Rating: Right now, it's PG-ish, but the rating may raise in future chapters.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I cannot take claim of ownership of Everwood. It belongs to the good folks at the WB, the production company Everwood Utah, Inc., and other persons.

Summary: Oh no, not another, "A new person moves to Everwood and changes the life of [Insert name of Everwood character of interest]" story. Before you write this off, I assure you that I'm trying to make this not fall into that category, but since I don't have much foresight, it might happen. I haven't read many Everwood fanfiction stories, so I don't know what has exactly happened in other "new person" stories, but I hope mine's different.

Author's Notes: Hey there folks, some of you might read this and go, "Hey, wait a minute, I know I've read this before." Yeah, all five of you. Seriously though, I started this story many months ago then sorta just stopped. However, after watching the season premiere, I was inspired and I've decided to revamp the story. It now takes place during the season premiere. After reviewing the episode, I've decided that the memorial service took place on the Sunday before Memorial Day. I think it took place at night, but to make my story work it happened around noon. Truthfully, I doubt Amy would do a meet and greet with the new neighbors later that day or be slightly cheerful, but for all intents and purposes, she puts a pause on her wallowing and does. Well, here's my first chapter revamped. I hope it doesn't bore you to pieces.

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17 year-old Charlene Whitman pressed her head against the car window as she drove with her family into the unfamiliar town known as Everwood. A deep sigh escaped from her mouth as she watched the townsfolk of the leafy hamlet walk down the sidewalks on the warm September late afternoon as they drove down Main Street.

"Oh come on Char, it's not the end of the world," said her mother, Nicole, who sat in the passenger seat in front of her.

"Yeah Char, it's not the end of the world," chimed in her youngest brother, Riley.

"This coming from the women who complained for two weeks about moving to some drab little country town and a kid who for the same two same weeks whined about leaving all his friends behind? I hardly think you two are ones to judge my disposition on this move," muttered Charlene.

"Char, don't take your frustrations out on your mom and Riley," scolded her father, Brian.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to your mom and brother."

"Sorry mom. Sorry Ri," Charlene apologized with false sweetness, which went unnoticed by her parents. She deeply sighed again. "Tell me one more time why we had to drive to Colorado instead of simply taking a plane to Denver, then taking a bus to Everwood, and then have both of our cars delivered here?"

"Think of it as expanding your horizons," replied Brian.

"I would have preferred "expanding my horizons" on a plane, thank you very much."

"I second that," the older of her two younger brothers, Alexander, muttered next to her.

"What is with the extra snark today, young lady? Did you not receive an efficient amount of your daily caffeine intake this morning?" her dad teased her.

"I'm sorry, moving me to some two-bit mountainside town tends to have some strange effect on me."

"Don't worry Char, I bet you'll soon enjoy living here," Nicole encouraged her daughter.

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one starting at a new high school the same day your father starts his new job as a teacher there."

"Don't be melodramatic. No one's going to harass you for being the daughter of a teacher."

"Maybe not, but the new kids tend to be shunned anyway."

"Sweetie, I bet you'll fit right in."

"I don't care about fitting in. Hell, I don't care if they think I'm the weirdest kid this side of the Rocky Mountains. I just hope that I can learn to coexist with these miscreants until I am free to leave them in two years."

"That kind of attitude will not win the crowd over," commented Brian.

"Who says I want to win them over?" huffed Charlene.

This time a deep sigh came from Charlene's parents, deciding it would be best to just drop the discussion since they were just running in circles. Charlene pulled her headphones over her ears, then pushed play on her iPod as she buried herself into the book she was currently reading, and she and her family rode the rest of the drive to their new home in silence.

From the main part of the town, what one might call the "downtown area," it was only a ten-minute drive to their house. Charlene tucked her book into her purse, and then climbed out of the car so she could observe her house. From the outside it looked like a quaint, two-story house. The light yellow shade that covered the house looked like a new coat of paint that had only recently been painted. She followed after the rest of her family who climbed up the steps that led up the path, which in turn led to the short staircase of steps that led up the porch. After her parents opened the door, the five of them stepped inside the place they would call home in Everwood.

With music flowing loudly in her ears courtesy of her iPod, she left her parents and brothers who stood in the foyer so she could explore the house on her own. She discovered the house was just as quaint on the inside as it was on the outside. Located on the main floor was a dining room, a kitchen, a living room, a small den/study, and a restroom and on the second floor was two smaller sized bedrooms, a bathroom, and a master bedroom with a walk-in closet and separate bathroom. In the basement, which a door to it was located in the kitchen, was laundry room and a large space for whatever the owner of the house wished to do with it. By the time she finished her journey through the house and found her way back to the front foyer, Charlene discovered that the moving van with all of the possessions and their other car had arrived.

She walked outside to find her parents talking with one of the four burly moving men who were hired to haul their things from their hometown to this town and move them into their new home. Since there was no furniture inside the house, Charlene decided that she should sit on the porch swing, even though it was less than warm outside. She pulled her book back out and continued reading, not paying any more attention to her parents or the movers. After about a half an hour, Alexander tried to get her attention. Charlene removed her headphones and looked up at her brother.

"What's up Xan?"

"Mom wants us to pick which room is yours and which one Riley and I have to share."

"I'll take the one on the left side of the house when you walk down the hall from the stairs."

"You already picked one?"

"Yeah. It's the smaller of the two. I figured since there were two of you, I should be nice and give it to you guys."

"Well that's sure decent of you."

"Well, they don't call me chivalrous Charli for nothing," joked Charlene.

"God, I hope no one calls you chivalrous Charli. That would be way too cheesy," shuddered Alexander in mock disgust.

"I hope no one calls me that either."

"I'll go tell mom your decision."

"Thanks."

Alexander left her on the porch and went back inside to inform their mom on the decision. Another hour had passed before Charlene's reading was interrupted again. From the corner of her eye she saw three figures approach her. She pulled her headphones down so they were around her neck, then she looked up from her book and at her three guests. In front of her were a middle-aged couple and their daughter who appeared to be about her age. The woman looked like the only of the three who had willingly come over.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Charlene asked the three.

"Hello dear. We're the Abbots. We live next door to you. We just stopped by to welcome your family to the neighborhood," said the woman cheerfully.

"Well that's very neighborly of you. I believe my parents are just inside. Come on in and I will get them for you."

"That would be lovely, dear."

Charlene got up from the porch swing and strolled past the Abbots to go inside. She opened the door, and then the four of them stepped inside of the house.

"Mom? Dad?"

"We're in the kitchen," replied her mom's voice from a distance.

"Excuse me for one moment," Charlene said to her new guests before slipping away to the kitchen. There, she found her parents sorting through the kitchenware.

"Guess who's here?"

"Who?" asked her mom.

"It appears to be the welcoming committee; although, only one actually seems welcoming. They're in the foyer right now."

Charlene turned and walked towards the foyer, followed by her parents. When they arrived in the foyer, they found the Abbots waiting there. The male Abbot appeared a little annoyed to be there, and the young Abbot girl looked like she was about to have a meltdown.

"Mom, dad, these are the Abbots. They are our new neighbors. I didn't catch their first names, though."

"Hello, I'm Rose, mayor of Everwood," introduced the woman. "This is my husband Harold and this is our daughter Amy."

Charlene's mother extended her hand to Rose.

"I'm Nicole Whitman. This is my husband Brian, and this is our daughter Charlene. Our boys are upstairs. Charlene, why don't you go upstairs and get them? They're in their new room."

"Okay."

Charlene hustled up the nearby stairs and went into the first door to the right where the boys' room was.

"Guys, mom wants you to go downstairs to make nice with the new neighbors," Charlene told her brothers.

"Already?" sighed Alexander. "Man, that welcoming committee sure works fast here."

Charlene chuckled at her brother's comment, then lead the two boys downstairs to find that her parents and their guests moved into the makeshift living room. Quickly aware of their presence, Brian takes the opportunity to introduce his sons to the Abbots.

"These are our two sons, Alexander and Riley. Boys, this is Mayor Abbot, Dr. Abbot, and their daughter Amy."

"Hello," Alexander said politely as he walked towards the two adults to shake their hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Same," smiled Rose.

"Well, as much fun as this is, I'm going to have to excuse myself so I can start unpacking my things, seeing as the movers have finished moving all of our stuff inside."

With that, Charlene turned her heal, and then walked up the nearby staircase to her new room. The Abbots and Charlene's parents watched Charlene's retreating form, before turning their attention back to each other.

"You're the new math teacher at County High, right?" Amy asked Brian, forcing herself to make polite conversation for the first time since her arrival at the house.

"Yes, I am. Are you a student there?"
"Yeah. I'm going to be junior this fall."

"Amy, why don't you go upstairs and see if Charlene could you use your help?" suggested Rose.

Amy's eyes widen, giving her mom an incredulous look, which was returned by a semi-threatening glance from her mom.

"Oh, you don't have to Amy, I'm sure Char can manage on her own until the boys can help her," Nicole assured her

"It's fine. I'd love to help," she forced herself to say politely.

"Well, that's very sweet of you. I hope all the people in Everwood are as kind as you guys."

Amy strained a smile, then started to walk up the stairs that Charlene had just trekked up. As she ascended the stairs, she heard the murmurs of her mother continuing a discussion with the Whitmans. She slowly walked down the hall, pondering which door went to Charlene's. All but one of the doors was open and she heard the faint sound of some girl band she couldn't place. She heard someone singing along with the song. Amy knocked on the door, which made the second voice abruptly stop. She heard footsteps walk towards the door.

"Look, I'm sorry if I seemed rude, mom, but" started Charlene as she slightly opened the door, but cut her sentence short when she realized it was Amy, not her mother who had been her visitor. "Oh, it's you."

"Nice to see you too," joked Amy.

"Sorry. What do you want?" she asked. "Okay, now I sound rude again. Damn, I really need to work on my etiquette."

Amy regarded Charlene strangely for a moment.

"Once you meet Ephram, I think I might have to look out for my title," stated Amy, referring to Ephram calling her the strangest girl he's ever met, but of course Charlene wouldn't understand the reference.

"Ephram? Title? What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Anyway, the reason I came up here is because my mom suggested that I could help you with your unpacking."

"In other words, she gave you that parental look that said, "you better do what I say and play nice with the new kid otherwise an unspeakable wrath will fall upon your head"?"

"Basically. But, I really don't mind helping you, Charlene."

"Call me Charli."

"Alright, Charli, what can I do to help your unpacking process?"

"Well, if you don't mind, could you help me move my desk?"

"Sure."

Charli swung the door open the rest of the way open and then walked over to her desk. Amy followed after her until she too was standing next to the desk.

"Okay, it's not really that heavy since I emptied all the crap that was dwelled in the drawers and whatnot before I left, so it hopefully won't be that difficult to move."

"Okay. Where do you want it?"

"In front of that window."

Amy went on the opposite side of the desk, then she and Charli picked the piece of furniture and moved it to the window.

"So, was that you singing?" Amy asked as they positioned the desk "just right," underneath the window.

If Charli were the blushing type, then her face would have been beat red at that exact moment, but she wasn't.

"Oh, you heard that?"

"Yeah. You're pretty good. Did you take voice lessons in" Amy trailed off, not knowing where they she was from.

"Portland."

"Portland, Oregon?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, well, did you take voice lessons in Portland?"

"Nah, I don't have the patience or the tolerance for lessons. I took piano lessons for like three days and quit because the teacher wouldn't move past the black keys. If that's any indication, I don't think voice lessons are for me. Besides, with my luck, I'd get some instructor like that damn British bastard of a judge from American Idol."

"I see," chuckled Amy, finding that despite the event that took place that day, her mood wasn't completely darkened.

"So, Amy, what do you like to do, you know, when you're not being a Good Samaritan by helping out the new people in town?"

"I dance."

"Ooh, a dancer. What kind?"

"Ballet."

"Figures. You seem like someone full of grace and poise," observed Charli, making ballerina-like gestures with her hands.

"Thanks, I think."

Amy watched as Charli walked to a box and pick up with ease.

"So how old are your brothers?" Amy asked Charli as she brought the box to the desk.

"Well, the two I live with are 13 and 8."

"Wait, you have more?"

"Yeah. Two more. Both are older and away at college."

"How old are they?"

"They're 19."

"Twins?"
"Yep."

"So, you're the middle child and only girl? Well, unless, do you have older sisters?"

"No sisters. I'm sadly the only girl. Stuck in the middle no less. What about you? Are you an only child?"

"No, I have an older brother."

"Ah, I see. And why didn't he join you and your parents in the meet and greet?"

"Bright isn't exactly the 'nice to meet you, welcome to Everwood,' kind of guy."

"Oh."

"So, your dad is going be a teacher at the high school, right?"

"Yeah, unfortunately for me."

"It can't be that horrible."

"It was bad enough that my dad was a high school teacher in Portland, but at least it wasn't my high school."

"No one's going to treat you differently because your dad's a teacher at the school, well, unless none of the kids in his class like him."

"Well that's comforting."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"I hope so."

When Charli and Amy finished unpacking all the things that belonged on the desk, they then moved the dresser to one side of the room.

"So, who's this Ephram you were talking about earlier? Your boyfriend?"

"Ephram, my boyfriend?" Amy laughed, uncomfortably. "No. Ephram's just my friend."

"Right," replied Charli, not really believing her.

"I don't have a boyfriend right now. I did for awhile, but he's gone now."

"Moved away?"

Instead of a reply, Amy weakly shook her head. Charli noticed the tears forming in her eyes and mentally berated herself. Her eyes quickly widen as she realized the implication in what Amy was saying.

"I'm sorry. Foot insert in mouth."

"It's okay, you didn't know."

There was an awkward silence in the air as each tried to figure out what to say.

"When did you lose him, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Before the summer started. We had a memorial for him earlier today."

"Oh. Hold on, so you went to a memorial service today, and yet you're still here today, making nice with the neighbors? Man, do I admire your strength."

Amy fidgeted under Charli's pensive stare. Suddenly a piece of tucked away information re-ignited in Charli's mind as she remembered two articles she read early that year.

"Wait, are you Amy Abbott girlfriend of Miracle Boy Colin Hart?"
"Ummyeah."
"Wow. I read that article earlier this year in New York Magazine. The Miracle of Everwood. It was an amazing story."

"Yeah, well"
Another uncomfortable silence fell over the two girls, and both tried to figure out what to do to end it.

"So, what else can I do to help?" Amy asked finally, breaking through the tension.

"You know, you don't have to stay and help. I totally would understand if you want to go home."

"It's fine, I want to help you."

"Are you sure?"

"It'll help take my mind of things."

"Okay, if you're sure. You can help me put my bed frame together."

"I'm not sure about that, things that are assembly required and me don't really mix well."

"Don't worry, I just need you to hold the bottom part up for me while I screw on the legs."

"Okay"

Charli grabbed a screwdriver and wrench from her desk, then walked over to the bed frame followed by Amy. She instructed Amy while she attached the legs to the rest of the frame. Within a few minutes, Charli and Amy were finished putting the bed together, and then they moved the frame nearby the desk, into one corner of the room. After tossing the mattress on top of the frame, Charli sat on top of it, while Amy sat in the rolling chair that belonged to the desk. Amy glanced around the room at the labeled boxes that took up a lot of the room on the floor. She noticed that quite a few of the boxes were labeled 'For Charli's Entertainment.'

"What's in those boxes?" she asked, nudging to the boxes in question.

"Oh, those just have all my CDs, books, movies, video games, and board games. Basically all the necessities I have to make sure I don't die of boredom."

"Well, it appears you have a lot of things to keep you entertained."

"You have no idea. I was going to bring my dozens of magazines, but my mom made me recycle them, so I gave them to my art teacher so she could give her classes something to use for their collages that wasn't published before their birth."

"I see."

"Speaking of entertainment, what does one do in Everwood do for fun?"

"Make cynical observations?"

"Wow, I guess I'll fit in here after all."

Amy grinned at her new potential friend. Charli kind of remind Amy of Ephram, except of course Charli was a girl, and there would be far less complications in the forging of their friendship.

"So, are you starting school with the rest of us on Tuesday?"

"Yep."

"So, they're only giving you a day and a half to adjust to life in a new town before making you go to school? Why didn't you guys during summer break instead of right as it ended?"

"Well, firstly on the only getting one day to adjust, my parents seem to think that I don't need much time to transition into a new life. You'd think as someone who sees the torturers that are your fellow classmates everyday in action, my father would have an ounce of sympathy for my lack of enthusiasm to return to school without the time to adjust to the town surrounding it," ranted Charli. "And secondly, we didn't move during the break because my parents felt we should get to spend our summer vacation with our friends in Portland. Anyway, my dad's been in town though for about a week and a half though, setting things up at the school. But, seriously, do you have any idea how much this sucks? It's is my senior year and I have to readjust to an already built social structure."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'll be there if you need help."

"Thanks."

Charli stood up the bed, then walked over to bookshelf so she could move it nearby the desk. She lifted up the small bookshelf, and started to head for the desk.

"Need help with that?"

"No, I've got it."

Shortly, Charli got the bookshelf to the preferred destination, then pushed a few boxes of her entertainment things next to it. She plopped down on the ground, then opened one of them up. As Charli started to place some books on one shelf, Amy got up from her chair, then sat down next to her.

"Do you need it in a specific order?"

"Me? Organize something? Now that's funny."

"Not an alphabetizer, I take it?"

"Oh, I try. Every time I clean my room, I take the time to try to sort my books, CDs, and movies so they each are arranged alphabetically, but after a couple weeks, the A's are with the Z's, I place my Linkin Park CD before my Backstreet Boys CD; general chaos ensues."

"Well, that's no good."

"Exactly. So I figure, why bother? Let it be chaotic to begin with, that way it's less work for me."

"Spoken like a true slacker."

"Well, I didn't get an A in Slacker 101 for nothing."

Amy chuckled as she opened another box and helped Charli place things on the shelf.

"So, what grade are you in?" Charli asked Amy.

"I'll be a junior."

"Cool. So you're what, 15? 16?"

"16."

"16? I remember when I was that young."

"Right. And exactly how old are you?"

"Okay, so maybe it was only a little over a year and a half ago"

"Wow, that long ago, huh?"

"Seems like ages."

A new song started to play on her stereo, and she hopped up from the ground then turned the volume up. She sat back down and started to sing along to the song. For the next couple of hours, she and Amy spent most of the time listening to random CDs from Charli's vast collection while putting away Charli's things. Amy focused on her tasks, and tried not to think about other things in her life. As Charli put up her wall clock onto on of the walls, Amy glanced at it and read the time.

"Is that the correct time?" Amy asked Charli.

"Uh, in Pacific Time, why?"

Amy looked outside and realized it had already gotten dark. She had spent three hours there helping Charli, and it was now 6:13, well 5:13 according to Charli's clock.

"I should be getting home, it's probably almost time for dinner."

"Wow, a family that eats before 7:00. If only my family followed such rural eating rituals."

"It was nice meeting you, Charli. Oh, before I forget, tomorrow at the Everwood Pool there's this annual Memorial Day slash end of summer luau. You and your family should come."

"Sounds fun. Maybe I'll make an appearance."

"Great. See you later, then."

"See ya."

At that, Amy walked out of Charli's room and downstairs to leave for home. Charli glanced around her room and tried to think of any other things that need to be done, but couldn't think of anything at the moment. She switched her stereo to the radio, and scanned for a good radio station. On one station, her favorite song to dance to at the moment, Justin Timberlake's Love Don't Love Me, so she turned the volume up and started to dance around her room. After a while, she danced to her desk to grab a book that was on it. She glanced out the window, and in the window directly across from hers in the Abbot house, she noticed a guy around her age staring at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, which made him smirk back at her. She opened her window and motioned for him to do the same. He opened his window, then leaned on the windowsill.

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

"You know, in some countries, they gouge a person's eyes out for peeking into other people's windows."

"Well good thing were not in some countries. Besides, I wasn't peeking. I simply glanced out of my window and noticed you gallivanting around in your room. Nice moves by the way," he smirked again.

"I was not gallivanting," she said in mock disgust.

"Whatever you say."

"Stop smirking."

"I'm not smirking."

"I know a smirk when I see one, and right now one is spread across your damn face."

Before he could reply, Charli heard the faint sound of Amy's voice yelling, "Bright, dinner's ready!" from the room the guy she now assumed as Bright was perching out of.

"Well I've been summoned. I really enjoyed this little chat of ours," said Bright, smirking one last time before closing his window and walking out of sight.

As Bright disappeared out of her sight, Charli stared in astonishment, annoyed she didn't get the last quip in. She closed her window, then turned to walk out of her room to go downstairs to grab a bite to eat. When she arrived in the kitchen and opened the fridge, she groaned at the discovery that no one had gone grocery shopping yet.

"Mom!" she yelled through the house.

"Upstairs in my bedroom!"

She walked upstairs to her parent's new bedroom and found her mom putting away clothes into the closet.

"No food."

"I know. We're going into town as soon as I'm done putting away my clothes to get groceries and then eat at this diner the Abbots told us about."

"Oh, okay, well could you move a little quicker, because I'm starving?"

"Yes, ma'am," mock saluted her mom.

"Cute," Charli replied sarcastically before turning and walking out of her parents' room to her own.

Upon arrival to her room, she went into her closet and grabbed a coat from it, then grabbed her purse before walking downstairs to wait for the rest of her family to finish getting ready to leave. She waited about ten minutes before the four other members of her family came down into the foyer to leave. They all left their house, hopped into the car, then drove off to the downtown area to get groceries and eat dinner.


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TBCSo, what did y'all think? Should I quit while I'm behind? Is it something I should pursue continuing? Is there even an ounce of potential? Do me a favor, and tell me in the form of a review, please. Negative or positive, I can take itI hope.