A/N: This is probably going to be a short chapter. I just got home from a
weekend away, so I wanted to do atleast SOME updating. Expect chapters
frequently :). I'm still not 100% sure what direction I am headed with
this, so just stick along and find out! Tee-hee-hee.
"Ephram!" A voice called. Andy burst into the room. Startled, Ephram jumped. Andy raised an eyebrow, and Ephram only shook his head.
"I have to go, Amy." Ephram said, confusion taking over his voice and mind.
"But, Ephram, wa--" Ephram hung up.
"Did I interrupt something?" Dr. Brown asked, hanging his coat on the coat rack. Ephram shook is head. "Where's Delia?"
"Nina's."
Dr. Brown sat down on the couch.
"What's wrong. And don't give me one of those 'Nothing' answers, because you're not acting right."
"I'm fine, Dad. Just... confused." Ephram looked sideways at Dr. Brown.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, not.. yet."
"Okay. Why don't you run and get Delia, and I'll get started on dinner." Dr. Brown stood up. Ephram also got to his feet.
"No, Dad. You run and get Delia, and I'll start dinner. I admit, your cooking has gotten better, but it is still not quite edible." Dr. Brown laughed, and headed next door to pick up Delia. Ephram walked slowly into the kitchen, and started dinner.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At dinner that night, Ephram sat quietly, swirling his food around his plate. Delia talked excitedly about her day at school.
"Oh, guess what?" The girl exclaimed.
"What?" a tired Andy asked, taking a bite of his food.
"Sam's dad is coming home!"
Dr. Brown placed his fork on his plate.
"Oh, Carl is coming home?" Andy asked, feigning curiosity.
"Yes! Tomorrow is Friday, so he should be here then!" Delia was excited. Usually, she spent weekends with Nina, and when Carl came, they always had lots of fun. "I wonder what we'll do this time," she pondered.
"Um, Delia, this weekend you'll stay home. I don't want you to intrude on Nina and Carl's alone time."
"But, Dad--"
"No but's about it Delia. Now, eat your dinner." Andy picked up his fork and continued to eat. Delia put a pout on her face, but kept on eating, this time quietly.
(A/N: I want the whole Carl-Cheats-On-Nina thing to happen, so this is why I am bringing it up. Aside from that, things that happened on the show after the whole beating-up incident is not going to occur in my fic.)
As Ephram was cleaning up the dinner dishes with his father, the doorbell rang.
"Ephram, do you mind getting that?" Dr. Brown asked. Ephram dropped the dish rag, and made his way to the front door. As he opened it, he saw Amy standing there.
"Amy...," Ephram said. Amy held up her hand to shush him.
"No, don't say anything." Amy moved into the house, and closed the door behind her. Ephram stared at her. "We need to talk. About a lot of things."
"You're right. We do."
"Good. So we agree. Do you have time now?"
"I... Uhm, well. I guess." Ephram looked up at the clock. "Come into the living room." Ephram lead Amy into the living room. He sat on the couch, and Amy sat next to him; facing him.
"Ephram... why did you hang up on me?"
"My dad came home, and I needed to start dinner."
"No. It was more than that."
"No, it wasn't. You heard him come in. It's kind of hard not to hear him."
"Ephram! Don't lie. That's your whole cover-up excuse. What's really going on inside your head, Ephram Brown?" She asked softly. Ephram shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. So many things were running through his mind right now, and he didn't know what to make of them.
"Amy... you don't understand," was all he could muster.
Amy took his hand in hers. "So make me understand."
Dr. Brown entered the room, and stared at the two teens.
"Oh, hello Amy. How are you?" Amy dropped Ephram's hands and stood up.
"Fine, thank you."
"Good, good. I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll just get back to the kitchen," Dr. Brown turned and started to leave.
"Oh, no, that's okay," Amy said quickly. "I was just on my way out. 'Bye, Ephram, Dr. Brown." Amy rushed quickly out of the house. Andy turned to look at Ephram, who had pure rage on his face.
"I'm sorry, Ephram, I didn't think--"
"That's your problem! You NEVER think!" Ephram jumped to his feet. "You know, ever since you moved us to this damn place in the middle of nowhere, I've been struggling. I don't know if you realize it, since even here you throw yourself into work, but I have. And, finally, I find someone who understands me. Who understands me more than you EVER will. And every time we try and talk, you always scare her away. Whether it be on the phone or in person. Do me a favor, will you. Just stay OUT OF MY LIFE!" Ephram rushed pass his father, and stormed up to his room. He saw Delia poke her head out of her room, a bewildered exspression on her face.
Perhaps Ephram screamed at his father for no reason. But lately, he realized, his emotions were getting the best of him.
"Ephram!" A voice called. Andy burst into the room. Startled, Ephram jumped. Andy raised an eyebrow, and Ephram only shook his head.
"I have to go, Amy." Ephram said, confusion taking over his voice and mind.
"But, Ephram, wa--" Ephram hung up.
"Did I interrupt something?" Dr. Brown asked, hanging his coat on the coat rack. Ephram shook is head. "Where's Delia?"
"Nina's."
Dr. Brown sat down on the couch.
"What's wrong. And don't give me one of those 'Nothing' answers, because you're not acting right."
"I'm fine, Dad. Just... confused." Ephram looked sideways at Dr. Brown.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, not.. yet."
"Okay. Why don't you run and get Delia, and I'll get started on dinner." Dr. Brown stood up. Ephram also got to his feet.
"No, Dad. You run and get Delia, and I'll start dinner. I admit, your cooking has gotten better, but it is still not quite edible." Dr. Brown laughed, and headed next door to pick up Delia. Ephram walked slowly into the kitchen, and started dinner.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At dinner that night, Ephram sat quietly, swirling his food around his plate. Delia talked excitedly about her day at school.
"Oh, guess what?" The girl exclaimed.
"What?" a tired Andy asked, taking a bite of his food.
"Sam's dad is coming home!"
Dr. Brown placed his fork on his plate.
"Oh, Carl is coming home?" Andy asked, feigning curiosity.
"Yes! Tomorrow is Friday, so he should be here then!" Delia was excited. Usually, she spent weekends with Nina, and when Carl came, they always had lots of fun. "I wonder what we'll do this time," she pondered.
"Um, Delia, this weekend you'll stay home. I don't want you to intrude on Nina and Carl's alone time."
"But, Dad--"
"No but's about it Delia. Now, eat your dinner." Andy picked up his fork and continued to eat. Delia put a pout on her face, but kept on eating, this time quietly.
(A/N: I want the whole Carl-Cheats-On-Nina thing to happen, so this is why I am bringing it up. Aside from that, things that happened on the show after the whole beating-up incident is not going to occur in my fic.)
As Ephram was cleaning up the dinner dishes with his father, the doorbell rang.
"Ephram, do you mind getting that?" Dr. Brown asked. Ephram dropped the dish rag, and made his way to the front door. As he opened it, he saw Amy standing there.
"Amy...," Ephram said. Amy held up her hand to shush him.
"No, don't say anything." Amy moved into the house, and closed the door behind her. Ephram stared at her. "We need to talk. About a lot of things."
"You're right. We do."
"Good. So we agree. Do you have time now?"
"I... Uhm, well. I guess." Ephram looked up at the clock. "Come into the living room." Ephram lead Amy into the living room. He sat on the couch, and Amy sat next to him; facing him.
"Ephram... why did you hang up on me?"
"My dad came home, and I needed to start dinner."
"No. It was more than that."
"No, it wasn't. You heard him come in. It's kind of hard not to hear him."
"Ephram! Don't lie. That's your whole cover-up excuse. What's really going on inside your head, Ephram Brown?" She asked softly. Ephram shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. So many things were running through his mind right now, and he didn't know what to make of them.
"Amy... you don't understand," was all he could muster.
Amy took his hand in hers. "So make me understand."
Dr. Brown entered the room, and stared at the two teens.
"Oh, hello Amy. How are you?" Amy dropped Ephram's hands and stood up.
"Fine, thank you."
"Good, good. I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll just get back to the kitchen," Dr. Brown turned and started to leave.
"Oh, no, that's okay," Amy said quickly. "I was just on my way out. 'Bye, Ephram, Dr. Brown." Amy rushed quickly out of the house. Andy turned to look at Ephram, who had pure rage on his face.
"I'm sorry, Ephram, I didn't think--"
"That's your problem! You NEVER think!" Ephram jumped to his feet. "You know, ever since you moved us to this damn place in the middle of nowhere, I've been struggling. I don't know if you realize it, since even here you throw yourself into work, but I have. And, finally, I find someone who understands me. Who understands me more than you EVER will. And every time we try and talk, you always scare her away. Whether it be on the phone or in person. Do me a favor, will you. Just stay OUT OF MY LIFE!" Ephram rushed pass his father, and stormed up to his room. He saw Delia poke her head out of her room, a bewildered exspression on her face.
Perhaps Ephram screamed at his father for no reason. But lately, he realized, his emotions were getting the best of him.