy sigh, "Well, I have to go to class now, but I'll see you later." She darted off toward study-hall and disappeared around a corner.
"Let's hope not." Ephram had decided earlier that week to keep everyone else out of his life, and that included Amy.
******
Lunch slowly showed itself as the day progressed, and that was a relief to Ephram. His head had started spinning after 3rd period, but he didn't say anything about it. As he walked into the cafeteria he looked around the room. He quickly walked passed the jocks table, where Bright and his buddies were sitting, and headed for a small secluded table in a corner.
Not to Ephram's surprise, Bright had seen him. He walked over to Ephram's table and sat down. Nothing was said for a minute, but he didn't care. Finally Ephram opened his mouth, "Did you come here for a reason or is there something interesting on the floor?"
Bright lifted his head and revealed a tearstained face, "I'm sorry."
"Whoa dude, this is bad for your rep, what are you doing?" Ephram looked around the room making sure no one was watching, "What are you sorry about?"
"About everything...I got mad last week, man. I didn't mean to bust you up like that, it just happened." Bright looked down at the floor again, "And I'm sorry about Anne..."
"Don't say her name." Ephram quickly interrupted him, "Don't EVER SAT HER NAME!!!" Ephram yelled, which made Bright jump, and the rest of the cafeteria stare at him. It took about five seconds for Ephram to figure out what he had just done, and when he did he immediately stood up and walked away.
Amy's watched with concerned eyes as he left the room, but he didn't pay attention to anyone, so he didn't notice. She just stared at the door after he left. Amy was brought back to reality by a hand waving in her face, "Hello, earth to Amy. Are you even listening to me?" One of Amy's friends was trying to get her attention.
"What? Oh, sorry, go on." Amy didn't really care what the girl was saying, but she knew she should at least pretend to listen. Soon after the girl started on again about how she had picked out some outfit at a mall someplace and planned on wearing it the next day, Amy lost interest after that.
******
As soon as Ephram got out of the caf he felt free. When he was in that room he felt like he could hardly breathe, and that scared him. He went straight for the front doors of the school when he left the lunch room, and didn't plan on turning back. A teacher called his name, but he didn't turn around, he just kept walking.
He made it outside and was soon stared at as he walked off the campus, but he didn't care, all he wanted to do is get out of there, and that's what he did. He ran across the street, not really caring where his feet carried him.
Soon he wound up on the bridge between Everwood and Chestnut, and he stopped there. His emotions got the best of him, he had been fighting back tears the whole way, and he though he could handle it, but he was wrong.
He slowly sank to the ground and leaned against the guardrails of the bridge, gasping for breath one the way down. He was trying to keep from crying when he hit the ground, but it was no use, a few tears had already escaped his eyes. He soon just started letting it all out. His shoulders shook furiously as he cried and cars flew past, just like the time did.
******
Ephram had been crying so much it hurt, but he couldn't stop. Finally, after about 2 hours, he forced himself up off of the ground, still crying, and started walking. He headed back into town and home.
He had only walked half a mile when his dad's SUV pulled up beside him. Rolling down the window, Andy started talking to Ephram, who had stopped crying now, "Where have you been? Everyone in town has been looking all over for you. When Amy said she couldn't find you I freaked out!" His voice started rising with every word.
Ephram stopped, but didn't look up. He kept looking at his feet, shuffling them around on the ground. Finally he just turned to the car and got in, not saying a word. Andy looked at him, but decided not to ask, because Ephram didn't look like her was in a talking mood, which he wasn't.
When they got home Ephram quickly got out of the car and ran into the house. He ran right past his little sister sitting on the living room couch and went up to his room, slamming the door once he was in.
"Daddy," Delia stared at her father as he walked inside, "What's wrong with Ephram?"
Andy looked at her with gentle look of concern, and then looked up the stairs, "Something that is going to take a long time to heal, sweetie."
"What do you mean?" Delia was a little confused by what was just said, "Is he hurt?"
Andy laughed a little, "No, Delia, he's not hurt." He sat down on the couch and pulled Delia into his lap. He sat there for a minute, trying to figure out how to explain it to her, and then he got it, "Do you remember when your mother died, how much it hurt your heart to lose her?"
"Yeah." She gave a simple answer.
"Well, that's what it feels like when you're heartbroken, and that's what Ephram is like right now. He's going through a really hard time, and his heart hurts." Andy felt a knot form in his throat when he said that, "But this time it's going to take a longer time to heal than it did with your mother."
"Is it because of that girl he was always with?"
Andy's smile was gone by that time, "Yes, it was because of that girl." After that everything was quiet.
******
Ephram sat on his bed, trying to keep from crying again. He wanted to talk to his dad on the way home, but every time he tried to open his mouth, it felt like he was going to cry again, so he didn't.
He lay down and covered up, making a decision then and there. He wasn't going to talk to anyone about Annette, and if they talked to him about her, or told him they were sorry about what happened, he would just walk away like he did in the cafeteria. It seemed like an easy solution to a very difficult problem, but little did he know that was only the beginning of his problems.
PG-13
A/N: This is the third story in a series of stories, beginning with Hanging by a Moment, and then followed by Right Place, Right Time. Please read those two stories before you read this one, or else it won't make any sense.
I do not own Everwood, or any of the characters in this story, but in later chapters I might. Everwood is the property of the WB.
The bells indicating that first period was over rang loud and clear in Ephram's ears. He was half asleep when they rang, and so he jumped up when he heard them. He quickly gathered his books and stuffed them in his backpack. As he stood up and started walking toward the door, he heard someone calling him. He knew right away who it was.
"Ephram, wait up!" Amy ran toward him, pulling the strap of her backpack over her shoulder, "Hey, how are you?" She said breathlessly as she caught up with him.
He kept walking, hoping she would get the idea, but after a few seconds he decided to answer, "I've been better." He kept a straight face.
"I'd imagine. I am so sorry about Annette."
He didn't even want to hear that name, let alone get sympathy about a person nobody even knew, "Could we talk about something else please?" Ephram quickly snapped his head toward Amy with an unhappy look on his face.
Amy stepped back a little, but then came back to Ephram, "Sorry." They walked in silence for a minute, but then Amy broke it, "I'm sorry about what my brother did to you last week; I had my dad get on to him." Ephram just rolled his eyes, but Amy didn't see, "Ooh, you still have a nasty cut on your face from that fight."
"Amy, it was like five against one, I'm surprised I didn't wind up in the hospital." Ephram was in no mood to talk right now, and he was letting Amy know it in his own way.
She gave him a stern look and then let out a heavy sigh, "Well, I have to go to class now, but I'll see you later." She darted off toward study-hall and disappeared around a corner.
"Let's hope not." Ephram had decided earlier that week to keep everyone else out of his life, and that included Amy.
******
Lunch slowly showed itself as the day progressed, and that was a relief to Ephram. His head had started spinning after 3rd period, but he didn't say anything about it. As he walked into the cafeteria he looked around the room. He quickly walked passed the jocks table, where Bright and his buddies were sitting, and headed for a small secluded table in a corner.
Not to Ephram's surprise, Bright had seen him. He walked over to Ephram's table and sat down. Nothing was said for a minute, but he didn't care. Finally Ephram opened his mouth, "Did you come here for a reason or is there something interesting on the floor?"
Bright lifted his head and revealed a tearstained face, "I'm sorry."
"Whoa dude, this is bad for your rep, what are you doing?" Ephram looked around the room making sure no one was watching, "What are you sorry about?"
"About everything...I got mad last week, man. I didn't mean to bust you up like that, it just happened." Bright looked down at the floor again, "And I'm sorry about Anne..."
"Don't say her name." Ephram quickly interrupted him, "Don't EVER SAT HER NAME!!!" Ephram yelled, which made Bright jump, and the rest of the cafeteria stare at him. It took about five seconds for Ephram to figure out what he had just done, and when he did he immediately stood up and walked away.
Amy's watched with concerned eyes as he left the room, but he didn't pay attention to anyone, so he didn't notice. She just stared at the door after he left. Amy was brought back to reality by a hand waving in her face, "Hello, earth to Amy. Are you even listening to me?" One of Amy's friends was trying to get her attention.
"What? Oh, sorry, go on." Amy didn't really care what the girl was saying, but she knew she should at least pretend to listen. Soon after the girl started on again about how she had picked out some outfit at a mall someplace and planned on wearing it the next day, Amy lost interest after that.
******
As soon as Ephram got out of the caf he felt free. When he was in that room he felt like he could hardly breathe, and that scared him. He went straight for the front doors of the school when he left the lunch room, and didn't plan on turning back. A teacher called his name, but he didn't turn around, he just kept walking.
He made it outside and was soon stared at as he walked off the campus, but he didn't care, all he wanted to do is get out of there, and that's what he did. He ran across the street, not really caring where his feet carried him.
Soon he wound up on the bridge between Everwood and Chestnut, and he stopped there. His emotions got the best of him, he had been fighting back tears the whole way, and he though he could handle it, but he was wrong.
He slowly sank to the ground and leaned against the guardrails of the bridge, gasping for breath one the way down. He was trying to keep from crying when he hit the ground, but it was no use, a few tears had already escaped his eyes. He soon just started letting it all out. His shoulders shook furiously as he cried and cars flew past, just like the time did.
******
Ephram had been crying so much it hurt, but he couldn't stop. Finally, after about 2 hours, he forced himself up off of the ground, still crying, and started walking. He headed back into town and home.
He had only walked half a mile when his dad's SUV pulled up beside him. Rolling down the window, Andy started talking to Ephram, who had stopped crying now, "Where have you been? Everyone in town has been looking all over for you. When Amy said she couldn't find you I freaked out!" His voice started rising with every word.
Ephram stopped, but didn't look up. He kept looking at his feet, shuffling them around on the ground. Finally he just turned to the car and got in, not saying a word. Andy looked at him, but decided not to ask, because Ephram didn't look like her was in a talking mood, which he wasn't.
When they got home Ephram quickly got out of the car and ran into the house. He ran right past his little sister sitting on the living room couch and went up to his room, slamming the door once he was in.
"Daddy," Delia stared at her father as he walked inside, "What's wrong with Ephram?"
Andy looked at her with gentle look of concern, and then looked up the stairs, "Something that is going to take a long time to heal, sweetie."
"What do you mean?" Delia was a little confused by what was just said, "Is he hurt?"
Andy laughed a little, "No, Delia, he's not hurt." He sat down on the couch and pulled Delia into his lap. He sat there for a minute, trying to figure out how to explain it to her, and then he got it, "Do you remember when your mother died, how much it hurt your heart to lose her?"
"Yeah." She gave a simple answer.
"Well, that's what it feels like when you're heartbroken, and that's what Ephram is like right now. He's going through a really hard time, and his heart hurts." Andy felt a knot form in his throat when he said that, "But this time it's going to take a longer time to heal than it did with your mother."
"Is it because of that girl he was always with?"
Andy's smile was gone by that time, "Yes, it was because of that girl." After that everything was quiet.
******
Ephram sat on his bed, trying to keep from crying again. He wanted to talk to his dad on the way home, but every time he tried to open his mouth, it felt like he was going to cry again, so he didn't.
He lay down and covered up, making a decision then and there. He wasn't going to talk to anyone about Annette, and if they talked to him about her, or told him they were sorry about what happened, he would just walk away like he did in the cafeteria. It seemed like an easy solution to a very difficult problem, but little did he know that was only the beginning of his problems.