Chapter 3
Ok, well I've finally updated! I know you are all so happy! Anyway, I have the entire rest of the story mapped out so it shouldn't take me much time at all to get this finished up and you can find out what Joey's secret really is...Which according to my map should be like...hmmm(consulting map)....Next Chapter! Yipee!! Anyway please r&r it's very important to me!!
"So did your parents blow up when they found out?" Ephram asks the next morning, after finding Joey in front of her locker.
Joey shrugs, "doesn't matter. What about you? How'd your dad take it?" Joey slams her locker shut after pulling out a book.
"Typical parental reaction." Ephram responds his gaze settling on Amy and Colin several lockers down, talking.
"This town is going to drive me crazy." Joey sighs sitting down across from Ephram at lunch a month later. "I am so tempted to ditch the last half of school, but I don't want to deal with my parents blowing up at me again."
"I agree, the good news...Two weeks left until spring break." Ephram laughs at the look of relief on his girl-friends face.
Then a cloud falls over Joey's face again, "The longest two weeks in the entire world."
Ephram kisses her, "they won't be that bad."
Joey half smiles, "I'm going to get lunch, I'll be back."
Ephram watches Joey walk away, but instead of following her all the way to the lunch line his gaze rests on Amy and Colin at their table with their friends. In the entire month Amy and Ephram had not exchanged a single word to each other, Ephram still talked every once in awhile with Colin. But Colin had been nearly as standoffish as Amy had been, not that Ephram could blame him, they weren't good friends and Colin's own girlfriend was angry at him...or not speaking, Ephram really didn't know which.
By the time Ephram finishes his thought Joey stakes the seat across from him again, "so what are we going to do with over spring break?" Ephram asks taking one of her fries.
Joey rolls her eyes, "I don't know what you're doing but my mother is taking me to L.A. for the week."
"What?" Ephram questions.
"I know." Joey shrugs, "I didn't know I was going until last night. I don't want to abandon you here."
"So then don't." Ephram responds, "can't you get out of it?"
Joey shakes her head, "no, it's impossible, she's not letting me out of it. We leave the Saturday after school gets out."
"For the whole week?" Ephram asks.
Joey nods sadly, "for the whole week."
Ephram and Joey stop in front of Joey's house the Friday before her trip to L.A, "what time are you leaving in the morning. Do you have time to catch breakfast at Mama Joy's?"
Joey shakes her head, "mom says we are leaving at the crack of dawn she wants to be in LA by lunch time."
"Well, have a good trip." Ephram hugs Joey tightly.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Joey responds gazing up at Ephram. "I'll miss you."
Ephram kisses Joey's forehead, "I'll miss you too. Call me when you get home OK?"
"I will." Joey promises before kissing Ephram one last time.
"Josephine Anne we have to be up by 4 tomorrow you need to get sleep!" Meg calls out from the porch. "I'm sorry to take her away from you for the week Ephram."
Joey rolls her eyes, "I'm coming mom!" With one more quick kiss Joey disappears into the house.
"Hey Ephram," Andy greets, "doing homework?"
Ephram arches an eyebrow at his father and drops his manga, "right."
"Well I figured that since school starts again tomorrow..."
Ephram rolls his eyes, "well I'm not."
"OK, fine. Have you talked to Joey?" Andy questions.
Ephram shakes his head, "no, she's not back yet."
"Yes she is." Andy responds. "I just picked Delia up from spending the night at Sydney's, Meg was there."
Ephram gives his father a puzzled look, "I'm going to walk over there."
"That's fine." Andy responds, "meet us Mama Joy's then for dinner, you can bring Joey with if you want."
It doesn't take Ephram more than 5 minutes to reach Joey's house and he walks quickly up walkway. Meg opens the door after Ephram knocks, "Ephram." Meg seems slightly surprised to see Ephram standing in front of her.
"Hi Mrs. Livington." Ephram greets, "is Joey around?"
"Yeah Ephram she is, but she can't come to do the door." Meg responds.
"Is she OK?" Ephram asks quickly.
"She picked up some kind of bug and in case she's contagious you shouldn't see her right now." Meg responds smiling sadly.
"Is she going to be in school tomorrow?" Ephram asks quickly.
Meg shakes her head, "I'm sorry Ephram. She needs to rest, hopefully she will be feeling better by tomorrow afternoon."
Ephram nods, "would it be all right if I bring by her homework tomorrow after school?"
Meg nods, "that would be fine. Hopefully she will be up to seeing visitors by then."
Ephram takes a step back, "you'll tell her I stopped by right?"
Meg nods again, "of course."
The next day seemed to crawl by for Ephram but by the end he had collected all of Joey's homework, and stayed as far away as possible from Colin, Amy and the rest of their friends. By the time Ephram reaches Joey's house the middle school had all ready let out and Lucy was curled up on the front porch swing.
"Hey Lucy is your sister up for company?" Ephram questions.
Lucy nods, "yeah she's in the living room."
Ephram opens the door and walks through the house toward the living room in the back. She lays propped against the pillows watching TV, her skin is pale and she has dark circles under her eyes that she had obviously tried to cover with make-up.
"Hey." Joey's voice is softer than normal and she immediately shuts off the TV when she notices Ephram's appearance.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Ephram asks walking closer toward Joey.
Joey sits up, making room for Ephram to sit down. "Better, I should be back in school tomorrow."
"Good." Ephram tucks Joey's blonde hair away from her face, "I should let you rest."
Joey nods, "I'll talk to you later."
Ephram kisses Joey on the cheek before standing up, "I'll call you later."
"Hey." Ephram wraps his arms around Joey's waist.
Joey turns around to face Ephram planting a kiss on Ephram's lips, "Hey."
"You still look tired, are you sure you should be here?" Ephram questions."
Joey pulls away from Ephram and she turns away from Ephram to slam her locker shut, "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Ephram questions.
"Of course." Joey responds, "I wouldn't be allowed out of the house if I wasn't. So did I miss anything while I was gone?"
Ephram takes joey's hand, "this is Everwood remember. Not LA and not New York City, you didn't miss a single thing, unless of course you count the mailman switching his mail delivery route."
Joey laughs and two start toward their first period, Ephram is the first to notice the prom signs. "Prom all ready?"
"School is almost out." Joey responds.
"Thank God...but prom?" Ephram asks.
Joey looks crestfallen, "you don't want to go?"
Ephram shrugs, "it would be the same old school thing, Amy and colin reigning as King and Queen." Ephram then turns to face Joey, "did you want to go?"
Joey shrugs, "I don't know. It may sound cheesy but I always imagined a big puffy dress and a horse drawn carriage. I know cheesy..."
The late bell sounds and Ephram promises, "we'll talk about this later."
Joey nods and hurries to take her seat and Ephram follows suite.
Ok, well I've finally updated! I know you are all so happy! Anyway, I have the entire rest of the story mapped out so it shouldn't take me much time at all to get this finished up and you can find out what Joey's secret really is...Which according to my map should be like...hmmm(consulting map)....Next Chapter! Yipee!! Anyway please r&r it's very important to me!!
"So did your parents blow up when they found out?" Ephram asks the next morning, after finding Joey in front of her locker.
Joey shrugs, "doesn't matter. What about you? How'd your dad take it?" Joey slams her locker shut after pulling out a book.
"Typical parental reaction." Ephram responds his gaze settling on Amy and Colin several lockers down, talking.
"This town is going to drive me crazy." Joey sighs sitting down across from Ephram at lunch a month later. "I am so tempted to ditch the last half of school, but I don't want to deal with my parents blowing up at me again."
"I agree, the good news...Two weeks left until spring break." Ephram laughs at the look of relief on his girl-friends face.
Then a cloud falls over Joey's face again, "The longest two weeks in the entire world."
Ephram kisses her, "they won't be that bad."
Joey half smiles, "I'm going to get lunch, I'll be back."
Ephram watches Joey walk away, but instead of following her all the way to the lunch line his gaze rests on Amy and Colin at their table with their friends. In the entire month Amy and Ephram had not exchanged a single word to each other, Ephram still talked every once in awhile with Colin. But Colin had been nearly as standoffish as Amy had been, not that Ephram could blame him, they weren't good friends and Colin's own girlfriend was angry at him...or not speaking, Ephram really didn't know which.
By the time Ephram finishes his thought Joey stakes the seat across from him again, "so what are we going to do with over spring break?" Ephram asks taking one of her fries.
Joey rolls her eyes, "I don't know what you're doing but my mother is taking me to L.A. for the week."
"What?" Ephram questions.
"I know." Joey shrugs, "I didn't know I was going until last night. I don't want to abandon you here."
"So then don't." Ephram responds, "can't you get out of it?"
Joey shakes her head, "no, it's impossible, she's not letting me out of it. We leave the Saturday after school gets out."
"For the whole week?" Ephram asks.
Joey nods sadly, "for the whole week."
Ephram and Joey stop in front of Joey's house the Friday before her trip to L.A, "what time are you leaving in the morning. Do you have time to catch breakfast at Mama Joy's?"
Joey shakes her head, "mom says we are leaving at the crack of dawn she wants to be in LA by lunch time."
"Well, have a good trip." Ephram hugs Joey tightly.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Joey responds gazing up at Ephram. "I'll miss you."
Ephram kisses Joey's forehead, "I'll miss you too. Call me when you get home OK?"
"I will." Joey promises before kissing Ephram one last time.
"Josephine Anne we have to be up by 4 tomorrow you need to get sleep!" Meg calls out from the porch. "I'm sorry to take her away from you for the week Ephram."
Joey rolls her eyes, "I'm coming mom!" With one more quick kiss Joey disappears into the house.
"Hey Ephram," Andy greets, "doing homework?"
Ephram arches an eyebrow at his father and drops his manga, "right."
"Well I figured that since school starts again tomorrow..."
Ephram rolls his eyes, "well I'm not."
"OK, fine. Have you talked to Joey?" Andy questions.
Ephram shakes his head, "no, she's not back yet."
"Yes she is." Andy responds. "I just picked Delia up from spending the night at Sydney's, Meg was there."
Ephram gives his father a puzzled look, "I'm going to walk over there."
"That's fine." Andy responds, "meet us Mama Joy's then for dinner, you can bring Joey with if you want."
It doesn't take Ephram more than 5 minutes to reach Joey's house and he walks quickly up walkway. Meg opens the door after Ephram knocks, "Ephram." Meg seems slightly surprised to see Ephram standing in front of her.
"Hi Mrs. Livington." Ephram greets, "is Joey around?"
"Yeah Ephram she is, but she can't come to do the door." Meg responds.
"Is she OK?" Ephram asks quickly.
"She picked up some kind of bug and in case she's contagious you shouldn't see her right now." Meg responds smiling sadly.
"Is she going to be in school tomorrow?" Ephram asks quickly.
Meg shakes her head, "I'm sorry Ephram. She needs to rest, hopefully she will be feeling better by tomorrow afternoon."
Ephram nods, "would it be all right if I bring by her homework tomorrow after school?"
Meg nods, "that would be fine. Hopefully she will be up to seeing visitors by then."
Ephram takes a step back, "you'll tell her I stopped by right?"
Meg nods again, "of course."
The next day seemed to crawl by for Ephram but by the end he had collected all of Joey's homework, and stayed as far away as possible from Colin, Amy and the rest of their friends. By the time Ephram reaches Joey's house the middle school had all ready let out and Lucy was curled up on the front porch swing.
"Hey Lucy is your sister up for company?" Ephram questions.
Lucy nods, "yeah she's in the living room."
Ephram opens the door and walks through the house toward the living room in the back. She lays propped against the pillows watching TV, her skin is pale and she has dark circles under her eyes that she had obviously tried to cover with make-up.
"Hey." Joey's voice is softer than normal and she immediately shuts off the TV when she notices Ephram's appearance.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Ephram asks walking closer toward Joey.
Joey sits up, making room for Ephram to sit down. "Better, I should be back in school tomorrow."
"Good." Ephram tucks Joey's blonde hair away from her face, "I should let you rest."
Joey nods, "I'll talk to you later."
Ephram kisses Joey on the cheek before standing up, "I'll call you later."
"Hey." Ephram wraps his arms around Joey's waist.
Joey turns around to face Ephram planting a kiss on Ephram's lips, "Hey."
"You still look tired, are you sure you should be here?" Ephram questions."
Joey pulls away from Ephram and she turns away from Ephram to slam her locker shut, "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Ephram questions.
"Of course." Joey responds, "I wouldn't be allowed out of the house if I wasn't. So did I miss anything while I was gone?"
Ephram takes joey's hand, "this is Everwood remember. Not LA and not New York City, you didn't miss a single thing, unless of course you count the mailman switching his mail delivery route."
Joey laughs and two start toward their first period, Ephram is the first to notice the prom signs. "Prom all ready?"
"School is almost out." Joey responds.
"Thank God...but prom?" Ephram asks.
Joey looks crestfallen, "you don't want to go?"
Ephram shrugs, "it would be the same old school thing, Amy and colin reigning as King and Queen." Ephram then turns to face Joey, "did you want to go?"
Joey shrugs, "I don't know. It may sound cheesy but I always imagined a big puffy dress and a horse drawn carriage. I know cheesy..."
The late bell sounds and Ephram promises, "we'll talk about this later."
Joey nods and hurries to take her seat and Ephram follows suite.