Chapter 5
Fully dressed Ephram appears in his kitchen earlier than usual to see his dad cook something that could all ready smell inedible. "Ephram you don't have to go to school today, you can take the day off if you want, you know maybe sort things out."
Ephram nods, "thanks, I'm going to go see Joey."
"Ephram..." andy calls as Ephram pulls the door open.
"What?"
Andy shakes his head, "nevermind, I'll see you later."
"Hey!" Ephram calls jogging up the walkway leading toward Joey's front porch, surprised to find her bundled in a blanket sitting on the swing.
"Hey." Joey responds, obviously surprised to find Ephram there so early.
"I brought hot chocolate and strawberry jelly filled doughnuts." Ephram responds holding up the white bag.
Joey offers a soft smile, "my favorite."
"I know." Ephram responds sitting on the swing next to Joey.
The couple sit in silence for a long time and Ephram finally breaks it with the statement, "yesterday I handled your news badly."
Joey shakes her head, "no, you handled it exactly like I would have if it had been the other way around."
"I shouldn't have taken off like that yesterday." Ephram insists.
Joey shakes her head, "I don't want you to feel bad for your reaction."
With her words the two lapse into silence again and once again it is broken by Ephram, "I want to know everything...that is if you want ot tell me.."
Joey takes a deep breath and nods before she begins. "I've had Hodgkin's off and on for two years. A month before we moved her my doctor told me that I was in my 2nd remission and hoping for the best I was able to leave the hospital. Through 2 years of being sick we had all managed to surrender our lives to my illness, I along with Lucy and Sydney had lost most of our friends. Mom had quit working, especially when the surprise in the form of Jessi came along. So when Dad had the option to relocate we all kind of jumped at the chance to start our lives over.
Spring break in LA was for a check up biopsy, just procedure. But the biopsy showed something and just to be sure my doctor ordered a quick surgery. The rests came back saying that the cancer has spread to far and the stage 1 I was faced with 2 years ago has moved to stage 4, which is the highest classification. And now there is nothing that can do, and frankly I'm not sure that I would want anything. I'm chemo'd and radiation'd out. I just want to live my life to the fullest before it's over.
I'm not asking you to stay ephram. If I was in your shoes I don't know if I could stay." Joey finishes her speech softly.
Ephram touches Joey's face gently, "I'm not going anywhere. But I can't promise I can be brave for you."
Joey shakes her head tear forming in her brown eyes, "I'm not asking you to be brave. All I will ever ask you is to stay for as long as you can stand it. No questions will be asked if you stop coming by."
Ephram pulls Joey closer to her and whispers in her hair, "I'm not going anywhere."
2 days later Ephram shoves his books into his backpack and slams his locker shut thoughts of what he needs to do before going to Joey's running through his head. He'd called Joey had lunch and she had asked him to pick up a magazine for her and rent a video so with those thoughts in his head, and not who was around him he continues out of school.
Ephram isn't sure how many times Amy actually calls his name before Ephram turns to face the girl chasing after him. "Ephram." Amy stops to catch her breath.
"Hi Amy." Ephram can't help but give Amy an odd look considering they hadn't spoken since their fight months before. "Was there something you needed?"
Amy bites her lip and then asks, "I couldn't help but notice that Joey's name wasn't called in any of our classes today."
"I'm not feeding the rumor mill." Ephram states his voice low and cool. When Amy's face registers a mixture of shock and hurt Ephram realizes he's made a mistake, "I'm sorry Amy, I shouldn't have said that. But I can't talk about it, it's private."
"Ephram you have spent every day for over a week here, don't you have anything better to do?" Joey asks as the movie they had been watching ends.
"What else would I have to do?" Ephram asks. "The only people who talk to me are those who want to know where you are so that they can have the exclusive gossip topic."
"I'm sorry you have to go through with that, but you won't have to much longer. Your dad is going to right an article for the Pine Cone, my parents and I decided that we wanted the rumors to stop flying about us. Have you heard the one that we are in some weird cult that cuts their oldest child off from civilization?" Joey shakes her head and laughs, "anyway, everyone will know in the morning."
"Ephram!" Ephram sighs, he had been hoping his hiding place from under a tree would go unnoticed for the entire lunch hour.
"Amy if you, like every other student at this school are here to tell me how sorry you are don't waste your breath. " Ephram snaps.
"That's not why I'm here." Amy responds and Ephram lets out breath of relief.
"Then why are you here?"
"I just wanted to know how you are. How Joey really is. And if there is anything I can do for either one of you." Amy blurts quickly, she had obviously been running these words through her head and they suddenly came out more quickly then she had intended.
"It's been really hard, it's hard seeing her like this." Ephram shrugs, "Joey hates having to sit at home doing nothing all day. And there is so much I wish I could do for her but I just can't seem to be able to do anything right."
Amy hugs Ephram, "you know if you need anything I'll be here right?"
Ephram nods and the two begin to converse quietly for the rest of the lunch period.
OK well that's it for now...considering that I didn't get a single review for chapter 4 :( Oh well I understand, anyway this isn't really about Joey's Secret this is an announcement for those who read Rumor Lyn and/or began Fighting for Rumor. ON a first note Fighting for Rumor has been taken down do to lack of intrest on my part, but if you would like to know more about Rumor and the story line surrounding her email me or review here and let me know because I have a story planned out that would tell all about her life up until age 18, so let me know what you think, and please review for this chapter of Joey's Secret and let me know if I should keep going or not. Anyway thanks!
Fully dressed Ephram appears in his kitchen earlier than usual to see his dad cook something that could all ready smell inedible. "Ephram you don't have to go to school today, you can take the day off if you want, you know maybe sort things out."
Ephram nods, "thanks, I'm going to go see Joey."
"Ephram..." andy calls as Ephram pulls the door open.
"What?"
Andy shakes his head, "nevermind, I'll see you later."
"Hey!" Ephram calls jogging up the walkway leading toward Joey's front porch, surprised to find her bundled in a blanket sitting on the swing.
"Hey." Joey responds, obviously surprised to find Ephram there so early.
"I brought hot chocolate and strawberry jelly filled doughnuts." Ephram responds holding up the white bag.
Joey offers a soft smile, "my favorite."
"I know." Ephram responds sitting on the swing next to Joey.
The couple sit in silence for a long time and Ephram finally breaks it with the statement, "yesterday I handled your news badly."
Joey shakes her head, "no, you handled it exactly like I would have if it had been the other way around."
"I shouldn't have taken off like that yesterday." Ephram insists.
Joey shakes her head, "I don't want you to feel bad for your reaction."
With her words the two lapse into silence again and once again it is broken by Ephram, "I want to know everything...that is if you want ot tell me.."
Joey takes a deep breath and nods before she begins. "I've had Hodgkin's off and on for two years. A month before we moved her my doctor told me that I was in my 2nd remission and hoping for the best I was able to leave the hospital. Through 2 years of being sick we had all managed to surrender our lives to my illness, I along with Lucy and Sydney had lost most of our friends. Mom had quit working, especially when the surprise in the form of Jessi came along. So when Dad had the option to relocate we all kind of jumped at the chance to start our lives over.
Spring break in LA was for a check up biopsy, just procedure. But the biopsy showed something and just to be sure my doctor ordered a quick surgery. The rests came back saying that the cancer has spread to far and the stage 1 I was faced with 2 years ago has moved to stage 4, which is the highest classification. And now there is nothing that can do, and frankly I'm not sure that I would want anything. I'm chemo'd and radiation'd out. I just want to live my life to the fullest before it's over.
I'm not asking you to stay ephram. If I was in your shoes I don't know if I could stay." Joey finishes her speech softly.
Ephram touches Joey's face gently, "I'm not going anywhere. But I can't promise I can be brave for you."
Joey shakes her head tear forming in her brown eyes, "I'm not asking you to be brave. All I will ever ask you is to stay for as long as you can stand it. No questions will be asked if you stop coming by."
Ephram pulls Joey closer to her and whispers in her hair, "I'm not going anywhere."
2 days later Ephram shoves his books into his backpack and slams his locker shut thoughts of what he needs to do before going to Joey's running through his head. He'd called Joey had lunch and she had asked him to pick up a magazine for her and rent a video so with those thoughts in his head, and not who was around him he continues out of school.
Ephram isn't sure how many times Amy actually calls his name before Ephram turns to face the girl chasing after him. "Ephram." Amy stops to catch her breath.
"Hi Amy." Ephram can't help but give Amy an odd look considering they hadn't spoken since their fight months before. "Was there something you needed?"
Amy bites her lip and then asks, "I couldn't help but notice that Joey's name wasn't called in any of our classes today."
"I'm not feeding the rumor mill." Ephram states his voice low and cool. When Amy's face registers a mixture of shock and hurt Ephram realizes he's made a mistake, "I'm sorry Amy, I shouldn't have said that. But I can't talk about it, it's private."
"Ephram you have spent every day for over a week here, don't you have anything better to do?" Joey asks as the movie they had been watching ends.
"What else would I have to do?" Ephram asks. "The only people who talk to me are those who want to know where you are so that they can have the exclusive gossip topic."
"I'm sorry you have to go through with that, but you won't have to much longer. Your dad is going to right an article for the Pine Cone, my parents and I decided that we wanted the rumors to stop flying about us. Have you heard the one that we are in some weird cult that cuts their oldest child off from civilization?" Joey shakes her head and laughs, "anyway, everyone will know in the morning."
"Ephram!" Ephram sighs, he had been hoping his hiding place from under a tree would go unnoticed for the entire lunch hour.
"Amy if you, like every other student at this school are here to tell me how sorry you are don't waste your breath. " Ephram snaps.
"That's not why I'm here." Amy responds and Ephram lets out breath of relief.
"Then why are you here?"
"I just wanted to know how you are. How Joey really is. And if there is anything I can do for either one of you." Amy blurts quickly, she had obviously been running these words through her head and they suddenly came out more quickly then she had intended.
"It's been really hard, it's hard seeing her like this." Ephram shrugs, "Joey hates having to sit at home doing nothing all day. And there is so much I wish I could do for her but I just can't seem to be able to do anything right."
Amy hugs Ephram, "you know if you need anything I'll be here right?"
Ephram nods and the two begin to converse quietly for the rest of the lunch period.
OK well that's it for now...considering that I didn't get a single review for chapter 4 :( Oh well I understand, anyway this isn't really about Joey's Secret this is an announcement for those who read Rumor Lyn and/or began Fighting for Rumor. ON a first note Fighting for Rumor has been taken down do to lack of intrest on my part, but if you would like to know more about Rumor and the story line surrounding her email me or review here and let me know because I have a story planned out that would tell all about her life up until age 18, so let me know what you think, and please review for this chapter of Joey's Secret and let me know if I should keep going or not. Anyway thanks!