'Nother Note Thingy: One swear word here. Gasp And it's NOT Cory! Oh and for those of you who have read my novels (At the Harbor With No Water and A Life to Live At Little Harbor) There's an inside joke here from the 2nd one.
Jig was asleep in her hospital bed and Ephram sat at her side, doing his math homework. You know, being able to use the quadratic equation is an important asset to have later in life. Wait, no it isn't! Ephram hated math, he was great at it, one of the best in his school, but he hated it none the less. Don't teachers give homework to help kids get better at something? Practice makes perfect, right? So why do kids who are already perfect at it have to do homework? Jig was horrible at math; she should be doing this, not him. Well, not really, they had different math classes. He was in Advanced Algebra, and she was just in normal Algebra. They were both supposed to be in Geometry, but he was a year ahead and she was a year behind. Jig moaned in her sleep and rolled over onto her side, facing him. Ephram sighed.
"Best anime couple…" Ephram told her. She sighed and opened her eyes.
"How'd you know I wasn't asleep?"
"I've spent a good amount of the past two weeks watching you sleep, Jig. Now, answer it…"
"Sakura and Syaoran," she replied. He looked surprised.
"They're kids."
"That's why it's cute," she said, "what about you?"
"Spike and Faye-Faye…" he said and she looked surprised.
"They're not even a definite couple."
"Yes they are," Ephram said. Jig rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Okay, well. Weirdest hair…" she said. He thought about it.
"Either, Usagi, or… Trowa."
"What about Chichiri, from FY?" Jig asked him. Ephram took it into account.
"That's a good one. What about Seiji, from Yoroiden Samurai Troopers?"
"I like his hair, how it flares up in the back. What about Soi, from FY?"
"Or Sally's curls…"
"Ayeka's hair is weird."
"Okay, so that was a hard question. Best clothes."
"Mikage Aya," Jig said. Ephram looked surprised.
"Ayashi no Ceres?"
"Yea."
"Well, okay, I guess. Best male clothes."
"Fujiyama Aya," Jig said and laughed slightly.
"Really?"
"No, not really. Um… Hotohori."
"So in other words, you really like Yu Watase's taste in clothes?"
"Yup!" she said and smiled. Ephram smiled too.
"I like the fact that she uses so much Japanese and Chinese folklore in her stories."
"Really?"
"Oh yea! The fours gods in FY-"
"Byakko, Genbu, Suzaku, Seiiryu."
"Yea, them. It's actual folklore. It was even in an episode of Cowboy Bebop, remember?"
"Yea, now that you mention it. But Ayashi no Ceres?"
"The legend about the celestial maiden, actual story. It's been in several different countries, but still actual Japanese legend. I think there's even a lake named after it," Ephram told her to her surprise.
"Really?"
"Maybe. Anyway, how are you feeling?"
"Still tired. You?"
"Sick and tired, of math," he said lifting his book so she could see it. She nodded in complete understanding.
"Where's Desi?" she asked him.
"Following a lead," he replied.
"Sounds intriguing."
"There's talk of foul play in recasting for Annabel Everwood in the Senior play."
"I thought they had that settled."
"They did, but she's been recast, so of course, talk happens."
"And Desi listens."
"She's good at it. Oh, Amy got a new dance partner, so don't worry about that."
"Yea, she told me. Jake Gordon. Amy's a lucky girl. Aussie guys are hot. Anyway, I was wondering, uh, have you gotten any word from Orrie?" Jig asked him. Ephram sighed and removed his schoolbooks from his lap. He leaned forward with a look on his face like he was about to tell her the actual truth.
"Yea, actually I have. He called once he got settled it. His trip was okay, the house they have there is beautiful. And he says his dad is a great guy," Ephram told her. She nodded, smiling.
"Good. I'm glad," she said and noticed the less that pleased look on Ephram's face.
"You do understand why I told him to go, right?" she asked him. He looked at her surprised that she'd even ask the question.
"Yes, of course. He had to know his dad."
"Right. I'm okay with my decision, Ephram, if you were worried. I don't regret it."
"I know. No regrets."
"Well, maybe a few," she said smiling. Ephram smiled too.
"Like what?"
"What?"
"What are the regrets of Juliet Green?" he asked her. She bit her lower lip, wondering whether or not to share certain secrets with him. Finally their great friendship prevailed and she sighed.
"Well, let's see. There's that time I stole that watch."
"You stole?"
"Yea, well, I returned it. Well, I got caught. I was working at a department store at the time and I tried to steal the watch. Security caught me so I returned and paid for the watch, and was fired. That's not exactly on my list of favorite things…"
"Is that all?"
"Well, no. Um, there are things I regret not saying. Do they count?"
"A regret is a regret. Spill it."
"I regret never telling Isaac about Hunter Berman," she said. Ephram looked at her confused so she sighed.
"You might not want to hear this…" she warned him.
"And risk you regretting never telling me?" he said grinning.
"Well. Okay… I met Hunter last March, this is after Isaac left to do, uh, never mind. Anyway, I was a stable hand at this rich stable just outside of LA. And I was in charge of taking care of this beautiful gray horse named Queenie. She as a delightful animal. Anyway, Queenie was Hunter's horse so we met a lot, talked a lot, and really hit it off. So we started going out. It was really great, neither him nor his family cared that I wasn't wealthy like they were, Hell, I wasn't even middle class. They were great people. Anyway, about a month after we started dating he and I were in his room watching Cowboy Bebop. Oh, it was the episode where Spike falls through the church glass window, the scene with that really great song. Anyway, we started kissing and, well, you know…" Jig said nodded her head. Ephram's eyes widened in surprise.
"Jig… you've had…?" he started. She nodded.
"Yea. Haven't you?" she asked him. He paused, frozen for a few moments.
"Uh, yes! Yes of course I have! Of course!" he said. Jig grinned.
"No you haven't…" she told him. He sighed.
"Okay, I haven't. How'd you tell?" he asked her. She laughed a little.
"Because whenever Desi touches you, you look like you're about to break out into hives," she said laughing. He laughed to, though he didn't find it nearly as funny.
"So you never told your best friend you lost your virginity?" he asked her. She nodded.
"Yea, I regret that. Isaac probably would have liked to have known."
"So what happened to Hunter?" Ephram asked her. Jig bit her lower lip and looked at the ground.
"Well, a month after, that, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Within two weeks he was dead," she told him simply. Ephram inhaled slowly and held his breath.
"Oh my God Jig…" he said standing up. She waved it off.
"No, don't worry. Last year was shit, and now it's over. It's past and done with, it's gone."
"Yea, but, he'll forever be a part of your life, Jig…" Ephram told her. She shrugged.
"I regret not telling Isaac about Hunter, I don't regret Hunter…" she told him, making sure he understood. He nodded, grasping the idea the best he could. She smiled slightly.
"For awhile there, after Mom died. I thought I was a curse. You know; everyone I loved was dying. Things have improved since I've gotten to Everwood, though. Now they just leave me," she said smiling, but tears were falling down her cheeks. Ephram pulled on the sleeve of his shirt and wrapped it around his thumb. He used it to wipe away Jig's tears.
"It's a new year, Jig. It'll be better…" he reassured her. She nodded, smiling.
"Oh, guess what…" she told him.
"What?" he asked.
"I heard, that instead of Kiyone, they're giving Tenchi a new girl!" Jig told him.
"What!" he yelled, aghast, "they've tried that! It failed!"
"Well they're trying again."
"Well who is she?"
"I don't know, I just heard she's new. I'm thinking she has to be Jurain, right?"
"Yea. And strong. I hope they don't give him a weak little girl thing."
"Me too. Maybe she's one of Ayeka's relatives. Like her cousin or something."
"Sister from her mother's side."
"I like that. Why would she come to Earth, though? I think it's about time they had someone come to Earth on purpose."
"What universe are they working from, do you know?"
"I read it, but I've forgotten it."
"I hope it's not 'Tenchi Universe.'"
"Why not?"
"That title always made me mad."
"Why?"
"Because Tenchi means 'universe.' It's like saying 'universe universe.' It just made me mad."
"How do you know that?"
"I'm a genius."
"Like you dad."
"Ye- never say that again!" Ephram commanded her. Jig laughed.
