Ephram stood at his locker, casually banging his head on the metal. Cory was in Everwood. Why, how, was Cory in Everwood? No good could come from this. Ephram did want to have more guy friends, but not Cory. Cory was not what he exactly had in mind. He never liked Cory, he hated Cory… And now Cory was here, in Everwood, and here Ephram was, banging his end on his locker. Brining his head back for a bigger 'thunk' he was stopped by the placing of a book in his path. The front of the book read "Cowboy Bebop." His eyes followed up the hand that was holding the book to a smiling face. Unlike Cory, this boy was only five eleven, Ephram's height, and of a much nicer disposition. Not to mention he had a better taste in reading material. Ephram smiled. With bad, there always came some good.
"Hey man," the new boy said. They both leaned in and gave each other a small, masculine hug hello.
"Orrie, finally! What the Hell's going on? What are you guys doing here?" Ephram asked him. Cory was Ephram's age, but Cory's older brother Orrie was 17 and the nicer of the two.
"Mom moved us here, can you believe it?" Orrie told him. Ephram's eyes widened in surprise.
"Moved here? Does Dad know?"
"How was lunch Doc?" Edna asked as Dr. Brown walked into his office. Dr. Brown hung up his coat and walked over to her desk. She handed him a few papers.
"It was good. Your son says 'hello,'" Dr. Brown told her. Edna laughed.
"Yea, right. There's a woman in there," she told him as he walked into his office.
"So what's the problem today?" he asked entering his office and closing the door behind him. He finally turned to see the woman sitting in his chair. He yelled in surprise and took a few steps back. The handsome woman was dressed in a skirted suit showing off her long legs, and had wavy, dark brown hair. A sadistic smile took over her red lips.
"Is that anyway to greet your big sister?" the woman asked standing up and walking over to him. Dr. Brown recollected his bearings.
"Uh, no, no. Sorry, you just surprised me. What are you doing here?" Dr. Brown asked her.
"Well the idea of Andy Brown trying to raise two children on his own is, well, laughable, so I figured I'd come help you! That's what sisters are for, anyway," she said.
"You're moving here?" Dr. Brown asked in complete shock.
"Yea, I brought the boys with me."
"You brought Orrie and Cory? Do their fathers know?" Dr. Brown asked. His sister had been known not to inform the boys' fathers about major life changes. His sister sighed.
"Oh, Curt is in Rome with Maritza, and I don't know where Raymond is. He's touring the South Pole or something, I don't know. It's not like either of them care about their sons anyway. At least, not the ones they had with me," the sister said rolling her eyes.
"Star, I appreciate the thought, but I'm doing fine. Delia and Ephram are fine, they're both making friends and doing well in school. We're all fine. You didn't have to drag the boys here and quit your practice," Dr. Brown told her. Star frowned.
"Well, I didn't exactly quit the practice. They kicked me out, the lousy-" Star started but Dr. Brown raised his hand to stop her.
"Again? Star that's the third time this-"
"I know how many! Besides, you needed a change, I needed a change too. I can just start my practice here anyway. Everwood looks chock full of crazy people. That nurse of yours could fill up my entire schedule," Star told him. Dr. Brown laughed before clearing his throat to stop himself.
"Star, you can't just pick up your entire family out of the blue and move to some small town out of- I'm not making a good case, am I?" Dr. Brown asked her. Star shook her head with a smile.
"Face it baby brother, you're stuck with me. Now the boys and I are living on, what was, oh yea, Bird Street. Jesus what a name. Anyway, it's the big house at the end of the block there. Come by for dinner tonight, or we'll come over to you. Oh, that reminds me. I assume you know the name of a good house cook, we need one," Star told him.
"Uh, no I don't actually. I cook," he told her and she started laughing.
"Oh you always were funny Andy. Anyway, come by for dinner, bring the kids. I can't wait to see how Delia has grown," Star said grabbing her coat, opening the door, and walking out. Dr. Brown sighed, scratched the nape of his neck, and walked over to his desk. He sat down and started banging his head on his desk.
Jig walked through the hallway glumly. She had been out too late last night and today had been completely out of control. She needed sleep and she needed it now. She needed… not to be run into and pushed to the floor.
"Ow," she said from where she now sat in a lump on the cold hallway floor.
"Oh hey, I'm sorry," she heard a guy say helping her to her feet. She waved it off, too tired to care. She looked at the guy she ran into and her eyes widened in surprise. He was quite a few inches taller than her with brown hair grown just longer enough to be tied behind his head, and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He smiled at her and she felt her ability to speak leaving her. A few nonsense sounds left her mouth but that was all.
"Jig are you okay?" she heard said. Jig's eyes moved away from the blue of this boy's eyes to the face of the one standing next to him. Her voice came back to her.
"Ephram?" she asked, realizing that the two were obviously walking together.
"Yea, hi, are you okay?" he repeated. She nodded, stealing a glance back at the first boy.
"Good. Jig, this is my other cousin Orrie Jackson. I think you'll like him," Ephram told her.
"I think I believe you," she said. That paused Ephram but he quickly went on talking.
"Orrie, what's Trowa's real name?" Ephram asked him.
"Triton Bloom, why?" Orrie replied. Ephram turned back to Jig.
"See, I told you you'd like him. You wouldn't believe the manga collection this guy has. He even speaks Japanese, right?" Ephram asked him. Orrie nodded.
"Hai, nihongo," Orrie said. Jig smiled.
"That's so cool," Jig told Orrie. Orrie smiled.
"Anyway, I'm showing him around, see you later?" Ephram asked her. She nodded, still looking at Orrie.
"Yea, yea, later," Jig told him. Ephram led Orrie down the hall and Jig fell against the locker closest to her.
"Hello my sweet," Wendell said walking up behind her and leaning on a locker too. Jig whined, fell to her knees, and crawled along the floor into the girl's bathroom.
Desi walked down the hall as she jotted down a few ideas into her notebook. There was big news afoot. Ever year the senior class put on a play, just the senior class. But this year, due to a low number of seniors, anyone in high school could audition. They weren't sure which play they were doing yet, but the fact that it wasn't senior specific, that was big news. Headline worthy. Hell, it was almost Pinecone worthy. Desi sighed. This was the life she was trapped in. A world where a new stoplight on Main Street was worthy of a holiday. She needed a story to get her out of here. She really needed that Brown story. But, oh, there was a 'but' now… Desi needed there not to be a 'but,' but she had one. She was beginning to like Ephram Brown. Not like like him, but liking him enough not to write a story about him. She needed something big to write about, something to take the place of Ephram and his dad. Suddenly two guys burst out of the boy's bathroom as she approached it. They struggled in front of her, gathering everyone's attention. Desi narrowed her eyes as she recognized one of the guys. It was that Cory Cather guy, Ephram's cousin. His first day of school and he was in a fight? Suddenly the other guy in the fight swung Cory around and he flew into Desi, the both of them falling to the ground. Cory got off of her and back into the fight, leaving Desi to help herself up. She was picking up her notebook when a thought hit her. Maybe she could get a story out of this cousin… If he survived this fight, of course.
Amy and Jig walked down the sidewalk next to each other. It had snowed a little during the school day so they left footprints with each step and Jig wore an extra sweater. The both of them held a book in their hands.
"That was a lousy tactic, bringing up Tess when you know I love it. Especially since you've already read it," Amy told her.
"Reading it. I'm reading it," Jig corrected her. Amy smiled.
"So how far are you?"
"Just finished Angel's dream walking scene."
"Oh isn't that creepy?"
"He puts her in a stone coffin?" Jig asked questionably.
"Something like that. The thing I liked most about that scene, is when she's in her bed and he's wrapping her in the sheets. I just got this image of him just rolling her over like a sleeping bag."
"Really? I got that too. I was like 'Finally! He has a sense of humor!'"
"Hardy does seem to be a bit, sad. I thought people write because it makes them happy."
"Me too. We should probably ask Desi, she's a writer," Jig said. Amy looked at her curiously.
"Desi?" Amy asked her surprised. Jig nodded.
"Yea. Hey she helped Ephram, and made sure he was okay. That makes her okay in my book," Jig said. Amy nodded.
"I heard my name," Ephram said walking up behind them. Amy and Jig turned around and Jig felt her voice leave her again. They stopped walking as Ephram and Orrie walked up to them.
"Were you talking about me?" Ephram asked the two.
"No, we were talking about Desi, right Jig?" Amy said as if she needed Jig's conformation for Ephram to believe her. Jig moved her jaw but no words came out.
"Yea," she was eventually able to mutter. She then blinked whatever was in her out and she was sane again. She was well enough to notice Ephram and Amy sharing a slight smile at each other. Jig bit her lower lip and boldly walked over and grabbed Orrie's arm.
"So you're from Buffalo, huh?" she asked leading him across the street. Orrie was confused but not resistant.
"Uh, yea, yea," he said looking back at Ephram and Amy starting a conversation. Then he realized something.
"Oh! I get it. They have a thing going here," Orrie said once he and Jig were safely on the other side of the street. Jig sighed.
"Of soap opera proportions."
"Why? Why doesn't he just go for it. She looks interested," Orrie said.
"Yea well, she has a boyfriend," Jig told him.
"Eh…"
"Who's in a coma…" Jig added.
"Eh!" Orrie said scratching the back of his head.
"Yea, it's like that."
"So how do you fit into all of this?" Orrie asked her.
"Oh, let's see. I'm Amy's, her's, second cousin, and Ephram's best friend. I think I've earned that title by now…"
"Just friends?" Orrie asked her smiling. Jig smiled back.
"Yea, we're just friends. Ephram's a sweet guy but he's so, oh he's so complicated. Especially with this Amy thing. I'll be happy when he gets past this."
"So you don't think it's true love?" Orrie asked her. Jig's mouth gaped open in surprise as to whatever ideas she had alluded to.
"I should probably just shut up now…" she said and he laughed.
"Oh come on, I'm his cousin, the nice one…" he told her.
"I heard your brother got into a fight already?" Jig questioned him. Orrie sighed.
"Oh probably… He views this as a punishment for, well, never mind…" Orrie said.
"So why are you guys here?" Jig asked him. Orrie sighed.
"Mom wanted to take care of her baby brother. Plus she got fired from her old practice…"
"She's a doctor?"
"Yeah. A shrink," he said. Jig laughed.
"You guys came to the right place."
"I hope so."
