Chapter Twenty-Seven – Slipping Away

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Amy was just about to hang up when she heard a tired voice on the other end. "Hello?"

"Colin?"

"Oh, Amy," Colin said. He looked at the clock. 9:03. What normal people get up this early, especially the morning after Homecoming, he thought. "Look, Ame, if you just want to fight some more, then don't bother. I'm not in the mood, and it's too early."

"No, no," Amy said, clutching the phone tightly to her ear. "I wanted to apologize. I don't know what came over me."

Jealousy, Colin thought. "What did come over you?"

Amy bit her lip. "I'm going to try to explain this, if you don't understand, then okay. It's like … you know how Bright gets with me, because I'm his sister and he wants the best for me?"

"Yea," Colin replied.

"It's like that. Ephram's like my brother and I just want the best for him, and I don't want to see him get hurt. Does that make sense?"

"Yea, yea, totally," Colin said.

"So, I'm sorry."

"Yea, it's cool."

"So, do you want to hang out later, just the two of us, we haven't done that in awhile."

"You know, Amy, I'm really tired. I don't think I'm up for it today. But, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yea, yea, I understand. Bye Colin. I love you."

"Yea, bye."

Click.

Amy stood with the phone to her ear for a few more seconds. He didn't say it back, she thought. She was about to put the phone back on the receiver but decided to call someone else instead.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dr. Brown, is Ephram there?"

"Hello Amy, yes, he's right here. Ephram."

"Hello?"

"Hey Ham."

"Amy, hey, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just got off the phone with Colin…" Amy's voice grew quiet and she didn't finish the last sentence.

"Are you okay?"

"We got into a fight last night and," Amy began, until she heard another voice in the background. "Ephram, who's there?"

There was silence on the other end as Amy made out pieces of "You kicked me in your sleep" and "You snore too loud." Amy sighed. "Ephram?"

"What? Oh, sorry, Amy, hey, can I call you back? I have some business to take care of… Ryan you better run!"

"Yea, yea, have fun," Amy said, defeated. She hung up the phone as she heard Ryan break out into a screeching laughter. She put the phone back on the receiver and walked back up to her room.

She shut her door and leaned up against it. She slowly slid to the ground and broke down in sobs. It was the second time she'd broken down in 24 hours. Although to the outside world, Amy Abbott had everything - a cute, popular boyfriend, a slow, yet protective older brother, strict, yet loving parents, and a best friend who'd stuck by her through everything - she didn't see that. Instead, she saw all that slipping away.