Propositions By: Jesse Drache
Disclaimers: I don't own Ephram, Colin, Bright or any other characters you might recognize, I'm just borrowing them for my amusement. So don't sue me.
Warning: This is Ephram/Bright/Colin slash; if you don't like it, don't read it.
Rating: PG-13 but will get up to NC-17 in the future.
Chapter 2: Lunch
Ephram walked through the cafeteria, a red tray in his hands, scanning the tables for a place to sit.
He gazed over to his right where Amy, Bright, and Colin sat at the "popular" table and immediately turned the other way towards what looked like an empty table.
He was stopped by the sound of a familiar voice behind him calling his name.
"Hey, Ephram!"
He turned around to see Colin waving a hand at him and beckoning him over.
"Hey," he said, standing in front of the table and looking around at the blank faces of various cheerleaders and basketball players.
"Why don't you sit down?" Colin asked, moving closer to Amy and making room for Ephram to sit.
"It's ok, I was just going to sit over there," he said, motioning at the empty table.
"We have enough room here," Colin said, putting his hand on Ephram's tray and pushing it down.
Ephram glanced around the table again, catching the encouraging look that Bright gave him and noting that Amy didn't even look up from her unappetizing gruel.
Ephram reluctantly sat down at the open spot and started to quietly eat his lunch trying his best not to attract any unwanted attention.
***
From his seat across the table, Bright watched as Ephram slowly ate his lunch.
The boy made occasional comments when a question was directed his way, but mostly he kept to himself, not saying anything.
Bright watched Ephram, thinking back to the day before when Bright had told Ephram the basic outline of his plan; it had taken him half-an hour just to convince Ephram that with his help he could get Amy.
Bright scoffed at the memory of Ephram self-depreciating behavior and turned his attention back to Colin and Amy who were discussing what to do that weekend.
***
Ephram looked up from his lunch glad that Bright had finally decided to shift his gaze to a different subject.
Slowly he looked around at the group only to find that they were each too involved in their conversation to pay any attention to him.
He lowered his eyes and pretended to stare at his food as he actually watched Amy, Colin, and Bright talk to one another.
It amazed Ephram how blind they all were how blind he had been.
The fact that Bright wanted Colin was written all over him, in the way his eyes roamed the other boy's face almost predatorily or in the jealousy that passed like a wave over Bright's features every time Amy brushed her hands over Colin's arms or shoulders.
He looked like he was ready to pounce and rip her delicate fingers off the darker boy's back.
It was almost cute, the way that Bright's face flushed with anger as Amy leaned up to kiss Colin, the red tint that colored his cheeks made him look entirely too kissable.
Ephram shook his head, not believing that the thought had actually come from his mind, but he did not have time to analyze the notion because he soon found that everyone's eyes were on him and that a waiting silence permeated the air.
"What?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion.
"Are you coming with us to the lake this weekend?" Amy repeated, giving Ephram an amused look.
Ephram looked around at Colin's expectant face and before of him were he briefly caught Bright's gaze and the encouraging nod that he offered.
"Sure," Ephram said, smiling at the thought of spending the weekend with them.
Yet a small voice in the back of his head wondered, whether he was going because Amy invited him, or because the quick glance that Bright shot him had done all but beg him to go.
