As though realizing what he was doing, Ephram quickly pulled back from
Celia. She opened her eyes slowly, and looked towards him. Ephram abruptly
got up, and grabbed his bike.
"Wait, where are you going?" Celia called, shooting to her feet and taking off after him. Ephram unlocked his bike, and quickly jumped on. "Ephram!" Celia called out. He turned and faced her.
"I.. have to go," Ephram said quickly. Celia gave Ephram one of his own blank stares.
"Why?"
Ephram thought fast. "Delia, my sister. I forgot I had to pick her up. My ass is gonna get fried if I don't get there now," Ephram lied.
"Oh, well, I'll go with you," Celia said.
"NO! I mean, no, that's okay," Ephram said. He started to pedal away. He stopped a few feet away. "And, Celia?"
"Yes?"
"I'm not your boyfriend. That kiss... it meant nothing. And you don't have to follow me everywhere, either. I'm a big boy, despite how I look." Celia bit her lip. Ephram pedaled away.
Celia felt a tear slide down her cheek as she watched Ephram go. Why was she crying? Even she had no idea.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Ephram got home, he plopped down on his couch, rubbing his forehead in anxiety. He stared at the wall, lost in thought. He didn't know how much time passed as he sat there, just thinking. The phone rang, and Ephram almost jumped out of his skin. He snatched it up. "Hello?!"
"Ephram?"
Ephram rolled his eyes. "Hold on, let me go get him," he said sarcastically.
"Okay." The other voice replied.
Ephram stifled a laugh, waited a few seconds, then went back to the phone? "Who is it?" he asked, not really caring.
"Amy," a small voice said.
"Oh."
"Listen, Ephram. I'm sorry. Really, I am. I... I didn't mean what I said." Amy suddenly stopped. "I'm just... I don't know. I've been so wrapped up in Colin. He was mad we were friends... he wanted me to ask you to... back off. But I couldn't just... tell you. So, I made that stupid plan. I thought I'd kind of get you... wrapped up in Ashlee... and then I would have some time alone with Colin with you... bugging him... and then after you broke up, you'd come back but he wouldn't mind since you were gone for so long, and--"
Ephram cut her off. "Oh, so you had the whole break up planned, to? What the hell is wrong with you Amy? I know your blind when it comes to Colin, but you know what? You need to open up your pretty brown eyes, and see the true Colin." Ephram was about ready to hang up.
"Ephram, wait!" Amy cried into the phone. Ephram stood quiet on the other line. "I know." Amy said simply. "I saw it; I saw him."
"Wait, what?" Ephram asked, dropping the act quick enough to become confused.
"I.. we... got in a fight today. Over... you," Amy whispered "you" like it was some disease.
"Oh," was all Ephram could muster.
"And... I know what you mean. He doesn't care, Ephram. He doesn't care about me... what I need, what I want."
"What do you need, Amy? What do you want?" Ephram asked softly; more softly then he intended to.
"I need you, Ephram. I want you, Ephram."
Ephram's heart skipped a beat. Was she saying what he thought she was saying?
"Wait, where are you going?" Celia called, shooting to her feet and taking off after him. Ephram unlocked his bike, and quickly jumped on. "Ephram!" Celia called out. He turned and faced her.
"I.. have to go," Ephram said quickly. Celia gave Ephram one of his own blank stares.
"Why?"
Ephram thought fast. "Delia, my sister. I forgot I had to pick her up. My ass is gonna get fried if I don't get there now," Ephram lied.
"Oh, well, I'll go with you," Celia said.
"NO! I mean, no, that's okay," Ephram said. He started to pedal away. He stopped a few feet away. "And, Celia?"
"Yes?"
"I'm not your boyfriend. That kiss... it meant nothing. And you don't have to follow me everywhere, either. I'm a big boy, despite how I look." Celia bit her lip. Ephram pedaled away.
Celia felt a tear slide down her cheek as she watched Ephram go. Why was she crying? Even she had no idea.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Ephram got home, he plopped down on his couch, rubbing his forehead in anxiety. He stared at the wall, lost in thought. He didn't know how much time passed as he sat there, just thinking. The phone rang, and Ephram almost jumped out of his skin. He snatched it up. "Hello?!"
"Ephram?"
Ephram rolled his eyes. "Hold on, let me go get him," he said sarcastically.
"Okay." The other voice replied.
Ephram stifled a laugh, waited a few seconds, then went back to the phone? "Who is it?" he asked, not really caring.
"Amy," a small voice said.
"Oh."
"Listen, Ephram. I'm sorry. Really, I am. I... I didn't mean what I said." Amy suddenly stopped. "I'm just... I don't know. I've been so wrapped up in Colin. He was mad we were friends... he wanted me to ask you to... back off. But I couldn't just... tell you. So, I made that stupid plan. I thought I'd kind of get you... wrapped up in Ashlee... and then I would have some time alone with Colin with you... bugging him... and then after you broke up, you'd come back but he wouldn't mind since you were gone for so long, and--"
Ephram cut her off. "Oh, so you had the whole break up planned, to? What the hell is wrong with you Amy? I know your blind when it comes to Colin, but you know what? You need to open up your pretty brown eyes, and see the true Colin." Ephram was about ready to hang up.
"Ephram, wait!" Amy cried into the phone. Ephram stood quiet on the other line. "I know." Amy said simply. "I saw it; I saw him."
"Wait, what?" Ephram asked, dropping the act quick enough to become confused.
"I.. we... got in a fight today. Over... you," Amy whispered "you" like it was some disease.
"Oh," was all Ephram could muster.
"And... I know what you mean. He doesn't care, Ephram. He doesn't care about me... what I need, what I want."
"What do you need, Amy? What do you want?" Ephram asked softly; more softly then he intended to.
"I need you, Ephram. I want you, Ephram."
Ephram's heart skipped a beat. Was she saying what he thought she was saying?