"My dad abandoned me when I was just a baby. My mom hates him, she never talks about him. I knew less about my father than Jig does about hers. But Kathy, Jig's mom, was always telling us stories about Donny, Jig's father. There was always a story for her to tell us. Sure, most of them were repeats, but Kathy could make anything interesting. Hell, she taught me how to sew. But, anyway, I never really told Jig this, but, I always felt like her dad was kind of, you know, my own. Those stories are the closest thing I've ever had to a father," Isaac explained to a silent Ephram. Ephram was escorting Isaac to the now dark and damp cemetery. It was true, cemeteries did seem scarier at night than during the day, but, with what must be a trait of all of Jig's friends, neither boy was afraid.


It had been some time since Ephram had located Lt. Donald Green's cenotaph. Much of the snow had melted and the stones were dark and wet, but Ephram found it well enough. After he pointed it out to Isaac, Ephram stood a few stones back and let Isaac stand before the grave alone. For a few moments, as the wind howled, the stars shown from the clear sky, and the two boys stood unscathed, Isaac stared at the stone in silence. Then he bent down on one knee a few inches from the badly lit stone. This action took Ephram by surprise, considering the ground on which he was kneeling was cold and damp. Isaac bade the conditions no mind.

"I know you were a good man," Isaac suddenly said, completely directed to the cenotaph.

"Kathy told Juliet everyday about what a good man you were. Neither of them ever stopped loving you, never," he added and paused.

"You'd be so proud of her, Juliet, your daughter. She's had to face some of the toughest things in the world, and she's always come out on top. I owe her everything I have. And hence I owe a duty to you, and, I think I know what I can do…" Isaac said and fell silent. Ephram had been watching Isaac curiously, with his head tilted to one side. Isaac stood up and turned to Ephram. Ephram's eyes went first to Isaac's muddied knee but than up to his solemn face. Isaac's eyes were held steadfast on Ephram's. After a few moments, Ephram nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, I won't tell her you were here," Ephram reassured him. Isaac smiled and walked past him, toward the gate. Ephram looked at Lt. Donald Green's cenotaph, bowed his head slightly, and followed Isaac.


The two best friends Jig ever had continued walking side by side down Everwood's wide sidewalks. The mud of Isaac's knee was beginning to dry but slowly so. Ephram sighed.

"So, what's this movie of yours premiering next week?" he asked. Isaac laughed slightly, and shook his head.

"There is no movie. And I wasn't in Paris, I trust she told you that as well," Isaac told him. Ephram looked at him, again confused by the Hispanic star. Isaac picked up on it.

"I made it up. I just wanted an excuse to stop by and get the lay of things."

"You could have done that anytime."

"Yeah, but I wanted to arrive on, well, you know," Isaac told him shrugging. Again Ephram stared at him confused, almost mimicking his father's puppy face. Isaac picked up on that as well, and became confused himself.

"You do know, right? February 27th…" Isaac said but got no response, "Jig's birthday…"

At that Ephram's eyes widened to the size of a dinner plate, but he quickly recovered.

"Oh, yeah, duh. I had forgotten which day you got here. Her birthday, yeah, of course," Ephram said, pretending to have known it all along. Isaac nodded, but his eyes showed little as to whether or not he believed Ephram's ruse.


In front of Jig's house Isaac's limo parked, so the two stopped their walk there. Isaac's things were already in the car, and through the window the driver could be seen, a California poppy sticking out of his breast pocket. Isaac stopped and turned to Ephram. He extended his hand. Ephram spied it suspiciously at first, but then shook it firmly.

"I still don't like you Ephram, but Jig does, and you've seemed to keep her in one piece through everything. I'm more grateful for that then you'll ever know," Isaac told him. Ephram nodded in understanding. In truth, Ephram did realize how he owed Isaac. Isaac helped shape Jig into who she was, without Isaac, the Jig Ephram was friends with may never have existed. Isaac reached into his pocket and pulled out a poppy. He handed it to Ephram, who took it.

"See you later man," Isaac said, getting into the limo.

"You too," Ephram replied as Isaac closed the door and the car drove off. Ephram stood on the sidewalk and watched the back lights of the car until it turned a corner and out of view. He then looked down at the orange poppy in his hand, and smiled. He looked up toward the house and saw Ein in one of the second story windows. Ein soon realized he had been spotted and vanished. Ephram smiled again and shook his head.

During Ferris Bueller's Day Off the girl's sat in near darkness, their surroundings lighted only by the TV screen. Only Jig attempted to speak during the movie, and she was always quieted by the other three. Whether that was to increase her viewing pleasure or their own, was not known. Toward the end of the movie, Georgianna, who now sat on Amy's bed, looked over to who she assumed was one of the girls who had sat next to her during the movie. Instead it was Bright. Georgianna yelled in surprise and threw her freshly filled bowl of popcorn into the air. The bowl itself landed safely on the bed with a slight bounce, but most of its contents landed on an agitated Bright. Needless to say, his sister and cousin soon got him out of the room under a threat of violence that came more from Jig then from Amy. Coming from Jig it had more weight, having broken his nose once already before.

Delia and Andy were already watching a movie by the time Ephram walked through the door. The two got a brief glimpse of the teenager but enough for Andy to form an inquiry.

"Uh, Ephram, where'd you get the flower?" Andy asked him right before Ephram went out of view. The boy stopped and replied.

"Isaac gave it to me," Ephram told him. Andy's eyebrows burrowed in worry, remembering past events.

"Um, okay…" Andy responded and Ephram went up to his room. Still worried, or at least confused, Andy looked down at Delia as if looking at his last hope. The daughter leaning against him looked up.

"I don't think it's anything you have to worry about…" she reassured him. He nodded, still worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah I know that…. Watch the movie," he told her and she did so, smiling.

After the last John Hughes movie and before X-Men, the four girls decided to discuss a stereotypical girl discussion. Boys. The current area of boys they were discussing was their own current situations with them, and which of the four had it the worst.

"Well it's not Desi," Amy said and the others agreed. Desi laughed slightly.

"Why not me?" she asked questionably.

"Because Jig turned Ephram into the perfect boyfriend," Amy explained. Jig nodded.

"I am good," Jig agreed. Desi hit her briefly with a pillow and laughed.

"Well what about Jig? Her guy is coming and going in one handsome, nice smelling, swoop," Desi offered. Jig shook her head.

"Nah, I think a boyfriend with amnesia is worse then a friend who comes and goes," Jig said. Georgianna nodded.

"True. But I still think I win."

"Why's that?" Desi asked her.

"Because all of my boy issues revolve around Bright," Georgianna told them matter-of-factly. The other three looked at each other and than back to Georgianna.

"She wins," they said all at once, then started laughing.

For the same reason rainfall is relaxing, so is a shower. Ephram didn't know why that was, but, he wasn't really interested, either. Normally things he didn't know gave him an urge to find them out, but, this didn't. Some things, it's true, are best appreciated when unexplained. Like Spam, or bologna. Best left unexamined. Ephram had an entire week to wash off. In a way he felt like Lady Macbeth, trying to rub off a stain that was really much more than a simple stain. Some blotch he had ultimately inflicted upon himself. Despite how much he loved Desi, and he did, he still made himself too dependent on Jig. He knew he did, and Isaac proved it. There's no way he should have felt so undermined. He sighed and looked down at the drain below him, the water was clear but he knew it ran wild with his mistakes, his, clinginess…. It washed them off of him, leaving him clean. He had been such an idiot. Fighting over a friend. He never would have done that in New York. He was surprised that Jig didn't despise him, always being around her, always needing her. Though, in true fact, he knew she didn't despise him, she was still his friend. Maybe he took advantage of her, grasping on to the first real bout of friendship he had since he got to Everwood, and refusing to let her go, even to her own best friend. Isaac loved Jig. Ephram knew that. Ephram had no reason to fight with him over her. Ephram had been so selfish, trying to deny Isaac who he loved, trying to deny Jig who he knew she loved. All because he didn't let go of her. And of course, he realizes it now, when it's too late. He hoped the water trickling down his arms and legs washed him of his selfishness. He hoped it washed him clean.